age: 15
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NATASHA's POV
"Come on, honey, it's okay," I try and reassure my trembling daughter. We're currently sitting down in my bedroom, I'm at my desk doing my makeup whilst she's sat on my bed watching me. Well, that was until two minutes ago, when I started to notice her anxiety symptoms rising.
Now I've moved myself so I'm sat in front of her, holding both of her hands in mine whilst I attempt to warm them up. She always goes cold when she's anxious.
Stark is having one of his parties later, and Y/N doesn't do very well in large crowds of people. Especially since it's gonna be in her home, her safe place.
"I'm scared," she admits through a shaky breath, and she somehow manages to pull her left hand out of mine and begins scratching at her neck harshly.
"Hey, let's not do that," I speak softly, bringing her hand back down to my lap and holding it even tighter than before. "You don't need to hurt yourself to get the relief you need. There's other ways of doing that. Can you tell me exactly what's on your mind? What thing is worrying you the most about later?"
I see her thinking for a moment, it's undoubtedly difficult to form a coherent thought whilst being in a state of panic.
"I don't know," she finally speaks up, "I don't know what I think will happen. All I know is that I'm terrified. But I don't understand why."
What she's saying makes sense. There's lot always a rational reason to be afraid of something, you just are.
"That's okay, baby. We can work with that. Would you feel any safer if I just stayed with you the whole time we're there? We don't even have to go if you don't want to."
Tony's parties have always been a favorite of mine. The after part with just our little group is even better, but my daughter will always come first and if she says we're not going, we won't go.
"No, I-I wanna go, I like the parties just as much as you do. And you know how it is, I'll usually settle once we've been there for a while, but it's just the feelings I get until that point that are the hard part."
"Okay, well we'll do whatever it is you need. Can I place a hand on your chest, baby?" I ask gently. Skin-to-skin has always been the fastest way to placate her, and she likes the feel of my warm hand against just over where her heart is.
"Can we just do full skin-to-skin?" she asks sheepishly to which I agree and we both discard our tops before laying down together, the blanket keeping us warm.
"Mama, my breathing's going funny," she speaks up after a while of us cuddling.
"Alright, honey, have some of this," I tell her whilst passing her the glass of water I have on my nightstand. Sometimes when she takes a break to drink something, it helps her to slow her breathing. "That's it," I say encouragingly after she takes a few sips.
Once I've placed the glass back onto the table, Y/N starts snuggling up to me more, crawling further on top of me until she's clinging onto me.
"My little koala," I coo and kiss the top of her head, tracing little patterns on her back. "Are you still feeling anxious, my little love?"
"Yeah. But I don't think that's gonna go away," she mumbles into the crook of my neck.
"Oh, Y/N. I'm so sorry. You know that I would do anything to take all the anxiety away from you. But look, I'm not gonna leave your side the whole time we're there, okay? Mama's got you. You have to trust me, my sweet girl."
"I'll always trust you. But you don't have to stay with me, I know you'd rather be with the others and having fun with them and-"
"Let me stop you right here. You, my darling girl, are my daughter, and that is more important than anything else in the world. I would much rather spend the whole evening with you attached to my hip, knowing that you're safe with me than me being around with everyone else and getting stupidly drunk with them. Because you come first. Always. You are my baby and I will do everything I can to protect you and keep you happy. Can you understand that for me?"
"... I guess. I love you, mama. Thank you for everything you do for me."
"That's my job, sweetheart. I love you."