A lot of pov changes this chapter. I couldn't do it any other way.
Natasha
Natasha swung her coat over her shoulders, stuffing her hands in the pockets as she wandered to the pig enclosure. The noise they made annoyed her, but it was something to look at, at least. Was her reaction a bit much? Maybe. But maybe she hadn't accepted those five years like she thought she had, and did it hurt more to look at the pictures than she expected.
Nevertheless, Maya deserved to know more about her mom's youth and see the pictures. So, she excluded herself from the conversation for a while, wondering what Melina was telling them.
After barely a minute of standing outside, a door slammed shut behind her, hard, and automatically, her eyes rolled. She didn't need to turn around to know who that was. Both Katya and Maya would be so much quieter, and she guessed that also worked for Melina.
The big man stopped beside her, hands in the pockets of his cardigan. Side to side, they watched the pigs root in the earth, slowly pushing their heavy bodies around the corners. A gust of wind blew Alexei's horrible vodka fueled scent in Natasha's direction, her nose scrunching up. This was beyond awkward, and within her pockets, she clenched her hands into fists to keep from walking off.
''So, you and her...'' He trailed off, and when she cocked an eyebrow, he pulled his hands from his pockets and made a clear motion that sent realization through her body, followed by deep disgust. She got that the whole gay thing was new territory for him, but was he seriously asking if she slept with her own wife?
''Ew, what the hell. I am not talking to you about that.'' She scowled. A shudder traveled through her body, feeling awfully violated. Why did this man always manage to say the wrong things?
''I am just trying to get used to the... the gay thing,'' he defended himself, but according to how much effort it took to actually say that word, he had a long way to go. Natasha completely understood the nausea Katya felt this morning. She was pretty sure if he kept going, she'd throw up right here.
''It's nothing special. Get over it,'' she replied harshly, digging her nails into her palms to contain herself and not start another screaming match. With him, that only worked counterproductive.
''Okay!'' he threw out loudly, annoyed, muttering things under his breath that she couldn't figure out. After that, the silence returned, only she was now even more annoyed, so when he genuinely said, ''I only ever wanted what was best for you,'' she groaned.
''Not this again.'' She turned to walk off, to stand anywhere else really, but he started to plead, desperately.
''Let me talk, Natasha. Please. Please.'' His mood swings were exhausting and so sudden.
A sigh left her lips, but she stayed in her spot anyway. ''Fine.'' His body was turned in her direction, with an expression she could only describe as desperate, but she strictly stared at those animals in front of her. He could talk to her, not with her.
''I wanted what was best for you. But now I see that we both had different ideas of that.''
''Have,'' she corrected him coldly. ''Have different ideas.''
''Whatever,'' he discarded her, causing her to roll her eyes. ''What I want to say is that it looks like she's best for you.'' It was so obvious he tried to show that he was accepting of Katya. It was pathetic. The absolute last person she would ever need acceptance from, was him. His opinion mattered less to her than the health of these pigs.
Natasha scoffed loudly. ''If you're giving your approval, you're about eight years late. I already married her. Besides, I don't need it. I get to make my own choices now. You aren't controlling me anymore.''
She turned to look over her shoulder when the door opened and closed again. This time, much more silent, so she wasn't surprised to look into the face of her daughter, who had a cautious gleam in her eyes, warily looking between her mom and Alexei.
Immediately, Natasha's body relaxed, a small smile growing on her lips. ''Hey, beautiful.''
Maya quickly stalked over to her, not sparing Alexei a glance as she ran to safety. ''Mom said to tell you that memory time is over.'' She had her arms slightly up, so Natasha knew she wanted to be picked up. A move better fitting for a four-year-old, but they would gladly give her all the hugs and attention she needed after being deprived of it for most of her youth. Most of the times, she acted way older. Now, she acted younger.
Effortlessly, Natasha lifted her onto her hip, Maya's head higher than hers. Her daughter would definitely grow to be taller than her. ''Good. Let's go back inside then.'' She turned to leave, but stopped, looking at Alexei once more. ''I don't want to be in a weird place with you, but that means you have to try harder.''
''You're still angry with me,'' he easily concluded.
''Of course, I am. One apology doesn't fix that.'' Her words held less bite and sounded more exhausted instead, all because she didn't want Maya to see her all angry and arguing. That's not who she wanted to be.
''Why, Natasha?'' He begged her to tell him what he did wrong, what else he should do to fix this. But she wasn't going to make it that easy.
''The fact that I have to tell you that, says more than enough. Figure it out yourself.''
She turned away once more, but he wasn't done with her. While reaching for her arm, he - accidentally or not - grabbed Maya's instead. ''Natasha, wait. You have to give me a hint.''
With a dangerous glare and a fire burning in her chest, she spun around, slapping his hand away. ''Don't grab her,'' she growled. Not in a possessive way, but because she and Katya fiercely made sure that Maya did have full control over what happened with her body. Natasha took a deep breath. ''Just... stop.''
He said nothing more, hanging his shoulders, so for a final time, she turned back to the house. This time without getting stopped.
''I'm sorry about that,'' she told Maya.
''It's alright. What was that all about?'' Maya asked, watching her mom's face. Annoyance bubbled under the surface, but for the sake of the atmosphere inside, she pushed it aside.
''I'll tell you later.''
For her, it was easy to sense that something had happened in the house as soon as she saw Katya's face. Everyone, after feeling a strong emotion, had traces of it left in their eyes and their body for a while after, even if they tried to cover it up, like Katya did now. She painted a smile when she looked over her shoulder at the people coming into the house, but Natasha noticed how tense her muscles were.
Nevertheless, she didn't comment and happily took the seat next to Katya, shifting Maya from her hip to her lap while shrugging her coat off.
Alexei didn't come back into the house. Maybe he had gone for a walk or whatever, but it gave the others a chance to talk in peace, without judgement or rude comments. Melina made tea - Russian tea, according to her - which they drank while chatting about upcoming things in their lives. Or, more specifically, Maya's life.
Happily, she answered all Melina's questions about school and soccer, and also told her a lot about the Christmas party and, of course, their cat. Everyone smiled at her cuteness, and Natasha continued to rub her thumb over the back of Katya's hand while Maya talked. Her wife was tired, she knew that. Because of the talking, listening, the early morning. Mentally exhausted.
She fell silent, just listening to her kid and occasionally squeezing Natasha's hand. A lot was on her mind, and Natasha was curious as to what she talked to Melina about that had her so zoned out. Luckily, the older brunette also picked up on Katya's tiredness and asked Maya to help prepare dinner.
While they retreated into the kitchen, Katya took her chance and turned to Natasha with a soft smile. As soon as their eyes locked, the rest fell away. They could always find themselves in a bubble whenever they wanted, wherever they wanted. It didn't need much.
''Is it okay if I...?'' She pointed outside, and Natasha needed no context.
''You know you don't have to ask.'' She smiled, her weird conversation with Alexei gone into the back of her mind. Him not being here made it easier, but still.
Her thoughtfulness made Katya melt, a slight pink tint on her cheeks as she gazed down at their intertwined hands. ''I don't want to leave you here alone if you don't want to be.''
''I'm good,'' Natasha assured her. ''I'll just read this newspaper.'' She grabbed it and read the front page, nodding impressively. ''Hmm, very interesting. Propaganda.''
Katya chuckled, shaking her head in amusement as she stood, planting a kiss on her head. ''You're weird.''
''Don't forget your coat,'' Natasha called after her, grabbing the garment from the back of the chair and tossing it over. It warmed Katya's heart at how thoughtful she was. ''And don't go too far.''
''I won't!'' She promised, stepping into the ice-cold air for a moment to recharge.
Natasha's eyes followed her through the windows sneakily, knowing Katya determined where the wind came from to select a place to sit, shielding behind the house. Eventually, she saw her stop through the window across from her, her head disappearing as she sunk to the ground.
Maya
Melina had already prepped a lot for dinner. Her sweet and sour beef stew had been on the fire for three hours already, and only needed thirty minutes more. With Maya, she was currently working on a potato salad, boiling the eggs and potatoes and cutting the carrots into small blocks to be added later.
The girl was careful not to cut into her fingers, remembering the way Laura taught her to use a knife and doing it slowly. If Melina thought she was too slow, she didn't say.
They worked in silence for the most part, which is what they both preferred. Occasionally, Melina would explain what she did to the food or what herbs she used as Maya listened intently.
She almost cut into her thumb when a figure walked past the window to her right, throwing a shadow through the kitchen that startled her.
Subconsciously, she stopped working and checked it out, only to spot Katya sitting down on the grass, using her long coat to protect her jeans from the dirt. It neither surprised nor worried her, quickly getting back to the chopping board.
''Does that happen a lot?'' Melina asked, so rapidly cutting the cucumber that Maya blinked and she was halfway done. These spies and their skills with a knife...
Shaking her head to snap herself out of her trance, Maya continued with the carrots. ''Yes. She calls them her recharge moments. Like charging your phone. She says they help her,'' she explained, careful not to move too much on the chair she stood on by the counter. It was quite wobbly. ''She always feels a lot better after them.''
A crease formed between Melina's brows when her brain started working, either worried or simply wondering. ''When did that start?'' Natasha had told her the bare minimum about what was going on, and that was fine, but sometimes, she worried.
''She has always done it. But I guess more often after Aunt Yelena visited last year for the first time. That was in the summer. Something Lena said about her family.'' Her head shook left and right. ''I still don't fully get it, but Mom promised to explain it once she could.'' And she trusted that, fully. So she didn't press or ask anymore. Katya would tell her when she was ready.
Almost unnoticeably, Melina shook her head, biting back a sigh. ''Poor girl. I hoped she'd never find out.'' Nobody wanted to hear Dreykov was their uncle, but especially Katya didn't deserve that.
''She doesn't want pity.''
Surprised, Melina looked at Maya and her confident words. ''Hm?''
''Whenever people say they're sorry, she rolls her eyes. She doesn't want pity. But she's doing better, I think. First, she didn't drive the car anymore, but now she drives alone again. And a couple weeks ago, she went to school with me for Career Day and gave a whole presentation about the Avengers. That was a lot of fun. Oh, and she's starting her job soon,'' she rambled, and Melina's eyebrows shot up, both impressed how aware Maya was of things, and surprised that she didn't know about any job.
''A job? Natasha didn't tell me about that.''
''Mhm. In a gym in the city. She's gonna teach women to defend themselves,'' she explained, a concentrated look on her face as she talked and chopped at the same time. ''The owner is really nice. I hope I can visit a lot. But I think Mom's gonna be busy. Which is okay. I'm really lucky they have so much time for me.''
Melina's heart warmed at the thoughtfulness and fondness this girl had for her moms. ''They are good parents, aren't they?''
A huge smile grew on Maya's lips. ''The best. I love them. They got me so much stuff for Christmas. Look, this bracelet.'' She lifted her non-knife-carrying hand to show off the dainty jewelry Katya got her. ''And this trip to Russia. I don't really need all of it, but it makes them happy to spoil me. They're doing really well.''
''I knew they had it in them,'' Melina muttered, more to herself than the cute girl next to her. She wasn't surprised when Natasha told her they had adopted a girl. Somehow, she knew the redhead would make an amazing mom. And she liked Maya, reminding her a lot of her mom and aunt when they were small. And as if Maya read her mind, she asked about it.
''What was Mama like when she was as old as me?''
Melina tossed the cut cucumbers in a bowl and pulled the eggs out of the pot, peeling them and chopping them up. ''It's a bit hard to compare her to you, since she was burdened with a lot of things, but I think she was more closed off than she is now. Never showing anyone what she felt or was thinking. But really sweet, and incredibly smart, funny, laughing a lot. The perfect big sister. She was always more sensible than she should have been.''
Maya pondered over those words, imagining it in her head. ''Mom always says Mama got soft. Is that what you mean?'' She leaned back and let Melina take the carrots, tossing them in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients, handing Maya the mayonnaise to squeeze through it. A lot of mayonnaise.
''Yes. Closing herself off was easier, doing the work Natasha did. Letting people into her heart meant she gives them power to hurt her. If they leave or betray her. But she could never truly do that, because her heart was too big,'' she recalled, stirring the salad and adding the herbs and spices. Natasha and her big heart...
''So, she wasn't truly happy as a child?'' Maya frowned, a sadness in her chest as she thought about everything her mom had missed that was supposed to make a child happy.
''I don't know. You'd have to ask her. But I do know that right now, she's never looked happier.''
They chatted some more, mostly about things they already spoke about, but in greater detail this time. Natasha didn't come to check on them, and neither did Alexei. He hadn't shown his face at all since his argument with the redhead outside. So Maya cooked in peace, letting Melina explain how to make it, and doing a lot on her own.
Melina finished stirring the salad and lifted the lid of the pot still on the fire. ''I think that's all we can do. This just has to simmer for twenty more minutes and then dinner is ready.''
''Okay.'' Maya's shoulders slightly dropped at the announcement that there was nothing left to do. She liked Melina, and liked spending time in private with her, away from Alexei's loud energy. ''Thank you for showing me how to make this.''
''You're welcome,'' Melina smiled, and it only widened when Maya helped clean up and put the dirty dishes in the sink - there was no dishwasher. Could she see Maya as her grandchild, or was that too much?
Maya finally washed her hands and hung the towel back where she got it from, picking up the chair she had stood on. ''I'm gonna check on Mom.''
Natasha
Natasha looked up from her newspaper - yes, she was truly reading it and laughing at the terrible fake news - when Maya entered the living room with the heavy chair.
She hadn't listened in to their conversation in the kitchen, their words barely audible anyway. And now, she expected some kind of summary on how the meal was doing, but Maya just put the chair down and grabbed her coat, pulling it on.
''Where are you going?'' Natasha frowned, lowering her newspaper.
''To sit with Mom.'' Without another word, Maya stepped through the door and closed it behind her. Sometimes, she was so grown up it was startling.
With a shake of her head, Natasha got up and leaned back against the other side of the dinner table, crossing her arms over her chest. Through the window, it gave her a good look at her daughter, who sat next to Katya on the cold grass. Their backs turned to the house.
Katya had needed a moment, and she let her have it, knowing she'd ask for company or help if she needed it. But that didn't mean Natasha didn't keep an eye on her. If she'd spot those shoulders shake because of sobs, she'd storm over.
''She's wonderful.''
Melina's voice drew Natasha's gaze away from her daughter and to her approaching figure.
''And reminds me a lot of you when you were her age.''
''I'm not too sure about that,'' Natasha scoffed lightly, turning her head back to the window. Maya was a thousand times better than Natasha ever was as a child.
''Stop talking so badly about yourself.'' Melina nudged her playfully when she joined her side, pulling a smile and an eyeroll from Natasha. ''I see a lot of great qualities from you, in her. You and your wife.'' The last word rolled off her tongue like it was the most natural thing in the world, and her face seemed to light up at it.
Natasha playfully rolled her eyes again, reading into her words perfectly. ''God, you're such a big fan of Kat.'' Greeting her first when they arrived, the compliments. It was clear Melina had a favorite.
A soft laugh left Melina's lips. ''Natasha, she makes you happy. How could I not adore her?'' Natasha's cheeks turned pink. ''I was sorry to hear about her troubles.''
''Yeah.'' Her shoulders slumped as she looked down at her fiddling hands, spinning her ring around, a habit she copied from Katya. ''It's getting better, though. Although being here is hard for her.''
''It doesn't help that Alexei has been a dick all day,'' Melina added lightly.
''Probably not, no.'' Natasha chuckled, though it quickly died down as she let her mind wander.
Her eyes locked onto Katya again, remembering all the other times her wife had sat by the lake on her own, needing a break after a difficult moment. She'd be there for hours a day in difficult weeks, staring at the lake blindly, chin on top of her knees.
And before Natasha knew it, her mouth had opened again.
''It's just been really hard, seeing her struggle with herself so much.'' She teared up, which she tried to cover up with a chuckle, quickly brushing her tears away. Why was she telling Melina this? ''I'm sorry, this is embarrassing.''
But Melina softly shook her head. ''No. You care for her a lot, it is only natural you are hurting when she is.'' Natasha weakly smiled, grateful she didn't judge her for it. ''You have created a beautiful family for yourself. You can be proud of that.''
''Thank you,'' Natasha muttered, taking a deep breath to compose herself. ''Thank you for listening.''
There was some pent-up emotion within herself, which meant she should call one of her friends for a talk again soon. Probably Clint. Because it wasn't always easy to be there for Katya all the time.
''It was getting a bit too sappy for my taste, but...'' Melina trailed off and shrugged, sending her a teasing smile that had Natasha chuckling.
''Does this mean Kat's your favorite?'' She circled back.
''I don't choose between my girls.'' Melina paused. ''But I have taken a liking towards her.''
''I will take that as a yes.'' Natasha's eyebrows shot up. ''Wow. And you've only seen her twice.'' She feigned hurt, a smile dancing on her lips.
''It's very easy to like her. You should know that,'' Melina reminded her, joining her teasing. ''I can't believe she is the one who proposed. Why didn't you do it earlier? A woman like that, you need to secure, not leave waiting.'' She shook her head, reprimanding her like a true mom.
''I'm sorry, I didn't know that was something she wanted!'' Natasha defended herself with a small laugh.
''You are really stupid sometimes.'' Melina sighed, glancing at her watch. ''Now, go talk to her. Dinner is ready in ten.'' She walked off, and Natasha watched her leave.
Their relationship was weird. She didn't see Melina as her mom, probably not even as a mother figure, but it was something different than friendship. It was fragile and odd, which caused her to be cautious. But Melina was a good one.
Katya
Katya didn't remember how long she had sat there. Probably about half an hour, or somewhere close to an hour. Her fingers were numb of the cold, but that happened very quickly, so that wasn't a help in measuring time.
Anyway, after that questionable amount of time, her ears picked up the sound of a door closing behind her. It could be one of three people, but these footsteps were too loud to belong to a spy. On top of that, they were too quick. Short legs. Maya.
Her small body settled down next to her, pulling her knees to her chest like Katya did. Like mirrored objects, they sat next to each other, watching the quiet landscape. Though one was smaller and had different colored hair.
"Do you miss the lake?" Maya softly spoke up. Smart girl. She had connected Katya sitting here like this, to her sitting by the lake whenever she needed a private moment.
"I do,'' Katya smiled without looking her way. ''Although these flowers waving in the wind kinda has the same effect." She suspected that the slow movement of the water and these flowers was what calmed her. Focus on those things moving in the wind. Back and forth in the same motion for hours.
"They're pretty," Maya noticed.
"They are. You should see them in the summer though." The conversation fell quiet, which they both didn't mind. It was always comfortable. Especially with this soothing landscape to watch. "Where's Nat?"
Maya peeked over her shoulder to check if she saw anything through the windows. Apparently, she did. "Talking to Melina." She turned back to the flowers.
"They're watching us, aren't they?"
Her small red eyebrows shot up in wonder. "How did you know?"
"Spy instincts.'' Katya shrugged, a faint smile on her lips. She had felt eyes on her from the moment Maya stepped out of the house. ''Besides, that woman's always staring at me."
"'Cause you're pretty."
Now, Katya's eyebrows shot up, her amused smile growing as she faced her daughter. "Wow, thank you for that sudden compliment. For what did I earn that?"
"I thought you could use it." Maya shrugged.
Katya's eyes softened. "I'm fine, really. Honestly, I am,'' she promised, wishing Maya would stop worrying about her. ''Thought it would be harder to be back here, but all I've felt so far is annoyance at Alexei." Simply the thought of him dropped her mood.
"I think Mama is more tense than you are."
"Agreed," Katya chuckled. They truly could not hide anything from Maya. "She's anxious for me. But I'm happy to see her smile with Melina. What's your opinion on them so far?" She was really curious. Of course, she could read her, but it was much better to straight up ask.
Maya averted her gaze to the tips of her shoes. "They're like you said. He scares me a bit, sometimes,'' she admitted honestly, to which Katya nodded in understanding. ''But Melina is nice."
"You aren't disappointed?" she asked softly. Meeting Melina and Alexei was a big part of the Russia trip. If not the biggest. So she didn't want Maya to be disappointed and think it was a fluke. But the girl shook her head.
"No." She hesitated, fiddling with her hands. "I knew they weren't going to be a big part of my life anyway, so it doesn't matter."
Curious, Katya cocked her head, watching her closely. That was for sure a very interesting thing to say. "What makes you say that?"
"We're only coming to see them after almost a year,'' Maya pointed out. ''If they mattered more to Mama, we would have been here sooner. Like Yelena.'' Her voice lowered. ''I don't think she wants them in our lives too much."
Damn, this girl was so smart. Was it healthy to be this smart and observant this young? It certainly stunned Katya, because she did share those suspicions. Natasha didn't seem too eager to involve Melina and Alexei in their lives.
"I think you're right. But if that's something you want, don't let her stop you." Who were they to say that Maya couldn't initiate a bond with Melina? But once more, Maya shook her head.
"No, it's okay. I would rather choose the other Avengers to spend time with. I think I like them more." She smiled carefully, hoping Katya didn't take offense to it. But she easily shared that feeling.
"I do, too." She smiled back. "Although Melina is sweet." She'd never forget those insanely sweet words Melina told her right before parting, all those years ago. Melina hadn't even known her back then, but still went out of her way to try and make her feel better.
''She is. I like her,'' Maya agreed.
Just then, the door of the house swung open again. This time, the footsteps were a lot softer, almost silent, and Katya spun her torso around to stare directly into Natasha's kind face.
''Hey. Dinner's ready in ten. Maybe you can help Melina set the table,'' she told Maya, who got the hint and disappeared into the house to leave them alone. With a soft smile, Natasha sat down in her spot. ''Sorry to interrupt your private time, but Melina practically pushed me out of the house to check up on you.''
''It's fine,'' Katya chuckled, leaning her chin on her knees to watch the flowers once more. Natasha's presence was stronger than Maya's, but maybe more comfortable.
''I want to inform you, with pain in my heart, that you're Melina's favorite.'' She smiled. ''Well, technically, she said she had taken a liking towards you, but I like to make it dramatic.''
A laugh rocked Katya's body. ''Oof, that must sting.''
Natasha expected her to continue on it, but she fell quiet, just staring in front of her. The look on her face wasn't worrisome, but something was brewing in that brunette head of hers that she wanted to check up on.
"Kat?" she asked softly, the silent question 'what's going on' already in there.
"I don't belong here anymore."
She finally threw out what she had been pondering over before Maya joined her side. These past three days in Russia had opened her eyes. She felt, and had, no connection to this country, only hatred.
When Natasha's brows furrowed, Katya was quick to shut her worries down. "No, no, that's not a bad thing.'' She took a breath, collecting her thoughts. ''I just always thought I belonged in this country, because I don't fit in in America. Or that I didn't belong anywhere, I guess. But I do."
She suddenly turned to meet Natasha's eyes.
"I belong with you."
All the worry flooded out of Natasha's chest while her heart swelled. That was not how she expected that monologue to end, the surprise making the impact of those insanely emotional words all the bigger. It took her a while to pull herself together.
"I feel the same," she whispered, seeing a happy little smile curl on Katya's lips. Yes, these moments were cheesy, but they were so true, and the brunette felt a need to speak them out loud, to show her love. It was important to never hold back on saying these thoughts and feelings, because tomorrow was never promised.
''You doing okay?'' Katya asked softly, trying to gauge her wife's feelings by studying her side profile. They hadn't had a lot of opportunities to check in with each other this afternoon, and Katya wanted to make sure Natasha wasn't drowning in nostalgia.
She hummed. ''Fine. Just didn't feel like reminiscing all those memories.''
''I get that.'' Katya nodded, hugging her knees closer to her chest as a shiver ran down her spine. This cold weather was a bitch. ''To circle back to what you said, Melina said she'd kick your ass if you didn't treat me right, so I could have known I was her favorite,'' she smiled teasingly, resting her cheek on her knee to see Natasha's reaction. And she wasn't disappointed.
''So unfair.'' Natasha rolled her eyes, drawing a chuckle from the brunette. ''But she really shouldn't worry about that.'' Her tone revealed a serious promise: I would always treat you right. And once again, Katya was melting at every cute and romantic thing this woman said to her.
''That's what I said. I said you were the best wife I could ever ask for.'' She smiled when Natasha's cheeks grew bright red, flustered.
''I swear you're saying these cheesy things with the sole purpose of making me blush,'' she accused her wife, to which Katya only chuckled and smirked mysteriously.
''Am I?'' Maybe she was, but it was so insanely cute to see Natasha all flustered. The redhead shook her head, burying her face into her knees to hide it, which only made Katya laugh more. It earned her a blind shove, almost toppling her over. So Katya gave her a shove back, which ended in a shoving-match and a lot of laughter. She certainly wasn't cold anymore.
''Girls! Dinner,'' Melina called out, catching them completely off guard. Both a bit embarrassed to have been caught, they stood, Natasha helping Katya up like a true gentlewoman, making Melina proud of her manners.
It turned out Maya did help set the table and was proudly waiting on her chair, excited to show the food she helped make. They listened to her explain what was in the salad, Melina helping her when she momentarily forgot.
Not that Alexei cared what was in his food. He wolved it down like it was the first thing he ate in weeks. He made a lot of noise while doing it, and ate with his hands, which disgusted everyone else at the table.
''You're gonna choke if you eat any faster.'' Natasha couldn't keep her annoyance to herself anymore, interrupting the fairly uncomfortable silence.
Like she noticed it for the first time, Melina slapped his arm, scolding him. ''Manners!'' He protested, of course, and did try his best to improve, but it didn't help much. So they tolerated it with annoyance burning in their stomachs.
After dessert was also gone, Katya wiped her mouth with her napkin and tossed it onto her plate. ''Thank you for dinner. It was amazing.'' Better than what she had last night? No. But still delicious.
Automatically, Maya got up and helped carry plates to the kitchen. They had some after dinner drinks - which consisted of water and tea - and some light chatter. But everyone was okay with the day ending here. Nothing left to discuss with the limited number of things they could talk about anyway.
So after another half hour, Natasha announced, "Thank you for having us today, but I think it's time we got back. It's an hour's drive and we have a full program tomorrow." Nobody protested, so they all got up, pulled on their coats, and walked to the car.
There, they stopped to say goodbye. Like when they arrived, Melina went for Katya first, asking for a hug, which she got. Melina was okay. Melina was soft, gentle, kind. Katya liked her, though felt no need to talk to her every week.
''It was great to see you again. Good luck with everything, and with your job.'' When she furrowed her eyebrows, Melina explained with a smile, ''Maya told me.''
''Thank you,'' Katya smiled. After a nod at Alexei, she crawled into the car, pulling the door closed. Through it, she could see Natasha talk to them for a while longer, Maya next to her legs. Whatever it was about, it seemed serious though relaxed. Since she couldn't hear them anyway and it took quite long, Katya closed her eyes and dropped her head back.
She didn't remember falling asleep, or the drive home, or getting carried into the hotel. Maybe only vaguely. The sound of the elevator, the key rattling in the door lock, Natasha pulling off her jeans and getting her into pajamas. She only blinked her eyes open when her redheaded wife lifted the covers to settle into bed with her.
''Sorry for waking you. Go back to sleep,'' Natasha whispered into the dark, reaching over to pull Katya's body into her. But before she had the chance, Katya climbed on top of her tiredly, clinging onto her body like a koala. A soft smile tugged on Natasha's lips as her arms wrapped around her torso. ''Hey, my love.''
Through her groggy eyes, Katya did her best to find Natasha's. Her voice was heavy with sleep, and raspy, but she had lots to say before this day ended. ''Thank you for everything you do for me. I know I'm not easy sometimes, and that it is very hard for you to see me struggle, and that it's also a strain on you. So I want you to know that I'm so, so grateful for you. I love you more than words can say and actions can show.''
A warmth flooded Natasha's body, her heart growing ten sizes as she smiled brighter. Bless the darkness for hiding her flustered state. ''I love you more. And I'll always do whatever I can to help you,'' she replied softly, combing her fingers through Katya's hair. ''I'm glad today went relatively okay. At least, I think it did, right?''
''Yeah,'' Katya breathed, battling to keep her eyes open and in focus, especially with the soothing movement in her hair. ''I think I need about a year not seeing him, to recover from it, though.'' The body below her shook slightly with a silent chuckle.
''I get that.''
''Something Maya said to me...'' Katya's brows furrowed in thought, treading carefully here. ''You don't want them to be big parts of our lives, do you? Or, at least not hers.'' She studied Natasha intently, trying to catch her in a lie even though she didn't lie.
''Busted.'' Natasha smiled teasingly, though her eyes didn't join it and she sighed heavily. Her fingers started to twirl strands of hair, focusing her gaze on them. ''I don't know, Kat, it feels too weird. I've worked years to accept that part of my life, to get over it, to forget about it. I was good with it. I had closed that chapter. And I don't feel the need or urge to... go back and pull apart what was already fine by me.''
''That makes a lot of sense,'' Katya muttered, understanding flooding her features. She had suspected it was something like this. ''Though you don't need to explain. I feel little to no connection to them anyway, and Maya said she had already accepted that they weren't going to be a big part of her life.'' No matter how sad that sounded.
A careful smile pulled on Natasha's beautiful lips, Katya's gaze naturally drawn to them. ''So... one visit a year and the occasional phone call?'' She squinted with teasing eyes, lazily watching her wife for the response.
''That's what I was thinking.'' Katya nodded, smiling along softly. That way, they kept contact, knew what was going on in each other's lives, and was everyone happy without overdoing it.
''We really are perfect for each other,'' Natasha teased, though her voice held traces of very fragile emotions.
''I have nothing to add to that.'' A wide yawn forced Katya to drop her forehead to Natasha's collarbones to hide it, feeling how the arm around her body tightened. She felt so warm, and Natasha's smell and hug was so comforting. This was her happy place.
''You did good today, honey. You deserve to hear that,'' she heard in her ear, causing her to pick up her heavy head and lock eyes with an unguarded Natasha. Her favorite Natasha. She wanted nothing more than to sleep, but this conversation couldn't wait.
Katya's heart skipped a beat at the intense force of those gorgeous green eyes. ''Thank you. Truly.'' This feeling of being unable to thank Natasha enough would forever bother her. How did someone thank the person that saved their life? Literally? Every effort felt too weak. ''I wouldn't be where I am today, if not for you.''
''Give yourself some credit, too.'' A hand flew up to clasp over her mouth, cutting the rest of her words off. Her eyes widened in surprise, but softened in amusement at Katya's annoyed pout.
''Shut up. Just... shut up for once,'' Katya whispered, an adorable little frown between her brows that had Natasha chuckling. With droopy eyes, she made sure the redhead stayed silent. When she was content, Katya pulled her hand away and puckered her lips. ''Kiss.''
With a chuckle, Natasha obliged, pressing a deep kiss onto her soft lips, smiling when Katya hummed at the feeling. Her wife was so adorable when sleepy. ''Now go to sleep,'' she ordered.
After a deep exhale, Katya shifted to be more comfortable, one leg between Natasha's. ''I'll be a mess tomorrow,'' she muttered into her chest, fearing her mental state tomorrow. It made her want to cry, but that was of no use. All she could do was breathe through it, and accept that maybe she felt horrible in the morning.
The hand in her hair moved to her back, squeezing her closer. ''And I'll be here for it.''
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A/N: well, you were very clear in the last chapter and wished for more angst, so more angst it is :) Expect angst in a chapter or 6. For now, enjoy the soft chapters <3 Also, please keep commenting because they make my week!