Chapter 9
2013, 4 April
"Nat?" Maria sleepily murmurs as she turns off her alarm on her phone.
There's no reply. Maria peels an eye open and she sees the side empty.
Maria sighs and gets up to go get ready.
It's 5am, what could Natasha possibly be doing?
She's brushed her teeth and changed when she hears some swearing from the kitchen.
Maria smiles and heads over.
"What's this?" Maria raises an eyebrow at the pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs and donuts laid out on the dining table. Natasha, Yelena and Galina are staring at her nervously, almost as if waiting for a reaction.
"Happy birthday Masha," Natasha says.
Oh. Oh.
"Thanks, wow. Uhm," Maria walks over and kisses Natasha, hoping to convey all her feelings in that action.
Natasha kisses back fiercely, hands moving back to cup Maria's neck and tugging on a few loose strands of hair.
Yelena and Galina let this go on for a minute before Yelena clears her throat loudly.
Natasha and Maria break apart with a gasp.
"As sweet as this is, we spent like two hours making this, and apparently Natasha can't do anything except fry eggs. You really picked a gem Mom," Galina sarcastically says.
"Oh my god you can fry eggs now?" Maria teases.
"Shut up, at least we didn't relive 2009, Paris," Natasha grumbles.
"You mean when you nearly burned down the S.H.I.E.L.D. office kitchen when you were dropping by to drop off intel? When you were, you said, and I quote, 'Trying to boil water for my coffee but food and drinks hate me, there are enemies all around me Masha, all around'?"
Natasha pouts as Yelena and Galina laugh until they were wheezing and Maria chuckles.
"Mean and traitors, all of you," Natasha complains.
"But hey, you didn't burn down the kitchen this time. Lets go eat, I want food," Yelena says.
Yelena and Galina leave to stack more food for themselves.
Natasha puts her hands on Maria's hips and Maria does the same, smiling softly.
"Happy birthday Masha, we can't drink in the morning because we aren't Tony Stark, but we can do it later."
Maria rests her forehead on Natasha's.
"Yeah?"
"Without the kids. They can't drink. We'll drop them off at Clint's for the night. I've got a reservation at this restaurant that serves some mean Southeast Asian food. It's relatively new, but Melinda told me about it."
"Hmm, but I'm paying."
"Nonsense, its your day. Now, go eat your breakfast and I'll drop the kids off. See you at 8, no excuses, you hear me Commander Hill?"
"Aye aye tiny agent."
"Jackass."
"Yours. Forever."
Natasha's breath hitches and she pulls Maria in for another kiss.
They break apart when Yelena closes the kitchen door not-so-subtly, faint laughter coming from the dining table from the two little she-devils.