the dinner
“Maria!” Carol suddenly yelled through Maria’s door, “Food! You guys better not be making out in there! Dad said he wants you to keep your door open when you have Natasha over!”
Natasha couldn’t help the laugh that came out of her and Maria flushed a deep shade of red.
“Shut up Carol!”
Natasha laughed harder, once she regained her breath she looked over to Maria and placed a kiss on her cheek, “So, Is there a reason to need your door open around me?”
“I don’t know,” Maria shrugged and with a smirk, “If you think there should be.”
“Oh but I want to hear from you.”
Maria flushed again, “I think there is.”
Natasha put a hand at the back of Maria’s neck, her fingers brushing the wisps of hair that came loose from her bun.
“Nat-”
“MARIA FOOD!”
“COMING! God she is so annoying.” Natasha’s hand had fallen from its place and Maria missed it deeply, “Lets go eat, i’m not sure what he made so it’s a 50-50 shot is edible.”
Sat around the table each adult had a smirk on their faces as they looked at Maria.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
Maria groaned, “You guys need to get a grip. Stop investing yourselves in my love life.”
“YOU ADMIT IT!” Carol stood from her seat and point a finger at Maria, Natasha took a step back, unsure of the situation.
“No, forget I said anything.” Maria pull a chair out for Natasha before sitting down.
Carol was cackling in her seat, “Maria you’re adorable.”
Carols wife elbowed her, “Leave your sister alone.”
Nick nodded, “Alright now that that’s over, Natasha,”
“Yes sir?”
“Oh you don’t have to call me Sir. Where are you from? Maria said you moved here in elementary school.”
“Oh- um,” Natasha pushed a green bean on her plate with her fork before remembering the manners that were drilled into her. She put the fork down and clasped her hands in her lap neatly, “I was born in Russia Sir, moved to the US when I was four.”
“Oh wow, Where did you live before coming to Illinois?”
“Ohio Sir, just for a year until I got placed in the Widows home.”
“At four you were placed in a group home, why? Sorry if I’m intruding, don’t feel that you have to answer if I am.”
“It is okay Sir, I didn’t speak English at the time and it was the only home that took Russian speaking immigrants.”
“Oh, Well I am sorry to hear that. You speak English very well now, I don’t even hear an accent.”
Natasha nodded, “Yes, Thank you, Sir, They taught us to use an American accent.”
“Why is that?” Carol ask just as Nick commented on the fact he didn’t need to be addressed as ‘Sir’.
Natasha looked confused but nodded along,
“Americans tend to think you are smarter if you sound American, It’s messed up but it works.”
“That makes sense, it sucks though, you can always
use your Russian accent here if you want.”
“Thanks.” Natasha replied with her American accent still on.
“So do you remember much from Ohio?” This came from Maria(R) who was smiling as she watch Carol try to get Monica to eat her vegetables.
Natasha shook her head, a sad smile on her face, “It didn’t last long and I was quite young.”
“I heard they have great museums there.”
“Yeah, my mom was- never mind, Sorry.”
Natasha looked down at her plate again.
“That’s okay, I know it must be hard to relive those memories. So, what classes do you have together?”
The rest of dinner consisted of small talk and Natasha pushing her food around her plate.
“I’m gonna start clearing this stuff away, movie in an hour?”
Maria nodded and got out of her seat, collecting both her own and Natasha’s plate. She put hers in the sink and wrapped Natasha’s before putting it in the fridge.
“Thank you for dinner, Sir.” Natasha bowed her head before remembering where she was… god she kept slipping up recently.
“It’s no problem Natasha, you are welcome here any time.”
Maria came over and looped her arm through Natasha’s, “Come on let’s decompress from that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like take a break from awkward social interaction?”
“Oh okay, that sounds good.”
They piled into Maria’s bed, her door remained shut despite Carols reminders to leave it open.
Maria lay next to Natasha, scrolling through her phone and showing funny videos to the redhead.
A video of a person telling you to focus on a specific scene came up. Natasha moved a little closer to watch what would happen next when a spider popped up. Natasha actually jumped and instinctively turned her head into Maria’s shoulder. Maria let out a laugh that had Natasha punching her weakly.
Natasha propped herself up on one elbow and Maria did the same, facing her. The redheads one hand came out to cup the brunettes cheek.
“You’re so beautiful,” Natasha scanned her face, “god. I really want to kiss you.”
“I think I want that to.”
Natasha didn’t wait, she immediately pulled the brunette in, kissing her softly and tracing her jawline with her nails. Maria moved a tentative hand to Natasha’s waist and the redhead moved so she was leaning over Maria. Maria let her other hand tangle in her hair as Natasha deepened the kiss. Natasha took a minute before throwing a leg over Maria’s waist, straddling the girl as she continued to kiss her. As the redhead’s hands began to wander Maria placed a firm hand on Natasha’s chest, gently telling her to stop.
Natasha panted, “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”
Maria shook her head but started to sit up. Natasha didn’t move from her lap.
“Did I- What do you want me to do?”
“Hey relax, I just think we should talk before we get ahead of ourselves.”
Natasha nodded and moved off Maria’s lap.
“So uhm, What does this mean is what I want to know.” Maria fiddles with the hen of her shirt.
“I like you.”
“I like you too. I like kissing you too.”
Natasha chuckled and nodded, “Me too.”
“But um- I don’t think i’m ready for anything else yet, is that okay?”
“Yeah that’s okay, we don’t have to do anything else Masha.”
Maria smiled at the nickname, “I’m sorry I’m not good at this… can I- hug you?”
Natasha nodded, “I’m not good at this either.” She spoke into Maria’s shoulder. Maria hugged her tight.
“I’m sorry I stopped you, I just thought we should- since we both- y’know?”
Natasha nodded and began to pull away, “I know, you’re smart, I’m glad you stopped us.”
“Do you- If we- sorry this is really awkward. Is there any place- sorry no i mean- if we um kiss again- make out- whatever! if we do anything, is there any place you want me to avoid because I don’t know what to do with my hands and I don’t want to touch you wrong- wait I mean I don’t want to touch somewhere you don’t want me to and I just-“
Natasha moved forward and pressed a quick kiss to Maria’s lips before pulling back.
“Sorry.”
“No it’s okay, I just didn’t want you to spiral further, I think if your face got anymore red you might have exploded.” Maria looked at her lap in embarrassment, “I don’t like my ribs or neck being touched.”
Maria looked up at that, “Thanks for telling me, I um- I don’t like my wrists- I don’t like my wrists being touched.”
Natasha nodded, “Okay thank you for tell me.”
“Can we- again?”
Natasha nodded and Maria pressed her lips to Natasha’s. Maria crawled forward with their lips still connected until Maria was mostly on top of Natasha. Natasha lasted another minute and a half before it became too much. Natasha frantically tapped Maria’s thigh and the brunette immediately broke the kiss and moved off the redhead.
“Are you okay?”
Natasha sat up quickly, “Sorry, yes i’m fine- I just need- Need a sec.”
“Let me get you some water.” Before Natasha could protest Maria had left the room and started filling up a glass of water at the kitchen sink. Carol quickly entered the kitchen as-well, she was about to make a joke before she saw Maria’s worried face.
“Hey kid, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine I just- I did something wrong,” Carol furrowed her eyebrows at Maria’s wording, “I kissed Natasha.”
“Oh. Did she not want that?”
“No she- she did I think- but um we stopped and talked and after we talked I asked if I could kiss her again and she said yes but then she tapped me and looked all freaked out so now I’m getting water.”
“Oh, well, It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong, you stopped and asked and talked and stopped when she wanted you to, you didn’t do anything wrong. Why do you think you did?”
“Because- I don’t know-”
The cup of water began to overflow and Carol turned the tap off, “Go give her some water and talk to her about what happened, and then talk to me later okay?”
Maria nodded and turned away.
“Ria?” Maria tuned back and Carol pulled her into a hug, “I’m really proud of you.”
Maria blushed and murmured her thanks before returning to the bedroom were Natasha sat curled into herself on the floor.
“Thank you.” she reached for the water and gulped it down.
“Yeah of course, can you tell me what happened? Was it something I did.”
Natasha shook her head, “It’s not your fault. I just didn’t like being under someone else.”
“So it was my fault.”
“No I just didn’t know I would react like that so I didn’t say anything- It’s not your fault Ria.”
“I- okay… Do you want to go out to the living room? They’re gonna start a movie.”
Natasha nodded and put the empty cup of water on Maria’s bed stand. They moved to the living room where they sat on the sofa next to Carol and Maria.
Monica sat in the middle of the room playing with several barbie’s.
“Ria!” Monica came running over with two dolls. Her ‘r’ pronunciation sounded more like an ‘e’. She handed one with dark hair to Maria and one with red hair to Natasha, “Ria!”
“Hey munchkin, this is my friend Natasha.”
“shasha!”
Natasha smiled softly, “Hi.”
“shasha!” Monica raised her hands above her head.
“She wants you to pick her up.” Carol leaned over to tell Natasha.
Natasha looked very scared, “Oh do I just-” Natasha place her hands under the toddlers arms and lifted her up, instead of bring her in close to hold her Natasha kept her arms extended. Maria laughed at the sight before helping Natasha settles the toddler on her lap.
“Shasha silly.” The toddler poked Natasha’s face.
“Monica, keep your hands to yourself, Natasha might not want you to touch her face.”
Monica didn’t respond but she didn’t poke her again either.
They waited a few more minutes until both Carol and Maria (R) got up.
“Okay sweetie it’s time for bed, let’s put your barbie’s away.”
“No! No bed!”
Monica suddenly tried to get down from Natasha’s lap however her leg got stuck and she began to fall face first off the couch. Out of instinct Natasha grabbed the young girls shirt and lowered her to the ground. This stopped her from smacking her head but the toddler still began screaming crying. Natasha looked at her hand as if she had been burned or had burned something with it.
Carol moved forward quickly and Natasha ducked her head into her knees. Natasha couldn’t see anything anymore which may not have been her smartest move but she could hear Carol’s shushing and the crying child move about the kitchen. Maria (R) began picking up the barbie’s and Maria (H) sat frozen next to Natasha.
Without a word Maria pulled Natasha into her chest, a hand was placed over her on ear, holding her head right over her heart, and the other was rubbing her back.
They sat like this for awhile, silent, even when Maria was done putting away barbie’s and Carol had gotten Monica to calm down. She only spoke went the parents had went to their room to put Monica down for bed.
“No one is mad at you, You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Natasha didn’t respond but Maria knew she was listening- holding onto her every word.
“It was an accident, no one blames you, you aren’t in trouble.”
“I hurt her.”
“You stopped her from getting more hurt.”
“I hurt her.”
“She’s two, everything hurts her.”
Natasha looked up, “What?”
“That came out wrong, I mean she overreacts, she’s a baby, literally.”
“I’m not getting punished?”
Maria shook her head sadly, “No, no one is going to hurt you.”
“I’m sorry,” she sounded more herself now, “Sometimes I forget-”
“I do it too, don’t worry about it.”
Once Maria and Carol came back and Nick had joined them Carol put on a film. James Bond, “From Russia with Love”
As the film played Natasha‘s newfound love for James Bond movies grew.
The Russian on the screen was untranslated but Natasha would snicker before translating it to Maria. Maria smiled every time Natasha would lean over to comment on it.
The film had ended much to fast for Natasha’s taste but she had to say she enjoyed laying in Maria’s bed while the brunette brushed her teeth and got changed.
She enjoyed even more when Maria joined her in the bed. It was nice to have a person she cared for so close. She threw her arm up onto the bed post and tried to sleep with Maria rolled in her arms.