Please let me love you
Melina is waiting in Robin’s office, standing stiffly, and flinches slightly when Robin enters.
Robin closed the door behind her, making her way to sit in her office chair. “Come here.”
Melina approached her, standing in front of her.
“I’m not mad at you,” Robin said before adding her nickname to ensure Melina that she meant it. “Sweet girl, I promise.”
Melina moves forward and straddles Robin so that she can wrap her arms around the taller woman, burying her face into Robin’s shoulder.
Robin immediately holds her back, cupping the back of her head and rubbing her back. “I’ve got you, sweet girl. I’m not angry.”
Melina shakes her head. “I punched you and you didn’t even bat an eye.” She murmurs against Robin’s neck. “I taught you to block that kind of punch and you didn’t even attempt to.”
“I made a big decision without consulting you,” Robin replies, stroking Melina’s hair. “I… deserved it.”
Melina pulls her head away from Robin’s shoulder to look at her with a frown. “You’re still the handler. You don’t have to consult me. I overstepped.”
“Maybe so,” Robin reached up to cup Melina’s cheek, feeling the woman nuzzle against her hand. “But you’re my wife and their mother. You deserve to have a say and for that, I’m sorry.”
“I hit you.” Melina repeats, her own hand coming up to gently cradle Robin’s jaw. “Don’t let me hit you again. Please…”
“Okay,” Robin said, twisting her head to press a kiss to Melina’s palm on the hand cupping her face. “Are we good?”
“No. You haven’t punished me yet,” Melina frowns, dropping her hand.
Robin’s eyes glance at the stand of bamboo sticks in the corner of the room. The bloodied and broken stick had been thrown away after Belka left.
Robin was hesitant to do it again. On one hand, she knew that Melina needed punishment in order to be able to move forward. On the other hand, what if she went too far and hurt her badly?
“Okay,” Robin nods her head. “You know how I want you.”
Melina pulls away, standing up and moving toward the wall.
Robin stands as well, moving toward the umbrella stand, and picks up one of the bamboo sticks. “Tell me why you’re getting swats.”
“I hit you,” Melina comments.
Robin hesitates, looking down at the bamboo stick. She was in a position of superiority and she was hitting them with a bamboo stick with no repercussions.
Robin inhales deeply. She was doing this to protect them from the general. Any of their mistakes were pinned on her.
Robin raised her arm and sends the first swat. She can’t make herself do any more than fifteen because Melina had been quietly taking it. She finally drops the stick back into the umbrella stand and moves toward Melina. “Come here.”
Melina pushes off of the wall and turns to let Robin envelop her into her arms. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” Robin kissed Melina’s forehead. “I love you.”
Melina sags against Robin at those three words. “I love you too, my love,” She mumbles softly, tucking her head just under Robin’s chin.
Robin sometimes feels like she’s taking advantage of Melina. She’s her handler and in a position to make Melina do things she wouldn’t usually do.
Robin doesn’t want to be taking advantage of Melina. Not her feelings or her body or her thoughts.
Robin just wants someone to love her for her, not because Robin could order them to.
But then moments like these, when Robin can just hold Melina close and feel the woman slowly relax in her arms, tells her that maybe she’s not doing as bad as she thought.
The way that Melina melts when Robin calls her ‘sweet girl’, the way the smaller woman seeks her out just to sit in her lap when Robin is doing paperwork, the way that they cuddle together at night…
Robin loves Melina. She’d love to be her actual wife someday. She lets herself take a few moments to live in the fantasy of her getting out of the Red Room and living peacefully with her wife and two children.
She’s broken out of her thoughts by Natasha knocking on the door, Yelena’s hand clutched protectively in hers.
Robin wasn’t expecting Rosalie on her doorstep. Rosalie grins at her but she is favoring her right side.
“Heya, doc,” Rosalie gives her a tight grin. “Went to visit home today.”
Robin ushers Rosalie in before she can draw attention to herself because Robin was almost sure that she was bleeding.
Melina had taken the children into Yelena’s room so that Robin could guide Rosalie upstairs and into her office.
“Status report?” Robin orders, pulling a pair of gloves on as Rosalie starts to unbutton her shirt.
“Broken ribs, maybe? A few cuts from a knife,” Rosalie lets out a hiss as she tries to pull her shirt off.
Robin moves forward and helps Rosalie ease out of her shirt, immediately met with bruising and cuts littering Rosalie’s stomach and ribs.
“Take a deep breath,” Robin pressed a few fingers against Rosalie’s side. Rosalie lets out a sharp hiss before taking a deep breath.
“You’ve definitely broken two ribs,” Robin frowns, twisting to grab a roll of tape to keep Rosalie’s ribs in place while they heal. She then grabs some gauze and starts to deal with the cuts so she could wrap Rosalie’s ribs.
Robin can feel Rosalie’s eyes on her as she works. There’s an uncomfortable silence in the office and Robin watches Rosalie briefly scan the room, her eyes resting on the umbrella stand a few moments longer than everything else.
Robin has to get up close with Rosalie to wrap her ribs. She can feel Rosalie shiver under her touch as she tapes her ribs into place.
Robin froze when she feels a pair of lips press against hers. It takes only a moment before Robin yanks away and slaps Rosalie hard.
“Jeez!” Rosalie yelps, rubbing her face.
“You do not get to kiss me!” Robin snaps at her harshly.
“What, you don’t like women?” Rosalie grins at her.
“I don’t enjoy being sexually assaulted!” Robin hissed, shoving at Rosalie. “If you even think about doing that again then there will be a gun in my hand next time!”
“It was just a kiss,” Rosalie scoffs but there’s an unsure look on her face.
“You think Widows are the only ones that the General likes to use? He calls me his pretty songbird--” Robin’s heart is pounding in her chest as she gets worked up. “I do not take being kissed without consent well.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” Rosalie shrinks in on herself, looking like a scolded child.
“Our agreement doesn’t mean that you get to kiss me. You don’t even get to hug me. You can’t even touch me unless you make it clear what you’re doing, do you understand me?” Robin asked harshly and Rosalie nods her head. “I am in charge, not you. You are a soldier, do not forget your place!”
“Yes ma’am,” The words leave Rosalie’s lips before she can help them, looking surprised after she agreed.
“Good. Get out of my house,” Robin grabs Rosalie’s shirt and throws it at her. “If you need me then call me, don’t show up at my home.”
“I don’t have your number,” Rosalie protests, struggling to pull her shirt back on.
Robin lets out a harsh sigh and turns, tearing a piece of paper from her desk and scribbling her phone number onto it before shoving it at Rosalie and then doing up the buttons on her shirt when Rosalie struggles with her taped ribs. “Get out.”
Rosalie leaves without a fuss and Robin pressed her head against the door after she’d locked it.
“Is she gone?” Melina questioned from the top of the stairs and Robin nods slightly. She hears Melina descend the stairs and sets a hand onto Robin’s shoulder. “You okay?”
Robin twists to look at Melina and the woman froze. Robin frowns in confusion, opening her mouth to ask what was wrong when Melina reaches out and rubs her thumb against Robin’s lip.
The nude lipstick that Rosalie wore was rubbed onto Melina’s thumb.
Robin herself had told Melina that she didn’t wear makeup. Melina wasn’t stupid, she knew it wasn’t Robin’s.
There’s a look of heartbreak and betrayal on Melina’s face and Robin put it there.
“I can explain--” Robin starts but Melina pulls away when Robin reaches for her.
“Don’t touch me!” Melina snaps at her and Robin watches helplessly as Melina marches upstairs and into their bedroom, the door closing behind her and the sound of a lock clicking into place echoes in the silence left behind.
Robin turns to look at a mirror by the front door, reaching up to wipe away the smear of lipstick left against her lips, her breath hitching slightly.
Robin furiously wipes it off of her face with the sleeve of her shirt until her lips and the skin around it are pink and irritated from the constant rubbing.
Robin can’t let herself be upset, gathering herself up as she heads upstairs to check in on the children to ensure that all the noise hadn’t spooked them.