Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE: "MIDNIGHT CITY"
You only see what your eyes want to see
How can life be what you want it to be?
You're so consumed with how much you get
You waste your time with hate and regret
You're broken when your heart's not open.
That year had been total chaos for Kate, since she had found a reason to really live, her life had been turned upside down too. Almost as if she had to pay with the arrest of her mother for finally achieving what she had dreamed all her life, part of her felt guilty and part of her also felt liberation.
Now having the life of a hero, but also to worrying about mundane things like washing her own clothes, paying her food and bills. Of course, having a millionaire mother was a good solution to all that, now she couldn't play that card.
Looking at her phone again, there wasn't even a notification. Just those huge numbers showing the time and date, 6.36 PM - DECEMBER 31, 2024.
After spending Christmas with Clint, Kate had decided to let the avenger spend more time with her family alone now that the situation was solved. Kate wouldn't call unless it was an emergency.
The brunette sighed as she took that huge backpack full of dirty clothes, but her thoughts caught her again.
In addition to her battle with Kingpin, which she barely gets out alive, locking her mother behind bars and being the new Hawkeye, there was something that was wandering in her mind and she had not stopped doing it since that night.
A russian woman who had disappeared from the face of the earth since she had faced Clint on the ice rink.
Her relationship with Yelena was… How could she define it? A friendship? Or... just two people who fought each other and shared a few laughs, threats, and some mac and cheese with sriracha. She was an assassin, a Black Widow and although Kate considered herself quite good in her abilities, she was aware that she couldn't against a Widow.
Yelena hold back her strikes, she had never taken a step with the certainty of killing Kate, so why had she given her so many chances to survive? That question could be refuted with the same question, why hadn't she shot Yelena?
The barking of Lucky next to her forced her out of her thoughts, noticing how the dog looked at her tilting his head.
“I'll go get some food, okay? When I get back from the Laundry place. I forgot to do this before. We have time to do it before midnight, the city will be pure chaos tonight.” She assured him, knowing perfectly the intentions of that dog, especially when he began to wag his tail from one side to the other. “I told you, later…” but before Kate could finish that sentence, a husky voice interrupted her causing her to stir with fright.
“I think that dog is smarter than you and me, staying inside is not fun at all.” Said a female voice with a russian accent that was impossible not to recognize; Yelena was smiling at the side of the window.
“Jeez!” Kate turned quickly, surprised by the fact that someone broke into her apartment and also by seeing Yelena again.
“Hello, Kate Bishop.”
“Hey, you’re back!” Kate exclaimed trying not to show much joy at this. Calm down, Kate. Stop fangirling about her.
The blonde one was wearing a really beautiful black jacket with some pins on it. Her skinny jeans of the same color, and a red T-shirt that contrasted with her blonde hair. She wore it just like the first time she snuck into her apartment.
“Did you think you were going to get rid of me, Kate Bishop?” She arched an eyebrow as she walked over to Lucky, stroking the area between her ears, making the puppy melt from her touch. Well, who wouldn't?
“You know, you don't have to repeat my name every time, right? You can call me Kate... or Bishop.”
“But where is the fun in that?” Yelena wrinkled her nose, Kate just rolled her eyes, although she seemed happy to see the Widow again.
“What are you doing here?” The brunette asked, perhaps it had sounded more direct and abrupt than she expected. Soon she began to babble. “I'm sorry, I - I didn't want it to sound so rude or harsh, it's just that ... I- I was a little bit curious, not that it bothers me, on the contrary, I love it ... I mean, not that I LOVE it, but...”
Yelena giggled, ready to stop Kate there before she broke the Guinness World Record for the longest babble in history, if there was one.
“Don't worry, I am here just to to collect what you owe me... if you can, of course. After all, it is New Years Eve.” She cocked her head noticing how Kate took her bag and closed it, she could see a small purple stocking escape from one of her pockets.
“Wha- Do I owe you something? What are you talking about?” She frowned at her somewhat confused looking how Yelena walked through the place straight to the fridge.
“Laundry service, huh? A little late for that. Why don't you leave that for tomorrow? Have a little fun. You see, I went back to New York ... or maybe I never left ... and I thought we could have that drink you invited me the last time we met.” Yelena smiled playfully as she closed the fridge, there was definitely nothing interesting in it. “You need to buy groceries, Kate Bishop. My daddy says eating is important. But, anyway, it is New Years after all. Maybe we can go a little more of the city, I haven't seen much.”
Kate stared at her, noticing how Yelena shrugged.
“I was hoping to see that big tree, but someone knocked it down.”
Kate smirked slightly and shrugged, putting her backpack back on the couch.
“Sure, but we won't say that maybe you had to do with it too.” Said Kate and nodded. “Okay, let’s do it.”
“Wonderful! Sounds fun, New Years in New York…” The blonde one smiled while she adjusted her black jacket, it was cold outside.
She looked gorgeous, or at least that's what Kate was thinking at the time. Again, the same person that took over her thoughts woke her from them.
“Come on then, you have to take me around the city before midnight.” She said in a cheerful voice before walking to the window.
“You don't have to do that, Yelena, we can actually use the door!” Kate said before letting out a sigh when she saw how Yelena threw herself out of the window screaming “but it's fun to see your face before I do it”, leaving that same silver device on the ground.
“Damn it, that’s so fucking cool. Why can't I have one of these?” Se whispered looking out the window.
The archer walked towards the door, but not before taking another bag and realizing that Lucky was after her, leaving that pizza dog alone in the apartment did n’tt seem such a good idea right now.
About three minutes it took her to get outside to see that blonde waiting for her, standing against the wall as if she had waited her entire life.
“What take you so long?” Yelena asked to annoy her, but far from answering, Kate just shook her head.
“You’re a pain in my ass, Yelena... what was it? Romanoff?”
“Not Romanoff… it's Belova.” She corrected her while stroking the back of that puppy. She loved dogs, even cats but more of a dog person.
They walked the streets of New York together, avoiding some nervous or rushed people. Silence became comfortable the first two streets, the third was too much for Kate to resist. She literally exploded.
“Okay, I have to know.”
“Know what?” asked Yelena, looking at some posters. ‘Rogers: the musical’ in one of the billboards made her squint her eyes. If Natasha was here...
“Why didn't you finish me when you could?”
“Do we have to talk about that now? Can't you just show me a little of this city?” She exclaimed making a face with her lips, somewhat exasperated.
“I know, I'm sorry ... I just want to know.” She said somewhat embarrassed, stopping for a moment. Kate looked around her so she could breath deeply and clear her mind. Yelena just came back just to hang out with her, couldn't she keep her curiosity under lock for a moment and enjoy herself? Her stomach growled, which made her speak again.
“You're right, what do you say if we eat something? I'm starving… Besides the drinks I promised you, I'm a little hungry and I know a place that has really good food, and…” She tried to think of something nice. “It's New Years after all.”
Kate repeated the same words as Yelena, hoping that the Widow would accept. Getting a smile from the other side, Kate had a yes.
“Da.” Yelena answered finally, a smile on the lips of both girls as they walked back together.
Yelena seemed enchanted with the city and the lights of it, she had visited some places between missions, but Manhattan seemed to be dreamy or maybe the company was. Everyone had their own opinion of Manhattan, a dream come true for a place or… too overrated.
The sunset in Central Park looked spectacular, they walked for a long time while enjoying the small attractions that New York offered, but especially Lucky, who seemed determined to chase all the squirrels or pidgeons that crossed his path. The sun was falling between the buildings, incredible beautiful while at nightfall the lights of Times Square came to life, making everything look wonderful. Some murmurs among the people pointing to the buildings exclaiming that Spider-Man had swung through his webs. On the huge signs, J J Jameson appeared exclaiming that Spiderman should show his face once and for all.
***
“Oh my god. This is amazing.” Kate squealed, rolling her eyes with pleasure at the warm taste of the cheese.
“It truly is.” said the blonde pronounced accent.
“Told you, this is the best place for pizza in Manhattan. Everyone is going to nice expensive restaurants but this? This is better. I love coming here.” said Kate, it seemed like a nice enough place in itself. Soft music, classics from the 80s and 90s. And the waitress, a woman in her fifties, Margo, was really kind.
“Oh, the ex rich girl talking about expensive things… ha! But I really like this place. No one is looking at us, perfect for an assasin.” she finished her slice, wiping her lips to watch as Kate handed Lucky a slice of her pizza. When Kate looked up, Yelena lowered her eyes to her pizza. A slight moment of silence was interrupted by the voice of the archer who could no longer bear her curiosity.
“Why didn't you kill me?” she asked without further ado, again.
Yelena looked up and took the beer in her hand, but didn't drink.
“Which of all the times?”
“Oh, come on. You know, all the times that you could do it. Even the times you held back the blows. Why?” Kate narrowed her eyes waiting for an answer. Yelena sighed deeply before answering.
“You were never on my list, my mission was to get to Barton... not you. I am not a heartless bitch.” The Widow raised an eyebrow before drinking her beer.
Well, that seemed a lot more coherent than Kate had imagined. All those days, since they last met, Kate had thought over and over again… What was the reason for leaving her alive? Maybe Yelena liked her. She wasn't going to accept that Yelena was interesting, somewhat funny, incredible beautiful as fucking Aphrodite and that she caught her attention. But that answer simply left a slight stitch in her chest. Disappointment.
“That sounds fair.” She barely whispered. “How was your Christmas?”
“Oh, the same as always. I ended up the life of a mob boss in Boston, then I visited the Red Sox field, I visited Beacon Hill… nothing more. And you? How did it go with the Hawk and his chicks?” Yelena said interested as she took the crust of her slice and handed it to Lucky.
“First, hey, don't spoil him. Second, they're not chicks... they're more like baby hawks.” Kate claimed but it was useless, the puppy accepted her gift and wagged her tail, accepting her new favorite person in the world. Lucky bastard.
The Pizza Dog barked cheerfully making both of them laugh.
“I was with Clint and his family as you seem to know, everything was very nice, but ... I can't help feeling bad.” Kat confessed, Yelena was the first person she could talk about it. “I put my mother in prison, I took everything from her because I decided to be a hero. I am not rich anymore, at least I have my apartment.”
“She lost everything since she agreed to work for the Kingpin.”
“I know, and I know that I did the right thing to do but even so... I can't help but remember her look when the police arrested her. I told her I loved her…” Kate hesitated, her sadness could be seen in her eyes. “And she didn't answer. The last thing she said was ‘is this what heroes do? Arrest their mothers on Christmas?’… I did that. At first I was so angry at her that I didn’t care much but now…”
She lowered her gaze so she could see her own fingers, move them nervously. She swallowed, tears forming in her eyes but she prevented them from escaping.
“Did I do well? What have I achieved? Kingpin hasn’t been arrested, my mother could be in danger. And I can't help but feel… alone.” She whispered. Her gaze was still lost in her hands until a stranger intruded to caress them; Yelena took one of her hands in hers.
“You did what you thought best, Kate Bishop. You are very brave… braver than I have ever thought. You did battle with Fisk, you made it out alive, you did what you thought was right. Now the tracksuits are arrested, Kingpin is not on the radar so that seems to be good for you and your mother, but you have to be very careful of his minions. Look at me, Kate Bishop...” Yelena added trying to calm her down, new ground for the Widow. With some regret, Kate looked up from her to meet her. “Everything will be better. You have this handsome and cute blonde, and I'm not talking about me… I am talking about the Pizza Dog.” She smiled. “You have Clint, you have me.”
And for a moment, right then, Kate knew that everything in her life would improve because she was not alone. Thinking and knowing that she could now count on Yelena made her feel a pleasant warmth in her belly. She didn't need to answer, she just squeezed her hand, thanking her for her words.
“This pizza was very good, but, you still owe me a drink...” She broke the moment and made her smile one more time, everything she needed.
“I know. I know a good place.”
***
“The place you know is Central Park?” Yelena asked before giving an amused giggle.
"Shut up, you just have to wait, okay?” Kate looked at her watch, it was twenty minutes before midnight.
“You know, I read in many places in the internet that they recommended DO NOT ENTER Central Park if they wanted to preserve their life. Many thieves in this place.” she jokes, putting her hands in her jacket pockets.
“Nothing that a Black Widow can deal with, right? Also, it helps that Lucky can walk, and… pee. Come on, it's close to midnight.” The brunette exclaimed, pushing the blonde lightly with her shoulder, walking through that huge park.
The place was lit only by its lamps, the darkness between the trees and the sound of crickets was something completely unusual in that huge and noisy city. It didn't take long for them to get to the exact spot Kate was looking for.
“Wow, it looks beautiful. And you can see part of the city!” Yelena exclaimed approaching the bridge, Bow Bridge to be exact. A wonderful view, a starry night, and a calm lake below them. That trio walked to the middle of this bridge, stopping to lean on the edge of it and watch the lake. “It is so quiet…”
“Yeah. Sometimes I usually come when I need a quiet moment, you know.” She commented in a low voice as she saw Yelena cross her arms and lean against the railing of the bridge.
Kate seized the moment and searched her bag for something she had bought on the way, a bottle of vodka and two small shots. “So… I owe you a drink.”
Yelena cocked her head and giggled, taking the bottle and looking at it before opening it. “This is cool, Kate Bishop. Here, take.”
She handed one of the shots to her partner, while Lucky took the opportunity to sniff the place in search of an insect to play with.
“Na zdorovie!” Kate said trying to show off a rather rusty russian, causing Yelena to laugh. She had surely heard it in a movie. Oh, yeah. ‘Hostel 2’.
“Fucking Hollywood, we do not say that.” Yelena explained trying to catch her breath, infecting her partner with laughter.
“What? I’m trying to impress you. That’s how you treat me?” Kate tried to sound offended but laughing, which made it more funny.
“In Russia we just drink, we do not say that but… if we could say something, it would be ‘Vashe zdorovye’...” she raised her glass as did Kate.
“Cheers!” the archer said before taking a drink from the shot of vodka. Yelena passed the drink like water while Kate couldn't help but grimace.
“Well, Kate Bishop, I must know something too.” She set the glass aside and leaned over to see Kate.
“About what?”
“Why didn’t you shoot me?” Yelena asked curiously. “You asked me why I did not kill you, now I am asking you ... why didn’t you shoot? You had a chance to drop that arrow and bring me down, save Barton. Why you didn't do it?”
That question caused Kate to be silent for a moment, trying to form a coherent answer before opening her mouth.
“Cause you’re very pretty and I thought ‘Damn, maybe I should think twice’…” Kate teased, making Yelena laugh and roll her eyes.
“You are so funny, Kate Bishop. Come on, at least I gave a real answer.” Said the blonde.
Kate sighed, gathering courage.
“Someone once told me that his best shot was the one that he didn’t take.” She explained with a soft voice, looking Yelena in the eyes. Her gaze green against the light brown. “I can't give you a coherent answer other than just telling you that I did trust my gut, and this one told me not to. That I shouldn’t shoot that arrow.” Kate ended up saying, without taking her eyes off her. “And about the other answer I gave, that I said it first... doesn’t mean that it wasn’t true.”
The blonde was silent, a tension between them could be felt. There was no living being that could interrupt that moment, but a particular sound made them turn towards the city.
“Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven…"
“Are you ready?” Asked the blonde while she took the vodka and poured two glasses again.
“Six, Five, Four…”
Yelena handed the brunette a glass of vodka and the two looked at each other.
“Three… Two… One…”
“Happy New Year, Kate Bishop.”
“Happy New Year, Yelena Belova.”
They both smiled before drinking that vodka, which was undoubtedly the celebration of a beginning together in all kinds of adventures. Fireworks began to light up the sky, signaling the start of a new year 2025.
“I love American New Years. That is so beautiful… ” she said with some amazement, as if she were a little girl watching an amazing show.
“Yeah, it is.” Kate murmured looking at her from the corner of her eye, but strangely through her mind came a thought that she would never have expected. She wasn’t talking about fireworks.
But before she could even scold herself for thinking about it, Yelena turned to see her.
“We should kiss.” she said, determined.
“Wh- what?” babbled Kate.
“A New Year's kiss, isn't that what you Americans usually do? Kiss the person next to you? I saw that on TV!” Yelena frowned in confusion, she didn’t want to make unconfortable her friend. “Sorry, I did not wanted to make you unconfor-…”
“No! NO- n-… You don't make me unconfortable at all. Nothing at all.” Her words came out so fast that if they could, they would stumble over each other awkwardly. Kate sighed deeply. “Let's kiss.”
“Are you sure?”
“So sure, come on.” Kate nodded quickly before leaning toward her slowly.
Yelena smiled. The archer hands cradled the widow’s cheeks, making that kiss a little softer while Yelena placed a hand on her brunette’s waist. A short kiss, but, after all, a nice moment. When they parted, to Yelena that did not seem to change her face while leaving Kate somewhat spellbound and perhaps somewhat confused.
The russian girl pointed at the city again, her eyes sparkled from the huge fireworks. And Kate knew that would not be good for her, but like all the advice she has ever received: she was going to ignore it.