Can't Ask, Don't Need, Won't Acknowledge

Chapter 2: Tentative

“Nat what are you doing?” questioned Wanda in confusion.

“Giving you what you need, “replied Nat softly. She stroked Wanda’s hair as the girl relaxed into her arms. She curled into the older woman, resting her head on her chest. Wanda could not remember the last time someone held her like this. She wanted it so much, to be loved, to be cared for, to feel safe. She hadn’t felt safe since Pietro had died. There was no-one left in the world who could love her. That thought permeated through her head constantly. She was surprised that she had leaned into the woman, she really was desperate for physical contact. Natasha’s left hand continued to stroke her hair, while her right hand went under the cover and started patting Wanda’s bottom softly in a comforting way. It was the same way Nat got Clint’s kids off to sleep. Wanda yawned and wrapped her free arm around the woman. She felt like a child for the first time since her parents had died, in that moment she just wanted to pretend that she was loved. Wanda wanted in that moment to believe it even if it was just a fallacy. She should be objecting to the childish coddling. She should be storming away in annoyance but instead the teenager closed her eyes. Natasha laid a kiss to the girl’s forehead but she was already out cold. Clint looked on in bemusement, “So this is how you get my kids to sleep? I was beginning to wonder if you just drugged them…”

Natasha glared at him, “Shut it Barton.”

Clint rooted through his pocket and pulled out his phone, “I need to take a picture of this and send it to Laura.”

Natasha rolled her eyes at him, “Only to Laura, if that pictures appears in any other context you will lose your ability to have any more children.”

Clint looked her in the eyes before deciding the threat was legitimate, and just nodded along. “Do you need me to get you anything?”

Natasha shook her head, “No I’ll be fine now until morning.” She was still running her hand through Wanda’s hair.

“So how did you get the others to go along with the baby witch protocol?”

Natasha shrugged slightly, “It wasn’t that difficult, Tony agreed straight away, he has locked down the tower for us. Rogers wasn’t sure he will be the weak link in this.”

Clint nodded along, “Wanda really isn’t going to like this….”

Natasha nodded back before looking down at the sleeping girl in her arms, “I don’t really care what she likes as long as she is here safe and healthy.”

Clint looked at her seriously, “You do realise that if you take this on, there is no going back? You will be in it for the long game? She is to fragile to not be committed.”

Natasha took slight umbrage to his comments, but she knew they were coming from the right place, “I know Clint.”

…………………………………………………………………………….

Wanda squinted through the darkness, feeling slightly confused as to where she was. The first thing she noticed was the warmth she felt from the body next to her, she pushed her hand down onto the mattress in order to lift herself up. She felt a weight pulling her back towards the bed, her head was pulled down into a warm chest. Wanda tried to pull away from the hold. The response she got was a murmuring of “sshh” and some strategic pats to her bottom. She found the motion oddly soothing, and stopped trying to fight the hold and relaxed into the touch. It took Wanda a moment to get her equilibrium in the confusing situation, “Natasha?” she moaned still full of sleep.