Chapter 23
Natasha watches over her sister as she sleeps. Yelena was sleeping peacefully, curled up against Natasha.
The whole BARF idea didn’t exactly go how everyone planned. Natasha knew that Shuri was probably already calling Tony for some insight as she fiddled with the gear to adjust it for Yelena.
And although Natasha wanted her sister to be able to get some relief from her memories, she absolutely hated watching her today. Yelena had gone stock still and stayed stiff and rigid the whole time that she was lost in her memories.
Yelena would only move hesitantly to touch invisible wounds that had long since healed. Yelena only started mumbling half-finished conversations under her breath halfway through.
It wasn’t until Okoye grabs Yelena when she lurches forward, a bead of blood dribbling down the teenager's lips, that Shuri starts to frown.
The bleeding doesn’t stop and Shuri grabs a black container and moves to press it between Yelena’s legs from where she was folded in on herself to catch the blood.
The bleeding picked up and Natasha finally interrupts Shuri. “There’s too much blood.”
Because Yelena wasn’t just having a small nosebleed. It was a steady stream that dripped into the basin and made Natasha’s stomach churn.
Shuri makes adjustments on the machine but the bleeding doesn’t stop so Natasha tells Shuri to stop it. That they were done for the day.
Shuri seemed reluctant to do it. Natasha lost her cool with the princess of Wakanda, snapping at her to get Yelena out.
Ayo and Okoye look ready to charge her from where they have started to nearly hold Yelena up entirely.
Shuri gives in when Yelena starts to cry out in phantom pain and nearly slips between the guard's fingers as she mimes stabbing something. “What did I do? Oh god, what did I do?” mumbled over and over again under her breath.
Shuri shuts BARF off but it still takes nearly twenty minutes of Natasha whispering and gently touching her sister to get any sort of reaction.
So while Natasha wants BARF to help, she just wants to hold her sister and protect her from everything even more.
Yelena sleeps soundlessly through the night and while Natasha is glad that she’s getting some actual sleep, it feels unnatural to hold her sister and watch her sleep peacefully with not even a hitched breath that either she or MJ would notice and whispers to calm her down.
The past few days have been nothing but emotional and Natasha would like nothing more than to return to New York, to her room in Stark Tower, where she knew it was safe.
Yelena lets out a sleepy sigh, burrowing into Natasha’s chest as she seeks out warmth and kind touches.
Natasha thinks back to the conversation she had with Yelena just the day before.
Yelena told Natasha that she thinks of her like a mother. At least, how Yelena thinks mothers should act.
Natasha will be whatever Yelena needs her to be. Sister. Trainer. Mentor. Mother.
And while Natasha doesn’t know how to be a mother, something tells her to just keep doing what she’s doing.
There’s a knock at the door and Natasha detangles herself from Yelena to go and answer it.
Shuri nervously shifts when Natasha answers the door. “Hey! Is she-- is she awake?”
Natasha shakes her head. “No. Whatever you’ve given her really knocked her out.”
Shuri nods her head. “I-- I will have food brought to your rooms. I apologize once again, I should have listened to you earlier--”
Since Natasha got Yelena back into her life, she started to notice just how young people were. Shuri is just barely an adult, having only recently turned eighteen. Not to mention that she’s doing this whole thing on her own.
“Princess--” Natasha interrupts her and Shuri’s mouth clicks shut. “I’m not upset with you.”
Sure, she was earlier. But that was then and Natasha had some time to think it over.
But it seemed that Natasha said just the right thing because the tension bleeds out of Shuri and leaves her looking much younger than how she usually carried herself.
“It was a mistake. No matter how much we don’t like it, accidents happen,” Natasha hears Yelena shuffle slightly as she snuggles into the blanket. “You didn’t mean to hurt her, Princess.”
Shuri lets out a slow nod. “Of course not… I’m still sorry.”
Natasha leans in the doorway. “I know you are. I forgive you.”
Shuri’s eyes flicker into the room before she averts them to stare down at the beads around her wrist. “Will you send word once she’s awake. I’d like to speak with her about continuing to use BARF.”
Yelena lets out a soft whine that has Natasha glancing back at her to look for signs of distress. “Of course. If you’ll excuse me…”
Shuri nods her head. “Right. Right. Sorry.” And then she turns and leaves quickly.
Natasha moves back toward the bed to peer at Yelena’s face and read her facial expressions.
Yelena’s eyes flicker open briefly and Yelena groggily looks up at her. She looks like she wants to say something but can’t get the words out so she settles on one. “Mom…”
Natasha freezes for a few moments at the word, staring down at her little sister with her heart in her throat before taking a seat and smoothing the blonde curls out of her sister’s face. “Hey, little one. Sleep well?”
Yelena melts under her touch. “My head feels kinda empty…” She murmurs, her eyes sliding shut again at Natasha’s touch. “That feels nice…” She breathes out, looking like she’s struggling to string words together.
Natasha leans down to kiss her forehead because she knows how safe it makes Yelena feel. “You can go back to sleep if you want.”
Yelena lets out a little sigh of content. “Okay.”
Natasha watches as Yelena sinks back onto the depths of her dreams and reaches up to wipe away tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes.
She doesn’t mention it or correct Yelena or even make a big deal out of the whole ‘mom’ thing. If that was what Yelena needed then that was what she would receive.
Natasha would do absolutely anything for her sister.
Including being her mom.