Imagine If You Assembled The Avengers: Volume 2

Dragon Lady (Romanoff x reader)

~~~

You weren't sure who you thought you were joking that day, believing that someone like Natasha Romanoff would just back down and let you run, especially after what you had said to her as your last words. Looking back, it was ridiculous to think that anyone would be able to escape a master spy like her; if she wanted to find you, you were going to be found, it wasn't a question in the least. It only took her a week to track you down, and she didn't need a single member of SHIELD or the Avengers to help her. She was that good, and now you were thankful for it.

You were thankful for her insistence, and thankful for the trust that you didn't feel you deserved. She promised to keep your whereabouts a secret for as long as you wanted, letting you wait until the reactions could die down. She hadn't even told Nick that she had found you, making your trust in her that much more solid. She had helped you find a safe house, one that she had used back in her days before SHIELD and had kept just in case she needed it. Together you had restored it enough for you to survive in comfortably, and with each visit to see you she would bring another item to make it feel more like your own, many times struggling to walk through the door because her arms were too full of gifts and dinner to make it on her own.

Her visits quickly became more frequent, from a few random stops here and there as you settled in, to once a month and then once a week, until she was visiting you nearly every day. It became natural to have at least one meal a day together, usually ending up snuggled together under a blanket on the couch, engrossed in a movie marathon, or just listening to her talk about her recent missions with the team. When she spoke, it was hard to listen to what she was saying; your attentions were always drawn into the shape of her mouth or how her lips moved as they formed around her words. You couldn't help yourself from getting enraptured in the color of her eyes, studying how the light danced in their depths. You memorized the strands of red in her hair, finding so many shades of the color woven through it that it became a challenge to you to find more each time you saw her. Eventually, as it turned out, she was doing the same towards you.

And now, so many months after the day when you thought that you'd never see her again, you were standing before your mirror, staring at your reflection though your mind was filled with those memories that brought you here. It had taken a tremendous amount of convincing on her part, but you had agreed to attend a party at the tower, deciding that if she were at your side, you could find the strength to return to that life.

"Stop obsessing, you look amazing," Natasha smiled, leaning against your doorway as she watched you. "Trust me, they're going to be happy to see you again. You saved their favorite assassin."

"Oh, and here I thought that they were suddenly pyromaniacs."

"I've been working on them. I've got Barton trying out flaming arrows if that helps any."

"I suppose I could help him out with that. It's been a while since I've raged, but it's worth a go just for the pure entertainment value alone." You laughed quietly as you envisioned it, and the likelihood of third degree burns for the sometimes clumsy archer. It made you happy to hear her laughter blending with yours, as if the tones were meant to complement each other naturally. She was perfect in every way, and as the laughter slowly began to quiet, the moment was left with the appreciation of allowing you to love her.

"Come on," she said softly, extending her hand, "you're ready. That's a great color on you, by the way. I did a damn good job picking that out, if I do say so myself."

"I was wondering if you chose red to mark your territory."

"It's red because you're hot, baby. Literally."

"Right," you nodded, taking her hand, "and?"

Nat paused for a second, the hint of mischief in the curl of her perfectly painted lips, "and yeah, maybe I was marking my territory. Just a little bit. Now come on, they're waiting for us."

"Us? Do they know that you and I-"

"Not yet, but no time like the present."

~~~

When the elevator door opened, you felt immediately tense and your breath caught in your chest; Natasha could sense it easily, making her grip on your hand tighter as if it could keep you grounded in the moment. It wasn't that she was forcing you to be here, but she had put in her share of hours trying to convince you, and she wasn't about to let you back out now.

"One foot, then the other," she encouraged, "just breathe and take a step."

"There she is!"

"Oh, god, do we have to start with Tony?" you groaned. At the sight of the man eagerly waving to get your attention, your hold on her hand had blanched the color from it, but she didn't flinch.

"Would you rather we start with Sam?"

"You're right, let's go with Stark. Probably best to get it over with anyway."

Tony hurried across the lounge, smiling brightly enough to light the room around you, stopping every few seconds to greet each person who tried to gain his attention. He didn't balk too long though, his determination to welcome you back driving him forward. "Hey, Firestarter! Welcome back! I've been waiting to thank you for rescuing Red, here, but from the looks of it, she's thanked you plenty."

"Tony..." she warned, throwing a harsh glare his way.

"What? She's wearing your color. I thought it was territorial."

"See?" you snapped, turning to her with wide eyes. "I told you."

"It's not territorial! I picked it out because she looks amazing in it, that's all!" she argued vehemently, pulling you away from him. "Come on, (Y/N), let's grab a drink. I'm gonna need at least one in each hand for this." She shifted her stance to allow you to take the first step away, her hand rested gently on the small of your back as you moved. Before she got too far, she leaned in towards Tony with a smirk and a whisper that left absolutely no question, "but yeah, she's mine."