Chapter 32
Yelena’s on the phone with MJ when FRIDAY tells her that Tony needs her in the lab and that he needs her now.
MJ understands, bidding goodbye before hanging up. Yelena hurries to lab, pausing in the doorway as she drinks in the sight.
Steve and Tony are in there. Together. Alone.
Tony’s eyes fall onto her figure and Yelena sees the fear on his face. He’s scared. He’s also relieved at seeing her but confused. That tells her that FRIDAY alerted her without Tony asking.
Yelena moves toward him effectively creating a block between them. “You said that you were going to take me to finally buy a Barbie doll.” Yelena tells Tony, glancing at Steve. “Sorry. Was this important, we have plans.”
Steve clears his throat before shaking his head. “No. No, this was, uh…” He sheepishly rubs the back of his neck before shaking his head again. “Nevermind.”
Yelena gives him a smile and reaches out to take Tony’s wrist and tug him out of the lab. Tony follows, not one sarcastic quip leaving his lips.
Yelena only lets him go once they’re in the garage. “Are you okay?”
Tony takes a shaky breath in before giving her a grin. “Yup. So, Barbies, huh?”
“Don’t lie to me, please.” Yelena replies with a frown. “I don’t like it when my people lie to me.”
Tony lets out a sigh and runs a hand through his hair. “Right. Sorry…” He lets out a breath of air. “Friday didn’t have to bother you.”
“Well, all your people were out,” Yelena shrugs. “I don’t mind. You needed me.”
“I’m a grown-ass man. I shouldn’t need a teenager to save me from America’s darling,” Tony snarks, running a hand through his hair.
“I’m the best child assassin ever, I shouldn’t sleep with a stuffed dog. I do anyway. You know why? Because it makes me feel safe,” Yelena retorts, folding her arms.
Tony paces for a few moments before walking over to the locker that contained the different keys for the cars. “Catch.”
Yelena catches the car key he tosses at her. “What?”
“Do you know how to drive?” Tony questioned.
“I don’t have my license,” Yelena replies and Tony shakes his head.
“That’s not what I asked,” He said before gesturing to one of the flashy, expensive cars.
“I know how,” Yelena said and unlocks the car. Tony slides into the passenger seat and Yelena shoots a quick text off to Natasha that she was leaving the tower with Tony before she gets behind the wheel. “Where are we going?”
“To buy you Barbies,” Tony pulls a spare set of sunglasses out of the glove compartment and passes them over.
“I was joking about that,” Yelena says but still takes the sunglasses and slides them onto her face.
“Too bad.” Tony retorts. “Let’s go.”
The Red Room taught Yelena how to drive. They had made her watch videos and take apart and put together cars until she was able to hotwire and break into any car she wanted.
“You’re much better at driving than Peter. I tried to take him out once and he nearly wrecked,” Tony comments and Yelena stiffened slightly at the boy’s name.
“How is Peter?” Yelena questioned, trying to sound indifferent.
“Sad.” Tony replies, not bothering to lie. “He hates that you two turned to blows.”
Yelena swallows hard and focuses on the road. “Me too.”
“Then talk to him,” Tony said like it was that simple.
“I can’t,” Yelena admits softly.
Tony shakes his head. “Both of you are remorseful and want to be friends again, right?”
Yelena clenched her jaw, hiding behind the sunglasses as she pulls into the parking lot of a mall. “It’s not that simple.”
“Why not?” Tony questioned stubbornly. “Peter wants to apologize and be friends again.”
“You weren’t there!” Yelena parks the car before twisting in her seat to look at him.
“What’s stopping you? I can talk to Nat about it,” Tony offers and Yelena pulls the sunglasses from her face.
“He was one of my people. Do you know what my people are? They are people that I explicitly trust. Not only did Peter hit me but he used my past to hurt me,” Yelena rambles to Tony, her breathing picking up. “He bruised my ribs. He made me have a panic attack--”
Yelena leans forward and pressed her forehead against the steering wheel. “And I know that it’s my fault. I pushed and I threw the first punch. I ruined my very first friendship.”
“Shit, kid.” Tony reaches out and sets a hand onto her shoulder. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I seem to destroy every good thing that comes into my life…” Yelena murmurs, squeezing her eyes shut. “Sometimes I feel like I’m still what the Red Room made me to be. Something that leaves nothing but destruction and misery in her wake.”
“You’re more than that,” Tony tells her, squeezing her shoulder. “You’re more than what the Red Room made you, you know this, kid.”
Yelena peers up at him briefly before glancing away. “The night that Peter and I fought, I… I hurt myself…”
“Oh, kiddo…” Tony’s voice was soft.
“You’re the only person that I’ve ever told that. Nobody else knows. Not even Frankie,” Yelena murmurs before shaking her head and straightening up to lean back against her seat. “I felt so very out of control that night. I… I hurt my first friend. I deserved to be punished for it.”
“Why didn’t you come to me? We had an agreement, kiddo,” Tony’s voice was soft, no judgement at all. “And eventually you need to tell Frankie.”
Yelena takes a moment before she sighs. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be on my side. Peter’s your protege. He’s Spider-Man and you took him under your wing.”
“He told you?” Tony questioned and Yelena nods. “Despite whether he’s Spider-Man or my protege, you’re my goddaughter.”
“That’s just a word. It means nothing,” Yelena retorts.
“How about this then. You’re my people,” Tony reaches out to take her hand. “Look at me, kiddo.”
Yelena hadn’t realized she was digging her fingernails into her palm until Tony’s fingers slide along her knuckles. Yelena’s eyes flicker to look up at Tony.
“It doesn’t matter who it involves. If you need me then I’ll be there. Just like you were for me today,” Tony said.
“I want to forgive Peter and talk but I can’t-- not yet…” Yelena glances away. “You and Steve were friends. You fell out over a lie. Now being in the same room as him alone makes you have a panic attack.”
“That’s entirely different,” Tony points out but Yelena shakes her head.
“He was your friend. You had a fight that came to blows. He used a weakness against you by smashing your arc reactor…” Yelena recites before shaking her head. “Nevermind.”
Tony sighs but drops the subject and the pair head into the mall. Tony takes Yelena to the toy store inside and they stand in front of the display of Barbies.
Yelena shoves her hands into her pockets as she stares at the rows of dolls.
She finally reaches out to grab one of the boxes at random. The doll did look a little bit like her so she figures that Tony’s nickname has some merit.
Tony makes her buy a few outfits for it and tries to get her to buy more than one.
They pass by a camping store on the way out and Yelena spots a few vests in the display and two go inside.
While Yelena doesn’t rely on her vest as an armor as much as she once did, she liked the vests. They were handy, especially with so many pockets.
Tony then drags her to Hot-Topic. “All teenagers to go Hot-Topic. You’re not allowed to call yourself one until you’ve been inside.” Tony tells her.
They head into the mall with the aim to buy a single Barbie doll but leave two hours later with a bunch of different bags.
Tony drives when they reach the car and takes them to a diner that he insists have the best milkshakes.
Yelena’s only halfway through her Oreo shake when Tony’s phone rings and he answers with a chirpy “Hello?”
His face falls quickly and settles into a seriousness that Yelena rarely sees on him.
“Okay. We’ll be there soon. What-- no, I can’t just take her and run,” Tony glances at her and Yelena pushes her glass of unfinished milkshake away to watch. “I won’t let them hurt her.”
Fear starts to grow in Yelena’s stomach. “What’s wrong?” She demands when Tony hangs up the phone.
“World security council is on our doorstep and demanding you to be tried for your crimes,” Tony comments, pulling a way of crumpled bills from his wallet and tossing them on the table as a tip as he stands. “We have to get back.”
“You won’t let them take me, right?” Yelena blurts once they’re seated back in the car.
Tony glances at her. “You have made a lot of allies. The Avengers, the Stark name, the Wakandans, SHIELD. We’re not going down without a fight.”
It’s not a lie. Tony didn’t promise and Yelena doesn’t know whether she’s grateful for that or not.