ADORE ↠ b. barnes [III]

thirteen

"Well that's fantastic."

"No it's not."

"It was sarcasm."

"Right."

"Mamma, you're doing a good job. You're here and you're there, and you're making sure that everyone is alright." Nadenka spoke, her blue eyes locking with her mother's green ones. The girl was lying down on a hospital bed, her arms connected to hydrogen cables and a mask on her face.

She was still sickly pale, even after a month since she almost died. Her red hair matched her features even more than the blonde one ever did— probably since it was her natural color. She had bags under her eyes and the patterns in her arms remained blue, no matter how warm the environment was.

Her voice was soft, and there were moments when her voice was strained, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered to both of them was that she was somehow alive.

"And if you're worried about me-"

"Of course I'm worried about you."

"-then don't be. I'm fine. You see?" With a cheeky smile she raised her arms, showing her the bunch of cables hanging from them with multiple chemicals that were keeping her alive. "You have to worry about yourself for a change, mamma. I don't want to remind you, but you lost a lot too."

The two women went quiet for a second, the younger girl feeling a tug at her heart when she thought about her pabbi.

She had just gotten him back, she had just managed to be held in his arms and feel the warmth that only he could give her as he kissed her temple and worried over her safety— and her relationship with Pietro, but she had smoothly dodged that subject.

Then she thought about her frændi Ezekyel. He had been there throughout her entire life, and losing him had taken a huge toll on her. Her Uncle Sam was gone too, T'Challa and Shuri.

They were all gone.

"I am taking care of myself."

"I would believe you if I didn't know you." Nadenka said with a snort, flinching slightly when she did.

"You flinched."

"No I didn't."

"You did."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"You both sound ridiculous." A voice said from behind them, the two women turning to Natasha, who was leaning on the doorframe.

"Help me convince her, aunt Nat." Nadenka said, Natasha chuckling.

"To take care of herself?"

"See! She doesn't even know what we're on about but she knows that you ought to take care-"

"Conversation over, Nadenka."

"Hey! That's not fair. You can't do that!"

"I'm your mamma. Everything's fair."

Natasha chuckled at the two, glad that the younger girl was here to be the rebellious teenager to her mom like she was to practically everyone else.

"Mamma. I'm being serious." Nadenka said firmly, making Allura shiver. It was beautiful to talk to her daughter, but her unmistakable resemblance to her father an the tone she took when she was being serious reminded her of both James and her own mother.