Chapter 31
Yelena is offered the couch to take a nap. Yelena doesn’t mind sleeping in public. Especially when she has her sister to watch her back.
Yelena doesn’t care about who sees her as she stretches across the couch, resting her head in her sister’s lap and closes her eyes. Natasha’s fingers brush through her hair and she trusts Natasha to keep all unwanted people away.
She always takes a nap after crying. It’s like her body doesn’t know how to handle all of the new emotions so it saps her energy up.
Yelena takes a nap, completely content with her sister stroking her hair as she taps away on her phone with her other hand.
She wakes up to her sister trailing her fingers along the length of her back, tracing random patterns onto her shirt. “Nice nap, little one?”
Yelena lets out a hum, content to just lay there and receive her sister’s affections.
“I’d like to go speak to Antonia at some point today,” Natasha tells Yelena. “If that’s okay.”
Yelena twists slightly to glance up at Natasha. “Alone?”
“If you don’t mind,” Natasha nods her head, surprising the teenager.
“Part of our agreement to come here was that I don’t leave your sights,” Yelena reminded Natasha.
“I won’t be too long,” Natasha immediately replies. “But if you’re not comfortable with me--”
“No, no--” Yelena interrupted. She knew that Toni needed somebody to talk to that was older than her. Someone she could look up to for guidance as Yelena did. “It’s okay. I’ll just stay here and go through more photo albums.” She gestures to the bookshelf.
Yelena lay sprawled against her sister until she eventually has to get up to go to the bathroom. She snags one of the photo albums on her way back and retakes her seat, sitting next to her sister this time. “You can go talk with her now.”
“Are you sure?” Natasha smooths some hair that had fallen in Yelena’s fair during her nap back.
“I’ll be fine.” Yelena nods and lets out a small hum of content as Natasha pressed her lips against her forehead.
Natasha leaves the room and Yelena watches her go until her sister disappears around the corner. Yelena wiggles to claim the empty spot that Natasha had just vacated, opening the book up.
Yelena was careful to not get lost in memories that reappeared but did allow herself to bask in the new memories of her childhood.
Alexei enters the room with a huff causing her to jump slightly and pulled her out of her head. “What is this I hear about guardianship?”
Yelena hadn’t expected Melina to talk about it with him this quickly. She honestly expected Melina to forget to say anything.
“I want you to give up guardianship over me,” Yelena carefully closed the photo album to give him all her attention.
Alexei moves toward her. “Bah, you’re still as foolish as the babe they shoved into my arms the day I met you.”
“I was three,” Yelena retorts, shifting to try and climb over the back of the couch in her haste to get away from him. “Please-- please don’t come near me.”
Alexei, of course, doesn’t listen. He continues his approach and Yelena focuses on remembering that she had to breathe.
“Back off,” Yelena shoves a finger at the other side of the couch. “Sit if you must.”
“You are my daughter. The best child assassin ever!” Alexei boasts, ignoring her finger and instead grabbing the wrist of the hand she had held out. “I do not understand your attempts to run away.”
“Let-- let me go,” Yelena moves to break the hold until she’s reminded that he’s a super soldier and that she’s not invincible. The grip on her wrist tightens when she tries to twist out. “You’re hurting me.”
“You are only denying who you are the more you run. You cannot be something that you are not. You think that Natasha wants you because you are a child? Bah, she just needs your abilities,” Alexei shakes his head, the grip on her wrist never wavering.
“Stop it,” Yelena tells him firmly. “Let me go. Now. I don’t want you touching me.”
“Come,” Alexei tugs on her wrist until she tumbled back onto the couch and Alexei looms over her.
Yelena feels threatened. She fumbles for a weapon before cursing to herself. She had foolishly gotten used to being weapons free in Wakanda.
“See? Even now you scramble for a weapon. Your body wants blood. You think your can best your papa,” He chuckles, oblivious to Yelena’s internal panic. “I helped shape you into who you are today. At least show a little appreciation.”
Yelena lunges as she tries to break the grip from a new vantage point but Alexei yanks her back like a ragdoll, pinning her down onto the couch.
“Try again, little one,” Alexei boasts his victory, and the nickname coming from his mouth felt wrong.
“Lemme go… lemme go!” Yelena squirms. She knew it was stupid to tire herself out by wiggling uselessly but her brain was screaming that she was in danger. That she foolishly didn’t wear her vest. That Alexei was going to hurt her. “Natasha! Natasha--”
“Quiet, quiet,” Alexei’s hand pressed over her mouth and Yelena squeezed her eyes shut and went limp under his touch.
She expects to feel his hands roaming. She expects to feel tugging on her shirt or on her pants and she wants to cry.
Yelena’s eyes catch those of a Widow passing by. The Widow freezes before moving toward them. “Hey! Get off of her! What are you doing!?”
Alexei tries to bat them off but needs one of his hands to do that. He moves the one on her mouth and it lets Yelena yell again.
“I don’t wanna! I don’t wanna! Get off of me! You’re hurting me!” Yelena cries out.
Something collides with Alexei and he stumbles away from Yelena in surprise. Thin and careful arms yank her over the arm of the couch and Yelena twists to fight back until she sees the face of the Widow that had approached them.
They let Yelena go once she saw their face and Yelena scrambles back to shove herself in the corner.
“You’re having a panic attack,” The Widow states quietly, holding their hands out for Yelena to see that they were unarmed. Yelena becomes away of how she can’t seem to catch enough air. “Are you familiar with grounding techniques that work for you?”
“Weak!” Alexei yells out and Yelena flinches.
“Eyes on me,” The Widow tells Yelena, moving to block her view of Alexei. “Yes or no. Can you control your panic attack?”
Yelena sucks in air before releasing it harshly, nodding her head as she tries to calm herself. “My sister--” She manages to get out.
“Is being alerted,” The Widow said softly. “You have helped us. Let us help you.”
Yelena keeps her focus on the Widow, watching as the woman exaggerates her breathing for Yelena to follow.
“Yelena--” Natasha’s voice makes her drag her eyes away from the Widow. Toni and Natasha stood in the doorway. Natasha moves toward her while Toni moves toward where Alexei was angrily arguing with two other Widows. “Can I touch you?”
Yelena reaches her arms out toward her, desperately needing her sister’s reassuring touch. “Momma--”
She doesn’t mean to call her that. Especially not in public. But she really, really needs her momma at the moment. Natasha settles down in front of her, letting her make the first move.
Yelena lunges forward to wrap her arms around Natasha’s neck and quickly feels the reassuring hold wrap around her.
“It’s okay. You’re safe now, little one,” Natasha murmurs into Yelena’s ear as she holds her close.
“He was hurting me--” Yelena chokes out. “He held me down--”
“I know, I know,” Natasha pulls Yelena just a little closer at the admission. “Antonia is gonna deal with him.”
“I’m not weak…” Tears blur her vision and Yelena is tired of crying but she can’t jam the cap back onto her bottle of emotions.
“Of course not,” Natasha whispers, kissing Yelena’s forehead. “You are the strongest and bravest person that I know.”
“What’s going on in here?” Melina demands and the noise in the room suddenly quiets down. Yelena peers from where she had shoved her head into the crook of Natasha’s neck.
“She has gotten soft--” Alexei starts, rising to his full height. “She didn’t even fight me back. The best child assassin there is and--”
“Be quiet,” Melina tells him. “Go outside.”
“What?” Alexei looks bewildered at being interrupted. “My love--”
“Outside, Alexei!” Melina raised her voice at him and Alexei huffs before shuffling past her toward the back door.
Melina turns her gaze toward where Natasha and Yelena were huddled on the floor. “The guest bedroom upstairs is empty.” She tells them simply before turning to follow Alexei.
“Do you think you can walk?” Natasha asked Yelena softly, running her fingers over Yelena’s braid.
Shame pools in Yelena’s stomach. “No.” She was weak. Alexei was right.
“It’s okay, little one. I’ve got you,” Natasha shifts until she’s standing and holding Yelena tight against her.
“Don’t let me go, momma,” Yelena whispers into Natasha’s neck, inhaling the scent that she associated with safety.
“Never,” Natasha murmurs, kissing her temple before moving past the Widows and Toni and up the stairs.