The Younger Agent - Natasha Romanoff x OC

Chapter 59 - Autographs and Automobiles

2015-

The Avengers minus Thor had been fighting HYDRA as a group for approximately the last six months. While it was hard work, it was rewarding knowing that they were successfully overpowering the evil group.  

It had felt like unfinished business after the fall of SHIELD had revealed that there were still many HYDRA operatives and bases all around the world. Earning closure to that situation was nice.

Due to all of their successes, some of them public, the group had made quite the name for themselves. Everyone had known the Avengers due to the Battle of New York, but there was a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, so a lot of people had thought they had gone into incredibly early retirement.  

But now that they were back in business they were very well-known, Natasha and Eleanor even sometimes got stopped in the street to sign things. It was weird being treated like a celebrity when they were practically just doing what they had done for a job at SHIELD, this time with a man in an iron suit by their side. 

Natasha didn't particularly like the attention, whenever adults or children came up to them to say hello, she would give a small response and smile, whilst Eleanor did all of the talking.

She didn't really like it either but wanted to keep the people happy, so signed all of the paper that was pushed into her face, though she did enjoy it when kids came up to say hi, as she knew that they were genuine. Natasha would watch fondly as Eleanor animatedly told family-friendly tales of their adventures. She couldn't help but chuckle along with whatever kid was witnessing the story. 

There was one very young kid around the age of three who had bumped his knee by falling off of his scooter beforehand but still waddled over to them to say hi, and Eleanor gushed over him. Wiping the residual tears away she cooed at how brave he was being and whipped out a lollipop to give to him, after getting the mother's permission. It was a sweet sight, literally, but Natasha was just confused at how her wife had pulled a lollipop out of thin air.

It wasn't all fun and games though, some people hated the Avengers with a burning passion, still holding blame in their hearts for the situation in 2012 New York. So while some magazines and tabloids put the group on their front pages to show their admiration, some tabloids tried to spread some gossip and a lot of dislike.

Much of it was laugh-worthy though, even if they were insulting them. Like the time Eleanor had run into the communal kitchen laughing hysterically at the front page of a tabloid with a badly photoshopped image of Natasha and Tony on a date with the bold title of "World's Mightiest Homewreckers - Black Widow cheats on wife".  

Clint had almost got yet another kick in the shin from Natasha as he laughed just as hysterically beside her, but he managed to jump backwards. Unfortunately, he had jumped backwards into Bruce who spilt his cup of water all over the both of them at the impact, causing the younger woman to laugh even more, almost collapsing to the floor as her knees gave way.  

As funny as the photoshop was, the PR team Tony had hired for situations like this did have to release some statements to stop the fire from spreading.

Eleanor had found it hilarious when a journalist walked up to them when they were shopping asking how it was being friends and coworkers after the divorce. Natasha very nearly punched the man so Eleanor had to drag her away from the fruits section before a hoard of apples was launched at the journalist's head. 

It was a hard adjustment though, being in the public eye a lot, so downtime at the Avengers Tower was a blessing, and there was so much room, that it never felt like they were trapped inside if they wanted a few days with no prying eyes. There was some worry about whether any allies of the Red Room would make any attempts with getting Natasha back, with her being so well known it wouldn't be hard to track her down. But they supposed that even they wouldn't be stupid enough to go after an Avenger. Eleanor knew for sure that if anything happened to Natasha that they would all break the Earth apart to get her back.