Chapter Text
Melinda-centric
In one day, it would be Melinda May's birthday.
Oddly enough, this was going to be the first birthday with everyone together. Lately Natasha was in and out--working for Coulson, for the undead Fury, the Avengers, and tying up loose ends that somehow always found her. May liked finally having her close. She liked not having to worry about if she was going to be okay or not.
Maria was hardly any better at being home with the pack, although she wasn't usually directly in harm's way. She was a sort of bargaining chip with Natasha. The fiery redhead only got to go on as many missions as she did because Maria accompanied her to the Avengers' compound for most of her work with them. The perks of being her former handler, Melinda guessed. It was either that or the six of them had complained to Coulson and Fury enough that Maria got to go wherever she wanted at this point. Without fail, she always wanted to be with the lone member of their pack.
"Scarlet or crimson? What do you think, Millie?"
Melinda jerked her head out of her thoughts rather physically to throw a look at Natasha, who was holding up two different types of earrings to her ears and staring at her own reflection in the bathroom mirror. "You're like a caricature of yourself," the older agent commented.
Natasha responded by pinning her mate to the marble counter, her hands on either side. She was so close, Melinda could spot each individual fleck of gold in her eyes. God, she wished she could just stand there for hours and count those flecks of wonder.
"You're lucky you're the birthday girl," Natasha sneered. She leaned in slowly. Her eyes gradually fluttered closed, only to leave a chaste kiss on the corner of Melinda's mouth before letting go of her entirely.
Melinda called her a tease in Mandarin.
Natasha followed up with something in Russian that Melinda didn't care to translate. Although her eyes lowered to Melinda's collarbone, and her tone was more seductive than insulting.
At that moment, there was a knock on the bathroom door.
"Yes, Jemma?"
Jemma's scent seeped under the doorway. Melinda wasn't shocked to find that she smelled musky. She would bet a million that it had been Daisy in that damned suit of hers--the one she had begged and begged Maria to let her buy a few months ago. Now that she finally had an occasion to wear it, Melinda would be shocked if she hadn't donned her outfit already.
"Maria--" she cleared her throat "--wanted me to tell you that the car will be here in fifteen minutes."
The car was supposed to take them to a fancy dinner party that Tony Stark had insisted May needed. "The big something-something!" he exclaimed, as Melinda didn't reveal her age to anyone but her packmates and Phil. Even then, he only knew because it was in her file. Melinda respected that Stark hadn't checked behind her back, or, at least if he did, he had the decency not to shout it to everyone else.
When she thought about it, Melinda felt a little old. It was her 46th birthday, she was allowed to feel just a little old. A little.
It didn't help that her packmates were all younger than her, apart from Natasha. The fact that the redhead never aged was a little discouraging to say the least though.
Here, she was about to turn 46, surrounded by the women in her life that chased the demons away and filled her heart with everything she could ever dream. Yet, all she could think about was how much it just wasn't right.
Melinda didn't do anything to deserve these women--not sweet, sweet Jemma, who was the perfect submissive Omega an Alpha could ever ask for. Certainly she didn't deserve Daisy, who--once she got out of her own head--lived every day of her life as a kid in a candy store.
No, Melinda didn't deserve her Omegas, and when she thought about it, she didn't deserve her Betas either. Genuinely, who could ever earn the right to call Bobbi their mate? She was an enigma, an anomaly, a drop-dead gorgeous Amazonian warrior, and the love of May's life. No, Bobbi deserved so much more than her. So did Maria, ever-vigilant, constantly fulfilling others' wants before they become needs, before they could even be vocalized. Melinda had done nothing to earn two faithful women like them.
Then there was Natasha. She was Melinda's better half undoubtedly, both the devil and the angel on her shoulders. There seemed to be no end to Natasha' wisdom, care, and love. She was everything a mate could need and more.
And what was Melinda? A half-baked Alpha with a hero complex? The ruined ex-wife of some Beta that she couldn't even look in the eye? A disciplinarian? The Cavalry...?
Dark thoughts plagued Melinda's mind often, but not these ones. These were new, and she didn't like them.
That's why they're dark thoughts, Melinda mused to herself. Idiot.
A few weeks ago, Stark called about a party, and Maria and the Omegas arranged it with a little help from Natasha. The only requirement was that it not actually be on her birthday as that was to be reserved for non-stop, 24-hours of sex with her five favorite people and their favorite toys. Not that Tony needed to know that.
Since then, the pack wouldn't stop asking her things, and they weren't rude things. Jemma asked some not-so-subtle questions about things Melinda might like for her birthday. The older agent knew exactly what she was up to when, "I think you need a new sweatshirt. Do you think so?" was later followed up with, "You're favorite color is purple, right?"
God, May loved the life out of that kid, but it was a miracle she ever survived undercover at HYDRA for as long as she did.
Somewhere within that timeframe, Daisy and Bobbi ganged up on her. Daisy begged and begged for her to play video games in the lounge. Melinda denied her requests plenty of times before, but after the third day of her girl asking, she couldn't say no anymore. The moment she sat on the couch, Bobbi practically ran out of the room.
May pretended to play Tom Clancy games for the better part of an hour until Bobbi returned. Daisy had asked the blonde to cover for her while she went to the bathroom, returning nearly fifteen minutes later. Melinda may have been tired that night, but she wasn't stupid.
Maria was up-front about her birthday ideas. She always was, and Melinda appreciated her for it. It wasn't that she didn't love when her mates tried to surprise her, but pretending not to notice things was getting a little tiring. There was no pretending with Maria though. She had walked into their bunk with a small rectangular box, not wrapped or otherwise disguised, and May briefly pitied the agents who must have seen Maria carry it to their room. Briefly. Any pity flew out the window when Maria smiled at her and said, "For your birthday. I like when we both get something out of it." Yes, Melinda very much enjoyed that as well.
Natasha's gift was the only one Melinda had no idea about, per usual. She thought that maybe there wasn't one. Maybe Natasha had been too busy. Maybe this was the year she finally decided that the second Alpha in a pack wasn't actually that important. Maybe Melinda didn't deserve one, just like she didn't deserve her pack. Maybe Natasha's present was going to be telling Melinda to let them all go and--
"Love."
Natasha's hands had let go of May's wrists. One was cradling the back of Melinda's head, and the other was cupping her cheek. Worried green eyes held off a torrent of deeper emotions, and Melinda frowned at her mate in distress.
"Where did you go?" Natasha asked gently.
"Too many places."
"Yeah? Where'd you end up?"
"...Bahrain." Something dark and unforgiving flashed in Natasha's eyes, and Melinda had to remind herself that it wasn't her fault. "I'm here now."
"You're here now?" Natasha repeated. Melinda nodded, and the redhead squeezed her tight. "Maybe we should stay here tonight. With as many people as Stark invited, you could probably get away with a few quick hello's and then duck out if you want to."
Resting her head in the crook of Natasha's neck, Melinda breathed in her scent--smooth, strong, and definitely worried. She could mask her pheromones from an Omega, but not from her fellow Alpha. "I'm okay, Tasha." I promise. "I want to go get drunk with some Avengers. It's been awhile."
Natasha didn't laugh, and that did upset Melinda a little. She pulled away and tucked a strand of hair behind the redhead's ear. "Listen, we can talk about it later all you want, but it was nothing more than a quick little thought." I promise.
Her train of thought was briefly interrupted when a fit of giggles could be heard from Maria of all people, followed closely by a loud, deep groan from Bobbi.
"Do you really expect me to ignore the ungodly sounds coming from our bedroom right now?" May teased. Delicately she grabbed Natasha's hand and tugged her to the doorway. "Stark's car can wait just a little, right?"
"Of course," Natasha whispered. "It's your birthday. You deserve it."
And Melinda thought that maybe, just maybe, she actually did.