Chapter 4
Yelena found out that the only male person that she can sleep with is Peter Parker.
It was entirely accidental. She didn’t even realize that she fell asleep during a movie they were watching until she wakes up with Peter tucked into her side as he slept, trying to unconsciously wiggle closer to the warmth.
So she figured out that her body somehow trusted him enough to sleep.
She finds Tony in his lab in the early hours of the morning, flopping onto the couch he had for quick power naps, and tells him that she’s going to sleep.
Tony shrugs, bids her goodnight, and Yelena curls up into a ball with Natasha’s blanket and falls asleep.
She only has fits of restless sleep and wakes up feeling no more well-rested than when she fell asleep but she didn’t have any nightmares that gripped her and sapped up every bit of energy.
It gets to the point that Yelena goes to Wanda. “Can you make me sleep?”
Wanda glances at her. “What?”
“Make me sleep. Can you make me sleep with your--” She wiggles her fingers. “Mind voodoo.”
“I’m not comfortable with trying--” Wanda starts but Yelena grips her shirt.
“Please…” Yelena is staring up at Wanda. “Please-- I’m so tired…” Yelena feels like she’s just going to burst into tears. She’s so overwhelmed and tired.
“You could try sleeping pills--” Wanda starts but Yelena shakes her head.
“No pills. Please…” Yelena begs, tugging on Wanda’s shirt. “Please… please!”
“Okay… okay. Shh,” Wanda gives in, reaching out to pull Yelena’s head to her chest. “Calm down. I’ll see what I can do for you.”
Yelena sags against her in relief, feeling Wanda’s fingers brush against her temple softly.
“Come over to the couch,” Wanda said and the two stumble their way to the couch, Yelena still clutching onto Wanda. “Relax. Let me in. Deep breaths.”
Yelena does, focusing on her breathing as Wanda pokes around in her mind.
And then she can’t keep her eyes open and her body slumps against Wanda and she’s fast asleep.
Yelena wakes up well-rested for the first time in a week. No nightmares. No panic attacks. No lingering fear.
She wakes up, her head in Wanda’s lap and a blanket over her body. They’re still in the living room and Wanda’s hand is idly stroking her hair, wisps of red still fluttering around her fingers.
Yelena turns her head to look around the room. Antonia is there, quietly watching television with Wanda.
“Hey, sleep well?” Wanda’s voice is soft as the hand leaves her head. Yelena groggily sits up, running a hand through her hair.
“That was the best sleep I’ve had all week. Thank you,” Yelena breathes out, smiling at Wanda. “Really. Thank you.”
Wanda looks tired from using her powers and Yelena is hit with a pang of guilt. Yelena moves forward to wrap her arms around Wanda and feels the older girl sink into her arms, letting out a yawn.
“You helped me sleep. It’s my turn now,” Yelena said, feeling Wanda rest her head onto her shoulder.
Wanda sinks into Yelena’s arms sleepily and Yelena glances up at Antonia.
It’s quiet in the room, nothing but the sound of the television as Wanda falls asleep.
Finally, the silence is broken.
“You are Yelena Belova…” Antonia speaks up, her voice quiet and Yelena turns to look at her.
“You are Antonia… Dreykov…” Yelena replies, watching her cautiously.
“Natasha saved me from him. I’m going to save her in return,” Antonia glances at Yelena. “You were his favorite.”
Yelena curls in on herself, pulling Wanda closer. “I know. Why are you telling me this?”
Antonia stares at her for a few moments. “I’m sorry.” She finally said.
“For what?” Yelena questioned, shifting to look better at Antonia.
“My father,” Antonia replies quietly.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Yelena immediately replies. “You were as much as a victim as I was.”
Antonia shakes her head. “No.” She said, her voice firm. “You were his favorite.”
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say,” Yelena grips the blanket to pull it over Wanda. “Why does that matter?”
“Because he did things to you that he didn’t do to me,” Antonia comments.
“If you and I are going to have this conversation then it can’t be here,” Yelena replies, looking down at Wanda. “Come find me in the gym tonight. We’ll talk there.” She figured it would probably be much like her talk with James.
Fighting and emotions. The two went hand in hand in soldiers like them.
Antonia dips her head into a nod, glancing back at the television. Yelena hesitantly strokes Wanda’s hair as she settles back to watch as well.
Yelena waits in the gym that night until Antonia’s soft footsteps approach, a stark contrast to Taskmaster’s heavy boots.
“You wanted to talk,” Yelena pauses in her dance routine to glance at Antonia. “So talk.”
It’s quiet until Antonia straightens herself into stance and begins the next set before Yelena with much more grace than James.
Yelena falls into rhythm with her and it’s quiet as they move throughout dance routines ingrained into their memory.
“Do you hate me?” Antonia finally asked.
Yelena shakes her head. “No. I don’t even know you.”
“You knew my father,” Antonia points out.
“I did. You were under his control too,” Yelena sighs. “Just because he’s your father doesn’t mean that I’m going to take it all out on you.”
There was another pregnant pause.
“Some of the other widows do,” Antonia confessed quietly and Yelena pauses in their routine to finally turn to look at the older woman. “You’re the youngest. I would have thought that would make you more emotional. Why aren’t you angry with me?”
Yelena stares at her before letting out a sigh. “You did absolutely nothing wrong.”
“Why does that matter?” Antonia asked and Yelena moves toward her.
Antonia tenses up, her fingers curling into fists as Yelena gets into her personal space.
“You are not your father,” Yelena tells her firmly before reaching up and wrapping her arms around Antonia.
Antonia is stiff as a board and painfully quiet. Yelena really hopes that she’s doing the right thing here because reading the emotions of traumatized widows are much different than the usual skillset.
“You are not your father and I am not angry with you,” Yelena said to her once again. “You have been hurt and you deserve to be happy.”
And then Antonia slowly droops into her and Yelena wonders if anybody had given her any kind touches since being freed.
“I’m sorry…” Antonia whispers, her hands still at her side as she unsurely leans into Yelena’s hold.
“I forgive you,” Yelena finally tells her and Antonia just slumps into her at the three words. Yelena adjusts her footing to accommodate the new weight, feeling Antonia’s arms move up to finally settle on her back.
“Melina and Alexei have been very nice and accommodating but they don’t get it,” Antonia said quietly. “Not like you do.”
Antonia finally pulls away after a few minutes and her stance had softened. She didn’t look like she was going to jump out of her skin like before.
“I get it.” Yelena nods her head and watches as Antonia falls into the next move in their set.
“Neither of them were under the control,” Antonia continues as Yelena falls into step with her. “They don’t understand.”
“I understand,” The air between them is much less tense. “Believe me, I do.”
“I know. I’m going to help you get your sister back. I owe it to her.”
“Thank you.”
They finish their set in silence but the atmosphere has settled into a quiet calm that drapes over them.