Major Signs

Yelena could be a real mother hen when she wanted to be.

When they were kids, running too fast and playing too hard and it would result in an injury, Yelena would always cry.

Even if it was just a small scrape to the knee, not even bleeding. Yelena would stare down at her sister with big watery eyes before running off to call their mama, making Nat promise not to move until she came back.

Back then, Natasha had been annoyed with the babying. As a kid, she always wanted to act older than she was, but she knew from experience that ignoring her sister’s orders would result in even louder sobbing wails.

So she would sigh and lay back, waiting for Melina, Alexei and Yelena to return with a bandaid that Yelena would insist on placing on the scrape, before reluctantly allowing her papa to carry her back to the house due to Yelena’s pleading.

Now that she was older, not as innocent or naive as she had been before, Yelena wasn’t as dramatic about it, but she still struggled with the irresistible urge to help.

An urge a lot stronger than the average person’s.

Natasha understood that though. She understood all too well the feeling of helplessness. When someone you care about is in pain and you can do nothing to help them.

Nothing except ensure their recovery is going well. Nothing except making sure they follow the doctor’s guidelines. Nothing but help them as much as you could.

Though it was still a little annoying being on the receiving end of it all.

“Ah!” She had yelped, embarrassingly high pitched as she felt a cold object touch the back of her neck.

Turning, Natasha looked up at Yelena’s glaring face, arms folded holding a bag of peas.

“Banner told you to ice your face.” The blonde fussed, holding the peas to Natasha’s swelled jaw, ignoring the redhead’s hands pushing her away.

It had been a week since the incident, Natasha and Kate had been recovering well from their injuries but Yelena was still cautious, to say the least.

Grumbling a little under her breath, Natasha entertained her sister by holding the bag of peas to her face.

Yelena was a hoverer. A follow-you-around, scold-you-to-tears hoverer.

“You’re so dramatic,” Nat had grouched. “Banner said the bruising was superficial.”

“That doesn’t mean-“ Thumping from the other side of the door cut the blonde off.

The sisters were seated in the common room of Avengers Tower, on a couch just opposite another where Clint lay dozing off.

Peter and Cassie were mulling around the kitchen with Billy and Tommy in tow. The Kaplan-Shepherd duo had been a relatively new addition, followed by their mother, Wanda Maximoff. Though they had been quickly welcomed to the team without much hesitation.

Yelena heaved a long suffering sigh, rolling her eyes. “Kate Bishop? I hope that is not you, on your feet, outside of your bed after you have been told to stay there for the fifth time.”

The thumping paused abruptly at the voice, which meant that it was, in fact, Kate Bishop, on her feet, after the severe telling off Yelena had subjected her to.

“So annoying.” The blonde muttered to Natasha before standing and moving towards the door. The Black Widow didn’t complain, she was just glad the attention wasn’t on her for a change.

“If I come out there and you are on your feet, Kate Bishop, I will rip them from your body.”

There was a small pause. Then the rapid thumping of crutches hitting the floor as Kate retreated away from the door as Yelena swung it open.

Natasha couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, sending an amused look to Clint before frowning when she realized the Hawk-guy was passed out and snoring way too hard to indulge her.

That was another major change.

The fact that, for once, Natasha wasn’t the only victim to Yelena playing doctor.

Though, that wasn’t to say that the red-head was entirely free from the nagging, but seeing as she was just cuts and bruises, she had healed a lot quicker than Kate had, meaning she wasn’t the blonde’s main target.

A broken rib and a broken ankle meant at least six weeks of bedrest. Six weeks staying off the injury. Six weeks of doctor Belova’s constant ‘treatment’.

Natasha would never really enjoy her sister fussing over her injuries, but she had indulged it because it made her happy and it also meant she could boss Yelena around and get her to do whatever she wanted without complain.

It seemed Kate didn’t share the same sentiment.

Kate Bishop was a restless person by nature. Whether you were referring to her martial arts where an interest would last six weeks, get mastered, then dropped. Or her schoolwork which would be read over a few times, before being pushed off till an hour before the due date.

The archer was a restless person. Which made it extremely difficult for her to remain still for long periods of time.

This lead to the treasured, momentary peace between Kate and Yelena that every supe in Avengers Tower held dear, was quickly destroyed as the arguments began again.

To the untrained eye, this would be seen as a bad thing. Kate and Yelena were butting heads again? Sound the alarms, raise the white flag, somebody so something!

But no. Natasha was way too talented to just write things off.

Normally, when someone was injured on a mission, Yelena - to put it simply - couldn’t care less.

It had nothing to do with her. She didn’t care about these so-called ‘Avengers’. Bah! What idiots - and other angry Russian noises.

This time was different, however.

Even though it was laced with angry scoldings, hidden with arguments and glares, there was still concern at the root of Yelena’s heart.

She was concerned about the archer. Worried about her recovery. Yelena wanted Kate to take it easy so she wouldn’t be in as much pain. Just like she did for Natasha.

Of course, Clint didn’t believe her at first, but he couldn’t deny it when he saw the changes, when he saw with his own eyes as the two would spend more and more time together.

As Yelena would set up camp in Kate’s bed for endless movie marathons in order to keep the archer still. As she got her books to read, takeout to eat. Made the archer mac and cheese.

Hell, when Kate was real bored one day, Yelena set up targets in Kate’s room so she could practice archery while still in bed.

Which meant she cared about Kate, at least a little. While that didn’t look all too different from before yet, Natasha could smile knowing it was a welcome change in the way the two perceived each other.

She could smile, seeing as Yelena’s eye rolls hid a poorly concealed smile and instead of grimacing, Kate began to beam at Yelena when she walked into a room.

It was nice to see. Knowing the Black Widow-Hawkeye Duo would continue through to the next generation. Clint would often tease Nat with that fact. That she would never be rid of him, because even if they fought, Black Widow and Hawkeye would always be inevitable. No matter who wore the moniker.

As for Natasha, she chose to focus on the fact that Yelena was finally opening up to someone other than her.

The blonde had been so wrapped up in the fact that her sister, her dead sister, was back and alive that she had only focused on spending time with her.

While Natasha felt the same, of course she did - she loved her sister and missed her more than anything - it felt bittersweet.

Being dead only made her more certain in the fact that anything could happen. There may come a time where she would have to chose again, to sacrifice herself for those she loved and she knew what her choice would be.

She only wished it wouldn’t hurt her loved ones as much.

Yelena’s getting along with Kate meant the blonde was opening up. Was beginning to trust again. It meant that if something bad happened, she would still have someone left who would care about her. Who would look after her. Who she could trust.

Natasha wanted nothing more for her sister than happiness, then a better life then Natasha had.

She hoped Kate could be someone who could help her give that to her.