A/N: Thank you to my reviewers and to everyone who started faving and following! You guys are all awesome!
"I'm going out, Ivan!" Natalia announced as she opened her home's front door.
"Be careful!" A man's voice called out. "And don't be out too late."
Natalia left the house after heeding her adopted father's warning. She never gave Ivan problems, but there were times when she would get lost inside a good book and time seemed to fly by. Reading was the only activity Natalia favoured. There wasn't much one could do in a small town for a young woman. Ivan hinted on several occasions that she should consider finding a husband, but Natalia chose to ignore those remarks. Marriage would mean leaving Ivan behind all on his own, a task Natalia wasn't ready for. She owed the man her life for all that he had done for her. Ivan had taken her in when she was a newborn at her late mother's request. The first-floor house fire had killed both of her parents that tragic night. Ivan had told Natalia the story of how her mother had to drop her newborn daughter from a second story window into Ivan's waiting arms. Natalia was eternally grateful to her guardian. He had taken care of her for her whole life and Natalia felt that she owed him the same care. She had no desire to marry, anyways-not yet, at least. Natalia was still young and wanted to enjoy it. "Any new books today?" she asked the bookkeeper as she sauntered into the tiny shop. The store smelled of ink and parchment and felt like a second home to Natalia.
"Nothing today, my dear," the old man at the counter announced. "Don't tell me you've finished your book already? It's only been one day!"
Natalia shrugged and brushed a stray curl over her shoulder. "I have a lot of free time," she warmly smiled as she handed a book with a withered fabric cover to the old man. "I'll be back tomorrow."
"I'm sure you will!" he heartily laughed. "Have a nice day, Natalia! Tell Ivan I said hello!"
The redhead nodded and waved as she left the store.
"I knew I'd find you here," a familiar voice said.
"I knew you'd be here." Natalia smirked at the blond man slumped against the shop's outer wall. "Barton."
"Wanna join me on a walk?" the young man offered. "It's warmer out-might as well take advantage of the nice weather."
"Not today. Errands," she simply stated as she brushed past him.
"Aww, Nat…"
"I can't, Clint," she groaned. "Another time. I need to pick up things for dinner."
"You never have any fun, Nat," Clint protested. "C'mon, let's go into the forest and I'll teach you how to shoot!" He pointed to the archery equipment slung across his back.
Natalia shook her head. "Ivan's been sick-I need to make sure he's better before I go wandering off."
Clint shrugged and trotted alongside her. "Okay. Maybe I'll pay him a visit tomorrow…"
"Goodbye, Barton," Natalia said as she walked ahead of him.
Clint stopped and admired the way her long red curls bounced behind her as she walked. He heaved a heavy sigh in defeat as he wandered towards the porcelain fountain in the town square. Clint understood Natalia's debt to her adopted father, but he still worried about her. The two had been friends for as long as he could remember. They used to play together all the time as children and were best friends. But then Natalia began to 'mature' as she had phrased it. She was first to outgrow the silly imagination games and that had really bothered a young Clint Barton. He began hanging around with a groups of boys and let Natalia be 'mature' with her stack of books. Even though they drifted apart, he still enjoyed occasionally talking with her. As he grew into his teenage years, he realized that he could no longer look at Natalia as just a friend. Her changing feminine figure had not only gotten his attention, but the attention of the other boys in town, as well. Natalia was his, he had warned his friends. From that day forward, he vowed to look out for her-Clint didn't like the way his friend Tony would talk about wanting to undress her. Natalia clearly needed someone to look out for her, even though she didn't know it. Clint's only hope was that Natalia would come to realize her feelings for him (he was sure she felt something towards him).
"Rough day, Barton?" his friend Tony quipped as he sauntered towards him.
"Just thinking…"
"You know what's good for thinking?" Tony sat down beside Clint and draped an arm across his shoulders. "Beer. C'mon, I'll buy you a drink and we'll talk this over, man-to-man."
He managed a small smile. "Sure."
"Back so soon, Natalia?" Ivan asked once he heard the front door open.
"You said not to be out late," she reminded her father. Natalia opened up her satchel to dig out the vegetables and loaf of bread she had bought. "I'll have dinner ready soon," she promised.
"You're a good girl, Natalia." A smile formed beneath his thick moustache. "You will make a husband very happy." He went over to give her a pat on the head.
Natalia forced a smile at the mentioning of a husband. "You should be in bed," she sternly warned Ivan. "Your sickness will only get worse…"
"All right," he agreed. "Thank you, Natalia.
Once she heard Ivan's footsteps disappear down the hall, Natalia went to work on making a hearty stew for their dinner.
Later in the night, there was a heavy knock on the front door. Natalia stirred from her slumber and threw on a dark shawl before shuffling towards the door. Her brows knitted together in anger when she saw that Ivan had beaten her to it.
"We need that plough you built us fixed immediately," their guest began.
"Can't it wait until morning?" Ivan wondered. "It's far too late…"
"If we can't plough the fields in the morning, then there's no way we can complete the day's harvest."
Natalia was against Ivan was going anywhere while still ill. "Can't you have your horses hull it over here tonight?" the redhead interjected. "It's cold enough out there to begin with and Ivan has been recovering from a fever!"
"That would take far too long. We need you now, Ivan!" the man warned Natalia's guardian.
"I refuse to let him leave!" she snapped. "Ivan, tell them you're ill!"
Ivan glanced in his daughter's direction and lowered his head. "I am sorry, Natalia, but I need to go…"
"Ivan, no!" She ran towards him, but her firmly grabbed her by the shoulders. "No, Natalia. This is no time to be stubborn. I promise to be home as quickly as possible," he calmly added.
Natalia scowled and bared her teeth at their guest. "If his condition worsens, I blame you! Who the hell do you think you are?!"
"Natalia!" Ivan yelled, taking the girl by surprise. "Hold your tongue and go to bed." He left the warmth of his home to fetch his horse from the barn. Ivan took one look back to find Natalia glaring daggers at him. He knew he would have to make it up to her. Ivan didn't mean to anger her, but his job earned the money that helped feed her and buy her whatever she needed. Leaving was the only viable option. As he hopped onto his horse's saddle, he held back a cough until his steed galloped farther from the house. Rain began to fall and Ivan struggled to keep an eye out for the rider ahead of him. The sound of hooves clopping against mud was the only way he could make sure of where his riding partner was guiding him. A sudden bolt of lightning lit up the sky and an added clash of thunder frightened his horse. Ivan tightened his grip on the reigns as his horse lifted its front legs up. "Easy, girl," he whispered. Another bolt of thunder struck down a thick tree branch that fell to the ground right before the terrified animal. Ivan, too, was taken by surprise and he accidentally lost his grip on the reigns and fell to the ground. The horse took off in the opposite direction and Ivan swore loudly. Suddenly, he was alone. The man needing his help had long ridden off, leaving Ivan stranded. He staggered to his feet, his hands and pants soaked in mud. There was no way he could be able to find his way home under a dark and rainy sky, so he decided to venture forward in hopes that his partner stopped to wait for him.
After what felt like hours of aimless trudging through the pouring rain, Ivan stopped to exhale a sickly cough. He knew he was officially lost and all he could think about was how worried Natalia would be. Knowing her, she would still be awake, awaiting his safe return. A lightning strike illuminated the path before him, and as if by some miracle, Ivan saw a barred gate protecting a castle several yards ahead. He forced his weary body to run forward towards the safety of a stranger's home.