Fixing Us. Part 4.
In the car, Nat’s mind raced with doubts and fears as she navigated through the city traffic.
Wanda sat beside her, scrolling through her phone, looking for recipes, but it was hard to ignore the storm of thoughts swirling inside Nat’s head.
“Stop overthinking, Nat,” Wanda said suddenly, breaking the silence.
Nat glanced over, startled. “What are you talking about?”
“Your thoughts are loud,” Wanda replied, not looking up from her phone. “You’re overthinking everything that could go wrong.”
“Because a lot could go wrong, Wanda. This is Y/N we’re talking about,” Nat said, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
“I know, which is why you shouldn’t overthink. It’s not helping,” Wanda replied gently.
“I can’t stop overthinking. What if she’s falling out of love with me? What if there’s someone else? What if she doesn’t trust me anymore?” Nat’s voice grew more anxious with each question.
“If she was falling out of love, she wouldn’t give you a chance to fix things. You’re Y/N’s blind spot; she still loves you and she’s still in love with you. If she wasn’t, she would have left by now,” Wanda said firmly.
“Maybe you’ll realize that when you stop pushing her away.”
“I don’t push Y/N away,” Nat retorted defensively.
“You push everyone away, Nat,” Wanda countered, finally putting her phone down. “When you get stressed out and when work gets tough, you shut down emotionally. You try to pretend everything is fine when you’re struggling. You lose focus and forget important things, and Y/N puts up with it.”
Nat remained silent, her knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel.
Wanda continued, “She tries to get you to sleep, to eat, to train. She tries to keep you on schedule so you don’t fall apart. After so many years, I couldn’t tell you why she still tries to keep you from spiraling.”
Nat sighed deeply, feeling a pang of guilt. “I know I’ve been difficult. I know I’ve taken her for granted.”
“You need to show her that you appreciate her, that you’re willing to put in the effort to make things right,” Wanda said softly. “The reason why I’m helping you is not just for the sake of your relationship, but for the sake of Y/N. She deserves happiness just as much as any of us she has also had a rough life, especially after everything she has done for you.”
“Everything she has done for me?” Nat repeated, sensing there was more to that statement than Wanda was letting on.
Wanda’s eyes flickered with something unspoken, but she didn’t elaborate. “Look, we’re here,” she said instead, nodding towards the parking lot of the shopping center.
Nat pulled into a parking space, turned off the engine, and sat there for a moment, collecting her thoughts. “Thank you, Wanda,” she said quietly. “I don’t know what I’d do without your support.”
Wanda smiled warmly. “That’s what friends are for. Now, let’s get this dinner sorted out. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
They walked into the grocery store, grabbing a cart. Nat glanced at the shopping list Wanda had compiled. “So, shrimp alfredo and garlic toast?”
“Yep, and we’ll need fresh ingredients to make it special. Let’s start with the seafood section,” Wanda suggested.
As they moved through the aisles, Wanda continued to offer advice. “Remember, it’s not just about the dinner. It’s about showing Y/N that you’re willing to put in the effort, that you’re thinking about her and what she likes.”
“I know,” Nat said, picking out a bag of fresh shrimp. “I just hope it’s not too late.”
“It’s never too late if you’re willing to make a change,” Wanda reassured her, placing a loaf of fresh bread in the cart.
As they moved to the produce section, Wanda picked up a bag of flour. Nat furrowed her brow in confusion. “Why do we need flour? Aren’t we just buying pasta?”
Wanda shook her head with a smile. “We’re making the pasta from scratch. It tastes better, and only the best for Y/N.”
Nat was impressed but also slightly overwhelmed. “Are you sure I can pull this off?”
“With my help, absolutely,” Wanda said confidently. “Let’s grab some fresh garlic and parsley too.”
They continued shopping, selecting the best ingredients. As Wanda picked up fresh tomatoes and heavy cream, Nat asked, “What are those for?”
“Homemade alfredo sauce. Trust me, it’s worth the effort,” Wanda explained, placing the items in the cart.
They made their way through the store, filling the cart with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, and a bottle of white wine for the sauce. Nat’s mind was slightly more at ease as they checked off items from the list.
Once they had everything for the dinner, Nat wandered off to another section of the store, intent on picking up some of Y/N’s favorite things. She grabbed Oreos, her favorite chips, and some wine she knew Y/N loved among with other things.
As they checked out, Wanda looked at Nat curiously. “You really went all out with the extras.”
Nat smiled slightly. “I want to show her I’m thinking about her, not just with dinner, but in all the little things she loves.”
Wanda nodded approvingly. “That’s the right approach.”
After checking out, Wanda and Nat headed to the car to put up the groceries. Once they got into the car, Wanda gave her a reassuring smile. “Ready?”
Nat nodded, a mix of nerves and determination in her eyes. “Ready.”
As they drove back to Nat’s apartment, the weight of the evening ahead felt heavy but hopeful. Nat was prepared to do whatever it took to make things right, one step at a time.
Back at the apartment, Nat and Wanda unpacked the groceries. Nat carefully placed the fresh ingredients on the counter, feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Wanda began to organize everything, setting out the flour, eggs, and olive oil for the pasta dough.
“Okay, first thing’s first,” Wanda said, tying an apron around her waist. “We’re going to make the pasta dough. It’s a bit messy, but it’s worth it.”
Nat nodded, following Wanda’s lead.
“Alright, Nat. Here’s how we make the pasta dough. First, make a hole in the center of the flour,” Wanda instructed, demonstrating with a mound of flour on the counter. “Then, we crack the eggs into it.”
Nat watched closely and imitated Wanda’s actions, cracking eggs into the flour. “Like this?”
“Perfect,” Wanda said with a nod. “Now, you gently beat the eggs with a fork, slowly incorporating the flour from the edges.”
Nat concentrated, her tongue peeking out slightly as she carefully mixed the eggs and flour. “This is harder than it looks.”
Wanda chuckled. “It takes practice, but you’re doing great. Keep going until it forms a dough.”
As the mixture began to come together, Nat used her hands to knead it into a smooth ball. Wanda added a bit of olive oil, showing Nat how to work it into the dough. “Now we knead. Press it with the heel of your hand, fold it over, and repeat.”
Nat followed Wanda’s movements, finding a rhythm in the repetitive motions. “How long do we knead it?”
“About ten minutes, until it’s smooth and elastic,” Wanda replied. “You’re doing really well, Nat.”
After the dough was ready, they wrapped it in plastic wrap and set it aside to rest. Next, Wanda guided Nat through preparing the shrimp. “First, we need to devein and clean these,” Wanda explained, showing Nat how to remove the shells and veins from the shrimp.
Nat mimicked her, quickly getting the hang of it. “This isn’t so bad.”
“See? You’ve got this,” Wanda encouraged. “Now, let’s season them with some salt, pepper.”
With the shrimp prepped, they moved on to the sauce. Wanda handed Nat a small knife and a clove of garlic.
Nat carefully chopped the garlic, as wanda prepared the pan with olive oil, waiting for Nat to finish. “Great job, Nat.”
After wanda put the garlic into the pan it wasn't long before the aroma of garlic filled the kitchen as it cooked.
Wanda added heavy cream and white wine to the pan, stirring gently. “We’re making the sauce now. Let it simmer and thicken.”
While the sauce simmered, Wanda brought out the pasta dough. “Time to roll out the pasta,” she said, grabbing a rolling pin. “Dust the counter with flour and roll the dough out thinly.”
Nat rolled out the dough, amazed at how it transformed. “This is actually fun.”
Wanda laughed. “Cooking can be therapeutic. Now, we’ll cut the dough into thin strips for the fettuccine.”
They used a sharp knife to cut the pasta into even strips, laying them out to dry slightly. Wanda checked the sauce, adding grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. “The sauce is almost ready. Just needs a bit more time.”
Once everything was prepped, Wanda and Nat cooked the pasta in boiling water, watching as it floated to the top. They drained it and added it to the creamy Alfredo sauce, tossing in the cooked shrimp.
After they put everything together in the pot, Wanda’s phone rang, pulling her attention away from their cooking. She glanced at the screen and her face grew serious. “Clint? What’s up?”
Natasha watched Wanda’s expression intently. After a brief conversation, Wanda nodded and ended the call. “Alright, I’ll be there soon.”
Wanda said washing her hands she turns her attention to nat "I have to go someone is trying to rob a bank across town"
"Do you need my help?"
"I think I can handel it but what I do need you to do is fix things with y/n".
“What am I gonna do without your help?” Nat asked, her worry evident.
“Relax, Nat,” Wanda said, giving her a reassuring smile. “Just let the food cook on low for the next 20 minutes.” She hurried to pull on her jacket. “Uh, I’ll send you the recipe for the garlic bread. It’s simple. Call Y/N and see what time she’ll be home.”
Natasha nodded, trying to absorb Wanda’s calmness. “Okay. I’ll handle it.”
Wanda squeezed Nat’s shoulder reassuringly before rushing out. Alone in the kitchen, Nat took a deep breath and began preheating the oven. She gave herself a pep talk, muttering, “You’ve got this. Finish dinner, make her happy, apologize, and talk. Be honest and open. Don’t push her away.” She grabbed her phone and dialed Y/N’s number.
The phone rang for about a minute until Y/N picked up. “Hello?”
“Hey, are you at work right now?” Nat asked, her heart pounding.
There was silence for about ten seconds before Y/N responded. “I’m just getting off and heading to the store. We ran out of eggs and flour, and I need to get something to cook for dinner.”
Nat smiled slightly. “I already went to the store and bought groceries for the week.”
“You did?” Y/N sounded surprised.
“Yes. When will you be home?”
“I guess I can be home in less than 15 minutes.”
“Great. I’ll see you in 15 minutes,” Nat says.
“Oh...okay,” Y/N replied, still sounding puzzled.
After hanging up, Nat started setting up the bed neatly, placing Y/N’s basket of treats and goodies with care. She then returned downstairs, set the oven to preheat, and nervously began preparing the ingredients for the garlic bread.
She heard the door open and close, followed by Y/N’s worried voice. “Nat?” ~