The day was young and so were the kids that begged Irena to come down and play.
Lila and Cooper hardly ever had people over who weren't adults and Irena had never been around children that weren't her age. She had no idea how to talk or handle them, so she had been avoiding them at all costs.
That was until she heard their whispers with their mother questioning her about when she would be down to play. So she sucked up her feelings and locked them in her chest for the time being.
Her face was still horrendously puffy from the moment after her shower and she still hadn't fully processed all that went down.
She sat numbly in bed while Natasha showered and left when she heard the water shut off. Irena informed the woman she was headed downstairs and silently prepared herself for the excited faces of children to bombard her.
Irena didn't even reach the bottom of the stairs when Lila came to greet her. She jumped up the steps two at a time until she was on the same step as her.
"Hiya Irena." Lila greeted with the same toothy grin she wore when they first met.
"Hi, Lila," Irena replied in a small raspy voice.
She closed her mouth as she heard herself and cleared her throat. Lila laughed. Irena didn't know what was funny.
Without warning, the young girl wrapped her hand around two of Irena's fingers and looked up expectantly. Irena involuntarily flinched and pulled back which led to a raised eyebrow look from Lila.
"C'mon, we're gonna make cookies," Lila said as she simultaneously took off in an uncalled-for race down the stairs.
"Oh, okay."
Irena struggled not to face plant or smush the child as she was dragged down the stairs and let out a relieved breath when she achieved it.
"Wanna know what type of cookies we're making?" Lila questioned an awkward-looking Irena who still allowed herself to get led by the girl.
"Sure."
"Actually how about you guess."
Shit. Irena had been in the States for around 9 months. 9 months was enough to become accustomed to the language, customs, and views, but not enough to know more than one type of cookie. She only knew chocolate chip, but it seemed to have vanished from her brain.
"Um...brown ones?" Irena hesitantly guessed.
Lila stopped her stride and gave Irena a blank stare before she burst into a fit of giggles. Irena stood still, embarrassed and bright red to say the least.
"I've only had a cookie once I think," Irena spoke in her defense.
The girl's giggles were now gone and replaced with the same stare from before she changed her face like she remembered something.
"Oh, does Auntie Nat not let you have cookies? That sucks." She said solemnly in sympathy for the older girl.
"No, she doesn't care- wait Nat's not my mother." Irena began to answer before the realization of what Lila's beliefs were.
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Withered webs || marvel
FanfictionIrena Ivanakof grew up in the red room. She was raised to fight, hunt, assassinate, and kill anyone whom she was told to. When she somehow broke free of the mind manipulation she was fed up, she attempted to escape and was caught. As punishment, she...
