Chapter Text
“Daisy wake up, we have to go soon.” Natalia nudged Daisy’s leg with her foot, trying to get the brunette to wake. Daisy groaned, the sound showing her unsurprising reluctance.
“No, let me sleep.”
At this, Natalia sighed and ripped the blanket off of Daisy’s body and ignoring her indignant shout, spoke once more. “It’s bad enough we’re a month late into the school year, do you really want to draw more attention to ourselves by walking into class late?”
Daisy groaned once more, but nevertheless forcibly dragged herself up and over to the bathroom. As she freshened herself up Natalia began to work on breakfast using the minimal items they had at their disposal.
Natalia and Daisy had been on the run from the Red Room for the last three years. Well, Natalia had been. Daisy had just run away from an orphanage when they had met, and she decided to stick around. Natasha had let her, thinking she would up and go eventually. She never did. The only thing Daisy really knew about her was that she was running as well- from dangerous people. Both their pasts are full of horrors, if the nightmares that left them both shaking for hours on end were an indicative example. Getting a good night’s sleep was rare, so Natalia was slightly regretful that she had to wake Daisy up so early.
She shook herself out of her thoughts and went back to the task at hand- breakfast. The only edible food in the fridge was eggs and milk, so Natalia decided to make french toast with the few slices of bread leftover from the previous day. Besides, she was sure Daisy was getting tired of eating cereal, because she sure was.
As she finished laying out the table she heard the shower head turn off, and a few minutes later had the telltale sound of Daisy’s footsteps padding down the hall.
“I’m done with the shower, if you want to have your turn.”
Natalia sat down, ignoring the creak of a clearly worn chair, as she answered. “I shower at night, you know this. Besides,” She shot a teasing smile. “It’s the only way I can get clean without freezing to death.”
Daisy rolled her eyes good naturedly, even as she bit into a chunk of bread she swiped off the table on her way for a cup of coffee. “Yeah, yeah I use up all the hot water, I’ve heard this before.”
“And yet you still refuse to stop. Honestly it’s a wonder your skin hasn’t peeled off from the heat.” Natalia pretended not to notice Daisy’s grimace as she tried to force down the remaining piece of toast.
“Just preparing myself for hell.” Daisy muttered sarcastically, sipping from the piping hot cup of caffeine as she sat down beside Natalia.
Natalia simply rolled her eyes and shook her head, well used to Daisy’s specific brand of humor. “You know, too much of that stuff is bad for you.”
“I’m sure you don’t think that as you’re downing entire cups at a time trying to put off sleep.”
Natalia scolded her face and raised a single eyebrow, peering at Daisy until the younger girl finally relented and pushed the half finished cup in her direction.
“Hypocrisy.” Daisy muttered once more.
“What was that?”
“Nothing!”
By the time the two were ready to go, it was eight ten and seeing as their school started at eight thirty, they really had to get a move on.
“Ok we’ll have to turn this 30 minute walk into a 20 minute walk, if we hurry we might be able to make it right on time.”
Daisy slung her backpack over one shoulder and started to walk at a brisk pace, Natalia right beside her.
“Yes well, it would be a 15 minute walk if you let me ride my skateboard there.” Daisy said with a forward look in the red head’s direction.
Natalia rolled her eyes, showing obvious exasperation of having heard this argument multiple times. “As I said before, I don't know how to ride a skateboard and anyway- are you sure you want to add on to your edgy look? That outfit really has it going for you.”
“You could learn! Don't act like you can't, I know you're very good at balancing on things. And i f anything you’re the edgy one, you’re just jealous you haven’t got my sense of style. ”
Daisy was wearing a pair of red, well worn sneakers along with jeans that she had long since styled with rips so that the holes looked less homeless-y. Above the jeans was a black leather jacket pulled over a dark red hoodie.
Natalia on the other hand had chosen to go all black. A pair of combat boots were tied to her feet, and above that was black skinny jeans and a loose, long sleeved tee shirt slightly tucked in at her waist. They both had forgone any jewelry excluding a pair of matching rings that had a panic button within a small, concealed hatch. Nat wasn't taking any chances.
Natalia raked her eyes over Daisy’s outfit in mock disgust before scoffing and saying, ”Yeah sure, jealous .”
They walked in relative silence for the rest of the time, only breaking it once to remind Daisy to tie up a shoe- “Honestly it’s like you don’t literally live with a spy!”, “I fail to see how that has any correlation with me not tying my laces.” - and Natalia remained hyper-vigilant for the entirety of it. Her eyes scanned every new street they turned onto and her ears were tuned into any unusual noises to be found in a bustling New York neighborhood. It was exhausting at times, but also a good habit to get into, especially for a high profile assassin.
“Don’t forget, your name is Skye and you moved here from Tennessee. Your parents are translators and often have to go abroad, which is why they’re seldom home. And I’m-”
“-Natasha, my adopted cousin who’s staying over for the foreseeable future due to the sudden, unpredictable death of my beloved aunt and uncle, your parents.” Daisy cut her off, tone mildly annoyed. “I know Natasha , God, it’s not as if you’ve been reminding me of this for the last two weeks.”
Daisy continued talking as they stepped onto school grounds. “Honestly, don’t you think it’s all a little too much. I mean, adopted, really?”
“We look absolutely nothing alike-”
“R egular people don’t put this much effort in their cover stories. No one cares if you’re adopted.” Daisy continued on as if Nat had said nothing.
Natalia rolled her eyes, a frequent habit of hers, as she replied. “Regular people don’t need cover stories, Skye.” She slightly lowered her voice as they entered the school, but still switched to the code name in case any of the students, whose curious eyes roomed over the two new classmates, were lurking close enough to pick up on the conversation.
As they reached the room door labeled ‘Principal May’s Office’ Natalia paused, hesitating as she turned towards Daisy.
“You- You know I’m only overbearing cause I care, right? Cause’ I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you, I-”
Daisy cut her off once more, seeing a rare moment of vulnerability in Natalia’s eyes.
“I know, I'm just- I was just being stupid. Just- don't say stuff like that, you’d be fine without me, you’d survive and-”
“No.” Natalia rushed to comment. “No, I really wouldn’t.”
After a brief tense pause, the two girls moved to open the door, Natalia flinching as their fingers brushed together. She shot Daisy an apologetic look and opened the door.
“Mrs. May?” Nat spoke in a hesitant tone, as the principle was engrossed in an apparently heated phone call. The woman in question looked towards them and held up a single finger, prompting them to wait a moment. She spoke a few more phrases and gently set down the phone, countering the brash tones heard a mere second ago.
“Yes?”
Natalia stepped in at the look on Daisy’s face, the younger had always been afraid of people who had power over her, so Natalia knew she had to step in for her.
“Natasha Romanoff and Skye Jones, Madame. We’re here for our schedules?”
The brown haired woman nodded shortly, her stoic expression not changing as she picked up the phone and dialed in a few numbers.
A few minutes later a middle aged woman in a dark suit stalked into the room, and Natalia immediately scanned over three knives hidden on her person and tensed. To a regular person it would be unnoticeable. Then again , she thought as she felt Daisy tense up right beside her, they were not normal people . She fought down the urge to subdue the woman and shook the extended arm. Some people just liked to have weapons on them. She herself currently had eight in various locations on her body, and she knew Daisy had at least three.
“Isabelle Hartley, assistant principal.” After a quick moment she let go and handed Natalia two sheets of paper- with Natasha and Skye printed on respectively.
“Thank you ma’am.” Natalia turned around and lightly grabbed Daisy’s hand, showing no reaction as the girl squeezed it tightly, her nerves showing obviously in the tight grip.
As the two girls turned to go, they were stopped by Mrs. Hartley’s voice calling out. “You girls need any help getting around on your first day?”
Natasha continued to pull open the door even as she turned back her head a bit to answer. “We’ll manage.” She plastered on a smile and stalked out the door with Daisy at her heels, leaving behind the amused smirk of Isabelle Hartley and the inquisitive gaze of Melinda May.
As they walked down the hall to room ‘B19’ Daisy slowly loosened the death grip on Natasha’s hand and now simply held it in a loose hold.
“You know… for an edgy goth girl you sure have some serious social anxiety.” Natasha joked, hoping to lighten Daisy’s mood. In reality, she knew that Daisy’s reluctance to talk to people was due to her sketchy past. She was always nervous that someone could hurt her- though logically she knew that no one could even attempt to with Natalia there, and even with the older girl teaching Daisy self defense herself. Her first reaction was to make herself small, despite how safe she knew she was. It wasn’t something that would just go away , especially not after years of having to live that way.
Daisy cracked a weak grin as they neared her classroom and tightened her grip on Natalia’s hand for a brief second, knowing the girl would understand the words she could not say.
Once again, as they reached the door, Natalia paused, ignoring the curious gazes of the few others around them. The halls were mostly empty as most people were in class so as to not be late, but they had been dragging their feet, both of them dreading to be separated, Natalia hiding it better than Daisy.
Natalia leaned over and hugged Daisy to her chest tightly, the younger girl tensing slightly before melting into the embrace, her own arms clinging at the red head’s torso.
“Stay safe, маргаритка, okay?”
“да, of course. I love you Nat.”
Natalia pressed a kiss to Daisy’s head before reluctantly letting go, trying to ignore the redness in Daisy’s eyes, education is important , she reminded herself once more.
“Go into your class before you’re late, idiot.”
“Shut up, ginger.” She retorted, knowing how much Natalia hated the nickname. “You’re in more danger of being late then I am.”
Natalia smiled at their good natured banter before lightly pushing Daisy towards the door and starting to turn away.
“See you later, Skye.”
“Later, Natasha.”
Daisy sighed and turned towards the door, taking a deep breath to mentally prepare herself for the chorus of student gazes that will most definitely turn towards her as she walks in through the door.
She opens the door and plops herself into a seat close to the back, eyes turned defiantly to the floor, not bothering to take off her backpack.
She is completely, without a doubt, prepared for high school.
Really, she is.