Chapter Text
“It’s Christmas, sestra! Look at all the gifts we got,” the younger of two kids squeals excitedly.
“Yelena, it’s the middle of July. We’re just playing pretend,” Natasha hates to bring her sister back down to earth, but it’s true. “Come sit. We have to take more pictures.”
“Oh.”
In the background, a song plays - a song that will get her through the hardest days ahead of her (though she didn’t know this yet, of course).
You and I must make a pact
We must bring salvation back
Where there is love, I'll be there
I'll be there to comfort you
Fill my world with dreams around you
I'm so glad that I found you
I'll be there with love that strong
I'll be your strength; I’ll keep holding on
Just call my name I'll be there
Just look over your shoulders, honey
*****
The last good memory Natasha has of the year 1995 revolves around the fireflies appearing in their backyard in Ohio after Yelena dramatically hurt her knee while playing.
Years and years pass, as her kill count increased as dramatically as the trauma she endured, she’s hit with unexpected nostalgia whilst completing a semi-successful mission, escaping from the marks who have made her and are now shooting at her.
Two hours from Kuala Lumpur is the Selangor river. Natasha would love to say that she enjoyed their tourist offerings of many fruit stalls with the freshest coconuts and some sweeping views. But instead she is on the run, about to go for an unwanted swim, when she chimes into the comms:
“Hey, look at those lamp bugs! Their butts light up and scientists decided to call it bioluminescence. Very classy name for what it actually is, right?”
On the receiving end is a frustrated Maria Hill. “Natasha, please focus. They are in pursuit and you need to shake off your tail ASAP.”
“I am! I am so focused on the bad guys and the fireflies. Wow, I have never seen this many before. Do you know what you and they have in common?”
Falling for an obvious trap, Maria asks anyway, "What?"
"Your butt also lights up my world. Later, Commander!" Bidding adieu and jumping into the river.
Maria wouldn’t admit it until years later, but warmth bloomed in her chest; that was the first day Natasha won her over - not for her skills, but for her resilience and childlike tendencies.
*****
Resilience and childlike tendencies, indeed. As Natasha surfed along Manhattan on the back of Chitauri, Maria would bet that the Russian was having an absolute blast despite being so close to death.
“Just look over your shoulders, honey,” Maria teases, and it makes Natasha smile, looking up behind her and at the drone accompanying her, Hill behind the proverbial wheel.
It has been an inside joke between the two ever since Natasha shyly revealed one night - vulnerable, soft, post-coitus - that the song brings nothing but good memories whenever she hears it.
“Guys, we are all tapped in to comms,” Clint fake gags.
“Wait, that wasn’t a couple-y message, that was a Michael Jackson lyric!” Tony shrieks, nearly damaging his teammates’ ear drums. “Hill, tell us honestly: do you know how to moonwalk? I’ll ask JARVIS if he has footage right now.”
“I have been to the moon, yes,” Maria quipped dryly. “JARVIS, you know what to do.”
“You’ll have to take me with you next time,” Natasha requests.
“Ma’am, yes, ma’am,” followed by an automatic salute despite no one seeing her.
*****
On the other side of the world, Melina is hard at work with her obedient pigs and, unknowingly, equally obedient super soldiers and unwilling spies.
After HYDRA’s infiltration of the North Institute in Ohio, successfully taking over the front for SHIELD scientists, they were unstoppable with a solid research baseline and unlimited resource for testing. “The world has too many girls,” Dreykov would always say. “Today, we steal the key to unlocking free will.”
Meanwhile in DC, Nick Fury has officially been assassinated.
(Unofficially, Project Insight is still set to be destroyed. The Winter Soldier is hunting down the team responsible for this.)
And doesn’t he already know? Natasha Romanoff is a better shot when she’s pissed off.
*****
Unbeknownst to many, Maria Hill does enjoy a rare time off.
This time, it’s necessary since SHIELD is no longer, and they are technically on the run from one Thaddeus Ross. But there’s something endearing about Natasha during a long drive with her feet up, hands ever-fumbling with the radio, craning her neck from time to time to check on the black cat in the backseat.
“You two try not to have too much fun without me.”
“She’ll miss you, as she always does.”
“Only the cat will miss me, Hill? That’s kinda rude.”
“Ahh, I may have a lonely night or two. I’m mostly jealous I won’t get to see Norway’s waterfalls, the cliffs, their fjords.”
“You can come with,” Natasha does not beg, but this tone was a shade short of pleading. “You can, you know… try their salmon?”
Maria sighs. “We both know I can’t. But we will come back another time.”
On and on she drives, knowing there may not be another time.
*****
Months later, Natasha is behind the wheel in a much more unpleasant situation.
I can’t catch a break, can I?
This second round of destruction in Budapest is on her hands and this time, she doesn’t know why.
What are these vials for and who is this maniac who seems to know our every move?
“What’s the plan?” Yelena asks, hysterical, not for the first time in five minutes.
“I’m driving us out of here.”
“That’s a shit plan.”
And the rest is history in Seventh Circle Prison, St. Petersburg, even the fucking sky, which is apparently where the Red Room has been hiding.