Yelena jabs her finger into her sister’s side again. “C’mon. Not even once?” She grins.
“I said no,” Natasha rolls her eyes, batting her hand away as she tries to focus on the television, the Disney movie they were playing was quiet.
“But you and the Captain kissed!” Yelena declares, jumping on the couch next to Natasha. “Like that.” She gestured toward the screen of the prince kissing the princess.
“It was for a mission!” Natasha shoves away that hand that moves to poke her again.
Because teasing about crushes and stuff was something that sisters did, Yelena is pretty sure. And she had a hell of a lot of time to make up for.
“What about the guy that gave you this?” Yelena reaches out to pinch the golden arrow necklace around her neck and Natasha uses her foot to push Yelena away.
“Friends--” She snaps at Yelena, looking irritated.
Yelena just grins widely. “Ah, I see… you like women.” She nods as she leans forward.
“Do you ever just shut up?!” Natasha shoves Yelena back, the younger woman toppling over the arm of the couch.
Yelena had to admit that she didn’t expect the shove or the yell. Very few things happen when she’s shoved and yelled at within a matter of moments and none of them were good. She finally pushed her sister too far and it was time to face the punishment.
The room is quiet and Natasha goes silent when Yelena doesn’t pop back up after being shoved off the couch. She couldn’t be hurt, Yelena has been through so much worse.
Yelena stays down on the ground because she learned from a young age that getting up after you’re shoved down only makes them hit you harder.
“Yelena?” Natasha finally questioned.
Yelena flinches at her name, bowing her head as she shifts to kneel and places her hands on the ground.
It’s quiet once again and it just makes Yelena shift uneasily as she waits.
“Yelena?” Natasha finally prompts again, much closer this time. Yelena violently recoils when a hand is set on her shoulder. The hand is snatched back quickly at her reaction. “I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
Yelena clenches her jaw because Natasha just won’t get it over with.
“Hey…” Natasha is crouching in front of her and Yelena doesn’t understand why her voice is soft. “Can you look at me?”
No. Yelena can’t. Because looking them in the eyes meant that they thought she was challenging them.
“Yelena, you’re starting to worry me,” Natasha confessed, reaching her hand out toward her again.
Yelena tenses under the touch as she braces herself for the strike but Natasha’s touch is gentle and kind.
“Breathe, Yelena. It’s okay,” The hand on Yelena’s shoulder gently squeezes. “You’re safe. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
The hand on her shoulder moves up to gently grasp Yelena’s chin and pull her head up from where she had bowed it to look at the floor. Yelena instead stares at the wall behind Natasha.
“Hey, look at me,” Natasha said and Yelena’s breath hitched.
“I can’t--” She admits quietly, staring intensely at one spot on the wall as her heart raced inside her chest. “Please-- please, just get it over with…”
“Get what over with?” There’s confusion in her tone as the hand on Yelena’s chin moves to cup her cheek.
“Just hit me already!” Yelena finally snaps, tensing her body. “I can’t take it! Don’t play around with me! Please!”
Natasha’s hand jerks away from Yelena’s face, surprise and confusion flickering on her face before it settles on something akin to horror. “I’m not going to hit you.” She states but her voice comes out as a whisper.
“Just do it…” Yelena said, her breath hitching. “Please. Just punish me so that you’ll forgive me.”
“Yelena--” Natasha cuts herself off as she finds the words she wants to say, her brow knit in concern. “That’s not how that works.”
“Yes, it is!” Yelena feels like she’s stupid, missing out on something important but doesn’t know what it is. “I mess up, they get mad, they correct me, and then all is forgiven.”
“Yelena, I’m not going to hit you,” Natasha states, and Yelena’s lower lip wobbles as she thinks of all the other possible punishments Natasha could give her.
“Please… please. I don’t want you mad at me. Just hit me so we can be sisters again,” Yelena begs quietly, tears finally spilling over her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I won’t cry anymore, just hit me. Please.”
Natasha surges forward and Yelena braces herself but Natasha only wraps her arms around her, pulling Yelena against her chest. “No matter how mad or upset I get, you are always going to be my sister. That is not conditional.”
“I don’t understand--” Yelena admits because her sister’s hold felt really nice but Yelena is still waiting to be punished.
“You don’t have to earn the right to be my sister,” Natasha cups the back of Yelena’s head to her shoulder so that she can whisper into her ear. “I’m not going to hit you or punish you or whatever else you think when we fight. Siblings have spats all the time. Would you hit me if I made you upset?”
Yelena shakes her head. “No-- but that’s not the same.” She protests.
“Then explain it. Please. Help me understand,” Natasha presses her lips against Yelena’s temple.
“You are older than me. You are… important. More knowledgeable,” Yelena tries her best to explain her thoughts to Natasha. “That means that you have to correct me when I’m wrong or bad.”
“I’m just having a bad day and I took it out on you. I shouldn’t have shouted or shoved you. That was my fault, not yours. Nobody is perfect, Yelena. They can't hold you to an impossible standard. It’s okay for you to have bad days too,” Natasha’s fingers gently comb through Yelena’s hair.
Yelena squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on the feeling of Natasha’s fingers in her hair. “Are you still mad at me?”
“No,” Natasha shakes her head slowly. “I’m sorry, Yelena.”
Yelena gently leans her head forward to rest her forehead against Natasha’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I don’t know how to shut up.”
“I shouldn’t have said that,” Natasha replies with regret. “I didn’t mean it. I love hearing you talk, Yelena. It helps remind me that things are real.”
“Don’t lie to me. I know that I can’t keep my mouth shut,” Yelena mumbles into her shoulder, frowning when Natasha pulls away to cup her face instead.
“I want you to try and look me in the eyes, Yelena,” Natasha requests, no pressure in her tone.
It takes Yelena a few seconds before her eyes finally flicker to meet Natasha’s.
“I love hearing you talk,” Natasha repeats, nothing but sincerity portrayed on her face and in her eyes. “It reminds me that things are real.”
Yelena bows her head forward and Natasha lets Yelena press their foreheads together. “Promise me.” Yelena demands, reaching up to cup the back fo Natasha’s neck to pull her forward more.
“I promise…” Natasha doesn’t hesitate to reply and Yelena sinks forward into Natasha’s hold, her body finally relaxing.