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“Wait!” Natasha ran through the hallway, abandoning Clint and Maria on the other side.
“Natasha!” Clint yelled, dodging falling debris as Maria huffed in annoyance.
“You two get out. The building isn’t clear yet!” Natasha yelled back, this time through her earpiece.
“We’re not leaving you behind,” Maria’s voice shook slightly as some stray pieces of the roof above them fell to the floor.
“It’s either you go or not. I’m not dragging your dead bodies out of this building–” she grunted when the floor trembled beneath her, and she had to balance herself against the dilapidated wall.
SHIELD had assigned Maria, Clint, and Natasha to infiltrate and overtake a Hydra operation that masked itself as an animal hospital. The task was meant to be simple, but nothing concerning Hydra was ever simple. Soon enough, in a feat of allegiance to their cause, a Hydra agent detonated a life-threatening bomb. They were lucky to get most of the civilians out of the building, but Natasha knew from one of her recon missions that the undercover operation was using the building to store animals. Animals that would be shipped to different Hydra bases where they would be tested relentlessly. Most of them were on the ground floor and would be safe for extraction, but she remembered someone going into the room earlier to pick a special, little onyx cat. Moments before their cover was blown, she knew she’d have to ensure every living thing would be safe.
Small, helpless mews could be heard from the crumbling hallway, and Natasha sprinted towards the sound, ignoring the falling bits of the building. Once she was out of harm's way momentarily, she came to a bigger room that once had skylights and big open windows that overlooked the other buildings in New York. Now it had been turned into a quickly accumulating pile of rubble.
She gasped when she saw a small black, furry body hiding away from the devastation in the corner room, inches away from falling off the now exposed edge.
The kitten yowled with its little body as best as it could as Natasha ran over and got to her knees. She hoped the building would hold itself up while she tried to calm the small creature down.
“Hey! I know you don’t know me; this is all very scary. But I’m going to need you to come with me, okay?” She stalked closer, grateful that the kitten was too scared to move at all.
Once she was able to scoop it up with one hand, she was grateful that she always wore gloves with her suit as she felt the kitten bite and scratch at her palm.
“Jesus, you little shit, I’m trying to save your life!” she grunted as she shifted to carry the tiny creature with two firm hands.
The doorway she once came through was blocked completely, and she turned back to the now even more open side of the building. “You’re not gonna’ like this. But I’m not going to like it even more….” she muttered to the tiny cat who was trembling in her hands.
She unzipped the top of her suit quickly and placed the kitten inside of it. It was adorable when the tiny creature poked its head through as she zipped it up just enough so the kitten could still breathe.
She quickly approached the edge and shot out a small zipline into the neighbouring building. She leapt to safety through the air while the kitten scratched and clung to the skin of her chest.
Natasha panted while she used her feet to prop herself up, where she hung against the side of the building. The kitten meowed and moaned in her shirt, and she resisted telling it to shut up.
When she eventually lowered herself to the ground, she picked the shivering kitten out of her suit and zipped it back up. It gave up on biting and scratching her, opting to look around in fear at the terrifying situation. She could feel its quickened heartbeat beneath her fingertips.
“Natasha!” Maria called out as she ran over to her. “Thank God you made it out.” The Commander’s face was covered in dust and small debris.
“You knew I could make it out, Hill,” she smirked, her fingers softly providing a calming presence for the little black void in her arms.
Maria’s eyes widened, and she almost laughed, “You risked your life for a kitten?”
Natasha’s face hardened, “Someone needed to.”
*****
“No civilians were harmed, yes?” Fury asked from across the board table.
“No, Sir,” Clint said, resting his left foot on top of the table.
“Romanoff…” Fury turned his attention to Natasha, who sat deadly still in her chair. She looked up at the Director, the now healing cuts on her face and chest prominent.
“You risked your life to save that?” he pointed to the black kitten currently curled on top of the table in a SHIELD-issued blanket. The cat had seemed to imprint on Natasha and wouldn’t let anyone else touch it. It was still weary, but at least it was sitting comfortably in an otherwise uncomfortable blanket.
Natasha nodded, staring at the Director before she turned back to the traumatised kitten. “I didn’t risk anything, Sir. I couldn’t let it get crushed to death.”
Fury stared at her for a moment as if trying to eventually understand Natasha’s small act of heroism. The Black Widow had saved a kitten from a collapsing building. A few years ago, it would be unheard of.
“And what about the other animals?” He turned to Maria, who sat on the opposite end of the table.
“All accounted for. Agents were able to get them out easily. I think…” she pointed to Natasha’s little charcoal-coloured friend, “Nat’s cat was about to be tested on before we got there.”
“He’s not my cat–”
“Romanoff, I don’t care whose cat it is right now. What kinds of animals were they dealing with?” Fury interrupted Natasha, redirecting his attention to Maria.
“Mostly exotic. Definitely obtained illegally. Snakes, lion and tiger cubs. A lot of puppies. They only had one domestic cat.”
Fury nodded, “Any other ties? Loose ends.”
“We’re working on it.”
Fury nodded, “Good.” He sat down in his chair and relaxed into it slightly, “Great work. You’re dismissed.”
Clint and Maria got up quickly and left while Natasha had the absolute displeasure of attempting to pick up the semi-relaxed kitten and its blanket without startling it. She had no idea what to do with the thing as it meowed softly.
“Natasha,” Fury said as she was about to make her way out of the room.
“Fury.” She knew that things leaned more towards the human side when the Director chose to call her by her first name.
His calloused hand attempted to pet the small cat, but instead, it recoiled and buried itself in Natasha’s arms. She thought the Director would be offended, but he smirked and let out an airy chuckle through his nose. “Enjoy your new pet. You should take him to a vet to get checked out.”
He immediately turned and left the room, leaving Natasha and the little kitten confused. “Thank you?”
*****
It turned out that the little cat Natasha had saved from a toppling building was a female and was around three months old. Natasha had to practically hold the feral feline still in her arms as it received all of its necessary shots and check-up.
“Come back in a month. She needs to receive her second dose.” The vet waved her off without so much as a smile. Natasha rolled her eyes and was about to leave the room when she realised she would have to bring the cat home. A home that had no food fit for a kitten.
“I can get food and litter from you, right?” She asked from the vet’s doorway.
The woman nodded and directed her to the receptionist, who eagerly helped Natasha out with some information about cats and how to handle a new kitten in a new home. The receptionist emphasised that the kitten would be quite timid and scared, but it showed a remarkable bond with the redhead.
As she walked out of the office with the kitten in a new, shiny carrier in one hand while the other carried a bag of litter, food, a litterbox, and a small cat toy in one big packet, she knew she was going to regret it.
*****
“Hey, love,” Wanda said from the kitchen. The scent from the kitchen immediately made Natasha’s stomach grumble. “How was the mission?” Wanda asked with her back turned to Natasha as she stirred some soup on the stovetop.
“It was fine,” Natasha said as she put the bag of miscellaneous cat paraphernalia on the ground next to their couch.
Natasha would always come to wrap her arms behind the witch as she cooked a meal for the two of them. Eventually, Wanda noticed how the Russian didn’t have her arms wrapped around her middle.
“Was it–” Wanda turned around. She stared at the cat carrier Natasha was carrying with small hazel eyes staring back at her through the metal bars. “What did you do?”
Natasha laughed, “I thought you liked animals?”
“Yeah, I do.” Wanda placed the wooden spoon aside and quickly reached for a nearby dishcloth to wipe her hands. “But you said we couldn’t get one.”
Natasha shrugged as Wanda came closer, “Well, I changed my mind.”
Wanda simpered, “Nat. What did you do?” Her hand rested on Natasha’s waist, and she saw the redhead bite the inside of her cheek so that she could fight against a smile.
“I was on a mission….” Natasha reluctantly began to explain, “Hydra….”
Wanda’s features hardened at the mention of the organisation’s name, “Oh.”
Natasha nodded, finally letting Wanda know the situation's severity. “The building was gonna collapse. They were gonna transport a bunch of animals,” she lifted the carrier into view and placed it on the counter. “I couldn’t let her get crushed to death.”
Wanda bit her lip as her other hand joined the purchase on Natasha’s hips, “So… you’re saying you saved a kitten from a burning building. Do you know how sexy that is?” She attempted to lean in for a kiss, but Natasha stopped her with a hand at her chin.
“It was a collapsing building. I’m not some firefighter.… and I’m not keeping her.”
Wanda frowned and shook her head out of Natasha’s grasp, “What?! Why not?”
Natasha shook her head as she walked back to the lounge area with the carrier. “We can’t have a cat, Wands. I’m gonna’ find someone to take care of her.”
“But we can take care of her!” Wanda followed, copying Natasha’s movements as the redhead got to her knees with the carrier on the couch in front of them.
“She’s young, plus when we’re on missions, who’s gonna’ look after her?”
Wanda scoffed, “That’s a dumb excuse.”
Natasha smiled cockily, “Or did I just win the argument?”
“No, you’re just stupid,” Wanda said as she peered through the bars of the carrier. “Is she a black cat?”
Natasha nodded as she carefully unlatched the door and opened it, “Yeah.”
“I can only see those eyes,” Wanda said with a smile as she could finally identify the cat-shaped outline. “Hi, little one,” she quietly cooed, “I’m your new mommy.”
“Wanda–”
“Your other mommy here wants to let you go stay with someone else. You don’t like that do you?” Wanda said as she carefully stuck her hand into the crate and brought the small creature out.
Natasha nearly laughed at the kitten’s expression as its eyes were wide while its pupils remained the size of teardrops. Wanda quickly let the kitten settle in her arms while she petted his forehead, and Natasha was pleasantly surprised when she heard the soft sound of purring.
“See? She likes me?” Wanda said, further arguing her case for keeping the animal.
Natasha rolled her eyes and watched as the cat wriggled out Wanda’s arms. Cats never stayed too still for too long anyways.
After the kitten plopped onto the floor, she was even more surprised when she saw the small feline cautiously sniff her kneecap. She watched as she slowly climbed onto Natasha’s legs and stretched her head out, hoping for more pets.
The redhead sighed and finally petted the cat in earnest, internally feeling delighted when she received the same purrs Wanda had gotten.
“And she likes you a lot more, too,” Wanda observed, smiling at the interaction.
“Still not keeping her,” Natasha said with a small smile as the kitten rubbed her head into her palm.
“We should name her,” Wanda said, ignoring Natasha altogether.
“Honey–”
“We’re gonna name her. If she’s gonna be staying here, she needs a name.” Wanda pointed out as she stroked the cat's smooth back.
The purring intensified, and the cat flopped over to expose its belly on top of Natasha’s thighs.
“Fine… what’re you thinking?” Natasha said as she scratched her index finger underneath the purring feline’s chin.
Wanda thought for a minute, “I’ve never had a black cat before… they’re considered bad luck in Sokovia.”
Natasha chuckled, “They are, too, in Russia and everywhere else in the world. But in older Russian traditions, they’re a sign of good luck.”
“Maybe this is a sign of good luck, then?” Wanda smiled, and Natasha’s heart fluttered when those wonderful green orbs beamed at her. She could never get tired of seeing happiness etched on her girlfriend’s face.
“Let’s hope. I like having a clean house.” Natasha said, directed at the small animal curling up in her lap. “Little Liho…” she whispered as her finger stroked from the tip of the cat’s nose to the space between her eyebrows.
“Liho?” Wanda asked, smiling at how devastatingly cute Natasha looked with a black cat in her lap.
Natasha pondered on the name for a minute, “Yeah, sure. Why not?”
“It’s cute. Like you,” Wanda said as she leaned over to press a kiss on Natasha’s cheek.
“Don’t try and flatter me into keeping her….” Natasha retorted with a finger pressing against the brunette’s nose.
It was Wanda’s turn to roll her eyes as she rose from the floor, “Whatever. They always grow on you, and soon you won’t want to give her to someone.”
*****
Liho wandered around the house curiously as Natasha got ready for bed. The cat decided to examine which spaces she could jump on and which places were good hiding spots. Wanda wanted to follow her around while she explored their floor but quickly grew tired of watching the feline sniff random objects in the house.
“She’s exploring,” Wanda said as she walked into the room where Natasha slipped a shirt over her head.
“She’s getting comfortable,” Natasha remarked before she turned around to see Wanda’s face close to hers.
“I missed you….” the brunette whispered as she pressed a small kiss to the corner of Natasha’s lips.
“I missed you.” Natasha whispered back as she captured Wanda’s lips between hers.
Before long, Wanda was straddling Natasha’s hips on the bed, and they were making out heavily. Natasha had just pressed Wanda’s hips into her thigh when they felt and heard a little plop on the bed next time.
Wanda shrieked at first in surprise but broke into laughter directly after she saw Liho’s curious hazel eyes staring at them intently. Natasha laughed gently too, but she pulled Wanda’s face back for a small kiss that bordered on being heated. Suddenly, Natasha felt something soft against her cheek as Liho began to rub against them, clearly looking for attention.
“We should stop. The poor thing is traumatised enough,” Wanda said as she sat up on Natasha’s lap and stroked the little jet-black kitten.
Natasha groaned as Wanda rolled off her. “Dammit, Liho.” Wanda giggled at Natasha’s dismay, which contrasted greatly with the fact that the redhead stretched her hand out to tickle the side of the cat’s chin. Liho immediately began to purr as she rubbed her face into Natasha’s arm lovingly.
“Maybe she’s trying to steal you from me,” Wanda said, and when Natasha giggled, it brought a small smile to her face.
“You two must’ve had a long day. It’s time for bed.” Wanda said as she circled around the bed to slip underneath the covers.
“But I wasn’t even done with you yet,” Natasha said, watching as Liho quickly grew bored of her pets and jumped off the bed once more to explore the floor. “Plus, she’s gone now,” Natasha said suggestively.
“Uh uh,” Wanda shoved the crawling redhead to her side of the bed, “Bed. Now.”
Natasha grumbled, “I knew that cat would be bad luck.”
*****
Natasha woke up when she heard something fall in the kitchen, and Wanda groaned next to her.
“It’s the cat. I’ll handle it.” Natasha sleepily mumbled it as she peeled the sheets off her in search of the little troublemaker.
As she entered the open-plan area with the lounge and kitchen area, she stopped in her tracks when she saw Liho eating from the pile of spilt cat pellets on the floor. Wanda had left the bag on the countertop and thought it would be safe enough, but Natasha quickly learnt nothing would be safe from Liho.
“You’re really at home, aren’t you?” Natasha muttered as she picked the cat up with one hand and moved her aside while she started scoping some stray food from the floor. Liho attempted to dig into the pile again, but Natasha nudged her away. Eventually, when the jet-black cat jumped over her hand, she sighed in frustration.
“It’s 2 in the morning! You have food in your bowl!”
Liho ignored the redhead’s frustration and happily munched on the pile of food pellets. Eventually, Natasha used her hands to separate a small pile from the bigger one, hoping that Liho would be satisfied with it. She quickly scooped up the remnants.
She left Liho to eat from the kitchen floor as she moved to the sink to wash her hands. She jumped when she saw the small black void appear beside her on the countertop. Being highly trained in combat and espionage, Natasha never got easily startled. But it was hard when she shared an apartment with a small, fuzzy creature that rivalled her cat-like instincts.
Liho rubbed her face against Natasha’s arms as she turned off the tap and reached for a dishcloth. Unfortunately for the affectionate cat who underestimated the slippery surface of the sink, she tumbled into the slightly wet basin.
Natasha had to hold back her burst of laughter as Liho quickly escaped from the basin and ran away into the hallway, probably to hide from her embarrassment.
“That’s what you get for waking me up,” Natasha said to the now-empty room.
When she walked back to Wanda and her’s bedroom, she quickly crawled underneath the covers and nuzzled into Wanda’s sleeping form.
“What did she do?” Wanda asked sleepily.
“Knocked over the food bag. Fell in the sink,” Natasha said as she nuzzled into Wanda’s neck.
Wanda chuckled as she snuggled into Natasha’s arms.
Just as Natasha was about to fall asleep again, Liho made her presence known as she jumped onto the bed and walked over to Natasha’s body. She groaned in surprise as the cat’s soft paws felt like little needles in the skin of her stomach.
“What do you want, now?” Natasha moaned, watching as the dark outline sat on her stomach.
When Liho just sat on top of Natasha, staring at the redhead with her greenish-yellow eyes, Natasha reached a hand out for her. Liho, at first, rubbed herself against the back of Natasha’s palm. Natasha wanted to smile peacefully, but as soon as the corner of her lips lifted, she felt teeth biting against her skin.
She hissed and withdrew her hand. “No!” she quietly yelled as she weakly shoved the cat off the bed. Liho dropped to the floor with a tiny meow, promptly waking Wanda up.
“She wants to play,” the brunette said as she sighed into Natasha’s shoulder.
“Well, I don’t,” Natasha complained, feeling more awake than she should be.
“It’s not about what you want anymore… she’ll annoy you until you play with him.” Wanda groaned as she turned away from Natasha and pressed her behind into the redhead’s hip.
Natasha peered over the edge of her bed to see Liho staring at her expectantly.
“I miss when you were too afraid to be playful,” Natasha whispered as she threw the covers off herself again.
*****
Wanda woke up to an empty bed the following day, which was not unusual. But as she rubbed her eyes and left their bedroom, she smiled sweetly at Natasha curled up on the couch next to Liho. The redhead had one of Liho’s toy’s in her hand, and the string with a tiny mouse at the end of it dangled over the edge of the cushion.
Wanda chuckled as she quickly pressed a kiss to Nat’s forehead and stroked Liho’s onyx fur. Both woke up simultaneously, and as Liho stretched, Natasha yawned.
“Long night?” Wanda asked as she made her way to the kitchen.
“Mhmm,” Natasha mumbled as she curled back onto the couch, “She has so much energy.”
“Cats get bursts of energy in the middle of the night. It’s best to leave them alone when they do,” Wanda explained as she pulled out two mugs and began preparing some coffee.
“Why did you tell me to play with her, then?” Natasha snapped, lifting her head from the couch. When she saw Liho curled up peacefully in a little ball by her feet, she sighed, “At least she’s sleeping now.”
Wanda giggled as she shoved one more spoonful of coffee into Natasha’s mug, knowing she’ll need a little more. “‘Cause I wanted you to fall in love with her, and then you’ll let us keep her.”
Natasha scoffed as she crawled off the couch and stretched her back out with her arms above her head, “I don’t think that’s how you fall in love.”
“I don’t know. I pretty much annoyed you at first. Now, look at us,” Wanda beamed as Natasha entered the kitchen.
Natasha did her best to glare at her girlfriend but eventually gave in to the smile that rose on her cheeks, “You still annoy me,” she retorted as she sipped on the coffee.
“You’re not a saint, either….” Wanda rolled her eyes as she crossed the room to open the fridge. “I’m gonna’ get her some wet food, too.”
Natasha’s eyes narrowed in confusion, “But she has food.”
Wanda looked back at her, holding a carton of eggs. “Yeah, but they like wet food, too. It’ll be nice.”
Natasha sighed, “They’re so high maintenance.”
“You should’ve thought about that before you saved her yesterday.”
Natasha hummed, gazing towards the couch where Liho was asleep again. She looked beautiful, like a little photoshopped hole in their sofa. “She’s cute, though.”
Wanda said nothing and smiled as she began to crack the eggs into a bowl. She could tell Liho was slowly growing on Natasha, even if the redhead didn’t want to admit it.
*****
Natasha suffered from extreme bouts of insomnia from time to time. With her past came horrifying nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder. But, sometimes, the answer wasn’t as simple as that. Sometimes sleep would just evade her, and there would be no deep-rooted cause for it.
She sighed as she shifted underneath the covers. Wanda was sleeping peacefully next to her, and at the moment, she envied her brunette paramour. She knew Liho was particularly quiet that night and was grateful for that. The cat had been staying with them for two weeks, and the three of them had settled into a nice little routine involving Liho sleeping most of the day and making a minimal ruckus at night. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t taken a liking to the small black cat.
She huffed as she moved out of bed and went to the kitchen, searching for a beer. Liho was playing with one of her toys on the floor but made eye contact with the redhead. Natasha gave her a nod before bending down and pulling a beer from the fridge.
Liho looked at her curiously since she started to associate the sound of the opened fridge as a sign of food.
“Nope, no food here, girl.” Natasha chuckled as Liho rubbed herself against her legs.
She sighed as she bent down to give the cat small scratches. After Liho ran back to her toy and pounced on it, Natasha reached the couch and located the remote underneath one of Wanda’s throw cushions.
She flicked the TV on and searched for something to mindlessly consume while sipping her beer. Before long, Liho joined her on the couch and sat beside her with her head perked.
“You wanna’ play?” Natasha asked with a slight smile on her face. She swore Liho had shaken her head before she extended one of her front paws out to clean herself.
“Okay then…” Natasha muttered as she turned her attention back to the TV. She tried to search for something other than a Bond movie but ended up giving up before putting on Moonraker.
She settled against the couch and propped her feet next to her, just behind Liho, as the cat cleaned herself. She silently watched the movie and felt a small, rough graze against her leg. As she looked down, she saw Liho trying to clean her kneecap.
“Thanks, but I had a shower earlier,” Natasha said, chuckling when Liho stretched out. Liho was really cute, and there was no denying it. She had abandoned all hopes of giving the kitten away a few days ago, but she didn’t mention it to Wanda.
She turned back to the movie and felt her eyes slowly drooping. Just as she was about to slip into that wonderful place between lucid and sleep, she felt soft but needle-like paws on her chest.
She opened her eyes and turned her head as Liho made herself comfortable on her chest. Once the cat nuzzled her neck, she felt a wave of affection that made her want to cry.
“I guess you’re not so bad after all….” Natasha said, realising that the little feline had crawled her way into her heart. She was so glad she saved the little thing from the Hydra base since she had a little companion on nights when sleep alluded her. She briefly wondered what would’ve happened to Liho had she not saved her, and before she could stop it, tears welled in her eyes.
One of her hands moved to rest against Liho’s back, and she delighted in the feeling of the calming vibrations that were Liho’s purrs. She read somewhere that cats pick their favourite people based on whether the person is reliable or not. She felt honoured that the tiny kitten chose her against all odds and against Wanda, one of the warmest people she knew.
“I’ll always keep you safe,” she whispered into the cat’s furry head.
When Wanda woke up the following day, she had to take a picture of the two things she loved most, cuddling each other.
*****
Wanda was away on a mission which Natasha was not a part of. When Wanda left that morning. She could already feel the stirrings inside of her that usually pointed to her having an off day. Throughout the years, she developed the ability to tell whether or not she would have a bad night. It would be a certain feeling of uneasiness that would settle in her chest.
She chose not to tell Wanda as the brunette packed her bags in the morning. She’d be home by nightfall at least. As the brunette kissed her cheek goodbye, she sweetly asked if Natasha was alright. Natasha bit back any feelings of guilt and nodded, wishing her girlfriend luck.
She spent the day lazing around their shared floor, cleaning up some of the rooms. After she was done, she left a sleeping Liho on their bed to go train for a few hours. She chose to exhaust all her options to keep her mind off the impending doom and hopefully tire herself out so that she slept soundlessly. Once she was drenched in sweat, she made her way back up to their floor to take a long shower, where she washed her hair and shaved her legs. She used some of Wanda’s body wash just to feel somewhat grounded by the scent of her girlfriend.
When night came, Wanda was still not back, and Friday’s voice filled the room.
“Miss Romanoff. The mission that Wanda, Sam, and Steve are currently on has been extended. Wanda has asked that you be made aware that they are meant to stay overnight in Chicago. She sends her regards.”
Natasha sighed and closed her eyes. The bad feeling was already started to double. “Thanks, Friday.”
Thankfully, she was already tired from her strenuous workout, so she had to prepare a small meal for herself, feed Liho, and hopefully go to bed. She prayed she would wake up naturally in the morning instead of at 1 am, screaming hysterically with no one to hold her. The person she was two years ago before Wanda and Natasha started dating would scoff at her innate human need. She caught herself berating herself for going soft and quickly decided to distract her mind by going to the kitchen and reaching into the cupboard.
Liho was pleasantly surprised when she heard the cupboard door open and her food can being pried open earlier than expected. She waited patiently on the kitchen countertop, licking her lips in excitement. Natasha caught a glimpse of the cat and winked while she emptied the mildly disgusting contents into Liho’s food bowl.
“Mommy’s not coming home tonight….” Natasha spoke mindlessly, knowing that Liho showed no care for her conversation. “But we’ll be alright, yeah?”
Liho licked her lips once more as Natasha turned around with her bowl in hand. Natasha took it as confirmation and set it down on the floor. She snickered when Liho nearly slipped off the counter to get to her food on the ground.
After she worked on preparing some microwave mac ‘n cheese for the night, she sat down on the couch to continue watching a shitty cop show she found on Netflix. She laughed a couple of times while Liho stretched out on the carpet in front of her and played with one of Natasha’s slippers. Three weeks ago, she would’ve yelled at the cat to stop. Still, she found that Liho was actually not so much of a troublemaker but rather an attention-seeker. The cat’s attention would be pulled away by the slightest of things. It would often result in Wanda and Natasha finding cat toys in random places like behind the couch cushion, in a shoe, or in the bathtub.
Natasha dug behind the couch quickly, not surprised when she felt a furry mouse in her hands. She pulled it out, threw it across the room, and giggled when Liho pounced into action.
When she finished her macaroni and cheese, she turned the TV off and threw away the container. It was time to tackle sleep, and she hoped she would be successful.
As she lay in bed, with the lights off completely, she pulled out her phone and texted a quick goodnight message to Wanda. She knew Wanda was probably knees-deep in the mission and would not respond right away, and she tried to ignore the knot that formed in her throat. Natasha was not a clingy person, but when she felt genuinely awful, she could come close to being one.
She set her phone on the nightstand and rolled onto her side, pulling Wanda’s pillow flush against her body. She nuzzled into Wanda’s sweet scent, which allowed her to finally relax and fall asleep.
Her earlier predictions were proved wrong. She didn’t end up waking up screaming at 1 am. She was just crying, and there was no screaming involved. She had dreamt of the wretched place she was made to call home in the fundamental phase of life.
Her first instinct was to grab for Wanda’s hand or any part of her girlfriend’s body, but she was rudely reminded of her aloneness when all she met was the cold fabric of the sheets next to her. She sobbed into Wanda’s pillow, not caring about silencing them since she felt alone and terrified.
She didn’t expect Liho to hop on the bed. She had even forgotten the kitten had been in the same home as her for a while. She hid her face in her hands as she curled in on herself, her sobs bordered on hyperventilation as she felt the warmth of Liho’s body pressed against her face.
When she unfurled her body, Liho’s beautiful hazel eyes stared back at her in the thin layer of moonlight that peeked through the slightly open curtain. They were so innocent and so… human.
Natasha sniffled as she reached for the cat and shakily petted Liho’s head, culminating in the cat rubbing her face against Natasha’s. The redhead’s breathing began to calm down, and she chuckled when she felt Liho lick her forehead. Once, Liho had settled against her chest, the cat’s small face pressed into the crook of her neck, Natasha reached to her left for her phone. Her breathing was normal again, but she was still shaken by her dream. Liho provided warmth as she clicked on Wanda’s contact, bypassing the reply to her goodnight text received an hour ago.
“Nat?” Wanda sounded like she was in a deep sleep on the phone. Natasha felt horrible for waking the probably exhausted brunette. “What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing. I just missed you,” Natasha tried to hide the way her voice trembled.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Wanda asked in such a caring way that it made Natasha frown deeply as tears rose in her eyes again.
She nodded as she hid the sob clawing at her throat, but she realised Wanda could not see her nodding. “Yeah…” she choked out, allowing the wail to burst from her throat again. She hid her face in Liho’s soft torso as she cried, and the kitten didn’t seem to mind. The cat couldn’t help much, but it was nice to know that Liho cared enough to provide some comfort in the only way she knew how.
“Oh, sweetheart… I’m so sorry I can’t be there right now,” Wanda sounded genuinely remorseful and worried.
“It’s okay,” Natasha whispered, “Liho’s here.”
“Yeah? She’s helping you out?”
“Mhmm…” Natasha hated how she felt so vulnerable and childlike whenever she was in this state. Still, Wanda proved to her, time and time again, that she would love her anyway.
“Let’s get your mind off it. Tell me about Liho,” Wanda said, sounding warm and understanding even over the phone.
“She’s…” Natasha paused as she swallowed, “She’s soft… she likes to play with my slippers sometimes. Today… today she had some of the turkey-flavoured wet food….” Natasha felt the fear slowly leave her body as she continued to talk about and describe the kitten sleeping next to her face.
“How are you feeling now?” Wanda asked, now more hopeful.
As one of her fingers traced the outline of Liho’s triangular ears, Natasha said, “Better… I miss you, though.” Liho’s ears twitched under her fingertips as they wandered to the crown of the cat’s head.
“I miss you, too dorogaya (sweetheart), but I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, I hope Liho will take care of my girl for me?”
At Wanda’s words, she stared at Liho’s shiny jet-black coat. She thought about how Liho had chosen her as her favourite person and how Natasha would go to the ends of the Earth to keep the precious kitten safe. She had already done so but would do it again in a heartbeat. With the raven-coloured cat’s sleeping body next to hers, she realised that Liho would keep her safe too.
“She will.”