protective
Yelena’s visits to the Director dwindle for Natalia’s sake. Her big sister is even more protective of her than usual. It’s okay because ever since Yelena saw Natalia and Maria exchanging glances, she had been determined not to leave them alone together either.
She’s getting ready for bed when she finally asked Natalia about it. “Do you like Maria?”
Natalia paused from where she was pulling on a shirt. “She’s a good agent.” She finally replies before she continues to dress.
Yelena sighs at the non-answer. “I didn’t ask if she was a good agent.”
“Do you like Maria?” Natalia counters and Yelena tugs on her pajama bottoms.
“She’s good… for a superior.” Yelena murmurs before there’s a knock on their bunk. The two finish dressing quickly and Yelena answers the door.
Bobbi’s there with a box in her hands. “I’ve got something for you. Mind if I come in?”
Confused, Yelena steps aside and Bobbi enters the room. Bobbi opens the box up and pulls something out.
“These are padded handcuffs,” Bobbi spoke and Natalia peers into the box, her nose wrinkled.
“Did you get these from a sex shop?” She inquired, raising an eyebrow.
“Does it matter where I got them?” Bobbi questioned, pulling a second set out. “They shouldn’t tear your skin up when you use them.”
“I thought you were determined to get us to not use handcuffs,” Natalia takes the first set from Bobbi, turning them over in her hands.
“We’ll work our way up there,” Bobbi sets the box down and takes the cuffs from Natalia, showing her how to fasten it onto her wrist. “They’re just straps on this one. No key.”
Yelena watches Bobbi fix the handcuffs to Natalia’s wrist quietly. “What do you think?” Bobbi asked. “Is it okay?”
Natalia tugs on the chain of the handcuff secured to her wrist and shrugs. “I guess.” She peers up at Bobbi.
“I want your metal ones,” Bobbi said and Natalia immediately stiffens. Seeing her reaction, Yelena quickly steps up between Bobbi and Natalia.
Bobbi, realizing she touched a sore spot, backs down quickly. “It doesn’t have to be now. Give the new cuffs a good try. But I do want you to try to hand them over to me in a few days.”
“You’re not my superior,” Natalia tells Bobbi, her voice cold. “You do not get to give me orders.”
Bobbi holds her hands up to placate her. “Never did I say I was your superior. It’s not an order. I’m trying to help you, Natalia. You and Yelena.”
The mention of Yelena causes Natalia to glance at her. Yelena can see her resolve break quickly. “It’s fine.” Natalia said, her voice clipped. “If that’s all…”
Bobbi nods her head, taking the dismissal for what it was. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow for training, kiddo,” Bobbi tells Yelena before turning to leave. “G’night!”
Bobbi leaves and Yelena peers down at the other set of padded cuffs in the box for her. Natalia’s still standing stiffly so Yelena bumps her shoulder against Natalia’s.
Yelena’s not thrilled that her interrogation about Maria was interrupted but bringing it up again now would just be suspicious so for now she lets the subject drop.
When they go to bed that night, Yelena secures the new padded cuff to her wrist. It doesn’t feel the same but it’s also eerily familiar at the same time. It makes her think of the restraints on the chair for her deprogramming.
She wakes up to Natalia having a nightmare that night and it’s easy to slip from her cuff when it doesn’t need a key. When Yelena finally gets Natalia awake and aware, she undoes the cuff from her wrist too. While her wrist is red, it’s not bloody or bruised.
Natalia pulls Yelena to lay on top of her and Yelena does whatever Natalia needs her to. She’s never going to turn down a chance to be held by her sister.
Natalia may be protective of Yelena but Yelena was also just as protective over Natalia.
Natalia has to set out the next day again. Yelena starts to get confused about how often she goes out. It’s like they’re gathering intel.
With Natalia out, Yelena trains as usual with Bobbi before she goes to follow Maria. This time, she searches for Maria acting the same way she did with her sister to someone else.
One of the groups deployed comes across a hostage in their mission but they can’t communicate with them. It’s not until Maria’s searching for a translator for the language that Yelena dares to get closer and then peer up at Maria.
“I can translate,” Yelena recognizes the language. Maria pauses, glancing down at her. A few other agents hear her speak.
“We need an actual translator, not a kid who took a few classes at school,” One said and goes quiet at Maria’s icy glare.
Maria pulls her headset off and sets it onto Yelena’s head. The sound of Slovak fills her ears and Yelena listens. She starts to translate it for Maria. The hostage is begging for them to save her son who was taken.
Maria shows Yelena how to reply and tells her that they need to soothe the hostage enough to calm down and get her out of there.
Rapid Slovak leaves Yelena’s lips as she communicates with the woman. She softens her voice and coaxes the woman into giving up information and going with the agents. An agent fetches Maria another headset, indicating that Yelena was going to continue to help.
Yelena falters slightly when she hears the young boy crying out in fear for his mother, trying to communicate to the agents what had happened. Maria’s hand on her shoulder causes her to flinch but also prompts her to speak.
She doesn’t have much experience with frightened children and soothing them. She takes a deep breath before she tries her best. It takes a few tries before she learns what tone he’s receptive to and then it takes a few more to learn what to say to calm him down.
When the whole thing is over, Yelena pulls the headset off of her head, drops it into Maria’s hands, and leaves the room.
Fury doesn’t question her appearance in his office and he doesn’t protest when she makes a beeline right toward Goose. Goose jumps up into her arms and Yelena nuzzles her close, trying to get the sound of children crying out of her head.
She slides into the corner of the room, curled up into a ball with Goose snuggled against her chest. She’s safe. She’s not in the Red Room. Fury won’t let anything hurt her while she’s in here with Goose.
She tries to calm down and focus on the purring cat on her chest but she can’t. The child pleading for his mother is stuck in her head and she regrets ever offering to translate for Maria. She doesn’t know how long she sits in the corner for but by the time Fury finally speaks up, he’s telling her that it’s time for lunch.
Yelena reluctantly peels herself out of the corner to follow him down to the cafeteria. Now that Goose isn’t purring on her chest, Yelena curls her fingers into fists.
She’s unsettled for the rest of the day. Natalia’s not back that night and Yelena ends up sparring by herself in the gym trying to forget the sounds of children in distress.
She’s not too surprised when Maria joins her in the gym not too long after that. A lot of agents were haunted by bad memories but the commander seemed to have more than most.
“Do you want to spar?” Yelena offers it first when she noticed they were both wearing the poor punching bags down.
Maria glances at her and Yelena pretends she doesn’t see the red eyes indicating she’d been crying. Maria inclines her head and the two pull away from their respective punching bags to step onto the mats.
Maria’s less composed that night and Yelena sees it in the way she fights. Maria’s not holding back this time and she’s getting aggressive. Yelena holds on her own just fine until she moves to take Maria down and misses Maria’s feigned counter.
Maria’s fist that was aimed at Yelena’s chest hits Yelena’s face and the teenager is sprawled back out onto the mats.
It was deadly silent for a few moments before Maria’s eyes widen. “Shit!” She moves toward Yelena. “Fuck, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
Yelena blinks a few times, dazed that Maria had actually gotten a decent shot in. “I’m fine.” She is. It barely even hurts. There’s not even any blood although there would be a decent bruise on her face.
Maria crouches down, reaching out and Yelena leans away from her touch before putting up with Maria’s fussing. Maria’s fingers gently brush against Yelena’s cheek and jaw to check for breaks.
“I’m fine,” Yelena repeats. Maria glances at her face as if she was searching for a lie.
“I’m sorry,” Maria once again said. “I shouldn’t have gotten onto the mat when I was so… upset.”
“Maria, I’m fine,” Yelena climbs to her feet before offering Maria a hand up. She doesn’t usually offer hands up, she was still getting used to that. “I barely even felt it.”
Maria glances from Yelena’s face to her hand before she hesitantly reached out to take the hand and lets Yelena help her up to her feet.
Yelena’s not sure why she uses the hand she gripped to pull Maria into a hug. Maybe she’s going soft or maybe she needed one just as much as Maria did.
Maria stiffens up at first, her hands fumbling as she searches for how to react before slowly setting her hands onto Yelena’s back. Yelena wonders who offers Maria kind touches.
Bobbi had Hunter, Clint had Coulson, Fury had Goose, Natalia had Yelena. Who had Maria?
The suspicion Yelena held toward Maria regarding her fondness for Natalia fades slightly when Maria slowly sinks into the hug. Yelena can set aside grudges and personal attachments, she’s gotten good at it.
So while Maria might like Natalia, she hadn’t done anything about it. When she did, that’s when Yelena would step up.
“You were really great yesterday,” Maria interrupts Yelena’s train of thought. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you.”
“I only translated Slovak for you,” Yelena murmurs. “Nothing big.”
“You stepped up to help. You have had yet to do that before here,” Maria points out. Yelena hadn’t realized that she was right. “I’m proud of you for that.”
Yelena ducks her head down, unsure of what to do with the praise from such a high-ranked superior. She usually would have had to do something extraordinary for such a praise in the Red Room. All she did this time was translate.
Maria pulls away after a few moments as if just remembering that she was holding Yelena close. She glances away, obviously embarrassed about her actions. “Let’s get some ice on your face.”
Yelena follows Maria out of the gym.
It was going to be hard if Maria ended up hurting Natalia because days like these were what made Yelena trust her in the first place.