Chapter 24
MJ spends the night that night.
Yelena’s not surprised although MJ had just declared that she was going to do it but hadn’t brought her bag.
Yelena’s taller and slightly more muscular than MJ but easily lends her a pair of pajamas.
“I might steal this shirt,” MJ comments, wrapping her arms around herself in the soft fabric.
“Good luck, Natasha likes to steal it from me too,” Yelena comments and MJ raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment on it.
Yelena likes the fact MJ doesn’t mind the relationship she has with Natasha. Yelena and Natasha are much closer than any other set of sisters but then again they weren’t like any other set of sisters.
Yelena changes into her pajamas for the night and climbs into bed. MJ flops onto her with a sigh, stretching out as she looks up at Yelena with a grin.
Yelena can’t help but grin back at her, reaching her fingers out to poke at a ticklish spot on MJ’s side.
MJ bucks her hips to escape Yelena’s fingers, a laugh escaping her lips as she reaches up to shove her fingers against a tickling spot in the back of Yelena’s knee.
Yelena laughs, grabbing a pillow and smacking MJ’s face. MJ snatches it and smacks Yelena back.
Yelena and MJ then turn to whacking each other with pillows and jabbing their fingers into places they knew the other was ticklish.
Yelena then quickly gets overwhelmed with the physical contact and calls out a time-out, unsure of why she was overwhelmed. She had been having fun.
MJ doesn’t ask questions, dropping the pillow and rolling off of Yelena to give her space.
Yelena takes a seat on the bed and feels MJ’s eyes fall on her.
“Do you need your sister?” MJ asked, taking a seat next to her but doesn’t touch her.
“No.” Yelena shakes her head. “I’m fine… just a little overwhelmed for some reason.”
MJ nods her head. “Anything I can do?” She inquired.
“Do you wanna play some music?” Yelena asked and MJ grins, reaching for her phone and pulling up one of her playlists.
Yelena watches as MJ dances along to the music with a grin. After a few songs, MJ holds her hand out to Yelena. “Join me?”
Yelena reaches out and accepts the hand, letting MJ tug her from the bed. “I can show you some of the dances I know.”
MJ’s eyes light up and she grabs her phone, scrolling through the songs before pulling up a piano and violin duet. “You know a dance to this one?”
Yelena nods her head and reaches her hand out. “May I have this dance?”
MJ laughs, reaching out and taking her hand.
Yelena then proceeds to show MJ where to put her hands and starts to guide her through a simple waltz.
“This is some fancy shit,” MJ watches their feet, stumbling as she tries to keep up with Yelena. “Never have I needed to know how to do this.”
“I’ve done this plenty of times but I usually played your part,” Yelena said, moving her right hand briefly to grasp MJ’s chin and tilts her head up. “Eyes on me, watching your feet will make you trip up.”
MJ’s cheeks turn pink and Yelena realized what she had done.
“Is this okay?” Yelena blurts and MJ nods her head.
“Yeah… I’d tell you if it wasn’t,” MJ mumbles, tripping over Yelena’s foot. Yelena jerks and catches her and MJ peers up at her.
“I know you said you’re asexual but you don’t seem to mind kissing…” MJ breathes out slightly. “Can I kiss you?”
Yelena closed the distance and MJ moves her arms to wrap around Yelena’s neck.
The song ends and automatically skips to the next song, a much slower song. MJ ends the kiss with a shy grin. “So. Does this mean you’re okay with kissing?”
Yelena adjusts their stance so that MJ can keep her arms wrapped around her neck, moving into a slow dance. “Some kissing, yeah. I don’t want full-blown make-out sessions or anything with tongue. No sex. But the kissing that we’ve done so far is okay.”
MJ nods her head, leaning against Yelena. “That’s cool with me.”
“What about you?” Yelena rests her hands on MJ’s hips. “What are your boundaries?”
“Uh…” MJ paused and there was silence, the music surrounding them in a comforting cocoon as she thinks. “Really, I don’t have anything off the top of my head. Don’t be controlling? Don’t snoop into my stuff or pry into things I don’t want to talk about.”
Yelena would never do those things but doesn’t take her words as an attack at her. “Okay. Are you okay with not having sex?”
MJ shrugs. “I honestly don’t really care.” MJ gently runs her fingers across the nape of Yelena’s neck. “I can take care of myself, I’m not going to cheat on you or make you do anything you’re not comfortable with.”
Yelena lets out a hum. “I trust you.” She said honestly.
MJ grins up at her. “I trust you too, Yelena.” She said, her voice soft as she leaned against her. “This is nice… who knew you’d be the one to get me to waltz and then slow dance?”
“Probably Peter,” Yelena grins and they both let out a soft chuckle.
They fall into a comfortable silence as the music echoes throughout the room. Yelena enjoys being able to hold MJ close like this.
MJ leans forward to rest her head against Yelena’s shoulder and they sway for a few more songs before they break away because it was getting late and they were tired.
Yelena climbs into bed first and lets MJ slide up to her and wrap her arms around her under the covers.
“Do you need me to ask for permission before I kiss you each time?” MJ asked and Yelena thinks about it for a moment before shaking her head.
“No. Just make sure I see it coming,” Yelena trusted MJ with this.
MJ wiggles up and pressed a quick kiss to Yelena’s lips. “Goodnight, Belova.”
Yelena chuckles, leaning forward to then press her lips against MJ’s forehead. “Goodnight, Michelle.”
MJ wiggles her way close and lays against Yelena in a way she hadn’t before. This time it felt much more intimate. “Is this okay?”
“Yeah,” Yelena said, wrapping her arms around her.
MJ falls asleep first, Yelena is able to feel her breathing soften from where her chest is pressed against Yelena’s stomach.
Yelena falls asleep not too long after that, exhausted from the day.
Yelena wakes up because someone was wiggling against her. She jerks awake, her fingers reaching for a knife she had nearby only to realize there was no danger and it was just MJ having a nightmare.
“Hey,” Yelena moves to peel the blanket back so MJ didn’t get tangled. “MJ? Michelle?” Yelena doesn’t know how to wake MJ up. MJ usually was awake when she sought out Yelena.
Yelena knew that Natasha needed to be pinned when she was having a nightmare but MJ wasn’t Natasha.
Yelena shakes MJ’s shoulder and MJ jerks away from her and almost falls off the bed if it wasn’t for Yelena snatching her shirt and catching her. “It’s only me! It’s Yelena, you’re okay. It was just a nightmare. You’re safe.”
MJ’s eyes flicker up to look at Yelena. “Are you real?” She lets out a small whimper, reaching out for Yelena’s face. Yelena feels MJ’s shaking hands cup her face before the teenager lunged at her and wrapped her arms around her. “I thought-- the diner-- you’re alive!” MJ manages to get out.
“I’m alive,” Yelena pulls her close, rubbing her back gently. “It was just a warped memory. A nightmare. I’m alive and safe. You’re alive and safe. We’re safe and together.”
MJ buries her face into Yelena’s neck. “I dreamed that you were among the bodies. There was a bullet hole in your head. You died--” She chokes out.
Yelena grips MJ’s hand and guides it up to her forehead. “I’m all in one piece.”
MJ’s fingers brush over Yelena’s forehead and brow before sliding down over her nose and slips and then both of her cheek. “Don’t leave me. You’re not allowed to die.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Yelena promised, kissing MJ’s forehead. “I’m right here.”
MJ lets out a long sigh, pressing her forehead against Yelena’s. “I love you, Yelena.”
Yelena’s filled with warmth at the words that fell from MJ’s mouth. “I love you too, Michelle.” She said back softly and pulled her closer.