"Argh!"

At the sound of Nyla's pained cry, Wanda dropped what she was doing in the kitchen and rushed to the living room. She paused at the sight of her sitting on the couch, wincing with one leg over the other.

"Rosie, are you okay?" She asked.

Wanda moved closer as the teenager glared at the coffee table.

"I stubbed my little toe," she muttered, rubbing it softly before putting her leg down. The older woman clicked her tongue and pulled Nyla to her feet, inspecting her attire.

"That's no reason for you to wrinkle your dress, hun. You can't go to—" Steve barreled into the room just then, holding a little black clutch with Clint and Sam right behind him, one holding a pair of silver teardrop earrings and the latter, two tickets.

Nyla sighed with relief and threw up her hands, forgetting about her small injury.

"That's where those are! How'd you guys get them?" She hobbled over to Clint and he carefully put the earrings on for her.

"Your mom sent us down with them. Said you'd forget 'em and found it on your dresser," Sam explained.

He handed the tickets to Steve who put them in the clutch and gave it her with a little smile.

"All grown up."

Nyla-Rose faked a punch towards his abdomen.

"Bet I can take you down now," she teased, making him chuckle.

"I bet you can, but you got bigger things to worry about, sweetheart. Your shoes?"

"Ah crap. I forgot about those."

"Got em!"

"Pietro, you're a star!"

Natasha couldn't have been any prouder in that moment as she watched the family she had come to love and accept in her life help out her very own daughter get ready for prom night. There were so many aspects in that thought alone that she never thought she would be able to have.

For one, a family. Natasha was never taught to love in a familial way and yet after everything she'd been through, she couldn't imagine herself without them. Especially her Nyla-Rose. She was the light in her life, the very reason why she chose the certain paths that had led her to where she was now. She watched as Tony took her in his arms and gave her a grand spin, making her throw her head back with laughter. She'd finally found every piece of her outfit, from the strapless black dress to the high heeled shoes and as a complete ensemble with the makeup and hairstyle done by Wanda herself, Nyla was a sight for sore eyes. A beauty that the young mother couldn't believe she had raised.

Nat clapped her hands to gain everyone's attention and Nyla turned to her with rosy cheeks and an excited expression. "You've really outdone yourself on my little girl, Maximoff. I can barely recognize her." Natasha said, trying not to let her voice shake too much. Nyla laughed and moved to give her mom a hug.

"Aww, don't be like that. It's just senior prom, Ma. Nothing exciting."

"Uh, yes exciting," Tony cut in with a smirk, "your junior prom was a flop when you decided to run out on your date last minute and ended up at One-Eyed Pete's trying to get wasted."

Nyla looked at him in mock disbelief.

"Well, thank you for the little trip down Memory Lane, Tony. Because I was really planning on reliving the night my boyfriend confessed he was cheating on me."

"With," Sam raised a finger in the air, "another guy. Let's not forget that fact."

Nat drew her finger across her neck as a warning, making the men fall silent as Wanda put a protective hand on Nyla's shoulder.

"Enough of that. Tonight's your night to have fun, alright? You go and do that" Wanda said encouragingly.

"Tony's bringing the car around."

"I am?"

"You are now."

The man left with a scoff and Nyla moved to bump Sam in the chest with her fist.

"I'm totally coming for you next training session."

"Yeah, yeah. You go own tonight, girl."

A chorus of "have fun"s and "be safe"s rippled through the living room as Pietro, who'd been taking candid pictures from over everyone's shoulder, took a couple more shots of the young woman hugging Natasha and waving at everyone from the elevator before the doors closed on her smiling face.

In about three seconds after she left, every adult in the room made themselves comfortable on the couch and on the large, fluffy carpet in front of the fireplace. Exhausted sighs slipped past their mouths as the strain of prom preparation finally came to an end.

For the men, it was a welcome relief.

Two weeks of the only three females in the Compound, driving them crazy with dress shopping and using their faces for makeup practice was enough femininity for them. They did understand how special it was to her, especially since her junior prom had been a disaster, and they had grown to love and adore Nyla-Rose ever since they'd first met her. Being able to help raise her alongside Nat, it was something unspoken for the men to do their part as her "uncles" and they played their roles very well.

When Natasha had first introduced them to Nyla-Rose, she was a shy and very quiet 12 year old. The others had no idea what to say to her until Clint had walked around the corner and her whole face lit up with so much excitement, that it became a game to see who could make her smile the most.

Tony always won out with his Audi keys.

Natasha couldn't get enough of seeing the men turn into adorable puppy dogs that bent to her every whim as a young girl. As she got older, the adults developed a careful discipline and in doing so, each taught her something different. From kindness to determination to a tad bit too much sarcasm, these people as a whole implemented all the greatest qualities they had into the young girl. Not as a form of pressure to become the person they wanted her to be, but to see if she could become the person she knew she could be.

And not one of them were disappointed.

Natasha laid her head on Clint's shoulder, a sentimental feeling overwhelming her as she looked at her family.

"I have a daughter," she said simply.

Clint smiled as his best friend sat in awe at the realization of having an 18 year old as her own. He circled his arm around her and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back on the couch.

"Yes you do. And let me tell you, I feel sorry for any boy she ends up with."

"I second that" Sam said, throwing his hand up in the air from his position on the floor, "she has a mean right hook."

"Oh yeah. If it's the right hook, I third that," Steve said.

"No, no, no, no. Her sweep kick."

The men murmured in agreement with Pietro as he lounged in the recliner, nodding his head lazily.

"Right. As if having us as her family isn't enough to scare 'em away."

"Shutup."

—————

Disclaimer:

Pietro is still alive and I refuse to have it any other way.
A bit short for the first chapter, but this takes place a little
after WS & AOU ♥️