Golden Stars / Scarlett Johansson

Chapter 43: Mornings and Moments

Y/N woke up to the sound of soft humming and the distant clattering of pots and pans. She blinked groggily, realizing she was alone on the couch. The warm presence that had been beside her was now gone. She stretched, yawning as she heard faint singing coming from the kitchen. Curious, she got up quietly and padded toward the noise, her steps soft on the floor.

As she reached the doorway, Y/N peeked in to see Scarlett standing at the stove, Rose seated in her high chair nearby, babbling to herself and chewing on her star plushie. Scarlett was cooking breakfast, flipping pancakes in a pan while swaying slightly to the music playing in the background. She hadn't noticed Y/N yet, too caught up in the rhythm of the song, singing along softly.

Scarlett's voice carried lightly through the room as she sang the lyrics to Ain't No Mountain High Enough with a smile on her face. 

"Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough, baby..."

Y/N couldn't help but smile as she watched Scarlett, her voice sweet and carefree. She loved this side of her—this unguarded, playful Scarlett who felt at ease enough to sing while making breakfast. Quietly, Y/N snuck over to Rose, sitting down next to her without making a sound. She greeted Rose softly, whispering, "Hey, little one," earning a soft giggle from the baby.

Rose reached for Y/N's hand with her tiny fingers, squeezing it as she babbled, her wide eyes sparkling with curiosity. Y/N's heart melted, but her attention kept drifting back to Scarlett, who was now fully into her impromptu kitchen performance.

Scarlett turned the spatula into a microphone, holding it up to her mouth as she belted out the next part of the song with exaggerated gusto.

"Ain't no mountain high enough! Ain't no valley low enough!"

Y/N couldn't contain it any longer—she burst out laughing. The sight of Scarlett using the spatula as a microphone was too much. Scarlett froze mid-spin, eyes snapping over to Y/N, her expression shifting to a mock-murderous glare. Y/N quickly stopped laughing, her eyes widening.

"I-I'm sorry," Y/N said between chuckles, holding her hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean to laugh... it was just—"

Scarlett narrowed her eyes, stepping forward with the spatula raised threateningly. "Oh, you think it's funny, do you?" she teased, her voice low and playful. She loomed over Y/N, waving the spatula menacingly.

Rose, sensing the playful energy in the room, giggled loudly, her laughter filling the kitchen as she watched the exchange. 

Y/N put on a fake terrified expression. "No! Please, not the spatula! Have mercy!" she cried dramatically, holding up her hands to shield herself. 

Scarlett kept up the act for a second longer before her stern expression broke into a grin. She leaned down quickly, capturing Y/N's lips in a soft kiss, catching her off guard. Y/N's heart skipped a beat as Scarlett pulled away, her smile mischievous.

"Better?" Scarlett asked with a smirk, turning back to the stove and picking up where she left off, humming to herself as if nothing had happened.

Y/N sat there, frozen in place for a second, her fingers brushing over her lips, still feeling the warmth from the kiss. She couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face, her thoughts drifting back to the night before. This was real—Scarlett was kissing her, not in some fleeting moment, but because she wanted to. Yesterday had been the first time they had kissed, but now... now it was something more.

Without overthinking it, Y/N stood up from the chair and walked over to Scarlett, who was still focused on cooking. She moved quickly, grabbing Scarlett by the hips and spinning her around. Scarlett's eyes widened in surprise as Y/N leaned in, kissing her hard and passionately, her hands holding Scarlett close. Scarlett let out a soft sound of surprise, her arms instinctively wrapping around Y/N as she kissed her back.

When their lips finally parted, Scarlett blinked up at Y/N, breathless. "What's gotten into you?" she asked, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Y/N laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair out of Scarlett's face. "I just love that now I can kiss you whenever I want," she admitted, her voice filled with warmth and affection.

Scarlett blushed, a rare sight, and playfully hit Y/N on the arm with the box of pancake mix she had been holding. "Get out of here before I have Cebrus bite you," she teased, her smile never fading.

At the mention of his name, Cebrus ran into the room, tail wagging excitedly, causing Rose to laugh loudly once again. Y/N rolled her eyes, still grinning as she backed away.

"Fine, fine. I'll go sit with Rose before I get in any more trouble," Y/N said, grabbing Rose from her high chair and heading toward the living room.

As she sat down on the floor with Rose, Y/N couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and contentment settle over her. She played with Rose, bouncing her on her lap and making silly faces, all the while talking softly about Scarlett.

"Your mommy is pretty amazing, you know that?" Y/N murmured as she handed Rose a toy. "She's smart, funny, and... well, she makes me really happy. You're lucky to have her."

Rose, oblivious to the deeper meaning behind Y/N's words, just babbled and chewed on the toy, but Y/N couldn't help but smile as she continued to talk.

"She's also a great cook," Y/N added with a chuckle, glancing over toward the kitchen. "You're gonna love breakfast. I just know it."

Cebrus, who had been watching from a distance, finally trotted over and laid down beside Y/N. Without warning, the large dog flopped down right on top of her, his weight pinning her to the ground. Rose, delighted by this new development, crawled over and joined in, lying on top of Y/N and Cebrus with a giggle.

"Great... now I'm officially crushed," Y/N laughed, trying to shift under the combined weight of Rose and Cebrus.

Scarlett chose that moment to walk into the room, her eyes widening in amusement at the sight of Y/N sprawled out on the floor, covered by both the baby and the dog. She leaned against the doorframe, her hand over her mouth as she tried—and failed—to stifle her laughter.

"Well, isn't this a sight?" Scarlett teased, pulling out her phone and snapping a picture before Y/N could protest. "I think I'll keep this one for blackmail purposes."

Y/N groaned dramatically, still laughing. "You're evil, you know that?"

Scarlett grinned, tucking her phone away as she walked over and scooped Rose into her arms. "Come on, breakfast is ready. And after that, I was thinking we could head to the park, like we talked about yesterday."

Y/N sat up, grinning widely. "Sounds perfect."

As they all sat down for breakfast, Y/N couldn't help but steal glances at Scarlett, the feeling of warmth and happiness growing stronger with every passing moment. This was what it felt like to belong somewhere, to be with someone who made everything feel just a little bit brighter.

And for Y/N, that was everything.