Chapter Text
YPOV
I shouldn't be here.
Yelena didn't know what she was doing. She'd been staring at the same shelf for nearly 10 minutes. If she sticks around much longer, she imagines the owners will ask her to leave.
The events from last night weighed heavily on her, and she'd been running on autopilot ever since. She knew what she was doing was risky, what she was planning to do… But she couldn't seem to let it go.
Grabbing the bottle she needed, the spy makes her way to the checkout counter. The cashier gives her a once over before ringing her up. Handing over the cash, the old man starts to wrap up her bottle. "You going to see any of the sights today?"
Yelena looks at him, surprised, "What makes you think I'm not from here?"
The old man shrugs and hands over her bag and change. "You got that look."
"What look?"
He chuckles. "Не в своей тарелке." "(to be) not in one's own plate." **see notes**
The Russian smiles for the first time today, pleasantly surprised. She does love all the culture that comes with the city. Bidding him farewell, her feet start to carry her to her final destination, though with every step her heart starts to sink lower and lower. Oddly she feels like she's walking to the gallows, but there's no talking herself out of this.
What happened in the tower with Kate Bishop…
Yelena feels an uncomfortable twist in her chest and something else that feels like rocks in her stomach; she’s hardly even managed to eat anything today. She doesn't know what it means, but she knows it has to do with the archer. She's not going to be too pleased with me, the blonde thinks warily.
It was a surprise to see the young woman again. After spending months drowning herself in contracts, trying desperately to leave that experience in New York behind so she could move on with her life, she's right back to square one. Kate was never far from her thoughts, but when the assassin was fighting for her life, throwing herself into precarious situations week after week, it helped to drown out the noise.
But now the noise is back and louder than ever.
I shouldn't be here.
She didn't lie before; it was nice to see Kate again even if she felt a bit blindsided. The problem is how nice it was. It was way too easy for her to fall back into similar patterns of teasing the girl, hoping to get a smile. And though she was the winner of that fight by far, she did let the younger woman feel as though she was at least giving as good as she got.
What is that?
Yelena has been over it time and time again, and the only conclusion she can draw is that she wants the young woman to be her friend.
She's seen the way she is with Barton, so willing to fight for him, defend him, even when he doesn't deserve it. She imagines if anyone could look past her shady history and accept her for the broken person she is, it would be Kate. And she wants so badly to have that in her life, to have Kate in her life in that way - a natural support she can turn to and know she'll always be there.
Yelena still has her parents, sure, but their relationship is strained at best. The only reason they're still in her life is because they feel responsible for what she's become. So, she doesn't truly have anyone outside of the Redroom that she can call on. She believes Kate could be that person, though.
The Russian slows to a stop, trying once again to work up her courage. She turns to the nearby railing and leans against it, looking out ahead of her for answers.
"She may not wish to see me again," Yelena says softly. "What do you think I should do?"
She stands there for a long moment and then sighs sadly. Just as she expected, Lady Liberty had no answers to give. So, she turns around and heads in the direction of the new address she received from her contact only earlier that day.
I really shouldn't be here, but…
You and I need to have words again, Kate Bishop… I just hope you'll hear me out.
KPOV
Kate returns home in a daze. The information is all there, and she tries to process it, but she can’t. She keeps going over and over it, in the taxi, on the plane… Once she lands back at JFK, she tries to center herself and come back to the present.
The TVs set up sporadically throughout the gate are all reporting on the assassination of one of our country’s greatest leaders. Kate can’t bring herself to look, but hearing all the different reporters talking about this great tragedy is enough for her heart to break all over again. Speeding up, she gets out of the airport as fast as possible, only letting out a few tears along the way.
Once she's outside, she hails a taxi and gives the driver the address for Grills' place to go pick up Lucky. She imagines she’s going to be a sight. Besides the nice sized bruise coloring the side of her jaw, she dressed herself in one of her black button downs and dress pants, almost like she was in mourning herself… for a man she never even met. But I was there… The brunette was the only thing standing between him and certain death, and she failed.
Kate looks out the window, focusing on the New York drizzle collecting on the glass while she swallows against the lump in her throat, refusing to cry again. She’s already shed tears over this, but she can’t stop thinking about his poor family having to deal with the fallout of her mistakes. It’s all suddenly made very real. Clint had told her that in this line of work, she had to learn to handle her losses, but she never really thought something like this would happen. Kate had placed herself in this bubble where she thought if her and Clint were working side by side, there’d be no way they could lose. Losing just wasn’t in her vocabulary… but this loss is a lot more substantial than losing a fencing competition. This is a loss she can’t bounce back from. There is no, ‘practice hard and try again,’ no… The stakes are way higher now, and she never took a moment to come to terms with that.
At Grills' place, she takes a good long moment to bury her face in golden fur, reaching for comfort that Lucky would happily give. The fireman could tell something was up, probably from her red eyes and cheeks, but he didn’t press - there’s one thing she can be thankful for today at least. He does make sure to tell her to reach out if she needs anything, and she hugs him in thanks, but she just needs some time alone.
She doesn’t hail a taxi for the final trek home, choosing instead to enjoy the fresh air and slight drizzle while she tries to come to terms with what happened. Someone lost their life last night, and she can’t imagine what kind of pain that will bring, but she also can’t stop thinking about the one responsible.
Yelena Belova, the Black Widow assassin.
Kate clamps her jaw shut and grinds her teeth. What was she thinking? Did she honestly expect the assassin would just stop doing what she’s best at? A leopard can’t change its spots after all. Kate was excited to see her again after so much time, and so willingly fell into their easy banter once again; the older woman had a way of making her feel like she wasn’t really in the presence of a murderer, but rather someone she trusted. Whenever they fought, it was more like two friends sparring than trying to actually hurt each other. But she won’t fall for it again. Whatever Yelena’s damage is, it doesn’t concern her. No matter what the spy does, no matter how charming she can be, the next time they meet? Kate won't be so gullible.
Is she curious about why the assassin has never killed her given her ample opportunities? Well, of course she is. She has no doubt that if it’d been Clint there instead of her, the blonde wouldn’t have held back - Kate might've been mourning two people today instead of one - but for whatever reason, Yelena left her alive… again.
The brunette shakes her head at her own thoughts.
It doesn’t matter why she wants me alive, she thinks. There’s nothing between us, so I shouldn’t care what she thinks.
But despite the lecture, Kate’s heart hurts. It hurts. Like being stabbed in the back… She truly thought Yelena would let it go, let him live, but why? Because she asked her nicely? Said ‘please’? It’s never hurt so much to be so wrong.
She won’t make that mistake again.
Like Clint said, she can’t trust Yelena.
Kate heaves a big sigh, feeling all the energy drain right out of her as she pushes open the door to her building. She spots a neighbor checking the mail and gives him the universal ‘sup’ nod before making the long trek upstairs. Uggh, when are they going to fix that stupid elevator? Normally she enjoys having the extra workout, but definitely not today where everything seems to just piss her off.
“C’mon boy, c’mon,” Kate encourages tiredly, ready to get inside and pass out for the night. Lucky whimpers while he waits for the archer to pull out her key and open the door. Once the way is clear, Kate drops his leash and lets him walk inside himself while she closes and locks the door again.
“Arrrfff!”
“Hang on, boy,” the brunette sighs in exasperation as she turns around and finds Lucky facing towards the kitchen. She lets out a breath of a chuckle, “What, you hungry?” Stepping up next to him, she stops to pet his head before moving around him, “I should have some frozen pizza-”
Kate freezes in her tracks, her bag dropping on the floor with a thud.
No…
The woman who’s digging through her fridge gives up on whatever she’s looking for and turns to face her with a smile.
“Kate Bishop,” she says in the same sing-song fashion that sounds like she’s happy to see her. The spy leans back against the kitchen counter, her eyes skimming the length of the brunette’s form, making heat rise to her cheeks. “I didn’t kick your ass too hard last night, did I?”
Her hair is down again… that’s the first thought Kate has. The next is that she must be hallucinating - there’s no way she’s actually here. Looking down over her outfit, she’s wearing a jean vest over a floral shirt rolled up past her elbows, and that's paired with some hip hugging trousers and sneakers. The eclectic taste is the same, the hair is the same… But if she squints, she can tell the woman isn’t as put together as she was the last time she broke in. Her hair still cascades down her shoulders in waves, making Kate’s fingers itch to run through it, but her makeup is minimal… Maybe just a little eyeliner, but from here the archer can see the rings under her eyes that she doesn’t remember seeing the night before. Outwardly, everything she’s seeing is proof enough that this is actually real, that she’s not living a waking nightmare, but something is still off.
“You still seem to be in one piece,” Yelena grins again, filling the uncomfortable silence.
There! That right there! Kate’s eyes hone in on the assassin. Her shoulders are tensed, her posture seems curled in just a bit, and her eyes… Why does she keep looking away? She almost seems… nervous? Yelena, the cold-blooded killer, nervous? Around her?
It can't be.
She's broken out of her daze when Lucky trots up to this dangerous criminal, tail wagging with his happy dog smile.
Worst. Guard dog. Ever.
"Nooo," Yelena's voice immediately turns animated and full of life like the brunette remembers it. "Who are you? " She drops down to his level and starts petting his ears enthusiastically. "So handsome, look at you."
Kate's pretty sure her jaw is on the floor now.
Yelena tosses her hair, flicking her bangs out of her eyes as she meets the archer's gaze, more confidently this time, with one of those knee weakening smiles. "Is this the dog you pulled out of the road?"
"You can't be here, Yelena."
The apartment goes silent, the tension thick enough to choke on. Kate didn't even plan to say that, didn't even recognize her own voice, but with the way she's clenching her fists at her sides, she knows she meant it.
The other woman breaks eye contact instantly. She continues to give Lucky a few more scratches while she contemplates her next words. Giving up the pet therapy, she returns to her feet and shoves her hands in her pockets. "I know," the assassin says quietly while looking down at her feet, making a good impression of a kid who got caught stealing from the cookie jar. When she looks up again, she seems to be resigned. "I wanted to apologize."
"Apologize?" she asks with a breath of a laugh even though this is far from funny.
"Yes," the woman bows her head and starts taking slow, measured steps forward. "I imagine your ribs must be hurting you today," Yelena meets her eyes sadly. "And I know the knockout gas was a bit much, but I promise to you, it's very natural, mostly organic-"
"Are you fucking with me?" The question comes out shaky, tears lining her eyes while she tries to reign in her anger. And now the blonde is back to nervous. "You killed someone last night, Yelena. Clint is on a plane right now to go explain to that man's kids why their father won't be coming home tonight, and you think I care about what fucking brand of knockout gas you used?!"
The spy stares ahead blankly, listening to everything that's said while nodding softly. Then she slowly moves forward to pull out a chair and sit at the archer's kitchen table. Placing her hands on the surface, she takes a moment before responding. "I did not come here to apologize for doing my job, Kate Bishop," she fixes her gaze on Kate's eyes, sending a chill down her spine. Her tone isn't angry, it isn't scary… the brunette thinks that more than anything is terrifying, though; it's almost like the calm before the storm. "I came here-" the blonde grimaces before continuing, "because I hurt you and I'm sorry."
Before Kate can react, the assassin reaches towards a brown bag that's been sitting on the table up to this point, one the athlete just realizes wasn't there when she left. She reaches in and pulls out a large bottle of what appears to be imported vodka with a large purple bow fixed to the top. Yelena sets the bottle down and nudges it in Kate's direction. "You've asked to have a drink with me twice now. I was hoping we could have a fresh start.." peeking up at her through her bangs, she concludes, "as friends?"
Is she serious?
Kate watches her in a state of utterly bewildered shock.
Is she serious?!
"No, Yelena," she practically barks out the response hysterically, not knowing any other way to react, "I cannot be your friend-"
"-why not?"
It's said so softly, so sadly, that Kate freezes in place. She inspects the woman sitting at her table, looking for any sign of trickery, of sarcasm, of anything, but all she sees is sad eyes and it's almost enough to make her scream…
Scream and then go hug the shit out of her.
What the fuck is even happening right now?!
"'Why not'?" Kate starts, flabbergasted. "'Why not'?! " She's so unnerved, she almost can't even speak, can't even put forward a reason until it starts to spill out of her. "Well, let's start with last night, shall we? You murdered a US senator in cold blood, specifically after I begged you not to. He had a wife! He had kids! He was a good man-"
"-He was a sex trafficker."
"-and you-you just.. " Kate trails off as she inspects the woman again. Her face is blank and unmoving, but... what did she just say? "What?"
Yelena remains unmoved, just raising her eyebrows at the brunette in question. "He was a sex trafficker," she states again plainly, like it's the most obvious thing in the world, "That bill he was about to sign? It would have given him and others like him unfettered access to hundreds if not thousands of young women all over the world to use in their dirty sex games."
"Wha-how-" the archer is speechless. What the fuck is she talking about? "How do you know that? Are you sure?"
"Why would I lie about something like that, Kate Bishop?" The spy rolls her eyes and flops back in her chair, annoyed. She meets her gaze again and gestures with her hand, "All of the evidence was on his computer. I'm sure it will be broadcasted all over your news stations in the next 48 hours." She continues to watch her, unbothered, even swinging back in forth in her chair, "Your American journalists are notorious for airing out everyone's dirty laundry. I'm sure this will sell them many papers."
Kate can only stare at her, mouth agape while she tries to process this new information. Is she right? How could this be? But she is acting awfully nonchalant about it… And she's right, why would she lie about that if the information will be leaked in a matter of days, knowing that the lie would be discovered?
When the brunette can't come up with a response, the spy sits up and places her elbows on the table, so she can give Kate her undivided attention. "So… " blue eyes meet green that sparkle up at her and almost make her forget her reservations about the woman, "friends now?" And damnit if the small smile she sends her isn't charming.
"What? No, Yelena! " Kate yells, not even close to ready to give up on this. The Russian flops back in her chair again, defeated. "It's not just that-" she tries to explain, her words losing their edge when she finds those hazel eyes fixed on her again. "There are several reasons why we can't be friends, okay?"
"Fine," the Russian concedes, "then hit me."
"What?"
"Your reason, Kate Bishop," Yelena gripes, looking like a sourpuss while she glares up at her. "Give me another reason for not being my friend."
Who is this woman? Seriously?
"Okay well… " Kate starts, not having anything lined up because she didn't realize they were actually gonna go down this road. But the spy only raises her eyebrows; those hypnotizing eyes watching her every move, making her nervous. "Okay, so... you're an assassin for hire, and I'm trying to be an Avenger," Kate pauses while the blonde throws her head back with a groan. "Those two simply don't mix. Because one's a criminal," she pauses to gesture in the spy's general direction, earning her another glare, "and one fights criminals."
"Pah! " Yelena dismisses, muttering expletives in Russian, "maybe loses to criminals." Ouch. The archer starts to retaliate, but the older woman just interrupts her with a glare, "Again with the Avengers, Kate?"
"It's important to me, Yelena," the brunette states adamantly.
"Ugggh, fine whatever," she gripes, "это глупо, но это твоя жизнь." ("it's stupid, but it's your life." ) "But if you're sticking with this, there's something you should know," here she leans forward in her chair and gestures with her pointer finger between the two of them. "You and I? We're not so different, Kate Bishop."
"Excuse me?" the taller girl narrows her eyes dangerously.
"It's true," Yelena leans back and shrugs, "We both chase down bad guys for the greater good, only difference is I get paid to do my job." The assassin's eyes sparkle up at her when she grins and wiggles her brow. "What are you? An unpaid intern?"
"What-I-no, okay?" Kate huffs out at the woman's laugh, "If I had to give it a label I'd say I'm an Avenger in training." The younger woman has to try not to puff out her chest proudly.
"Okay fine, Avenger's assistant, whatever," Yelena groans and doesn't give the over excited student a chance to correct her, "But here is the truth, little hawk, you could benefit from having a friend like me."
Kate lets her eyes slide over the confident woman before taking the bait, "And why is that?"
She shrugs, "I got the inside access: black market level information that only us 'seedy criminals' would know." Here she pauses to roll her eyes. "Take last night for example. Perhaps if we'd spoken beforehand, I could have saved you and grandpa hawk a trip."
"We don't kill people, Yelena," she bites off defensively, "Even if you're right about the senator, he deserved a trial, he deserved a chance to make things right-"
"Let me tell you something, Kate Bishop, because it is something you should realize sooner rather than later," here she leans forward and folds her hands on the table, making sure she has her complete attention. "Men like him? They do not go to prison," she shakes her head for emphasis, "They buy their way out of it. And men who are that level of criminal? The heads of large, underground organizations, the type who would profit off the suffering of others? …They're just like Kingpin - they don't care to make things right. It is a sad truth, but is truth nonetheless."
Kate watches her with sad eyes, hoping that this time she's not right.
"Besides, Kate, are you honestly telling me you think the Avengers don't kill the bad guys?"
Her voice, like her gaze, is soft… like she doesn't want to hurt the girl with the news, but it needs to be said. And then Kate remembers a story Clint told her about Natasha… S.H.I.E.L.D. was the organization who sent him to kill her.
"I'm a weapon. My job has always been to hurt people." He had said.
Kate swallows thickly, working her jaw back and forth, trying to take in that information.
When she goes quiet, Yelena takes the opportunity to lean back in her chair again. "So? ...What's next?" When the younger woman only looks at her blankly, the spy rolls her eyes and clarifies. "You said you had multiple reasons for not being my friend, so what's the next one, huh?"
What-
Is she seriously still trying to push that?
I mean, it's not like Kate wouldn't enjoy her company, but-
"Yelena, this is ridiculous-"
"Пиздец!" The Russian pushes her chair back harshly so it scrapes loudly against the floor while she stands up. "What izzit this time, Kate?"
The archer gulps. Noticing her accent getting thicker with her agitation, the taller of the two moves to put her back against the kitchen counter while subtly looking for the nearest weapon in case things turn ugly.
"Why won't you let us be friends?" Yelena demands.
Kate starts and stops, not really having a reason anymore outside the obvious, so she goes with, "We can't-"
"Pah! All you have is excuses," she bites off as she begins to pace, throwing angry glares in Kate's direction while she starts rambling off in Russian and making wild hand gestures. "почему я вообще заморачивался?!" ("Why did I even bother?!")
The brunette grips the counter behind her, thinking the sharps drawer is just a little to the right… but she freezes up when Yelena changes course and marches right up to her, stopping just a few feet away. "So, explain it to me, Kate Bishop. I want to hear your reason," she gripes with a furrowed brow and a deep set frown. "You can be friends with Barton, the Ronin, but not with me, ah? When he is just as much of a killer, why does he get a pass?" Standing so close, Kate can almost make out the slight sheen of tears in her eyes and she suddenly feels horrible.
"Yelena… " the brunette tries to reason with her, really not wanting to go down this road any farther.
"No more excuses!" The blonde snaps. "I want the truth, Kate. ты должен мне это." ("you owe me this")
Kate opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
The spy gives her a moment, but when no words come, she mutters something under her breath and turns to storm out, pain written across her face.
She doesn't get far before the words are finally blurted out unceremoniously:
"You can't be friends with someone you're attracted to!"
Kate's face instantly burns red with heat. She can't look at her, but she sees Yelena stop and turn to look back at her. A pregnant pause follows, and the archer starts to sweat under her collar. When she doesn't get any response to that, she continues, still refusing to meet her eyes, "Trust me, I've tried, it just… doesn't work."
The silence stretches on to the point of being unbearable, and Yelena still hasn't moved from her spot. Kate takes a chance to glance over at her hesitantly, but the spy only watches her with a blank expression and a small, confused crease between her brows, almost like she's trying to work something out.
"Are you-are you gonna say anything or-"
"You're attracted to me." The assassin states plainly, like she's asking for confirmation.
"Uhhh, yeah, can you blame me?" the archer laughs and shifts uncomfortably. When there's no follow up, she tries to give her an out, only somewhat hoping she'll take it, "You can leave if that makes you-"
"So, this is why I am drawn to you. You're attracted to me, and so you attract me to you, right? Like magnets?"
Kate finally looks at her again, confusion written across her face while she tries to figure out if the older woman is messing with her or not. She's drawn to me?
"... What?"
Yelena furrows her brow and tries again, "You know, like magnets. You're pulling me to you… this is how attraction works?"
Kate blinks at her a couple of times, trying to make sure she's understanding.
"Yelena, are you.." Kate lets out a breath of a laugh, "Are you saying you don't know what attraction is?"
When a shadow crosses the blonde's face and she takes on a hardened expression, the archer knows that it was the wrong thing to say. She gulps nervously and tries to backtrack, but the spy speaks up.
"From the time I was a child, all the way through my formative years, my mind was controlled by a sadistic monster." Eyes wide, Kate decides to just keep her mouth shut while the assassin continues. "During that time, I could not make my own choices; my choices were made for me. And that mind prison I was kept in was only broken a few years ago when I decided to spend my time freeing the rest of the widows across the world, so no… " those hazel eyes glare up at her. "I do not know what attraction is. I have never dated nor have I had the desire to date."
The brunette takes in long, even breaths, trying to figure out how the hell to get the foot out of her mouth, but Yelena isn't done yet.
"Attraction is not something I have experienced," the Russian looks away, her tone more saddened now than angry, "at least not that I remember." When she looks back up at the silent girl, she seems determined, "But my mother is a scientist, and she explains to me how magnets work: The electrons create particles to attract other, similar particles, no?"
The brunette watches her quietly, deciding it's just best to hear her theory than to try and speak up again. Besides, watching her beautiful eyes light up while she tries to explain the 'laws of attraction' is definitely worth keeping her mouth shut for a change. Yelena starts to pace while she tries to make sense of it in her head, and Kate just watches, happy to let her work through it.
"This is why I think about you all the time and why my heart dances when you're around or when you smile at me - why I feel comfortable to be myself around you, even if it makes my hands a little sweaty." Kate's eyes get wider and wider with every admission. "This is why my insides have been eating at me all day because I knew you were mad at me, and I couldn't rest until I made it right." Here she stops and meets the athlete's eyes again, looking for confirmation, "That's why I care what you think of me and why I want to be close to you all the time - it's because you are attracted to me, so you pull me in and make me feel all of these things for you?"
The look on her face is genuinely curious and Kate doesn't know whether she wants to laugh or cry. Her heart is racing at the implication of her words, and she can't even begin to temper down her excitement. Swallowing thickly against the emotion welling up in her throat, and the tears she feels stinging at her eyes, she tries to work out what she needs to say to the confused woman. Will she even want to know the truth?
"Yelena, that's-" she stops to clear her throat when her voice cracks. Licking her lips, she starts again, "People aren't magnets." She meets hazel eyes, searching them for any response she might have, any indication to how she might react, "These things that you're feeling, they're… That's how you feel when you're attracted to someone."
Kate's gaze bounces back and forth between her eyes, hoping she understands. But the spy's face has gone blank again, the face that the younger woman is starting to know as her 'processing' face, and Kate grows worried. They're standing closer together now than they were before, so if the older woman doesn't react well to her calling her out on her feelings, it wouldn't take much to send the brunette sailing through the air. She begins to look around nervously for anything she might be able to anchor herself to at the last second. What was I thinking? Her hands grip at the counter behind her and she looks to Lucky, wondering if she should tell him to run when the assassin finally speaks.
"Can I try something, Kate Bishop?"
Her voice is softer, deeper than it was a moment ago, and when Kate looks back at her, she nearly swallows her tongue. Because Yelena is no longer looking at her eyes, but somewhere just south of there.
Warning signs start flashing in her head; her body suddenly feels like a live wire because she thinks she knows exactly what Yelena Belova is wanting to try with her and it's too good to be true.
"Uhhhh… "
When all that comes out of her is one unintelligible sound, the blonde's eyes flash up to meet hers and Kate feels herself tremble under the power of her gaze. The green of her eyes is definitely a couple shades darker than it was before, and if the brunette had to label the feeling she sees there, it would be… hunger.
Omg, omg, omg. The younger woman's heart palpitations are making her a hot mess. Those warning signals from before come back in full force, shooting her thoughts in twenty directions. This isn't right. We shouldn't do this. We're too different, it would never work. What if the Avengers find out? Yelena's not exactly a role model for good behavior. What would Clint say? He would be disappointed. He would definitely be questioning my judgment again, especially after last night. Ugh, this is stupid. Why is she so pretty? It doesn't matter - I can't let this happen…
And for all of her inner turmoil and rationalizing, of course there's only one natural response:
"Yea- uh huh, sure- I mean, ye-yup, that's cool. Go for it."
Very smooth, Katherine.
And Yelena doesn't hesitate, immediately stepping up into the taller girl's personal space and placing a hand on her chest for leverage as she pushes up on her toes. The first brush of her lips is the softest, sweetest kiss Kate has ever received, and she nearly cries at how gentle she is. The contact is broken only a moment later, way too soon for her liking, but the blonde stays just a breath away… almost like she's giving the young woman the space to pull away if she wanted it.
But she does not want that in the least.
From one breath to the next, Kate rocks forward and catches the Russian's lips in a more stable kiss, slotting their mouths together in a way to strengthen their connection, so she can hold the kiss for longer and memorize this feeling of elation. The small noise that comes from the shorter woman at the contact is nearly enough to make the brunette's knees buckle from under her, so she kisses her again and again, never pushing too far but letting Yelena feel how much she affects her.
Breathing becomes an issue fairly quickly thanks to how fast her heart is racing, but she isn't ready to let go. All she can think about is how amazing this feels, to have this woman's soft lips trembling beneath her own after daydreaming about this for months. It's really happening.
Yelena returns her kisses but with less intensity, and Kate has to wonder if her timidness is stemmed from her awful upbringing. Is this the first time she's ever kissed someone voluntarily? The thought makes tears form in her eyes, and without realizing it, the archer's fingers are suddenly tangled in blonde tresses to angle the woman's head back farther so Kate can deepen their kiss. The whimper that's pulled from the spy at the action shoots right down to Kate's core and she has to bite back an embarrassingly loud moan. She decides then and there that she wants to hear all the noises Yelena Belova can make.
Despite initiating the heated making out, the assassin has done very little else, seeming to be more than content to let the younger woman lead things. Which she has no problem with obviously, but at some point during her fervent kissing, she notices the Russian's hand slowly sliding up from its position on her chest until it rests gently on her throat. Now most people would be terrified to be in this position, to have one of the most dangerous women in the world currently holding their throat in a manner that could easily lead to them being choked to death - kind of like sticking your head in the lion's mouth; it's dangerous - but it doesn't faze the archer.
Maybe she's getting drunk off all the kisses, but Kate seems to recognize the action for what it is - protection.. Because for someone like Yelena, someone who has had to grow up fighting for herself because she had so few people to rely on, that hand gives her an escape - She could easily use it to push her away or to choke her out if needed. And if the woman needs that hand there to feel safe enough to let Kate get this close, she doesn't mind it all. Hell, she could hold a gun on me if she'd just let me keep kissing her…
The widow lets the making out session go on for several minutes, even allowing the brunette to slip her tongue inside for a moment, before she finally breaks the kiss and pulls away. Kate stays where she is, watching the woman move back a step though her gaze is still focused on her now red and slightly swollen lips. When the horny college student eventually snaps out of her lust-filled haze, she looks back up into hazel eyes to see her pupils are completely blown while she stares back at her, panting slightly.
At least it's not just me.
When the two women seem to have gotten their bearings again, Yelena's expression turns back to something more casual while she wipes a finger over her bottom lip, drawing Kate's eyes to the motion.
"So, Kate Bishop," her voice is raspy in a way that causes the younger woman to tremble. She waits until Kate meets her eyes again before continuing, "We can be friends now, yes?"
Kate blinks once… twice… and then drops her head while she starts to laugh. "Yelena-" she starts, unable to stop chuckling.
"What! What is it now, Kate Bishop?!" And now she's back to yelling at her in Russian, but the archer can't stop laughing.
Instead, she steps forward and gently takes ahold of the woman's head in her hands before telling her sweetly, "Just shut up."
There's a noise of displeasure that comes from the angry woman who's probably not used to being told to shut up, but Kate is quick to seal their lips back together, kissing the frown right off her face.
She doesn't know how this is going to work. She doesn't know if Yelena even wants to make it work. But for now, the two women seem very happy just being close to one another and sharing in these slow and tender kisses.
This may cause problems for Kate down the line. She's well aware of how many red flags there are and how many obstacles this might create, but...
The archer grins before taking the assassin's bottom lip into her mouth and sucking on it gently while the other woman cups the back of her head to hold her in place.
... She'll worry about those problems tomorrow.
The End