Chapter 30
Yelena has another therapy session before she gets a chance to talk with MJ.
Yelena unloads everything onto Frankie. From her fight with Peter to being unsure of where she stood with her relationship with MJ.
Frankie suggests that she reaches out to MJ and take the first step.
“You need to be willing to have an open line of communication in a relationship. You need to be able to talk things out when things get tough,” Frankie taps their pen against their notepad.
Frankie’s advice had never steered Yelena wrong before.
So Yelena leaves therapy and pulls out her phone while in the car with Natasha. She sends a text out to MJ asking if she wanted to come over so they could talk.
MJ agrees to come over later that day and Yelena lets out a small sigh of relief, glancing over at Natasha. “MJ’s gonna come over tonight.”
“You’re talking?” Natasha glances at Yelena.
Ever since Yelena’s fight with Peter, MJ hadn’t spoken a word to Yelena. She hadn’t stopped by, hadn’t sent any texts, hadn’t even called for a nightmare.
Yelena had wanted to reach out but was unsure if MJ had a reason for not reaching out to her. Maybe she wanted space? Maybe she hated Yelena?
“Yeah,” Yelena nods her head slowly. “What if… what if she doesn’t like me anymore?”
Natasha shrugs. “Then she doesn’t like you. But if she doesn’t then she’s a different person than I thought. Maria lied to me for years about Coulson and I was angry with her but we worked things out.”
Yelena tilts her head back to rest on the headrest. “Yeah… I guess…” She fiddles with her phone. “I don’t know how to start the conversation.”
“Consider how she’s been doing first. Ask her how she’s been and then tell her that you want to talk about what happened with Peter,” Natasha suggests. “Listen, I’m not the best kind of person for this advice. I’d probably go to Pepper if I were you.”
“Pepper’s not a Widow. She doesn’t-- she doesn’t get it,” Yelena murmurs, glancing out the window. “I want to know your opinion.”
“Okay,” Natasha murmurs, a small smile on her face as she glances at Yelena. “Do you want me there when you talk to her?”
“I wanna try talking to her by myself at first,” Yelena looks up at Natasha. “But maybe if it turns to fighting then Friday can alert you?”
“Sounds like a plan,” Natasha agrees, reaching out to grasp Yelena’s hand. “I’ll be okay, little one.”
“You don’t know that,” Yelena points out and Natasha squeezed her hand briefly before letting it go to grip the steering wheel again.
“I don’t,” Natasha agrees. “But I do know that MJ likes you. A lot. And if you both want this to work out then you can make it.”
Yelena ducks her head down. “Yeah. I want this.” She said quietly and glances up at Natasha to meet her eyes for a moment and gives her a smile.
MJ looked exhausted when Yelena saw her. There was the telltale sign of bags under her eyes and a slump in her posture that told Yelena just how tired she was.
“Hi…” Yelena moves toward her, slightly surprised when MJ winds her arms around her shoulders and leans against her. “Are you okay?”
MJ’s quiet, resting her head against Yelena’s shoulder. Her demeanor is worrying Yelena because she seems so subdued and unlike the sassy loudmouth that Yelena was fond of.
Yelena holds her close, swaying them from side to side for a few moments because she’s unsure of what MJ wants.
“Do you think we can take a nap after we talk?” MJ murmurs against Yelena’s shoulder.
Yelena looks down at her. Taking a nap together afterward meant that MJ thought things would go well. That they’d still be together after their talk. “Yeah. Are you not sleeping well?”
MJ lets out a yawn that makes her jaw crack as she slumps tiredly against Yelena, giving the blonde her answer.
“Okay… come on, let’s sit on the bed,” Yelena said and leads MJ over to her bed. MJ takes a seat but leans against Yelena again when she sits. “Are you sure you want to talk now?”
MJ nods her head. “Yeah… do you want to start?”
Yelena honestly hadn’t expected to talk with MJ leaning against her and seeking comfort so she thinks of how to phrase her explanation. “I got into a fight with Peter about you.” She starts.
MJ nods her head, letting out a hum to show she was listening.
“I didn’t realize that Peter had a crush on you. I accidently pushed him past a point where he felt uncomfortable and we both did things we didn’t mean to,” Yelena explained.
“He said that he called you a killer,” MJ replies and Yelena flinches slighty. MJ pulls away to peer up at Yelena with a small frown. She reaches up, her hands gently cupping Yelena’s face. “Look at me, Belova. I don’t care about your past. I don’t care that Peter thinks your dangerous.”
“But he’s right,” Yelena murmurs, reaching up to set her hands on top of MJ’s. “I am dangerous and a killer.”
“But you’re also a human being and you deserve love. I know what’s going through your mind right now. I can see the doubt on your face,” MJ turns her hands to grasp Yelena’s and gives them a squeeze. “You’re my best friend, Yelena and I love you. You deserve to have nice things and if you still want this then I want to stay in this relationship with you.”
“Are you sure?” Something in Yelena’s chest unclenches at the reassurance.
MJ gives her a small smile. “Of course I am. Just because Peter likes me or you got in a fight with him doesn’t mean that we have to drop our relationship. I like you. A lot. I want this. Do you?”
“Of course I do…” Yelena nods her head, twisting her head to press a soft kiss to MJ’s fingers. “I like you and I really want this to work. I was afraid you were mad at me because you haven’t reached out.”
“You were really upset. I was giving you space…” MJ comments. “I thought you didn’t want to speak to me at the moment. You called me, told me you got into a fistfight with Peter, and then just kinda hung up. I assumed that meant you wanted space.”
Yelena knits her brow as she stares at MJ. “You didn’t call me even when you needed me because you thought I needed space?”
“What makes you think I needed you?” MJ blurts and Yelena brushes off the sting of the comment.
“You usually call with nightmares. Or show up because you think you might have a bad night. You look exhausted, Michelle,” Yelena leans forward to press her forehead against MJ’s, reaching a hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind MJ’s ear. “Even if I did want space, which I didn’t, you can still call me if you need me.”
“Guess we both made mistakes…” MJ murmurs, closing her eyes and leaning against Yelena tiredly. “I’m sorry, Yelena.”
“I’m sorry I gave you the impression that I didn’t want you to contact me. I’m also sorry that you felt you couldn’t call me when you needed me,” Yelena shifts to wrap her arms around MJ.
“I’m sorry too,” MJ murmurs, burying her face into Yelena’s shoulder and inhaling deeply. “Sorry for ignoring you.”
Yelena takes a moment to just hold MJ close. She had missed MJ. “Do you have more you need to say or do you want to take a nap?”
“Naptime.” MJ murmurs into Yelena’s shirt. Yelena lets out a soft laugh before nodding and lets go of MJ to shuffle up the bed and pull the covers back. “Come on.”
MJ kicks her shoes off and squirms under the covers, wrapping her arms around Yelena and resting her head against Yelena’s chest. Yelena runs her fingers through MJ’s hair, pulling the blanket up over the both of them.
“Love you, Belova,” MJ murmurs before letting out a yawn and snuggling close.
“Love you too, Michelle,” Yelena pressed a kiss to the top of MJ’s head, watching as MJ falls asleep quickly before she too follows.