A/N haha i was looking at pictures of the Triskelion for description and i saw pictures of the exterior of it and remembered, oh right Captain America: The Winter Soldier was shot in Cleveland, Ohio and the exterior was actually the art museum :p also Avengers Assemble was shot partially in Cleveland :) Travis Kelce went to my ex girlfriend's school, i think the Russo brothers r ohioan! omg im so cool ☺️

And Then the Dusk Falls.

JUNE 2nd, 2009
TW: light (very light you can barely see it) talk of r@pe

It was unsaid that Maria was to be left alone this morning. She didn't want to sleep last night, she'd done everything to keep herself awake. Except sex. She wanted contact, she wanted to be real, but she had to stay clothed and she would not let Natasha's hand move down her body. She just wanted someone to say, "I'm here. Forever."

Maria finally fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, and Natasha left before she woke. Natasha walked into Sasha's room, picking her up out of her big kid bed, and left out the door.

She got a few stares as she carried her down the corridors. I mean no one knows how proud she is to be this girl's mama... she's just the caretaker. But nobody dared to ask or give a penny of their thoughts. They just watched and whispered among themselves. They knew they weren't the main character, of course they weren't, yet they still played their parts to perfection.

Natasha had a key to Fury's office, her hand. It scanned and granted access to her. She wasn't sure if it was just on June 2nd, or every day. He wasn't supposed to be there though, he shouldn't've even been awake.

"Hush, shhh, put your head back down," Natasha says as she cradles Sasha in her arms, staring at her director. She doesn't say anything as she sits herself down on the couch. It's too early to even say it's early. That said, the first time she woke up and it wasn't as dark as it could be she pushed herself out of bed.

Natasha doesn't keep eye contact but she doesn't stop watching him. She knows he's not a threat, but she'd never let her hands drop from holding her daughter in anyway that could cause any distress, even if it wasn't pain. Sasha wasn't a baby anymore, no, but she was young. Young enough to be held, young enough to partake in love. Love is for children and she is a child.

By no means does that infer that once Sasha grew out of her toddling days and giggles and frowns would she get no sympathy for her lack of knowing. She would get empathy for losing that shield. For on some fundamental level understanding the world around her. And if there is such a thing as a man child then he deserves love. And if a man deserves love, so does a woman. She can bend the rules anyway she deems fit if it means she'll accept someone's heart. She'll fight the urges to scream just so she can have a hug. From Maria. From Clint. From Laura. From anyone in her circle, as long as those people were okay, she'd be okay. Okay enough.

She has and will continue to go against everything she's been taught if it means Sasha gets everything she never had. And more. She will give her the sun just to prove that Sasha is her's. Every choice she has will have Sasha in mind. She can love you with almost all of her, but she will abandon you if that's what's needed for her daughter.

And that is exactly what's so amazing about Maria. Maria's heart aligns with Natasha as it aligns with Sasha. The three of them are their own private constellation, and if you are lucky enough you might just get the chance to see it. 'I love you''s whispered in the dark were gifts wrapped in stars given to each other. When they could and couldn't hear. You couldn't doubt it even if you tried. Even if there was such a heated madness, 'leave me alone' was never 'please go.'

Natasha looks down at Sasha and doesn't look back up. If Fury was going to be there, without explanation, so be it. She was here to give Maria her time. If Maria couldn't face anyone today, Natasha would, for the both of them. Maybe it's just some miracle that man's complexion isn't remembered, and that you can only truly see Maria in her daughter. Sasha's a redhead, a little bit darker than her mother's it seems. Maybe that gene was from that man's family, even if he wasn't red himself. Maybe it's just fate, that something's controlling Natasha's new start.

Maria needs to be okay. For all of everything Natasha wishes on this day every year that she could be the one person Maria lets in. In her pain, she wishes it could be less if she took it all. Even if she's barely standing as it is.

It's not a 'she will be fine' or 'she's so strong, she'll be okay' that makes it passed Director Fury's lips, even if that's what Natasha needs. As she looks down at her gorgeous miracle, conceived through pain, Fury says "This day will pass." Striking the hollowest parts of Natasha's being. This day will pass, and it will come again. Over and over. And you won't know if that next year will be the one Maria's awake for. Awake in her all.

There's no hate for Sasha, never in a million years could this be her fault. But for now, Maria can't look at her on this day.

Silent tears fall from Natasha's eyes as she looks at her daughter. Somehow, those smallest droplets are what wakes her gorgeous girl up. Her eyebrows furrow as her eyes adjust to the light.

"Mama?"

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

AUGUST 5th, 2009

A three hour flight that you almost missed with one mother acting as good cop and the other as bad cop is not anyone's idea of fun. It's a crisis averted that they made it in the first place and that Sasha isn't sitting pouting and instead passed out lying against her mommy. Does it need a backstory? Sure, here's the quick recap.

Sasha, ever the morning person, did not want to wake up. So she didn't. And then when her moms decided to just pick her up and place her in the car when it was time to go, they did not account for Sasha running around the SHIELD corridors. Well played, truly, that place is a maze. Her grandpa found her, and though she played with his eyepatch and got a one-eyed glare in response, she merely found it funny.

If we go even further, there was one suitcase in the backseat, and I'll let your imagine how that one played out. Truly a marvel this kid is.

Natasha got some work done on her latest mission report on the flight, and though it caused her anxiety because it didn't work out the exact way it should've, no one died and she's alright. I mean hiding a little bruising on her ribcage isn't that hard to do, she's done it before.

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

By the time they arrive it's noon. Clint is coming to pick the three of them up, just like that good ol' dad energy that he was. When they get to the house Laura opens the door and Lila runs out. Sasha is pulling at the handle in the car furiously 'cause she hasn't figured out what it means to unlock it by oneself. Child Lock on a car would do no good, by the time she can open a car door she should be smart enough not to unless it's safe.

Sasha unfastens her car seat because of course she did. "Open, Uncle Clint! OPENNNN!" She groans, all of a sudden having energy. She's pulling against the handle, but yeah, that's not how this car unlocks. Or... most cars.

"Gimme a sec, kid," he laughs in reply, parking the car. "Alright, now!"

In a matter of mere milliseconds the car door is swung open and Sasha is tripping out. "LILA!" she shouts, falling to the ground and rapidly standing back up. They immerse in a hug and run off playing.

"You know," Natasha says, scrunching her eyebrows as she watches the girls' silhouettes fade, "If she fell back at home she'd be crying for ice. Liar."

Maria gets out of the passenger's seat, chuckling. "Yes, yes she would."

As the three walk towards the patio where Laura's sitting Clint wraps his arm around Maria. "Welcome to parenting, my friend. We think we're lying, look at them."

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

AUGUST 6th, 2009
TW: slur (repeatedly)

There were seven of them. Four Bartons, a Romanoff, a Hill, and a Romanoff-Hill. Today they were going out to dinner because that's what families do, particularly on vacation and with other family.

Cooper's birthday was in two days, as was his party, so his parents said this was them celebrating before all his friends came over. Fair enough.

On Sasha's right was Lila and on her left was Natasha, and on the other side of her was Maria. It seemed as though this night would be one to hold close to your heart. And it started off that way, laughing, games, jokes. Natasha and Maria even kissed once just because! But holding something close to your heart doesn't mean it's always a perfectly happy memory.

As the family eats together a little kid walked past coming from the toilets. She looked to be about the same age as Sasha and as she walks by the table she taps Sasha's arm and looks up. She has brown hair, the summer highlights still present, curled up into two buns. She probably was sent to the washroom... though she didn't do a great job.

"My momma says your moms are going to Hell!" She comments, as if it was both nothing and everything at the same time.

Reminder, Sasha celebrates Christmas and Hanukkah, she doesn't even know the stories. There was something about a bunny? And a sea that moved? Everything was still new to her, she didn't know anything and didn't care to. She was young, and she liked chocolate.

Natasha turns around, looking at the little girl with big buns. "Excuse me?" She says, not harshly, yet not in any manner that didn't say 'you have no right to say anything about my family. About My lover.'

"Yeah! That's what my momma said! 'Cause you're a dyke!"

Natasha takes a deep breath. She's not mad at this girl, she doesn't know any better. How could she? Her mother though, she's been around long enough to learn. She should've learned. "I'm not a... a dyke." She replies, thinking about what to say. "That is a mean word for a lesbian, which I am not. I am bisexual. I don't believe I'm going to that place-"

"Hell?" She questions, making a childish pouty/curious face. "Well my momma-"

"Can you please go back to her? I don't want to talk about this."

The girl scurries off, her loose hair buns almost falling apart. She says one thing before heading back outside to her table. "Hell is bad! Don't be a dyke!"

Natasha takes a deep breath. Maria's hand interlaps with her own and she squeezes three times. The word dyke didn't even apply to her... that was a mean word for someone only attracted to women. She wasn't... but Maria was. But no matter what word that they both were labeled with, they would forever love each other. So that little girl, who will be raised to hate, should not affect her because Natasha with Maria should be enough. They are enough. Then why does it still hurt so damn much?

Natasha feels her sleeve being pulled and turns to face her daughter. "Mama, what's a die-k?"

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Alright, it's just her and Maria, she can do this. She didn't expect to have to have a conversation like this with Sasha so young, but here they are.

"A... dyke is a mean word..." Natasha starts, keeping eye contact with her daughter to make sure she understands. "Don't say it, okay?"

"Oh... okay, Mama. Why?" This is an amazing part about Sasha, and something her mothers never want to change. Question everything.

Maria places her hand on Sasha's. "It's a mean word to describe someone like me, someone who likes women and is a women."

Sasha's eyes widen. "Does that mean I'm a... wait I can't say that word."

Maria shrugs. "Not that word, but in the future maybe you'll like women like I love women. I want to kiss your Mama, and I want to marry her someday. Some people don't like that. A better word for a woman who likes women is lesbian."

She's too young to have to worry about this. Natasha thought she'd question why her friends had daddies and she didn't when she could understand.

"Is Mama a lesbian?"

Here comes the tricky part...

Natasha takes a deep inhale. "No, I'm not. I like women like Mommy but I also like men like Aunt Laura. People call that bisexual."

Sasha's smart, she understands. Hopefully. "So why aren't you also with a man?"

"Because I chose to be with your Mommy and love her. I love your Mommy and she loves me."

Sasha closes her eyes and smiles when she opens them. "I love you both too! Not in the kiss lips marry way, I- I love you. Yeah." She jumps off the foot of the bed and wraps her arms around her moms' necks.

"We love you too, munchkin," Maria says. "Always."

Maybe this was all they needed.

<33

There are nice people in Iowa there are mean people in Iowa, I don't really know the conservative rate like in other states, I did minimal research but they became trumpy in 2016 sooo. But this is 2009 so screw me i guess

There's gonna be a bit of a time jump next chapter to that comic prelude about Natasha before Iron Man 2, so maybe April? Do you want that or stick to New Years and next year? I mean... I'm chill either way but this is a nice conclusion to Early Years (but i can always make a different one!)

Also I proofread this, im so tired but i feel the need to get this out so if i edit tomorrow or something, well, i guess just expect that! I think this is... fine... but that's really it :)