Beneath the wreckage (Natasha Romanoff X reader)

Greatest strength, Greastest weakness

Silent footsteps crept down the empty halls. Dim LED lights shone down, illuminating the trace of blood on the walls. Arina was silent, easily sneaking along the familiar path to her Talia's bedroom. She arrived at the red, wooden door, opening it without a squeak.

Inside, Natalia Romanova was already sitting up in bed, her handcuffs dangling from the headboard. No chains were ever enough to stop either of the young girls. Arina closed the door behind her and tiptoed to Natalia's bed, careful to avoid waking her sleeping roommate.

"Merry Christmas, Talia," Arina whispered into the dark, brushing a loose strand of red hair from her love's face.

"Merry Christmas, Aria. Do you want to go to our spot?"

Arina nodded, and they made their way to a hidden spot on the snow-dusted roof, hand-in-hand every step of the way. Arina wrapped her arms around Natalia, who was sitting comfortably against Arina's front. They watched the stars for hours, making promises in the cold and dreaming of a future together.

Arina dug deep in the pocket of her Red Room-issued sweatpants, pulling out two matching necklaces. "Here," she said, handing the 'A' pendant to Natalia. "It's not much, but it's a reminder of what we have. So no matter what, we'll never truly lose each other."

Natalia took the thin silver chain, gasping slightly, wondering how Aria managed to get them. "I- I love it, Aria. Thank you." She pulled the brunette into a sweet kiss. Their lips were cold from the winter night, but their love was warm. They clasped the pendants around each other's necks, not realizing that neither woman would ever take it off.

"Merry Christmas, Talia."

"Merry Christmas, my love."

SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA:

"What do you mean you know who she is?"

"It was a long time ago."

"Mom, just tell us. Stop dancing around it."

"It's not exactly my story to tell! "

"She almost died!"

Harsh whispers cut through Arina's consciousness, and she slowly blinked the sleep from her eyes. Groaning, she sat up, holding the bloodied bandage wrapped around her otherwise naked torso.

"What are you guys talking about?" she mumbled groggily.

Melina cleared her throat, and Arina noticed the older woman's presence for the first time. "Agent? What are you doing here?" Arina asked carefully, unsure if her tired eyes were deceiving her.

"Hello again, Ivanova. It's been a while," Melina said gently.

"Y-yeah, you could say that," she stammered.

"I should explain. I'm sure you know about what happened in Ohio, so I'll be brief. I was assigned to pose as Natasha's mother. We took down the Red Room together, and now we have reunited as family. Isn't that nice?"

"Yeah, it's great," Arina mumbled in shock, although she was slightly upset at the knowledge that the woman whom she saw as a mother never even looked for her. "Wait, what's your real name? They never told me."