Chasing Ghosts | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 35: Pizza Swap

The blonde's mouth dropped open when Maya came over to them. ''Natasha, are you sure they-'' She lifted her hands, closed her fists and made a pulling motion. ''Because that girl looks exactly like you.''

''Positive,'' she chuckled, stuffing her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.

''Has her annoying humor as well,'' Katya breathed, smiling innocently when Maya came within earshot. Yelena was right, though. If you didn't look too closely, Maya looked like her wife. Only when you came closer, you'd see her nose was different, her eyes a slightly darker shade of green, and her lips smaller. 

Yelena fully turned to Maya when she had gotten to them. ''Hello. You must be Maya.'' The girl nodded, so she shook her hand. ''I'm Yelena. Unfortunately, sister of this idiot,'' she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder to Natasha, who rolled her eyes. 

Maya giggled at it, her small hand engulfed in Yelena's. Her cheeks were red, but the joke put her at ease. ''Nice to meet you. I love your accent,'' she admitted shyly. She wanted to look at her face, but instead her eyes flickered everywhere but there.

''Hmm, a compliment within the first two seconds, and Fanny already loves you.'' The dog hung around Maya, pressing its nose against her softly. Yelena nodded and smirked. ''We're going to be best friends.'' 

Maya lit up, finally looking at her aunt in surprise and excitement. Family was important to her, and she wanted nothing more than for Yelena to like her. 

Straightening up, Yelena wrapped her hand about the strap of her bag to hoist it up her back further. ''Let's get a drink, shall we?'' she smiled at Maya, who nodded without registering the words. She appeared enchanted by their guest.

Katya threw her a dry look, Natasha chuckling next to her. ''Yelena, she's ten.''

''So?'' When she saw Katya's unimpressed expression, she sighed and took off in the direction of the house. ''Fine. No drinks then. You are no fun.'' 

Without a care in the world, she walked up the porch, through the open front door and into the hallway, like she owned the place. ''My bed better be good, because I bought this really expensive mattress for myself at home and I finally got rid of my backpain.''

She stopped in the hallway, clearly waiting for someone to show her upstairs. So Maya quickly pushed past, going first up the stairs, Yelena and the others behind her. Even the dog followed. Katya and Natasha stayed in the background the best they could. They'd have plenty of time to catch up with Yelena later. This moment was between her and Maya.

''We cleaned it all for you,'' the girl explained shyly, in case Yelena didn't smell the detergent which hung all around the house.

''Ah, that's perfect.'' 

Maya opened the guest bedroom door, letting Yelena in first. The windows were open wide, to let some of the cool breeze into the warm room. It smelled fresh inside, combined with the freshly mowed grass Natasha cut this morning. 

Yelena threw her bag on the bed and plopped down next to it, bouncing up and down to test the mattress. Made a whole show out of it as well, which caused Natasha to roll her eyes. 

''Feels good enough.'' She didn't look around too much, leaving the extensive mapping of the house and room for later. Not only because it interested her, but also for safety measurements. No spy slept in a strange place without checking for ways out. ''What's your room look like?''

Maya's eyes lit up and she turned on her heels to lead her there, pushing past her parents in the process. She sat down on her own bed as Yelena twisted on her heels in the middle of the room, taking everything in. Maya's room wasn't huge, but had a lot of decorations and small things she collected over the past six months.