Chapter Text
↳Chapter One
Yelena is eleven-years-old when she feels her entire world change. Her chest burns along with her left wrist as black ink imprints on her skin. Katherine Bishop. The name wraps around her wrist like a bracelet. Her soulmate’s name. She takes a look in the mirror to see that beneath her collarbone is marked. Wings beneath it a date. 12-11-02. Her soulmate’s birth date. Those two things are not the only thing that marked her having a soulmate. Her eyes. Her left eye no longer was the color of hazel-green but of stormy-blue.
That night she went to her parents. Her mother had explained to her about the soulmarks, soulbond, and soulmate. Her mother had explained that not everyone is lucky to have one. Not everyone who has a soulmate matches. Some can be soulmates with someone but aren't a pair and that someone else is their soulmate. Or that someone can have multiple soulmates.
After that conversation with her mama, she went to her older sister, Natasha. Her sister has a soulmate, she had overheard her telling their mama prior to her getting her soul marks. Natasha didn’t seem very happy about it. She had been rather reluctant about sharing her soulmate but eventually she had told them about her. It was sad. It made Yelena never want to feel what her sister felt when her soulmate had lost their parents. For the first time since Natasha had turned ten that she slept in their parents’ bed. Yelena joined them not wanting to miss out on cuddles. It felt nice to Yelena and she hoped that her good feelings would transfer to her soulmate as well.
Yelena is thirteen-years-old when she first feels Katherine Bishop’s pain. The echo of it anyway. It’s an odd sensation to feel one’s pain knowing that it is not her who is hurt but that her soulmate is. For a moment she had forgotten about that. She was confused as to what caused the pain she was suddenly feeling until she remembered about her soulmate. But then she had been separated from her family and taken to the Red Room. Ever since then she cut herself off to the bond, closing it so that Katherine Bishop could not feel any of her pain and vice versa. Her marks are covered by her own making. She didn’t understand why the Red Room had let the girls keep their soul marks until she realized that the reason why was an incentive for the widows to do their best. Her mama had once told her that some soulmates are so connected to each other that if one dies, the other dies as well. They are unable to live without each other. She realized that the Red Room knew that too and was using it to their advantage. There were widows who were soulmates and were forced to kill one another. Love is a weakness. Yelena more than ever is grateful that her soulmate is far far away from her. She can never hurt her if she can’t see or is near her. It made blocking the bond easier to know that she is sparring her soulmate the pain that she is enduring and because of her, Yelena becomes the world’s greatest child assassin. No one will ever hurt her soulmate.
Yelena is twenty-seven-years-old when she meets her soulmate on a rooftop in New York, a couple days away from Christmas as she tries to kill Clint Barton.
She straps a wire on the girl making sure that she’s safe before throwing her over the room. In their close proximity, she feels the fear coming from her soulmate’s side of the bond. She feels the other half of her heart racing with fear and adrenaline. She takes a deep breath to relax and clear her mind as she watches Barton cut the wire holding her soulmate. It takes everything in her not to run over to save her even though in her mind, she knows that Katherine Bishop is safe. Barton would never harm the girl. So she fights the other competition she did not expect to have. Katherine Bishop is utterly annoying as the girl continues to get in her way of her mark. Her soulmate is aiming an arrow at her head and for a moment Yelena wonders if the girl before her realized that her left eye changed color mid-fight. She glares at her, slowly shaking her head at the archer. She watches the way the girl lowers her bow in defeat, confusion written all over her face as she shoots her grappling hook on the ground before swan diving off the room. Her heart races. Katherine Bishop .
She makes her way back to the hotel she’s currently staying in for the time being and does a deep dive on her soulmate. She finds her on the front page of the archery team for Columbia University. There’s a picture of the archery team and in the front and center holding a trophy is Katherine Bishop who prefers to be called Kate Bishop . She tries out the name. It’s strange to her, unfamiliar. She is used to calling her soulmate by her full name but if her soulmate prefers to be called Kate Bishop then she will respect that. Learning about Kate Bishop becomes a very deep rabbit hole, she finds herself in.
After finding the address of Kate Bishop’s apartment—not that it was very hard given that it was on the news—she makes her way there and waits for the girl. When an hour passes by, she realizes that Kate Bishop will take a while so she makes herself useful after taking a look around the place. It’s not as bad as she thought the place would be, burnt and all. With a little bit of restoring and cleaning, the place could become a home again or maybe it’s still a home for her soulmate anyways she wouldn’t know. She rummages through her cupboard to see if the archer has any food that survived the fire. She claps her hand when she finds a kraft mac n cheese, her favorite food of all times. She starts making it and by the time it’s done, Kate Bishop finally returns. She finds herself catching a bottle of hot sauce that’s thrown in self-defense by the archer.
“ Hi,” Yelena draws out the word, enjoying the way Kate Bishop flounders around her and finds her funny. “ Sit, eat please. My daddy says it’s good for you.” She tells her, sitting down across from the archer. She is not amused nor impressed to learn that her soulmate only owns one fork. It is weird. Who only has one fork? She learns that her soulmate is way too confident but that is not so bad. They talk a bit and it is great. Her first proper conversation with her soulmate though it is not how she expected to be. Kate Bishop is very funny. Her heart beats matching Kate Bishop’s like it always has since the day the brunette was born but Kate Bishop does not know that or realizes it.
The light atmosphere turns tense when Kate Bishop brings up Barton and her happy mood turns sour.
“ Are you here to talk to Clint?” Kate Bishop asks. How naive is her soulmate? She thinks.
“ No, I’m here to kill him,” the conversation gets worse and worse. A strange feeling grips her chest at the fierce loyalty and faith that Kate Bishop has for Barton. She is angry at how Barton managed to get her soulmate to choose him, to side with him. Yelena finds herself wanting all of that. She wants her soulmate’s fierce devotion. “ Oh, and Kate Bishop, don’t get in my way again.” I would hate to see you get hurt. She doesn’t voice those thoughts. She dives out of the window that she’s broken in.
‘ See what kind of person who hired her is’ resonates in the blonde’s head. It is something that Kate Bishop had commented and now it has made her curious. She puts her assassination on Barton on pause to pursue her own mission. She follows Eleanor Bishop, her stomach dropping when she sees who she is talking to. Kingpin; Wilson Frisk, the mob leader of New York. She finds herself texting Kate Bishop. Her soulmate deserves to know even if it’ll hurt.
Kate Bishop, I found who hired me
Eleanor Bishop
I thought you deserve to know
*video of Kingpin and Eleanor Bishop talking*
When Kate Bishop does not respond, she can’t help but worry. For the first time in thirteen years, she opens herself up to the bond so that she can feel what Kate Bishop is feeling and quickly closes herself off as Kate’s emotions overwhelm her. It’s been thirteen years since she let herself open the bond, afraid that her emotions would spill through and her soulmate would feel her like she’s always had when she was in Ohio. She understands her longing now of wanting to go to New York. The other half of her heart—literally—is here. Her soulmate lives here. She doesn’t see Kate until the next night at the Bishop’s Christmas party. They get ‘trapped’ in the elevator together, well not trapped per se more stuck in the elevator waiting for the destination floor but what’s the difference?
“ Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room here or are we both going to pretend that we both don’t know?” Kate Bishop’s voice sounds anxious and nervous.
“ What elephant? You are funny Kate Bishop . There is no elephant here,” the blonde says. “ And yes, we pretend not to know we are soulmates.” It looks like the younger woman wants to say something but decides against it instead she attempts to click all the buttons to give her partner time. But her attempts are unsuccessful due to the blonde assassin, slapping her hand and twisting her to her back making her land on her ass. The second attempt, Kate is much faster to react and bitch slaps the blonde who looks shocked.
“ What was that for?” Yelena asks, surprised and a bit impressed.
“ I don’t know,” Kate panics, embarrassed before using Yelena’s stunted faze to her advantage but before she could click the buttons, Yelena recovers and takes a hold of her dress which begins to unravel– “What is happening?” and reveals the purple suit underneath it. “ Did you plan that to happen?”
“ Yes,” Kate says confidently until Yelena raises a perfect eyebrow that she begins to backtrack her words. “ No.” Then she turns, pressing all the buttons. Kate is rather proud of herself for buying Clint time.
“ Oh come on! That is so annoying!” Yelena growls, throwing the dress on the ground and begins to take off her green coat revealing her widow suit underneath. “ cyka.” Tossing her coat at Kate and running out of the elevator. Kate Bishop is stubborn, she’ll give her that as she fights her every step of the way to kill Clint.
“ What are we doing huh? It’s Christmas, we should go get drinks,” Kate says, trying anything now to distract the widow who is hell-bent on killing her partner and stupidly stands in the way with her body open.
“ Yeah. Sure. After I kill Barton,” Yelena pants. Kate groans.
“ Not what I meant,” She manages to get out as Yelena kicks her in the ribs and damn does it hurt like mother fucker. It makes Kate realize something though. “ Quick question. How are you not feeling my pain?” Kate Bishop, ever the talker. Yelena frowns as she somersault on the table before answering her.
“ Can you feel me?” Yelena counters. It takes Kate a second to realize that she can’t. She had assumed that Yelena is her soulmate because her name is wrapped around her ankle like an anklet in gold. The blonde watches the brunette’s eyes dim a bit/
“ No but I just thought that…nevermind,” it’s the first time she sees Kate Bishop dejected before. They continue their fight, the conversation being put aside. She wants to reassure the brunette that they are soulmates or otherwise that Kate Bishop would have been dead ten times over.
“ Ow. That really hurt !” Yelena hisses, shaking her left hand to soothe the pain.
“ So did the kick to the rib,” Kate retorts.
“ Yeah, that was good body form. But you did the really cool body throw,” Kate practically glows at the praise coming from the assassin, her soulmate.
“ I know right..stop making me like you,” Kate says.
Yelena grins, “ Sorry. I can’t help it. This was fun. Bye.” And with that, she’s diving out of the window, Kate Bishop cursing under her breath.
Kate stumbles back, wiping the blood from her lip. She feels it first like a sudden jolt—an awareness of Yelena’s presence. She hadn’t really expected to hear Yelena in her head. Not at all. It was strange, unsettling even, to feel as though Yelena is standing right next to her, despite the fact that she knows that the blonde is miles away, currently beating up Clint. The bond hadn’t flared up in so long that she’d forgotten what it felt like—well, except for that one time when she was three, but those memories were foggy and distant. Still, the sound of Yelena’s voice suddenly echoing in her mind felt…familiar.
[Where are you?] Yelena’s voice rings through her mind, clear and direct. Kate stumbles for a moment, her brain scrambling to process the connection. It’s distracting enough that she almost misses the way Kingpin’s fist comes crashing toward her. The blow lands hard against her ribs—same ribs that were kicked earlier by Yelena–forcing a sharp grunt to escape her lips. The pain echoes back through the bond.
[What are you doing Kate Bishop ?] There's a hint of panic in Yelena’s voice, which, weirdly enough, makes Kate’s heart flutter despite the searing pain spreading through her sides. Yelena cares. Kate winces, more from Yelena’s concern than the hit, trying to pull herself together as Kingpin lines up for another hit.
“ Uhm currently trying and failing to fight for my life against Kingpin,” She mutters aloud, more out of habit than necessity. She didn’t realize Yelena could hear her thoughts just fine without her needing to speak. The whole telepathic-soulmate-connection thing is brand new to her and she has no idea how it works. Her mother refused to talk about it and her dad who did talk about it is dead so there was no tutorial on how to be a soulmate to someone. She’s winging it, like everything else in her life. Not the best time for a crash course though, all things considered.
“ Who are you talking to?” Kingpin asks mid-punch, confusion written all over his face. Kate’s eyes widened, her brain scrambling for an excuse.. Crap. This is bad—really bad. The last thing she needs is her enemy knowing that she has something—or someone—distracting her during a fight.
“ Uh no one?”
[You are a terrible liar, Katherine Bishop .] Yelena’s voice in her head is laced with exasperation, and despite the situation, Kate couldn’t help the way her stomach flutters. She couldn’t help but feel…turned on? Was that normal? The way Yelena said her full name, Russian accent and all did something to her. She can practically feel Yelena roll her eyes at her. It’s bizarre really, feeling that level of connection. Everyone talks about this bond like it’s the most natural thing in the world, but right now? It feels like anything but.
[Close your eyes.] Let me in, do not fight me.] Yelena’s command is firm but there is a gentle undertone to it. It feels strange to surrender like that, to let Yelena fully into her mind, but Kate trusts her. She closes her eyes, and the sensation is unlike anything she’s ever felt—it’s like Yelena’s presence is no longer just a voice in her head but something deeper as if she’s right there, moving through her, guiding her. It’s disorienting but thrilling at the same time. [ I need you to silence your mind. Deep inside, you can fight. You have my knowledge—use it. It will come to you as if you’ve done it your whole life.] And suddenly, it did. Kate opens her eyes and finds herself moving, fighting with a precision she’s never had before. Her body reacts on instinct—no, not instinct. Yelena’s instinct. It’s the Widow’s style: fluid, fast, deadly. She feels her muscles coil and snap with precision, executing moves she hadn’t even known existed, much less had practiced. When she clamps her thighs around Kingpin’s neck in a signature Widow takedown, the look of fear in his eyes is palpable. He knows this fighting style. He’s scared. She doesn't stop until Kingpin is lying unconscious at her feat, breathing heavily, her muscles burning with the effort.
“ How did I just do that?” she asks aloud, her voice shaky with disbelief as she blinks down at Kingpin’s still body.
[ Because you and I are one.] Yelena replies, her voice like velvet in Kate’s mind. [We’re connected. You know what I know, and I know what you know.] Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the connection fades. Kate feels the loss immediately, a hollow ache in her chest as Yelena recedes from her mind. Yelena had shut the bond out again. She shakes her head, trying to refocus on the chaos around her—on her mother, being led away in handcuffs. There’s a tightness in her chest that she can’t seem to shake but relief washes over her when she sees that Clint is still standing. Yelena didn’t kill him. She can’t deal with any more loss tonight. She makes her way over to him, exhaling a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Her mind is still buzzing, trying to process everything. The bond, Yelena, the fight—it was a lot.
"You did good, kid," Clint says softly, pulling her into a firm embrace. The moment his arms wrap around her, it’s like a dam breaking. All the adrenaline, the fear, the weight of everything that just happened crashes down on Kate at once.
Her breath catches in her throat, and before she can stop it, tears start to spill. She’s been holding it together for so long—through the fight, through the chaos with her mom—but now, in Clint’s arms, it all feels safe enough to fall apart.
“Let it all out, it’s okay,” Clint whispers, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back.
And so she does. Kate buries her face in his shoulder, her body shaking with sobs as everything sinks in. Clint just holds her, steady and patient, letting her release all the fear, grief, and exhaustion she’s been carrying for so long.
She clings to him like a lifeline, grateful for his presence, for the unspoken understanding between them. With every tear, the weight lightens, and she allows herself, just for this moment, to let go.
Kate spends Christmas with the Bartons. It’s a nice distraction from everything. On her stay there she learns something very important. Natasha Romanoff is alive. The world’s most infamous Black Widow is alive while the entire world believes that she’s dead. Her first thought is to reach out to Yelena through the bond and tell her but she quickly realizes that as long as Yelena is closed off to the bond, their connection will never meet so instead she texts her. She is rather surprised when Yelena tells her that she already knows. Yelena tells her that Clint had told her when she had been trying to kill him.
Yelena ends up showing up at the Bartons’ for Christmas dinner which shocks Kate though she knows that it really shouldn’t since Yelena’s sister is spending Christmas with the Bartons so it was a bit expected for Yelena to show up. Watching Yelena’s dynamic with Natasha is interesting. The blonde radiates that ‘younger sister’ vibe when she’s around Natasha and Wanda (who she learns is Natasha’s wife apparently).
“ What was it like for you when you first met Natasha?” Kate asks curiously as she and Wanda sit out on the patio. The sun is already set and the moon is rising.
“ Like you and Yelena, we were on opposite sides,” Wanda answers. “ I had messed with her mind. I hadn’t realized that she was my soulmate until I went into her mind. She hated me for invading her privacy which she had the right to.” Kate frowns, unable to understand how someone could hate their own soulmate but a part of her understands in a way how someone could hate their own soulmate especially if their soulmate invades their privacy or takes away their autonomy. “ Exactly, people can hate their own soulmate though it’s a bit harder to with the bond influencing their emotions. It’s easier for people who block out the bond. And Natasha is ridiculously stubborn.” Kate feels her face flush in embarrassment at forgetting that Wanda can literally read minds. Wanda looks a bit guilty. “ I don’t mean to but sometimes your mind can be very loud. But anyways, it took Natasha and I months, years to build the trust that we have today with each other. We had both closed ourselves off to the bond for several months. It wasn’t until a mission that had gone wrong put me in critical danger that we opened ourselves back up to the bond again.”
“ So what you’re saying is that all I need to do is nearly die?” Kate asks, jestfully. Wanda chuckles. “ It shouldn’t be too hard. I mean I kinda almost died had she not stepped in.” Wanda looks at her, curiously.
“ What do you mean?” She asks, brows furrowing.
Kate sighs, letting out an awkward laugh before telling the older woman, “ I may have gone up against Kingpin who was beating my ass. Had Yelena not opened the bond, I would have probably been six feet underground.” There’s a twinkle in Wanda’s green eyes.
“ If she opened the bond then it means that she’s trying. She and Nat didn’t exactly have the easiest childhood. So I’d say talk to Yelena. Have a proper conversation. Don’t rush her,” Wanda advises. “ Allow her to go at her own pace. Just be patient and when she’s ready, she’ll open herself back up to the bond again and keep open.” Kate hums in acknowledgement at the word of advice. She can be patient or she can learn at least to be patient. She’ll wait for Yelena as long as she has to.