Don't Let Me Forget

XII - Don't Be Afraid

"Love is a feeling, a feeling of happiness. Love is powerful, too powerful to play with. This feeling is strange and hard to describe, but when you fall in love, you will know it inside." - Unknown

It was the beginning of the evening, six-thirty to be precise, when Natasha made herself at home in his foster dad's house. It was Friday night, the end of the week, and the beginning of the weekend, and Natasha could finally breathe.

"Hey old man." Natasha said smiling to greet her foster dad, Nick. She hadn't seen him a in while since she focused a lot of her free time on Steve, so when Nick reached out to her earlier in the week and asked her to come over for dinner, she couldn't refuse.

"Hey kid, it's good to see you. I missed you." Nick said, hugging his little girl. A hug that Natasha returned very easily. After all, Nick was as close as a father figure to her. He was one of the few people she would call her family.

"So what is keeping you so busy that you're forgetting about your old dad ?" Nick asked Natasha, as they were currently getting dinner ready and setting up the table.

"Mostly work I guess." She replied casually. "It has been quite busy in the last couple of weeks, to be honest."

"I see." Nick said, sensing there was something more behind her answer. But he would let her open up to him whenever she'll be ready to do so, just like he always did.

After sitting down around the table and eating Natasha's favorite Russian dish, Shashlik, they were now comfortably sitting down on the couch. Nick was excited to let her know that her foster brother Clint and his family, would come to visit very soon at the end of the month.

With Clint living on a quiet farm in Missouri with his wife and kids - Laura, Cooper and Lila - and Nick and Natasha living in New York City, they were trying to see each other as often as possible. Sometimes, it would be Natasha with or without Nick going to visit them for a couple of days, or Clint coming to New York for a weekend or more.

"You're distracted tonight, Tasha. What's on your mind ?" Nick said, pulling Natasha out of her thoughts.

Since tonight was Friday, tomorrow would be the day she had been waiting for the most this entire week. She hadn't seen Steve since they went running in Central Park last Sunday, and now that she had been used to see him almost two or three times a week, she was missing him more than she could imagine.

Of course, they were still texting each other almost every day. Steve would always ask if she had a good day, and Natasha would always send him a text first thing in the morning. A text that would always bring a smile to Steve, as it meant that he was the first thing she would think of when she wakes up. And the goodnight texts were the best for both of them. A promise to talk to each other the next day.

"Hmm yeah, sorry about that. What were you saying ?" Natasha said, trying to catch on to what she had missed in the conversation.

"I was asking you if you had any plans this weekend, but you seem to be pretty lost in thoughts. Is there anything bothering you ?" Nick asked quietly.

"No I'm fine, I promise. I'm just nervous I guess." Natasha replied, quite unsure of herself. She didn't know if she wanted to talk about Steve with her foster dad. But once again, she could always talk about everything with him. He never judged her or made her feel less about herself for the things she's been through.

"What are you nervous about ? Is everything alright ?" Nick asked her, making sure that she was okay as well.

"I... I met someone, and I guess I'm nervous because tomorrow is our first date." She replied shyly.