After the Avengers (Clintasha) [Complete]

Chapter 22

22
Natasha POV

After a shower, I throw on an elegant purple dress and make my way to the party.

I scowl as I enter the elevator. I inspect myself in the mirror. As much as it feels uncomfortable - especially around my chest - it looks fine. I'm not showing yet, but pretty soon I won't be able to squeeze myself into the dress.

My heels click loudly as I walk across the marble floor towards the loud music that seems to be pulsing out of the room. It's not even music Clint likes, he must be thrilled.

I smile despite how mad at him I am.

I turn the corner and find Katie leaning against the wall, butting her lip nervously.

"Hey," I greet, pulling on a fake smile.

She looks up and waved slightly, a distant look in her eyes.

"You ok?" I ask.

She sighs, "Yeah, fine." She slides down the wall into a sitting position.

I frown, I didn't need to be a human lie detector to be able to tell she just lied, an idiot would have been able to tell. I shift awkwardly in my too tight dress and heels and slide down the wall to squat down beside my step-daughter.

"You want to talk about it?" I ask. I know Clint wanted Katie to talk to me about her struggles. Seeing as she was extremely young when she got involved in the world of assassins, her and I would be able to connect. But so far she had yet to share anything with me.

"There isn't anything to talk about she tells me," she lies again.

"Is this about what happened today?" I ask. Her fingers twitch and I know I hit the nail on the head. "Did something go wrong?"

"In a way," she mumbles. "It's fine, nothing you have to worry about."

I watch her face as she speaks. Lie, lie, lie. I chant inside my head as I watch her. She's a terrible liar as she is actress.

"Well, it seems to me that you're worried about it," I inform her. Watching her closely for another reaction.

"I just didn't really think it'd be this hard to go back into the field," she mumbles. "I thought after I met you and Clint, I would start having a normal life, not working for SHIELD."

I nod my head, this was a truth at least. "You hated it?"

"No, I loved it," she says with a sigh. "I loved the adrenaline rush and the chase, even if it was fake. I didn't realize how much I missed it until then. And I don't want to continue on with that life, but it's the only time I feel whole."

I nod my head in agreement. I know how that feels. Anytime Clint and I got close to quitting, we were back in the field within three months. We weren't us if we weren't in the line of fire.

This was going to be rough when I had to go on maternity leave.

"If you want to keep going in the field, it's your decision. Clint and I will be here to help you and train you," I reach out and put my hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing. "I know that we haven't been there for you our whole lives, but we want to do anything we can to be here for you now. I know I'm nothing like your mom and I'm not trying to be a replacement, but I'd be honoured to have you as a daughter."

I don't know where the speech came from, but it feels right. I don't think I've ever wanted children, but right now I have two. One of which not being biological and I feel like I have to love and protect her.

She is as much part of my family as Tony Stark.

She beams up at me, I stand up and offer her my hand. She smiles and takes it.

"Now," I say. "Let's go dance to some crappy music and make your dad feel old."

Katie smirks as we march into the room. The party mostly consists of the Avengers and their respective partners and a few SHIELD agents Clint got along with.

I spot him immediately. He's hiding in the corner of the room nursing a beer, watching his party and sulking.

I also notice Maria and Steve on the dance floor. Every time she faced him, she sent a glare in his direction.

Multi coloured lights move across the room. The loud music throbs over the hum of voices. A very large cake is placed in the centre of the a very full table of food.

I'm tempted to go to Clint, to talk to him, but in my moment of hesitation, Katie grabs my arm. She pulls me onto the dance floor.

As much as the music is not my type and I am upset with my husband, I haven't danced like this in a long time and I love it.

My moves are overly perfect from years of dance lessons and overly gracefully sexy. Katie is a mix of giggles and swaying hips.

I catch Clint's eye at one point. He smiles at me as I spin. Katie notices my attention has been diverted elsewhere and motions for Clint to joins us.

I see him hesitate, afraid of getting too close to me. I smile back at him. He did leave me on the floor this morning, but it is his birthday and he hasn't had a chance to explain himself.

He moves slowly towards us and grabs me by the waist. We haven't danced in so long and every movement feels sacred.

Whenever we dance, we seem to be able to express thousands of emotions and words. Like how Clint saw the good in me and wanted me to join SHIELD. How much he wanted me to open up to him. How much he loved me.

Or, how sorry he was.

He didn't need to say it, I just knew that he was apologizing for this morning.

And every time his hand grazed my stomach, I remembered how much we have to talk about.

The next time I feel his hand, I grab him by the wrist and pull him towards the elevator.