not the life i expected (but i can’t bring myself to regret it)
Summary:
When the Winter Soldier neglected to kill the Starks, it caused a ripple effect over the ensuing years that included the collapse of Hydra. With no further instructions from the Red Room, Alexei and Melina decide to lean in to the unexpected gift of family and move from Ohio to Massachusetts, starting the journey to build something real.
Part of a series but can be read as an isolated oneshot.
Notes:
This is part of an AU where Bucky never assassinated Howard and Maria Stark. There are other stories in this series, but since this is very much an introductory oneshot you don’t need a whole lot of context and this can be read alone. The entire series is in large part inspired by this tumblr post, which has lived in my brain rent free ever since I encountered it. This particular oneshot sets up a lot of what is to come in the series. I’m posting it today because it fulfills the “pumpkin carving” prompt for day 21 of flufftober. It also fulfills my G5: Bonding square for the Marvel Rare Pair Bingo.
Thanks as always to tinysugacube for her grammatical prowess, as well as to Marvin for his official seal of approval. Additional thanks to scootcommander, azriona, Kotias, and Fire_Phoenix2305 for their support of this fic and this series!
not the life i expected (but i can’t bring myself to regret it)
“This one has spots, it’s no good.” Natasha shook her head as she put back the pumpkin Yelena had picked out.
“Well, if you don’t want me to help…” Yelena scowled.
“Lena, that’s not what I meant. Here, let me show you.” Natasha picked up Yelena’s pumpkin again, this time turning it in her hands so they both could see all its sides. “It’s got spots, see? Don’t worry, we’ll find the perfect pumpkin together. Okay?”
Melina laced her fingers with Alexei’s as they watched the girls start their joint hunt for the perfect pumpkin. They were getting older now, Natasha already in high school and Yelena rapidly approaching double digits, and yet Natasha continued to make time for her younger sister.
Melina surprised herself by speaking aloud. “I think I might be happy.”
“I am too.” Alexei squeezed her hand. “I’ve been able to breathe easier, since the move.”
“Do you think we made the right call?” she asked.
“Just look at them.” Alexei gestured. “They are happy. Natasha is healing. Yelena knows nothing of the horrors of the Red Room. We are a real family now, are we not?”
“We are.” Melina smiled at him. The smiles were genuine now.
It had been a long hard road, and they would never be truly safe. But the Red Room had fallen, and they had enough contacts outside of it that they had been able to relocate, trading Ohio for Massachusetts. No longer were they on a mission for their masters, but instead did this all for themselves. Alexei had thought he was happiest when serving his country; but he had since discovered that he was truly happy when spending time with his family, the family he had never expected to have but was nevertheless grateful that he did.
That night, they laid down a tarp in the living room and got to work carving the pumpkins Natasha and Yelena had picked out. True to Natasha’s expertise, the pumpkins were in perfect condition to turn into jack-o’-lanterns. Each of them was skilled enough with a knife that the contest among themselves was a fierce one. Even Yelena, who had no memory of a life other than this one, knew her way around a blade—even if the Red Room was gone, Alexei and Melina had made sure that both of their girls would be masters of a variety of weapons, just in case. The training was not nearly as harsh as it would have been: they were still allowed to be more girl than weapon, but they knew how to attack as well as defend, along with the value in keeping secrets.
This was not the life, or the family, that they might have otherwise chosen for themselves. But the longer they were together, the stronger their bonds became; and when Alexei and Melina curled into each other that night, they breathed easier for being in one another’s arms.