Breaking Free | Natasha x OC

Chapter Sixty-Three

"I want to rest. I want to breathe quietly again."
____

"Walk me through it once more. This room does what?" Steve was walking beside Banner, frowning.

"It's designed to simulate whatever's causing her rapid healing. There's... well there's a lot of science behind it but we both know there's not exactly a point in explaining that-"

Steve gave the doctor a look, Banner giving an apologetic smile.
"It accelerates everything quite severely. Essentially, it's like putting her mutation on steroids."

"That won't have any other side affects?" The supersoldier asked, seeing a worried look on Bruce's face.

"We don't know," The doctor sighed. "Let's hope not." Tony, Alessia, and Nat were ahead of them, Steve and Bruce nearing and catching the end of their conversation.
It seemed Nat and Alessia were asking similar things.

"It sounds dangerous, Stark-" Nat said unhappily. The three of them looked tense, and Natasha annoyed.

"But it's not our choice at the end of the day, is it?" Tony almost snapped before sighing. It seems they'd walked in on an argument.

Nat looked at him hard for a moment before letting go, taking a deep breath. "I can't have something go wrong," She spoke softly.

"It won't." Tony softened too, before he gave a small grin. "I helped design it. Have a little faith, Romanoff."
Nat's expression grew more concerned.

"That doesn't comfort me."

***

They were fighting. Again. Gods, that was all they did everytime Tara returned 'home'.

"I can't fail at this. I don't fail."

Natara paused now, the words hitting her. Her mouth had been open to reply but she closed it now, blinking and shaking her head to see if she'd really just heard that. "I'm sorry," She frowned, confused and knowing she was going to land up hurt, "you need us to solve our issues... so that you haven't failed?"
She took a breath in, blinking again.

Nat realized what she'd said and how it was being heard. "No- that's not-" She sighed, unsure what it was. "I didn't mean it like that. Of course there's more-"

"But that's the one you mentioned," Natara interrupted, angry but her eyes were shining. "What? You wouldn't want us to split up because then you failed?" Her lips twitched as she switched between multiple emotions in seconds. "Here I was thinking you 'wouldn't want to lose me', or 'wouldn't want to lose us'- Gods, you're not that emotionally unaware, Natasha- you know what you say and how it comes across."

"Tara-"

"No," Natara held up her hand, angry and emotional. The former was driven by the latter. "I'm so glad I know where your priorities lie. You're right, let's stay together and play happy couple- no, that's fine. You get to be a success story and hey, I suppose I'm succeeding too. Getting married to begin with, not getting divorced, staying behind and not doing what I want because I'm a great and successful wife. Wow, really, that's perfect..."

Nat was looking at her, guilt all over her face and eyes blurring. "I didn't mean it like that-" She said triedly and with frustration.