ᵃᶠᵗᵉʳᵐᵃᵗʰ ▸ 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐀 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐅𝐅 ✓

fourteen.

AFTERMATH.
014. ❛ a secret. ❜

Memories are funny things. You know? Like I never really remembered much of my childhood. And come to think of it, I don't exactly remembered how I met Natasha and the others. It's kind of blurred. But the good memories people fill our lives with meaning. With context. With clarity. Like coming out, made me feel so relieved and loved. A pressure lifted off of my chest once I told the people that I loved. I could truly love who I wanted with hiding. There aren't only good memories, because with the good you have to have the bad. Other memories can deceive. The ones that make you believe that you know the truth, those are the dangerous ones. When you look back on the decisions you've made in your life, the one thing you don't want to feel - is regret.

And that's something that I don't want to live with. I want to take a chance and enjoy all the time that I have to celebrate it with my friends and loved ones. A small secret that I've been holding onto for a while. Some might see it as early but once you know, you know.

I used to not be a believer of love at first sight. It was a dumb concept in my opinion that didn't make much sense to me. I guess I'm still not a believer, only a slight one. Only when I saw Natasha truly be open with me, was when that concept hit me. I fell in love with her true self at the glimpse of it. All it took was one person to change my view on concepts like that. She makes me a better person, fighter, girlfriend, and friend.

I was watching How I Met Your Mother, and how Ted met the mother and gave a speech of how he wants more time with her. And it really made me think about my relationship. With the profession that we're in, it's easy to not come back one day.

So that's why I didn't want to waste any more time. Tonight with the help of all the Avengers, I'm going to propose to Natalia Alianovna Romanoff.

This night is all set up with fireworks and champagne with candles and a picnic table. Everything is fool proof tonight; no way am I going to mess this up. And Tony has the grand final with writing in the sky, will you marry me?

This is what I have planned to say.

Natasha, you've been my hero. And I know that at times you don't feel like the good guy because of your past, but I'm not going to let you bring yourself down because of that. Black Widow, Red Room, and anything that comes our way, I am prepared to deal with it together. I'll love you today, tomorrow, and forever. And even in our next lives, if you believe in reincarnation, I hope I found you quicker to love you longer and more passionately. I love you Natalia Alianovna Romanoff, so will you do me the pleasure of marrying me?

Yes I will — N.R