Chapter 1
Yelena tries to get out of Tony and Natasha’s hair as they pour over paperwork and documents that she doesn’t understand.
She still doesn’t even know why the others left in the first place. Just that there was a fight.
She spends more time with Peter and his two friends. Ned Leeds and MJ were weird people but Yelena finds out that she fits right into their little group. Peter and Ned sometimes get carried away with LEGO or chattering on about movies that Yelena has never seen.
MJ, although bold and brash, is a good friend to have. She’s the first girl Yelena’s age that Yelena could be friends with without having to fear that she would have to kill her.
Yelena teaches MJ how to throw darts in exchange for keeping her vest safe. When Peter and Ned aren’t looking, Yelena teaches her how to adjust her grip to throw a knife.
MJ still thinks that Yelena’s cover is bullshit and refuses to call her Lena. Yelena doesn’t care. MJ calls her a myriad of names instead, her favorite being ‘Loser’.
Yelena… finally feels like she fits in somewhere. These kids a year or two younger than her have accepted her with open arms.
She knows that the adults in the building worry about her. There are constantly worried eyes following her wherever she goes. She can feel Natasha’s concern whenever she walks by and always takes a moment to drape herself over Natasha’s lap or shoulders when she passes because she knows that Natasha needs the touches as much as she does.
She’s not used to so much concern over her well-being. Hell, she’s not used to concern over her in general. It was usually every man for themselves.
Yelena makes an effort to meet them halfway. She tries to be a little more open and not as cautious. She’s learned not to flinch around Tony unless he sneaks up on her or grabs her without her noticing.
It takes nearly five days for Tony to put his plan into practice. A jet is sent with Natasha to round up the Avengers.
Yelena wants to go too, especially what happened last time Natasha left. But Natasha is determined on her staying behind.
While Natasha is gone, Yelena meets Peter’s Aunt May and has her first-ever sleepover at his apartment because she still needs somebody close to her to sleep.
Yelena survives. Natasha comes back a day before the others would, sweeping Yelena up into a hug like she was afraid Yelena would have bolted and left nothing behind the moment she left.
Yelena hugs her back, afraid that Natasha wouldn’t have come back at all and had decided that she liked the Avengers more than her.
Seven days after the plan is made and set into motion, Yelena waits with her sister on the landing pad on the top of Stark Tower.
Captain America steps off the plane first. Yelena watches as he squints when the sun hits his eyes.
As soon as she sees the man that follows Captain America off of the plane, Yelena takes a few steps back behind her sister.
Natasha glances at her in confusion but Yelena is quiet, a small whine escaping her lips.
"Yelena, what's--" Natasha turns toward her, and Yelena grips her arm.
Yelena knows that man. She'd had plenty of nightmares about the metal arm.
She's tugging on Natasha's shirt, whispering under her breath, "I'm upside down, I'm upside down, I'm upside down." She can’t breathe. She knows this man, even with a new arm he still looks the same.
Natasha takes Yelena inside before any reunifications are had.
Yelena wraps her arms around herself as she collapses into Natasha. “He hurt me.” Are the only words she can get out but she knows that the message gets across when Natasha tightens her hold around her.
The Winter Soldier was there. Any semblance of safety and peace that Yelena had built up there in the tower falls to shambles and shatters.