Chapter 6
Yelena tries not to get upset. She walks back to the jet sandwiched between James and Antonia. They were the last ones out.
“It’s okay,” James tells her and Yelena nods her head, staring at her boots because she had two assassins at her side and could afford to let her guard down for a few minutes. “She probably needs a few minutes. You know how confusing and overwhelming it can be.”
“It’s been ten days…” Yelena reaches up to rub at her eyes. “I just want my sister.”
“She will want to see you soon,” Antonia said with much conviction. “You are her sister.”
Yelena nods her head, shrinking in on herself slightly as James takes down a straggling soldier. They finally reach the jet and Yelena takes a seat by herself as the others fuss over Natasha.
“Hey,” Tony moves in front of her. “Are you hurt?”
Yelena’s hand reaches up to touch the cut on her neck. “I’m fine.”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” He said. “Shouldn’t you be with your sister?”
Yelena shrugs. “I dunno if she wants to see me at the moment.”
“Now that’s just a bunch of bullshit,” Tony takes a seat next to her. “Talk to me, Barbie. What’s wrong?”
Yelena shuffles to close the gap and lean against Tony, ignoring how the man tenses in surprise. “I just want to go home.”
Tony wrapped an arm around her and Yelena lets herself relax into one of her people. She trusted Tony to look after her so she closed her eyes.
She doesn’t sleep but focuses on the hum of the jet as they glide through the sky.
Clint was waiting for them back at the tower. He knew how to handle Natasha after this type of thing. Natasha had yet to do any spy work or anything of the such after she adopted Yelena.
“Yelena.”
Yelena jumps, her eyes flying open to stare at Melina in front of them. “I need to set your nose back into place.”
Right. Her broken nose. Yelena nods, trying not to flinch when Melina grips her face and resets her nose with one sharp movement.
Melina then grasps her wrist and Yelena jerks back in surprise.
“You cut yourself,” Melina tuts, inspecting the gash she had on her palm from the vial of red dust. “That was reckless.”
Shame and guilt bubble up inside of Yelena and Tony breaks the grip Melina had on her.
“Yeah. Okay. Go make sure that we don’t fall out of the sky or something, I’ve got the kid,” Tony flaps his hand at her. “Go.”
Tony turns his attention back toward Yelena. “Are you okay, kid?”
“I think I’m really close to a meltdown,” She confessed, feeling overwhelmed as tears gather in her eyes.
She just really, really needs a hug from her sister.
“There’s nothing stopping you from going over there,” Tony points out but Yelena shakes her head.
“She must’ve shoved me away for a reason…” Yelena looks down at her hands smeared with blood. “Maybe I did something wrong?”
“That doesn’t sound like something Nat would do,” Tony tells her, and Yelena shrugs slightly. “Kid, what on earth could you have done wrong?”
Insecurities and anxiety bubble to the surface and Yelena swallows hard. “Maybe she realized how much of a burden I am.”
Yelena jumps when Tony grips her shoulder. “Don’t say that.” He tells her firmly. “You are not a burden.”
“I can’t even sleep without her--” Yelena reaches up to wipe at her eyes with her sleeve. “I can’t be a functioning person without her. She must be tired of me constantly hanging off of her.”
“Kid--” Tony starts but his name is called. He sighs, squeezing Yelena’s shoulder before standing to make his way over toward them.
Sam takes the seat that Tony vacated and Yelena’s vision blurs with tears.
“It’s okay to cry,” Sam tells her, his voice so soft and sincere that tears finally drip onto Yelena’s suit, her hand moving up to cover her mouth as she finally cries.
Sam hesitantly reaches out to set a hand onto her knee and Yelena squeezes her eyes shut.
She stops crying not long after, tired and sore. Only when they are an hour out from landing does Steve come over, crouch in front of her, and tells her “Nat thinks you’re dead.”
Yelena stares at him as Steve holds out his hand. “What?”
“Nat thinks you’re dead. She said she saw you fall,” Steve relays the message. “She needs to see you.”
Yelena reaches out to take the hand, unsure if Steve was messing with her. He pulls her back toward the little gurney they had that Natasha was on.
“Little one--” Natasha croaks out when she sees her, reaching up a hand toward her.
Yelena’s lower lip wobbles. “Big sister… I’m upside down.”
That makes Natasha hold her arms open and Yelena bursts into tears, quickly closing the distance between them. The people around them shuffle away to give them privacy.
“I thought you were dead. My little sister,” Natasha whispers, pulling Yelena close and pressing kisses anywhere that she can just to feel her sister against her. “I saw you fall. I thought you died.”
“I’m here. I’m here,” Yelena presses her face into the crook of Natasha’s neck. “Please don’t leave me again!”
“Never,” Natasha tugs Yelena closer and Yelena is so afraid of hurting her but climbs up onto the gurney and into Natasha’s lap right where she wants her.
Natasha makes a noise of pain and Yelena tries to shift but Natasha holds her so close that she can’t wiggle.
“Just stay here. It’s okay,” Natasha whispers and Yelena feels tears drip onto her hair.
Yelena just curls into her sister, trying to provide the comfort that they were both seeking.
Natasha just keeps whispering “You’re alive” under her breath, her fingers dragging over Yelena’s neck and back gently, more for her own benefit than Yelena’s.
Yelena doesn’t know when she fell asleep. Someone tries to pull her off of Natasha but both girls quickly cling to each other.
“She’s laying on your wounds, Nat,” Steve chides.
“You can’t take her,” Natasha tells him, venom in her tone and Steve backs off. Yelena settles back against Natasha, feeling as they roll the gurney into the compound. Natasha’s fingers idly stroke her hair as Yelena curls her fingers into the fabric of those damned standard-issue grey pajamas that Hydra was so fond of.
The doctor Tony hired needed them to pull apart so that he can look Natasha over. It quickly becomes an issue when it becomes apparent that they are not going to let each other go. Natasha won’t let Yelena pull away and Yelena won’t let them pull her off of Natasha.
Yelena knows that this is not was Natasha needs. Clint does too when he steps up, thanks the doctor for his time but tells him that it’s unnecessary. Clint waves the other off before turning to the two girls.
“Right. Yelena. Nat. You two need to go shower up,” Clint said. “And then we need to get something to eat and then we can take care of any injuries that are not life-threatening.”
Clint is oozing nothing but calm and confidence. The sisters reluctantly break apart enough for Clint to help Natasha to her feet. Yelena flanks the other side of Natasha and they head down to Natasha’s bedroom.
“Right. You two get cleaned up. I’ll get you something to wear and put your towels in the dryer so they’re warm for you when you get out,” Clint tells them and then he is gone as quick as he came.
Yelena removes her vest first and strips out of her suit, dumping her weapons into the sink. She then steps forward toward Nat. “Arms up.”
Natasha lets Yelena undress her, uncharacteristically quiet. Yelena turns the shower on but keeps glancing toward Natasha’s bruised and battered skin.
Yelena helps Natasha wash blood and grime from her skin, taking care with her bruised and damaged flesh. Natasha leans against her as Yelena washes her hair.
“They messed with my mind, little one…” Natasha mumbles as Yelena lathers in the conditioner. “I thought you were dead. I barely saw you jump after me before falling.”
“Spider-Man got me before I fell,” Yelena replies, rinsing her sister’s hair. “I’m alive.”
“I didn’t mean to brush you off. I thought I was hallucinating,” Natasha rests her forehead onto Yelena’s wet shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
“Shh,” Yelena shushes her softly. “We’ll speak more about this later. Let’s focus on you right now.”
Clint follows through and brings them clothes and warm towels from the dryer. Clint calls in an order from Natasha’s favorite Thai place nearby while Yelena combs through the rats nest on Natasha’s head. Clint patches Natasha up while Natasha patches up Yelena.
It’s quiet. Clint braids back Natasha’s hair while Natasha busies her fingers braiding Yelena’s.
Clint leaves when the food arrives and Natasha pulls Yelena back into her lap just to hold her close. Clint dumps the bags of food onto the bed and they just pig out. Yelena hadn’t realized just how many meals she had skipped or how little she had eaten while Natasha was gone.
Yelena eats until she was stuffed and Clint tells them to take a nap, that he was going to go and take watch outside the bedroom for them.
Even though Yelena curls up close to Natasha to sleep, she takes the spot closest to the door. They’d have to get through her to get to her sister again.