#Baby Clint deserves more love 💖

[loving-elvis]

My favorite 50s!Elvis photos, part 172 of ∞; On The Set of Love Me Tender✨

[mostlymarvelsstuff]

Requested by: @romanoffsbish #6 “Are you really so oblivious?” ; WandaNat•Tony says it to R who’s currently “googly” eyeing the couple from across the room with a sad smile, and Tony’s had enough of the dancing around each other nonsense. 

Authors note: requests are still closed. I’m trying to clear my inbox before opening them again. Thank you for your patience 💖

Word count: 2898   WandaNat Masterlist   Marvel Masterlist

   Wanda giggles as Natasha playfully spins her around the kitchen, the ingredients for their pancakes quickly forgotten as the spy initiates an impromptu dance session to the music that plays from the Sokovians phone. 

   They don’t even notice the attention paid to them by the few of their teammates over at the table. Sam smiles at the scene before returning to his oatmeal and Tony pretends to gag at the display of affection before he sits down with his omelet. 

   “Let them be Stark” Thor chastises with a mouth full of poptart,  “Love is special, and it deserves to be celebrated”

  “I know that goldilocks” he retorts with an eyeroll, “Besides, I doubt they even heard my teasing."

   Clints brow quirks as he drops his banana peel on the table and his eyes meet yours as you glance up from your plate. You both share a knowing look before smirks spread on both your faces.

  “Oh yeah” the archer agrees, “No way the super spy with super senses heard you. Ridiculous notion”

   You chuckle at the nervous expression that crosses the billionaires face only to earn a glare from him in turn, “At least I let my feelings be known”

   Mistaking his jab at your not so hidden feelings for more teasing you simply toll your eyes and grumble, “Whatever Tony”

   “Is he bothering you malysh(baby)?” Wanda voice suddenly rings out through the dining room and Sam has to suppress his laughter at the way Tony's complexion pales slightly 

   “Oh. Uh, no. No, he's just being his normal, annoying self” you tell her, smiling over where she stands with her girlfriend at the kitchen island.

   “Good” Natasha says, her tone sending a chill through both you and Tony but for different reasons, “Otherwise I’d have to punch him”

   “I’m right here you know” the man says, waving his fork in the air

   “Oh I know. I just don’t care.” she replies, sending a wink your way 

   You try your best to ignore the warmth that spreads across your cheeks at the action, instead focusing back on the man next to you again. He purses his lips, letting out a small huff in annoyance and you laugh at the Russians ability to get under his skin so easily. You completely miss the way Natasha beams at Wanda for being able to make you produce the sound they both adore so much.

   “Y/n?” 

   You turn to look at the brunette again, “Yeah Wans?”

   “Tasha and I were going to go into the city today. Do some shopping, go to lunch, sit in the park for a little bit and maybe get some ice cream. Then we were gonna watch a movie when we got home. Would you like to join us?”

   “I’m sorry guys, I have a briefing to attend in like half an hour. I think I’m being sent on an impromptu mission.”  you tell them as you stand and walk back to the kitchen with your dirty plate to clean, “I hope the two of you guys have fun though”

   “Oh, ok” the witch responds, her shoulders deflating at both the missed opportunity and the distance you’ve created. Truthfully both she and Nat have noticed you being a bit more distant with them lately and it was worrying them, "Maybe next time then"

   Though you feel nervous about spending that much alone time with the women you nod, "Yeah next free day I have we can definitely do something" 

   Natasha doesn't like the knot of discomfort she feels in her gut. She doesn't know what other team members are going with you on this sudden mission but she desperately wishes that she or Wanda was on the chosen team. She feels better when one of them is there to watch over you. What if something happens to you today?

     The look her girlfriend gives her indicates she feels the same way about this situation and Nat wishes there was something she could do to change things, but there isn’t. So she settles for doing something that both shows she cares and helps slightly settle her nerves.

   “Just be careful out there, ok kotenok(kitten)?”

   You smile at her, “Always Nat. I’ll see you guys later.”

   The two continue to stand there a few minutes after you leave. The worry for your fate on this mission and the disappointment for your lack of presence in their lives of late might as well shine over their heads like neon signs in Vegas. So Tony decides to do his best to reassure them.

   “Try not to worry too much” he says, placing a hand on each woman's shoulder, “T’Challa and I are going with her. Hill will be there too so she's in good hands. I can’t promise no harm will come to her because you know how hectic these things can get, but I can promise that I’ll bring her back in one piece.”

   “Thanks Tony. I just wish we could go with her.” Wanda tells him, a sad smile on her face, “We like being able to see that she's safe”

  “I know. Which is why I will do my best to stick to her like glue, and have her home in time for your movie”

   Nat turns to him with a smirk, “You know, don’t you?”

   He chuckles, “You may be a spy, Romanoff but there's no hiding that look. Plus witchy here doesn’t know what it means to have a poker face”

   “Hey! I can keep a straight face” she huffs, crossing her arms. 

   Natasha quirks a brow at her girlfriend, earning a glare that makes her chuckle, “I didn’t even say anything”

   “You didn't have to, I heard your thoughts” she replies, making the redhead smirk

   “Good luck Romanoff” Tony cuts in, “I’m off to the briefing”

   Several hours later the quinjet lands back down at the compound and you and your team tiredly shuffle around, gathering your things as you prepare to disembark and head inside. 

   “It’s been a long day. Head inside and get some rest everyone. Turn your paperwork into me tomorrow morning and I’ll get it to Fury” Hill states before heading off

   T’Challa is the next to move, he has a jet to Wakanda to catch tomorrow afternoon and needs extra rest to get that paperwork done beforehand, “Goodnight Tony, Y/n. Good work today, and if I don’t see you before my flight, it was good to see you”  

   “Goodnight” you and Tony say in unison before heading inside yourselves.

   As the two of you walk through the hall you're stuck by the fact that the tv and light are still on in the living room, something which is unusual for this time of night. You both wordlessly decide to take a peek at what's going on and stop in the doorway.

    Over on the sofa, curled up with each other under a blanket sit Natasha and Wanda. A Bond movie plays on the tv and even at your distance you can tell by the way the Russians lips move that she's softly quoting every line. Wanda looks up at her with a fondness before linking one of her hands with Nats and her attention returns to the screen. You smile at their cute interaction, but it doesn’t quite reach your eyes.

   A deep ache fills your chest as you watch them, and you sigh. You’d give anything to be able to join them, but you can’t. Not in the way you want to at least. And you’re tired of pretending that you don’t want more with them. You've had to withdraw because only being their friend while they held your heart, it hurt. You know it's nothing personal, nor is it their fault, but you couldn’t continue to do that to yourself. You hope one day, when your heart has righted itself, that they’ll understand. But until then, solitude is best.

   “Well” you whisper, “Glad to see Nat still likes Bond. Goodnight Tony”

   You go to turn away but his firm hand stops you, “Are you really so oblivious?”

   Your brows furrow, “What are you talking about?”

   “Kid, it's past midnight and they're in the living room. They have a tv in their room, and you and I both know that's where they always watch their movies.”

   You shrug, “Maybe they just wanted a change of scenery”

   He exasperatedly runs a hand through his hair, “Christ sake kid, they waited there for you.”

   “Huh? Why would they do that?”

   He sighs, “Because they miss you, and they didn’t get to spend the day with you, so they at least wanted to be here to greet you once you got home. They wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt.”

   “Oh.” you pause, feeling guilty for hurting them with your absence while also feeling grateful for their care, “I better not keep them waiting then. Goodnight Tony”

   “Night Y/n” he says, with the hope that finally everyone's confessions would come to light tonight

   You slowly approach the couple, feeling guilty you were about to disrupt their movie despite knowing they waited up for you. In the end you don’t need to interrupt them as your movements end up catching the Sokovians attention and her eyes light up.

   “Malysh(baby), you're back!” 

   Nats head quickly turns in your direction, but her smile fades slightly as she notices the dirt and small scrapes that adorn your forearms and face, “Are you hurt?”

   You shake your head, “No. Just some normal bumps and bruises is all.”

   They both frown at your statement and Wanda quickly untangles herself from her girlfriend in order to approach you. Her hand gently trails across a bruise on your cheek before grabbing onto your hand and she looks back to Nat to receive a nod.

   “Let's get you cleaned up, ok?” You're too tired to say no so you dumbly nod and follow her to the couples bedroom, with Natasha right behind you.

   “Sit down kotenok(kitten)” she instructs, her tone softer than what you're used to

   You do as you're told, relaxing into the small sofa in their room as Wanda heads into the bathroom and Natasha rifles through their closet. You unintentionally doze off as you wait and the two women briefly contemplate allowing you a small nap before they decide that you’d be better off and more comfortable once cleaned up and out of your uniform.

  “Y/n…Wake up sweet girl” Wanda coos, as she gently shakes you

   Your eyes strain to open, “Sorry guys”

   “It’s alright. You've had a long day.” Wanda says, sitting down beside you, “Let's get you clean.”

   She brings the washcloth up to your face first and Nat smiles as she watches you practically melt at the feeling. The brunette softly scrubs your face, careful to not agitate any of the small scrapes as she rubs the sweat and dirt from your face. 

   “There we go. I knew your beautiful face was under all that grime” 

   You blush slightly, and you know with as close as both women are that they've seen it, yet neither tease you for it, “Thanks Wans”

   She smiles and nods, “Give me your arm”

   You do so, watching with sleepy eyes as she cleans your left forearm before moving onto your right one. Youd been so focused on her movements that you hadn’t realized Nat had momentarily left in order to prepare the bed for them.

   “She all clean, detka(baby)?”

   Wanda nods, “Yup. Clean and ready for bed.”

   You assume that's your queue to leave and shuffle as you prepare to stand but the redhead is quick to stop you, “Woah, easy there. We haven't gotten our Y/n time for what feels like ages, so we’re claiming now while you're too tired to protest. Here, go change”

   You look down to see that she's handing you an extra pair of her pajamas and your stomach erupts with butterflies, “Thanks Nat.”

   The two share a smile as you head off to their bathroom to change and Nat helps the younger girl off the sofa, “Go ahead and get into bed detka(baby)”

   When you emerge from the bathroom you find Wanda suggled into her side of the bed while Nat sits on the edge of her side. The Russian can’t help the smile that spreads across her face, seeing you in her clothes has her heart speeding up in her chest. 

  “Well, goodnight guys” you tell them, taking a step forward only to be stopped by Nats hands grabbing yours

   “Where do you think you're going, pretty girl?”

   “I-  I uh, the couch?” you stutter out, mentally slapping yourself for becoming so flustered by her words

  Wandda frowns as she sits up, you never used to mind sleeping in their bed with them on movie nights, when had that changed? Why are you so distant now?

   “Y/n?” she hesitates, “Have Tasha and I upset you?”

   “What? No. No, of course not. Everything is fine” you stress, but Nat defeatedly drops your hands as her expression turns sad

   “Everythings not fine, Y/n. This is the first time we’ve been able to spend any time alone with you in nearly a month. You've been avoiding us, and it hurts”

   “Just please tell us what we did so we can fix it.” Wanda practically begs, “We miss having you around. We miss you.”

   “You guys haven’t done anything. I promise.”

   “It doesn’t feel that way” the Russian mumbles, and your guilt returns ten fold

   “Ok. I probably should have said something sooner, but i didn't know how” you sigh, “I still don’t, but you guys don’t deserve to be left wondering”

   You stand there for a moment, nervously picking at your fingers as you try to figure out what words are best to use to explain everything. But your anxiety is getting the better of you, and you can’t blame it. I mean how are you supposed to tell your two best friends, who are a couple, that you love them.

   Wandas eyes widened as unbeknownst to you, your thoughts had become incredibly loud. But she doesn’t want you to panic, and your anxiety is already quite high, so she decides to not let it be known that she’d heard you. Instead she gets out of bed and slowly approaches you, grasping your hands with hers once she's close enough.

   “Whatever it is Y/n, you can tell us. I promise it’ll be ok” she assures, squeezing your hands for added emphasis.

      Heat rushes to your cheeks as you think about the prospect of saying the words out loud, but the way Wanda reassures you gives you some courage, “I um, I-  I love you both. In a more than friends kind of way.”

   “Oh kotenok(kitten)” Natasha coos as you glue your eyes to the floor, and she quickly gets to her feet to join the two of you. She grabs your chin and tilts it up so you're looking at her, “That's something you never had to hide from us. Because we feel the same, don’t we detka(baby)?”

   Your eyes widen in disbelief and you look to the other woman for confirmation, “You guys love me?”

   “We do, we love you Y/n” Wanda admits, smiling wide

   “So very much” Natasha adds, wearing a matching smile of her own and she can wait no longer, “Can we kiss you?”

    You eagerly nod and she brings her lips to yours. It's everything you thought it would be, fierce and full of passion and it quickly takes your breath away. As soon as she pulls away from you Wanda replaces her on your lips. Her kiss too is just as you expected, tender and full of love. Once it ends the brunette pulls you into a hug, which Nat joins.

   You let out a happy relieved laugh as their arms wrap around your body and you easily sink into them. They can feel just how exhausted you are, so despite the wonderful discovery the three of you have made, they know that their first priority is letting you get your needed rest.

   “Come on malysh(baby)” Wanda says, breaking up the group hug, “It’s very late and you need sleep”

  “She's right. We can talk more about this tomorrow” Nat adds, ushering you over to the bed

  This time you don’t argue, you climb right in and get settled in your spot in the middle of the bed so you can be between the two of them. Wanda happily joins you, snuggling closely as she pulls you against her. Nat smiles as she joins you but instead of snuggling close she leans on her elbow, her other hand cupping your face.

   She gives you another kiss, “Love you”

   “Love you too Natty” you sleepily mumble, making her heart swell. You then turn to Wanda to let her have a kiss, “Love you Wans”

   “Love you too, sweetheart” she whispers, brushing a hand through your hair, “Sleep well”

   You end up falling asleep before they even finish pulling the covers up over you. They both scoot closer, each wrapping an arm across your midsection to ensure you remain close.

   “Our pretty girl” Nat mumbles as she nuzzles her face against your neck

   Wanda does the same on your other side, “All ours”

Taglist: @wandaromamoff69 @when-wolves-howl @danveration @sheneonromanoff @sayah13 @likefirenrain @nighttime-dreaming @just-a-torn-up-masterpiece @chaoticevilbakugo @crystalstark02 @wackymcstupid @lovelyy-moonlight @blackwidow-3 @mistressofinsomnia @that-one-gay-mosquito @yomamagf @yourfavdummy @justarandomreaderxoxo @scoutlp23-blog @whoischanelle15 @lissaaaa145 @eline03 @wizardofstories@imthenatynat @marvelonmymind @fluffyblanketgecko @bitch-616 @dakotastormm @zoomdeathknight

[biitchcakes]

@mastcrmarksman sent: Positivity party time. AURORAAAAAAAA THE MOST DARLING OF DARLINGS I LOVE YOU FIRST AMD FOREMOST You bring an absolute joy of Jessica Drew to life everything I read of yours is just That is HER. That is the girl. You are someone who gets her characters, and I just could just gush about Jess and Clint to the moon and back; gonna give these two the character dynamic and relationship they deserve 💖✨️ secondly you are one of my favorite writers and I just love all your thoughts on the marvel universe. And just big inspiration for me. And you spoil me sometimes I am so happy to know you and consider you one of my dearest friends met through here 💕 BIG HUGS AND KISSES TO YOU 🦭

IIIZZZZZYYYY 🥺🥺🥺

First of all, I LOVE YOU TOO 💜✨ OODLES AND BUNCHES !! I am SO happy we've gotten to be friends through our lil hobby on here, you're absolutely one of my nearest and dearest on here too. I adore your muses, fully cradle and smooch them all, and I get so excited over everything you and I write together. We ARE giving Jess and Clint what they deserved, what they both weren't ready for at the time, and I love how we've gotten to develop and explore their relationship together.

Second of all, I'm sobbing HGDKSG 😭 what do you MEAN I'm one of your favourite writers ?? A big inspiration ?? My heart bursts Izzy, I can't begin to tell you how much that means to me. Especially since I very much consider the same about you !! You KNOW your babies, the way you talk about them is just amazing to me. I love learning more and more about Clint, getting deep-diving insights into the man. Jess never fails to poke her head out when Clint and Greer come knocking - you always give me major muse, big time.

And please, I always love hearing from you and your Marvelous ( ha ) opinions. I love yappin' away about our babies and getting direct insight from The Clint Expert-in-Chief™️

Mwah, a dozen chef kisses, big bear hugs and smooches, thank you for the message 🥺💜💖✨

[the-widow-sisters]

fic idea! basically, yelena never learned how to swim as a kid and has a deep fear of water because of the amount of times the red room punished her with water torture techniques. natasha helps her get over her fear slowly and teaches her how to swim! thank you!

A/N: Thank you so much for the amazing request! 🥰💗 

I made this one so that it was set before Kate ever came to the compound and back not too far after Yelena met the Avengers and Peter. I’m worried I rushed too fast while writing it and it might have come out a little wonky, but I loved the idea so much that I got in a hurry to write 😂💕 

I hope y’all enjoy! 💖 Hopefully it turned out okay! 🥰

Word Count: 3997

  “Romanoff, you’re just scared of getting crushed by me and Underoos,” Tony taunted with a smirk, and Natasha huffed as she relaxed in a nearby lawn chair not too far from the pool.

  “You’re going to really regret all of that smack-talk when you finally convince me to get in,” Natasha replied, boredom in her voice but a definitive fondness in her tone as she kept her eyes closed and remained safe and covered under the umbrella near her seat.

  The Avengers had all headed down to the pool for a well-deserved day of relaxation, and Tony had been doing his best to convince Natasha to get inside the pool so that he could try to dunk her underneath the water. Natasha had not really wanted to get into the pool because of the sunburns she would no doubt get, but now that he had been taunting her for so long, she was almost ready to go in and make him eat his words.

  Steve, Peter, Tony, and Sam were all inside the pool while Clint was sitting not too far from Natasha, stretched out on a chair and appearing almost as if he were asleep. Natasha was just waiting on Yelena to come out of the compound so that she could go head-to-head with Peter and Tony in a game of chicken.

  She was honestly starting to wonder what was taking her baby sister so long.

  However, just as she had almost resolved to get up and go find the blonde, Yelena was approaching the pool area.

  Natasha started to smile, but she quickly realized how Yelena was pointedly avoiding the pool’s edge and refusing to even look in the direction of the water. She was dressed in a tank top and shorts with her feet bare, but she did not appear as if she wanted anything to do with the water itself.

  “Ah! Here comes your partner in crime! If you don’t get in now, Romanoff, you’re definitely going to just look like you’re scared of us,” Tony egged her on, and Yelena barely glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.

  “Come on, Miss Belova! The water’s awesome!” Peter called, and as Yelena shifted her gaze from his face to the water, she suddenly looked terribly nervous and she purposefully moved her eyes back to Natasha as she made her way over to her.

  “No thanks, Peter Tingle. I’d rather not look like a drowned rat,” Yelena commented with a ghost of the smirk and sarcasm she was typically known for.

  Natasha gazed at her with some concern, and Yelena came over to sit down on Natasha. Natasha grunted slightly as Yelena just laid down on her, wiggling until Natasha spread her legs enough to let Yelena sit between them. Natasha furrowed her brow, and she moved her head forward so that her chin was resting on Yelena’s shoulder.

  “Rooskaya, why don’t you want to get in the water?” Natasha questioned gently, and Yelena just shrugged, stiffening a little, and Natasha immediately understood that the girl obviously did not want to talk about it at that moment. Natasha nodded a little in silent understanding, reassuring her baby sister that she would not address it at the moment as she settled for simply stroking Yelena’s back.

  Yelena relaxed against her contentedly, letting out a deep sigh of happiness, and Natasha just remained quiet, allowing the girl to remain in her arms for as long as she needed to. Natasha did not fully understand the problem, but she was more than willing to let Yelena go about it at her own pace.

  She just hoped that Yelena would be willing to share sooner rather than later.

    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

       Luckily, that night as they were crawling into bed together at the compound, Natasha finally got an answer.

  “They waterboarded me when I wasn’t good,” Yelena admitted from where she was nestled closely against Natasha with her head buried under Natasha’s chin. Natasha furrowed her brow, immediately understanding what Yelena was talking about.

  “Whippings and waterboardings were their favorite punishments for me. Waterboarding was usually when I did something really bad,” Yelena confessed, her voice quiet and just a little shaky as she forced some amount of nonchalance in her tone despite the fact that they were quite obviously very traumatizing memories.

  Natasha ran her fingers through Yelena’s hair, scratching gently at the back of her neck as she offered reassurance.

  “They used that because they knew I’m scared of water,” Yelena continued, and Natasha just nodded a little, tilting her chin downward so that she could kiss the top of Yelena’s head. Yelena let out a deep breath.

  “I don’t know how to swim. I never learned, and they fortunately never found out,” Yelena spoke, a finality in her tone that indicated she was through addressing the situation. Natasha hummed gently as she pressed a few more kisses against Yelena’s hair.

  “Thank you for telling me. I’m proud of you,” Natasha whispered, trying to convey precisely how much the fact that Yelena trusted her enough to share such a sensitive piece of information meant to her.

  Yelena just sighed through her nose, nodding a little.

  “I wish I could have swum with Little Peter and Stark today. I know you wanted to me to get in with you so we could play in the water,” Yelena expressed, and Natasha felt a deep pang within her.

  “Sweet girl… I’m okay doing whatever you feel like doing,” Natasha replied, and Yelena shook her head.

  “But I want to be able to do these things with you. It’s what sisters do together,” Yelena confessed, and Natasha could hear the desperation in her voice and just how badly that the blonde wanted to please her and make her happy.

  Natasha’s heart was honestly melting at the fact that Yelena cared so deeply for her, and her mind immediately began to fill with thoughts as she tried to consider some way that Yelena could get over her fear.

   However, after just a moment, the perfect thought came to her, and she moved her face down a little so that her lips were brushing Yelena’s ear softly.

  “Sweet girl… What if I taught you how to swim?” Natasha offered, and Yelena froze for a moment, not saying anything as she considered the words.

  “You… You want to?” Yelena questioned, and Natasha felt her chest practically ache with the pain that her baby sister actually thought that Natasha would not do something for her. Natasha would do absolutely anything in the entire world for her. She would give her life for her, so she would very happily give all of her time to her, too.

  “Of course,” Natasha expressed, tugging her nearer and pressing a few more kisses against her head. Yelena melted against her, humming in satisfaction with Natasha’s affections.

  “I’ll always want to help you and do things with you,” Natasha whispered, and Yelena nestled closer to her, her arms tightening around her. Natasha held her against her, shielding her from the terrors of the past.

  “We can even start tomorrow if you want,” Natasha offered, and Yelena was quiet for a few moments as she just allowed Natasha to play with the hair coating the base of her neck at the edge of her scalp.

  Natasha was almost ready to accept that she was likely not going to receive a response, but then Yelena spoke up, her voice small.

  “Okay.”

    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

       The next morning, the both of them had breakfast, and Natasha had informed the rest of the Avengers in no uncertain terms that Natasha would need the pool to herself for the day. They had all been quite confused, but when she admitted that she was doing something with Yelena, they were all very understanding and did not question her any further.

  She then went back to Yelena and they dressed in tank tops and shorts so that they could go down to the pool together and begin lessons. Yelena remained close by Natasha the entire trip to the pool, and Natasha kept her arm around her comfortingly, wordlessly offering support in this endeavor that she knew was going to be hard for Yelena.

  Soon enough, they were outside at the pool, and Natasha was stepping into the water.

  “It’s a little chilly, but it’s warming up,” Natasha expressed, and Yelena nodded a little, standing not too far from the edge where the stairs dipped down into the water. Natasha then turned to her.

  “Just take my arms, and I’ll guide you in, okay?” Natasha told her, and Yelena swallowed hard, looking between Natasha and the water. She finally moved close enough to grab Natasha’s arms with her hands. Natasha moved her hands so that she could lock them onto Yelena’s arms.

  Yelena looked as if she were going to start stepping in, but as soon as she looked down at the water, she froze up. Natasha remained still, not rushing her into it.

  However, as Yelena remained frozen and looking terrified as her breathing picked up pace, Natasha realized that she needed to offer Yelena some much-needed encouragement to get her to come into the water.

  “Come on, sweet girl,” Natasha told her softly, and Yelena grasped her arms tightly, bending over her upper body to remain in contact with Natasha, but avoiding touching her feet into the water as Natasha tried to guide her down the stairs into it. Yelena was breathing hard as if she were running a marathon, and Natasha could see the haunted look in her eyes.

  “I can’t—I can’t… Can’t do it, Natashka,” Yelena stuttered finally, and Natasha shook her head calmly, continuing to hold fast to the girl despite the fac that Yelena was somewhere between pulling back against her and moving nearer.

  “You’re fine. You’re okay, alright? Just step down and come to me,” Natasha told her gently, and Yelena’s grip on her arms tightened painfully as she shook. Natasha maintained a steady hold on her, her fingers locked around her.

  “I can’t do this,” Yelena looked into Natasha’s eyes, and Natasha felt her heart cracking with the presence of tears in the girl’s eyes.

  “Yes, you can. You can do it. You trust me, don’t you?” Natasha questioned, holding Yelena’s gaze firmly as she watched her. Yelena’s lip trembled and she let out a shaky, terrified breath. However, those honey greens were filled with nothing but the most love and trust despite the fear locked into them.

  “I trust you.”

  “Then know that I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?” Natasha assured her, and Yelena’s lips trembled as her eyes shifted down to lock onto the water once again.

  “I’m upside down,” Yelena whispered, her words almost unintelligible as her voice shook. Natasha immediately stepped up and out of the water.

  She moved up a few of the stairs, just grabbing Yelena in her arms and holding her against her tightly. Yelena grasped her, her fingers digging into Natasha’s bare skin exposed by the tank top she was wearing. Natasha rubbed her back, rocking them where they stood to comfort her baby sister.

  “Don’t be scared. It’s me. It’s just me,” Natasha reassured, her voice gently coming into Yelena’s ear nearest to Natasha’s mouth. Natasha pressed a gentle kiss against the side of Yelena’s head, and Yelena wormed her face closer against Natasha’s neck, a whimper escaping her.

  “I love you, and I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re safe,” Natasha whispered, and Yelena just kept her face buried into her, her nose poking into Natasha. Natasha rubbed her back, her fingers trailing along the skin exposed by Yelena’s own tank top.

  “Would it be easier for you if I walked down with you, or do you—”

  “Go down first. Can’t,” Yelena let out a breath, and Natasha patiently awaited her next words. Yelena finally sighed deeply.

  “They’d shove me in from behind,” Yelena admitted, and Natasha felt as if she had been stabbed. Natasha’s arms tightened around her just a little before she released her at last. Natasha cupped her face in her hands, moving forward and kissing her forehead. Yelena shut her eyes in contentment.

  “Okay… Grab my shoulders with your hands,” Natasha instructed, and Yelena looked at her confusedly as Natasha pulled back from her. Natasha just allowed Yelena to grasp at her skin, searching for some manner of anchor as she eyed her with uncertainty.

  “You’re in control of the pace,” Natasha informed her, and Yelena nodded a little, finally understanding what Natasha was attempting to communicate.

  Natasha turned her back to the blonde, and Yelena grabbed onto her shoulders gently. Natasha waited for a moment for Yelena to get ahold of herself, not wanting to move until Yelena was ready. However, when Yelena squeezed her shoulders softly in her grip, Natasha started to descend the steps.

  Natasha went down one step, and Yelena followed along. With one more step, Yelena’s feet finally touched the water. She let out a shuddering breath behind the redhead, her hands shaking, and Natasha just remained still as she allowed Yelena to decide when she wanted to go another step.

  Yelena moved her head forward, pressing it against the back of Natasha’s. Natasha just stood there, bringing up her hands to gingerly touch Yelena’s. She then trailed her hands up Yelena’s arms, stroking them softly.

  “Take it slow,” Natasha gently spoke, and Yelena swallowed hard, pushing her head into Natasha’s more firmly. After a long moment, Yelena moved away from her. There was a long moment of pause where Natasha rubbed her arms silently, giving her time to decide when she wanted to go.

  At last, Yelena squeezed her shoulders, and Natasha took the final step into the water, waiting for Yelena to follow suit. Yelena was immediately frozen, stretched out in order to keep her grasp on Natasha.

  However, just when Natasha was about to offer words of reassurance, Yelena took a quick step into the water. Natasha smiled gently, starting to turn toward her to give praise when arms locked around her middle firmly and a face buried itself in her back near the base of her neck as shivers and shudders rocked through the blonde’s frame. Natasha remained still, allowing her to hold onto her.

  “I’m so proud of you. You’re my strong, sweet girl… Such a strong girl,” Natasha praised, keeping her voice gentle so that she did not startle the tense atmosphere surrounding Yelena as a result of her fear.

  Yelena squeezed her more tightly in reply, obviously relishing Natasha’s words if the manner in which she nuzzled the back of Natasha’s neck was anything to go by. Yelena’s entire body was trembling and it hurt the redhead deeply to know she was so afraid. She would do anything to take away Yelena’s pain and fear.

  “You feel okay to try walking around a little?” Natasha questioned, and Yelena paused for a long moment. She finally nodded somewhat.

  “Slowly,” Yelena managed to get out, and Natasha started to walk just a little around the pool. Yelena stepped after her sluggishly and whenever Natasha noticed she was stopping, Natasha paused as well to let her adjust.

  Once they had been going in circles in the shallower end of the pool for a while, Yelena’s shivering slowly came to a stop and her breathing grew a little less panicked and heavy. Natasha very hesitantly and slowly started turning in Yelena’s embrace to face her, allowing Yelena to decide whether she wanted to keep Natasha facing away from her.

  Yelena allowed her to turn toward her, and Natasha noted the presence of slight moisture on Yelena’s cheeks where the girl had been crying. Natasha felt her heart squeeze painfully, and she stroked Yelena’s cheeks gently, her elbows dipping into the water where they were submerged up to their ribcages. She gently wiped away the tears staining Yelena’s cheeks.

  “My sweet girl, you’re okay. You’re safe. I’ll protect you,” Natasha assured her, and Yelena nodded a little in her grasp, moving her head forward in an attempt to touch her forehead against Natasha’s. Natasha allowed her to move forward, and she touched her face, brushing her fingers against the soft skin of her cheeks.

  “You’re so strong for pushing through like this. You’re so brave,” Natasha whispered in the space between them. Yelena pushed her head against her harder.

  “The next part is going to be harder. You’re going to have to let me hold you up while you extend your body out horizontally at the top of the water. I’ll put my hands under you and on your stomach while I hold you up and help you go through the steps of swimming. But that’s only if you’re okay with doing that today,” Natasha told her, and Yelena kept her eyes closed. Natasha, however, noticed how the blonde had stiffened up at the idea, and the redhead was honestly somewhat expecting her to want to throw in the towel for the day.

  But to her surprise, Yelena finally opened her eyes, determination shining within them.

  “I trust you. You won’t let me sink,” Yelena stated, and the last sentence came out more as a question than a declaration, and Natasha nodded reassuringly.

  “Of course. I’m not letting you go until you say you’re ready for it,” Natasha assured her, and Yelena let out a long, shuddering breath. Yelena finally squeezed Natasha gently before releasing her and moving back just barely.

  Natasha started to shift a bit into position, her hands laying on the surface of the water with her palms facing upward. Yelena stared at her hands, grasping her shoulder at this point and clinging tightly. Natasha just remained standing there, still and dependable as she offered sturdiness and steadiness to the blonde for as long as she needed it.

  Yelena finally bent over, starting to lower herself into Natasha’s hands. Natasha received her gently, and she noticed how stiff Yelena was as she laid across her. Once she was fully in position, Natasha hummed with approval.

  “Good job. Just loosen up a little so you can float,” Natasha expressed. Natasha felt Yelena very slowly untense her abdominal muscles, the toned surface loosening a bit against Natasha’s hands as she allowed herself to trust Natasha fully. Once she had almost fully relaxed, Natasha bent her head down and kissed her back gently.

  “Very good,” Natasha breathed, readjusting her hands slightly against Yelena’s body under the water.

  “Now I’m going to gently move around and you just stay loose. Try to just float, okay?” Natasha urged quietly, and Yelena nodded barely. When Natasha started to move, Yelena tensed but quickly released as she realized that Natasha still had her.

  “Don’t let me go,” Yelena told her with nervousness slipping into her voice slightly, the side of her face touching the water as she turned her head to try to keep from submerging her nose. Natasha nodded to her.

  “I’m not letting you go,” Natasha whispered to her, and Yelena hummed a little in agreement.

  Once they had been floating for a bit, Natasha noted that Yelena actually seemed to be somewhat calm and comfortable in her arms. She felt her heart warming at the unadulterated trust in the relaxation of Yelena’s muscles, and she bent down to offer another kiss to Yelena’s shoulder.

  “You’re doing amazingly,” Natasha praised, and Yelena looked up at her with a soft look in her eyes. Natasha happily noted the increased presence of calmness within her gaze.

  “Do you want to try the next step?” Natasha asked tentatively. Yelena looked slightly concerned for a moment, but it quickly melted away as she looked at Natasha trustingly.

  “Okay.”

  “For the next step, you’re going to kick your legs and reach your arms out in front of you like you’re scooping the water. Do you want to stand here and watch me first?” Natasha asked, and Yelena shook her head hesitantly.

  “I can try it,” Yelena said, and Natasha hummed in agreement. Yelena tentatively started to reach out with her arms and Natasha guided her through the water as Yelena kicked carefully.

  “Move your head to the side to get breaths while you’re reaching. There’s a rhythm to it,” Natasha instructed, and Yelena put more effort into it, starting to feel the rhythm of it.

  Natasha grinned gently, proud of her baby sister for catching on so fast. She could already see that the girl was likely going to know how to swim by the end of their next lesson.

  “Sweet girl, you’re doing so good,” Natasha complimented, and she could feel the pride rolling off of Yelena in waves as she picked up her pace and started trying to swim with even more force and confidence. Natasha smiled happily at the sight of it, and after a moment, Natasha started to find it hard to keep up with her pace.

  “Do you want to try it on your own?” Natasha asked her, raising her voice a little to be heard over the splashing. Yelena slowed down a little in her swimming, uncertainty starting to grip her, and Natasha kept her grasp on her as consistent as ever, not about to let her go unless she gave consent.

  Yelena finally paused altogether, allowing Natasha to hold her up in the water. Natasha remained holding onto her, and Yelena let out a breath as she tilted her head to the side to look at the redhead. There was a silence between them, and Natasha just held her gaze silently, not saying anything to push Yelena to make any decisions.

  “I can do it,” Yelena stated in a manner that was more of a question, and Natasha nodded quickly, quick to reassure her that she wholeheartedly believed in her.

  “Of course,” Natasha replied, and Yelena swallowed before raising up in Natasha’s grip, putting herself back onto her feet. Natasha kept her hands on her waist, steadying her and ensuring she did not slip. Yelena looked out over at the water for a moment. She then looked back at Natasha uncertainly, and Natasha just smiled at her reassuringly as she reached out to touch her face gently.

  “You’ve got this,” Natasha whispered.

  Yelena let out a breath, and when Natasha started to move her hands away from Yelena, the blonde reached out quickly, taking hold of her wrists. Natasha stilled her arms, and Yelena squeezed her wrists softly as she looked out over the water.

  She swallowed hard before looking back at Natasha. Natasha kept her eyes on hers reassuringly. Yelena then released her slowly before taking a deep breath.

  “I’m right here to get you if anything goes wrong,” Natasha told her, and Yelena let out a breath as she remained still for a long moment.

  She finally moved forward slowly, dipping down into the water hesitantly and stopping quickly. Natasha touched her back tenderly.

  “You don’t have to—”

  “I want to do this,” Yelena firmly told her, her voice trembling a little as she stared straight ahead. Natasha nodded, stroking her back before moving back a little.

  Yelena took a deep breath before suddenly surging forward and starting to try to swim. Natasha watched her, starting to wade closer and swim alongside her in case something went wrong.

  However, to her shock, Yelena covered a good distance considering it was her first time before finally coming up to her feet with a somewhat wild look in her eyes as she started to reach out for Natasha immediately.

  Natasha surged forward, grabbing her waist, and Yelena took hold of her shoulders firmly as she steadied herself. She then wrapped her arms around Natasha’s neck, and Natasha just hugged her close as they stood there in the water.

  “I did it. I did it,” Yelena breathed heavily, her wet face pressed against the older woman. Natasha chuckled warmly, kissing Yelena’s temple the best she could.

  “You did it.”

[thecountesstribe]

Eleanor may not need a minute but I sure as hell do.

I'm forwarding marvel my therapy bills. So can we acknowledge the fact that the Hawkeye series was partly a love letter to Natasha.

Yo I'm an emotional wreck. A wreck I tell you. Not Clint finally openly acknowledging Kate is his partner😭😭😭

And then Clint and Yelena. Why the fuck did he have to whistle huh???. Damn you Hawkeye... I'll say it again my baby Yelena deserves no more pain. IstG marvel we could fight if anything happens to her in phase 4. No more losses for our girl. They loved Natasha bro😭😭😭😭

Yo and good on Maya💖 another person who deserves the absolute world.

Fuck Eleanor for trying to gaslight and guilt trip Kate.

Ngl I was in tears, I was dying when they were tagging Kingpin and he was tagging Kate's ass right back bruh. Why did marvel nerf him. He can't be dead.... I refuse to believe that he died.

Another thing don't feel I forgot how toxic and shitty some of y'all were to Laura when we found out she was Clint's wife. Some of yall were shitting on her character. Color me surprised that she was agent 19 aka Bobbi Morse. Clint and his spy family my heart. Now they got another big sister and possibly an aunt in Yelena?

I'm a mess. I'm running on 3hrs of sleep and I just left a board meeting. I'm going to sleep. Happy holidays people. What a finale. Somebody blackmail Marvel for a season 2... we could forward them our therapy bills.

YELENA BELOVA IS AN ICON, SHE'S A LEGEND AND SHE IS THE MOMENT. MY BIG LITTLE SIS LOOKED GOOD THIS WHOLE EPISODE, except when she was crying, BUT SHE LOOKED GOOD.

[barnesafterglow]

Happy 500, sweets!! Well deserved 💖 Can you cast your mutuals as The Avengers/your Marvel faves?

thank you iva!! i didn't entirely think this through when i put it on the list bc i am not nearly smart enough so here we go :,)

@pellucid-constellations as wanda bc she is so sweet and precious and loves her man more than life itself but also she will fuck you up if she really has to (for example, cutting her off on the freeway)

@sweetdreamsbuck as (beefy) bucky because ya know. soulmates

@vanderlustwords as steven grant rogers bc she has no self preservation and also would die for bucky in a heartbeat <3

@intrepidacious as sam wilson. ray of sunshine. makes me laugh (even if she's not trying to)

@benignbucky as tony stark. absolute nerd. not sorry <3

@aquariusbarnes as natasha oh my god. small but will kill you with no hesitation. would let her step on me. in heels

@buckydaddy as maria hill bc 1. i am in love with her 2. she is a bad bitch and 3. deserves the entire world

@beefybuckrrito baby idk just. clint. in the best way. gives no shits, will make you laugh. would probably scare the shit out of me and think it's hilarious

@maladaptivexxdaydreaming such thor vibes. big puppy who just wants everyone to be happy but also such sass when needed. precious

if you're offended in any way i'm not sorry ❤️

join my first sleepover!!

[the-widow-sisters]

Fanfic idea! It's super bad weather outside, like storming and raining, so it's the perfect day to snuggle up and watch movies. However, when Yelena suggests it, Natasha has to refuse because she needs to attend to a meeting with Steve and some other of the Avengers. Yelena whines and pouts yet understands, but it breaks Natasha's heart to leave her sister behind. However, as she's halfway there she realizes that making Yelena happy is way more important than another dumb protocol meeting, so she returns home, to Yelena's big surprise as she's suddenly cuddled from behind. Natasha even does one better, reminding Yelena of how they used to build forts to snuggle underneath. Deciding to revive that tradition, they quickly mess up the living room to make a cozy fort, as they cuddle up on the floor under a blanket to start their disney movie marathon

God I love them so much

A/N: This was so much fun to write, and I hope you enjoy this one! I love these two so much, and it’s always awesome to give these two the opportunity to just spend time together happily and live the life they deserved to have 💖

Thank you for the request! 🥰

Word Count: 3074

  “Wow, poser… It’s pouring outside,” Yelena told Natasha as she came into Natasha’s office.

  Natasha smiled a little as she looked over at the blonde from her place at the window where she was leaning against the frame of the glass. She was looking out the window, dreading her meeting that was coming up and that she was going to have to leave for in about fifteen minutes.

  It was one of the usual protocol meetings, and she had not really told Yelena just yet, not wanting Yelena to have to join her in the misery of dreading it. Of course, Yelena did not have to go with her to the meeting, but she knew that Yelena would offer to come with her, and Natasha did not want her to feel like she needed to ask.

  She also sort of assumed that Yelena probably already knew about it, but she was not totally sure of that fact.

  Yelena accompanied her at the window, looking out of it alongside her. Natasha let out a gentle breath as she just watched the droplets hitting the window. It was dark, gloomy, and the wind was blowing hard in the barest light of the evening as the sun went down. Still, it was somehow therapeutic for Natasha to be on the outside of chaos looking in on it for a change. So much of her life was spent in the middle of it that she never got the chance to observe natural chaos in its beauty.

  “Certainly a turdfloater,” Yelena nonchalantly said, waiting for Natasha’s response as she glanced between the redhead and the scene occurring outside the window. Natasha let out a deep breath, laughing under her breath as she shook her head.

  “Y’know, just because Kate says something doesn’t mean that it’s the cool new slang that all the kids use,” Natasha commented, raising an eyebrow as she looked over at her baby sister. Yelena’s eyes widened in pure offense and shock, and Natasha could not help but laugh more heartily.

  “I didn’t get it from Kate Bishop!” Yelena cried as if she had been truly and utterly scandalized beyond all repair.

  “Then you got it from Barton. Clint’s the only person I’ve heard that says that, and Kate had to have learned it from him,” Natasha pointed out, and Yelena just scoffed in reply from her position against the window on the opposite side from Natasha.

  “Well, I will have you know that even if I did learn it from someone, it wouldn’t be from Kate Bishop or Clinton. I learn the new slang from Little Peter, anyway,” Yelena declared defiantly.

  “Then where did you get it from?” Natasha questioned, and Yelena paused for a moment. She huffed and puffed for a moment, trying to think of a good response, which only proved to Natasha that Yelena had indeed gotten it from either Kate or Clint.

  Having mercy on the girl, Natasha grinned at her, raising an eyebrow as she reached out and wrapped an arm around Yelena’s neck as she tugged her against her. Yelena easily moved with her pulls, her head pressing into Natasha’s shoulder as she nestled close to her. Natasha kissed her temple, her nose brushing Yelena’s head as she took in a breath of that smell that was so simply and uniquely Yelena.

  The both of them quietly watched the rain and wind outside, and Yelena pushed her head a little closer into the crook of Natasha’s neck.

  “You know… Since the weather’s so bad outside… it looks like it might be a perfect night to watch some movies and maybe cuddle?” Yelena asked, and an answer of agreement was on the tip of Natasha’s tongue until she suddenly remembered the fact that she had to go to that stupid meeting.

  “Sweet girl, I would love to stay here with you and watch movies… It’s just that I have to go to a meeting tonight with the guys,” Natasha told her, and she immediately felt the disappointment rolling off of Yelena in waves.

  “I didn’t know you had a meeting,” Yelena acknowledged unhappily, and Natasha nodded a little, her head pressed against Yelena’s as she acknowledged her baby sister.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I thought you knew about it. And I didn’t want you to dread it or feel like you had to go, too,” Natasha explained herself, apologizing to her softly. Yelena nodded a little in reply, and Natasha sighed deeply, guilt eating at her as she glanced down at her baby sister.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Yelena offered, and Natasha immediately shook her head, warmed at the fact that Yelena was indeed willing to come with her regardless of the fact that Yelena hated those sorts of meetings.

  “No, little one. I’ll go take care of it,” Natasha told her, and Yelena let out a sigh of both relief and disappointment. Relief from not having to go and disappointment at the fact that Natasha had to.

  Natasha felt her heart squeezing painfully for her baby sister. She did not want to upset her or disappoint her, but she also knew that she was expected to be at the meeting.

  “Besides… I’ll be back before you know it, anyway,” Natasha said, forcing a hint of cheeriness in her voice as she pulled away just enough so that she could look Yelena in the eyes. Yelena’s gaze was downcast as she refused to look at the redhead.

  “Natashka, you and I both know it’ll probably last hours. Star Spangled Speedo likes to talk and Stark likes to argue with him,” Yelena stated, and unfortunately, she had a point. Natasha did not really want to think that way, but she realistically knew that Yelena was actually probably right about the meeting.

  Natasha pursed her lips a little before turning to look at the blonde, resting her hands on either side of Yelena’s neck as she looked at her. Yelena looked up at her just barely, her eyes dejected as she met Natasha’s gaze.

  “I promise, I’ll try to keep them from fighting too much, okay? I’ll try to come back home quicker,” Natasha told her, and Yelena just nodded, straightening a little in Natasha’s grasp as she hid a bit of her pout behind a wall.

  “Okay… Go show them who’s boss,” Yelena expressed gently with a slight smile, and Natasha forced a small smile on her face as she leaned forward, kissing Yelena’s cheek as she reached her hand up to cradle the other side of the blonde’s face. Yelena closed her eyes and leaned into the affection.

  Natasha hesitantly pulled away, knowing it was time for her to go.

  “I love you, my sunshine… I’ll be back,” Natasha assured her, and Yelena nodded, the mask of stoicism pulled over her disappointment.

  “I love you, too, poser,” Yelena responded gently, and the corners of Natasha’s lips quirked upwards as she turned out of the doorway and headed toward the front door.

  Natasha felt her heart breaking, and she honestly did not feel right about leaving Yelena alone. Especially in these sorts of conditions and with Yelena wanting her to stay with her. Natasha started out the door, her umbrella in hand and her bag over her shoulder as she headed to the car.

  She made a run for the vehicle, quickly sliding into the front seat as she folded the umbrella and stuffed it behind her. She sat her bag down next to the seat and she cranked the car, starting to head out for the compound.

  Natasha started on the road, the windshield wipers going as fast as they could to make up for the extensive rain hitting the glass. Natasha let out a deep sigh, her eyes locked on the road as she kept her hands firmly on the steering wheel.

  However, no matter how focused she remained upon the road before her, she could not stop thinking about Yelena at home alone. She knew Yelena was a grown woman and that the girl had likely been just pouting because Natasha could not do what she wanted to do with her, but it still hurt Natasha to have to turn her down.

  She worried that Yelena’s disappointment might have run a little deeper as well. It always seemed as if Natasha was picking the Avengers over her. While the Avengers were often of more dire need than Yelena in concern to the fate of the world, the nation, or people’s lives, Yelena was the most important thing to Natasha no matter what was going on.

  And as Natasha thought about it a little more, she was honestly not too sure why she even had to come to the meeting. It was just a protocol meeting, and Steve always told her about what he was planning on adding to protocol in their free time to talk, so Natasha already knew everything that was going to be presented in this meeting.

  Natasha furrowed her brow, debating her next move. As she came to a stop light about halfway to the compound, she just looked out the window, the rain pouring down on the car as the weather grew steadily worse as darkness fell. Natasha pursed her lips a little, chewing the inside of her cheek as she made up her mind.

  “Screw it,” Natasha muttered under her breath before looking all around and making a U-turn in the road so that she was heading back to the house.

  Immediately, it was as if a piece of her fell into place. It felt so right to be turning around and coming back to Yelena that Natasha was honestly unsure why she had even left in the first place.

  She was choosing Yelena over the Avengers, and it felt like what she had been meant to do all along.

    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

        Yelena let out a deep sigh as she prepared for bed. She would ordinarily be up for a little longer, but she figured that since Natasha was going to be gone for the majority of the night anyway that there was no reason to bother waiting for bed. She had gotten some leftovers from the fridge, but it was a pretty short meal, and she saw no real reason to stay up.

  Besides, it always made her melt when Natasha would slip in bed behind her and just tug her securely and safely into her arms.

  Yelena laid down on the bed, clad in her shorts and one of Natasha’s baggier t-shirts. She nestled in the blankets, taking a deep whiff of her big sister’s scent that permeated the blankets. Yelena fisted the pillow as she buried her face in it for a moment, just taking in the redhead’s essence and wishing that she was sticking her face against the real thing.

  Yelena let out a long, deep breath before closing her eyes, turning her head and resting the side of it on the pillow as she tried to get some sleep.

  However, she just ended up relentlessly tossing and turning for an immeasurable amount of time. She finally let out a deep groan, knowing that trying to sleep without Natasha was a fruitless endeavor. Yelena groaned heavily as she sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed, resting her elbows on her knees and holding her face in her hands.

  Yelena reached for her phone, checking for any messages from Natasha. She did not see any, and she let out a deep breath, reaching out for her earbuds and plugging them into the phone. She then put them into her ears. She absently turned on something from Christina Aguilera, trying to find a song to start out listening to that was one of her true favorites.

  As she was scrolling through the options on her playlist, she was suddenly shocked by the feel of soft, gentle arms wrapping around her waist from behind as someone’s face pressed into her upper back. Yelena jumped immediately at the feeling, tugging out one of her earbuds as she twisted to look behind her.

   To her unadulterated surprise, Natasha was sitting there on the bed behind her, her face buried into Yelena’s shoulder as she wound her arms around her affectionately and kept her legs crossed just behind the blonde. Yelena’s eyes widened a little, and Natasha moved her head a little bit away from Yelena’s back.

  “Hi…”

  “Natashka, I—”

  “You remember how we used to build a fort in the living room when we did Saturday movie marathons as kids? Alexei always helped us set them up, and Melina would bring us snacks,” Natasha reminisced, her voice warm and loving as she addressed Yelena. However, there was a presence of invitation and a little bit of mischief in her eyes as she watched the blonde.

  Yelena immediately felt hope rising in her chest rapidly, a smile building on her face.

  “Yeah, I do,” Yelena replied, her tone in pure awe as she gazed at her favorite person ever. Natasha grinned a bit, kissing Yelena’s shoulder resolutely before resting her chin on top of it.

  “Good. So maybe you won’t think I’m crazy when I suggest that we flip over the couch on its face and put some blankets on the floor underneath it?” Natasha playfully questioned, and Yelena shook her head, her grin growing as she turned a bit in an attempt to better access the redhead. Natasha grinned widely, her eyes half-lidded as she watched Yelena with so much adoration that it made Yelena want to melt.

  “You’re here to stay?” Yelena asked, unable to believe the fact that Natasha was actually here to be with her instead of going to one of the meetings.

  “Yeah. That a problem?” Natasha questioned, quirking an eyebrow teasingly, and Yelena felt her heart soaring with Natasha’s playful mood.

  “No! I just… don’t you have to go to the meeting?” Yelena asked. She felt just a little bit guilty, and she did not want to be the one holding Natasha back from important work just because the redhead felt obligated to be there with her. Natasha shook her head, shrugging in reply as her eyes positively glowed with affection.

  “Nah… It’s stuff I already know anyway. Besides, the guys are just going to have to manage without me, because you’re more important than anything they could have to say,” Natasha told her firmly, her voice loving and confident in its tone.

  Yelena immediately felt her lower lip trembling just a little with the admission, and she moved her head forward, pushing her forehead into Natasha’s neck. Natasha’s skin was a little damp from the rain, and it was a little chilly because Natasha always seemed to be cold, but it was home to Yelena.

  Natasha’s hand was immediately at the back of her neck, holding her closer.

  “I’ll always choose you,” Natasha told her gently, and the raw honesty in her voice made Yelena’s heart squeeze tightly. Yelena remained there against her neck for a little while longer before she finally pulled away and grinned at her a little.

  “Okay, poser… Let’s make a fort,” Yelena excitedly declared, and Natasha grinned at her, pecking her nose quickly before they both got up from the bed.

  “Grab our wooly blanket and the weighted blanket, Rooskaya,” Natasha told her as she started out of the bedroom door, a smile in her voice. Yelena wasted no time in grabbing it from their closet and bounding after Natasha.

  Natasha was standing in the living room, and she had already moved the coffee table over and started making a space for the couch to lay flipped over.

  Yelena placed the blankets on the floor nearby, and she started toward one end of the couch, helping Natasha to move it and put it in place. They took the pillows out of the couch and then flipped it over so that the top part of the couch and the bottom part were making a large upside-down V-shape on the floor.

  Yelena could not help her wild grin as she looked at her big sister. Natasha’s smile was so, so affectionate. Yelena could not wait to get under the couch with her and just snuggle in the small, enclosed space where she would be surrounded by so much of Natasha.

  They stretched the blankets in the space made underneath the couch. Yelena grabbed the remote, sitting it on the end of the couch closest to the television where their heads would be poking out. Natasha headed into the kitchen and grabbed some M&Ms for the both of them, just snatching the whole bag and bringing it to the end of the couch that Yelena had dropped the remote on.

  Natasha then approached the opposite side of the couch and crawled in. Yelena watched her eagerly, waiting for Natasha to get in and settle down so that Yelena could follow after.

  “Wow… It’s a tight squeeze… We might wanna rearrange this thing and make more room,” Natasha acknowledged.

  However, Yelena was determined to squeeze in with her, and she swiftly dropped onto her hands and knees, crawling in after her.

  “If you’d lay off the peanut butter, it might not be so tight of a squeeze,” Yelena jabbed jokingly, and Natasha just scoffed in reply to her.

  “Don’t even start with me about junk food addictions,” Natasha warned, a teasing tone in her voice, and Yelena rolled her eyes, choosing not to respond to that.

  Sure enough, it was extremely tight, but Yelena pushed her way through. Natasha was laying on her stomach, starting to turn on Disney+, and as soon as Yelena was directly above her, the blonde wasted no time in just flopping down on top of her heavily, her full body weight just squishing Natasha.

  Natasha let out a grunt. Yelena simply smiled widely as she just rested her chin on Natasha’s shoulder, her head leaning against Natasha’s. She could easily see Natasha’s smile that was rapidly spreading across her face.

  “So what do you want to watch first?” Natasha asked, handing the remote over to Yelena behind her. Yelena reached around Natasha’s shoulder, grabbing the remote in her hand as she looked at the options.

  She allowed a pregnant pause before smirking widely and moving over to the one and only Encanto. Natasha immediately groaned loudly.

  “Great…”

  Yelena just laughed.