Hey babes! Here's a quick little fic for ya. Came up with this the other day through discord and I, personally, think it's pretty cute and fun. The title has absolutely nothing to do with the story, really, it simply came about through discord and I decided to use it.
For reference, this takes place not long before the first Avengers film. Guestimating that Lila is about 8 or 9 during AoU, and the first Avengers film is three years before that, which would make her around five. So yeah. Basically this happens before the first Avengers film. That's really all you need to know.
Enjoy!
Natasha Romanoff, the infamous Black Widow, doesn't get scared. Her whole reputation as an assassin and then an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is built on the simple fact that she's fearless and ruthless, and there are very few things in the world that can shake her. She thought she'd figured them all out and had conquered them. She thought she had figured out everything that could make her the tiniest bit nervous and promptly stamped it out so it couldn't ever affect her in the field. That is exactly what she thought happened until she came face to face with her biggest challenge yet, something she was never trained for, not in her time at the Red Room or with S.H.I.E.L.D.
A classroom full of five year olds.
She wouldn't even be in the room if it wasn't for her favorite five year old; Lila Barton.
Despite having been hesitant to meet the youngest Barton a few months after she was born for personal reasons that, thankfully, neither Clint nor Laura pestered her about, Natasha has to admit that the girl has grown on her the last five years. She'd been extremely worried that somehow just being around her would turn Lila into a cold-blooded killer. But Lila remains the happiest kid and is Natasha's little shadow whenever she pays a visit to the farmhouse. Lila practically worships her and the ground she walks on, if Clint's words are anything to go by—he's usually right about things involving people even if she won't admit it aloud to him.
Which is why she couldn't find it in herself to say 'no' when Lila had approached her several weeks ago with the sweetest smile she's ever seen and all but begged her to attend Show and Tell for her kindergarten class.
She's completely out of her element, though, standing at the back of the small classroom leaning against an overly colorful poster about always being kind, impatiently waiting for Lila's turn so that she can get this done and over with and get out of the elementary school as soon as possible. She'd do anything for the Barton kids, and both they and their parents know it, but being surrounded by a dozen hyperactive children she doesn't know is really toeing the line.
"Okay class, our next Show and Tell today is from Lila. Lila, sweetie, what did you bring in today?"
Natasha can see Lila grinning as she stands from her seat at a table off to the side.
"I brought my Auntie Nat," Lila states proudly, turning to her with that wide grin that's missing a tooth that fell out just days before—Lila had been thrilled to tell her as soon as she showed up.
Natasha can't help but grin back.
"You're supposed to bring a object!" a kid shouts from another table. "Not a person!"
Natasha has to reign in her automatic response of violence when she sees the smile on Lila's face falter. Harming a random five-year-old simply for hurting her pseudo-niece's feelings would not look good. Anywhere. So she simply remains leaning against the back wall and gives Lila a reassuring smile.
Lila takes a slow deep breath, just like Natasha has shown her to do to control emotions, and then puts her smile back in place.
Natasha nods at Lila and then smiles a little brighter when the young girl holds out her hand and wiggles her small fingers. She steps away from the wall, taking Lila's hand in her own, and lets the girl lead her to the front of the classroom.
Lila is bouncing with excitement the entire time, her small hand remaining firmly clasped in Natasha's slightly bigger one. "This is my auntie Nat," Lila addresses her class. "Her name's really Natasha but I call her auntie Nat. She's my daddy's bestest friend ever and she's known me since before I was a baby when I was in my mommy's tummy. She's the coolest ever."
"It's very nice to meet you, Natasha," Lila's teacher says with a kind smile. "Class, can you all say 'hello' to Miss Natasha?"
"Hello Miss Natasha!" the class echoes, some at different volumes and some clearly more enthusiastic than others. It's both parts sweet and creepy, the way they all respond in unison.
"Hello," she says back with a small nod of her head and what she hopes is a kind smile. "It's great to finally meet all of Lila's friends. Thank you for letting me join your class today."
"We're always happy to welcome family members of our students," the teacher says. "Lila, would you like to tell us some more about your aunt?"
Lila perks up and nods enthusiastically. "Uh-huh! She's so super smart. She knows lots of languages more than just English and sometimes she teaches me words in other languages. And she's really super strong too. She can lift me all the way in the air and spin me around when we play outside and doesn't get tired ever. And she can do ballet like a ballerina and she's really super good at it. And she can do lots of kicking and punching really super good too. Auntie Nat is the bestest ever."
Natasha laughs quietly at the praise, gently squeezing her niece's hand. "Thank you for that, Lila." She turns toward the rest of the class. "Yes, I do have a lot of skills, which comes in handy for my job."
"What is it that you do?" Lila's teacher asks.
Natasha smiles politely at the teacher. "I work in personal security with Lila's dad," she tells the woman, using the cover they'd thought of not long after starting their partnership. It's not too far from the truth to be an outright lie. "We're partners in that regard, usually working together."
"They're the bestest team ever!" Lila exclaims. "I love watching them fight!"
Natasha's eyes go wide and she looks up at Lila's teacher. "Her dad and I practice martial arts together, to make sure we stay sharp for whatever job comes our way."
"Auntie Nat always wins," Lila remarks. "Daddy almost wins sometimes but Auntie Nat always does win. But Daddy and Auntie Nat win together when they fight somebody else. 'Cause they're the bestest team ever in the whole world."
"Even better than your mom and dad?" the same kid from before shouts.
"It's a different type of team," Natasha interjects before Lila can say anything, and again, she resists the urge to level the kid with her most intense stare that has taken down the toughest of opponents. "Her mom and dad are a great team together when dealing with family things. But her dad and I are a great team when it comes to work."
"And me and Auntie Nat are a team too!" Lila shouts, bouncing on her feet again.
Natasha smiles down at her niece, an overwhelming wave of love washing over her for this small child. She tugs the girl a little closer and wraps her up in a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, murmuring against her hair, "Indeed we are."
So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!
