Chapter 3
Yelena spends more time at Peter’s apartment than the tower. As much as she wanted to meet the others she couldn’t stand to be around the Winter Soldier.
Peter knows that she’s having a tough time, even if he doesn’t know the context. He doesn’t push her, instead introducing her to a plethora of movies and shows she’d never seen before.
He gets her into reading comic books. He has an extensive collection and Ned will bring his by sometimes for her to read.
Yelena doesn’t mind hanging out with two boys. Whenever MJ comes by she shows Yelena how to sketch.
Yelena relates to MJ a lot. MJ is quiet and constantly assessing.
“What’s in your vest?” MJ had asked her.
“A multitude of things,” Yelena comments. “Wanna guess?”
“Hmm… a badass gun?” MJ laughs and Yelena laughs too but she doesn’t admit that there is a gun in her vest.
Yelena has some people to fall back on. Peter, Ned, and MJ may not understand what’s going on but they’re happy to distract her.
Peter texts her cat videos whenever she’s not with him. MJ texts her cool pieces of art or sketches she’d done. Ned texts her absolutely random fun facts.
Cooper texts her very blurry photos that he takes. Lila sends her pictures of cool rocks she finds. Laura sends her photos of Nathaniel and updates on the family.
Yelena doesn’t feel alone. But she does move into Natasha’s room. She can’t sleep in a room by herself. Not with the Winter Soldier there.
Peter invites MJ over so they can hang out but leaves halfway through with an emergency text from his aunt.
Yelena shows MJ around a little awkwardly, unsure of what girls her age did when with their friends.
MJ convinces her to go up to the kitchen to rain the pantry for snacks. MJ keeps poking her shoulder and whispering to her until Yelena laughs. They find some cookies and chips in the pantry.
Yelena grabs the milk from the fridge, jumping when she closes the fridge to see Winter Soldier in the doorway. She had dropped the bottle in surprise, the milk spilling on the floor as she backs up away from him.
She makes sure that MJ is behind her. She’d protect her. MJ isn’t sure of what is wrong but rests her hands on Yelena’s shoulders.
Winter Soldier is staring at her. He moves toward the fridge, stepping over the spilled milk. Yelena backs up further, MJ cornered between the corner of the counter and Yelena’s body.
Winter Soldier grabs one of the premade protein shakes and tentatively steps out of the kitchen.
“Hey, loser, it’s okay,” MJ is poking her back. “He’s gone.”
Yelena forces herself to drag a deep breath in.
“Loser-- Lena-- it’s okay,” MJ is gently pushing her and Yelena lets herself be pushed away. MJ steps out of the corner and grabs a wad of paper towels, dropping them onto the mess of milk. Yelena wants to step forward and help but her legs won’t work.
“Hey,” MJ abandons the mess and moves in front of Yelena. “Are you okay? You seriously look like you’re going to pass out.”
Yelena slowly nods her head, even if she didn’t feel okay.
“Bullshit,” MJ said but her words had no heat. “Come on. You need to sit down.”
Yelena sinks in place to the ground, knowing that she couldn’t make it to a chair.
“Woah!” MJ grabs Yelena’s vest to slow her fall and lower her to the floor. “It’s alright.” MJ moves to sit next to her. “Breathe. It’s cool.”
Yelena drags air into her lungs. MJ is humming some song she’d never heard before under her breath. “Sorry-” She manages to get out.
MJ glances at her. “Never apologize for having feelings and shit,” MJ replies.
Yelena lets out a small, startled laugh. “Yeah.”
Tony finds them in the kitchen and cleans up the rest of the spill, pouring them glasses of milk and passing the cookies down to their little spot on the kitchen floor. He asks no questions, for that Yelena is grateful. He makes himself some gross green smoothie that is more leafy greens than Yelena would ever willingly eat in one sitting.
Winter Soldier doesn’t show up in the kitchen again. Yelena and MJ eventually move back to her room when Yelena’s legs work again.
Yelena doesn’t have much in the way of personal possessions. The room looks exactly how Tony gave it to her save for a book or two scattered about. All of Yelena’s clothes were in Natasha’s room and anything else she really needed was in her pockets.
“Your room is depressing,” MJ comments as she looks around. “So, that dude in the kitchen, what’s his deal.”
Yelena glances at her. “Tony?”
MJ rolls her eyes. “I know who Tony Stark is. I was talking about mister tall and mysterious.”
Yelena clams up. “He’s nobody.”
“You don’t freak out over nobody,” MJ raised an eyebrow. “Tell me to shut up and I will.”
Yelena thinks it over for a moment before sighing. “I knew him when I was a kid. I looked up to him.”
“So, what changed?” MJ flops onto Yelena’s bed, tucking her arms behind her head to stare up at the ceiling. “He date your ex or something?”
“He hurt me,” Yelena replies. “Physically. A lot.”
MJ sits up and glances at her. “Shit, are you serious?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Yelena folds her arms and scowls.
“No. No,” MJ runs a hand through her hair. “Why the hell is Tony Stark just letting him walk around?”
“Extenuating circumstances,” Yelena thinks she phrased that right in English.
MJ stares at her for a moment before sliding off the bed and grabbing Yelena’s wrist. Yelena manages to not flinch but she’s tense.
“Where are we going?” Yelena asked as MJ tugs her toward the elevators.
“My house,” MJ said as she pulls Yelena into the elevator. “You’re not staying here with someone who hurt you.”
“He’s not gonna hurt me again,” Yelena said but even with as much confidence she mustered, she still wasn’t one hundred percent sure.
“Sure,” Although MJ doesn’t call her out on her bullshit, Yelena knows that she’s not convinced. Yelena texts Natasha to let her know where she was going before MJ is tugging her down the streets of New York. Yelena moves to try and blend in immediately. She’s self-conscious about her vest. MJ lets her wrist go long enough to shrug her jacket off and hold it out to Yelena.
Yelena zips the jacket up over her vest and pulls the hood over her head. She doesn’t know how MJ knew. MJ grips her wrist again and they head through the streets.
MJ’s house is empty as she leads Yelena upstairs. MJ’s bedroom is coated in hues of blue and purple.
“I pictured you more as a green-red kinda person,” Yelena comments as she glances around the room furnished with photos, posters, and little personal items.
Yelena glances at a photo of MJ and Spider-Man.
“You know Spider-Man?” Yelena asked, picking up the picture to scan it.
“Yup,” MJ grins, flopping back into her bed.
“Do you know his real identity?” Yelena asked curiously as she sets the photo down.
“Of course,” MJ grins. “Your identity on the other hand--”
Yelena rolls her eyes. “I told you that I’m Lena.”
“Yeah. What a generic name. That’s like saying your name is Katie or Grace or something. Make an effort. You’ve got a Russian accent for fucks sake,” MJ sits up. “You could name yourself Svetlana or something.”
“That’s Slavic, not Russian,” Yelena rolls her eyes.
“Fine. My name is Michelle Jones. Everyone calls me MJ,” MJ shoves her hand out with a grin, wiggling her eyebrows at Yelena in response. “This is the part where you introduce yourself.”
Yelena can’t help but laugh as she tentatively reaches out and grasped the hand. “Nice to meet you, Michelle... My name is Yelena Belova.”