FIC: I've learned how to paint my face (1/?)

[ashen_key]

You guys have already seen a snippet of this at Unfinished Wednesday, and all of your comments (both there and in the kid!fic discussion post) were awesome for the motivation. ♥

So, here is the first chapter of my de-aged!Natasha fic - hope you enjoy!

TITLE: I've learned how to paint my face
FANDOM: MCU/The Avengers
RATING: Teen (for now)
WORDS: 4664
CHARACTERS: Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Maria Hill, Nick Fury, Original Characters
PAIRING: background Clint/Natasha
WARNINGS: general warning for off-screen and referenced/discussed child abuse; chapter-specific warning is for a child in violent situations
A/N: Written for this prompt @ avengerkink. Many thanks dictator_duck for reading over as I wrote, cheerleading, and letting me steal her brain; further thanks to lordoflorien for a) also letting me steal her brain and b) beta-ing in the face of great technological adversity. ♥ Title comes from Dessa's Children's Work:
Now I've learned how to paint my face,
How to earn my keep, how to clean my kill
SUMMARY: A mysterious explosion leaves a number of SHIELD personnel, including Agent Romanoff, both injured and children again. Suddenly, the team has to deal with a highly trained and messed-up twelve-year-old Natalia Romanova while trying to find a solution.

All Natasha wants is to go home.

I've learned how to paint my face @ AO3

Comments

[angela-n-hunt.livejournal.com]

This is freaking fantastic. I cannot wait for the next installment.

[ashen_key]

*beams* Thank you so much! Hopefully it won't be tooooooo long, I think I have more of a handle on Tony and Bruce than when I started, at least.

<3

[angela-n-hunt.livejournal.com]

The Bruce bit was actually one of my favorite bits, because, oh yeah, he would not like the child in cage thing, but... This is Nat. Hello! So. Yes. Loving this.

And loving Clint protecting *everyone else* from *her*. Just wow.

[ashen_key]

\o/ Bruce was the hardest POV to write from, so oh that makes me happy.

And oh, Clint. He's so worried about Natalia (not his Natasha, not yet, but still) - but he's more worried about everyone else because he knows Red Room. He's had to kill Red Room before. And now his team isn't taking the threat seriously (and he knows, too, what it is like to wake up to yourself and work out that you've killed co-workers), so he's noooooot a happy camper in this fic *pats him, carefully*

[angela-n-hunt.livejournal.com]

You *nailed* Bruce. Was just a lovely little moment.

And yeah, Clint is the only one with a clue and with recent past trauma and oof. Poor Clint.

And poor Nat! Poor mite.

[ashen_key]

Oh, tiny!Natasha. I do feel really sorry for her - she has no idea what is going on.

But now she gets to talk to everyone (they aren't going to let her sit in a holding cell alone, hell no), so that should be fun to write. :D

[angela-n-hunt.livejournal.com]

YAY

Can't wait!

[crazy4orcas.livejournal.com]

That was just AMAZING! I think you've really nailed everyone and made Natalia believeable as a 12 year old.

Looking forward to more!

[ashen_key]

This really makes me happy, given how much I struggled with everyone...not Clint or Natasha.

Thank you! :D