After the Avengers (Clintasha) [Complete]

Chapter 18

18

Natasha POV

I cringe as Katie and I make eye contact over top of the island.

She stands frozen in front of the elevator door, her jacket in one hand, and a look of complete horror on her face. Her mouth is hanging open and her eyes are wide as she just stands there gaping at me.

There is no way I can just talk my way out of this one. I can't just brush it off saying it was nothing, when something clearly isn't right.

"Katie!" I hiss, my breath coming in short gasps. I'm still leaning over the sink as I ask, "What're you doing here?"

"I live here!" Katie shouts.

My stomach does a flip and suddenly I'm hunched over, throwing up again.

"Oh my god!" Katie repeats.

I hear her jacket hit the ground and she's beside me in an instant, holding back my hair awkwardly and rubbing my back.

I close my eyes once it's over and I use my elbows to help me stand up again. I really don't want to face Katie right now, but I really don't have a choice.

"I-"

Katie holds up her hand to stop me from continuing. She reaches behind me and hands me the water bottle I'd been drinking earlier. She doesn't say anything and stops me whenever I try to speak until I've drowned the all the water.

"What the hell was that?" she asks once I've thrown out the water bottle.

I bite my lip, thinking as quickly as I can before turning back around towards her. I try to keep the expression on my face as neutral as possible as I say, "Listen, Katie it's fine. I know that's really no excuse and it sounds really bad, but-"

"It sounds really bad?" Katie asks, folding her arms over her chest and taking a step towards me. "I come up from training and you're throwing up. 'It's fine'? It is not fine. What the hell Natasha?"

Usually I hate it when people I barely know call me Natasha, but I let it slide because she's my step-daughter. Right now I need to reassure her that I do not have an eating disorder, she doesn't fins out I'm pregnant, and she doesn't go telling Clint.

"Katie, no I don't," I touch her shoulder lightly, trying my best to be convincing. She shakes my hand off of her shoulder, giving me a look that demands an explanation. "I just have a stomach flu, I have for the past few days. It's okay."

"Really?" she raises an eyebrow, "When I came in here you acted looked like I'd walked in on you cheating on your husband. You looked like the most guilty person on earth. It can't be just a stomach bug!" She stops dead, her face draining of colour. "No."

"What?" I ask, dread filling me.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" she asks, taking a step back.

"Katie, I-"

"Don't make up an excuse," she snaps, taking another step back, her eyes widening with dread. "Tell me the truth, are you pregnant?"

My first instinct is to nod, get telling her out of the way, but I hesitate. This is all new to her; living with the Avengers, Clint being her dad, and me as her step-mom. Add a baby to the mix and this could all go south really, really fast. It could crush her. I can see it right now based of the way she looks at me.

"I'm not," I say.

"I don't believe you," she mutters, taking another step away from me.

"Katie, I'm infertile," I say. I've said it enough times; whenever Tony makes a joke about Clint and I reprodocing a crazy ninja-assassin baby; whenever I've had to seduce some bad guy and I have to reasure my handler that I will not get pregnant; whenever Clint asked me about having a baby.

I've said it so many times that I didn't even entertain the posibility that I could have a baby. It was what I was thought to believe. It was all a lie.

"Oh," Katie breathes. I study her as she leans against the counter, the gears in her head turning. "Oh."

"You can understand why you're so important to your dad," I say quietly, "You're the only chance he'll ever get to having kids."

"Natasha, I-" she swallows as she looks down at her hands. "I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I tell her, looking away. I'm afraid for when I will actually have to tell her I'm pregnant. Then, she'll really be crushed that I lied to her. Right now, there is no going back on this lie. "I've been sick for the past few days. I didn't want to mention it to your dad because he'd just treat me differently, and I hate it when he does that."

Katie nods, starring at the grounds, "Makes sense, he's been worried about you though."

"I know."

"I'm sorry," Katie says, finally looking me in the eye. Something about the way she looks at me is different though.

"Sorry about what?" A voice calls from the elevator.

"We're bonding over the past," Katie says, smiling easily like nothing had just happened. "I'm taking your advice and I'm talking to Natasha."

"Great!" Clint says walking up to the island. He stops and picks up Katie's jacket off the floor, raising an eye brow.

"I tried to throw it onto the couch, but I missed, epically, and I'm too lazily to pick it up," Katie lies flawlessly. 

"We need to work on your aim, kiddo, if you ever want to use a bow," Clint tells her handing her her jacket.

She smiles at him and walks towards her bedroom, purposefully leaving Clint and I alone.

Clint clears his throat as he turns towards the fridge, looking for something to eat.

"You told her to talk to me?" I ask.

"Yeah, she's so young and I thought you too might be able to relate," he tells me, bitting into an apple. "Was I right?"

I smile, stepping forward to wrap my hands around his waist. I don't know why, but I really just want to be close to him right now. It might be because we've been avoinding each other, but I can't stand it anymore.

"I'm sorry for the past few days," I tell him, nustling my head into the crook of his neck.

He sighs before wrapping his arms around me, "It's fine. What's been going on in your head?"

"I have something I need to tell you," I pull away just enough that I can see him, but I'm still in his arms. "You'll find out on your birthday. It's just not easy to keep to myself."

"Is it something good or bad?" He tilts his head to the side studying me.

"It's your birthday surprise, it's good," I tell him. We both smile and I lean forward and kiss him. A good proper kiss to let him know that I love him.

"It's good to have you back Nat," he whispers when we pull away. I know what he means, with me being so distant, it's like we've been apart.

"There's one more thing," I say, "I think it's time to tell the team."