A/N: before I post this chapter some of you might be mad at me. So I'm putting a disclaimer here, I fully intend for a happy ending. This storyline is going in a direction I want it to go but all roads will lead to happiness.
Andrea's p.o.v
"Where are we going?" I asked, trying not to sound rude as I swung the large axe in my hand around a little. I got no answer from the large tattooed man, we just kept walking further and further into the woods.
A part of me was worried that this was him taking an opportunity to chop my head off and bury me, telling Natasha I left her. He was a big Russian man and I couldn't quite grasp if he liked me.
We reached a clearing where there were logs scattered about. "We are chopping wood for the fire tonight," he finally told me. I didn't want to come originally but Nat insisted I did, in order to get to know him.
I nodded my head, grabbing a log and placing it on a tree stump. "Let's get to it then," I smiled, lifting my axe and chopping the wood with ease. He smirked a little, grabbing a bigger log and doing the same.
We continued to do this, stacking up small logs to the side which we would carry back later. "So. What are your intentions with Natalia?" He quizzed, his Russian accent thick and a little intimidating.
"I want to marry her, have a life with her. She means everything to me," I confessed, chopping another log in half. "Even though she hurt you?" He raised one eyebrow in a challenging way.
"She told you about that?" I asked, and the man sighed, putting his axe down as a sign of taking a break, before sitting on the tree stump. "When she visited us she was strong. She didn't want to accept us as her family. But she relaxed and she told me a lot. I am sorry she hurt you that way. This family that we have, we are not the best at expressing our feelings," he explained, and my shoulders fell a little at his words, in relaxation.
"It took me a while to get my head around it. About why she did it. But I understand now, I didn't come from a great upbringing either. I understand why she would want to run. It hurt a lot, but I forgive her and I'm ready to move on," I informed Alexei and he nodded, scratching his beard.
"She's happy when she's with you. She's a good person when she's with you. A better person. For a long time I thought she left and felt she was better than us. But now I know why she escaped the Redroom. I was a bad man and I have a lot to make up for. But she allows me the chance to do that. So all I ask, please don't hurt her. I think she needs you," the man spoke. For a moment I was shocked at his words. He doesn't appear to be a man of many feelings, but the care he has for Natasha and Yelena, he was that of a father to his daughters.
"I don't plan on it, sir. You say I made her a better person but the truth is, I'd probably be dead right now if it wasn't for her. I was reckless, but with her I want to survive," I told him and a warm smile came on his face as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in for a tight side hug.
"Invite me to the wedding, I want to see my little girl get married," he grinned.
Hours passed of us chopping wood and by around midday we had all the wood we needed. On the way back we were passing around jokes and I was also visibly tired from all of the exercise and the fact that I was still struggling from this hangover from the night before.
Alexei and I got along well, and so when we got back laughing hysterically at something he had said, it was certain that the rest of the family were confused.
"It's nice to see you two getting along," Nat laughed, her arms folded over each other as she leaned against the wall. My laugh died down a little as I looked at the blonde, lovestruck. "Why hello beautiful," I grinned, kissing her and she grimaced a little. "You're all sweaty," she told me, scrunching up her nose. "I'll go have a shower," I chuckled, kissing her cheek and walking past her, but she grabbed my hand, stopping me in my tracks.
"Melina wants us to help her cook, are you okay with that?" She asked and I hummed. "Of course, I'll meet you there. I love you," I grinned, pecking her lips once more before leaving to go shower.
When I arrived in the kitchen Melina was already telling Nat off. "Natalia, stop slouching. I've told you about this. It is not very attractive," the woman scolded and I snickered a little.
"Ah, Andrea, please. Come and chop these vegetables, Natalia can't cook even if her life depended on it. She will burn the place down," the dark haired woman handed me a knife and I nudged Nat to the side as I took over from her chopping.
The now blonde looked at me offended before slapping my arm and grabbing a bit of carrot and shoving it in her mouth.
"So, you were a part of hydra?" The woman asked, clearly wanting to get information. "Melina!" Nat gasped out a warning but I shook my head. "No, please ask all you want," I gestured, not wanting to hide anything.
"Were you an agent?" She questioned, stirring a pot of what looked like soup. "Yes. I was brainwashed. I wasn't very high up in the ranks but I was one of their main operatives after they experimented on me and gave me powers," I explained.
"Powers?" She quizzed, turning towards me now. "I can teleport to anything within my sight," I explained and she hummed, nodding her head. "I've had a lot of experience in mind control. How do we know you are not mind controlled right now?" She asked.
"We don't. I am still mind controlled. We think the only man who knows my trigger words is in prison but we're not sure. But what I do know is the last time I was controlled, Natasha was able to talk me down," I told the dark haired woman who was now leaning against the counter.
"Thank you for your honesty. Can you assure Natasha's safety?" She asked. "If anything were to happen to me that would risk Nat's safety, I would leave," I shrugged and Nat looked at me wide eyed. "You'd leave?" She looked a little hurt. "Well I'm not gonna stay and let you get hurt, I won't let it happen. But that doesn't mean I won't fight to get you back," I explained and she sighed, nodding her head.
When I glanced back at Melina she had a small smile on her face, almost as if she approved. Then she rushed out of the room and I looked at the blonde shocked. "Did I say something wrong?!" I panicked, thinking I ruined it. But the dark haired woman came back with a book.
"Oh no," Nat groaned, immediately recognising the book. I furrowed my eyebrows as Melina handed it to me. "When we were living in America we had to take pictures to make it appear real that we were a family. They're fake but to me they still hold memories," the woman smiled a little at Nat and I grinned, excited to see a young Natasha.
"Oh, how did no one guess you were bisexual?" I laughed seeing a young Natasha with short blue hair, and Nat rolled her eyes a blush appearing on her cheeks as she grabbed the book from me. "No no wait! You look adorable. Please I want to see more," I begged, and the blonde begrudgingly handed me back the book.
Melina explained some of the pictures and I smiled at some of the stories, Natasha watching me as I did. I pointed at one picture, it was adorable. Natasha and Yelena stood in front of a Christmas tree and gave presents. "You both look adorable. Makes me want kids," I joked, not thinking much of my words and missing the panicked look on Nat's face.
Soon the food was done and we all ate with Yelena and Alexei and a couple of ex-widows. Then we started the fire outside and I sat with yelena on a picnic bench.
"I get the sense you don't like me very much,"
I confessed to the blonde who looked me up and down. "Natasha is strong. But not strong enough to lose you. I've seen the way she looked at you, Andrea Maximoff. You're her everything. How do I trust you will not break her heart?" She asked.
"She has my heart in the tightest grip. Any wrong move will break my own heart. I think you just have to trust that I won't hurt her. And if I do... you can kill me however you want," I told her, not caring about the risk.
"I know over 100 ways to kill someone, you know that right?" She asked and I hummed. "I'd deserve it," I shrugged, sipping on my beer as we stayed in silence watching the fire and the others talking.
"Have you got a strong stomach?" I asked and the blonde furrowed her eyebrows. "Yes, Why?" She questioned. "Want to scare the hell out of the others while doing something really cool?" I asked with a mischievous grin on my face.
"How are we doing that?" The Russian questioned and I placed my hand on her shoulder. "On the count of three scream," I said. She scrunched her eyebrows but didn't question it. I looked at the spot that was directly infront of the other three Russians.
"One. Two. Three," as soon as I said three, I teleported in front of the others and we both screamed. Alexei let out a loud roar of a scream while Melina held her chest in fear. Nat glared at me while Yelena and I both burst out laughing, high fiving each other.
I could tell yelena was a little nauseous, but her excitement over what I had done was taking over and soon our laughing died down. We sat down beside the other three and drank our beers and talked. I wasn't drunk this time which was nice. We would be leaving in a few days and a part of me didn't want to leave. It really felt like family here, I just needed Wanda.
Nat and I made our way to our room and I sighed once I had put some shorts and a shirt on before jumping in bed. Nat got in beside me after turning off the lights and turned to look at me, the moonlight glinting off her ethereal face.
I linked one of our hands outside of the blankets and kissed her lightly. "I think we need to talk," she said and i scrunched my eyebrows. "You're not breaking up with me. Cause that would be in bad taste after I just got to be friends with your family," I half joked.
"No. I'd never break up with you. I want you to be my wife. You've mentioned a couple of times about... kids. I think that's something we need to talk about, y'know before we get married and stuff," she said. I sighed, nodding my head, knowing this could be make or break.
I sat up and leant against the headboard and turned to put the lamp on, Nat following me and doing the same. "Do you want kids?" Nat asked, looking into my eyes while I looked into her emerald orbs.
She wanted complete honestly, so I linked my hand with hers, completely scared at how this could go. "The idea of kids scared the hell out of me. I've never actually thought about it until recently. I never thought about it because I don't think I'd deserve it. I didn't think I'd deserve someone who'd want to raise kids with me and I sure as hell felt like I wasn't a good enough person to mother a child. B-but now I'm with you I can picture it. Kind of like with Clint. A home away from the city. Maybe a dog or a cat. And a couple little kids running around. But. If you don't want kids, I'd understand. It's not something I need, I have you, you're all I need," I explained and she nodded her head, thinking.
"I've thought about it before. But the idea of having kids was ripped away from me. Literally. I-I still feel like I owe something to the world, for all of the bad things I've done I feel like my services are required, to get the red off my ledger. Us doing this, taking down hydra. It feels like it was meant to be and it's not safe for a child. I'm not saying I don't want kids. Because I do. I really do. Whether we adopt, or you get pregnant I want a family with you. I just want you to give me time... at least until we're not running away anymore," I nodded in understanding, leaning in and kissing her softly.
"I'd wait forever for you Natalia," I whispered and she hummed kissing me lovingly once more. "Thank you. For waiting. For forgiving me. I don't deserve you," she mumbled, quietly. As if she spoke any louder it would break this barrier we're in.
"You deserve me and more. You're my everything," I replied. "And you're my everything Rea. I don't think you understand what I would do for you. I'd jump off a cliff for you," she told me seriously and I chuckled a little. "Well it's a good thing you won't ever have to do that for me. I think we should manifest our goals. Take down hydra. Get married. Get the team back together. Retire from the hero life and have a family," I told her.
"I like that idea. But you've been spending too much time online," she said making fun of me saying 'manifest'. I rolled my eyes and kissed the blonde to stop her laughing. And then I turned off the lamp, pulling her close to me and closed my eyes ready to sleep.
But as I was falling asleep and in between reality and dream state I could hear some words being repeated in my head.
'It's okay. Let me go.'