Memories like photographs
Christmas approaches and Robin finally wraps the gifts she had stored in the closet for the two children. There weren’t many of them, Robin used her own money she had saved up over the years. It was mainly from her ‘bonus’s she got whenever she patched up the General himself or tortured someone well enough for him to be pleased.
Robin hadn’t wrapped gifts since she was a child. She enlists Melina’s help to wrap them, showing her how before letting her do her own thing.
Melina wraps the gifts perfectly, each crease meticulous and each present cleanly taped and labeled.
Christmas Eve approaches and Yelena jabbers on and on about Santa Clause to Natasha.
Natasha listens, peering up at Melina and Robin with confusion on her face. “Who is Santa Claus?” She whispers to Robin that night at dinner.
“He’s…” Robin takes a moment to think it over. “Kinda like Ded Moroz.”
Understanding flickers across Natasha’s face. Ded Moroz was like Santa Claus in a way, bringing gifts to well-mannered children but usually delivered them New Year's Eve instead.
Ded Moroz translates to Grandpa Frost. It’s not surprising he was more familiar to Natasha than Santa Claus was, Ded Moroz was popular in Eastern Slavic countries such as Belarus, Russian, and Ukraine.
“But he’s just a story,” Natasha murmurs to Robin, glancing to Yelena. “He’s not real.”
Robin knows that Santa Claus is not real but wherever Yelena had come from had fostered the belief in Christmas and Santa Claus. One more year of belief would hurt nothing.
“Perhaps not,” Robin said, reaching out to run a hand over Natasha’s hair. “But it’s just for one day. Eat up.”
Melina had made a turkey and they had mashed potatoes, green beans, and stuffing along with it.
Also all bought on Robin’s dime. The General had no control over what Robin bought with her own money.
So if Robin wanted to spoil her little family for a few days then she could.
There are Christmas movies playing on channel nine. For the first time since their fight about Robin not understanding what it means to be a Widow, Melina and Robin snuggle together closely on the couch, holding their children close. Yelena curls up against Robin while Natasha leans against Melina, her legs thrown over Robin’s lap.
The kids stay up long past their bedtime, until they’re falling asleep where they sit. Yelena only makes it through two movies before she falls asleep with her head tucked against Robin’s collar.
Natasha makes it through three, slowly slumping against Melina until she’s bobbing her head trying to stay awake.
Melina’s fingers gently tangle into Natasha’s hair, stroking her head until the child falls asleep.
Melina leans her head against Robin’s shoulder and Robin smiles, twisting her head to press a kiss to Melina’s forehead.
They hold their sleeping girls and watch one more movie. Robin rests her head against Melina’s, feeling Yelena’s breath on her neck as she lets out a sleepy sigh.
She wants to hold this moment close and remember it forever. She wishes she could just pause time and hold her girls close.
It’s near midnight by the time the fourth movie finishes and Robin finally shifts. Yelena lets out a soft sigh in her sleep, snuggling closer to Robin.
Robin changes Yelena into her pajamas and returns to where Melina was holding Natasha close, brushing her fingers over Natasha’s brow gently.
Robin gently scoops Natasha up, Melina standing and turning the television off, quickly pressing her lips to Natasha’s forehead before heading upstairs first.
Robin carries Natasha up to her room, setting the sleeping girl down in her bed and pulling the covers up over her.
Natasha stirs gently at the movement, reaching out to grasp the sleeve of Robin’s shirt. “Mama?” Her soft sleepy voice melted Robin’s heart.
“Yes, baby girl?” Robin questioned, smoothing Natasha’s hair back.
Natasha takes a moment as if trying to remember what she wanted to say through her sleepy haze. “I had fun.” She whispers as if it was a confession. “I liked Christmas Eve.”
“I’m so glad you had fun,” Robin leans down to press a kiss to Natasha’s forehead. “Go back to sleep, sweetheart.”
“M’kay,” Natasha lets Robin’s sleeve go and settles back down. Robin pulls away and smiles slightly before she leaves the room and heads to the master bedroom.
Melina helps Robin carry the gifts downstairs to set under the tree and they fill the stockings hanging over the fireplace. The whole thing takes an hour to set up and it’s nearing two in the morning by the time they finish and are in bed.
Melina curls into Robin, wrapping her arms around her as she settles down to sleep. Robin loves that Melina finally felt comfortable enough to snuggle up in bed again. She’d been missing holding her wife at night as much as Melina probably missed being held.
They’re woken up in the morning by Yelena yelling her little heart out. “Mama! Mama! Mommy! Christmas! Mommy! Christmas!”
Robin rolls over to check the clock and sighs when she sees it’s only six in the morning. Still, she kissed the top of Melina’s head. “We better get up before Yelena climbs over the bars of the crib.”
“My bet is Natasha will help her out first,” Melina murmurs against Robin’s neck. “Lemme sleep a little more, my love.”
It takes only five minutes of Yelena calling for somebody before she goes quiet and then the door to their bedroom opens a few moments later.
“There are my babies,” Robin mused as Yelena attempts to scale the bed. Natasha appears moments later, giving her sister a lift.
Melina lets out a soft chuckle as Yelena climbs over Robin to sit on her.
“Get up, mommy. Up!” Yelena squished Melina’s cheeks between her hands.
“I’m up, little dove,” Melina peppered Yelena’s face in kisses as she sits up. Natasha climbs up onto bed as well, eagerly curling into Robin’s outstretched arms.
“It’s Christmas, mommy,” Yelena bounces on Melina’s lap, a wide grin on her face. “Santa came!”
“Did he?” Melina grins at Yelena’s enthusiasm. “We better go see, right?”
Yelena nods, pulling away from Melina to try and clamber down the bed. Melina chuckles, helping her down. Natasha pulls away from Robin to follow them down. Robin ensures to grab her camera on the way down.
Natasha is frozen in the entryway to the living room, staring at the presents under the tree. Robin slides up behind her, setting a hand onto her shoulder gently. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“Some of those are mine?” Natasha whispers, her gaze flickering to looking at her stocking hanging on the mantle which was obviously filled.
Robin pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “Of course, baby girl.”
Natasha twists and throws her arms around Robin’s waist. “I didn’t do anything to earn it.” She whispers into Robin’s shirt.
“Just this once, you don’t need to do anything to earn it,” Robin promised, cupping the back of her head. “Shall we go see what is in your stocking?”
Natasha nods her head into Robin’s shirt before pulling away and slowly walking into the living room. She takes a seat next to where Melina has settled Yelena down on the carpet. Melina lifts their stockings from the fireplace and sets them down in front of them.
Yelena eagerly dumps her stocking to rifle through it, gasping with joy with what she finds. Natasha slowly picks her way through hers, taking a moment to admire each piece of candy or small trinket she finds.
By the time they’ve gone through their stockings, Yelena immediately picks up the first gift closest to her, shoving it out to Melina. “What’s it say, mommy?”
Melina taps the label. “You can read it. Who is it for, hmm?”
Yelena peers down at the label for a few moments before she grins and shoves the present toward Natasha. “It’s for Nattie!”
Natasha glances up at Robin. “That’s my name.” She breathes out softly, brushing her fingers over the NATASHA scrawled out across the label on the gift.
Robin inclines her head. “It is. It’s for you.”
Melina was helping Yelena pick one out with her name on it.
“It’s mine?” Natasha asks, her fingers gently rubbing over the wrapping paper. At Robin’s nod, she looks down at it. “I can open it?”
“You can open all the gifts with your name on it,” Robin kneels down onto the ground next to Natasha.
“When do I open it?” Natasha glances at Yelena who was already ripping paper from her first gift. “Now?”
“Whenever you’re ready,” Robin said and Natasha stares own at the gift for a few more moments before turning it over in her hands until she finds one of the pieces of tape and slowly unwraps her gift instead of tearing it off like Yelena.
“More blocks!” Came Yelena’s delighted shriek, shaking the box of blocks that had the Russian alphabet on them rather than the English one.
Natasha finally gets her first gift open. “This is mine?” She asked Robin, holding up the soft knitted sweater in a baby blue color.
“All yours,” Robin nods her head, watching as Natasha gently rubs the fabric between her fingers before bringing the knitted fabric up to her face to gently rub her cheek against it.
“It’s soft,” Natasha comments quietly before glancing up at Robin. “Can I wear it?”
“Of course you can, it’s yours,” Robin nods her head, watching as Natasha quickly pulls the sweater on over her pajama top. “Does it fit?”
Natasha nods her head, a soft smile gracing her face as she nuzzles into the fabric. Yelena is already on her third gift, excitedly babbling away to Melina.
Melina passes Natasha her next gift and the girl repeats the same process of opening it. Yelena finishes her gifts and asks to help Natasha open the rest of hers.
Natasha agrees and Yelena eagerly helps shred open the rest of Natasha’s gifts.
There are a few gifts left under the tree when the girls finished.
Yelena pulls one out, frowning after a few moments of trying to read the label. “Who is it?” She shoves the gift at Natasha.
“That’s for mommy,” Natasha said, holding the gift out to Melina. “It says Melina.”
“That’s not mommy’s name,” Yelena huffs.
“What is my name then?” Melina takes the gift with an amused smile but Robin can see the uncertainty of having received a gift.
“Mommy.” Yelena answers with absolute certainty and it makes Robin grin.
“And what’s my name?” Robin questioned, watching as Yelena blinks up at her in confusion.
“Mama,” Yelena said. She points a finger up at Robin. “Mama.” She points at Melina. “Mommy.”
“Thank you, little one,” Robin chuckles. “Let’s see what mommy got then, huh?”
Melina looks down at the gift in her lap before she slides her finger under the tape to unwrap it as Natasha did with hers.
Inside was a simple ring with their initials engraved on the inside of the band.
“R.A. N.R. Y.B.” Melina runs her finger over the marks on the inside. “What does A stand for?”
“My last name before we got married,” Robin said and Melina glances up at her. “Andromache.”
“Robin Andromache,” Melina echoes softly before pulling the ring onto her finger. “Natasha Romanov, and Yelena Belova.”
There was another gift for Melina under the tree, this time one that Robin had helped the children pick out for Melina.
The penmanship on the label was clearly Natasha’s careful scrawl and Melina noticed it.
“And who is this from?” Melina asked them and Yelena lets out a grin.
“Me and Nattie, mommy,” Yelena eagerly tells her.
Melina carefully unwraps this one in the same way, glancing down at the obviously hand-painted mug that the girls had worked very hard on after school before Melina came home.
“It’s for your coffee in the morning, mommy,” Yelena tells Melina and bounces on her feet.
“Oh, my girls, this is wonderful. I love it,” Melina’s fingers trail over the hearts near the handle of the mug before she brushes over the portrait of her Yelena had painted on the front. “Come here, give me a hug.”
Yelena throws her arms around Melina, grinning when she’s scooped up and her face is peppered with kisses. Melina holds her other arm out for Natasha and the girl shuffles forward before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Melina.
“There are still gifts under the tree,” Melina points out and Robin doesn’t recognize them.
Yelena pulls away to move toward the gifts and picks up the first one, peering down at it. “This one is for a birdie!” She laughs.
“That’s mine, little one,” Robin glances down at the label, sure enough, her name is on it.
Robin tears the paper off like she remembers doing as a child. She can’t remember the last time she received a gift that wasn’t dirty money from the General.
Inside was a piece of jewelry but unlike Melina’s ring, this was a watch. It was silver and heavy and Robin turns it over in her hands at Melina’s prompting.
OH. 1992
For my love
M.V N.R Y.B
Both gifts to remember Ohio and their family, both pieces of jewelry they’d be allowed to keep with no one any wiser for it.
“It’s beautiful,” Robin comments, gently sliding it onto her wrist and admiring it. “Thank you.”
“This one is from me and Nattie!” Yelena holds up the last gift to Robin, ‘MAMA’ scribbled across the front in the writing that definitely came from Yelena.
Inside was a locket shaped like an oval and when opened, Robin is met with cutouts from a photo she recognizes.
They took it the day they went to the fair with Elliot’s family. The left side held Natasha’s grinning face while the left side held Yelena’s. Both of them had stained purple lips from cotton candy and the photo had been caught in a moment of laughter shortly after they went through the mirror maze.
“Mama?” Yelena prompts and Robin glances up at the two waiting faces of her children, trying to tell whether she liked the gift or not.
“It’s perfect,” Robin said, holding her arms out. “Come here, my little ones.”
Yelena and Natasha pile onto her for a hug and Robin kisses their heads, holding them close for a few moments.
Reminders that will last long after the mission is over with. Of what she has to lose.
Robin gestures for Melina to join them and the little family gathers in a group hug for their first and possibly last Christmas together.