(Uploaded to Tumblr on 22/1/21)
Natasha Romanoff x Reader
Words: 2,002
Warnings: Blackmail, angst, talks of drugs, talks of cheating, forced break up.
Summary: You should have known that it would never last.
A/N: Bold and italics = Text Messages.
***
It had been three, anxiety-filled days since you had received that last text message.
Yet you could feel your time left here counting down.
"Y/N?" Where are you?"
Natasha's soft, husky voice draws you out of your mind.
"Sorry," you say, blinking back into reality. "There's just been a lot on my mind lately."
She made a pitying sound in the back of her throat. "Anything I can help with?"
Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Wade give you a pointed look. As he set up another round of the game, he and Natasha were playing, on the console, he brought over to her apartment.
"No," you shook your head, "I'll sort it out."
"Well, if you ever need me, just ask."
"I know, babe."
"You two are so sweet together. It's sickening."
Your girlfriend laughed at your best friend's dry words, happily taking the controller from him.
Natasha's attention was drawn over her shoulder, watching as you read a message you had just received. The pure look of dread, that you had attempted to hide, covered your face. Causing her eyebrows to scrunch up in curiosity. Anxiety flowing through her, at what might be happening with you.
Little did she know what the message read.
You have two days to get on a plane and never show you face here, ever again.
You didn't want to leave. That much was obvious.
But you had no other choice. You were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
You had to leave.
For Natasha.
"Who are you texting?" Natasha asked, making you snap your attention up to see her face you already.
Wade's eye's bulging in the reflection of the TV, knowing who it probably was.
"It seems important."
"Hmm? Oh, it's just my cousin, ranting about school. He wants me to go see him soon."
Nice lying, Y/L/N.
Natasha nodded at your lie, turning back to the game at hand. Still suspicious.
"So, how was the test?"
A sense of dread washed over you at her words. You hadn't briefed Wade on the lie you had told her, before rushing from her apartment, a few days ago. And he was far too into his game, to be able to think on his feet.
"What test."
Here we go.
"The one you reminded Y/N about, a few days ago," she clarified, with a small smile.
"I never did that."
You could have stopped him.
You should have stopped him.
But you were stuck to your seat, watching it all unfold before your eyes, unable to do anything to stop it.
"What?" Natasha slowly turned on her spot, beside Wade on her coffee table, to face you. "Y/N? What's going on?"
"Natasha, you're dying-" Wade said, thumbs moving over the controller, with practised speed.
"Why did you lie to me?"
"Natasha-"
"Where did you go that night?"
The dread that previously filled you grew like no other, as Natasha rose from her seat, now facing you head-on.
"Babe, it's a complicated story."
"You don't think I can handle complicated?"
"No, of course, you can-!" You rushed to say.
"You're getting annihilated, Natasha. What are you doing?" Wade save a small chuckle.
"-It's just... it really, really sucks."
"I'm an adult, Y/N," Natasha stated, folding her arms across her chest, "I can handle whatever it is."
You were just about to tell her when she cut you off before you got to say a word.
"Y'know I wouldn't have cared as much if you were fucking other women before we got together. But how dare you cheat on me?"
Of course, she went there.
Who wouldn't, really?
"Wait." You raised your hands. "What? What? You think I'm cheating on you? I wouldn't do that, Nat."
Wade cringed when he suddenly came back into the real world after the game had finished. His shoulder's tensing and eye's bulging.
"I uh..." he drawled, placing his controller down onto the coffee table below him, "I gotta go." And then he ran from the apartment, without a bat of the eye, from either of you.
"Well, what do you expect me to think?!" Natasha yelled, "You lie to me about your test just so you can leave. You've been looking at your phone like you've got some hidden secret- Were you even texting Wade, that night?"
It was time.
Time to be honest. To come clean about everything that had been going on, behind her back.
"No." You shook your head slightly.
"Then who was it?!"
"I'm being blackmailed!"
Well... maybe you could have said it better than that.
Natasha looked at you like you had grown another head, mouth bobbing as she tried to find the right words to say. That is until she just blurted, "What?!"
"I got a text a few weeks ago from someone- Rumlow! I got a text from him! And he. He somehow had a copy of the video we made together, I'm pretty sure he hacked my phone. But he's been blackmailing me."
"Y/N. Y/N. What are you talking about?" She stopped your rambling explanation. "This is crazy. If this is just a lie, so I won't think you're cheating on me-"
"It's not! You know me, I wouldn't do this shit. And even if I did, I'm fucking smart enough not to use this as an excuse."
Reaching into your pocket you griped your phone, pulling up all of the texts between you and Rumlow, starting from the beginning. "Here, see."
"You fucked his girlfriend?" Natasha asked after a few anxious minutes of her flicking through the texts.
"Yes, but that was so long ago, I totally forgot about her up until now. She told me she was single! I'm not a fucking homewrecker."
"Well, what does he want from you? Money?"
"No. At first, he made me drop off drugs for him-"
"He did what?!"
You ignored her yell, instead choosing to continue your sentence.
"But now he just wants me out of the school."
"What?" she asked, breath stolen away by the shock you statement had caused her.
"I've already put in my transfer- I know I'm an asshole! And an idiot, and I should- I should have told you all of this way before now. I should have told you the day I got the first texts! It's just..." you heaved a great sigh, "I wanted to spend as much time with you, in denial to the real world, for as long as I could. It was selfish of me, and it wasn't fair to you. And I'm sorry about that. I truly am, Nat."
Tears welled up in her eyes but never trailed down her soft, beautiful face. One of the only other trace of the salty drops, was evident in her voice, as she spoke.
"Why? Why? If you would have just told me all fo this was going on, when it first began, it could have been fixed by now. You wouldn't have to leave."
"Well, as I said before," you started, "I'm an idiot... I thought I could handle it myself. Turns out, I could only make things worse."
So much fucking worse.
Natasha chuckled wetly, "You think?"
"I'm sorry." Tears began to roll down your face. "I'm so fucking sorry."
"I know you are."
***
The last two days you had together went quickly.
Way too quickly.
And now it was time for you to say goodbye.
Natasha had offered to drive you to the airport. Which you gladly took.
You had said goodbye to Wade before you left. He almost wouldn't let go of you, as he hugged you goodbye, tightly.
Anxiety and dread filled you, causing you to fiddle with anything and everything. Eye's filtering from one thing to another, and another, and another. All the while, Natasha locked up her car. The red-head coming to stand beside you, noticing your state right away. Instinctively you pulled your cigarettes from your pocket, before realizing you were trying to quit, then pushed them back into their previous place.
"For God's sake, Y/N. Just have a smoke."
"But you don't like-"
"Just-" She pulled your packet of cigarettes out of your pants, and gently pushed one into your mouth, "You're stressed. You need to calm your nerves."
You nodded after a few moments of your eyes shifting from side to side as you thought before you gave in and lit the stick.
The walk from the car towards the airport, and then to the gate you were meant to board your plane on, was simultaneously the longest and shortest walk of your life. And before you know it. It was time for you to leave.
"If you don't let go of me now, I'm not going to be able to leave."
"Good. Don't go. Stay," Natasha was so incredibly close to begging you, holding onto the lapels of your jacket, hoping that that small action would get you to stay with her.
"I can't," you whispered hoarsely, tears burning your eyes, "You know I can't, I have to go. I can't ruin your life, Natasha."
"I don't care! I want you."
"Don't be stupid. This is what you're destined to be. You love your job, and you're a fantastic teacher. I can't take that away from you, and you know that."
"But I don't want to lose you." Tears poured from her eyes, and down her soft milky cheeks.
"And I don't want to lose you. But sometimes we have to lose what we love."
"What?" Natasha asked breathlessly.
"What?"
"You love me?"
"I... yes," you whispered, "I do. I love you."
More salty tears spilt from her eyes, but you didn't have enough time to even try to wipe them away before you were pulled into a passionate kiss.
"I love you too," was husked against your lips, "I love you, so much." Then her lips returned to yours.
Peck after peck. You both took as much as you could, until the moment you were dragged away.
The last boarding reminder rang in the air.
"I really have to go now."
"I know. I know."
But Natasha still never let go of your jacket.
Your eyes were full of sadness as you raised your hands and gently pulled hers from you.
"I love you," you said one last time. Getting the same back.
The red-headed woman never once stopped crying as she watched you board the plane, and then when the plane took off and disappeared from her view.
That's it.
It was over.
You were gone.
***
Stepping off of the plane, and into the large airport. The warm sun, flowing through the shiny floor to ceiling windows, as you walked through the crisp white building, spotting the one person who promised to meet you when you got there.
"There's the troublemaker!" Tony smiled, playfully, "It was only a matter of time."
"Do you ever know when to stop?" You asked the man who threw his arm around your shoulder's, pulling you into a side hug as you walked to grab you bags.
"Nope. You should know this by now."
You let out a humorous sound that seemed to be a mix between a scoff and a chuckle, as you shook your head.
Looking over, Tony could tell you were heartbroken. And he would be here for you.
Every step of the way.
"C'mon, there's a room all set up for you in my place. You'll have a good home there."
"Thanks, Tony," you said, staring him in the eyes, yours showing him just how grateful you were, "I like the beard you're growing in." You poinded to your own chin, in reference to the mans newly sprouted stubble.
"It's actually a goatee, thank you very much."
"Oh, my mistake."
Maybe. Just maybe, things would be so bad here in L.A..
This might just be the fresh start you were craving for.
You were kidding yourself by dating your teacher, anyway.
Things like that never worked out.