Fighting The Past - Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Chapter Twelve

Stupid, completely stupid. That was what Natasha thought as she felt Y/N's hand grip her throat, her back colliding with the wall as Y/N threw her against it. In a moment where Nat had allowed her emotions to get the better or her she had made such a stupid mistake. In her desperation to get Y/N to stop, to listen to her she had played right into Y/N's trick. 

Y/N didn't hesitate as they drove their knee up into Natasha's stomach, connecting with the stab wound that they had inflicted before. A grunt of pain slipped through Nat's lips as the impact of the strike cause the stitches to split, reopening the barely healed wound. 

Grabbing hold of Y/N's arm that was gripping her throat, Natasha twisted it as she threw her whole body weight into the attempt to get Y/N off her. The momentum sent them both hurtling toward the ground, Nat tried to gain the advantage but as she fell toward Y/N, they kicked their leg out and caught Natasha mid air. Y/N flipped Natasha with brute force, sending her crashing through the set of doors, glass shattering everywhere as Natasha landed on the floor of the adjoining room. 

Blood trickled down the side of Nat's face as she rolled onto her side, her hand reaching down to feel the bloody stain that was spreading across her t-shirt. This situation was going from bad to worse. Struggling to get to her feet, Nat winced in pain and dropped back down onto her knees, watching as Y/N stalked toward her. 

"Is that really all you've got Natalia? Have you gotten that soft that you can't handle a real fight now?" Y/N said a flicker of amusement dancing across their dark eyes. 

"I'm not fighting you Y/N" Nat shook her head slowly, "I won't..." 

Y/N struck hard and fast her fist connecting with Natasha's jaw and when they got no reaction from her, Y/N did it again and again. Pure anger rippled through them with each strike, enraged at the fact Natalia did nothing to block the punches, nothing to fight back, she just stayed down on her knees taking each strike. 

As each punch landed, Nat closed her eyes. A small part of her welcomed the pain, believed that this was what she deserved for failing Y/N for all these years. She didn't fight back because she didn't want to hurt Y/N anymore that she already had. Taking a deep breath, Nat waited for the next punch to land but it didn't. 

Opening her eyes slowly, Natasha looked up at Y/N who had taken a step back and was staring back at her. Confusion played across Y/N's face, their bloodied hands hung at their side, their shoulders slumped. 

"You're just going to let me kill you?" Y/N finally spoke as they looked at Natalia, as they took in the broken, bruised and bloody face that looked back at them. 

"I've tried to prove to you that what you think of me is wrong..." Nat replied ignoring the shooting pain that rippled through her jaw, "But it's clear you won't believe me, which means you'll just keep coming after me and after the people I care about. So our story might as well end here so nobody else gets hurt..." 

Natasha had sacrificed her life before to protect the ones she loved and here she was willing to do that again. If it meant they would all be safe and Y/N would leave them alone then it would be worth it. 

"Get up Natalia" Y/N's voice was firm. 

Keeping her eyes on Y/N, Nat slowly struggled to her feet, one arm wrapped around her abdomen as the other reached out to use the wall to steady herself. Y/N's face was completely unreadable, Nat wasn't sure what it was that Y/N was planning to do. All she could hope was that it would be quick, that Y/N would at least give her the courtesy of not drawing it out. 

"This is truly how you want the story to end?" Y/N asked, a gun had appeared in their hand and Nat knew they must have found it in the other room. 

Tears of physical and emotional pain glistened in Nat's eyes as she stood looking at the one person who she had never thought would become her enemy. The person who had been there though all the horrors of the Red Room, never leaving her side. No, this was not how she had seen their story ending. Not after that night back in Budapest when they had finally confessed their true feelings for one another, when they had made love for hours before falling asleep wrapped up in one another.