emmylou | natasha romanoff

thirty-nine.

Natasha looks away from her, "I want to cry, but crying is bad."

"No, it's not," Melina tells her, "It's okay to cry."

"Is it?"

Melina nods her head, "Mhm."

"I'm going to cry but you can't say anything," Natasha says and Melina laughs. Natasha was practically an adult at nine years old, but at the end of the day she was still a child and Melina loved that about her.

"I'll be quiet and just hold you," Melina says, and Natasha nods her head as she keeps looking forward. She listens as Natasha cries, sniffling occasionally and reaching up to wipe the tears from her eyes. After a few moments, Natasha's breathing seems to even out.

"All good?" Melina asks.

Natasha nods her head, "All good."

"Will you look at me?"

Natasha turns, her little cheeks were red and so were her green eyes. The sight broke Melina's heart. No child should ever have to go through this. She stroked her fingers through Natasha's short blue hair.

"I know what will make you feel better."

"What?" Natasha asks.

"A pool day and ice cream," Melina tells her, and Natasha's eyes light up.

"Can Kennedy come?"

Melina laughs. Natasha couldn't go anywhere without Kennedy now. The girls were a packaged deal with Yelena trailing after them.

"Of course, she can," Melina tells her.

"Does Yelena have to come?" Natasha asks and Melina laughs.

"Yes, she's your sister!"

"Ugh," Natasha says, "Fine."

Melina chuckles as she picks Natasha up. The girl squirms in her arms not wanting to be carried. It made her feel like a baby, but Melina carries her inside the house. And sets her down when they're in the kitchen.

Natasha pouts as she looks at her, arms crossed over her chest, "I'm not a baby."

"I know," Melina says, "You're a big girl."

"I am," Natasha tells her.

"And even big girls have bad dreams sometimes," Melina says, "But what do we do when we have bad dreams?"

"We think of our safe place," Natasha says, and Melina nods her head.

"Do you want me to tuck you back in?"

"No, Kennedy is laid out like a starfish it would be too hard to do without waking her up and I want to make sure she gets ample sleep," Natasha says, making Melina's eyebrows furrow.

"You want her to get ample sleep?"

"Yeah," Natasha says, "She's been staying up late reading the encyclopedia."

"Why?" Melina asks.

Natasha shrugs, "She's weird."

"But you like her."

Natasha smiles widely, "I like her a lot."

"Okay well go upstairs and enjoy Kennedy's starfish."

Natasha smiles, "I will."

She heads back upstairs, walking quietly as she passes her parent's bedroom.

"Goodnight Natasha," she hears her father say.

"Goodnight," she says as she runs the rest of her way back to her room. She gently opens the door, not wanting to wake Yelena, only to find that she wasn't on the floor anymore, but in the bed with Kennedy.