Thank you for being patient! Here is a new chapter for you. Half-proof read, so if there are mistakes, it's on me ;)

July 13, 2024

A lot of time to enjoy her break, Katya didn't get. Because hey, when did she ever get a moment to relax and take a breath?

But, unlike the past hundred times, this interruption wasn't a bad one. It was surprising, sure, but she could never think saving someone from themselves was an unwelcome thing. She would absolutely drop everything and run to them if needed, including a well-deserved vacation.

This "vacation" lasted a total of five days after returning from Clint and Laura's. In this time, Katya had binged two seasons of her new show, and visited work to talk with Brianna about her return. She hated that she had to drop work so quickly after starting it. So, after her summer holiday to Italy, she'd return to the gym with the same hours as before. The prospect made her incredibly happy. Time for some rhythm in their lives.

Right now, almost a week after telling the Bartons her secret, Katya crawled under the covers of her queen-sized bed, reaching for the light switch. Natasha had already settled in, kicking the covers and pulling them up to her waist until she lay comfortably for the night, waiting for Katya to shut off the lights and cuddle up to her.

The weather was still incredibly nice, warm mostly. The brunette had spent the whole day lounging on the porch, reading a book or watching Maya kick her soccer ball around in the yard. And this evening, they'd played some Monopoly until the porch light became a necessity and they decided ten PM was a good time to find their beds.

But as Katya's hand reached for the small light on her nightstand, it froze mid-air, her gut feeling suddenly going off as some sort of internal alarm. Beside her, Natasha immediately perked up, feeling her wife tense. She propped herself up on her elbows, brows meeting in the middle.

''Is something wrong?''

Katya shook her head, glancing at Mimosa who peacefully slept at the foot end. ''I thought I felt something, but maybe not.'' She briefly looked at her wife. ''Did you lock the doors?''

Natasha hummed, still worried. ''All of them.''

''Then it's probably nothing.'' She shrugged, switching the light off and lying down. But her words were braver than the unease swirling in her stomach. Her gut feeling was never wrong, after all.

"Are you sure? I can check again."

A smile crept up on Katya's face, but she turned to her side and scooted backwards until Natasha could spoon her comfortably. "No, it's fine. Thank you, though."

It never took long to fall asleep with Natasha's strong arms safely wrapped around her, no matter how busy her head was. It was no different tonight, the house falling into a peaceful silence. But Katya swore that when her phone went off, it was way too early in the morning.

In all of her sleepiness and grogginess, she first thought it was their alarm, only to realize they didn't set one, and that it was the wrong ringtone. Someone was calling her, but the alarm clock on her nightstand said it had only been one-and-a-half hours since they went to bed. Either one of their friends thought they were night owls, or someone needed her desperately.

She pulled away from Natasha's embrace and reached for the phone with her eyes half open, pressing the green button clumsily. ''Hello?''

It took a moment, as if the person on the other end of the call hesitated. But then, the absolute last person she ever expected to call her, spoke timidly.

''Katya, I'm so sorry to bother you.''

Katya was suddenly wide awake, scrambling upright in bed. ''Wait, Jordyn?''

She hadn't seen or thought about the young woman in months. The drama in her own life had made her completely forget about other things, like work and the people in it. Fragile Jordyn was one of those people. But now that Katya had her on this phone call, all the worry crashed down on her at once. Jordyn wasn't someone who called for fun in the middle of the night.

''I'm so sorry, I didn't know who else to call." Her voice trembled and sounded like it was being squeezed in her throat. "I shouldn't have. I don't know...'' It was the tone of a person who was afraid they'd upset someone and regretted the decision to disturb them.

Natasha picked her head up from the pillow groggily, eyes filled with concern. ''Honey?'' But Katya silenced her with a gesture of her hand, focusing on reading Jordyn's voice and the background sounds.

''No, hey, Jordan, it's okay. You can call me any time," Katya rushed to assure her before she could hang up. The woman was in clear distress and needed a calm voice. "What's going on?''

Again, it stayed silent for a moment, as if Jordyn tried to decide whether to tell her or not. Katya knew that difficult step better than anyone; had been in that position more often than she'd like to admit. Suffering alone was so tempting. It took serious courage to tell and trust another. But the fact that Jordyn called said she wanted help.

''My mom... We don't get along very well.''

It was clear that she didn't want to disclose any more over the phone, which Katya respected. But the fact that Jordyn seemed to be outside, cars zooming past her in the background, worried the Russian a lot more. The fight with her mom had caused her to flee home.

''Where are you?''

''I have no idea.'' Jordyn's breathing was quick, too quick. Faster than that of someone casually walking down the street. She was scared out of her mind, and that fear shone through.

Katya only had to glance at Natasha's expectant expression once to make a decision. ''Send me your location. I'll come pick you up.'' She threw the covers off, blindly looking for some clothes to chuck on with the phone pressed to her ear. Natasha was next to her immediately, handing her a sweatshirt and some pants like the personification of calmness.

''No. No, that's really not what I meant, or wanted. Please, don't bother.'' Jordyn protested heavily, nearly starting to panic at this point. But Katya wasn't taking no for an answer, because the people who didn't want help were the ones needing it the most.

''Sweetheart, there's a reason you called me. Purposely or not." She put the phone on speaker and threw it on the bed while she rapidly got dressed, her actions ten times as wild as her soothing voice. "I need you to find somewhere safe to wait, like a diner or gas station. Go inside, don't talk to anyone, but make sure the worker sees you. Stay right there. I'm picking you up, and we'll figure it all out tomorrow, okay?''

''No, Katya, really-''

''Jordan." Katya stopped and brought the phone back to her ear. Her strict voice came out, the one with authority. "I'm coming to pick you up, end of discussion. Let me help you.'' Jordyn had no choice but to agree. And she did so, timidly.

''Okay. Thank you.''

Katya's shoulders relaxed, trusting the woman on her word. Jordyn was the responsible, 'grew up too early' type who would follow directions perfectly. ''Send me your location as soon as you have found a spot. I'll drive as fast as I can. Stay on the line.'' Katya brought the phone down to her chest after muting herself, impatiently looking at Natasha. "Can you-"

"I'll get the guest room ready. Go. Drive safe. Be careful.'' Natasha nearly pushed her out of the room, and Katya's heart swelled with love. They hadn't needed to share a single word to be on the same wavelength. No discussions whether to take Jordyn in or not, no need to convince Natasha of anything. The woman was right there beside her.

"Always," Katya muttered automatically, wrapping her fingers around Natasha's chin and pressing a kiss to her lips. The sentiment could be tasted in it. ''I love you.''

''I love you too.'' She smiled back. And then, Katya was off.

She knew vaguely where Jordyn lived, so she drove in that direction in the dead of night while waiting for the woman's text, no time to panic over driving a car again. A thousand different scenarios of what could have happened went through her head, but that all faded away once Jordyn sent her location; a small 24-hour diner on the east side of the city. Within no-time, Katya had reached it, throwing the car into park and rushing into the building.

Jordyn had done exactly what she was ordered, sitting at a table in clear sight of the staff, head down, fiddling with her phone and sleeves. She hadn't ordered anything and did not look approachable, not even looking up when Katya made the bell above the door jingle.

''Jordyn?" She said softly, carefully stepping closer as one would do to a scared animal. Jordyn's reaction wasn't far off to one either, her head whipping up, eyes alert. They only softened once she realized who had called her name. Katya smiled kindly, beckoning her over. "Hey, let's go.''

The woman nodded timidly, keeping her head down as she stood and followed her to the car. It looked like the guilt of calling and making Katya come all the way over here, weighed on her shoulders. Again, a feeling the Russian knew all too well. Never bother someone else with your problems, right?

Slowly and carefully, Jordyn climbed into the SUV, quietly buckling herself up as if to draw the least amount of attention to herself. As if by moving slowly and silently, Katya would forget she was there. Her eyes stayed on the road, hands covered by the sleeves of the black zip-up hoodie she wore, fiddling with it constantly.

"Thank you again," she finally said after a minute of silently driving. Katya wasn't even sure at first if she had spoken, since a glance at the woman let her appear seemingly motionless.

"No need to thank me. I'm really glad you called me. I sleep a whole lot better knowing you're safe."

Jordyn threw a cautious look in her direction, taking in Katya's gentle smile warily. She did not relax; a school example of someone who no longer trusted other people or their words. "I hope I didn't cause any trouble."

"If you meant Nat, she's more than fine with you coming over," Katya assured her, gaining the absolute tiniest of smiles before it completely faded again. Jordyn was way too nervous to focus on anything else but the anxiety racing through her body. Whatever had happened with her mother, it had shaken her.

Maybe some music would be able to relax her a bit, take both their minds to someplace else. So, Katya turned on the radio, only to grimace awkwardly at what music she had in store.

"Sorry, do you like Taylor? My daughter only lets me have this on here," she asked while the lyrics to the singer's latest album rang through the speakers softly.

But Jordyn didn't seem to mind, shrugging almost unnoticeably. "It's fine. I like her."

No more words were shared between the two of them the rest of the journey home. Katya tried hard to ignore the unease radiating off the woman next to her, while Jordyn tried to make herself invisible the entire time, watching as the light of the city turned into the darkness of the suburbs.

If Katya's hearing was better, she swore she would have been able to hear the woman's heart pound against her ribcage the closer they got to their destination. That had nothing to do with their fragile relationship - based on the fact they'd only seen each other for two hours a week at the gym, a couple weeks long - but rather Jordyn feeling like she shouldn't be there, didn't deserve it. And for a second there, Katya thought she'd cry when the car pulled up on the driveway.

''Here we are,'' she announced, as if it wasn't the most obvious thing ever, just to have something to say. The silence was deafening when she turned the engine off and the music cut away. Darkness consumed the car and its surroundings, the only light coming from the porch lantern. It was too cloudy for the moon to make an appearance, so it felt like they were in a weird vacuum of eerie silence.

The dashboard clock read one AM.

They got out quietly, closing the car doors as if they were made of porcelain. Maya slept at the front of the house and had no idea yet of the things happening right now. That is, if she didn't wake up because of Natasha rummaging around.

''My daughter and Nat are sleeping," Katya again felt the need to explain, as if Jordyn hadn't figured that out by the lack of greeting as they walked into the kitchen. She flicked on a small light and reached for the overhead cabinet for a glass. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?''

Jordyn stood awkwardly by the kitchen island, resting her hands on top of it as if she was afraid it wasn't allowed. ''Just some water is fine, thank you.'' Her eyes hesitantly started to wander while Katya filled their glasses, taking in the kitchen and living room for as far as she could see. It looked strangely homey and warm, not exactly what she'd had expected from two ex-spies. And when a cat also came running, Jordyn couldn't help but let her eyebrows raise. ''Hello.'' A meow echoed back at her.

Katya looked over her shoulder, smiling when she saw Jordyn crouch to pet the willing animal. ''That's Liho, Nat's cat. We have a ginger one too, Mimosa, but he likes to sleep on our bed.'' A warm, cozy bed, which sounded very appealing right about now.

But she put the glasses of water on the island and pushed one over to Jordyn, who regretfully abandoned the cat to sit on one of the stools. She nipped at the water slowly, staring into it like it would reflect the answers back at her. Anything to make this silence more bearable. Katya thought she looked like a child who had done something wrong and waited on punishment.

''Do you want to talk about what happened, or shall we touch on that tomorrow?''

Despite asking gently, Jordyn reacted like Katya had shocked her. ''Not now, please.'' She seemed to beg, panic starting to show on her face.

''That's okay. Let me show you the guest bedroom,'' Katya smiled reassuringly. The glasses of water were abandoned as they quietly climbed the stairs, Katya stepping around the creaking floorboards, Jordyn cringing every time that horrible sound filled the hallway. A gust of wind blew into their faces when the brunette opened the door, her heart warming once she saw the fresh sheets and the open window. ''Nat opened the window to let some fresh air in. If it's too cold, there's an extra blanket in the closet. The bathroom is through there.''

Jordyn stood on the small rug by the bed, hands in the pockets of her hoodie, an emotional gleam in her eyes as she looked around. ''It's great, more than I could ask for.''

Katya smiled and nodded. ''Give me a second.'' Jordyn was wearing pants not made for sleeping - understandably so - so Katya carefully opened the door to her own bedroom to retrieve some pajamas for her.

To nobody's surprise, Natasha immediately picked her head up from the pillow, wide awake. She had not slept at all and lay waiting for her wife to come back; worried, curious. ''And?''

''She's rattled," Katya whispered, taking in consideration the open door as she rummaged through the closet. "But other than that, I think she'll be fine.'' She sent Natasha a warm smile when she left again, pajamas in hand. Jordyn stood in the same spot as before, staring at the bed. ''Here.''

Jordyn rapidly shook her head, backing away from the offered clothing. ''Oh, no, I couldn't.''

''I insist," Katya pressed, pushing the bundle of fabric into her arms. Jordyn had no clue on how to respond to all this kindness, awkwardly hugging the clothes to her chest with a grimace on her face. "Sleep however long you want. We have nothing on the planning tomorrow, so Nat and I will be home the whole day. When you're awake, come down for breakfast. For now, just try to get some sleep, yeah?''

Reluctantly, Jordyn nodded, looking down at her hands. She shuffled on her feet and picked at the fabric of the shirt Katya had given her. ''Thank you. I didn't know what else to do.''

''You always have a place to stay here." Katya smiled, truly meaning those words. Can't be an Avenger without having a knack of taking in strangers. ''If you need me, my room is across the hall. Don't be scared to knock.'' Her feet backed up towards the door. "Goodnight."

''Goodnight.''

Sleepily, Katya went to find her own bed, only realizing how tired she actually was when she pulled her pants and sweater off and fell onto the mattress. Natasha was right there to tuck her in and get her comfortable, more awake than her. "Thank you again for getting the room ready."

"Of course," Natasha muttered, pulling her close right when she yawned excessively. That sight never failed to make her heart swell. "Do you want to talk or sleep?"

Katya sighed, burying her face into her shoulder. "Try to sleep. I'll tell you all tomorrow morning."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Night."

"I love you." She smiled when Katya mumbled something back that vaguely sounded like those three words, halfway to sleep already.

When morning came around, the events of last night felt like they'd been dreamed up, a distant memory. The sound of a phone, a blonde girl sitting in a badly lit diner, the kind of loaded silence between two individuals that makes skin crawl, a surge of protectiveness; they were the only things Katya could remember at first thought.

"What time is it?" She sighed, turning onto her side and pulling the covers up to her chin. She already felt that Natasha was awake, watching her. People radiated a stronger energy when they were awake than when they slept.

"Around eight."

Not too bad.

A barely-there hum slipped past her lips, feeling too tired to make a louder noise. That nightly drive hadn't done her rest any good. "Is anyone else awake?"

"Haven't heard anything."

Natasha sounded suspiciously alert, so Katya squinted her eyes open to find the woman indeed wide awake, resting on her side, supporting her head with her hand. A small smile lay on her lips as she stared down at her wife, almost teasingly, with a twinkle in her eyes.

"How long have you been awake?"

The smile grew bigger and curled into a smirk on one side. "About forty-five minutes or so."

Katya's eyes narrowed accusingly, having a feeling where this was going. "And what have you been doing all that time?"

Natasha finally fully grinned. "Watching you sleep." She chuckled when Katya rolled her eyes and muttered "creep". That only showed how tired she must be, though, because usually, being watched would have woken her up. "More questions, Agent Petrova?"

Again, an eye roll followed.

"Ugh, shut up."

Natasha chuckled, reaching out and brushing Katya's hair away from her face, draping it over the pillow delicately. That touch brought the connection to reality that the brunette needed to no longer avoid the elephant in the room. Or, in this case, the elephant in the guest bedroom.

"I did not dream last night, did I?"

Her tone had Natasha's face falling, her hand retreating to her body. "I'm afraid not, no."

Katya sighed once more, eyebrows furrowing as she turned onto her back to stare at the ceiling. She didn't mind Jordyn being here at all, but the reason why, that did bother her. ''She said she had a fight with her mom. Don't think there's a dad. Never heard her mention one.''

Slowly, Natasha nodded her head, her eyes raking over Katya's face intently. She could see how much her wife cared. ''What else do we know?''

"Not much." Her brows creased more the deeper she thought. Reality was, though, she knew barely anything about Jordyn. "I'm thinking she has some bad sort of trauma. Violence, maybe, or assault. After all, she asked for my help practicing getting out of a 'certain situation', and she displays a lot of signs." Her head fell to the side to look at Natasha. "Other than that, I know nothing about her except that she's very sweet."

"So, we have a dreaded conversation ahead of us," Natasha concluded reluctantly, glancing at the door and the direction Jordyn hopefully still was. "Great."

"I'm afraid so."

A silence settled over the room. In their heads, last night and past events with their guest as the main character replayed. Or Katya's brain replayed it, at least, pulling up every thing Jordyn had ever said to her, the woman's behavior, the general energy she put out... She worried, mostly.

And where Natasha, of course, worried for Jordyn as well, there was another person she kept a close eye on. Now maybe more than before. Katya. Because not processing things correctly and throwing herself in a new distraction sounded like a familiar threat. It was her job and duty as a wife and friend to make sure she didn't put herself aside completely.

And right now, Natasha took in the far-away, deeply concerned look on Katya's face - it wasn't hard to guess what had completely taken over her thoughts - and couldn't not say anything.

"Okay, don't hate me," she started carefully as Katya's expectant eyes focused on her, "but are you sure you're up for this? You're kind of in the middle of processing your own trauma." But Katya already shook her head while she spoke.

"I can't just leave her to deal with this on her own. She needs my help, so I'm helping." It felt like her calling. As if she was destined to give Jordyn the same peace she had just found herself. In fact, the timing was ironic.

"Yeah." A defeated but loving smile broke through Natasha's concerned expression. "I thought you'd say that. You're way too compassionate to let this go."

Katya laughed at the hint of pettiness in her tone. One completely fabricated, because if this did bother her, Natasha would have said so. "And I could never hate you," she teased, pushing herself up on her elbow to kiss her briefly, an opportunity Natasha took to pull Katya on top of her.

A small smirk lay on her lips as she answered, "Never say never."

After mandatory morning cuddles, Natasha decided to go for a run and Katya for a shower. She didn't want to be gone when Jordyn woke up, and made her shower quick to then spend a long time making breakfast in the kitchen, the place she told Jordyn to go after she woke up.

The hot water kettle shuddered on the counter and butter melted in the pan when there was creaking on the stairs. Katya smiled to herself as she spread the butter around, but didn't turn to look until the footsteps reached the kitchen. They were slow, cautious, as was the expression on Jordyn's face as she stood uneasily in the doorway, fiddling with her phone.

"Oh, hey, good morning." Katya smiled kindly, half turned around and spatula in hand. Jordyn looked tired and tense as she wore the long pajama pants she had been given last night, and the hoodie Katya found her in, but did her best not to show it.

"Hey." She tried to smile back, holding up her dead phone. "Do you have a charger?"

"Yes, there's one in the drawer to your left." Katya pointed at it with her spatula, watching the woman carefully open the drawer and fishing the thing out. It was their trash drawer that every household had.

"Thank you." Jordyn plugged it into the wall and then climbed onto a stool at the kitchen island, clasping her hands together to fiddle with her fingers. Katya tried not to make it obvious that she studied her, cracking three eggs and dropping them into the pan. But the reality was that she was highly aware of every little sign Jordyn gave off.

"Egg? Toast? Bacon?"

Jordyn looked up from her hands and into Katya's sweet smile, her cheeks slightly reddening as she was offered something kind. But the thought of making Katya go through the trouble of preparing that food for her, had her quickly shaking her head. "No, thank you, I'm okay."

"Cereal? Yoghurt? Fruit?" Katya continued, not taking no for a final answer when it came to breakfast. She was not surprised when Jordyn picked the least intimidating option.

"Cereal is fine."

She nodded and opened the cupboard, uncovering at least seven different kinds of cereal, from chocolate to fruity ones. "Take your pick." She joked with a chuckle, seeing Jordyn's surprise. "Don't ask why there's so many. Milk is in the fridge door."

"Thank you." A shy smile tugged on her lips as she got up from her stool and slowly collected breakfast. Katya noted she was sparse with the cereal and milk, not wanting to claim too much for herself. She returned to her stool after that, slowly scooping it into her mouth.

The atmosphere in the room didn't feel awkward from Katya's side, but the unease radiated off Jordyn. If it wasn't obvious from the way she sat perfectly still, trying to draw the least amount of attention to herself as she ate, then it was her silence. To possibly bring some relief, Katya turned on the small radio on the counter and let some soft music play while her eggs baked.

It almost became peaceful after that. Both doing their own thing, the sun shining through the small window onto the wooden floor, Natasha away, Maya asleep. It felt strangely normal, like a relaxed Sunday morning, despite the blonde woman in the kitchen barely being anything more than a stranger.

Katya was just sprinkling some salt and pepper on her eggs when the front door opened, keys rattling. A lightly sweaty but gorgeous Natasha stepped into the kitchen, smoothing her ponytail back as she caught her breath. Jordyn instantly tensed up because of this change.

"Good morning," the redhead greeted them, looking between Katya and their guest expectantly. Fun fact: Natasha had never met Jordyn before. Luckily, Katya was there to take away the awkwardness.

"Nat, Jordyn. Jordyn, Natasha. Obviously," she introduced easily, walking a bit closer and gesturing between them.

With the difference in height and the seated position of Jordyn in mind, they were all pretty face to face with each other. Though with the way Jordyn shrunk at the eyes on her, she may as well have been two feet shorter.

"Hello," she greeted Natasha politely, and Katya was pretty proud of the way she tried to make eye contact.

"Hey." Natasha smiled her kind smile; a warmer one than the one for strangers, but still guarded. "Nice to finally meet you. Kat's talked about you a lot." She instantly gained a glare for that.

"Don't make me sound like a stalker," Katya defended herself, much to Jordyn's and Natasha's amusement. "You look and smell disgusting, get out of my kitchen." The redhead got a gentle shove towards the door she came from, mostly to try and stop her from saying anything else embarrassing. But also, no, she did not look very nice for someone eating breakfast next to her.

Natasha sported a grin as she lazily saluted, backing up towards the hallway. "Yes, ma'am." Her red ponytail was the last thing to round the corner, swinging over the thin black ink lines on her spine. Goddamn sports bras and shorts left her whole back bare to be admired.

Katya rolled her eyes as she returned to the stove, only feeling slightly embarrassed that Natasha had exposed her like that. ''Wives. You wouldn't know.''

''I wouldn't.'' Jordyn smiled, and she didn't seem to mind the weirdness that had just taken place. She also took it well when Katya plated her eggs and sat across from her, lazily stirring the tea she had made for the both of them and slowly eating her breakfast. A glance at the clock said it was almost nine; late for Maya, who didn't like sleeping in.

''Did you sleep okay?''

The question caught Jordyn off guard after a minute of silent listening to the radio. Her eyes shot up from her bowl and a sheepish smile spread across her face. ''Fine.'' A lie, Katya saw. ''The black cat scratched at my door around three, though.'' And a diversion tactic.

''Liho?'' Katya groaned loudly when Jordyn nodded, rolling her eyes in annoyance. ''Goddamn cat. She knows not to do that. Nat spoils her too much, so she thinks she can do whatever she wants.''

''I heard that!''

Surprised, Katya's head whipped into the general direction of the staircase, which she could not see from here. ''No, you didn't!'' She yelled back. ''Why are you still listening, you creep?!''

''Clint texted me mid-stairs!''

Sharing a weird look with Jordyn, Katya went to investigate. And indeed, in the middle of the stairs, about halfway up, Natasha stood with her phone in her hands, rapidly typing a message back to her best friend like she couldn't wait three seconds longer until she reached the bedroom. Katya sighed and shook her head with disappointment, planting her hands on her hips. ''Oh my god.''

Natasha did not acknowledge her in any way, a cute, concentrated frown on her features as she typed. As a result, Katya simply sighed again, climbed a couple steps, and gave her a nudge upwards.

''Hey!'' The redhead jumped, lowering her phone to glare at her wife. ''Don't touch my ass!''

''Stop blocking my stairs!'' Katya countered, scowling back.

''This house is on both our names, so these are my stairs too!''

''Moms!'' They fell silent as Maya appeared at the top of the stairs with a disapproving look on her face, feeling awfully like two kids caught red handed while fighting over a piece of candy. The girl said and did nothing but stare, which only made it worse. Then, long after Katya's deer-caught-in-headlights expression had sunk into her features, she simply shook her head and rolled her eyes before turning back to her room. ''Honestly.''

One glance at Natasha's face saw her skin pale too, although she burst out laughing as soon as Maya's bedroom door closed, and Katya wasn't far behind. Maybe they were acting childish, but this was simply their way of messing with each other. Whether Maya enjoyed being woken up like this though... that was another story.

When Katya came back to the kitchen, even Jordyn had an amused sparkle in her eyes. By the minute, she appeared to get more comfortable. ''Is that- Does that happen more often?''

''Oh, yeah, eight years of marriage and us being assholes.'' Katya shrugged with a goofy smile, sliding onto her stool. ''It's all in good fun, though. She loves me.''

''Do I?!''

''Move!'' She laughed, listening for the footsteps to climb the stairs, which they finally did. Her eyes rolled on their own account, although her heart was happy. ''You should hear her with her sister. Chaos.''

Jordyn hummed in recognition, and based on what she just witnessed, it must not be hard to imagine. Time to ask, though, she did not get, because another, lighter pair of footsteps thundered down the stairs.

"Mom? I asked Mama if we could go to the park today and she said to ask... you." Maya had stopped in the doorway - froze, actually - at the sight of a stranger sitting at the counter. Her eyes scanned the sheepishly smiling blonde with interest, and then landed on her mom for clarification. "Who is this?"

"Maya, this is Jordyn, a girl from one of my classes. Jordyn, my daughter Maya."

Maya turned her attention back to Jordyn, taking her in another time, and then spoke her thoughts without a filter. "You're pretty."

Despite knowing it was cruel, Katya could not help but laugh out loud. ''Smooth, Maya,'' she commented from behind her tea mug, winking teasingly. The girl's cheeks turned red instantly, and she attempted to shy away behind her hair, which was - unfortunately for her - still in a messy braid.

Even Jordyn seemed to get a bit flustered, getting a compliment from a kid nine years younger than her. "Thanks." She smiled warmly, hoping to take away a part of Maya's embarrassment. "I like your pajamas."

It sounded like there was ten percent teasing in that comment, but Maya's face lit up visibly as she looked down at herself and her anime pajamas. Like everything she really wanted to buy, she paid for half of it. Ten dollars well spent on a pair of shorts and t-shirt with a print of one of her favorite shows at the moment.

"You know My Hero Academia?" She wondered, suddenly finding Jordyn ten times as interesting. None of her friends had this interest, and no matter how hard her moms tried to keep up with her summaries of every episode, they weren't as committed as she was.

"Yes, I watched it a couple years ago. I liked it."

If possible, Maya perked up even more, the embarrassment from a minute ago completely forgotten. "Me too!" She beamed, rushing to settle onto a stool next to Jordyn. Katya was at a complete loss at this point, simply watching her daughter warm up to their guest.

"It's very fitting too, isn't it?" Jordyn indulged Maya further. "A boy without superpowers in a world where everyone has them, but who still becomes a hero?"

"Like my moms," Maya said enthusiastically, smiling brightly when Jordyn nodded in agreement. "Mom, how long is she staying?" She asked eagerly. And that's when Katya knew those two girls were good.

"We haven't figured out that part yet." She chuckled, sharing an amused look with Jordyn. Everybody became Maya's friend within no time. She was so likeable.

"Do you want to watch with me tonight?" Maya proposed to her new partner in crime. "I'm rewatching the whole show."

And maybe it was the fact that Jordyn didn't have many people who made plans with her to do fun stuff, but she nodded instantly, a faint pink hue on her cheeks. "I'd love to." And that's when she made sure Maya would forever be her friend, even if they may never see each other after today. Because Maya wasn't used to people saying they had time for her - besides her moms.

"Maya, go get something to eat," Katya nudged her. "And what was that about the park?"

"Well, the weather is nice, so I thought that maybe we could go to the park today." She shrugged, dragging a dining table chair to the counter to climb on and reach for her favorite chocolate cereal. They should really find another spot for those boxes and put something Maya never needed up high.

"That sounds nice. But Nat and I need to talk with Jordyn first, so we'll go after lunch, okay?" Katya regrettably glanced at Jordyn, who cringed at the prospect of a talk, but knew it wasn't avoidable.

"Okay."

Maya continued to bombard Jordyn with all kinds of questions that lay sensitive; why she was here, how she got here in the middle of the night, and so on. The woman vaguely answered as honestly as possible until Maya suddenly caught on and switched to innocent questions; did she have pets, what did she study, did she have hobbies. Small talk.

Eventually, Katya sent her upstairs to get ready for the day, and made her promise to stay in her room or outside the house while she and Natasha spoke to Jordyn. Nobody wanted to have this dreaded talk, but it was best to get it over with and have clarity on the situation, for both parties.

"Okay." Katya sighed as she sat down at the dinner table a while later, next to her freshly showered wife and across from Jordyn. "First of all, are still you okay with discussing this? I know you said you were, but I am kind of in your business right now."

A grimace came from Jordyn as she nodded, fiddling with her fingers nervously. "No, I get it, it's okay." She'd gotten more tense with Natasha here, the unfamiliarity of another person not making it any easier for her to open up, but Katya had a feeling that she wanted to talk, to finally tell another person what was going on at home.

"Okay." Katya shared a brief glance with Natasha, who tried to be the encouraging wife in the background. "Then I want to also say that you don't have to tell us anything you don't want to. Your life is your life, but I'm going to be honest and say I've been worried about you since the first time you stepped into my classroom."

That was exactly what Jordyn did not want to hear; that she made someone worry about her. They shouldn't waste their time and energy on her. "You really don't have to worry about me," she insisted, shaking her head anxiously.

"Jordyn," Katya spoke calmly, reaching for her hands only to change her mind. "You called me in the middle of the night, after you ran away from home, and I have a feeling that's not the first time that happened." The woman hung her head, knowing the truth was out. Katya smiled softly. "Sometimes, you don't have to say things for me to figure them out."

Jordyn nodded and briefly showed a defeated grimace, understanding that she didn't stand a chance against their sharp instincts. "What do you want to know?"

"Why did you run away last night?"

The question was asked without judgement or worry, only curiosity. But it still took her a while to find the right words, the correct way to explain the situation. Her hands never stopped fiddling - this time with her sleeves - in that process, hoping to dodge the awaiting eyes on her by averting her own to the table. But she got all the time from the two Russians while she got her thoughts sorted out.

"My mom doesn't understand why I'm... like this." Her anxiety made her forget to breathe, so her lungs sucked in a very deep breath before the words tumbled from her lips. "Why I can't clean my room, or why I can't sleep at night, or why I forget to cook dinner when she asks three times. She gets mad, and I've tried to explain, but she doesn't understand."

In the silence that followed, Katya swore she heard her own heart break. She'd been right before; Jordyn was very much like her, only she had proper support during her mental crises, and Jordyn did not. Natasha understood, didn't get mad, saw Katya couldn't help some things she did or said. Jordyn's mom did not.

This woman across from her needed help, clearly, but instead she had to deal with a parent who didn't believe her, probably preventing her from getting that help. Having a support system was so important, and yet here was she, carrying it all alone.

"How often does an argument like that happen?" Katya asked softly.

Jordyn's silence was enough of an answer.

"It's not her fault," she defended weakly, as if that explanation had cost her all her energy.

But that was the wrong thing to say to someone who knew better than anyone that being a good person was a choice.

"Yes, it is," Katya said sternly, containing herself. "A mother is supposed to listen, and if she really knows her child, to understand. Or at least try. If Maya suddenly starts to act differently, we will get to the bottom of it, not chase her out of the house. You don't have to protect people just because they're family."

Jordyn glanced up, either inspired, or hopeful, or reassured that she wasn't crazy, that someone else confirmed what she was thinking deep down: her mom was at fault. That maybe, she herself wasn't to blame for all of it.

"Listen, it's not your fault, what happened to you. And it's not your fault that your mom doesn't see that you're mentally not well, and that you need help." This time, she did reach out and softly touched her hands. "I've been where you are, so has Nat. I see you, I understand."

And the look on Jordyn's face that followed, the one of a person who finally found someone who understood, made Katya immediately tear up. Because she saw herself again, and because Jordyn must have felt so alone for such a long time.

"You do?" Jordyn breathed in disbelief, all the anxiety and nerves falling away as in that moment, Katya became her only hope.

"I do." Katya nodded, giving her an emotional, watery smile. "Trust me, I do."

A disbelieving, choked laugh slash sob burst from Jordyn's throat, surprising everyone in the kitchen including herself. But she didn't care anymore. A weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Can I please hug you?" Katya begged. And when Jordyn nodded, she shot up from her chair and pulled the woman from hers to smother her into the tightest hug she'd had in years. Jordyn may be an inch or so taller, but Katya tucked her into her body like she was a small child.

And that's when the waterworks started. Tears fell onto Katya's shirt and soaked the cotton as Jordyn fell apart in her arms, sobbing, her fists clenching the material tightly as if she never wanted to let go.

Love-deprived and hug-deprived; how clear the signs were. All she wanted was someone to understand and be there for her. And now that she had Katya, she was sure of that for life.

"I thought nobody understood how I feel," she hiccupped into Katya's shoulder when she calmed down a bit. Embarrassment over her breakdown started to creep up on her, but it lost to the relief in her chest.

Katya pulled back, delicately taking her face into her hands. Jordyn was too tired to fight the strong force of those blue eyes. "Nobody is ever alone in how they feel. Not even you. It's not your fault, remember that."

"I will try." Jordyn gave a watery smile, sniffing.

"Good." Katya smiled back, wiping the woman's tears away before pulling them down to sit, side by side this time. They'd both completely forgotten about Natasha sitting there, also with her eyes burning. "But I'm curious. Why did you call me of all people?"

Immediately, Jordyn shied away again, possibly embarrassed. "I don't have any close friends, my family doesn't live in this state, and... I don't know. I guess you've always made me feel safe." She tried to shrug casually, but her cheeks turned red. "I knew if I had to call someone for help, it should be a retired Avenger, right?"

"Right." Katya agreed, although the only parts she could focus on was that she had no one. "I'm happy to hear you feel safe with me."

"How could I not? You're amazing," she said like it was obvious. But when Natasha playfully raised an eyebrow, she was quick to add, "And I mean that in the most platonic way possible." They all laughed at the silliness after such a heavy conversation, the tears fading away slowly.

"Well, I'm really honored you thought of me." Katya nudged her, giving her a wink. "So, what do you do at the moment? I think I heard you say something about classes?"

Jordyn visibly relaxed at the change of topic, shifting to be more comfortable in her chair. ''I'm a college student. Criminal Justice. Just finished my first year a week ago. And I also have a job as a barista in a café nearby campus.'' Katya's eyebrows shot up, impressed by all the balls she juggled. "And before you ask why I don't live on campus if home sucks, I can't afford the dorms."

''Was that your original plan?'' Natasha spoke for the first time, curious.

''Yes. But I barely make enough money for the education fee, and I can't get a loan." She shrugged, wiping at her face with her sleeve. "I'm not home a lot anyway.'' She must be spending all her time at school and work to be home as little as possible.

"And what about summer plans?"

Jordyn looked back at Katya, who had asked the question. "No money. Or friends. I'm working all summer. In fact, I have to be there tonight."

Katya's eyes widened, her body shooting up in her chair. "Oh, no, you're not going. Just..." She took a deep breath and sighed, flickering her eyes over to Natasha. But the redhead's expression was hard to read. "Will you please excuse me and Nat for one second? We'll be right back."

Jordyn frowned but nodded. "Okay." Her eyes followed them as they walked out the kitchen, and Katya prayed she wouldn't listen in as they climbed the stairs to their bedroom to talk in private.

A clear plan had started to form in her head. It had been brewing ever since last night, when she saw how distressed Jordyn was when she picked her up, but decisions as big as these were always made together with her wife. Luckily, Natasha would walk to the ends of the Earth for her - and back. So, right after she closed the door behind them, Katya got to the point.

"She needs a place to stay. As in: we let her stay here." Her feet started to pace on their own accord, back and forth in front of Natasha, who sported a similar frown now that they could freely show their worry. "At least until the new school year begins. Home isn't a safe place for her right now, and she has nowhere else to go."

Natasha hummed in agreement, sinking down to the edge of the bed. ''We can't let her go back there. She's struggling with herself too much to also have to deal with her harmful mother. She needs peace."

In her words, Katya read that she agreed. Her body stopped moving and turned towards her wife, looking down on her with careful hope. "So, we let her stay here this summer break, and..."

"We get her a dorm for next school year, and pay for it," Natasha finished for her, nodding in the process. "I mean, we bought a one-point-seven-million-dollar holiday house, so..." Her shoulder lifted in a shrug, and she did not seem to mind one tiny bit that Jordyn had joined their household, yet Katya could not shake the thought that maybe she had pushed this on her.

The bed dipped when she sank down next to the redhead, who studied her with interest on what was to come. Natasha knew that insecure frown and those slumped shoulders. "I'm sorry if I dumped this on you. I didn't even discuss it with you before I went to pick her up. I completely get if you think this is unwelcome, and that it's odd, timewise. We can figure something else out if-"

"Kat, Kat." Natasha laughed softly when she caught Katya's flailing hands in her own. The brunette fell silent instantly, slumping down. ''You're impulsive, I love that about you. I also love how much you care about others, and how much you want to help those who need it. I will always support you. So no, I do not mind her being here, at all. Especially not for three months." That sounded reassuring enough to her, yet Katya always had to double check - and then some - to put her anxiety to rest.

"Are you sure?'' She asked carefully. '''Cause this is a team decision."

"If so, we're missing a vital part of said team," Natasha teased lightly.

Katya's head shot towards the door. "Shit, you're right."

"If Maya doesn't like it, it's off the table."

Luckily, Maya was more than okay with Jordyn staying over the summer. In the short conversation they'd had with each other, they'd already figured out they had some things in common, and liked some of the same things. And Maya seemed to like the idea of having a big sister for a brief moment.

"Does that mean she's coming to Italy with us?" She realized excitingly, her eyes wide as they flickered between her moms. She sat on the desk chair, facing her two moms on the edge of their bed, already dressed up for the park in shorts and a t-shirt.

Katya chuckled, her smile fully reaching her eyes. "If she wants to, then yes."

A happy shriek burst from Maya's throat, and she wasn't far off from throwing her hands in the air. "I'll have someone to do fun stuff with."

''Hey, what about us?'' Natasha countered, pouting like she was upset. She looked so damn cute that Katya nearly tackled her right there on the bed and kissed her in front of their daughter, shamelessly.

The smirk curling up Maya's lips did not come from a stranger. ''I meant young people stuff.''

''Again: hey!''

"Okay, okay, calm down,'' Katya tamed the situation with a laugh before it got out of hand. ''She hasn't said yes, yet."

"She has to," Maya insisted.

"I'll tell her that," she mused.

The trip down the stairs revealed that Jordyn had not moved one inch in her chair, but the time and solitude had allowed room for overthinking and for the nerves to build. They saw it in her face when her head whipped up, afraid of what they'll say, thinking her thought-up worst-case scenarios may be coming true. She didn't even have any clue what they discussed, so it was sure to be a shock. Hopefully, a good one.

"It feels like I'm a judge, about to tell you your sentence." Katya chuckled when she slid into her seat, the one across from Jordyn. All she got back was a brief flash of a weak smile, so she gave up on the jokes and got to the point, clasping her hands together on the tabletop. "So, all three of us came to the agreement that if you'd like it, you can stay the summer with us, here. Then, for next school year, you can move into a dorm room at college, which we will pay for you until the end of your studies."

One could drop a hairpin on the floor and be able to hear it in the stunned silence that followed. Jordyn gaped at her like she'd said the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. Her expression was actually very funny, yet Katya kept the genuine and patient look on her face while waiting for the certain refusal of their offer.

"Seriously?'' She breathed in disbelief, looking between the two Russians for any signs of a joke. When she didn't find one, her head started to shake rapidly and panic surged on her face. ''That's way too much. I don't want to intrude, and you really don't have to pay for anything. I will go home tonight." She wanted to get up, but Katya was quick to stop her.

''Jordyn, in my clear state of mind, I can't possibly let you go home. You need peace and a break from your mom. Let us do this for you, please. Really, it's our pleasure to help you out. See us as... anonymous investors of your career and wellbeing.''

But the woman kept shaking her head, both in disbelief and refusal. She wasn't worth their time or their money. ''But it's a ridiculous amount of money. I can't ask you to do that.''

''You're not asking, we're gladly offering." Katya saw she was getting through to her, but Jordyn needed more of a push. "We want to help, please accept it. You deserve to have a stable place to live. Your own place.''

Hesitation started to set in, Jordyn started to consider it. She'd fallen for Katya's persuasion tactics. Or it had possibly sunk in what the pros of her proposal were. ''Are you really sure? It is a lot of money," she asked timidly, again looking between the both of them.

''We are very sure." Natasha nodded.

But Jordyn kept shaking her head, completely confused, truly confused, on why they offered her this. Her. ''Why would you do that for me?''

Katya scooted to the edge of her seat, determined to silence her doubts once and for all. ''Because I was right about you. You are like me. And I know, I know, how important it is to have people around you who understand, and who help you, unconditionally, when you seem fine on the outside but not in here." She tapped her temple, causing Jordyn to avert her eyes to the table. "Nat is that for me, I hope to be that for you. Besides, you work so hard, and you're such a sweet person, so see this as a reward for being you. The universe is giving you something in return.'' She smiled.

Cautiously hopeful, Jordyn glanced up. She must still be thinking this was all a joke or lie, but the longer she studied Katya's face, the more clear it became that this was serious, that they really did want to help her.

''You and your universe," Natasha teased unexpectedly.

Jordyn managed a soft laugh when Katya narrowed her eyes at her wife, scolding her for ruining the emotional moment. ''Shut up.'' Natasha grinned, but Katya paid her no more attention, her expression softening when she turned back to Jordyn. "So, what do you say?"

A blush crept up her cheeks as they waited for her answer. Deep down, she'd wanted to say yes the moment Katya suggested she stay, but it took all her selfishness to say, ''I guess I can only say yes."

"Great." Katya beamed, incredibly happy. She didn't know what she would have done if she had said no. "Because Maya said to me that you have to say yes. She'll be thrilled to have you around."

Jordyn's blush only darkened at the idea that Maya wanted her to stay too. ''I can do chores," she offered in return, feeling she had to give something back. "Clean, cook, mow the grass, paint the porch.''

''We'll make some arrangements." Natasha nodded. "You're not our maid, but if everyone does their part in this household, then I think that's fair. Our yearly deep-clean is coming up, so you can definitely be part of that,'' she offered, to which Jordyn nodded contently. More than that, they really didn't want her doing. It ruined the idea of giving her something out of kindness.

''Mama?'' Three pairs of eyes shot towards the kitchen doorway, where Maya carefully peeked around the corner. Curls fell into her face, which she impatiently wiped away. ''Can I show Jordyn my room now?''

''Five more minutes, honey,'' Natasha replied with a smile. ''Just let us wrap this up and she's all yours.''

''Okay.'' Happily, Maya retracted her head, and Katya's heart swelled when the footsteps climbing the stairs appeared to be skipping giddily. Maya may say she liked to be alone, but on the other hand, she liked company and friends to talk to.

''She likes you.''

Jordyn smiled, shying away a bit. ''She's sweet.''

''Her reaction when you tell her you're staying for the summer? ''That's so cool!'' Katya mimicked Maya's voice theatrically, drawing laughs from the two women around her. ''Twenty bucks.''

''Deal.'' Jordyn chuckled.

"Go see her.'' Katya gestured with her head. ''We'll go to your house later to get your stuff. I'll talk to your mom. I'll call your job. Just... don't worry about anything but getting rest and taking a break, okay?"

"Okay.'' Blushing again, the blonde stood from her chair and neatly pushed it back. She didn't yet walk off, though, standing next to the table with words on the tip of her tongue. In a brief moment, she hesitated, but then threw them out anyway. ''Thank you so much. I don't deserve your kindness, but I'm so, so thankful.''

She chuckled weakly when Katya stood and opened her arms for another hug, but she gladly accepted. With her chin on the brunette's shoulder, she heard in her ear,

"Welcome to this crazy household. Prepare yourself."

~~~~~~~~

A/N: hey!! I missed you guys!! I'm sorry it's taken so long to update again, but all my days are currently so busy with work and stuff :( It's really hard to find time and motivation on workdays (which are four days in the week) to write, because I always come home tired. I honestly can't tell you when a new chapter will be out, but I'm aiming for two weeks max. But anyway, how have you been?? Give me an update on your lives!!