Fighting The Past - Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Chapter Ten

Y/N stared up at the crack that ran along the ceiling, they knew at least a few hours had past since Natalia had left them alone. They were glad for it though, the quiet, they had spent so many years alone that they had forgotten what it was like to actually be around people. Being an assassin was a solitary life, one that Y/N had found to be the best way to avoid ever being disappointed by someone ever again. That and the Red Room had never allowed them to interact with another widow after what had happened in Budapest, they had kept Y/N in total isolation between missions, just another part of their punishment. 

They needed to figure out a way to remove the wrist restraints, then get the hell out of here so that they could get this shit show of an assignment back on track. Maybe they should have just dealt with Natalia in that room at the Stark Tower, but Y/N had wanted to make her suffer first, to feel a fraction of the pain and suffering that had been a constant in Y/N's life since Budapest. 

If they could free themselves then perhaps that would give them the opportunity to deal with Natalia here, where there were no other Avengers that could get in the way and protect her. Tilting their head to look down at the wrist restraints, Y/N glared at the Stark Industries logo on the side of them. Great, so these weren't going to be any standard kind of restraint, yet another complication to the plan of getting out. 

Y/N dropped back against the pillow, eyes staring back up at the ceiling. Their thoughts drifted to earlier, when Natalia had been holding their face, pulling them out of the hellish nightmare that they had been stuck in. For a fraction of a second when they had opened their eyes and see Natalia hovering above them Y/N had found themselves remembering a moment similar to that one. 

**

They had been in Budapest for a month at that point, settling into a routine and life that made it look as if they were model Black Widows, carrying out any assignments given to them. Behind that facade though Y/N and Natalia had been planning ways that they might be able to get out and no longer have every part of their lives controlled by Dreykov and his people. 

Whilst the apartment they had been staying in had two massive bedrooms, one for the each of them, Y/N often found Natalia choosing to stay in the same room as them. Natalia had said it made her feel safer, so Y/N had never objected. 

That evening Y/N had gotten back to the apartment after completing her assignment before Natalia. Feeling exhausted, Y/N had collapsed onto the bed and sleep had gripped them the moment their head had hit the pillow. Night terrors were something that Y/N had experienced from the moment the Red Room had taken them when they were just five years old. 

The one that night had been the worst one that Y/N'd had for a long time, Natalia had been taken from them and her screams of pain filled the dark room that Y/N found themselves trapped in. There was no way out, Y/N beat against the cold black walls until their hands were bloody and broken, they had to get to Natalia, they had to protect her. 

"Y/N! wake up, you're okay, just wake up" Natalia's voice pulled Y/N out of the torment of their own mind. 

When Y/N forced their eyes to open, they saw Natalia right there, worry and concern creasing her brow as she held Y/N's face gently in her hands. Y/N then saw the relief in Natalia's eyes as their eyes met. A cold sweat had broken out across Y/N's forehead and their muscles ached as if it really had used all its strength to pound against those walls. 

"You scared me half to death, I got in and heard you screaming" Natalia said softly, "I thought someone was hurting you." 

"I'm okay" Y/N replied reaching their hand up to rest on top of Natalia's "It was just a bad dream, that's all, I'm sorry I scared you though."