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“Ah! Watch out, mommy!”
Kate ducked low as an egg sailed over her head. She gaped at the yokey splatter on her kitchen wall, the yellow center dripping down on the expensive dark wood. Kate turned to her daughter and crossed her arms, a severe expression on her face.
“Susan Ivette Bishop…”
“Ah! I'm sorry!” Susie tried turning around and running out of the kitchen but Kate picked her up easily by the back of her shirt, the image reminding Kate of a mama kitty and its baby. She held the small girl up to her face and gave Susie an unimpressed eyebrow raise. The little five year old hung her head low.
“Sorry, mommy…” Kate sighed and set the girl down so she was sitting on the kitchen counter. Kate grabbed a few paper towels and wiped up the mess on her wall before tossing the messy napkins out. She stood in front of Susie once more, tapping her foot.
“So?”
Susie sighed. “I thought since the eggy was never going to be a bird, it should at least have one chance to fly before we eat it.”
“Baby, that doesn't make any sense.” Susie huffed and crossed her arms in a pout. Kate chuckled and set the girl back on the floor. She grabbed a small apron that had an image of a golden retriever on it, matching the larger one Kate had on, and tied it around her daughter's neck.
“No more monkey business. Kay, Susiles?”
“Fine,” the stubborn girl huffed but hugged her mommy's leg. “I love you, mommy.” Kate felt her heart melt.
“I love you too, babes.”
“Do you think mama will get here before we're done with the cookies?” Kate frowned. She didn't know.
Yelena and Kate had made plans for the blonde to come over this afternoon to make cookies together with Susie. Yelena had wanted to spend more time together, and Kate thought it would be the perfect time to bake Christmas cookies. Her mind didn't once wander to the rules she had set in place for Yelena, the weekend only visits she had insisted on. Instead, Kate was just excited for them all to spend more time together. As a family.
But earlier this morning, there had been an emergency further down in the city. It was labeled as an Avenger's level threat, so Yelena had to go. On the phone, when Yelena had called to tell Kate the news, she sounded like she wanted Kate to say something. Kate didn't know what it was, though her heart told her she wanted to say it too.
Now Yelena was deep into the city fighting alongside her team against this–Kate squinted at the TV she had turned on in the kitchen. A lizard thing? Yelena was fighting a big lizard thing. Kate grimaced. It also looked goopey. Gross.
Though it looked like they had a good handle on the situation. So maybe Yelena would be hom–be here before they were done making the cookies.
“Maybe, baby.” Susie giggled at the rhyme though Kate could see her eyes were dimmer than they had been this morning. Kate leaned down and kissed her baby girl's head, flicking her braid playfully before she went to get the ingredients out.
Yeah, maybe Yelena would get done soon and be here, with them.
Kate burned her hand on the oven. She didn't make a sound nor did she react to it. Her eyes were glued to the TV.
They were losing. The New Avengers were losing.
Yelena was doing her best to fight the scaly creature but it had cut her on her side. There was so much blood. Her teammates were in worse shape. Her father's helmet had cracked open, leaving his head exposed while blood dripped down from the cut on his brow. Ghost was phasing continuously, like she couldn't control herself. She would barely manage to injure the creature before she was out of sight again. U.S Agent looked like he had broken the arm he carried his shield on, and the Winter Soldier had been trying to help him.
The air felt too thin and Kate couldn't breathe. They were losing.
“Is mama gonna be okay?” Kate snapped out of her trance and looked at Susie. Her daughter looked so worried and scared.
Kate turned the TV off.
She hid the remote and her shaking hands behind her back as she forced a smile for her baby.
“Yeah, of course.” Kate didn't know that. She didn't. It probably wasn't right to tell Susie that either. But what else could she say? Kate wished she was a better mom. “How about we start frosting the cookies? I think they're cool enough now, don't you?”
Susie nodded but Kate could see the worry on her face, the way she bit her small lip, the way her eyebrows furrowed. Kate was sure she had the same expression on her face. Still, she cupped Susie's small, shaky hands with her own and together they were able to decorate the cookies.
“I don't want to eat them without mama.” Susie refused the cookies Kate tried putting on a plate for her.
“But baby, she might not be able to come tonight.” Kate held up one of the tree shaped cookies. “And look, you made this one so beautiful. It'd be a shame not to eat it, right baby?”
“Why wouldn't she come?” Kate bit her lip and looked away. Her nails dug into her palms and she tried to steady her voice.
“Because she'll probably be too tired after her mission.” Susie didn't seem to buy it.
“I'm not gonna eat without mama.”
Kate sighed. She didn't think she would either. “Well, you at least have to eat dinner, babe.”
“No!” Susie yelled, her small face turning pink.
“Susan!” Kate took off her oven mitts. “It is not okay to raise your voice like that!”
“I don't care! I want mama!” The little girl stomped her foot against the kitchen tiles and turned away from Kate.
Kate rubbed her face. It was always hard to deal with Susie's outbursts. The girl was just so stubborn and filled with so much emotion. She was definitely Kate and Yelena's daughter, no doubt about it. Kate wished she knew how to handle Susie better when she acted like this. But Kate was just going off of what felt right. She didn't have anyone to go to for this. Her mom hadn't been able to deal with Kate's outbursts, so her advice from over their supervised visits wouldn't help much.
Kate didn't want to do this alone anymore. And she didn't have to. But that could change any day now, couldn't it? Missions are dangerous, no matter which way you look at it. Even now, Yelena wasn't here, helping Kate. She was out there, helping everyone else.
Kate snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a sniffle. “Susie?” Another sniffle. “Baby?” Kate crouched low and she almost cried when she saw her daughter's tiny body shake. She was facing away from Kate, hiding her face, with her arms crossed and her head tilted down. Kate raised her hand and rested her steady palm against the center of Susie's shaking back. The girl let out a wail and Kate wasted no time pulling Susie into her lap.
“It's okay, sweetie. It's okay.” Kate rocked her baby back and forth, whispering over and over again that everything was going to be okay.
“Come on.” Kate kissed Susie's nose once she had calmed down. “Let's get you into the bath.”
Kate sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she descended her fancy staircase. She admired all the photos of her mom and herself from when she was young. There were a few her father was in as well, though not many. Kate didn't want that for Susie. She didn't want her to walk down these halls one day and notice the lack of Yelena on them.
Her breath caught when she heard the kitchen window open. Kate sprinted down the rest of the stairs and skidded inside the kitchen. She gasped when she saw a bloody Yelena haul herself inside. “Yelena!” Kate hurried to her side and hooked her arms around the blonde's back. She helped her to the chair Susie had been using while they were baking.
Kate's hands frantically hovered around Yelena's body, her eyes fleeting around each rip of fabric and each blood stain. “I-I don't know how to hel–”
“It is okay,” Yelena grunted. Kate suddenly gasped and clutched Yelena's cheeks. Hearing her voice had allowed Kate to breathe for the first time since she had gotten that call this morning. “I have already stitched it before coming here.”
“Stitch–! Yelena, you should be in the hospital–!” Kate was cut off by Yelena wrapping her arms around Kate's waist and tugging her between her legs. Her thick uniform scratched at the skin where Kate's shirt had ridden up and she was sure blood was seeping through the white cotton. But that's not really what Kate cared about. “Yelena?”
“Please ask me,” Yelena rasped. “Please.”
“What?” Kate tried pulling back to look at the face that was borrowed into her chest, but Yelena just held her tighter.
“You want me to stop.” Yelena nosed her chest. “Just say it, Kate, and I will stop and never go back.”
Kate's hands fisted into Yelena's suit. “Yelena, you know I can't ask you that…”
Yelena shook her head. “You never have to. Just tell me what you want. Just say it.”
“I–” Kate choked on her words. She couldn't. Yelena kissed the edge of her jaw and whispered in her ear.
“You can say it.”
“I want you to stay,” Kate forced out. “Because I–” Yelena finally pulled back enough for Kate to see her eyes. Kate couldn't stop herself anymore. “I love you.” Yelena’s eyes widened and her tight grip loosened. Oh fuck, this was stupid. “I love you so much, Yelena.” So, so much. Kate's heart could hardly contain it all.
Suddenly filled with nervous energy, Kate tried pulling back. Maybe she could sprint around her giant condo to help get rid of all this excess energy she was filled with. Instead, Yelena pulled her back in close, her embrace tight once more as she kissed her. Kate melted into it, her hands coming up to rest on Yelena's shoulders.
Their lips separated and Yelena's gaze caught Kate's before she could turn away. “Ya tebya lyublyu,” Yelena murmured, their lips barely an inch apart. “And I'm done. No more Avengers business, no more stepping into danger. I want to be here, with you and Susan. Just us, forever.” Kate blinked.
“Blyoo?” Kate tried to mimic Yelena's words. Now it was Yelena's turn to blink before she burst out laughing.
“Ah, yes. We will work on that.” Yelena peppered kisses on Kate's face, kissing each one of her moles.
“On what?” Kate murmured, peering down at Yelena through her dark eyelashes.
“Your Russian. Soon enough I will have you and Susie speaking like it is your mother tongue.”
“Oh.” Kate nodded her head absentmindedly before her eyes narrowed. “Wait, but what did you say?”
Yelena chuckled. “Only that I love you.” Kate felt her heart surge.
“Let's be a family, Yel,” she suddenly said, her eyes filled with tears. “I want you here everyday. I want Susie to have so many memories of you that it's like you were always here. I want your photos all over these walls. I want you to help us decorate the tree every year. I-I don't ever want you to leave me.”
“I won't,” Yelena whispered, her face serious yet there was a warmth in her eyes as she caressed Kate's wet cheeks. “I'll be here with you every day. I'll be here with Susie and I'll spoil the both of you rotten. I'll be here forever. When we're old and wrinkled, when all of our children come home for the holidays, when it's our turn to spoil our grandchildren, when you go to bed every night, I'll be here.”
“Thank you,” Kate sobbed against Yelena's shoulder. Yelena hushed her while she soothingly ran her bloody hand up and down Kate's back.
“No, Kate. I haven't even begun to thank you for all you have given me. A child, a home. You gave me a family, Kate. You never have to thank me for anything ever again.” Yelena tilted Kate's chin up and kissed her gently. “Everything good in life is something you deserve. I'll make sure you have it all.”
Kate chuckled, more tears escaping and running down her cheeks. Yelena wiped them away before kissing each of her eyelids. “You will, won't you?”
Yelena smiled. “I will.”
“Mama!” Susie practically flew up into Yelena's arms, squealing as the blonde swung her around, drops of water dripping down from her wet hair.
“Oh, my little bug!” Yelena tossed Susie up and caught her. Kate yelped and hurried over.
“Okay, let's be careful!” Kate set a hand on Yelena's shoulder and Susie's back. She was wearing Kate's silky pajamas now, so Kate couldn't see all of the blood she had lost anymore. Still, Kate was kind of freaking out about it. “Mama just got from fighting bad guys, so we have to be careful with her.”
“Well,” Yelena chuckled. “Maybe not too careful.” Yelena tossed a smirk over Susie's head and Kate repressed a groan.
“Okay, come on sillies. The cookies should still be warm and I already have SpongeBob booted up in the living room.”
“Can mama stay the night?” Susie asked with a big, hopeful grin on her face. Yelena chuckled and kissed her daughter's head before looking up at Kate. Kate smiled and nodded. Yelena grinned.
“How about I stay every night?”
“Yes!” Susie shook out her hands excitedly and ran off, shouting that she needs to get Lucky so he knows mama is home.
Yelena turned to Kate, a hesitant smile on her lips. “I am home?”
Kate smiled. “Yes, Yel. You're home.” She intertwined her arm with Yelena's and led her to the couch. They would watch Christmas movies and eat their delicious cookies before they went to bed. Kate would let Susie sleep with her and Yelena tonight. After all, Kate and Yelena had the rest of their lives to have alone time together.