Two Blue Soup Bowls - A romanogers fanfic

Chapter 7

"Crying does not indicate that you are weak. Since birth, it has always been a sign that you are alive." ~ Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre.

Warning : Unapologetic angst and a lot of tears ahead.

She sat there in the eerie silence, thoroughly consumed by the nights tranquility, physically alone but in her earnest, she couldn't deny that warmthness she felt from the enveloping blanket of memories, ironically, as much as she despised them on hard nights, it was only because of them somehow that she got to experience some of the most beautiful emotions ever, it was only after remembering feeling disgusted so closely that she felt love, in its utmost percipience, and its strength always overpowered the hurt. And so, she let her mind wander off, figuring out for itself what was real and what wasn't.

Natasha remembered how when she had started to develop the lullaby with Bruce early on, with all the flirting and spending time with each other, how Steve never ever changed his approach towards her. He never distanced himself because she was attracted to Bruce. He was still her first phone call on a hard night, the first one she would approach if she needed someone to talk to, she even eavesdropped his conversation with Bruce about both of them 'deserving a win,' and she couldn't be more grateful to him for that. She could tell that he had just wanted her to be happy, with whom so ever it was, but even so, he never stopped being there. The way they'd trusted each other hadn't changed. Not one bit.

Wanda's words took her back to her conversation with Clint after the Ultron episode. She could recall it so clearly, the essence of his words still resonated in her ears.

The two of them were chilling after dinner in his room. It was his last night there and the day had been pretty straining because it was the day of Pietro's funeral. The entire experience was pretty heartbreaking, especially seeing Wanda and how broken she was, it wasn't easy at all.

"Are you sure you don't wanna come along? I'm pretty sure Fury would happily give you an off and the kids would be so excited to spend some time with their aunt."

"I know but I don't think now is a good time. I mean there's a lot of work to be done with the new recruits plus dealing with the remnants of Sokovia and the new compound needs to be managed too. I don't want to leave Steve completely overburdened with everything."

"With everything that's been going on in your world are you sure you don't want a break?"

"Clint. I'm fine. I've told you that like a billion times."

"But seriously Nat? Banner? I mean what were you even thinking?"

"I wasn't. Let it go now, will you?"

"You know, when we were on our way to Sokovia, there was this moment...Steve was discussing whose gonna head where and stuff and that guy, he just stated that he gonna get you and then you both are gonna take a back seat. Tony almost snickered at that and I'm not lying when I say that all of us OG Avengers, except Bruce that is, felt the exact same way. No one said anything though but the look I shared with Steve, that made it pretty clear that he too with all his heart believed that you'd fight. And you did, you rather even hulked him out." He chuckled at that. But Natasha didn't, her mind was still too occupied with what had happened.

"Tasha, I don't mean to hurt you, but I've gotta say this, you don't need to be with someone who undermines you or just because you think that he shares your self-hatred you two could bear each other. You deserve someone who has the ability to see the real you behind this façade you put up. And hey, I need to approve of him first." She chuckled a little at that, blinking a couple of times, trying to subdue the moistness in her eyes, she leaned on his shoulder.