Locksmith

I debriefed Yelena, letting her know how the night had gone but choosing to leave the almost kiss out of the conversation. I wasn’t sure what it meant, and the last thing I wanted to do was risk getting her excited. It was already too late for me; the mere visual of her leaning in toward me was enough to make me excited about the possibilities. My body was still buzzing from the night as I began getting ready for bed. The shower felt like heaven as the warm water rolled down my body. I was able to relax under it, closing my eyes as my mind wandered back to every moment of the night. It felt like something out of a dream right down to the end, where nothing happened between us. Most of the times I dreamt of her in the past, I would wake up before I could experience the feeling of kissing her again. Almost as if something cosmic didn’t want me to remember how it felt. Probably because if I had remembered, I would’ve left Victor far sooner than I had. I finished up in the shower before making sure my face didn’t have any remaining makeup on it. The very last thing I needed on the vacation when I could potentially right the wrong I made as a teenager was to have a breakout. I set the alarm on my phone and plugged it in before climbing into the bed to settle in for sleep. My eyes were beyond heavy, probably in part because of the weed, but I chose not to fight it off and allowed sleep to take me, knowing that getting to the next day meant I may see Natasha again.

“It’s not that scary. I promise.” She said with a grin.
“Nat, this is literally a car. People are killed by cars all the time.” I said flatly.
“Yes… They are… But we are in an empty parking lot. I’m not sure it’s the best condition for death to take place. As real as your fears are.” She said with a grin.
“You’re mean,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“And yet you asked me to teach you how to drive.” She said with a grin.
“I did… I’ve driven with you before. I know you’re a good driver.” I said with a shrug.
“Well then, it’s an honor to be chosen.” She said with a smile.

She helped to instruct me on what each part of the car was and did as if I’d never been in a car before. It made no sense, but I was more than willing to let her go through every step she felt she needed to cover for me. It was terrifying in every aspect. It was her car, and I could ruin it; more than that, I didn’t feel like looking stupid in front of her when I eventually panicked. Once I figured out how much pressure to use on the gas pedal and after many accidental break checks, I was able to move freely around the parking lot. I knew that driving around a parking lot didn’t really mean anything. There was nothing to make it difficult for me and no objects I needed to avoid other than very obvious light poles. She had a bright smile on her face the entire time, never once stopping her encouragement. After about an hour, the car started to feel funny as I drove, and she asked me to stop. After showing me how to put the car in park, she told me to get out with her so we could check the car. To my shock and horror, one of the tires was losing air and clearly lower than all of the others.

“Fuck. I’m so sorry, Nat… I don’t… I didn’t see it.” I said as panic settled on my chest.
“Hey, hey, hey, you’re okay. You’re okay. Flat tires happen.” She said gently.
“Yeah, but this is ~your~ car. I should’ve been more careful.” I argued.
“Wands, there’s no way to avoid getting a flat tire. How about I teach you how to change a tire? Think you can handle that? Or are you too pretty to know how to change your tire?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.
“I can handle it,” I said, feeling a fluttering feeling in my stomach.

The feeling wasn’t unfamiliar, but the gender of the person causing it was. I knew exactly what it meant in a broad sense; I clearly wasn’t straight. But more than that, I had feelings for Natasha. Something that seemed like the dumbest thing I could possibly do. Not that I had any control over it, but developing feelings for one of your best friends, especially when that best friend is your other best friend’s sister, didn’t seem very bright. But I couldn’t help it. With everything we did together, she made sure to keep me calm, and she treated it as a learning moment instead of getting mad at me. She showed me how to change a tire, and more than ever before, all I wanted to do was spend every waking second being taught by her.

My eyes shot open as a cold sweat covered my body. The one thing I didn’t need was for her to follow me into my dreams. The only thing I begged not to happen had finally happened. My heart was pounding in my chest as I tried to figure out how to avoid having another dream. It made sense that after a night spent with her, she would make her way into my dreams. I just hadn’t expected my dreams to be memories on replay for me. I rolled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, convinced that a quick shower would help me sleep again. At the very least, it would keep me from feeling gross. I let the water get warm before stepping in and soaking in every little bit of comfort. I stayed in the shower for about ten minutes before getting out and getting ready for bed again. I put on new pajamas before climbing back into bed and settling against my pillow. With a deep breath, I let my eyes close again, praying that I wouldn’t see her face again.

“Can I tell you something?” I asked with a sigh.
“Did Victor hurt you? I’ll kill him.” Pietro said firmly.
“No… It’s not about him.” I said, shaking my head.
“The offer stands. I don’t care who he is, you’re my sister, he doesn’t get a free pass to be a dickhead.” He said with a frown.
“Duly noted. Again, not about him.” I said slowly.
“What’s it about then?” He questioned carefully.
“Can you promise you won’t hate me if I tell you?” I asked quietly.
“Wands, you’re my sister. My ~~twin~~ sister, if you forgot. I could never hate you. You kill someone? I guess I have to learn how to hide a body. But I could never hate you for any reason.” He said with a frown.
“You might not want to make that commitment,” I said with a breathy laugh.
“Just tell me.” He urged as my heart made sure I knew it was working.
“You know how Nat disappeared randomly?” I asked quietly.
“You mean when she left?” He asked in confusion.
“Yeah,” I said with a nod.
“Of course I do. What about it?” He asked slowly.
“She left because of me,” I said, shaking my head.
“What do you mean she left because of you?” He asked with a deep frown.
“We were kind of… Together…” I mumbled.
“Together? What do you mean?” He asked, clearly not understanding basic English.
“We were dating,” I said with a sigh.
“Dating? What do you mean you were dating? I would’ve known!” He argued quickly.
“Okay… But you didn’t know. We dated her entire senior year.” I said, shaking my head with a breathy laugh.
“Are you being serious?” He asked, confusion written across his face.
“No, it’s a really dumb joke. Yes, Pietro.” I said, shaking my head.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me? Did… Do you think I won’t love you if you’re gay? Are you gay?” He asked with a frown as his mind raced.
“I… Don’t know what I am. Guys, girls… It’s the same to me.” I said with a shrug.
“Okay… But why didn’t you tell me then? And why are you telling me now?” He questioned carefully.
“I was worried you would be upset… If it helps, Yelena doesn’t know. Unless Nat told her, I guess.” I said quietly.
“And you’re telling me now because?” He asked again.
“Because I fucked it up… And because I miss her.” I said, my voice breaking as I tried to choke down tears.
“Shit. Uh… What about Victor? If… If you like Natasha, why would you be with him?” He asked, wrapping his arms around me for a hug.
“Nat had just asked me to come out with her, and I was too scared and said I wouldn’t. That’s why she left… I showed up at the bonfire, and he asked, and… Yelena encouraged me to do it, so I listened.” I mumbled into his shoulder.
“If you want Nat, you should be with Nat. Are you scared of mom and dad?” He asked slowly.
“Yeah. They already hate me; I don’t need to give them a reason to ~~Biblically~~ hate me.”  I said with a sigh.
“I’ll keep them off your back. Do you trust me?” He asked, slowly backing away.
“Of course I do. Why?” I asked, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
“I have to go do something. But I’ll be back!” He said with excitement, grabbing his keys from his dresser.
“Where are you going?” I asked with a frown.
“Do you trust me?” He asked again.
“Yes. What does that have to do with this?” I asked, rolling my eyes.
“Then trust me.” He said with a bright smile.

Before I could say anything else, he was racing down the stairs. Leave it to the track star to literally run away from me. I knew that there was no use in fighting him. Whatever plan he had concocted in his head, he was going to make happen. With a sigh, I made my way back to my room and tried to focus on my homework. If I was going to have to trust Pietro with whatever insane thing he had come up with, I might as well do it while not having to stress over getting my work done. I heard the front door open and close before the sound of his car starting rang through the night. I wracked my brain, trying to remember if he’d told me he had any plans for the night, and couldn’t think of anything. Surely not something that would require him to go out in the middle of a storm.

My eyes shot open as I gasped for air. My chest was heaving as I tried to regain my bearings and ground myself in the present. I reached for my phone and pulled it over to check the time. My breathing began to slow down as I opened a text from Yelena and read it. My heart stuttered in my chest when I finally understood what I was reading. She told me that she’d called Natasha to ask about the gala and said that she’d had a lot of fun. She also told her that she hadn’t expected to enjoy the night but that it had ended up being one of the best nights she’d had in recent history. Those two things made me feel like I was flying. With her being so open about how the night was, even if it was in a broad sense, it didn’t feel like the almost kiss was a mistake on her part. It was something she stood by, and that meant that it meant something to her. 

“Nat, you can’t just mix your candy like that. It goes against the laws of nature.” I said with a giggle.
“Oh? The laws, hm?” She asked with a grin.
“Mhm. Nature says that’s wrong.” I said, unable to contain my smile.
“And why is that?” She questioned, throwing a handful in her mouth.
“Nat! You probably just got the grossest combination of chocolate Skittles.” I said with a whine.
“How do you know it’s gross?” She questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“Because! One is fruity, and the other is chocolate, and they’re neither of those things in the correct way for it to taste good.” I argued with a frown.
“How can you make such a claim without trying it first?” She asked, challenging me.
“I’m not trying that,” I said firmly, shaking my head.
“Then I’m not going to stop mixing.” She said with a smirk.
“Fine. I’ll try it.” I said, rolling my eyes.

She watched as I reached into her bowl with a grimace. I knew that agreeing was a bad idea; there was no way the combination would or could taste good. I grabbed a small handful and popped it into my mouth, chewing before I could think about it too much. My face stayed twisted up as the worst flavors mixed in my mouth. Her grin started to look guilty, but I didn’t see an ounce of regret in her eyes. She’d tricked me into trying it, knowing full well that it wasn’t good. When I swallowed, I immediately shot her a glare.

“You’re the worst,” I said, shaking my head.
“I love you.” She said with a soft sigh.
“You… What?” I asked in disbelief, blinking slowly.
“That wasn’t how that was supposed to come out.” She said quickly.
“How was it supposed to come out?” I asked, frozen in shock.
“I’ll tell you the reason it came out now instead of answering that. You are so stubborn you knew that wasn’t going to taste good, and yet, you were determined to prove a point. But you were also willing to admit if it was good, and you tried it because I wanted you to. I love you, Wands. Everything about you, even that annoying brother you insisted on sharing a womb with.” She said gently.
“Holy shit,” I said in disbelief.
“You don’t have to say it back. I get that you may not be ready. But I think that you deserve to know that you are loved so fucking much by me. I wish I had said it the first time I felt it, but I wanted the moment to be perfect. I get that this isn’t perfect, but what am I going to do? I just didn’t want any more time to go by where you didn’t know how loved you are.” She said, rambling as she shifted her eyes around the room.
“I love you,” I said breathlessly.
“Yeah?” She asked, her voice breaking slightly as tears filled her waterline.
“So much so that just knowing I have you quiets my mind and keeps it from getting out of control,” I said with a nod.

I opened my eyes with a groan, contemplating giving up on sleep completely. It felt like torture to see every moment on replay for me, as if it didn’t feel like a bullet to my heart each time. Seeing what I ruined and who I hurt only made me feel like a bigger piece of shit than I originally had. She was the best person, period. But she treated me better than Victor ever had. She was the blueprint for me, and it was why no one could ever live up to the feelings she evoked for me. Being loved by her was like knowing you were made of glass and not being afraid when she tossed you in the air because you knew she would never let you crash to the ground. It was no surprise that he could never make me feel that way, but even tonight, she proved that she was still that person. She pulled me to the dance floor and made a moment for the two of us the way she always had. She knew I loved to dance and hoped that I still did, and when I agreed, she made sure to find a way after all this time to make me feel seen. I got up to get a glass of water before getting back into bed. I prayed I’d be able to sleep until my alarm went off. I took a drink from the glass before settling back into bed and closing my eyes.

“Nat?” I asked as I opened the door.
“Surprise.” She said with a grin.
“What are you doing here?” I asked with a frown.
“Let me in.” She said, shaking her head.
“You look beautiful,” I said, unable to take my eyes off of her.
“Does that mean you’ll let me in?” She asked with a smile.
“Come in,” I said, shaking my head as I stepped to the side to let her in.

She stepped inside, and after I made sure the door was locked, we made our way up the stairs toward my room. I had no idea what she was doing at my house when she was supposed to be enjoying her senior prom, but I also selfishly didn’t want her to leave. I hadn’t expected her to show up at my house demanding to be let in, but she did know that no one would be home with everyone at one of Pietro’s track meets. It was one that could land him a state medal as well as get him a scholarship, but he made sure I knew that I could stay home. It wasn’t that I didn’t support him; he knew that I did, but he hated watching soccer, and I hated watching people run in a circle and jump over things. We gave each other a pass to not go to the others’ events as long as we knew that we wanted the best for each other. She stopped at the top of the stairs and waited for me to reach the step beneath her before connecting our lips. In a quick second, she had pulled all of the air from my lungs with precision. I sighed into the kiss when her tongue slid against mine, and completely surrendered to her. She kissed me deeply, and my head was swirling as my lungs begged for air. As if she knew what I needed, she pulled away, and I was able to gasp for the much-needed air. She shook her head at me with a smile before lacing her fingers with mine and pulling me to my room.

“You’re crazy,” I said with a smile when my bedroom door shut behind us.
“It’s my senior prom. You can’t expect me not to want to dance with the most beautiful girl in the world tonight.” She said with a pout.
“You should be out doing something crazy with your friends,” I said, shaking my head.
“I’m doing something crazy. I am asking the girl I love to dance with me on the night of my senior prom even though she wasn’t my date for the night.” She tried.
“Uh huh, still not thrilled about my replacement,” I mumbled with a slight frown.
“I’m sure you aren’t. But he’s harmless.” She said with a grin.
“You really came back here just to dance with me?” I asked with a sigh.
“Of course I did. I couldn’t let a prom go by without getting a dance with the princess.” She said lightly.

I couldn’t help but shake my head. It didn’t shock me that she’d done something as sweet as showing up to my house on the night of her senior prom so we could share a dance, but it wasn’t something I ever expected from her. It was something I didn’t see anyone being able to anticipate. But she pulled me against her and began to hum a song. It was something tiny, but it had me melting further against her, completely at ease. Her desire to create moments with me that were for us to enjoy never stopped making me swoon. Eventually, her humming stopped, but our dance didn’t waver. She was more than happy to exist with me in that moment, not willing to rush for it to end. In moments like that, it was easy to feel like the most seen person in the world.