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Homerun Love

Chapter 2

Summary:

Winter break is here and is already starting badly, but with good friends and good times, it makes it all better, how long does that last though? Will you make it through the semester with everything being okay?

Chapter Text

The next few days consisted of you laying in bed and just leaving to get food, you were upset, sure Wanda was there, but you figured she was hanging out with Maria and you knew Carol had gone home with her Maria, then there was Natasha who still hadn’t messaged you and was with Bucky, granted you hadn’t tried to reach out to her either, your face was healing, not as bruised and sore which you were grateful for since you were tired of trying to cover it up with makeup or with a scarf.

Now you were at the gym, trying to work out and abuse the fact that you had basically the whole gym to yourself, you beats in your ears and the music blaring through them, not even noticing how hard you were going until the treadmill beeped at you and you realized you had been running for about an hour, making it to almost 10 miles which was a new accomplishment for you “Shit” you muttered to yourself, feeling the treadmill start to slowly bring you down to a fast walk and you now feeling the workout come crashing down on you, your shirt and pants were soaked and your hair was sticking to your forehead from sweat, deciding to just shower there so you wouldn’t have to walk back to the dorms drenched.

When you got back to the dorms, you pushed open your door when you heard someone call your name down the hall “What are you still doing here?” Wanda asked, knowing you had told her you were leaving the other day and you sighed, letting her into the room before following her in, telling her what all had happened while you threw your gym clothes into your hamper and set your bag down to the side “Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve hung out with you, you could’ve stayed in my room” Wanda said, looking at you from your bed as you sat down in your desk chair “I was upset, I didn’t want to talk to anyone really” you said honestly, watching as she nodded in understanding “Well, now that I know you’re here, we are going to hang out the entire time” she decided, causing you to laugh as you looked at her “What about Maria?” You asked, watching as she waved a hand at you in dismissal “She won’t mind, she likes you, plus I can still hang out with her in my own time” she said, looking at you and crossing her legs “Besides, no one deserves to be alone during the holidays” she said, going over and giving your shoulder a squeeze “You free tonight? We can watch shitty movies and eat pizza?” She offered and you smiled, nodding “Sounds great”.

xxxxx

The days went by even faster once you started hanging out with Wanda and Maria, they dragged you everywhere they possibly could, even dragging you out for a snowball fight, the three of you had become inseparable over the course of the two weeks, giving you the time to avoid thinking of everything else, that is, until Christmas day hit and you woke up by yourself in your dorm room, Maria and Wanda having stayed in Wanda’s room for the night “Merry Christmas to me” you whispered, looking out the window and seeing the snow piled high and it still coming down, looking over when you heard your phone vibrating on your bedside table.

Merry Christmas - Nat <3

Yeah… Merry Christmas - You

Not expecting a reply, you called your mother who picked up instantly “Merry Christmas, honey!” She cheered in your ear, bringing a smile to your face as you laughed “Merry Christmas to you too, mom… I wish I could be there” you said, pulling your legs up to sit criss-cross on your bed, leaning back against the wall “I know, I wish you could too, but we’ll make it up, I promise you that much” she said, you hearing the sad smile on her face through the phone “We will, what are your plans for the day?” You asked, the two of you slipping into conversation about anything and everything for a little over an hour before your mom had to get going since your aunt was picking her up for the family Christmas “Wish them merry christmas for me, yeah?” “I will honey, I love you” “I love you too” you said before you hung up and sighed, letting your phone drop onto your bed before you got up, planning to wear a nice outfit since even though you may not hang out with anybody, you still wanted to feel the Christmas spirit.

Once you got dressed, you grabbed your phone since you were going to take a little walk around, seeing a message from Wanda saying that they were going to get you in about an hour so you guys could make some cookies and stuff in the kitchen downstairs then there was one from Natasha

Can I call you? - Nat <3

You stood there, staring at the message… Did you want to talk to her? Of course you did, but did you think you could handle it? No, not if it was just going to be her talking about how great of a time she was having at Bucky’s… But she was your best friend, even if you two were fighting, taking the initiative, you hit the little call button and waited for Natasha to answer.

You didn’t have to wait long since she picked up after the first ring “Hey” she said, sounding a bit relieved “Hi” you said, biting your lip and unsure of what else to say “I’m so sorry for the other day… I didn’t mean to forget, my mind was everywhere” she apologized, you hearing some shuffling on her end and figuring she was resituating on a couch or something “That doesn’t make it okay, Nat” you said softly, picking at a loose string on your Christmas sweater “I know it doesn’t… I’m going to make it up to you, I promise” she said, the two of you falling silent for a few moments “How’s being at home?” She asked, breaking the silence and you felt your heart sink all over again “I uh-I’m not… My mom’s car broke down, so I’m stuck on campus” you admitted, hearing what sounded like something hitting the floor, her having sat up too quickly and knocked a crutch down, the ones she no longer had to use after being put into her walking boot a few days ago.

“You’re stuck at campus? Why didn’t you tell me? I’m coming back” she said, you hearing her stand up from wherever she was sitting “Nat, you don’t have to, Wanda and Maria are here, plus you’re supposed to be staying with Bucky and his family, you stay and have fun, I’ll be okay” you promised her, not wanting to be the one that ruined her holiday “But-” “Nat, just have fun, okay? Please? For me?” You asked, not wanting her to leave and come back just to be bored with you in the dorm “Okay” she said, sighing as she sat back down “Just… Text me, okay? Not talking to you was torture” she said, smiling a bit when she heard you laugh “Of course, have a good Christmas, Nat” you said, smiling some “You too, Y/N… I’ll see you in a few weeks” she said before the two of you hung up, you checking the time to see if you had time to go for your walk, but you had been talking to Natasha for almost forty-five minutes, Wanda and Maria would be there soon, so you decided to just scroll through TikTok while you waited.

Later that night, you, Wanda, and Maria were in the living area with pizza boxes, cookies, and beers piled on top of the coffee table there “Christmas Story?” Wanda asked, sitting in front of the movie box as she dug through it “That works for me” you said, grabbing yourself a slice of pizza and grabbing yourself a beer “Sounds good” Maria said, opening the beer bottle when you handed it to her, you unable to get it open yourself “You guys have your schedules all settled?” You asked as you watched Wanda pop the movie in “Oh yeah, my History and Politics advisor said this was the worst semester, I’m so ready” Maria said sarcastically, taking a sip of her beer as she wrapped an arm around Wanda after she got settled under the blankets beside her “Yeah yeah, complain all you want, this is my last semester of torture courses” Wanda said, her going for Physiological and Behavioral Sciences “Thankfully it’s not too mindnumbing” she said, reaching over and grabbing a slice of pizza, the three of you settling in for a night full of movies and drinking and good times.

xxxxx

It was now New Years Eve, people were slowly starting to trickle back onto campus and you hated to admit it, but you missed the peace and quiet the campus had to offer over the course of break, but with courses starting up again in two days, people were rushing to get back into the swing of things, you were reading a book in bed, having borrowed one from Maria who had a whole stash of them in her dorm room, your headphones in and your music blaring that you almost missed the door being open and Natasha carrying her bags and crutches, you looking up from your book and smiling as you quickly bookmarked it before you all but threw yourself at her “Hello to you too” she laughed, wrapping her arms snuggly around you “I thought you weren’t coming back till tomorrow” You said, pulling back and letting your earbuds hang from your neck “I wasn’t, but one of Bucky’s brothers were heading through this way for work and brought me back” she said, giving you a smile which you returned before you sat down on your bed, giving her room to unpack.

The two of you fell into comfortable silence, you reading your book and her unpacking, you felt at ease for once and it felt nice “Do you want to go get lunch?” Natasha asked, pulling you from your thoughts and you bookmarking and closing your book once more as you looked at her “Sure” you said, giving her a smile as you stood up once more “Let me just change” you said, going and grabbing some clothes since you were still in your pajamas.

Once you were changed, you followed her out of the room and that’s when you realized that she wasn’t using her crutches anymore “You got your cast off?” You asked, giving her a smile as she nodded “I did, took you long enough to notice” she teased, heading down the stairs with you trailing behind “Does that mean you get to play this season?” You asked, knowing she was really missing it “Yeah! I’ll miss the first game or so, but I’ll be in after that” she said, grinning at you as the two of you headed out of the dorm building.

Getting to the dining room, you sat down with Natasha sitting down across from you, the two of you talking about what you both had done over break “So, how was it?” You asked, looking at her and watching as she raised an eyebrow “How was what?” She asked, and you felt your face start to burn “You know-” you said, holding one hand with your thumb and pointer finger making a circle while sticking your pointer finger out on the other and pushing it through the circle which made Natasha laugh, smacking your hands down “What? You guys had ample opportunity!” You laughed, feeling your face burn even more “Well, that didn’t happen” she said, taking a bite of her potato soup “What?” You asked, trying to keep the hopefulness out of your voice as you looked at her “Yeah… I mean… He tried once, but..” she tried to explain and you reached over, placing your hand on hers “You don’t have to explain to me” you assured, giving her hand a small squeeze and watching as she nodded “What about you, what all did you do?” she asked, changing the subject which you welcomed wholeheartedly.

Heading back to the dorm, you got a message from Wanda inviting you to a party that was going to be in the living area of the building “Want to go to a party tonight?” You asked, looking at Natasha as the two of you headed inside “Who’s all going to be there?” She asked, holding the door open for you as you told her who all would be there, it mostly being your friend group and she smiled “Sure, it sounds fun” she said, giving you a smile as you two headed upstairs and into the dorm room, not making it far into the room before Wanda came barging in “Yes, come right in” you said sarcastically, looking at her and watching as she paced for a moment “Everything okay?” Natasha asked, looking at her and watching as Wanda looked confused from hearing her voice before she went back to pacing.

“Maria said she has a surprise for me tonight, you know me with surprises” Wanda said, continuing to pace until you went and placed your hands on her shoulders “Hey, I’m sure it’s nothing bad… She probably just got you something” you suggested, watching as she sighed and shifted from foot to foot “How about we all hang out and watch movies until the party? Get your mind off of it?” You suggested, glancing over at Natasha who nodded “Yeah, yeah that sounds good” Wanda sighed, letting you led her over to your bed, setting her down on your bed before you went to grab your laptop “Shit, I forgot my charger in your room” you said, looking at Wanda who tossed you her keys “Be right back” you said before leaving the room.

Once you were gone, Wanda turned her gaze to Natasha “Don’t hurt them” she said, having gotten a lot of texts from Natasha over break and having realized what was going on since they were all asking if you were okay with the occasional ask about Wanda “What?” Natasha asked, looking at her and her face having paled when Wanda said that “I know that you like them, just remember that you’re with Bucky right now, have been for half a year and I swear to god if you hurt them more than you have already-” Wanda said, her having gotten to the point with you that she thought of you as a sibling and getting cut off by Natasha “I won’t, I have no plans to… And Bucky, well, right now we aren’t sure” she admitted, knowing that their relationship was on rocky terms and watching as Wanda just nodded, going to say more but you had come back into the room “Who’s ready for some movies?” You asked, smiling at them and the two of them looking at you before you guys got settled in for the movies.

Later that night, you were pushing your way through people as you tried to carry the drinks for you and Natasha to her, her sitting on one of the many couches “Excuse me… Trying to get through!” you called over the music, managing to squeeze your way through to her and sitting down next to her all while handing her the beer “Thank you” she said, giving a small laugh before she opened it and took a drink “You ready for this semester?” You asked, leaning back against the couch and crossing your legs “I am, the break was nice but I’m ready to get back into it… What about you?” She asked, turning some to lean back against the armrest “I guess, not ready for my law courses” you said, taking a sip of your beer, not really fond of the brand they chose but hey, a drink was a drink “That’s literally your whole major” she laughed, reaching over and nudging your leg with her foot “Don’t remind me” you grumbled, receiving a laugh from her before you two fell into more conversation.

It was almost midnight, you had seen almost everything a party could have to offer that night, you saw someone streak out in the snow, you played truth or dare, Tony of course was passed out drunk, you watched people play seven minutes in heaven, and now you guys were watching the Times Square ball drop “10, 9 8!” Everyone chanted, you standing off to the side, watching as people paired off “7, 6, 5!” Too focused on watching everyone else, you didn’t notice Natasha approaching you “4, 3, 2!” Finally looking over at Natasha when you caught movement in your peripheral and giving her a smile “Hey-” you getting cut off by her lips on yours after everyone chanted one then cheered ‘Happy New Year!’, you weren’t sure how to feel, you were frozen on the spot, Natasha was there… Natasha was there kissing you! But she was still with Bucky, no matter how much you wished this felt right(in a way it did), it just felt so… Wrong.

When you pulled back, Natasha looked at you with a tiny smile which faded when she saw the pained look on your face “Don’t do this to me” you whispered, currently fighting back tears as you bit your lip “What do you mean?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at you “Are you breaking up with Bucky or have any plan to?” You asked, looking at her and anger boiling up in you when she said nothing before you shoved her away “I am going to make this very clear and as quietly as I possibly can, so I apologize for the yelling, but…” you said, looking at her and feeling the tears start to fall down your cheeks “Y/N-” she tried, only for you to raise your voice “Do not… DO NOT come into my life if you are going to play around with my feelings! Do not sit there and kiss me and tell me that you care about me-” “Y/N, please” she begged, feeling all the eyes on you two, you having not noticed that everyone was watching or the fact that the music was no longer blaring “-and that you want to see me happy if you are going to do shit like this!” you shouted, covering your mouth for a moment to try to calm yourself “I can’t do this with you anymore, Nat” you whispered, finally looking around and seeing everyone staring before you turned and bolted out of the room, Wanda trying to call for you but you bolted out, her turning to glare at Natasha before she ran after you, Natasha sitting there under everyone’s gaze, fighting back her own tears, but she knew she deserved this, she deserved it all.

xxxxx

Two weeks had passed since the events of New Years Eve, you had avoided Nat like the plague and she tried to give you the space you needed, like when the two of you were in the dorm together, there was nothing but silence between the two of you which was nothing but tense and awkward, but you ignored it, focusing mostly on your classwork, or going to the gym, or hanging out with Wanda or Carol, Bucky questioned why you no longer hung out with them, to which Nat told him it was none of his business… But it was his business, she kissed you and they were still dating, you felt terrible everytime you saw him walking by, even though the whole thing wasn’t your fault.

While you were at the gym one day, Natasha had finally been able to go to a practice for the softball team, having been released from her walking boot, having been told to not go too hard too quickly, she was up to practice batting while Wanda was pitching, Wanda’s face neutral as she pitched, making it almost impossible for Natasha to hit it with the speed she was bringing with each pitch until finally Natasha was able to hit the ball, it going directly towards Wanda’s face at an alarming speed, her catching it last second “What the hell, Nat?” she exploded, glaring at her which Nat returned “You’re the one throwing impossible to hit balls!” She retaliated, dropping the bat in her hand while Wanda approached her “You’re the one who doesn’t know how to stay in their lane!” She shouted, the two of them diving into an argument until the coach interfered “You two cool off, this happens again, you’re both benched” he threatened, making both of them shut their mouths “Yes coach” they both said before they headed for the dugout, silently grabbing their things before they headed out in heated silence.

“I told you not to hurt them” Wanda finally spoke when they were halfway to the dorms, causing Natasha to stop which in turn made Wanda stop “I didn’t mean to hurt them, I don’t know what I was thinking… I-Dammit! I ruined everything! That’s not how I wanted it to go!” Natasha admitted, tears filling her eyes as she ran her hand through her messy ponytail and having not been able to forgive herself for what she had done to you “What do you mean?” Wanda asked, wanting to hear her side of this since while she supported you the most, she still wanted to give Natasha a chance to talk “I was going to break up with Bucky before break, we were having issues and then they convinced me to talk with him and we stayed together, but over break all I could think about was them… I wanted to drop everything and come back here when they told me they couldn’t go home, but they told me to stay and have fun… I tried, but I don’t feel what I feel with them when I’m alone with Bucky… I’m an idiot” she said, shaking her head and Wanda stood there, conflicted.

Before Wanda could say anything, Natasha spoke up again “I was going to break up with Bucky a few days after he came back, but then I fucked it all up by kissing Y/N on New Years Eve… Now they won’t talk to me and I can’t help but feel guilty every time I hang out with Bucky… I love them, Wanda… More than I’ve ever loved anyone” she admitted softly, her head down and staring at her shoes “Well… As much as I don’t want to… I’m going to give you a word of advice” Wanda said, watching as Natasha looked at her once more “Start by rekindling your friendship with them… They miss you, they’re suffering, Nat… All they do is study and go work out for longer than they should and when we do hang out, they barely say anything… I dislike you right now for what you did, but you’re the only one who can pull them out of this” she said, looking at her and checking her phone when it buzzed “I have to go… Good luck” she said, turning on her heel before heading off, leaving Natasha to wonder what she could do to gain your forgiveness.

When she got back, she saw you on your bed, your headphones in and scrolling through your phone, obviously taking a break from your homework, she stayed silent as she set her bag down before pulling her shoes off, sitting on her bed and messing with her hands for a moment before she waved at you, causing you to look up and look at her, a mix of emotions flashing across your face before you settled on a neutral look, watching as she pointed to her ear, telling you to pull your headphone out which you did “Can we talk?” She asked, looking at you and watching as you thought before you nodded and paused your music, tossing your phone and headphones to the side before you looked at her and gestured for her to start talking.

“I’m so sorry for what I did… It was honestly unforgivable… I shouldn’t have done it” she said, holding her hand up when you went to speak “Let me finish… Please?” She asked, watching as you gave a small nod after you snapped your mouth shut “I was an asshole, it wasn’t fair to you or Bucky, I shouldn’t have done it… But I did and I’m sorry… What I’m trying to ask here is… Can we start over? I miss you and I want my best friend back” she said, looking at you and you bet your lip before sighing “A simple sorry isn’t going to make anything better, Nat-” you said, watching as she nodded “But…” You said, watching as her head snapped up from looking at her hands to looking at you, a hopeful look on her face “I’m willing to start over” you said, standing up and going over to her, holding your hand out “I’m Y/N Y/L/N, I’m a law major and I play Volleyball” you said, looking at her and smiling when she took your hand with a smile on her face “Natasha Romanoff, I’m a veterinary medicine major and I play softball” she said, giving your hand a firm shake “Well, Miss Romanoff, looks like we have a lot to make up for”.

xxxxx

A few days later, you were heading to the gym with Carol, the two of you having a lot more free time since the volleyball season was on hold for the time being “Did you hear what Professor Fury told someone today?” You asked, holding the door to the gym open for her “Maybe, I wasn’t really listening” she said, thanking you before she headed inside “So, you know Martin?” You asked, watching as she nodded, the two of you heading into the locker room “Well, he asked this really dumb question about the history project and Professor Fury just tells him-” clearing your throat “I know most would say there’s no stupid questions, but that was the stupidest question I’ve ever heard, think about it and get back to me-” you said in your best Fury impression “Then he muttered something about him being a motherfucker or something” you laughed, hearing Carol laugh with you as the two of you changed into your workout gear “That’s like his catchphrase, it’s always motherfucker this or motherfucker that” she said, making you laugh harder and the two of you throwing back and forth your best impressions of Fury until you both were laughing so hard, you were crying and getting stared at by anyone else that entered the locker room.

Once you guys finally finished your workout, you both showered and changed before heading out “I love this time of the year” you said, smiling as the sun warmed your face “I’m just glad the snow is gone and that volleyball starts up again soon” Carol said, walking beside you as the two of you made your way to get some food “Are you going to the softball game tonight?” She asked, knowing that you and Natasha were slowly rebuilding your friendship, but she wasn’t sure where you guys were at just yet “Yeah, Wanda asked me to come, are you?” You asked, looking at her and watching her nod “Yeah, Maria’s dragging me there” she chuckled, heading into the dining facility and holding the door open for you this time, you both falling into conversation as you got your food and ate.

Getting back to the dorm, you tossed your bag onto the floor and sat down on your bed, you had about twenty minutes before you had to head out again, you weren’t going to waste it, you laying on your bed and scrolling through your phone as you let it charge, your mind idly drifting to Natasha and how you were glad you both were friends again maybe that’s all we’ll ever be you thought to yourself, causing you to close your eyes and shake the thought from your head, even though you knew it was true, she still had Bucky and they were a good couple… You were fine with being just the best friend, no matter how much it drained you, you would always do whatever you could for Nat.

At the game, you were sitting in the front row with Carol and Maria and cheering for Wanda who was up to bat when you saw someone sit next to you, looking over, you saw Bucky sitting there, giving you a small smile before offering some popcorn to you “No, but thank you” you said nicely, smiling awkwardly and Bucky just shrugged and laughed as he looked out at the field “More for me” he said, completely oblivious about the tense air between you two and Carol nudged you “Want to switch spots?” She asked, looking at you and willing to switch you if you wanted “No, it’s fine, I just have to not make it awkward” you said, waving off her question.

And oh boy… Did it get awkward… Bucky tried to talk to your throughout the game, only receiving short answers from you and when Natasha was up to bat, you would both cheer her on, but Bucky would add in the word babe and make you bite your lip as you sat down once more, the awkwardness got worse, the longer the game went, until you couldn’t take it anymore “I gotta pee” you finally said, standing up and quickly rushing to where the bathrooms were, when you got in there, you just leaned forward against one of the sinks and stared at yourself in the mirror “Stop. Making. It. Awkward” you told yourself, sighing as you splashed your face with some water after a moment, drying it with a paper towel and taking a moment to catch your breath before you felt calmer to go back out.

But, when you got back out, the game was over and Natasha was already over with Bucky, the two of them talking in hushed tones and you took that as a que to go and find Wanda and Carol… Natasha dragged Bucky over to the side, him having just asked her to come home with him for Spring Break which was a little over a month away “Bucky… I can’t” she said, looking at him and he furrowed his brow “Why not? My family loved you” he said, reaching over and taking her hand which she pulled away, making him frown “I can’t because I can’t do this anymore… I’m so sorry” she said softly, watching as he ducked his head and looked at his shoes for a moment “Its them, isn’t it?” He asked, looking up and meeting her eyes, her looking confused for a moment before he looked over her shoulder at you, causing her to turn and look at what he was looking at “Its always been them, I’ve just been too stupid to realize it” she admitted, looking at him once more as he nodded in understanding.

“You know.. I thought I really stood a chance in the beginning, then I started seeing the way you looked at them and how you acted around them… And I knew I didn’t stand a chance, but I’m grateful for how long you gave me” he said honestly, reaching over and taking her hand to give it a small squeeze “We’re still friends, you know?” Natasha said, looking at him and Bucky smiled “I’m glad… But, give me some time… It’ll be hard to get over you” he said, looking at her and she nodded “Okay… I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner” she apologized, looking at him and he shook his head “You have nothing to be sorry about… Good luck, Nat” he said, giving her hand one last squeeze before he headed off, her turning to see you laughing as you talked to the others, making her smile before she went and joined the group, feeling a weight lift off of her shoulders.

xxxxx

A few days after the game, you and Natasha were hanging out in your dorm room, the door open along with the window since the AC had decided to go out so it was a bit on the warm side “Can we please go and do something?” She asked, looking at you and her laying on her bed with her head hanging off the side, looking at you upside-down “Like what?” You asked, looking up from your book and unable to stop your eyes from looking over her, her being in a red tank-top and black shorts, quickly looking at her face when she moved her arms to point at you “We could go to the pool!” She exclaimed, looking at you and you scrunched your nose and shook your head “Just like everyone else? No thanks” you said, knowing the pool would be crowded and ignoring the pout from Natasha until she sat up quickly and looked at you with a smile “There is a lake not far from here” she said, going and sitting down next to you “We can invite our friends and just have a good time” she said, giving you a pout that you couldn’t ignore and you sighed before marking your page and closing your book “Okay, lets go” you said, chuckling softly when she bounced up and down in excitement, looking like a kid that just got told they could have the candy they wanted and you couldn’t help but feel a flutter in your chest, you had it bad for her, even after everything that had happened.

Once you guys got there, you piled out of the two cars, Carol having drove her car while Nat drove hers “Much less crowded than the pool” you said, only seeing maybe a handful of people around and Natasha grinned as she grabbed her bag from the trunk “I told ya, only a few people know of this place” she said, the lake being a hidden gem that she had found the year before “Yeah yeah, you were right” you chuckled, grabbing your bag and heading with her to a clear spot with the others “I brought some food for when we get hungry” Wanda said, lugging a small cooler behind her while Maria carried the freezer bag that held the food “You are a lifesaver” you said, smiling at Wanda who returned the smile, looking over at Carol and her Maria as they set up a hammock between two trees, biting your lip to keep from laughing when Carol went to get on it, only for the whole thing to flip and her to faceplant on the ground below, Maria though didn’t even try to hide her laughter, her hunched over and laughing much to Carol’s displeasure.

You looked back over at Natasha, who was already pulling her tanktop and shorts off, having kicked her flip flops off next to her bag and you felt your face heat up when she pulled her shirt off, her abs were slowly starting to make an appearance again, from not being able to workout for almost three months, she still looked really good “Are you coming?” Natasha asked you, making your burning face burn even more at being caught looking “Yeah, I’ll be there in a moment!” You said, flustered beyond belief and wringing your hands out, jumping when something rubbery hit you on the side of your face, looking down and seeing it was one of Wanda’s rubber bouncy balls, she had an obsession of collecting those “Just go, will you” she chuckled when you finally looked at her, rolling her eyes when you didn’t move and going over to you, turning you towards Natasha and giving you a small shove “Go”.

Heading over to Natasha, you kept reminding yourself you had nothing to worry about with her, just cause she was freshly single, didn’t mean she had any intentions of going for you or anyone for that matter, she was your best friend and you were hers, you shouldn’t be awkward around her, but you couldn’t help it when you had this draw to her since the beginning, too lost in thought, you didn’t hear her ask you a question when you got closer to her “Huh?” You asked, having seen her mouth moving “I said, you aren’t gonna come in with that on, are you?” She asked, her already in the water and referring to your clothes still being on “Oh… Right” you said, shaking your head clear before you stripped your outer clothes and dropped them with Natasha’s, kicking your sandals off before heading into the water, freezing up for a moment when it was colder than you thought it’d be before you moved further into the water.

Once you got to Natasha, she smiled at you “Nice of you to finally join me” she teased, splashing lightly towards you which you retaliated back “So sorry I had something else to do” you teased, looking at her and watched as she leaned back to float on her back “This is nice” she said, closing her eyes as she let herself float “Yeah, you have good ideas… Sometimes” you said, laughing when she splashed you once more “Shush you” she chuckled, the two of you enjoying the peace until it was broken by Carol shouting nonsense before she ran into the water, effectively ending the peace as she hid behind you “What did you do now?” You asked, looking at her over your shoulder “Nothing” she lied, peeking over your shoulder and you looked at the edge of the lake, seeing Maria standing there with her hands on her hips and her face covered in mud “Oh, you’re dead” you laughed, watching as Maria approached you guys “You can’t hide behind them, Carol!” She said, heading towards you guys and you did the best thing you could think of and went under the water just as Maria lunged for Carol.

Later that night, you guys had been at the lake for hours and it was starting to get dark, you guys were piling back into the vehicles and when you looked in the backseat, you saw Wanda and Maria passed out, which you understood, today was fun but exhausting and all you wanted to do was sleep, but Natasha was driving, you didn’t want to leave her alone “Today was fun” you said, resting your arm on the center console as she drove “It was, we need to do it again” she said, smiling some as she glanced at you “You don’t have to stay awake, you can sleep” she said, resting her arm on the center console as well and as much as you wanted to pull your arm away, you didn’t “Its fine, tomorrow is Sunday, I can sleep in” you said, looking at her and the two of you slipping into a comfortable silence, you laying your head back against the headrest until you felt a warmth on your arm and looked over to see Natasha lacing your fingers together, neither of you saying anything and you couldn’t help the smile that grew on your face, her holding your hand the rest of the ride to the campus.

xxxxx

As the weeks went by, yours and Natasha’s relationship was getting stronger than ever, the two of you did everything together, like it used to be, you guys hung out all the time and hung out with all your friends together, you guys hadn’t breached past the holding hands and cuddling stage, but there was definitely something between you two, neither of you would say it though.

Bucky was still in the picture, he had become a really good friend to you guys and was even seeing someone else, some new guy that came mid-semester named Steve, you were happy for him and he was happy for you guys, not like you guys were actually anything since you guys never brought up that topic, not like you minded since you guys were both focused on school.

Heading towards the softball field since volleyball practice was cancelled due to Fury saying “I have other matters to handle, I do believe you all can handle yourselves for the night” before he released you guys for the afternoon, looking up from your phone when you heard laughter, you smiled and shook your head when you saw Wanda chasing Natasha around the field with a bat, shouting about how she was going to end her, but they were both laughing as they did so “Will you two focus!” The coach finally shouted, causing Natasha to stop and Wanda to ram into her since she had not been paying much attention “Sorry, sir!” They both shouted, Natasha releasing Wanda since she had caught her before she could fall over.

You sat on the bleachers and watched as they practiced until it started to sprinkle, you grabbing your hoodie out of your bag and pulling it on with the hood up, that being just when it started to rain harder “Alright, everyone head out… Good practice” the coach said, watching as the team ran into the dugout and got their things, you waving at Wanda and Maria who were heading towards you “We’re going out for dinner tonight at the diner if you want to join us” Wanda told you, looking at you as they passed you “Sure, let me know when you guys head out” you smiled, giving them a wave as they headed for the parking lot and turning back just as Natasha headed out of the dugout.

“Hey you” Natasha said, smiling at you as she took your hand and the two of you headed towards the dorm room “You looked good out there” you said, giving her a smile as you lightly swung your joined hands “Thank you, you looked good sitting there” she teased, lightly nudging you as you passed by the small park in the middle of campus, that of course being when it decided to downpour, the two of you screaming in surprise until she pulled you under a gazebo nearby, the two of you laughing as you shook off the water on your hoods.

When you both met eyes again, you smiled “Hi” you said, realizing how close you both were “Hi” she whispered, her lightly biting her lip before she slowly wrapped an arm around you and gently cupped your face “I-” she said, getting cut off when you surged forward and crushed your lips against hers, the two of you melting into the kiss before you had to pull back for air “You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to do that” you admitted with a small laugh “Oh, I think I know” she said, smiling and pressing another kiss to your lips, just holding you as the rain seemed to slowly calm down “Should we head back?” She asked, looking at you and you smiled “We should… Wanda did invite me to dinner” you said, laughing when Natasha looked offended “She didn’t invite me!” She exclaimed, you laughing as you led her out from under the gazebo, the two of you laughing and talking the whole way back to the dorm, this year having been a crazy one, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

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