Stained (N.R)

Chapter 28

I woke to tireless pacing, stretching in my duvet and shaking off my fatigue. In a blink of the eye, a silver shadow appeared by my side pressing a glass of water in my palm. 

"Um..." I blinked.

Pietro scratched his head awkwardly. "They said you'd be thirsty."

"Really?" An angry, husky voice growled by my ear and I turned to see a seathing Natalia. "I thought she was invincible, charging into bullets like a moth to a flame, giving the rest of us a heart attack."

"Ilya..."

"Fury said that he's not gonna pay your hospital bills." She said darkly. "He said that it should teach you a lesson."

Pietro seemed to sense something, and excused himself, disappearing out of the room, shutting the door gently as he went. 

"Piet..." I retracted my outreaching hand after receiving a glare from the green eyed terror. "Ilya, I really can explain this time..."

"So I payed them for you." She continued as if she didn't hear me.

"Thank..."

"As a return," She closed off the gap between us, her lips grazing my earlobe, sending a shiver down my spine. "I have the ownership of all your documents, under Fury's orders, and was given the mission to take care of you for until I decide that you are healed properly."

I gulped.

"You will be living with me." She chuckled, reaching her hand out to play with a strand of my hair. "You don't seem happy about it."

I gave a weak smile, like a rabbit in headlights. "I am delighted."

"Good." Natalia drew away, the corner of her lip curled into a smile. "I'll start packing."

A month later

"Wow." I slid my backpack off my shoulders, gazing at the scene before me. 

A small ranch, a rippling lake gleaming in the sunset. A cluster of trees stood too, lining the perimeter. The typical views of the American dream, no, more perfect that even that, laid out before me. Ilya smirked at me. "Welcome home, Katya."

"This.... This is home?" I stared at her, still wide eyed, my mind trying to process the words that I was hearing. 

"Well," her smirk grew wider by the second. "That's what I had in mind when I bought it."

I threw myself at her and she chuckled as she held me, her scent familiar and her warmth wrapping around me. "Have I told you how much I love you?" I pecked at her cheek.

"A couple of times," she winked. "Clint gave Tony and I the idea and so between me and him, we managed to gain ownership of the land round here. They are literally a lake over from us."

I squinted at the surface of the water, grinning. "We can have water fights with him in the summer then!"

She tossed her head back and laughed. "We certainly can. Any other plans?"

"Can we have a pet dog?" I asked as she led me towards the house.

"Not a bad idea." She nodded.

"And a cat." I added.

"Mhmm."

"And a fox?"

"A fox?"

"They are cute!"

"Alright." Ilya nodded. "A fox."

"We can also have a pet crocodile because we have the lake!"

"Well..."

"Oh, and a rattlesnake,  I've always wanted a rattlesnake!"

"Anything else?" She chuckled.

"Horses, I can ride horses, I can teach you if you don't know how... And we can have falcons, those big hunting falcons that are really cool and catch rabbits."

"Seems like we will be building a zoo here." She mused.

"It's far from a zoo." I argued. "Although maybe we could get a leopard for Diana so she could have a girlfriend too, or a boyfriend."

"Right," Ilya hummed. "Adding that to the shopping list."

"We can live here forever and ever." I cheered. "We can also have bonfire nights and marshmallows like how they did in those movies they showed us back in the Red Room, and we can invite everyone over to celebrate..."

The sun was falling now, sending flares across the waves and painting the ranch house a warm orange colour. I walked along the little white stone path towards our ranch as Natalia grasped my hand, listening to my long lists of wishes and goals for our future, together. 

The sun painted her ginger hair into a more vibrant colour, and was warm on the crown of my head. It was at the porch where she kissed me, full on the lips, drowning in the moment which opened to so many possibilities. 

She playfully gave me the key, gesturing for me to open the door, laughing as I squealed at the sight of our new, shared home, tackling her with another hug and kissing her feverently. 

  Up on the hill side, Diana fiddled with a camera, trying hard not to slice it into bits, and with her claws carefully retracted, captured the moment in the lens with a loud 'click'. 

She jumped backwards, on guard, her tail waving in the air like a question mark. Pluto lolled his tongue out and made a rumbling noise in his chest, as if laughing at her. 

Diana hissed, indignant, and pouced at Pluto, who ducked behind Jupiter. The was a lot of purring and snarling and barking and flapping as the three tangled together in a giant metallic heap.

A few moments later, Diana lay on the grass victorious, pinning a whimpering Pluto beneath her, elegantly licking a paw, her chest rising and falling with small chuffing noises.

Jupiter stood guard next to them, a glint of laughter in his warm brown eyes, looking at them like how a older brother would look at two naughty younger siblings,  a mix between helplessness, love, and slight indignance. 

It was peaceful this way, perfect.

If only it would last.