The Spark That Never Dies Part: Three

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sometimes it's not all about you.

After you left, slamming the door so hard it made Natasha's whole body flinch, she ran through the entire night in her head while her eyes darted across the blank wall.

She's always so calculated, three or more steps ahead of everyone else, but she's never been able to get inside your head and it drives her mad at times. She's always known who she is and knows what questions to ask, what to say when, to get what she wants in the end. But something in her snapped when you said you wouldn't accept help from Bruce, or more hurtful, from herself.

This was no longer about the life or family you built in New York since you arrived at the avengers tower half a decade or more ago, this was about you and her. About the very foundation of how you've always worked together.

She knows you care so very deeply for Yelena and the others, willing to die for any of them on the drop of a dime if need be and you'd die for her too, but you both know she'd never let that happen. Maybe that's what drives you both to your edges at times because you want to be the one to protect everyone else, but she's constantly questioning who is protecting you and it throws you off your game because you've never been protected before in your life before she came into the picture.

Even after all these years, it's still hard for you to let her care for you in all areas. You don't like to be stripped down to your very substance, made vulnerable, and when you are, you slap your walls up, readying yourself for what the person says about it.

So, she left.

She didn't take any of her belongings, just her keys, and she drove out to where she knew you'd be. She didn't care about what might or might not happen in the future with your powers anymore, they're yours, and no matter how stubborn or just plain ignorant you were about them, that was your business. It hurt her way more to be away from you, to have you both in so much pain with your arguing, and she promised herself she'd stand by you through thick and thin at the alter those years ago. A bit different than most couples' thick, but she was a trained assassin, and you were someone that could keep even her on her toes, so this was kind of the norm by now.

On the way there, she actually found herself smiling, knowing once she apologized and held you in her arms again, everything would get better from there and the two of you could fight anything that came your guys' way.

But what she found was nothing like she expected when she pulled into a spot across the street.

She slowly got out of the car, eyes staying glued to the house that was glowing a bright orange from the inside that illuminated the entire thing, and it was pulsing with energy. Something about what came from the house, the energy it held, had the breath in her throat hitched and she felt the familiarity of it.

She couldn't get herself to move from the spot, frozen in a mix of fear and awe because of what was happening. She knew logically it was you doing this, but another part of her was screaming that it was out of your control and the two fought for dominance, wanting to depict her next move.

She crossed the empty street and it got stronger, a swirl of voices surrounding the building, and it was almost unbearable, almost made her turn away, until she heard the cry of your voice. It wasn't in pain, it was a cry of laughter and the pulsing expanded as the glow did, almost reaching the sidewalk where she stood. Her eyes adjusted and she found herself reaching out into the air, seeking out that laughter, seeking out you.

She looked like a woman possessed to anyone walking by, but for some reason, in the middle of Brooklyn, it felt like there wasn't a living soul for miles. Sirens blared in the distance, but they've been doing that since she arrived so they either weren't for you or they couldn't get close enough.

The tips of her fingers just touched the glowing light, and she was pulled in immediately.

She fell onto the floor with a hard thud and tried to muffle the ache in her head before glancing up at...you.

"And people call you graceful." You teased, coming over to help her up with a bright smile on your face.

You were dressed in jean shorts, a white tee shirt, and had bare feet with your hair tied up in a loose ponytail. Your hand was held out and Natasha froze, confused to what was going on as she looked around, realizing the two of you were in the tower's kitchen, but she remembers being outside your old apartment building, the glow, and most importantly, the fight and how pissed at her you were a mere hour ago.

"Earth to Tasha." You chuckled, waving the same hand you held out to help her in front of her face now with a goofy grin and she hesitantly took it, getting up.

"Sorry." She mumbled and you tilted your head with a now softer smile.

"You alright?" You asked, concerned, "You seem a bit off and..." You took your time looking over what she was wearing, "Is that my shirt?"

She looked down at herself, still wearing the oversized tee shirt you hadn't scolded her for taking in a long time since you knew it was her favorite, and then back up to your expectant eyes.

"Yes."

"Well, you look good in my clothes, agent." You smirked, sending her a wink before laughing at yourself, and going back to the kitchen.

The smell of what you were cooking filled her senses and her curiosity was peaked as she was already following you to behind the counter.

"What're you making?" She asked lowly, still trying to wrap her head around what was happening but having a feeling you were the key, so she wanted to stay close and maybe see this through.

"You really have lost your head, babe," You teased before pointing with the spatula, "Turkey burgers with every topping I could muster up from the fridge, including onions I'm caramelizing because I know that's your favorite, and a pretty simple salad," You explained before mumbling, "Don't know why we can't have real burgers, but it was your turn to pick, so..."

You chuckled when she looked lost in thought, almost like she was trying to remember something, but she was brought right back when you swatted a dish towel across her backside with a chuckle and then shot her a cheeky smile when she eyed you.

"My turn to..." She trailed off, realizing.

When you and Natasha first started dating, only a few months in, you both picked up some traditions for a weekly date night with each other. Being stuck in the tower unless out on missions after one specific attack, it became a tradeoff. One of you would pick what they wanted for dinner and the other one would make it, with little to no complaints.

Outside the apartment building she must've reached out for one of your memories and touching it transported her right to that moment, so she needed to stop this before the night came to an end.