Steve's hold on her hand was strong and warm. They were walking towards the graves of Steve's parents. It was the morning of Christmas Eve and Steve wanted to put down a new wreath for his parents and he'd asked her to join him.
"My parents met at Coney Island." He said when they reached their destination. "My ma said that it was love at first sight. At least for my dad. Ma needed more convincing." Natasha rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand and he gave her hand a squeeze. She loved it when he told her about his past or in this case his parents' past. "They didn't have much money, but they always went out on Thursday. And if it was just to share a hot dog. Even years after his death, my ma still talked about those dates." He looked over to her. "I'd like to do that too. Have a weekly date night."
"I love that idea." She replied. It sounded like a lovely tradition and it was a good way to honor his parents.
He smiled softly. "Thank you. I'll take you dancing next week."
He let go off her hand and stepped forward to lay the wreath down.
"Merry Christmas, ma and dad. I miss you, but I know you two are together. And that you're happy that I found what you two had." He turned around and held his hand out. She took it and he pulled her next to him. "This is my Natasha. The love of my life." Natasha's knees almost gave out and her face felt warm despite the cold. This was the most amazing thing she'd ever heard. "I'm okay now, ma. I'm more than okay actually." He chuckled. "I've never been happier. You don't have to worry about me anymore, ma. I finally got what you always wanted for me."
Natasha tried to blink her tears away. He didn't have to take her with him, but he'd wanted her to hear it. And she felt the same. The love she had for Steve was unlike anything she'd ever felt before or was feeling for someone else. Nothing could compare to it. She loved him more than anything. He was the number one in her life, followed by Yelena as number two.
"I love you so much." She whispered and Steve cupped her face to kiss her. "More than anything."
He was holding her in his arms, keeping her warm, but she still started to shiver. "We should go."
"One sec. I'd like to say something. To your mother."
"Do you want me to leave?" He offered, his voice soft.
"No, stay." She shook her head and turned to face Sarah Rogers's grave. "Thank you. He wouldn't be the man he is today without you. Only a remarkable woman could raise such a wonderful and kind man. I promise I will always love and protect him. I will take care of him."
Natasha looked at Steve who looked at her softly. "My ma would have loved you. You're a woman after her own heart."
"I think that's the highest compliment anyone has ever paid me."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Do you still have time for a cup of coffee at my place? Or do you have to go home yet?"
"I'll always have time for a cup of coffee with you."
She was going to spend Christmas Eve just with Yelena and they had plans for today, but there was still time. Yelena herself was currently hanging out with her new friend Kate. Steve wouldn't spend Christmas Eve with them, but with James and his niece and her daughter.
Back at his place, Steve opened the door for her and helped her out of her coat. She gave him a quick kiss as a thank you and wandered further into his apartment.
"Is my Christmas present here somewhere?"
He laughed and kissed her temple when he walked past by her. "That's hidden, doll. You'll have to wait until tomorrow."
She really hoped that Steve would like her gift for him. She had a feeling that he would, but it was still a bit...unusual.
Steve was in the kitchen, making them coffee, and Natasha's focus landed on the closed sketchbook on his coffee table. She would be lying if she said that she didn't want to peak inside, but she wouldn't do it. She respected his privacy, even though she was curious to know if there were maybe drawings of her in it...
"You can look inside." Steve said suddenly from behind her. "I don't mind."
His expression told her that he really was okay with it.
"Thank you."
She picked up the book to open it. She was looking at a drawing of Fanny. It was incredibly detailed, Yelena's dog looked almost real. She didn't have to look far to find a drawing of herself. She'd never thought that she would consider herself beautiful, but she looked beautiful in that drawing.
"Is that how you see me?" She breathed out.
"Of course." He pulled her onto the couch and took the book from her. "Like I already told you- you are everything that is good and beautiful to me. Nothing or no one could ever be more beautiful to me." He showed her more sketches of herself. She was no art expert, but they did look different than the other ones. You could see that he truly loved her.
She knew that she couldn't find any words to tell him what she was feeling, so she kissed him. She poured everything into her kiss, her arms tugging him close to her.
"Thank you." She whispered against his lips.
"Don't thank me, sweetheart. Not for that." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Never for that." She buried her face in his neck and he ran his hands over her back to comfort her. She had no idea how she'd ended up with Steve, but she would never take him for granted.
He rearranged them until they were comfortably lying on his couch. "So you don't think my drawings are creepy? I did draw you without permission."
"No, they're amazing." She ran her finger over his underarm, a thought crossing her mind. "I know you made dirty pictures before...Have you ever drawn some of me?"
"No!" He said way too fast and his cheek turned pink. She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I've drawn you in that summer dress you wore when we were in Johannesburg."
She remembered that trip and that dress. They had been in South Africa to track down an arms dealer. She'd worn a short sun dress that showed off her legs and shoulders to pose as a ditzy tourist. Steve had been staring at her all day long.
"I didn't do anything inappropriate with it!"
"I know."
"It's just...You looked so different, so soft. And I kept imaging that it was real. That you and me were not pretending to be a couple." He brushed a strain of her hair out of her face. "And yeah, the fact that I could see so much skin was driving me crazy."
"I'll wear more sun dresses next summer." She promised him.
"You don't ever have to wear something just for me."
"I know. But I'd liked the way I felt in that dress, too. And I really wanna see how you'll react, now that you're allowed to touch me."
He made a strangled sound and Natasha bit her lip in amusement. "Natasha!" He whined. "It's Christmas Eve, don't tease me!"
She pecked his lips and then rested her head on his chest again. They had spent the last two days in this apartment, completely naked most of the time. There was pretty much no surface left that Steve hadn't laid her down or bent her over. Yelena had spent time with Kate and Natasha had used that opportunity to be with Steve. Her body needed a little break.
"You still want coffee, sweetheart?"
She shook her head. She'd completely forgotten that they had come here for coffee. "Can we take a nap?"
"Of course." He said, wrapping his arms tighter around her.
"There are my beautiful and deadly girls!" Alexei beamed proudly and almost pushed Melina out of the frame.
Natasha and Yelena were on a Zoom call with their parents. Alexei and Melina did not celebrate Christmas, especially not the Western version of it, but they'd still wanted to wish them a Merry Christmas which was very sweet. Natasha had admitted defeat and worn her stupid reindeer antler headband that Yelena had given her. Yelena and Fanny were also wearing their headbands.
"Hi, daddy!" Yelena waved and Alexei returned the wave very enthusiastically. Melina rolled her eyes fondly.
"How are you two?" Melina wanted to know.
"Good! I made friends, mama!" Yelena said proudly and their mother smiled softly.
"And how is my Natalia?" Alexei asked.
"I'm good, great actually. It's really nice to have Yelena here."
Melina and Alexei updated them on their life- Melina was close to publishing her new study and Alexei wanted to get into farming once the winter was over.
Yelena told them what she'd experienced since she'd come to New York and all was going well until she decided to spill the beans."Tasha has a boyfriend!"
"What?!" Alexei shrieked and jumped up, punching the air. "Who do I have to fight?!f"
"Sit down!" Melina said calmly and he followed her order. "Tell us about him. But only if you want to, of course."
"You might wanna hold onto daddy, mama!" Yelena snickered and Natasha glared at her. "He's gonna go berserk once he hears the name."
The look on Melina's face told her that she realized who her boyfriend was. Alexei seemed clueless. Might as well let him know as well.
"It's Steve. Steve Rogers."
Alexei tried to jump off the couch, but Melina pulled him down again. "Captain America?!My worst enemy! Is this his revenge for losing against me? Dating my daughter?! Get the jet ready, Mina, I'll have to go to America to defend her honor!"
"Alexei, calm down!"
"You've never fought against him." Natasha reminded him. "He's not after you in any way. You know that. We love each other."
"Love? I love love!" Alexei seemed to have temporally forgotten his non-existent feud with Steve.
"We're very happy for you!" Melina smiled softly.
They talked for hours about their lives and the other Widows and ended the call with the promise that they were all going to see each other in person again very soon.
Yelena and she exchanged presents after dinner, they'd ordered Chinese food and had eaten it while watching Home Alone. Natasha was giving her sister a Polaroid camera and had managed to track down the Teddy bear she'd wanted for Christmas when they had been in Ohio- they'd never gotten to celebrate that Christmas. Yelena gave her a big hug and then handed her her presents. Her little sister had bought her a beautiful wool sweater and a mug with her name on it.
"How's the sauce going?"
"Pretty good!" Yelena looked into the mixer. "Looks like Hollandaise!"
Steve and James would be here soon and Natasha and Yelena had offered to prepare breakfast. They'd found a recipe for eggs Benedict that looked pretty easy and it seemed like they were succeeding. They didn't even need to poach the eggs, they just needed a muffin tin and the oven for that.
James would be taking over the kitchen later to make his famous roast. Natasha had bought everything he would need and she was already looking forward to it. It had to be pretty good with the way Steve had been raving about it.
The doorbell rang and Natasha sprinted to the door because she couldn't wait to see her Steve again.
"Merry Christmas!" Steve and James said in unison.
She wished them the same and let them inside. Both were carrying bags that they put on the floor. Fanny came to greet them with Yelena in tow who wished them a Merry Christmas. James followed Yelena to the kitchen while Steve pulled Natasha into his embrace.
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart." He brushed his nose against hers before he gave her a sweet kiss.
"Merry Christmas, Steve." She said before she kissed him.
"You had a nice Christmas Eve?" Steve asked between kisses.
"Yeah." She whispered against his lips before having to kiss him again. Seriously, it was a need at this point. If she didn't, she was going to combust. "But this is nicer."
He chuckled and nibbled on her lip to get her to open her mouth. She didn't need much convincing and allowed him to slip his tongue inside her mouth.
"No fucking in the hallway on Christmas!" Yelena yelled from the kitchen. "Come! I'm hungry!"
They pulled away from each other with a grin and then walked hand in hand into the kitchen to help.
The eggs Benedicts were a success and they got lots of compliments from Steve and James. The men told them over breakfast how they'd spent their Christmas Eve and Natasha could tell how happy James was that he had still living relatives. She looked over to Steve who didn't seem to be sad that he had no blood relatives anymore. Natasha knew herself that a family was based on love and not DNA. And she knew that Steve saw it the same way.
Yelena took photos of everyone with her new camera and Natasha felt honored that she got to spend this time of the year with her little sister. She'd missed Yelena so much in the last years and she still sometimes couldn't believe that she had her sister back.
"Okay, can I open my gift now?" Yelena asked after they were done with breakfast and cleaning up. She kept looking at the gift bags that they were currently underneath the Christmas tree.
"You're not even going to pretend that Christmas is not about presents?" James asked with a smirk.
"No. Can I have my present now?! Please?"
"Sure, kiddo." James handed her a gift bag and then Natasha the other one. He'd gotten them books and nice smelling candles. She and Yelena were gifting him a new leather jacket.
"Thank you so much!" James clearly liked his present. And Natasha was really looking forward to start getting lost into the two books he'd given her.
Steve gave Yelena her present with a nervous smile. Turned out that there was no need to be nervous. She loved the leather backpack.
"So many pockets!" She exclaimed happily and leaned forward to kiss Steve's cheek. "And yet so chic! I love it, thank you, Steve!"
Natasha watched the scene with a smile on her face. She had no idea what Yelena was going to give Steve.
He opened his present and smiled at her sister. "Oh, thank you!" He held up a paint brush case with his initials embroidered on it.
Now only she and Steve were left to exchange gifts. She pushed the envelope into his hands before he had a chance to go first. She prayed that he liked it and that she wasn't overstepping any boundaries.
He smiled at her before he opened the envelope. He pulled the letter out and started reading. She bit her lip nervously.
"Oh, Nat. Thank you. This is...Thank you so much!" He looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"What did you give him?" Yelena asked and James looked curious as well.
"I've started the Sarah Rogers Foundation. It's still in the very early stages and will be supported by SI. The goal is to help single parents and their children."
"Wow." James whistled. "That's amazing!"
Steve gave her a kiss. "Thank you so much for this. My ma would have loved it. Like I said, you're a woman after her own heart." He kissed her again. "Now my gift seems lazy and unoriginal..."
"I'm sure I'll love it!" She objected.
"Okay..." He handed her a gift box. She took it with a smile on her face. She opened the box and was looking at another box. A rectangular one made out of velvet. He'd gotten her jewelry. She opened it and came face to face with a beautiful bracelet. A white-golden charm bracelet.
"You remembered..." She whispered. "I told you about that almost a decade ago..."
She picked up the bracelet. It had a N charm, a ballerina, an hourglass, a tiny matryoshka doll and a heart engraved with S hearts N. She had confessed years ago that she'd always wanted one but never gotten one because she'd had no own identity. It was the perfect gift, this proved that she did have her own identity.
"How is this a lazy and unoriginal gift?!" She shook her head and cupped his neck to pull him into a kiss. "Thank you, honey." Steve helped her put the bracelet on. She was never going to take it off again.
The four of them took Fanny on a big walk through Central Park,and stopped by a bakery on their way back to buy a cake that they ate while playing board games.
Steve, Yelena and Natasha helped James with the dinner preparations, and then the four of them watched movies while they were waiting for the roast to be done. Steve had been right, James' roast did taste amazing. They sat at the table for hours, drinking, talking and laughing. It was the perfect Christmas.