You Just Wear It Different
Maria was sitting at the kitchen table, and she had a tablet on the table and she had pulled up a holographic screen so Yelena and Natasha could see everything she was discussing. Fury sent Maria over the information so she could get herself up to date on what was going on.
“The event tonight’s at the the Fedor Estate in the Khamovniki District.”
“Fannnncy,” Yelena wriggled her eye brows at Natasha and Natasha smirked. The Khamovniki District, also known as the ‘Golden Mile’ in Moscow was where the wealthiest of the wealthiest people lived. They were all corrupt and had deep pockets with Russian leaders. They kept their inner circle very tight and were not friendly to outsiders, yet, they could not help themselves and threw very lavish parties where a great man deals went down. SHIELD agents and Widows were no strangers to these events.
“The Duchess of Death will be meeting with this man, Igor Vonnav there.” Maria pulled up a picture of Igor, it was the man Dreykov was talking to the night before.
“The Duchess of Death?” Yelena asked.
“Arina Natalia Maria Belinsky…” Maria started to explain the way she explained things to the Avengers on a mission, she even pulled up a photo of Natasha and Yelena to see what Arina looked like. Arina, a tall thin blonde woman, who was harsh looking with sharp features, yet quite beautiful. She looked the way a young evil queen type villain would look in a kids movie or something.
“Natalia Maria?” Natasha asked looking at Maria.
“I didn’t name her…” Maria shrugged.
“What a coincidence.” Natasha sighed giving Maria an obnoxious look because what were the chances the ‘Duchess of Death’ bared both their first names?
“Can I keep going please?” Maria asked with minor annoyance at Natasha’s interruption.
“Yes, please, provide the background information and explain the plot of this adventure to everyone.” Natasha snickered and Maria glared at her and she did not continue as Maria thought that was quite rude. Knowing this information as important and it could save their lives. Maria liked to be thorough and she wanted to make sure all parties involved had the same intel she did.
“I would like the information.” Yelena requested kindly eager for Maria to keep going.
“She’s an international arms dealer, who everyone knows about but no one has been able to touch for years because of her association with the Kremlin. She’s armed a number of terrorist groups and her arms trades generate a great deal of wealth for Kremlin associated families and she’s often after SHIELD technology or technology that can compete with it.” Maria continued to explain.
“She definitely has deep connections and she knows where to hide.” Natasha sighed remembering this woman from years ago. “SHIELD was after her for years.” She added.
“She’s actually in holding cell right now.” Maria said shocking Natasha and Yelena turned her head upward.
“What?!” Natasha asked, that was a pretty big get.
“We got her, but they want to catch Igor in the sale, to get rid of him too, so it hasn’t come out yet, it just happened, Nick told me. That’s why Nick had the video I showed you, they were following Arina who was talking to Igor, and then they started following Igor who was talking to Dreykov. They arrested Arina secretly and replaced her so Igor won’t know anything is up and make his purchase. Nick sent it to me because I was in the area and when I asked about the North Institute, Dreykov came up. Nick said he was dead and I asked if he was sure, turns out I guess he’s not so sure either after he saw this.” Maria explained.
“Does Fury know you’re helping me?” Natasha asked.
“No, he’s on vacation.” Maria shrugged off casually.
Natasha squinted at Maria.
“But he sent you this video.”
Actually, Priscilla sent it because it was the skrulls who were finally able to nab Arina, but the rest of it came from Fury, and Maria wasn’t going to make that clarification.
“I mean, operations still go on if Nick takes a vacation..” Maria said as if she hadn’t said the same thing to him earlier. “Plus, it really helps if I’m here on a legitimate mission you know?” Maria asked Natasha wide eyed and she nodded.
“So are you going as Arina Natalia Maria Belinsky wearing a veil?” Nat asked curiously.
“No, but someone else is.”
“But I’ll get Igor alone from our plant pretending to be Arina, so she won’t see you and you two can stop in with your questions about where Dreykov is before I have to hand him over.”
“Ohh, get him alone.” Yelena joked nudging Maria.
“Uhh…” Maria looked at her funny.
“He likes tall brunettes, you can see it in the video, all the girls around him except the Death Duchess are that.” Yelena pointed out her observation from the video of the other evening and she was right.
“God, I hate a man with a type.” Maria sighed.
“How do you feel about a woman with one?” Yelena asked and Maria glared at her and Natasha laughed to herself.
“I’m not a really a seduce the enemy type of spy, I’m a hide in the air vents type of spy.” Maria said in a stern tone which made Yelena laughs.
“Oh, more like a seduce your coworker type of spy?” Yelena grinned widely and Maria gasped.
“No!” She looked a little flushed.
“I’m kidding.” Yelena pet her on the back and Natasha laughed. “And you’re way too tall for the air vents.” Yelena pointed out and Natasha nodded.
“For sure.” Nat agreed.
“I can fit in air vent, I can crouch.” Maria whined, the other two just laughed.
“You know, Maria, to your point for a man like Igor, the only thing more intriguing than a woman he can have is…. well… one he can’t…right?” Natasha nudged Maria on the other side. Maria looked at Natasha and she thought about what she said and then she sighed very loudly.
“Ugh, fine, god.” She groaned.
“We have to go shopping.” Yelena said eagerly and Maria and Natasha stared at her making uneasy faces.
“It’s a fancy affair, for us to get in, we have to look like the women who belong. Nobody’s letting you in the door wearing jeans and a hoodie” Yelena gestured to Maria.
“Who said we have to use the door?” Maria asked pulling up a holographic blueprint of the building where the event was being held.
“Well one of you definitely has to go in.” Natasha said as she looked around the blue prints. “I can get through this side if someone can let me in, I assume there will be a lot of security.”
“A lot.” Maria emphasized.
“So someone is going to have to be on the inside.” Yelena again reiterated her point.
“And I volunteer to go in.” She added.
“Well there is one, but she’ll be…”
“Death Duchessing…” Yelena finished for Maria.
“Right.”
“And you’ll need to be with the plant.” Natasha pointed out to Maria.
“So, I’ll have to go in with the girls they hire to be around those parties, and I’ll need a nice dress, to fit in with them.” Yelena explained eagerly because this meant shopping trip!
Natasha and Maria looked at each other.
“She’s right.” Natasha sighed looking at Maria and Maria groaned.
“What if Igor wants to trade, where Dreykov is for his release?” Natasha asked, that’s what she would do in that situation. They had to be ready for all options, Igor wouldn’t just talk to them even though Maria and Natasha knew they could probably beat it out of him.
“That’s my guess that he will do that, but I’ll only give him the deal once Dreykov is finished, not while it’s pending, he’ll have to wait in holding until then.” Maria said rather authoritatively.
“Wow, for once we get a hostage.” Yelena said almost excited.
“He’s not a hostage, he’s criminal negotiating a lighter sentence for intel that is needed.” Maria clarified.
“But what are you going to tell Fury?” Natasha asked.
“Natasha, you can’t just go kill Dreykov and blow up the Red Room without Ross getting hot on your trail, you need cover, do you see what I am doing for you?” Maria asked a bit annoyed an opportunity fell into their lap and Natasha could not mess it up by not trusting Maria right now.
“I’m going to do it and you are going to take the credit?” Natasha glared at Maria.
“I am not taking the credit Natasha, I am preventing you from getting caught, I am covering for you, I am creating a paper trail of a mission that I can say you are not a part of so Ross won’t find you. And when this little fugitive act all blows over then you know what? Shout it from the fucking roof tops. Please. I’ll make you a banner, I’ll sing your praises, I get it, its your thing but you cannot do your thing without cover.” Maria sighed.
Natasha was quiet for a minute, what Maria was saying was right, it did help Natasha and Yelena get cover, but it put Maria at risk for lying, and she did not lie to Fury. So, Natasha figured he had to be on board somehow. The three of them were quiet for a minute and just sat there.
“It’s all going to work out great.” Yelena mumbled and Maria an Natasha just stared blankly to the sides of one another not making eye contact.
“C’mon, Maria, I need a dress and you need something that doesn’t say ‘I gave up’” Yelena gestured to Maria’s hoodie and jeans and Maria gasped at her. Natasha laughed loudly.
“Wow, she really is your sister, huh?” Maria turned to Natasha who had pressed her eyes shut laughing.
“I am not even wearing anything different than you two are.” Maria pointed to them, and they were also looking fairly casual but in a far more sleek way than Maria. Maria was really more about the comfort of it all.
“I guess you just wear it different.” Natasha smirked.
“Goodbye.” Maria huffed getting up from the table and grabbing the keys and Yelena and Natasha exchanged a snarky glance and Yelena followed Maria outside.
As Maria and Yelena ran off on a quick shopping trip, Natasha appreciated the alone time. She realized Maria couldn’t leave now, because they had quick window into getting some information on Dreykov’s whereabouts, and it gave Maria cover for being here if she finished this little Fury operation, and it gave Natasha cover for conducting her own.
Yelena found a boutique for her and Maria to purchase something to wear for the evening. It had a mix of gowns and professionally tailored clothes for women. It was very upscale—it even had cucumber water for customers. Maria grabbed the first black dress she saw without even trying it on or really looking at it and folded it in her arm. Yelena grabbed handful of dresses of various styles, colors, glitz and glamour and went to try them all on. After Maria noted Yelena’s very long absence from shopping she went to go find her. Maria walked into the fitting room and Yelena could tell it was her by her boots, also they were the only two people in the store.
“Maria.” Yelena whispered in the empty fitting room.
“What?” She whispered back jokingly outside of the door.
“Can you come in here?”
“I am in here…” Maria made a face to herself.
“No, into my dressing room.” Yelena said with urgency.
“Why? Is there a problem, did you find something?” Maria asked alarmed as she opened the door on alert and Maria made the most dramatic face as she saw Yelena in her dress.
“You don’t like it?” She asked
Yelena’a dress was white, it had a strapless sweetheart top, with a very full poofy skirt, it was made of chiffon but had a gold polka dot pattern on it that shimmered. Around the waist was a giant bright pink ribbon, that tied in a huge bow in the back. Maria couldn’t explain this dress if she tried, it was like the dress a baby would wear but some how sexed up but also still extremely juvenile, yet retro and princess like.
Maria shook her head no.
“I’ve never seen a dress like this before in my whole life.” Yelena said spinning a bit in the dress.
“Probably with good reason, that was definitely designed by a man who hates women.” Maria muttered.
“It’s like a princess’s birthday party.” Yelena laughed.
“Yeah, like a 13 year old princess’s birthday party dress in the 1950s..” Maria agreed and Yelena puckered her lips at that statement.
“I love it.” Yelena said endearingly to herself in the mirror and she watched Maria try so hard not to make a face.
“I think it’s perfect.” Yelena continued and again Maria was silent. “I might even save it for my wedding dress.” She added on.
“Nothing?” Yelena asked.
“If you like it, that’s what matters.” Maria responded and Yelena turned around and leaned against the mirrored wall staring at her.
“I’m just kidding.” Yelena laughed and Maria took a loud sigh of relief because she thought that dress was hideous but she didn’t really want to damper Yelena’s spirit and excitement about it. Yelena pulled another dress off the hanger where she had a number of dresses she had pulled.
“What about this one?” She asked holding up a body con dress that had a black to bright green ombre effect and was covered with sequins and beads, it had numerous cut out and the straps were also lined with silver sequins. It had a low neck and a high slit. There was a lot going on.
“Do you really want my opinion? Fashion is very subjective.” Maria cautioned.
“Yes, I want your opinion that’s why I asked for it.” Yelena said holding the glitzy gown in front of her.
“It’s too much… sparkle… everything…. also probably designed by a man who hates women.”
Yelena turned and she faced the mirror holding the glamorous dress in front of her body pressed up against the 50s gown. It was the complete opposite of the dress she was wearing now.
“What else do you think about it?” Yelena asked.
“That it looks like a cheap prom dress.” Maria made a face.
“Oh.” Yelena hung that dress back up.
“What about this one?” Maria pulled simple silk navy blue gown from her pile of dresses, she hadn’t seen the cut or anything, she just noticed that it had a very elegant looking fabric from the choices Yelena had made. Yelena grabbed the navy gown from her dresses hang up and she started to pull off the retro princess birthday ballgown.
“Let me give you some privacy..” Maria started to step out of the room.
“Relax.” Yelena rolled her eyes and then she pulled off her dress and pulled on the navy blue dress instead.
The silk gown had a low v-neck in the front, it had a fitted skirt that went to the floor making Yelena look bit taller than she was, the skirt had a slit in it though so she could walk. The v-neck cut started wide at the chest and got smaller and smaller until it hit the waist. Maria didn’t realize it had that low of a cut when she suggested it, regardless it looked very pretty on Yelena, the blue really brought out her bright green eyes.
“What do you think?” Yelena looked at herself in the mirror and she looked very happy, this was much more mature looking dress for sure.
“Well…” Maria paused. “If I was a creep from a Russian crime family I would probably make you feel very uncomfortable.” Maria joked and Yelena put her hand on her heart.
“Aww, thank you. That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.” Yelena smiled.
Maria pressed her lips together for a minute as Yelena continued to admire herself in the mirror, despite the simplicity of the cut, it looked amazing on her, and Yelena could feel the pride in it.
“You look beautiful.” Maria complimented sincerely.
“Why do I feel like Nat should be here?” Yelena asked with a sigh.
“No, shopping for a dress to be objectified in by terrible men is something you do with your sister’s ex.” Maria assured.
“Oh! Okay.” Yelena turned and looked at her. “Are you making that up?” She asked.
Maria paused.
“No…” she lied unconvincingly and Maria took a moment. “Do the shopping for this kind of stuff with me, and when shop for clothes you really care about, do it with her.” Maria suggested with a shrug.
“You think she wants to go dress shopping with me?”
“No, I think she’d absolutely hate it. So you should definitely make her go with you, many many times.” Maria smiled to herself and Yelena smirked.
“There’s no pockets in any of these things.” She complained smoothing her dress over herself.
“Tell me about it.” Maria agreed with a groan.
“Why do women’s clothes have no pockets? We have so much stuff!”
“Oh, I know! It’s actually a very sexist reason.” Maria started to explain.
“So we buy purses or bags?” Yelena asked.
“No, because they assume women are more likely to shoplift so they purposefully didn’t put pockets in our clothes.”
“Also, it would kind of ruin the fit of this dress.” Yelena pointed out as her dress fit her like a glove.
“Yeah, I think maybe a different dress, actually.” Maria changed her mind, she did not want Natasha’s kid sister to be ogled all night in that and Yelena smirked at Maria changing her mind, it was kind of funny to have sister’s ex-girlfriend feel protective over her.
“I like this one, I look mature.”
“God, Natasha is going to kill me.” Maria mumbled to herself.
“I am not a child.”
“I know.”
“I have probably experienced much more than you, and you’re a pretty experienced lady.”
“You probably have.” Maria agreed.
As Yelena looked herself over again in the mirror and she pulled her hair down from a pony tail letting her blonde waves fall.
“You’re right though, this one is classier. I should wear necklace with this?” She asked noting her bare center.
“Or a turtle neck.” Maria mumbled and Yelena laughed biting her bottom lip.
“Okay, let’s see yours.” Yelena said noticing the black dress in Maria’s arms.
“Oh, no, it’s fine.” Maria shrugged.
“What if you hate it, what if it doesn’t fit?”
“I don’t care what it looks like and it will fit.” Maria seemed unbothered and Yelena made a face.
“Please tell me you’re not one of those women where everything fits you perfectly and looks great on you no matter what you get.” Yelena grumbled, being shorter, it was tough to find things that fit just right.
“It’s a curse, really.” Maria joked and Yelena stared at her.
“Yeah, sounds like it.” Yelena rolled her eyes and Maria smirked.
“We don’t have time to come back so you should at least try it on.”
Maria sighed and she took off her sweatshirt and then started to pull the dress over her t-shirt, jeans, and boots.
“Oh my god!” Yelena huffed at her stopping her mid pull over.
“Take your shirt off and your jeans off, and your boots off, you weirdo.” Yelena glared at Maria’s half assed attempt to try the dress on and Maria groaned loudly as she pulled her t-shirt off.
“A sports bra? Are you kidding me?” Yelena asked how was she going to try a dress on with that.
“I am not taking my bra off.” Maria growled.
“It’s not going to look right.” Yelena warned.
“What did I do to deserve this?” Maria asked to herself. As she pulled her boots and pants off and then very reluctantly her bra and she covered herself with her arm as Yelena had no qualms about look right at her.
“You showed up unannounced to something that doesn’t involve you in anyway.” Yelena clarified for her.
“Yep, that’s exactly right.” Maria agreed with a groan and then she turned her back to Yelena and pulled the dress on over her head and Yelena laughed at her.
“I didn’t realize you were the modesty police.” Yelena teased.
“I am not the modesty police.” Maria huffed back at her as she turned around and pulled the dress down.
Yelena made a face as the dress Maria picked really didn’t support her argument.
“Are you going to a funeral for a king?” Yelena laughed and she moved out of the way of the mirror so Maria could see, and Yelena was right, it was quite a matronly dress. It had a very high crew neck, cap sleeves, and was just… black.. all the way to the floor.
It was not well fitted.
“It’s not that bad.”
“It looks like you pulled the first black dress you saw in your size.”
“….I did.”
“It shows.” Yelena nodded.
“It literally doesn’t matter what I look like.” Maria rolled her eyes.
“You definitely don’t want to look like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like a nun on her first night away from the conservatory.” Yelena snickered and Maria tried to suppress a smirk but failed to.
“Please.”
“Like an amish girl on her first date.”
Maria bit her bottom lip trying to hide a smile as Yelena teased her.
“Like a mother of the groom who hates the bride he’s about to marry so she showed up in all black at the wedding.” Yelena continued giggling and Maria really laughed.
“You’d be better off in the sparkles.” Yelena pointed to the over sexy and sparkly junior prom dress.
“I’d rather die.” Maria smirked.
“If you wear that frock you probably will.” Yelena smiled at her and Maria looked a way from her.
“I am getting dressed now.” Maria grumbled.
“Do you want me to close my eyes?” Yelena teased.
“Shut up.” Maria groaned, Yelena was so much like Nat. Maria again turned away from her to change back into her clothes.
“And you’re going to need new shoes, and a bra…” Yelena mumbled the last part.
“I promise you, I really don’t need a bra.”
“Oh god, one of those women who can just go braless…”
“Any woman can do that.” Maria shrugged off like it was no big deal and Yelena thought about what Maria was saying.
“You’re a weird lady.”
“Yeah, I know.” Maria pulled her sweatshirt back on and laced up her boots.
“Why.. are you … getting dressed? You are going to have try something else on.” Yelena groaned they were going to have go through this whole thing again she warned as Maria pulled her pants up and laced her boots.
“No, whatever, this is fine, I don’t care, it’s for like two minutes. We have to go.”
“Okay, I’ll cut some slits in it or something.” Yelena offered and Maria pressed her lips together because she definitely didn’t want that.
“I’ll make it look nice, I promise.” Yelena assured.
As Maria and Yelena went up to pay, Yelena turned and glared at Maria.
“We’re here you might as well look, really look for something.” Yelena tried one last time. “I promise you do not want to look like that.” She urged and Maria just shook her head at her. Yelena looked around the store and then she did a double take.
“You want to look…. like that.” Yelena pointed to a mannequin far off in the corner of the store and Maria reluctantly turned her head and looked at it. She thought about what Natasha had said to her, about ‘a woman Igor can’t have’ and as she looked at what Yelena pointed to Maria’s expression changed.
“That’s exactly what I want to look like.” Maria said with a serious expression, almost entranced by what Yelena had pointed to and Yelena nodded in agreement.
—————
As Maria came out of the bathroom Natasha was on the bed waiting for these two to be done getting ready. Natasha’s eyes widened as Maria walked out casually.
“Wow.” Natasha said stunned as she admired Maria and Maria rolled her eyes at her. Maria was wearing a black, perfectly tailored pant suit, with gold buttons and accents. The suit jacket had black vest underneath it that left a long bare open v shape of Maria’s chest. Maria had straightened her hair so it was neat and professional looking, it was about a chin length bob, and she brushed one side of her hair behind her ear.
“You look like a very serious, cold business woman who I would try to flirt with but she would would not be nice to me.” Natasha smirked at her.
“Thank you, I guess I nailed it.” Maria lightly smiled back at her.
Yelena walked in the bedroom that Maria and Natasha were sharing, in her stunning navy gown, her hair in perfect blonde loose waves, and a long silver necklace going down her chest.
“Wow shopping trip must’ve been fun.” Natasha glared at Yelena.
“It was awful.” Maria sighed.
“She wouldn’t let me see her boobs.” Yelena laughed and Maria made an awkward face.
“Well, that’s good…?” Natasha raised a brow.
“You did not just say ‘boobs.’” Maria muttered.
“You two are so repressed.” Yelena sighed. “No wonder you have so many problems.”
“I am not repressed, well not like Maria is anyway.” Natasha quickly clarified.
“I’m not repressed!” Maria huffed.
“Like you don’t scream ‘went to Catholic girls school.’” Natasha joked and she and Yelena laughed.
“She told me to wear a turtle neck under my dress.” Yelena laughed and Natasha started to laugh too. “Like the little girls on halloween under their princess costumes.” Yelena laughed.
“I did not go to Catholic girls school.”
“Could have fooled me.” Natasha smirked.
“Because these men are gross.” Maria defended.
“And yet…” Yelena gestured to Maria’s outfit.
“It’s different.” Maria rolled her eyes.
“Aww were you trying to protect my innocence?” Yelena laughed and Natasha snickered.
“No.” Maria looked embarrassed.
“What is wrong with you?” Natasha laughed trying to make Maria even more flustered.
“You don’t understand. I walked in the dressing room and she was wearing this like retro princess gown or something.”
“You were what!?” Natasha turned to Yelena wide eyed.
“It was a joke, I was doing a bit.”
“It had a giant pink ribbon around her waist, with a big bow in the back.”
Yelena pressed her lips together a bit embarrassed as Maria described the dress to Natasha.
“It did not.” Natasha asked delighted and sad she missed it.
“Oh, it did, and it gold sparkling glimmering polka dots.” Maria added.
Natasha grinned widely and narrowed her brows glaring at Yelena.
“I was doing a bit!!” Yelena cried.
“And the other dress she picked out was like sequin machine threw up all over this body con dress.” Maria added and Natasha really laughed.
“I picked out like ten okay, I was trying on a variety of styles.”
“You should have seen what this one picked out.” Yelena turned it back on Maria. “And she tried to to try a gown on wearing jeans and boots and a sports bra.” Yelena explained and Natasha just shook her head at Maria, not at all surprised by this.
“Was it a black lifeless frock with zero sex appeal?” Natasha asked and then turned her raised a brow at Maria.
“Wow, are you sure you weren’t there with us?” Yelena crawled into bed with Natasha and they book looked up at Maria.
“I’ve seen her closet.” Natasha laughed.
“I do not have a closet filled with lifeless frocks with zero sex appeal.” Maria grumbled as she fixed her earring in a mirror.
“I mean, you have a few of those, don’t lie.” Natasha remarked calling her out and Maria sighed.
“I picked out Yelena’s dress.” Maria defended.
“Yeah but only before she realized how the front was cut.” Yelena snickered and Maria whipped her head around at her.
“You look very beautiful.” Maria said kindly to Yelena and Yelena smiled back at Maria.
“And you look very sophisticated, and pretty sexy, not going to lie.” Yelena complimented back but she added the last part just to see Maria groan. Natasha really laughed as Maria shuddered at Yelena calling her ‘sexy.’ Maria hated that term, mostly because it had been coopted by creeps.
“C’mon girls, we’re going to a party!” Yelena said.
“I don’t think Maria has been to a party in her whole life.” Nat joshed her.
“I have been to parties.” Maria responded seriously.
“Birthday parties for your one friend in high school don’t count.”
“I’m was popular, actually.” Maria corrected.
“Oh la la.” Yelena smirked.
“Not like that.” Maria corrected quickly.
“Yeah kids in Jr. ROTC usually are.” Natasha laughed.
“Uhm, I was! I was very good at shoplifting so joke is on you.” Maria rolled her eyes.
“How?” Natasha said making a face.
“How.” Maria mocked Natasha’s voice and the two made childish faces at one another.
“Let’s gooooo.” Yelena said heading toward the door. Natasha got up in her standard black jumpsuit, ready to climb through the vents of the building to get to the back room where Maria would be making a deal with Igor.
“How bad do you want to trade with me right now?” Natasha whispered to Maria as they followed Yelena out the door. Maria sighed loudly and shook her head at Natasha’s bait.
“When you see how many spiders are in that air vent, you’ll be the one wanting to trade.” Maria raised a brow at her.
“Please, I’ll feel right at home among my own.” Natasha gave her a smug grin.