Risk

Eleven

She sat on the edge of her bed, watching him look around her room, admiring the pictures she had in frames or on the wall, as well as her little trinkets she had collected.

"You've travelled a lot." He mused, smiling at a photo of her jumping into a large lake somewhere with Wanda in tow.

"Dad is a sergeant. Mom is an Olympic coach, gymnastics." She clarified. "I traveled around all the time when I was younger that it became a hobby." She smiled with a small shrug as he admired a small statue she had been gifted in Germany.

"Gymnastic coach? Did you train?"

"Much to her dislike, I did ballet instead. Though she did force me to a few practices."

"That explains a lot." He murmured under his breath, a cheeky passing comment that made her smirk softly while he picked up another frame.
There were four smiling faces beaming back at him, someone's 21st birthday celebrations on a rooftop bar in what looked to be Tokyo.

"Is this Wanda's brother?" He asked cautiously, but she nodded unfazed.

"Yeah. Wanda, Pietro, myself and Clint." She pointed to each in turn. "We went travelling after our senior year, spent the whole summer together and kept in touch ever since. Well, most of us."

"Where haven't you travelled that you'd like to?" He asked, sitting beside her.

She thought about it for a moment, sipping her coffee. "Hawaii. Or the Bahamas. Somewhere I could lay on a beach and do nothing instead of sightseeing so much, not that that's not fun, the guys were just into all that and I was happy to tag along." She looked down at the coffee she was now holding in her lap and fell quiet again, prompting him to wrap an arm across her shoulders.

"Is it bad? That I haven't cried?" She asked, biting her lip a little. "I mean, the three of us went out a lot when he had time off work, he travelled with us when he could. I grew up with him. But...I just feel nothing. I don't feel sad or angry or different."

"People grieve in different ways, Nat." He gently squeezed her shoulder.

She shakes her head slightly. "I don't know what to even say to Wanda, or what to do either. I've never really been good at...talking about how I feel I guess."

He could feel her squirm beside him, uncomfortable that she brought it up. He kissed her cheek reassuringly, hiding the realisation that he was learning a lot about her that he should already know.

"No one knows what to say, babe. And nothing you can do will make things easier. Time is the biggest healer," he said softly, watching her huff and roll her eyes.

"See! That's what I mean, you know exactly what to say." She complained, making him chuckled once.

"That's because I've too much life experience."

"That's a weird way to say you're old." She managed to tease, making him chuckle again.

"I'll let you away with that this time." He warned playfully.

**

They said their goodbyes at the door, stealing a quick kiss before he headed off.  She closed the door behind her as she turned, jumping slightly when she saw Wanda standing in her bedroom doorway.

"Oh, hey!" She said a little embarrassed to be caught out. "When did you...wake up?" Natasha blushed, folding her arms across her chest as she shuffled awkwardly back into the living room.

Wanda managed a small smirk for a brief moment. "5 minutes ago. Wondered who you were talking to at this time in the morning." She watched Natasha straighten up again and move into the open planned kitchen attached to the room to wash the coffee mugs. "Fuck, I didn't realise you were this serious with him."

"Wanda, we don't have to talk about this now."

"Oh no, I want to." She assured, pulling herself into one of the stools on the other side of the counter and watching her. "Anything other than the thing we should be talking about, you know?"

Natasha smiled sadly, dropping her gaze back at the soapy water.

"I thought you were just back to screwing one another until the semester ends..."

"It wasn't ever like that..." Natasha sighed. "Well, Maybe that was my intention when I went to "clear the air" or whatever after that big fight."

"Psycho ex wife's arrival, yes." Wanda nodded in remembrance.

"This weekend has been pretty eventful though. I met his friends and family...and it turns out he's friend with my Aunt Maria, so that's something"

"Oh god, at least she'd be cool with it. So it's super serious! You love this guy." Wanda's jaw dropped. "Holy shit, this guy loves you. You're living the college professor fantasy except with a happy ending."

"Hardly." Natasha scoffed, watching as Wanda bit her lip. "It's more stressful than I anticipated."

"Bet being held in those big muscular arms makes it bearable." Wanda half teased, making Natasha relax a little that she could. "You know that's what Pietro would have said."

Natasha moved around the counter to hug her, resting her chin on her shoulder as Wanda rested her hands over his. "It's weird, maybe it's a twin thing but I feel like I've lost a limb or something." She said almost in a whisper.

"I'm so sorry Wanda, I still can't process it." She gulped. "It's ....shit."

Wanda have a short laugh, wiping tears away from her face. "Yeah, it is. That's exactly what Clint said. You're both right."

Natasha pursed her lips slightly, "You got a hold of Clint?"

"Called him when you went to make food last night....he's on route, got the first flight from wherever the hell he is. He might stay here for a while I think." She admitted cautiously. "On the couch, obviously. If I knew you were so super serious with Professor Barnes, I wouldn't have offered-"

"Hey, relax. It's okay. Clint and I cleared the air years ago." Natasha said, trying to ignore Wanda unconvinced look. "It'll be fine."

"Cleared the air, huh?" Wanda raised an eyebrow at her. Natasha cleared her throat pulling away from her again just as their doorbell rang. Natasha tensed immediately, Wanda sliding off the stool to go and answer it. "I hope you have, because that's him here."