Work Text:
“How come Momma has to work today? We have to make the cookies for Santa.” Whined a little voice, accompanied by the biggest, sweetest pout.
“Buddy, we’ve gone over this. If momma isn’t with us on an important day, that means that someone else is having a worse day than we are. Right?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“But we need to make cookies.” He whined again.
“Nikolai Romanoff-Maximoff, we do not need your momma to make cookies. I have a bakery, and Momma puts out fires. There will be no fires to put out.” I argued firmly.
“But mama.” He pushed.
“Niko, my love, I know. I wish Momma were here, too. But we need to be happy that she doesn’t need to be here. What can I do to help? Want me to tell you stories while we bake?” I asked, taking a hopeful breath.
“About when you met?” He asked with hopeful eyes.
“Is that what you’d like?” I asked, praying we could finally reach an agreement.
“Yes, please!” He said, nodding quickly.
“Okay, buddy. I can do that.” I said with a thankful smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was the first day we were open, and I stood frozen in the midst of the chaos. The fire alarm was blaring while sprinklers soaked every inch of the shop with water—all of the electronics, all the decorations, and all the food. Kate was rambling out apologies as she flew around the shop, and I fought off the urge to cry. To make matters worse, the sirens blaring told me that the fire department was about to burst through the doors. The smoke hit my nose, making me cough while it burned my throat, but I still couldn’t bring myself to move. It wasn’t until I was forcibly picked up and moved that I left the bakery. It didn’t take long for the fire department to put the fire out, but the damage had already been done. I stepped back in when they cleared me to do so, and nearly fell apart. I explained what had happened to the first fireman who approached me and directed them to Kate to get a better picture of things. My brain felt like it was spinning a million miles an hour inside my head, and I desperately tried to catch my breath. I was staring at my feet as I tried to even my breathing when a pair of boots entered my line of vision.
“Ma’am? Is everything okay?” Asked a soft voice from under a helmet.
“I’m so sorry. One of my workers, Kate, got it in her head that the cookies would bake faster at a higher temperature. Even though I told her that it would never work.” I explained with an exasperated sigh.
“Has she ever baked before?” She asked as she removed her helmet
“I—uh, yeah. She has. She just… It’s our first day.” I explained, silently cursing myself for stumbling over my words.
“Oh, so you’re not the owner!” She said with a nod.
“No, I am. I’ve baked before. It’s our opening day.” I explained, fighting my lip as it tried to quiver.
“Oh! Oh. Guys? Help me get this cleaned up!” She called out with a slight frown.
“Oh, God no. Don’t. You don’t need to do that. Really. I promise. I’ll… I’ll get it cleaned up. But please don’t waste your time with this. I’m sure there are more important things that need your attention.” I said, shaking my head.
“Did anything survive?” She asked, slowly surveying the damage.
“I’ll have to check, but it does seem doubtful,” I admitted quietly.
“That’s a shame. The pictures look delicious.” She said, gesturing to the wall.
My voice got caught in my throat for what had to be the first time in my life. I tried to speak, but the idea of her thinking that something I made looked delicious only inflated my ego. Not only that, she said they looked delicious, but she, herself, was gorgeous. It deluded me into thinking that I could have a chance with her, and even if I didn’t, I would never have to find out, because she would leave after she was done, and I’d never see her again. Kate slowly shuffled next to me, looking like a scared puppy after speaking to the firefighter I’d sent to her.
“You must be Kate.” She said firmly.
“Please, I’m sorry. It was an honest mistake. I don’t want to go to jail.” She begged frantically.
“I’m not the police, Kate. And even if I were, you didn’t intentionally start the fire, so you’re safe.” She said, shaking her head.
“I swear I won’t ever try to bake faster by turning the temperature higher again.” She stammered.
“Are you okay, Kate? You seem a little…” She said, trailing off as she tried to find the right word.
“High strung?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
“Yeah.” She agreed with a slow nod.
“She is,” I said with a nod of my own.
“I am.” She agreed quickly.
“Okay… Well, Miss…?” She said with narrow eyes, trying to remember if she’d ever been given a name.
“Bishop,” Kate said with a happy grin.
“Ah, Kate Bishop.” She said with a smile, mainly nodding to herself.
“Have you started many fires before?” I questioned, trying to play catch-up.
“No!” She said quickly.
“I’m not sure I like how quickly you answered that,” I mumbled with a frown.
“It’s not from starting fires, that much I promise. I’m just very familiar with her mother.” She said with a smile and a nod.
“What she means is that my mother interjects in the name of charity once a year, and she always picks the fire department,” Kate explained with a laugh.
“Of course, she does,” I said, rolling my eyes with a breathy laugh.
“You can laugh, but we appreciate it greatly.” The firefighter said with a laugh.
“Of course. Um, will you at least let me give you something as an apology?” I asked and insisted, still embarrassed by the entire fiasco.
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, so I could never accept a gift.” She said, shaking her head with a smile.
“Please? It’s the least I can do for making you guys come here for that.” I tried with a huff.
“Ms. Maximoff, it’s my job. There’s no need to apologize.” She said with a soft laugh.
“Ew… Ms. Maximoff is my mother… Please call me Wanda.” I insisted with a frown.
“Well then, Wanda, you don’t need to repay me for doing my job.” She said with a wink.
“Hey, we’re done here, so we’re going to head out. Phoenix, you coming with?” Asked an unfamiliar voice.
“Uh, yeah, give me a second.” She said with a nod.
“Phoenix?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“A nickname and a story for a different time. I should go. But it’s good to know this place exists. I hope your day improves, Wanda. Kate? Be careful.” She said before putting her helmet back on and leaving.
There was nothing more for me to do but watch her leave. Something about her had me instantly hooked, desperate to learn more about her. Her nickname, being Phoenix, made me want to know why she had earned that nickname. I stood there, stunned, for longer than I wanted to admit, before focusing my attention on Kate. There was someone in the room who could tell me more about her, and I intended to use that to my advantage.
“You know her?” I questioned slowly.
“Yeah, well, my mom does. Why? Did she say something offensive?” She questioned, her eyebrows knit together in a frown.
“No. Nothing like that. Do you know her name?” I asked quietly,
“Oh.” She said with a growing grin.
“What?” I asked with a frown.
“You think she’s hot.” She said with a small laugh.
“I don’t,” I said, shaking my head quickly.
“You do. I don’t blame you. She is hot, and you haven’t even seen the calendar.” She said, giggling to herself.
“Calendar?” I asked before I could think.
“See? You think she's hot.” She said with a snort.
“Is it a crime to find someone attractive now?” I asked with a scoff.
“You want a copy of the calendar, don't you?” She asked with a knowing grin.
“Shut up, Kate,” I said with a groan.
“You know what? I’m not sorry about the fire now. I think it was worth it. And the calendar? Available on Instagram for free if you're interested. It's on the fire department’s page.” She said with a shrug.
“And you know that because?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I know her sister.” She answered easily.
“So you could just tell me her name instead of sending me on a wild goose chase?” I asked flatly.
“I could, yes. But this is more fun.” She admitted with a light laugh.
“Can I remind you that you started the fire?” I asked in disbelief.
“I told you, my mom will pay for anything that got ruined. Besides, without the fire, you never would've met Phoenix.” She said, wiggling her eyebrows.
“You're fired,” I grumbled.
“I’m not.” She said, snorting with laughter.
“You're not,” I said, rolling my eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Momma has a nickname?” Niko asked, tilting his head to the side.
“She sure does,” I said with a fond laugh.
“You had a crush on Momma.” He said with a giggle.
“Are you teasing me?” I asked in disbelief as I stirred the ingredients together.
“Mhm.” He said with a nod.
“You know, that crush is why you exist.” I pointed out, shaking my head.
“Yuck.” He said, making a face.
“Soooo gross that I love your Momma,” I said with a laugh.
“Mhm, gross.” He said, nodding his head.
“Can I keep telling the story?” I asked, shaking my head.
“Yes, Mama.” He said, nodding as I grabbed the cookie sheet.
“I’ll skip ahead a little bit,” I said, knowing that his attention span only went for so long.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I walked into the firehouse, no longer feeling like a stranger as I moved through the fire engines. I knew where I could find her hiding, and I knew the names of the faces I walked past. I watched their eyes widen in jealousy, knowing that what I was carrying was for one person only. Some of the jealous voices shouted for the person I was looking for, telling her that she had a visitor. I just smiled and made my way up to her favorite hiding spot. Behind stacks of new hoses waiting for their chance to be used, I found Natasha quietly reading her book. I shuffled up to her and lowered the container in front of her book.
“Tiramisu?” She questioned, tilting her head slightly.
“As a thank you,” I said, nodding my head quickly.
“I already told you that you don’t need to thank me for doing my job. You may want to consider a new kitchen attendant, though. Kate has yet to perfect it without you looking over her shoulder.” She said, shaking her head at me.
“Well, what if I said it wasn’t for doing your job?” I asked with a shrug.
“It’s not?” She asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
“No, not exactly… I may have been looking for an excuse to see you.” I admitted with a quiet laugh.
“How early did you need to wake up to make this?” She asked, her eyes burning into mine.
“Well, that’s not really a fair question,” I said, shaking my head.
“Because?” She pressed, clearly curious.
“Bakers have to start early… It’s how everything in the shop is fresh…” I explained quietly.
“And how early did you start?” She asked with narrow eyes.
“Three,” I mumbled with a shrug.
“I don’t need to tell you that’s insane, right?” She asked with a laugh of disbelief.
“You don’t really get to say that when you could have to wake up at any time.” I pointed out.
“That’s fair. So, you wanted to see me, hm?” She questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“Maybe,” I said with a shrug.
“Well, maybe I wanted to see you.” She said with a nod.
“You did?” I asked, nearly choking on my spit.
“Yeah. We do this thing at work every year; it’s a fundraiser and a celebration. It’s the fireman’s ball. I was wondering what the chances of getting you to go with me were.” She mumbled, her eyes darting around to avoid me.
“A fireman’s ball?” I questioned in surprise.
“Yes. Those are very real. Would you like to go? With me?” She asked, cautiously looking up at me.
“You know, people will talk,” I said with a sigh.
“Oh? Will they?” She asked, tilting her head in amusement.
“They will. They'll be asking questions.” I said with a shrug.
“What kind of questions will they ask?” She asked, stepping into my space.
“They’ll want to know why you asked me,” I said, swallowing nervously.
“Well… What if we told them I asked you because I really enjoy spending time with you, and I have been driving myself crazy trying to figure out how to make us official as a grown adult, that this was the closest I could get to doing that?” She asked with a wince.
“Yeah. Mhm. That sounds good to me. We can tell them that.” I agreed with a teary nod.
“We can tell them that we’re dating?” She asked, smiling like a little kid on Christmas morning.
“We absolutely can.” I agreed with an emphatic nod.
“Wanda Maximoff, thank you for hiring that accident-prone golden retriever of yours.” She mumbled before kissing me to solidify everything.
“See? And you wanted me to fire her five minutes ago.” I teased lightly.
“I see the error in my ways. I love making house calls to my favorite girl.” She said, shaking her head, leaning forward for a kiss.
“Enjoy your snack. Maybe you can stop by after you finish for the day?” I asked lightly.
“Will there be more snacks?” She questioned, lifting an eyebrow.
“There it is. Only with me for my snacks.” I said, shaking my head with a sigh.
“Never! I’m also with you for your kisses.” She said, pressing her lips to mine before I could respond.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Yuck,” Niko said with a giggle as I put the dough into the fridge to chill.
“Yuck? What’s yuck?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Kisses. Momma is a girl.” He said, scrunching up his nose.
“And? What’s so yucky about that?” I asked, wondering where he was going.
“Girls have girl germs, duh.” He said, rolling his eyes.
“Aye, the sass on this one. You’re your Momma’s son, alright. Do I have germs, little man?” I asked, shaking my head.
“Duh, Mama, you’re a girl.” He said, shaking his head while he rolled his eyes.
“You'd better watch it, I’ll tell Santa he can bring you coal and nothing else,” I said, taking a deep breath.
“Can I hear more stories? Please?” He asked, batting his eyes at me.
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” I grumbled, nodding in agreement.
“Momma says that to you.” He said, covering his mouth as a giggle burst through.
“You shush, or I’m not telling any more stories.” I threatened in disbelief.
“Mama, please?” He asked with a deep sigh.
I rolled my eyes, “So lucky,” I said with a sigh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I closed everything up for the night and packaged the things that didn’t sell, knowing that Natasha would happily take them to the station to share what she didn’t want to keep. Truthfully, it was a very nice benefit of dating a firefighter; she always knew where to find hungry mouths that would appreciate the food, and in return, I never saw a bill when Kate started a kitchen fire. I still had hope she would figure out how to bake or cook, and half the time she got it right. The other half of the time, she’s operating without me there to keep her focused. She’s a work in progress, but her coworker isn’t much better. They’re both like distracted puppies in the kitchen, filled with the wonder of what they could do when they had the time. Maybe it wasn’t my best choice to hire someone that Kate recommended, but Peter was sweet, and I was a sucker for the sweet ones. I made my way home, excited to see Natasha after the long day. When I opened the front door, I could smell food, and I frowned in confusion. It was rare that Natasha cooked, dinner often being the time that I got to really experiment with food, or make simple food that reminded us of our childhoods. I rounded the corner into the kitchen and smiled when I saw Natasha finishing washing dishes.
“Did you cook, and bake for me?” I asked in shock as I set the box down on the counter.
“I did my best to replicate something close to that, yes.” She said nervously.
“I thought you had to work today? You were gone before I woke up this morning.” I said with a frown.
“Yeah. Station has a bigger oven, and I needed the space.” She said with a tight smile.
“What were you baking?” I asked curiously.
“It was ambitious. I baked a couple of things. I made snickerdoodle cinnamon roll cookies. I saw them on TikTok, and I know you love snickerdoodles. And I also made regular snickerdoodle cookies. Fifteen, to be exact.” She said happily.
“Fifteen? That’s an oddly specific number.” I said with a curious look.
“Yeah. Come look at them.” She said happily, pulling me toward the table.
“You’re so cute,” I mumbled, allowing her to tug me.
“Stop.” She whined as we came to a stop.
“Oh, the poor baby,” I said with a laugh.
“Just look.” She said, shaking her head as she switched our positions.
I rolled my eyes and turned back to her, knowing she was trying to deflect from the fact that I’d called her cute. I made sure to make her meet my eyes, letting her know that she was still cute, even if she didn’t want to say it. She rolled her eyes and nodded, and I almost laughed at her impatience. It made everything about the situation even cuter. I turned back around so I could look at her cookies, knowing she was proud of them, and wanting to give them the attention they deserved. I looked at the cookies more closely and noticed that the cinnamon and sugar spelled things out on the cookies. I read them three times before turning back to Natasha with a confused frown, my heart hammering in my chest.
“Wands, from the very day I met you, you have always brought a whirlwind of chaos and kindness into my life. Every day I wake up wondering where the day will take us both, because I can’t wait to come home and talk to you about it when it comes to an end. You are a best friend to everyone who knows you, and your kindness shines bright, even if you can’t see it. I have watched you give away treats to kids who were just in the shop for a quiet place to do their homework. Hell, you’re the person who lets kids do homework in her shop instead of closing at a reasonable hour. You astound me every single day, and I am a better person for knowing you. Nothing would make me happier than if you would marry me. So, Wanda Django Maximoff, will you marry me?” She asked from her knee, her eyes searching mine with hope.
“God, you’re… Insane,” I said with a sniffle, “Of course, I’ll marry you.”
“Yeah?” She asked, as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Yes, of course,” I said with a nod, tears building in my eyes.
“Yes,” She echoed before she surged forward in the blink of an eye, connecting our lips as quickly as she could.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Too much kissing, Mama,” Niko said, shaking his head and making a face.
“Oh, you poor boy,” I said with a laugh.
“It’s icky.” He insisted as he used more cookie cutters.
“Sweet boy, you asked me to tell you stories, and sometimes those stories have kisses. Know why?” I asked with a breathy laugh.
“Why?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.
“Because I love your Momma. And Momma loves me, which is so crazy, I know. But that means we kiss each other. Just like we give you kisses because we love you, is it icky that we love you?” I asked, wondering if he was old enough to fully grasp what I was saying to him.
“No. Not icky. I love you and Momma.” He said, shaking his head.
“And we love you, malen'kaya myshka. But we also love each other. So we’re allowed to kiss, right?” I asked slowly.
“Right, Mama.” He said with a nod.
“My smart boy. I’ll skip to the part where you come in.” I said with a satisfied grin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My hands were shaking, and there was a part of me that felt immeasurable guilt. I knew that Natasha wanted to be with me for every test, but when she got called to help with a wildfire, that made things a little more difficult. It felt selfish of me to wish that she were with me, especially when she was called to help combat a natural disaster, but even so, I wanted her with me every second of the day. There was no telling when she would be back, and the guilt of taking the test alone was curdling in my stomach. Without thinking about it any longer, I ripped the test open and peed on it before I could talk myself out of it. As I set the timer to wait for the results to come through, guilt washed through my body, and I called Natasha.
“Wands? Is everything okay?” She asked, answering the call almost instantly.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, trying not to cry.
“What happened? Are you okay?” She asked again, sounding instantly worried.
“I took the test,” I whispered.
“What test, my love?” She asked, sounding out of breath.
“The pregnancy test. I… I needed to take one, and I know I was supposed to wait for you to do it, but I couldn’t.” I said with a sniffle as the tears began to fall.
“What does it say?” She asked.
“What does what say?” I asked in confusion.
She laughed, still sounding like she was short on breath, “The pregnancy test, love. What does it say?” She asked, sounding like she wasn’t upset that I’d taken a test.
“You’re not mad?” I asked, taking a deep breath.
“Do I sound mad?” She asked gently.
“You sound breathless. Are you okay? Am I interrupting you while you're working?” I asked, panic rising in my chest.
There was a knock at the front door, and I begrudgingly made my way to the door at the worst time imaginable, “You’re not interrupting. I was just moving quickly.” She said gently.
“Because?” I asked as I reached the door.
“Wands, what did the test say?” She asked with a sigh.
“Hang on, I had to leave the bathroom to answer the door,” I grumbled, reaching for the doorknob and turning the phone so I wouldn’t talk directly into it as I greeted whoever was there.
“Tell them to go away.” She grumbled with a sigh.
“I can’t just do that. It would be rude. Give me one minute. Okay?” I asked, desperate to check the test just as badly.
“I suppose I can live with waiting a couple more minutes to find out if my wife is pregnant.” She said with a dramatic sigh.
“Such a brave soldier,” I said with a gentle laugh before I opened the door to find an elderly man.
“Hello, Miss? Are you Wanda?” He asked gently.
“I am. Is there something I can help you with?” I questioned with a curious frown.
A smile grew on his face, and he began to nod, “I have a delivery for you,” He answered.
“Oh, okay. I don’t remember ordering anything.” I said in confusion.
“Would you settle for your wife?” Asked a familiar voice.
“Nat?” I asked with a confused look, pulling my phone away from my ear.
“Unless you’re married to someone else I don’t know about.” She said, popping out from the side of the house.
“Oh my God! What are you doing home?!” I asked in disbelief as she walked towards me.
“Apparently having perfect timing, hm?” She asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.
“You’re insane. I hate you.” I said, shaking my head.
“Thank you for dropping me off, Calvin.” She said, nodding in the man’s direction.
“Of course. Enjoy being home.” He said, nodding before he made his way to the car.
We watched him walk away before I smacked her on the shoulder, “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?” I asked in complete disbelief.
“I wanted to surprise you. Now, do you want to beat me up on the front porch or go find out if we’re going to be parents?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Fine, but I’m yelling at you later,” I said, shaking my head as we made our way into the house.
“You can yell at me later.” She agreed with a nod.
I rolled my eyes, and we made our way through the house. The evidence of her absence was in the smells wafting through the house of the food I was making. I knew she noticed; it was something I did when I missed her, and she always noticed. However, it was hard to miss when the entire house smelled like fresh or cooking food. Her low hum of approval told me she was excited about eating after we found out what the test said. She followed behind me closely, and I could feel the excitement rolling off of her. I did my best to control my emotions, not wanting to let them build up too much just to be let down. I couldn’t pick up the test when we reached the bathroom, and looked to her to be the one to pick it up and bite the bullet, so to speak. She noticed almost immediately and picked up the test for me. I took a deep breath as she flipped it over to read it. It felt like time stopped, or Natasha forgot how to read, with how long I felt I was sitting in suspense.
“Look at me, Mommy. I want to see your pretty smile.” She said softly.
My head shot up, and my eyes met her immediately, “What did you just…? I am? We are?” I asked with a frown, trying to will my brain to catch up to her words.
“Pregnant, my love. You are finally, finally pregnant. And this family is getting bigger.” She said as tears built in her eyes.
“Pregnant? Me?” I asked, swallowing thickly, slowly getting to the point.
“You, krasivaya devushka, are pregnant. And I hope they look just like you.” She said with a happy sigh, connecting our lips.
“No chance. I hope they have your eyes.” I said, shaking my head quietly.
“Hm, if we’re doing specific hopes… I hope they have your cute little nose.” She whispered, pressing a kiss against my nose.
“I still hate you,” I mumbled, shaking my head.
“Hate me so much that you married me and decided to have a baby with me.” She said with a small laugh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You’re silly,” Niko said with a small giggle.
“Why am I silly, dorogoy?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“You could never hate Momma.” He said with confidence.
“Oh, never, hm?” I asked, teasing him gently.
“Never, Mama,” he said, shaking his head, “You use inside voices to each other only.”
“Yeah? That’s why?” I asked, curious if that was what it meant to him.
“Mhm. And you guys are always kissy and mushy.” He said, scrunching his face up in disgust.
“Oh, the poor boy, his mommies love each other,” I said with a faux pout.
“Ugh, you’re icky!” He argued.
“Soooo icky. All that icky love came together to make you, you know.” I pointed out.
“Tell me about me, Mama, please?” He asked with bright eyes.
“Okay, I can tell you about your very first day in the world. Would you like to hear about that?” I asked gently.
“Yes, please.” He said with an emphatic nod.
A smile spread across my face, “I can do that,” I agreed with a nod of my own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I hate you.” I groaned through my teeth.
“You don’t hate me.” She said as she gently pushed my hair back.
“Right now, I might,” I grumbled.
“If it helps, I don’t think I’ve ever been more amazed by you than I am right now.” She offered lightly.
“You’re being sweet while I hate you,” I complained with a sigh.
“Mrs. Romanoff-Maximoff? It’s time to push again.” Said a voice from behind paper drapes.
“I really hate you.” I groaned as pain shot through my body.
Everyone I’d spoken to about giving birth had made it sound like it wasn’t that bad, probably a byproduct of evolution, because the pain is one I wouldn’t experience twice if I remembered the way it felt. White-hot pain radiated through my body while I did everything I could to focus on pushing. Getting pregnant had been a great idea when it was all hypotheticals and future talk, but going through it had been far more difficult than I’d anticipated. It had been a lot of food monitoring that I hadn’t anticipated. I hadn’t had cured meats, alcohol, unpasteurized cheeses, or caffeine in nearly a year. Most of those things would carry into the time after the baby was born, since the plan was to breastfeed. Natasha had made a countdown for me so it wouldn’t feel like it was that long, and she’d vowed to go without them for as long as I had to, but in no world would I take caffeine from her, especially when we were about to bring home a newborn baby. As I pushed and tried to think of anything else, my body instantly felt cold, and I felt a burning sensation. Before I could really process what was happening, there was a “pop” feeling, and everyone was moving quickly around me.
“Nat?” I asked breathlessly.
“It’s okay, give them a minute.” She said, focusing intently on what the doctors were doing.
“Mama? Remind me again if we knew the sex of the baby?” The doctor asked, and I could hear the smile in her voice.
“We wanted the surprise,” I grumbled, trying not to sound annoyed.
“I~wanted it to be a surprise, and she went along with it.” Natasha corrected, feeling the need to step in.
“Well, it would seem that the two of you have a baby boy.” She said, presenting a cleaned-up baby wrapped in a blanket to Natasha.
“Holy shit.” She whispered.
“What is it?” I asked, a frown on my face.
“He’s perfect.” She said, slowly making her way over to me.
“Focus on that baby, Mama, we have to get this placenta out next, and it might feel uncomfortable.” The doctor warned.
“He really is perfect,” I whispered, looking at him.
“Look at his nose. It’s perfect, looks just like yours.” She said softly.
“You’re sweet,” I said, shaking my head as I stared at him.
“It’s true. I hope he never outgrows it.” She said with a happy sigh.
“Do we have any names?” A nurse asked cheerfully.
“We did talk about them, yes. Is that what you still want?” She asked, looking at me curiously.
“I do, yeah.” I agreed with a nod.
“Nikolai Dominic.” She said with a smile before placing him in my arms for the first time.
He was quiet, but I didn’t blame him. There was a lot to take in, and it had all happened so fast. I couldn’t help but try to memorize every inch of his brand-new face, needing to make sure I never forgot the moment I first held him. He was absolutely perfect in every way I could imagine. He kept scrunching his nose at me, though his eyes were closed, and I felt myself fall in love with him. Tears built up in my eyes, and I looked up where Natasha was standing. Nothing had ever been more perfect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I have your nose?” Niko asked, looking up at me with bright eyes as we mixed the frosting into different colors.
“You sure do, malen'kaya myshka.” Said a familiar voice, making me smile immediately.
“Momma!” He cheered, scurrying off his chair and over to Natasha.
“Don’t tell me you missed me.” She said, pretending to be shocked as he wrapped his arms around her legs.
“Oh, he did. He complained about it all day and made me tell him stories about us because he missed you so much.” I said, shaking my head with a smile, watching as she picked Niko up.
“And you didn’t? Should I leave and come back?” She questioned, tilting her head curiously.
“I never said that I didn’t,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Are we making cookies for Santa?” She asked, eyeing the table closely.
“We sure are. We know Santa loves pretty cookies, don’t we, bud?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“We do, Mama.” He said with a happy nod.
“Well then, we shouldn’t wait any longer! Let’s get to decorating!” She announced happily.
“Momma, you smell like smoke,” Niko said with a scrunched-up face.
“Okay, I will shower, and then we can do cookies. How about you and Mama pick a movie, hm?” She asked, her eyes immediately trying to read my expression and find out if that was okay.
“What movie, Mama?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.
“Hm, how about I show you Momma’s favorite movie that she doesn’t tell anyone, and we can watch that?” I asked with a growing grin.
“Momma has a secret movie?” He asked with wide eyes, eyeing Natasha curiously.
“She sure does,” I said with a nod.
“My own wife.” She mumbled before making her way to the bathroom.
“What’s Momma’s secret movie?” He asked with excitement.
“Do you remember when Momma showed us Wallace and Gromit? It looked like a cartoon, but we told you it was just lots and lots of pictures of clay.” I said, hopeful that he would remember the movie from a few months ago.
“With the bunnies.” He said with a giggle, nodding his head.
“This movie is like that one! It’s called A Year Without a Santa Claus, and it’s the story of how Santa came to be. Does that sound like a good one to watch?” I asked, watching as he processed my words.
“Yes, please! Momma had a long day.” He said with a small frown.
“You really are the best of both of us, hm?” I asked, shaking my head at how proud I was of him.
“Guess so.” He said with a shrug before stealing a taste of frosting.
“I’ll start the movie, you wait for Momma. Deal?” I asked, narrowing my eyes in a challenge.
“Deal.” He said with a wide grin.
I nodded and made my way into the living room to find the DVD. Thankfully, my need for a TV in the kitchen was understood by Natasha, and she made sure I had one that could play DVDs if I wanted. It was truly perfect of her, and it made cooking much more fun. But it also came in handy for situations where we wanted to watch something but couldn’t trust Niko not to make a mess. When I returned to the kitchen with the DVD, he had frosting on his finger that he was licking like ice cream. I wanted to be shocked, but in reality, it was exactly something that Natasha would do. I put the movie into the TV, and we divided the cookies into equal piles so we could all have our own stations. After much begging, I finally agreed to pull out the sprinkles for Niko, setting all of his options out for us to choose from. Natasha didn’t take long before she made her way back to the kitchen to join us, a bright smile on her face, though I knew she was exhausted. We worked together to decorate the cookies, each with a different style. Mine was similar to how I decorated in the bakery, Natasha’s was practical but messy, and Niko’s was a mess with a lot of sprinkles. They were the cookies we would be saving for him alone, knowing the sugar would probably kill us at our ages. When we finished, we put a few on a plate for Santa while Niko licked frosting from every bowl he could reach. I started to clean up while Natasha pulled him into her lap to hold him while he ate his frosting. He always settled into her so naturally, and Natasha was surprised every time. It was adorable to watch. I took the last of the bowls and rinsed them before adding them to the dishwasher and closing it for the night. I made my way over to them and kissed the top of his head before resting against the counter. The movie had been a hit, and I couldn’t wait to make it a Christmas tradition for us.
“Can I have one before bed?” He asked, his eyes looking at the cookies like he was willing to do anything for them.
“I don’t know, buddy.” She said, shaking her head slowly.
“Just one?” He asked with wide eyes.
“Just one. Then you’re upstairs to brush your teeth and get your jammies on, understood?” She said, narrowing her eyes.
“You’re the best, Momma.” He said as he happily grabbed a cookie.
“Aye, what am I?” I asked, shaking my head in disbelief.
“The best Mama, duh.” He said with a grin, taking a huge bite of his cookie.
“Oh, ‘duh’, is it?” Natasha asked, raising her eyebrow at him.
“See what I’ve been dealing with all day?” I asked, shaking my head.
“Oh, I do.” She said, nodding her head as her eyes met mine.
“You’re Momma, and you’re Mama.” He mumbled with a mouth full of cookie, shrugging when he saw the confusion on Natasha’s face.
“He said that I’m Mama and you’re Momma. That’s why he said ‘duh’. But, we know that that’s not an excuse or reason for us to be sassy, right Niko?” I asked, taking a deep breath.
“Yes, Mama.” He said, nodding slowly.
“My smart boy. Finish your cookie and then upstairs.” I said, putting a couple of cookies on a plate for Santa.
“Mama, Santa likes Bailey’s cocoa.” He proclaimed proudly.
“Oh? Who told you that?” I asked with a frown of interest.
“Momma did. She said she asked Santa what he wanted this year, and he said that.” He said, happily relaying the message.
“Do you know what Bailey’s cocoa is, little bug?” I asked, curious if he’d asked for more information on it.
“Special cocoa. Momma knows how to make it. Right, Momma?” He asked, turning to face her.
A guilty, but happy smile spread across her face as her eyes flickered between him and me, “That’s right, I sure do,” she confirmed with a nod.
“Well, then, you finish that cookie and say goodnight to Momma. I’ll put you to bed, and Momma can make the special cocoa for Santa, how about that?” I asked, my eyes shifting between the two of them.
“Okay.” He said with a nod.
“Goodnight, handsome man. I can’t wait to see what Santa brings you.” Natasha said with excitement.
“I don’t think I can sleep, Momma. Too excited.” He said with a happy sigh.
“Oh, I know, buddy. But if you want Santa to come, you have to fall asleep. He can’t come unless you sleep.” She said with a soft smile.
“Okay, Momma. I love you.” He said, throwing his body into her with a sigh.
“I love you too. Don’t give your Mama a tough time, okay?” She asked as he finished his cookie.
“Okay, Momma, okay.” He agreed with a nod.
“There’s my boy. Now, get a move on.” She said, kissing the top of his head before putting his feet on the floor.
He made his way up to the bathroom, and I followed behind slowly. I watched as he brushed his teeth, making sure he actually did what he was told, and knowing he would cut corners if I didn’t watch him. I told him a story about my favorite Christmas, one I spent with Natasha early in our relationship. She’d spent the entire day baking with me, watching movies, and then she gave me my presents. One of them was my brother spending the holiday with us, something that didn’t happen often, given how much he traveled. It was special, and I couldn’t believe that she had made the effort. By the end of the story, his eyes were shut, and he was asleep. I smiled and kissed his head before making my way downstairs, back to Natasha. She was sitting in the kitchen, another Christmas claymation playing on the TV as she sipped from a mug and chewed on a cookie from Santa’s plate. I could also see that she’d put the presents from “Santa” under the tree already, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Those are for Santa, ma’am,” I said with a hum as I walked into the room.
“Is he down?” She asked, sliding a mug to the side to show that she made two.
“Of course,” I said with a smile as I climbed into her lap.
“I’m sorry I had to go in on a holiday, moya lyubov'. I made them promise that I was off tomorrow so I could spend the day with you and Niko. My phone will be off.” She promised softly as I drank my cocoa.
“You know, you’re perfect. You didn’t have to do that. Niko and I understand.” I said, shaking my head gently.
“I know you do, which is why you deserve for me to take the day completely off to be with you.” She argued quietly.
“I won’t argue about more time with you, krasivaya devushka. I am a big fan of that.” I said with a breathy laugh.
“Good. I kind of have a Christmas wish, if you’d be willing to hear it.” She said quietly.
“Of course, I am,” I said with a happy nod.
“I love Niko.” She said firmly as she finished her mug.
“Obviously,” I said slowly, finishing mine as well.
“Right, obviously. But I’ve been kind of thinking about the idea of expanding our family. Niko isn’t a baby anymore, and he’s at an age where there wouldn’t be any weird gaps in their ages.” She said in a near whisper.
“You want another baby?” I asked, trying to make sure I fully understood.
“If that’s something you also want, yeah.” She said, nodding gently.
“I wouldn’t mind trying to give him a little sister. A little brother is fine too, but if we’re allowed to dream.” I said with a smile and a shrug.
“You’re amazing, you know that? You astound me every day.” She whispered with a sparkle in her eyes.
“I have a gift you can unwrap early, if you’d like? Maybe get a head start on making that baby?” I asked, grinning happily.
“Very much want to, yes.” She agreed as I slipped off her lap and offered her my hand.
She took my hand and allowed me to pull her to the sink to drop off my mug before pulling her through the house to our room. We could rearrange the cookie plate and mug placement in the morning; it wasn’t something I was worried about. Niko slept like the dead, and regardless of his excitement, he was never up earlier than nine. He was a parent’s dream. I brought Natasha to our room, leaving her on the bed before going to the closet to put on her gift. It was cheeky, of course, but I couldn’t deny myself the ability to get a top that was effectively a bow to untie, and a lacy pair of matching underwear.
“God, you look like a dream.” She mumbled as her eyes devoured me.
“One you’ve specifically had?” I asked curiously.
“No. I could never come up with something this perfect.” She said, shaking her head.
“Never, hm? Does that mean you always follow the rules? You never let sin cause you to misbehave and picture something like this?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
“Well… I don’t know. Was I on the naughty or nice list this year?” She whispered, her eyes devouring every inch of me.
“Oh, sweetheart, you’re always on the nice list. But that doesn’t mean I can’t treat you like you’re on the naughty list.” I said with a teasing grin.
“Which list are you on? That’s where I want to be.” She said just above a whisper.
“The naughty list. I have a dirty mouth. Would you like to see?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
“God, yes.” She mumbled as I closed the distance between us.
I made quick work of her clothes, not willing to waste any more time. I missed her more than I had originally thought I had. She’d only been gone for the day, and yet it felt like she’d been gone days. Every second I wasn’t near her, smelling her, feeling her, felt like a second too long. It was obsessive, and never felt like nearly enough. She made breathing better just by being there, and I would never apologize for wanting to improve my life so selfishly. After I pulled her underwear down her legs, I placed one of her hands on the ribbon covering my chest, nodding for her to pull it. She complied and pulled the ribbon until the bow came undone, and my chest was bare to her. Her mouth was quickly kissing, licking, and sucking the newly exposed skin, and I had no intention of stopping her. It wasn’t until my clit was throbbing against my underwear that I forced her back on the bed. Her eyes were wild and hungry, and it made my head swirl for a second. I refocused my efforts and returned the favor of kissing, licking, and sucking her exposed skin. Reminding her of why she’s so safe at work, of one of the reasons she needs to make it home every night, pouring every ounce of love I had for her, back into her body. I moved down her skin until I settled between her legs. She easily hooked her legs over my shoulders, knowing exactly what I would want from her, as I had expected she would. I flattened my tongue and pressed it against her clit, letting her hump my face with reckless abandon. As she ground herself against my tongue, my hands moved to her hips to hold them firmly against the bed so I could really taste her. My tongue slid through her folds as she whined and moaned above me, craving the friction I was previously giving her. I pulled back and lightly blew on her clit, watching it twitch under the sudden temperature change, just to hear her whine more. I let her wiggle against my hold until I was sure she was cold, and I met her cold clit with my warm tongue, making both of us moan.
“Fuck, I love your tongue.” She groaned, her fingers tangling in my hair.
I doubled my efforts, circling her clit with my tongue before rolling against it. Her hips chased after my tongue with hunger that only made my stomach twist. She was always a fan of my tongue between her legs, but I loved the absolute hunger coming from her. She was desperate to feel me against her, and it always lit a fire inside me. Her moans grew desperate, and her grip on my hair tightened. I could tell she was close, and it only made me hungrier for her. I rolled my tongue over her clit in light, quick circles and watched as her head was thrown back in pleasure. She came undone under my touch, and I basked in the afterglow that came from her orgasm. She was so beautiful as she came down from her high, and there was always a renewed hunger in her eyes when she looked at me after she came. It was addictive and breathtaking. She pulled me up to her and into a breathless kiss that made me melt.
“God, I love tasting myself on you.” She growled as her hand pushed my thighs apart with ease.
There was no need for embarrassment, not at this point, and yet I couldn’t help but feel slight embarrassment for how wet I was for her. I’d touched her and fucked her, and doing so made me wet enough for her to fuck me with ease. I wasn’t embarrassed by how much I enjoyed pleasing her, but it was always shocking to feel and see the evidence of it. She slid my underwear to the side, and when her fingers slid into me easily, it was all the evidence I needed. She worked her fingers inside of me, curling them, and hitting every spot just right, like she always did. I was already close, and she knew that I would be. It never took long for the second person to cum when we were together, and it was the most delicious thing about being with her. Neither one of us could help ourselves; both of us were desperate for the other.
“There’s my good girl. Cum for me, beautiful. Fuck my fingers like the dirty little slut you are.” She growled in my ear as my back arched beneath her.
My hips continued to chase her fingers, desperate for each grazing of her thumb against my clit. Whines were pouring from my mouth as I panted for air, but she didn’t stop. She used her weight to pin my hip to the bed, and filled me to her knuckles, allowing me to ride them in full. It was addicting and maddening all at the same time. Her thumb pressed against my clit firmly, and everything crashed into me all at once. My orgasm tore through me, and she helped me ride it out until the end. She whispered quiet words of praise in my ear as I came down from my high, and they only made me float more. She pulled me onto her chest, and I felt my muscles melt instantly.
I settled against her as we both fought to catch our breath. It broke my brain when I thought about our relationship. I had never been with someone who had craved me the way she always had. It was like no matter what kind of day she had, there was a magnet that always pulled her to me. It was one of my favorite things about her. She made me feel special in a way no one else ever had before. Everything about her had my body craving her to the point of reaching for her whenever she was close, so I could pull her against me. It was the thing that told me that what we had was different, and it was something to be celebrated and cherished forever. It was something I intended to do, and I knew that by doing that, Niko would see how he should treat anyone he dated in the future.
“I can’t wait for him to open his gifts in the morning.” She whispered against my head, proving that I could, indeed, love her more.
“I can’t wait for you to open yours,” I admitted with a hum.
“You weren’t supposed to get me anything.” She argued.
“You’ll get over it, I’m sure,” I said with a breathy laugh.
“I love you so much.” She said gently.
“I love you,” I said before letting my eyes fall shut for a final time.