not tryna stick it to you

by Axin_Nite

Summary:

Kate’s had a rough few weeks. Her girlfriend ended things with no explanation, her car broke down, and her favourite show was cancelled. So she finds herself in a bar, talking to an older woman who was looking for the same thing as her; a distraction.

In her defence, how was Kate meant to know she was her ex’s estranged sister?

Chapter 1

Notes:

Happy Pride Month, and thanks for clicking! Hope you enjoy

Kate was having a bad day. Scratch that, a bad month.

The access badges in the elevator weren’t working, so all her employees had to either take the stairs or work on the main floor. She had someone in to fix it within a day, but the glares and complaints to HR were already weighing on her. After that she had gone on her phone to doom scroll and destress, only to find out her favourite TV series got cancelled.

That one hurt, because she had started it with her girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend. The one who broke up with her five weeks ago for reasons Kate still didn’t really understand.

She tried to cheer herself up by grabbing a meatball sandwich from her favourite street vendor outside the building, the one who knew her by name at this point and had her order ready. But his kid had come to work with him and didn’t realise how strong the scoop was.

He looked at her in terror as the meatball fell off her face, down her pristine white shirt and on the floor, just about missing her shoe. Kate sighed but put on a smile when his dad started panicking.

“It’s okay, Jayson,” she tells him, wiping some sauce off her face and licking it off with a laugh, “You weren't kidding when you said fast food, huh?”

He gave her a fresh sandwich and awkwardly accepted her generous tip, and Kate managed to contain her sound of annoyance until she got back to her office, having walked up about 60 flights of stairs.

She smiled at the receptionist and slumped in her chair, turning around to look at the city out of the window with a pout.

“I’m having a bad day,” she whines to no one and eats the food. After she went to the bathroom to clean her face and change into a new black shirt, which was unfortunately a little too small. Lifting her arms exposed her stomach, and it was slightly too tight on her chest, so she had to pop some buttons. Which turned her from CEO to strippergram, if that’s what the eyes of everyone following her were anything to go off.

After work, she was exhausted, but her dog walker let her know she’d sorted Lucky out already, and Kate decided she didn’t want to go home. No, she wanted a drink, like, yesterday.

The bar she chooses is fancy, with the name on top in cursive neon, spelling out Liaison with a soft yellow glow. She hadn’t been here before, but the bouncer let her skip the line with a fresh $50 in his hand.

The bar is dark, lit with warm lights and intimate spaces, tables for two, booths in the corners, and stools at the bar. Not feeling like she was in the mood to go back and forth, or have a reason to look at her phone, Kate went straight for the bar, taking her suit jacket off as she walked.

“What can I get for you?” the bartender asks. Kate scanned the top shelf, feeling her stomach ache at all the vodkas on the top row. Yelena’s go-to drink.

She shakes her head, hanging the coat off the back of a barstool.

“Beer,” she says, passing him a smile as she rolls her sleeves up. He gestures behind him.

“Any kind?”

“Yeah, anything.”

He nods and goes to the fridge, and Kate finishes cuffing her shirt. She starts on the other sleeve, before sighing and taking her cell out of her pocket. She puts it face down, unable to look.

She had changed the wallpaper to default two days ago, after Yelena had read and refused to reply to every text, let every call ring out, and sent her a box full of her stuff from the apartment they had been essentially living in together.

The bartender came back and placed a glass in front of her. It was small, a crystal tumbler glass with an orange liquid in it, ice cubes and a twist of lemon. She looked up at the bartender, who had an amused expression.

“... Do you do beers differently here, or something?”

He shook his head and nodded it to the right, behind him, “She said to get you a real drink.”

Kate frowned and leaned around him, almost falling out of her seat at the woman sitting along the corner of the bar.

She was a redhead, her hair wavy and styled over one shoulder. She wore a black dress with a slit up the side, exposing the skin of her thigh which was crossed over the other leg. Red heels matched her lipstick, and green eyes looked at her with a look so heated it made Kate hot under the collar.

She held up a glass and tipped it to her, winking before taking a slow, gentle sip from the drink. Kate cleared her throat and reached into her wallet, dropping some notes on the bartop and pushing them towards the man.

“Keep the change,” she mumbled, and stood from the bar, grabbing her jacket and the glass from the wood top, and walking around it. The woman’s eyes dropped to scan her body as she appeared around the corner, then lit up in approval, which sent a thrill up Kate’s spine.

She stopped next to the unoccupied barstool next to her and tapped a finger against it.

“This seat taken?” she asked, and the woman put her glass on the counter, raising a curious brow, not at all hiding the way her eyes scanned over the tight shirt clinging to Kate’s body.

“Not at all,” she finally spoke, her voice carrying a gentle husk which made Kate’s head spin a little, turning in her seat to face her a little better. One of her heeled feet stayed on the chair Kate was tapping, and she gently swayed it back and forth, “Take a seat.”

Kate draped her coat over the back of the chair, purposely stepping over the other woman's extended leg and sitting on the stool. The woman kept it outstretched, between Kate’s calves, and ran her finger along the rim of the glass.

“You know…” Kate sighed, tapping her own glass, “maybe I wanted a beer.”

She looks up at her and is impressed she didn’t stumble through her words. Up close this woman was even more beautiful, especially when she raised a sarcastic brow.

“Did you?”

Her voice was so smooth, the small husk made Kate’s heart race.

“Maybe,” she lied, “I could be a big beer drinker,” she lied again.

“Hmm…” the woman softly chuckled, and lowered her voice a little, “Yeah, anything.”

Kate grinned a little, “Was that an impression of me?”

“Well, it’s what you said. Doesn’t sound like you’re an avid beer drinker to me,” her eyes glance down, and slowly, oh so slowly, drags up Kate’s body to her eyes, “You don’t look like it, either.”

She fought off the blush, which grew harder when the woman’s knee, which was still between her own, touched against Kate’s inner thigh. She cleared her throat.

“Are you saying I can’t handle beer?”

“I’m saying that you don’t look like you drink beer,” she nods down at the glass Kate has in the tips of her fingers, “That one suits you better.”

Kate hummed and lifted it up. The ice cubes click together, and she looks at the amber liquid, “What is this?”

The woman smiled, even her teeth were perfect.

“It’s a Gold Rush,” her face is unreadable, but her eyes look excited, “Bourbon, honey, lemon juice. It’s good.”

Kate shrugged, leaning an arm on the backrest of her chair and lifting it to her eyes.

“I’ve never heard of it.”

The woman says nothing, so Kate brings the drink to her lips. It’s good, the harshness of the bourbon is smoothened by the honey aftertaste, and she can almost not taste the alcohol. The woman watches her swallow, the way her throat drinks it down with ease, and her eyes closed to enjoy it.

The woman tilted her head, smiling confidently when Kate put the drink down and glanced up at her with blazing blue eyes.

“It’s nice,” she tells her, the woman can smell the honey on her breath, “Sweet.”

“Suits you. Tastes much better than beer.”

Kate put the glass on her knee, holding it in her hand, head to the side with a narrow-eyed look and a small, disastrously charming smile on her lips.

“You hate the taste?” She nods, “Why would it matter if I drank it, then?”

She asked the words quietly like she knew what the other woman was thinking. She dragged a tongue inside her mouth across her lips, Kate could see it from where she sat, and her red lipstick turned into a sultry look.

“It might matter.”

Kate squeezed the glass and brought it to her lips to drink again, lowering her arm from the back of the chair, and looked at the drink the woman held.

“What are you drinking?”

The woman wiggled the amber drink, a slice of orange floating on the side.

“A negroni.”

Kate hummed, “Sbagliato?”

“Yes,” the woman was impressed, she could tell, and just like with most things, Kate knew exactly how to ruin that image of herself.

“With… Prosecco in it?”

The woman raised a brow, Kate wondered if she’d gone a little too far with the slight British accent.

“How else would it be sbagliato?”

She smiled and looked down, tapping the side of her glass.

“Right, sorry.”

A hand touches her knee, and she follows it up to the woman who was now leant forward a little, her fingers barely touching Kate’s, which were also on her thigh. Kate swallowed, and the woman smiled.

“No it’s okay,” she tells her, sitting back, and Kate thought phew, saved it.

“What brings you to this bar?” she asked, and the woman looked around, sipping her drink. It was almost finished.

“Probably the same thing as you,” was her answer, and Kate hummed, nodding her head and taking a gulp of her drink. Her cheeks buzzed a little.

“Which is?”

“Boredom,” the woman dragged the word, “loneliness. The usual.”

Kate huffed a soft, almost bitter laugh, and shook her head, putting the drink down, “You’ve got me there…”

She glanced down the bar, wondering if she could flag the bartender for two of the same, when the woman’s hand touched her wrist, seconds before she could raise it. Kate followed her arm to her face, and the woman was pouting a little, staring at her curiously.

“Can I be honest with you?”

Kate was so mesmerised by her mouth she almost didn’t hear her but managed to focus enough to hear her question.

“Please do.”

“You’re hot.”

She says it so bluntly, so quietly, that Kate’s cheeks would have darkened in any other scenario. Instead pride bubbled in her chest, and the woman stared at her with such an intensity she could feel it in her bones, seeping under her skin.

“Oh,” was her fantastic response she would forever kick herself for, and the woman’s eyes smiled, fingers softly walking up her hand, nails dragging little sparks of heat against her skin to her wrist.

“... Do you think I’m hot?” she asked, and Kate took a slow breath.

“I think you’re beautiful.”

The woman’s eyebrows raised, and the corners of her mouth pulled up.

“Careful with that charm,” she whispered, “It can get you in trouble.”

She leaned a little closer, so Kate did too. One elbow was on her knee, and the woman dragged her hand off the bar, holding it between them. Kate let her. Palm face up as the woman danced her fingertips around her skin, the roughness from her gym training, the scars on the ends of her fingers, the strength in her forearm.

“Got me into a lot of good situations, too,” she said when those almost familiar green eyes looked up at Kate's, pupils dilated in the dark warmth of the bar. Her other hand comes up, resting on Kate’s firm shoulder.

“... Let me try something.”

And then she is leaning forward. Kate’s eyes close a second before soft lips press against her own, holding her there for a second, before pulling back with a gentle sound. Kate opens her eyes, and the woman hums, nodding slowly.

Her hand on Kate’s forearm squeezes, and she looks between her eyes seriously.

“I don’t want anything serious, just a night of fun,” Kate nods, mentally agreeing, “I’m in a hotel a few blocks away, want to get out of here?”

Is this really happening?

“... You’re not a murderer, are you?”

The woman actually laughs at that, a few wonderful pearls she would be hard-pressed to forget, her hand dragging from Kate’s shoulder to her arm, not so subtly feeling her strong bicep as she drags past them.

“Would it matter?”

Kate winces, tilting her head slightly, “A little, not a lot.”

The woman sat back, but her leg, still between Kate's, pushed against her. She picked up her drink, and Kate took her own, too.

“No,” she gestures with the glass, “I’m not a murderer.”

Kate held out a hand, little finger raised.

“Pinky promise?”

Nat lets out a short breath of a laugh, and loops their fingers together, raising an eyebrow at Kate.

“How old are you?”

“25,” the woman nods, “You?”

They lower their hands, but don’t let the promise slip.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to ask a woman her age?”

Her tone is teasing. Kate nods and leans forward ever so slightly, and her voice is husky when she replies.

“... I can make it up to you.”

The implication is not lost. She watches the woman let out a long breath, staring at her with increasingly darkening eyes, and her finger taps the glass. She lifts it up and finishes the remains with barely a wince, Kate feels a rush of heat at the action.

“I’m 34,” she puts the glass down, “Still want to come to my place?”

Rather than answer right away, Kate takes her glass and finishes it in a few quick gulps. Her cheeks buzz at the sudden shock, and she places it on the counter with a hum. The woman’s brow raises.

“You’re meant to take your time with that.”

Kate nodded, taking her suit jacket from the back of the stool but not putting it on yet.

“But I’d rather take my time with you.”

It has the desired effect, and the woman gracefully climbs down from the stool. She is shorter than her, Kate realises, maybe a little taller than Yelena, which makes her chest ache for a second before she pushes it down, deep into the back of her mind.

“Then what’re we waiting for?”

The woman takes Kate’s suit jacket from her limp hand and slips it over her shoulders, which Kate quietly chuckles at, before walking after the woman who strutted out of the building like she owned the place, and more importantly, like she owned Kate’s jacket.

⟡

The hotel was huge, a fancy one Kate had stayed in at one point or another, and the woman walked right into the lobby without a glance at the doorman, who Kate nodded to in greeting.

“So what’re you doing in New York?” she asked when they stopped opposite the elevator. The numbers ticked down as they dropped to the floors, and the woman shrugged.

“Visiting my sister.”

“Oh, that’s nice.”

“Not really,” she sighed, and Kate glanced down at her with a somewhat worried look, “I haven’t spoken to her in years, we only started talking a few weeks ago.”

Kate nodded understandably. Family was hard, her’s wasn’t exactly normal. A single child with a plethora of cousins who wanted her wealth, and her company. A mother in jail, her dad dying when she was a kid. At least she had her dog.

“Are you nervous?” she asked, and the woman sighed slowly, glancing up at Kate. The doors dinged and opened, a crowd of people walked out, and the two women stepped inside.

“A little,” she admits, “but that’s why you’re here.”

The doors close, and she pushes a button for her floor.

“It is?” Kate asks, and the woman turns to her.

“Distraction.”

That’s all the warning Kate has before the woman grabs her tie and pulls Kate down for a searing kiss. Unlike the bar, this one came with heat barely contained and close to combusting, she gasped a little when the woman pulled away, only to kiss her again and swallow the groan that tumbled from Kate’s mouth.

She found her footing quickly, ducking her head down to kiss the woman and stepping backwards until her back hit the metal wall of the elevator. The woman groaned, her hand reaching up to scrape the back of Kate’s neck as her own fingers squeezed her hips.

“You’re so hot,” Kate gasped out, kissing her neck and pushing between her legs, before the redhead moaned a low and throaty sound, and her fingers tugged at Kate’s jaw, turning her head to look at her.

“And you’re so handsome,” she muttered, which made Kate’s chest thrum with glee, and she kissed her again. The redhead groaned into her mouth, and Kate felt her tongue at her lips, eagerly opening them to let her in.

She tasted orange, gin, prosecco and something she couldn’t quite place. Kate grasped her knee, guiding it up around her waist, pushing closer and grunting at the heat she could feel between them. Nat let out a shaky breath at the touch of her belt buckle, hips snapping forward as it scraped between her legs.

A ding broke their kiss, pulling them apart as the elevator smoothed to a stop. The woman lowered her leg, and Kate pulled her shirt together, as one button had come undone at… some point.

They smile innocently for the cameras and walk out into the hall.

“You’re a good kisser,” the woman muses, running a hand through her hair Kate desperately wanted to mess up, “hopefully you’re good in all areas.”

“Never had any complaints,” Kate mused, a little smug, and the woman didn't reply. She uses a key card and pushes into her hotel room. It’s nice. Open plan with an ensuite behind the door, a sofa and a TV, as well as a large bed.

The woman hung Kate’s jacket up in the closet, and Kate kicked her shoes off. The woman then goes to the bed, sitting on the end of it like a fairytale princess, and looks at Kate expectantly, raising a leg.

“Would you mind?” she asked, shaking her heeled foot side to side, and Kate moved to the bed. She falls to her knees, looking up at the woman and taking her high-heel in her hands. She unclips it, and gently drops it on the floor, before going to the other one.

The woman is watching her the whole time, and Kate feels the weight of her gaze. She drops the last shoe and sits up tall. Because of the height difference, even with the woman on the bed and Kate on her knees, she barely has to look up at all.

She kisses her again, and the woman’s hands drag into her hair. Kate groans, her fingers pushing at her dress, dragging it up and exposing her strong thighs, which widen as Kate leans between them.

Kate likes to take her time, and this woman seemed to not mind regardless of that. She touched the woman’s smooth face, kissing into her mouth once more and shivering at her delicious taste, feeling her fingers in her hair, and palming at her hips, dragging her closer to the edge of the bed, pressing against her body.

“I want…” her words fumble as the woman tugs at her tie, pulling her crashing back into a kiss with a soft moan, swallowing quickly into Kate’s throat.

“What do you want?” she asks, eyes rolling back when Kate scratches at her hips, nails digging in and pulling her closer. Kate can’t say what she wants, just whines into her mouth and forces herself away, leaving a wet kiss against her neck, then another on her throat.

She goes lower, kissing over the fabric of her dress but over her breasts, and her stomach, and the woman knows where this is going, heart racing as the younger woman sinks lower in between her legs. Kate guided a leg to rest on her shoulder, kissing gentle touches down as her fingers bunched at the dress, pushing it up further, and finally looking at her underwear.

Kate felt a surge of heat in her core, the woman’s dark black panties were so hot to look at, and even now, she could see they were practically soaked through. She reaches out with a curious finger and gently drags along her covered slit.

The woman’s eyes close, her hips twitch, and Kate grins.

“You’ve wanted this for a while,” she mused, and the woman nodded, opening her heavy eyes and looking down on her with a small head tilt, a winning smile.

“Since you accepted my drink.”

They locked eyes, and Kate made sure she watched as she surged forward, dragging a flat tongue from the bottom to the top of the woman’s covered center. She twitched back at the sudden move, a gasp caught in her throat, which slipped out into a long moan when Kate’s tongue narrowed to a tip over her bundle of nerves, swiping over it.

Her knees jumped up, and Kate had to hold her leg down as she sat back with a satisfied grin.

“You taste so good,” she smiled, and the woman scowled, and the leg over Kate’s shoulder tensed to try and drag her closer.

“Stop teasing,” she grumbled, “And get on with it.”

Kate snickered and leaned back, fingers hooking around the woman’s panties and slowly dragging them down her legs. The woman gasped quietly, and Kate threw them somewhere behind her.

She took the woman’s legs again, spreading them further apart, and looked at her dripping core. Kate kissed her inner thigh, and then again, closer to the wetness she couldn’t look away from.

Is everything about this woman beautiful?

She moved to the other leg, kissing closer up, fingers holding her legs apart as she got closer, closer. She was in touching distance, but at the last second resisted the urge to dive in immediately.

Instead, Kate looks up. She can see the woman’s chest heaving, a breath away from her mouth-watering warmth, and cocks an eyebrow with a smug little look.

“I’m Kate, by the way.”

The woman’s chest flushed, she squeezed her fingers and threaded them in Kate’s hair. The younger woman felt a spike of arousal, and the woman raised an amused eyebrow, her lips twisting up into a small smile.

“Natasha.”

She then pulled, and Kate easily went with her, lavishing a tongue into her as Natasha’s hips ground up against Kate's mouth with a wet sound and small grunt at the touch.

Kate wastes no time and immediately sinks her tongue through Natasha’s core. She lifted up and found her clit, rolling around it with a near-expert precision. Like she had been there before like she had fucked Nat before.

“What the-!”

Kate sucked her clit into her mouth and moaned against it, a hand holding the older woman’s hips down before pushing two fingers inside her. She pumped them deep, and Nat’s legs spread even wider when she curled them.

“Oh fuck…”

She didn’t get to finish her words, because Kate pulled her fingers out and replaced them with her tongue, thrashing inside her as her fingers palmed at her clit. Her legs jerked open, hand in Kate’s hair pulling her close as her hips ground up with a wanton moan.

Her hips moved fast, jutting against her mouth as Kate forced her legs apart, tongue slipping up and drawing it up to her bundle of nerves, moaning around it.

Nat learn back with one hand on the mattress, the other pulling Kate as close as she could, her breaths short and quick.

“Kate…”

Her strong hands kept Nat from jerking up against her face too hard, and she lavished the other woman. Her tongue flickered as she moaned, which was when Nat realized something.

Kate was enjoying this just as much as Nat, tongue exploring her depths with lusty breaths, jaw working tirelessly, and she looked down to see her eyes closed, lost in her taste, her touch.

Like she felt Natasha's gaze, they opened. She looked at her, and leant away from her core with a final long suck.

“You good?” Kate asked, like her face wasn't glistening in Nat’s arousal, like she couldn't taste how turned on she was.

Nat couldn't speak, she puffed out a breath and tightened her grip on Kate's head, forcing her back down with a gasping groan.

“I’m…” she couldn’t say it, not yet, not so suddenly. But she couldn't help it, she was so close, and she threw her head back as Kate's tongue devoured her, “Fuck!”

She felt Kate’s smile against her core, she flicked her tongue along her clit, fingers pushing in deeper, spreading when inside to scissor deep within. Nat gasped a broken sound, something between a cry of Kate's name and another curse. The dark haired woman's arm continued to piston into her. Fast, repetitive, with no apparent sign of stopping.

“You taste so good,” Kate moaned, and Nat knew she shouldn't look, if she did it was game over.

But she did, because it had been too long since she felt like this, too long since she had been taken like this, so well, so confidently.

She looks, just as Kate leaned back in, focused entirely on Nat’s core, staring almost lovingly, and sucked her clit into her warm, moaning mouth.

It hit her like a rush then, her leg snapping down, hands forcing Kate’s head impossibly closer as she thrust against her mouth with a cry, her back arching, release close.

Kate’s teeth grazed her clit, and she dragged her tongue along it one last time, which is what did it.

With a broken sound, and something close to a scream of her name, Natasha came on Kate’s tongue, hard.

The other woman couldn't move, held in place but still eagerly started lapping at her, groaning at the sudden burst of taste as Natasha’s hips thrust up, shaking, frozen in place mouth agape as she let out s long drawn out groan.

She felt Kate's tongue burrowing deeper, moaning at the taste and riding Nat through the feeling. 

“You did so good,” Nat could barely hear her over the ringing in her ears, “So good…”

Her words sparked something deep within Nat, while her tongue pressed against her clit, dragging a sharp sound from her throat, taking her to something else, something even more, before she'd even finished coming.

It was around then that Natasha knew she may have bitten off more than she could handle, but at the same time, she didn’t really care. Time vanished soon after, all she could think about was Kate, this woman, and her fucking smile.

“Fuck!”

Sometimes later, Kate grinned down at her before her head tilted back and she grabbed her leg harder, holding it to her chest. She had mounted her other leg and thrust their cores together. All Nat could do was lay there, fingers grabbing at the bedsheets as this woman ground them together with choked moans.

“You’re so hot,” Kate mumbled, gushing it against her calf, core burning as she rode the other woman, “Damn, I’m close.”

Nat was close too, which was embarrassing as the younger woman had made her come apart an obscene amount of times already. On her face, her fingers, she even had her grinding on her thigh at one point, face down from behind, in front, all over.

She took her as much as she could. It was messy. It was so hot.

Natasha vaguely remembered looking at the time when Kate had paused to get a glass of water, shocked to see hours had gone by. That was before she came back, lifting her leg in her air and mounting her cunt with a smooth and well-practised motion.

And then her hips started moving, and Nat felt stupid for laughing when she had suggested scissoring of all things. It was real, she now accepted, just not what she thought.

Natasha had almost lost her mind, words were slurred with moans and whines of Kate’s name, she didn’t even feel bad for being a bit of a pillow princess for the night, morning, whatever, as the other woman seemed more than happy to service her.

Over, and over, until Nat couldn’t feel her legs anymore. Until she wasn’t sure she could even remember her damn name anymore.

Next time I’ll have you begging, she remembers thinking, before Kate had pushed a third finger into her, next time.

Considering she hadn't even planned for a next time, that was an interesting thought.

“You’re close again…” Kate groaned, the bed squeaked from the movement, and she beams a little, “I can feel it.”

Nat covered her face, she was close. Again, but Kate took her hand. She looked at the woman still grinding her hips, thrusting against her slit with a friendly smile, cheeks red, eyes dark, not at all like she has just taken Nat apart in a few hours and built her back together again.

“Don’t cover your face,” she asks, and lowers Nat’s hand to the messed up sheets, “I like watching your face when you come.”

It should have scared her, but it made Nat’s chest surge up with another shrill of arousal. Using her foot on the bed she ground her hips up, and Kate gasped, pushing down even harder in retaliation.

“Oh fuck…”

Kate groaned, mouth open, hips shaking, and Nat didn’t realise she was babbling again, reaching the edge, so close she could taste it. Nonsense slipping out of her lips, words lost with moans and Kate, along with, close and harder.

Kate listens, which Nat now notices about her. She throws her hips forward, harder, faster, just like Nat wanted, like she begged for. Her hard stomach with toned abs clench, her strong arms keep her steady, and she throws her head back.

“I’m…”

She is cut off with a choke when Nat bursts forward, yelling Kate’s name as her legs lock around her, trapping her. She comes hard, and Kate falls forward, catching herself with a strong arm, half leaning over Natasha’s body, and she jerks her hips one last time.

“Fuck…!”

Nat feels a gush of warmth against her thigh, and Kate holds her leg tight, mouth agape, eyes closed. She lets go and falls forward, diagonally and flat along her, breathing in harsh gasps as pleasure rips through her, fingers gripping Nat’s waist, their hips twitching together.

She moves after a few moments and drags herself up with a wet sound that makes both of them shiver, falling next to her on the bed with a soft bounce.

“Holy shit…” she groans, and Nat stays on her back, staring at the ceiling, but throws an arm across Kate’s hips, both breathing heavily.

“Okay,” Nat admits, “You’re good.”

Kate let out a breathy laugh, wiping a hand across her forehead.

“Can’t think of anything better than good?”

“Not anything that’ll keep your ego in check.”

Kate laughs again, staring at the ceiling, and then glances at the clock, face falling at the time.

“Ah, damn,” she sighed, rubbing a hand across her face, “It’s three in the morning.”

Nat groaned and covered her eyes, “I’m gonna get sound complaints...”

Kate grinned despite that, and turned her head, leaning up on her elbow to gaze down at her, maybe a little too smug.

“That knocking on the wall wasn’t the bed?”

“It was for a while,” Nat sighed, “then it was the people nextdoor.”

The dark-haired woman snickered, pushing hair out of her face.

“Damn, if they charge you let me know, and I can cover it.”

Natasha snorted, looking up at her curiously. 

“Are you a rich kid or something?”

“Not a kid, I’m 25,” Nat barked a quiet laugh, and Kate flicked her shoulder, “and yeah, kinda.”

Kate rolled onto her back and shuffled up as Nat side-eyed her. She huffed and got up too, leaning against the headboard with her.

“How come?” she asked, crossing her arms. Kate looked out the open window and pointed out to the skyline.

“See that building over there?”

Nat narrows her eyes, looking out over the city from her window. There were several buildings out there, from the Stark Tower to the Empire State, all lighting the darkness with the dreadful sight of the night sky slowly beginning to lighten. She follows Kate’s pointing finger and focuses on a mirrored building.

“... Bishop Security?”

Kate nods, dropping her hand.

“Yeah, I'm the CEO.”

Nat blinked, and then let out a short laugh, “Oh, shit.”

“Yeah, not something I broadcast to just anybody.”

“Am I somebody?”

The other woman bumped their shoulders, winking down at her.

“Somebody who takes it really well, yeah.”

Nat hummed and quickly reached up for her face. She turned Kate’s jaw towards her and caught her lips. Kate sighed into the touch, and Nat could taste herself on her tongue.

Nat feels Kate tense and a whine, pulling back with herculean strength, falling against the headboard and heaving a great sigh.

“Sorry,” she pouted, “I really should get back to my place. I got work tomorrow.”

“The CEO can’t call in sick?”

She smirks, “After the week I’ve had, probably not.”

The redhead nodded, “Well that’s fair, I should sleep anyway. I’m seeing my sister tomorrow.”

“Oh you definitely need to sleep then,” Kate turned her body and slowly got out of bed. Nat slumped a little lower, resting her hand on her fist, watching Kate appreciatively. The other woman clearly looked after herself, the firm muscle both delicious and alluring, even as she pulled her pants up and buckled the belt, “I’d say sorry for keeping you up but the scratches on my back make me think you’re more than fine with it.”

Kate smirked over her shoulder, and caught Nat staring at the streaks of red she had left behind, dragged up her back in moments of passion so intense it made her thighs squeeze together at the memory.

To prevent anything… escalating, Nat also rolled over, getting out of bed and trying to push the thoughts out of her head.

“Sure you’re gonna fit through the door with your head as wide as it is?” she asked, and Kate snickered, pulling her shirt on, and then looping the tie over her head. She looked at her as she slipped the shoes on, slipping up only a little as she fumbled the laces, staring at Nat’s nude body.

“This was fun,” Kate manages to get out, “Are you in the city for long?”

“Maybe, depends on how tomorrow goes.”

Kate nodded and stood up, going into her pocket and wiggling her cell in Nat’s face.

“Do you want my number? In case you do.”

She winked, and Nat narrowed her eyes.

“Just casual?”

“Had my heart ripped out and stomped on a few weeks ago,” Kate waved her hand, “I’m not ready for anything but casual.”

Nat nodded and took the phone from her grip. It was already unlocked and she tapped her number in as Kate sorted out her tie, flattening her collar.

“Sounds perfect to me.”

She takes Kate to the door, grabs a long-sleeved shirt and slips it over her head. It stops at her thighs, and Nat finds herself eyeing up Kate’s clothing. Her black shirt was untucked, the top unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, and her hair was a mess. She pulled her suit jacket on, Nat liked how tight the sleeves were on her strong arms, and fought the desire to drag Kate into bed yet again.

Kate brushed it back into a tail, and fixed her tie a little, but not well, clearly giving up after a few seconds, and stepped out into the hall when Nat opened the door, slipping her jacket on with ease.

“Well, if I don’t hear from you,” she drawled, turning around with a sly grin, “I’ll… see you around.”

Nat leans against the doorframe, crossing her arms and gazing at her with a pleasant smile. 

“Goodnight, Kate Bishop.”

The other woman winces, scratching her chin, “Just… Kate, please.”

There was something there, but Nat knew her boundaries when to leave something alone and not to push. She shoved off the door and held it in her hand, and Kate walked backwards down the hall.  

“Goodnight, Kate.”

The girl nodded and turned, and Nat watched her turn the corner, before sighing and closing the door with a quiet click. She returns to the bed, straightens the sheets, and then heads for a shower, hoping to at least get some sleep before tomorrow.

⟡

She meets Yelena in a park. It feels like the safer option; in public, less chance to cause a scene, and with a place to go if it all goes terribly.

Luckily, she didn’t worry. She is sitting on a bench with a coffee, still aching a little from yesterday, staring out at the city. She could see the Bishop building from here, tall and scraping the sky, with mirrored glass and her name along the side.

“Natasha.”

The voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and she looked at her sister. It has been… years, since she'd seen the other girl, and she looked good.

Her hair was shorter, and was a bit of a mess. She wore eyeshadow and piercings now, rings on her fingers. She had a long tan coat which stopped around her calves, with flared jeans, black boots and a soft purple sweater, an arrow sewn in the collar. 

“Hey.”

Nat stood, holding her cup a little tighter. She was nervous, her jaw clicked, did she smile? Would Yelena be mad at that?

Nat gestures at the bench behind her.

“Do you want to sit?”

Yelena looks out at the city, her eyes narrowing a little at something Nat couldn’t see. Her shoulder sunk lower, and she looked down.

“Not here,” she mumbled, turning around towards the hill, “Come on.”

Natasha doesn’t argue, and she follows. They walk for hours, talking calmly with only a few tense moments. It goes well, considering Nat had cut all contact with her for ten years over a stupid argument neither can even remember.

“I forgive you,” Yelena finally says, side-eyeing her with a hollow but somewhat soft look. The beginning of trust, a threat not to break it, “I will not forgive you twice. Do not mess up again.”

Natasha bobs her head and hugs her. It is the first since in a long time, and Nat sunk into it.

“I promise,” she mumbled into her hair, and Yelena squeezed her tighter.

Natasha spies a dog on her sister’s lock screen, and after a few probing questions, they walk to Yelena’s apartment. The dog jumps up on her, and Yelena plays with her face, kissing the dog on the head when she starts greeting Nat.

“I am going to let her out,” she said, pulling a leash from a hook on the door, “I will be three minutes.”

“Okay,” Nat tells her, sitting on the coach, waving her phone, “I’ll kill time.”

Yelena and Fanny head out, and Nat pulls out her cell. She scrolled some apps for a little while, then she gave into her internal battle she was terrible at ignoring, and clicked on the new number added to her cell.

Natasha

i’ve been waiting for you to message me but i guess i'll take one for the team

Nat drops it to her chest, ready to wait a few minutes at least, but was pleasantly surprised to feel a buzz against her chest. She lifts the cell and unlocks it, smiling a little at the text.

Gold Rush

didnt want to come across as eager or anything

Natasha

does that mean i do?

Gold Rush

(:

Nat snorted to herself at the stupid emoji. Honestly, she still couldn't believe a person who seemed so innocent could ruin her the way Kate had. It was impressive, honestly.

Gold Rush

ANYWAY whats up??

Natasha

good, got kicked out of the hotel

you can probably guess why

Gold Rush

oh damn

send me the bill

Natasha

sure thing, money bags

Gold Rush

if you need a place to stay i have a spare room

Natasha

thanks but ill sort something out

wouldn’t mind fucking you again though

Gold Rush

if you insist

Nat rolled her eyes with something akin to fondness and dropped the cell against her chest. She sighed, looking around her sister’s front room.

Yelena had a leather couch, with an armchair to the side, a big TV, and some framed posters on the wall. The positioning looked a little off, with a few obvious gaps she thought Yelena would have planned around, but apparently not. There was a box in the corner by the door, next to the shoes, with a blanket over it, and a few nice coats hung in the doorway.

What she found really curious was the photo next to the armchair. It was face down, the little stand in the air like it had been pushed over recently. Natasha wondered who was on it, who had hurt her little sister, if it was a photo of her Yelena couldn’t look at it anymore, if she would even frame one.

Nat bit her bottom lip and moved, slowly, like she was approaching a wild cat and not a piece of furniture. Her finger grazes the edge of the frame, but then the door opens. Her hand darts away.

“I’m back,” she hears the pitter-patter of dog claws, “Fanny needed to pee so bad, poor girl.”

The dog bounded to Nat and shoved her head into the woman's stomach, so the redhead ruffled her neck fur, waiting for Yelena to sit down. She did, flopping in the armchair, and Nat looked up at her.

“Could I ask a real big favour?”

Yelena nodded, pulling the cap off her head and tossing it across the room. 

“That depends on what it is,” she smiled sweetly, which only added to the sarcasm.

“Can I crash here for a few days?” Yelena raised a brow, Nat rested her chin on the dog’s head, “I’m between hotels right now.”

Yelena glanced at the backpack Natasha had been carrying around all day, and when she was still angry at her found some small joy in her torment. 

“What happened to your fancy-schmancy hotel?” she asked, and Nat got a smug look she didn’t quite understand, sitting back away from her dog, a sly smile on her lips.

“I got kicked out.”

Yelena snorts, “Really? What did you do?”

Fanny huffed and trotted away from Nat, who tried to seem nonchalant, but with no real effort to do so. 

“Had a… friend over, if you know what I mean,” she smirked, proud of herself, “Other tenants couldn’t sleep for hours.”

Yelena felt a strange feeling in her stomach, a mixture of nausea and foreboding, thinking back to the poorly concealed bruises she had seen on her sister's collar bone, and scrunched her nose.

“Oh.”

“The noise complaints piled up...”

“Stop talking,” she does with a sharp laugh, and Yelena holds her head in her hands, “Oh my god, you can stay, just never bring that up again.”

Nat shot to her feet and clicked a finger gun at her, “You’re the best, sestra.”

Yelena waved her away and Nat went to use the bathroom. The blonde stayed still in the armchair, her fingers twitching to her cell to inform a certain someone of the horrifying information she had just learned about her sister, when she stopped herself.

No, the blonde thought, eyes stinging, you can’t talk to her anymore. You ruined it.

Yelena looks to the side, to the table on the right, at the photo facing down. She clenched her fist and glanced at the hall, figuring it was safe, and reached for the frame.

It was a photo of her and Kate. The taller girl’s lips were pushed against her face, squinting at the camera as Yelena laughed, looking at her. The memory was loud with laughter, but now it just hurts.

“... I’m sorry,” she whispered and quickly wiped at her eye as a tear built up in it.  Yelena suddenly stood and snatched the photo up, rushing to the box by the door. She pulled the blanket off and stared in.

It was full of… memories, ones she didn't have the heart to hide in a closet or send to Kate yet. Photos with Kate she had taken off the wall, some of her sweaters she had found and forced away from her closet, a carnival ticket from their first date, a box of notes she had written to her, the ones she received back.

A bottle of hot sauce on the top, unopened.

Amongst them were several items, reminders of their history, their relationship.

It hurt. She put the photo in the box and covered it once again with the blanket. She stays down, squatting, and covers her face with her hands.

She'd worn Kate's sweater today, finding comfort in the fact it still sort of smelt like the woman as she went to meet her sister. If things were fine, if they were okay, she would have brought Kate with her.

Knowing her, Kate would have charmed Natasha in seconds, made sure Yelena was okay, and filled any awkward silences with her own jumbled thoughts or smooth words.

But now she would most likely never meet Natasha, and all she had was a sweater, her scent fading each time she wore it.

Soon it would just be a sweater. A painful memory, one she couldn't forget.

She won’t cry, she won’t cry.

“Yelena?”

She wipes her eyes and stands up, taking a deep and calming breath.

“Coming!”

She turns her back on the box and walks back to her sister, putting her pain aside, for now.

Notes:

I mean, in their defence, what are the chances?

If you want to come scream at me, here is my twitter and tumblr. Also if you recognise where the title is from, you win my respect a lil.

Thank you for reading, have an amazing day!

Chapter 2

Notes:

okay so you guys liked the last chapter A LOT apparently, thank you all SO MUCH for the comments and kudos, you guys are amazing and I hope you enjoy the messy follow up!

The interior of Bishop Security was what she’d expect for a modern-day Fortune 500 company. The ceilings were high and the walls were white, shaded with marble and the odd dash of purple, mixed with holograms and screens, playing videos of people smiling, talking to clients, and shaking hands.

A lot of handshaking, an almost unusual amount.

“Can I help you?”

Natasha looked away from her surroundings and smiled at the woman behind the counter. She was short, with long dark hair and thick-rimmed glasses.

“Yes,” Nat leaned on her elbows against the counter, smiling down at her, “I’m here to see Kate.”

The woman tapped on her keyboard, and a voice suddenly came from behind.

“Think Bishop,” she turned and saw Kate looming over them, a great hologram of the woman who winked, finger gunning to the crowd, “Security they’ll never see coming.”

“They’ll never see something…” the receptionist murmured in time with her, and Nat wondered how many times a day she must hear that, “Kate who? We have a few.”

“Bishop.”

She stopped typing, and looked up with an unimpressed expression, slowly sitting back in her chair. It creaked a little, Nat wondered if she knew that.

“Right… Do you have an appointment?”

Nat cocked an eyebrow, and shook her head, lifting her brown paper bag with a small shake. It was from her favourite food place, an olive branch for not speaking to the other woman for a week while she settled.

“No, I wanted to surprise her.”

The receptionist hummed, something close to a half grin, but it didn’t reach her smile lines. 

“... Right. It doesn’t work like that.”

Nat’s charming expression almost falters, but she keeps her glare in check for now. This was getting complicated, she didn’t need that.

“Well, how does it work?”

“You need to book an appointment.”

She shakes the bag again, “But then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

“Yes, it’s an issue most kidnappers and terrorists also face. No appointment means you’re not getting up those stairs.”

“Think Bishop,” hologram Kate winked again, “Security they’ll never see coming.”

In hindsight planning a surprise visit to the CEO of a Security company would have come with some issues like this. Ah well, it's 2020, and all that.

Nat groaned, wincing a little.

“C’mon, I brought her lunch.”

The woman’s eye twitched, at least Nat knew her poker face was better.

“Then I’ll let her know-”

“I’m beginning to think you didn’t have surprises growing up.”

“I did. Many,” the receptionist sat forward, “That's why I don’t agree with them now.”

The redhead started to raise the bag a little.

“Listen-”

“Don’t show me that bag again.”

Nat had to fight a stomp, this woman was frustrating, “I just want to see Kate.”

The woman who Nat would see in her worst nightmares of pettiness just shrugged in an over-the-top way that made her eye twitch.

“And I don’t want to see her blown up, so.”

Nat snorts, “You think I’d blow her up?”

The receptionist crossed her arms over her chest and popped her tongue.

“Or something along those lines.”

“Think Bishop. Security they’ll never see coming.”

Nat leaned on the counter, bending a little towards her, shaking her head with a heavy sigh.

“I mean, I’d stab her or something, much quieter, less mess.”

The woman’s eyes widened and she pushed back on the wheelie chair.

“Security!”

Nat gasped and leaned over the counter.

“No! That’s not-”

“Natasha?”

She froze for a second and turned around to see someone she had almost forgotten about. His hair was short and a little curly, his beard neatly trimmed and wearing a suit she was sure would cost more than her new apartment, with light blue aviators hiding his smiling eyes.

“Tony.”

“Natasha Romonov, as I live and breathe!”

He walked up to her and wrapped her in a hug, which Nat just let happen, and he stepped back with a laugh, squeezing her shoulders. She had worked with him a few times at her old job, this was probably the first time she had been in a room with him without a weapon strapped to her.

A visible one, that is. Anyway, she had somehow become friends with this man, even if his life did consist of innuendo and being the smartest man in the room, which he so often, frustratingly, was.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, and he held his hands up, spinning on the spot.

“Just sorting some bits and bobs with our friends at Bishop's,” he answers with a light voice.

“You have to come here for that?”

He shakes his head, and Nat supposed it wasn’t a long walk. Stark Tower was only a few blocks away, after all.

“No I don’t, but the CEO is pretty fun, so,” He leaned around her then, and pointed at Nat, “She’s with me, call off your dogs, or whatever.”

The woman sighed, and Nat was a little pleased to note this determination to not let anyone in extended even to the rich and powerful.

“Sir, I can’t…”

“Happy!” he interrupted, waving a hand, “Talk to the nice lady, please.”

“Sure, Tony,” the man beside him said, and approached the desk, “Look, as his head of security…”

Their voices fade as Tony looks back at her, “Where are you trying to get to?”

“To the CEO, actually.”

He smirked, “Trying to buy something on the cheap for your super secret bosses?”

“No,” Her finger tapped the bag, “I just want to bring her lunch.”

Knowing Tony for as long as she had, she could tell he was on his way to putting two and two together, but knowing him it was probably best to fit a much larger metaphor. Like three elements and creating a fourth, new one he would somehow profit off.

He was smart like that, which is how she knew she’d fucked up a little.

“Natasha Romanov, you dog.”

She closed her eyes with a sigh.

“It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?”

He knocks his glasses down his nose and they lock eyes for a long few moments, Natasha won’t break, she won’t, but then he quirks his eyebrow up and it's like a battering ram to her resolve.

“... Okay yes, it’s a little like that.”

He threw his head back and clapped his hands together, barking a single shout for a laugh. 

“Urgh, I love you!” he pokes her shoulder, “You’ll have to come to see me and fill me in on all your drama, I didn’t even know you were in the city!”

She swats his hand away, “I wasn’t planning on it either, if that helps.”

“I love your life. Sometimes I wish I lived it, if my own wasn’t pretty much perfect.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Tony snickers and takes her elbow, pulling her towards the elevators with a little too much prep in his step, approaching the concerned man guarding it.

“Hey!” he says, pointing at her, “She can go up.”

The security at the elevator looked between them, and then at the desk, where Happy was arguing with the woman working there. Nat read his badge, Greg.

“Says who?”

Tony takes off his blue glasses, and points at his face, “Me, she can go up.”

Greg looked uncomfortable, and the arguing behind got louder, so Nat quickly walked past him, waving the paper bag at her friend.

“Thank you, Tony.”

“Go get her, tiger!” He looks at the security, and raises his hands, “Like sexually, with consent, not with a bomb strapped to her chest.”

Nat rolled her eyes and pushed the button for the highest floor, watching the doors close as Tony waved over her shoulder with a wink as he word-vomited over the security guy. She sighed fondly and the elevator swiftly rose up the floors, eventually opening with a soft ding, and she walked out.

This floor is nicer, with a few desks in the main area, but far more spacious. A few employees turn to look at her, but Nat focuses on the office at the end of the room, right at the point of focus, all the furnishings guiding her attention to it. The blinds were lowered, but even from here, she could make out what was written on the door.

KATHERINE BISHOP

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

“Hello, can I help you?”

Nat looked away and nodded at the man in reception, smiling politely and waving her bag for what felt like the hundredth time.

“Doordash for Kate Bishop?”

The man winced, but she knew he would fold. He wasn’t nearly as ruthless as the woman downstairs.

“Oh, I don’t…”

“Greg sent me up.”

He seemed utterly relieved, and nodded enthusiastically, probably incredibly glad to avoid an argument this late in the day. Which he would be right to feel, Nat would go right for the jugular.

“Oh, well go right ahead. Wait!”

She pauses mid-step, and the man winces, “She’s still on a call, and probably won’t be in a good mood after. She’s normally fine, but this guy…”

He clicked his tongue, and Nat got it.

“Talking to an asshole?”

“Eh… Something like that.”

Nat winked, and the man swallowed a little.

“Well, I bet I can cheer her up.”

She pushed off the desk with a smile and walked to the office. A few heads turned to face her, but she couldn’t blame them. She was wearing a red dress which hugged her waist and chest perfectly, which flared out and cut just at the thigh, with a golden belt resting on her hips. She had a black leather jacket to match the heels, and her hair was perfectly curled to fall softly around her face, framing it to draw attention to her pouting red lips.

She knew she looked good, and wondered if Kate Bishop would think so too. Natasha stops at the door, fist raised to knock, when she hears Kate’s voice from inside.

"Listen, if the contract isn’t signed by tomorrow, we walk. I don’t care who they are."

She sounds different, not as teasing as before in the bar, but stressed. Annoyed, actually, her tone clipped as she spoke to someone on the phone. Nat’s fist shook, and she had to ignore the throb she felt at the commanding tone.

“Oh, they think I’m asking too much of them?” Kate laughs sarcastically, Nat loves how mean it sounds. She breathed out slowly, hand raised, still waiting.

“I’m not negotiating with someone who threatened my staff, Richard. Fix it.”

She heard the woman huff and knocked on the door. Kate called her in and she walked into the office. Kate was sitting in a large comfy-looking chair, currently facing the window, but she slowly turned at the sound of the door. Nat barely managed to hide her smug smile when Kate’s jaw dropped a little, shock being replaced with excitement.

“Natasha?” Kate sat up a little taller, hands on the desk, “Hey!”

She was wearing another suit; a dark purple vest with a long-sleeved black shirt beneath, her collar unbuttoned, forging a tie today. It clung to her body, and Nat’s fingers clutched around the paper bag.

“Afternoon, Kate,” she grinned, closing the door behind her and nodding at the cell on the desk, “That sounded serious.”

“Eh, they’re all bark. What’re you doing here?”

Nat placed the bag on her desk, and Kate’s eyes immediately landed on it.

“Well, I wanted to bring you lunch, apologise for vanishing, and to tell you that I’m actually staying in the city, for a few months at least.”

The woman tilted her head to the side with a wide smile.

“That’s awesome!”

And Nat was shocked to realise she was actually genuine. So used to subtle small lies and false truths, it was nice to hear something so open and honest. Huh, she would pocket that for further examination later.

“Yeah, sorry for not replying. I was renting an apartment and moving my stuff in,” she rested her hip on Kate’s desk, knocking the head of a bobblehead, “Nightmare.”

“I can imagine. Moving is the worst,” Kate nodded sagely, “you all sorted now?”

“Of course, which is why,” she flicks the bag, “Food.”

Another grin, wide and kind of adorable, “I love food.”

Nat nodded and went into the bag, she had gone easy with a simple burger and fries, which Kate quickly started eating without much pause. She must’ve been hungry, and Nat dropped a few more fries in her box without her noticing.

“So I was thinking, I wouldn't…” she waved her hand around a little, “... mind a repeat of the other night.”

Kate reclined back in her chair, their knees touched on the desk.

“Oh, you wouldn't?”

“Not at all.”

Her eyes narrowed a little, and she used her foot to twist the chair, knocking against her once more.

“Me either.”

Nat swallowed, taking her drink from the holder and putting the straw in her mouth. She appraised Kate for a moment and took a long sip from the cup.

“But we'd need ground rules.”

“I figured,” Kate grinned, sitting a little taller, still moving herself slightly back and forth, “go ahead, lay it out for me.”

“You're not my girlfriend, I'm not yours either, so no feelings.”

The younger woman nodded, “I'm good with that.”

“And don’t get weird if I sleep with someone else.”

That brought pause. Kate tsked her tongue and stopped moving, shaking her head.

“Hm, okay but I'm allowed to ask.”

Concern grew in Nat’s gut, “Why would you want to know?”

“STDs are a thing.”

Nat snorts, “You think I'd be dumb enough to get them?”

“Being dumb doesn’t have anything to do with it,” her leg starts bouncing, her fancy shoes tapping on the floor as she winks, “But it's not like you'd be needing anyone else with me in your pocket.”

“Oh, you're confident.”

Kate laughed and stood up. She leaned forward, hands on either side of Natasha, with a lidded look she remembered from the bar, in the elevator, in her room.

“Do you not remember last week? Hotel sure did.”

“Your arrogance isn't as hot as you think it is.”

Her blue eyes narrow with a smile, a small hum coming from her throat, “... But it is kinda hot, right?”

Nat exhaled slowly, some of Kate’s hair moved with it. Her heart skipped, and she felt warm. She was so close, she could kiss her if she just leaned a little closer.

By some grace of whoever watched, Nat resisted.

“No comment.”

Kate clearly knows her answer despite that, sitting back in her chair with a smug grin, chewing on a fry. Nat blinked and took a long breath, getting her head straight once more.

“So, what was the situation?”

“With the phone guy?”

Nat nodded and Kate shrugged, sinking further into her armchair. The CEO she had heard when walking in faded away, and she was left with the woman she somewhat recognised yet again.

“Some guy with too much money but not willing to spend it. He is insisting on 24/7 surveillance across multiple continents but without paying for the extra personnel or infrastructure?” she scoffs, eating another fry, “And the people we do send he’s an asshole too. He apparently aimed tennis balls at two of my installers, so I’m pulling unless he pays double and signs a new contract to never talk to or harass my employees like that again.”

She shrugged, and crossed her arms across her chest, turning to face Nat on the spinning chair, tossing the empty bag of fries on the desk, and gave her a lopsided smile.

“Sometimes you gotta put them in their place, you know?”

Nat felt herself throb and mentally cursed, putting down the food she had barely taken a bite out of, wrapping it up and pointing at Kate, gesturing to… all of her.

"Fuck sake,” she wiped her hands, “This is working for me.”

Kate arched an eyebrow, “It is?”

“You’re shocked that wearing that while showing off your protective side is attractive?”

She wore a half-smirk, “No, I'm just surprised you’re admitting to it.”

Nat stayed still on her desk, and Kate remained still in her chair. She refused to move, she hoped anyway, but so did Kate. The younger woman’s head tilted to the side, musing almost as she stared up at Nat, who was silently shaking with arousal.

“You’re so confident.”

“You like it.”

Her hand clenched, “I do.”

Kate hummed, amused, and Nat tossed her food into the bag.

“Lunch can wait.”

She stood, and Kate clicked her tongue, shuffling the chair out a little to the side when Nat walked past, taking her wireless keyboard and pushing it to the side.

“Why’s that?”

She was so fucking smug, Nat hated it. She needed her now.

The redhead sat on the desk and reached out with her foot, hooking it under the arm of Kate’s chair and harshly pulling it towards her. Kate stumbled a little, palms landing on either side of Nat on the desk, and the woman started to lift her dress.

“I got something better for you.”

It doesn't take a lot of convincing. In fact, it takes none. Kate sat tall in her chair and pulled Nat’s underwear down, and pushed her fingers inside her. The redhead leans her head back, threading her hand in Kate’s hair, and pulling her against her neck.

“Kate…”

She takes the hint, of course, she does. Nat almost wonders that Kate can read her mind before her teeth sink against her skin and she doesn’t care anymore, a loud moan being dragged from her throat and against her control as Kate grunts and shoves into her so suddenly the desk moves.

“Fuck!”

Thirty minutes later she walked out of the office as best as she could, legs a little jelly, but managing to get away with how she walked, or so she thought.

The door closes behind her and Nat nibbles on her cold fries, glancing around the employees on the floor with a smug sort of feeling. None of them are looking now, and she raises a silent eyebrow when her ears twitch, and she can hear Kate’s chair roll back in place.

Like, really easily. Oh.

“Ma’am?”

Nat stops at the reception desk, smiling charmingly at the man who, like the others, can’t look at her, “Yes?”

He slides something to her across the desk and she picks it up curiously. It is a purple lanyard, with GUEST written on the front. He smiles awkwardly.

“So you don’t have to sneak past Greg next time,” he tells her, and Nat hums in amusement, holding it tight.

“Thank you.”

He blushes and looks down, so Nat walks to the elevator, her footsteps resounding around her against the plush carpet. She gets into the box and pulls out her phone, opening the contacts.

Natasha

you may want to soundproof your office btw

receptionist couldn't look me in the eye

none of them could

Yet again, she doesn’t have to wait long for the response.

Gold Rush

FUUUUUUCK

⟡

They fall into a bit of a routine after that.

Nat would text Kate and invite her over, and she would promptly arrive. It certainly made Kate’s life more interesting, she even started to feel that spark of enjoyment she’d worried she had lost from the moment Yelena disappeared from her life.

Like now, poor Paul, but she didn’t really want to talk about finances right now, especially not on a hot day with the lights low and his droning vice.

Natasha

come over?

Gold Rush

i cant rn ):

The man from finance flicked to another slide, and Kate barely hid a yawn in her sleeve. Her phone buzzed again, and she glanced down.

Natasha

why not

Gold Rush

want it that bad, huh?

Natasha

don’t you?

[IMG_0034]

Kate almost dropped her cell, and she’s lucky she didn’t, because she’s staring at a photo of Nat. The woman was wearing one of Kate’s work shirts, which should have been too big, but that didn’t matter as Nat had it unbuttoned. Braless. Showing off her toned stomach and the swell of her hips, some deep red lingerie she had caught in her thumb, tugging it down.

She was staring right at the lens, and Kate felt like she was looking directly at her through the screen. Her heart raced, her fist clenched, and her knuckles cracked.

“Miss Bishop?”

“Yeah-?” she cleared her dry throat, shaking her head and locking the cell, “Yeah. I’m here, what did you say?”

“That we were done for the day,” he frowned a little, and Kate should care, but…

She sat up, and her phone buzzed again.

“Oh! Great!”

“Unless you want to discuss further?”

Kate glanced at the corner of the room, and her note-taker shook her head. She nodded at her, subtly, and stood.

“No, that should all be fine,” she unlocked her phone, “If we’re all-”

Natasha

bring your face here so i can sit on it

“-done!”

She was somehow the first out of the office and shouted an excuse to her assistant as she fumbled down to the garage, sliding into her new car and slamming the door shut.

Gold Rush

be there in 15

Natasha

10.

Ah, what the hell, Kate can pay for the speeding tickets. She gets to Natasha’s apartment in record time, and the woman is smug when she opens the door.

“You know that was seven minutes?”

Kate doesn’t reply, she kisses Natasha and pushes her into the apartment, kicking the door shut behind them.

A few hours later, Nat is whining, hips sliding back and forth against the firm grip of hands on her waist, easily guiding her as she grips the headboard, head thrown back. Below her, she catches a glimpse of Kate’s bright eyes, visible for seconds before Nat drags herself along her face yet again.

“God…” her breath is harsh, her chest racing, and a hand slips from the headboard. Fingers slip into the dark hair between her legs, scratching at her scalp and keeping her steady.

“I’m…”

The tongue dashes out, catching her as she grinds back down, soaking the other woman’s face with a long groan, feeling her mouth chase after her core and diving in as deep as she can. Nat’s thighs twitch, she hates how easy Kate finds it to make her come apart.

Who am I kidding, she thinks as another whine is dragged from her throat, the bed creaking, her hips dragging across her face, riding her harder, faster. It’s fucking awesome.

She gasps a high-pitched sound, leaning on her arm resting against the wall. She had barely lived here a week and already they’d done their best to break in each room, but Nat liked her bed the best. Her knees hurt less from it.

Her teeth pull at her skin and she groans, feeling Kate pull at her thighs and hold her down, closer, and shoving her tongue deep inside. Nat gasps, eyes opening.

“How did-”

Her thoughts, her words, are stolen with a long, drawn-out moan, and she pushes down with all her weight, with one last jerk. She comes on Kate’s eager tongue, again, and she drinks all Nat has to offer.

It sounds wet, and Nat shakes on top of her, thighs twitching, and she sinks on her face. Kate keeps licking, her tongue gently lapping between her legs until Nat leans back and taps her stomach. She sat back on her chest, and Kate grinned up at her, a glistening smile that Nat would love to ride again.

“You’re too good at that,” she mumbled, and Kate’s tongue dashed over her lips, hands still supporting Nat’s waist.

“College,” was her only answer, and Nat rolled her eyes, slipping off her chest and flopping on the mattress next to her. Kate stays still, an arm going behind her head as she smiles at the roof and Nat gets her breath back.

Their silence is broken by a ding, and Kate grimaces, sitting up to grab her phone off the nightstand.

“Sorry, it's probably my friends.”

Nat waves a hand, not really caring, but catches sight of a golden labrador on the lock screen. She pokes Kate in the arm and nods toward him.

“Cute dog.”

Kate grinned, and shuffled a little taller, holding the screen to her, “Isn’t he?”

She goes onto the gallery, showing a few photos of the dog. Nat had to admit, he was cute. His one missing eye made him look like he was winking, tongue lolling out of his mouth, tail a blur.

“Adorable.”

Kate locked the phone and dropped it on her lap.

“Do you want to meet him?”

Nat felt something settle in her chest, a sigh building. This is what she was worried about; Kate getting feelings and ruining this fun thing they had going. She should have known better, Kate was young and impressionable, and it was bound to happen.

What a waste, Nat thought, and moved to the side, crossing her arms to give Kate a look so stern she just knew she was in trouble.

“I'm gonna nip this in the bud,” Kate nodded slowly, “You're hot, and you fuck me good.”

Kate waved a bashful hand with a limp wrist and a tsk.

“But I still don't want to date you or anything.”

Kate’s eyes snapped back to her, and her eyebrow raised, her lips quivering as they fought off a smile, but the amusement shone in her gaze.

“Okay…” she moved slowly, twisting to lean on her elbow and face the other woman, “I don't want to date you either. This was clearly just me asking if you wanted to come over.”

Natasha felt a warmth of subtle embarrassment.

“No, it wasn't,” Kate’s smile finally wins, and Nat shoves her shoulder, “Be clear.”

Kate grabs Nat’s arm as she rolls over, easily dragging her along with a snort, the redhead catching herself over Kate, who grinned up at her. A hand was on Nat’s hip, and the other poked her stomach.

“Do you…” she said in a sing-song voice, “want to come over tomorrow… so we can fuck for a few hours after work to destress?”

Natasha raised an eyebrow, noticing some of Kate’s dark hair was dropping into her eye. She leaned to the side, freeing a hand to do just that.

“Destress?” she asked, and Kate’s brow furrowed a little. Nat didn’t even have time to think, and slowly dragged her finger down it, soothing the crease away. Kate blinked, but smiled up at her, sinking against the mattress with a small shrug.

“I have a busy day.”

Nat hummed and leaned down. Kate caught her lips, fingers resting on her skin, when the other woman pulled back.

“Sure,” she tells her, “I’ll come over.”

Kate’s smile is almost blinding, but also mostly smug.

“Great, I'll text you the address.”

Nat rolled her eyes and sat back up, shifting her legs to go between Kate’s, and started to shuffle backwards.

“... But why wait ‘till tomorrow?”

Kate tried to sit up, but Nat put a hand on her chest, pushing her down with a soft grunt, tilting her head to the side and grinning with a coy smile. She dropped lower, and lower, sinking between the other woman’s legs.

Nat does meet Lucky, he’s a very good boy with a fat tail which was a weapon to anything at table level. She thought he was adorable, especially when he flopped against her side, and stared up at her with huge puppy eyes she was barely able to resist.

But she was able to resist them, because Kate’s apartment was insane, and all she could do was stare in mild disbelief. She knew rich people lived it big, she was friends with Tony Stark for god’s sake, she’d seen it all before.

But knowing Kate was rich is one thing. Seeing it? Fuck.

“You have two floors?”

The young woman nodded, putting her empty cup in the sink and looking around the kitchen.

“Three if you count the roof,” she grinned, leaning on the counter, her strong arms so tight and tense that Nat had to force her eyes away. Kate winked, “I count the roof.”

Nat didn’t realise she found this odd mixture of smugness, mixed with Kate's near total unawareness of how hot she looked, as attractive as she did.

As she thought about it, Nat got a look, one Kate now recognised well, and she tilted her head with a small smile.

“Shit…”

Kate threw her head back with a long drawn-out sigh, looking up at the dark sky as the redhead pushed up higher on her knees.

Kate had barely wrapped her head around the fact that this beautiful woman would let Kate touch her, but seeing her fall so easily to her knees when she saw the pool on her roof was going to be stuck in her mind forever. That, and how desperate she had looked unbuckling her belt, pulling Kate’s trousers down with barely a pause.

Kate groaned and leant forward, one hand grabbing the railing in an iron grip, the other tangling in Natasha’s hair. She gasped out a breath, arm tightening to stay upright, knees weak as Nat licked and sucked up into her.

Her pants were still around her ankles, Nat grabbed her hips as she attacked her core, lapping at her warmth and moaning in a way that made Kate’s head spin. She thrust forward, a long drawn-out sound coming from her throat at the feeling of Natasha whining up inside her.

“God…” her breath floated around her like smoke in the night air, looking over the blinking city lights as Nat pushed two fingers inside her, “Fuck…”

Nat was full of pride as she thrust deep and wide, she could feel Kate’s thighs shaking, and quivering, her core throbbing and covering her tongue in Kate’s taste. Her eyes almost rolled, and she looked up.

Kate was staring at her, eyes lidded, her teeth ground together, hand clenching in her hair as she purposefully dragged herself against Nat’s mouth.

“That’s it,” she grunted out, mouth opening in a breathy groan, “I’m so…”

Her head snaps back, and Nat tenses to keep her upright, tongue not stopping as she drank all Kate had for her. The younger woman was tense for a while above her, and Nat hummed into her, lapping her taste with long, and by now practised strokes.

Kate tapped her head, and Nat leaned back, looking up at her with innocent eyes and a glistening mouth.

“Did you like that?” she asked, thoroughly enjoying how dishevelled Kate looked, breathing heavily, looking down at her with a small muted smile.

She found out how much Kate liked it when she pushed her back onto the floor, and with the help of her tongue and fingers, thoroughly introduced Natasha to the rest of her balcony.

⟡

Sometimes Kate enjoyed a walk in the city, but that was mostly because driving in New York was only one level below actually going to hell, as far as she was concerned. It was a Saturday, and she had a day off from her work, so she had arranged to meet Nat. The other woman had been a little busy that week, going out of the city for a few days at the beach with her sister, but she was very excited to see Kate again.

Kate was glad, slowly but surely Natasha had become a constant in her life. Not in the terrifying feelings way, but something else, a friend. Sure she had friends, but Peter was busy with his job, and America was travelling with Lisa, so her squad of pals had been somewhat absent.

She didn’t mind too much, they were amazing when Yelena stomped on her heart and smeared it into the ground. Peter was a shoulder to cry on and America had invented new curse names and insults just for her ex. At the time Kate didn’t want to hear them, but as the months slipped away, she could find humour in them. Heartbreak and loss turned into bitterness, which settled into annoyance.

Kate smiled down at a dog walking past, mulling over that thought. Could she be angry at Yelena? Maybe, but she didn’t think she could hate her. Hell dislike was probably off the cards at this point. No matter how much Yelena hurt her, Kate still, regretfully, loved her.

Not regretful, she sighed in her mind, her love was peace.

Now she probably would never see her again. Her hands balled into fists, and she shoved them deep in her pockets, smoothing out the crease between her brows with a long sigh. She would not get frown lines before she was 30, she refused.

Her phone buzzed, and Kate took it out of her pocket.

Natasha

sister left

you nearly here?

Kate smirked and tapped a response.

Gold Rush

nice to know you missed me

Natasha

of course i did

Gold Rush

my winning personality?

Natasha

yes

and the strap between your legs

Kate walked a little faster, shoving her phone into her pocket and rounding the corner of Natasha’s street, all thoughts of Yelena and heartbreak seeping away at the visual of the redhead, sitting in her apartment, waiting for her.

So distracted she doesn’t notice the other person walking towards her, heads in her phone, and almost clips her. Kate gasps and moves at the last second, smiling down at the woman with an apologetic expression.

“Sorry I…”

Her voice trails off, and she is staring at bright green eyes. They widen at the sight of her, and Kate stops moving. Yelena does too.

“... Kate Bishop?”

It’s like a punch in the chest, her head spins and her world tilts a little on its axis. She didn’t realise she was holding her breath until she nearly choked on it to whisper a word which caused her so much pain, so much love.

“... Yelena?”

She looked good. Fuck she looked good. Her hair was choppy, recently cut, standing on end a little, which Yelena quickly patted down, and action which somehow made her look cuter and hotter all at once. She wore no makeup, which Kate used to love because she could see how much she blushed around her, despite how often the shorter woman would deny it.

Her fingers shook, and she squeezed them together.

“What… What are you doing here?”

Her voice, god.

“On the sidewalk?”

Yelena’s cheeks flushed, she looked down, but then quickly back up at Kate, drinking her in, the tight shirt and shorts she wore, the cap low over her eyes, but unable to hide the shine in them, the same feeling reflected in Yelena’s own.

“Yeah that’s a… stupid question,” she swallowed, looking into her eyes with more meaning than either could dare touch on, “You look… good.”

Kate expected Yelena to say that, and not because she was vain, but because it's just what exes did. They lied, pretending everything was okay, and not like they once knew each other better than themselves. Like Kate doesn’t second glance every blonde in the street like Yelena doesn't think about her when she sleeps and wakes up.

They lie to themselves, but for once, they’re both awful about it.

How has it been three months?

“You too,” she swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes stung, “... How’s Fanny doing?”

Yelena sniffed, and people walked around them, moving like water. Faces blurred, sounds muted. All Kate could hear was Yelena’s voice, all she could see was her beautiful face, pulled down in a slight pout.

“Good, good,” she smiles, it’s small, a little broken, “... How is Lucky?”

Kate forced a laugh, it sounded wretched from her throat, not at all genuine. They both knew it, and neither would comment on it.

“He’s awesome. Got a new toy the other day, it’s lasted a few days without being destroyed so… off to a good start.”

Yelena’s laugh was just as wretched, “Such a good boy.”

“Yeah…”

Silence used to be comfortable. Sitting on the couch, reading on their phones, legs touching to remind the other they were there, they were spending time together. Perfect, they were so perfect.

She never saw an end with her. Yelena was her future, in her head there was no exes or heartache, only what's to come and excitement. Yelena was the same, or so Kate had thought.

So… why?

Kate doesn't think she ever wants to know, but she will have to ask, one day. If not the question would eat her alive, and she'd willingly let it gnaw at her. Until she was nothing but a husk. Bones and loss.

Yelena’s bottom lip gets sucked between her teeth for a second, and Kate knows she wants to leave. She recognised it well, and even now it remained. Secrets about her, secrets she isn’t even sure Yelena knows about herself.

“I have to…”

“I should…”

They say it at the same time. They awkwardly smile at each other, and both look away because it's too hard. Kate has a thousand questions, but she fears every answer.

She had to leave. She stubs her shoe on the floor, tapping her toe against the pavement.

“... It was nice to see you.”

It was, despite everything. Kate doesn’t think she’d ever want to not see her. Yelena smiles, but it's one of her half grins, small and slight, unsure or unready to become anything more.

“Yeah, you too.”

For a moment Yelena leaned forward, barely an inch, not even a centimeter, and Kate wondered if she’d imagined it. She didn’t, and Yelena turned on her heel, head down, and marched down the street.

Away from her, away from them. Kate watches her leave. Yelena doesn’t turn around.

Natasha’s door opens, she is wearing a pink tank top and black lace underwear.

“Fancy seeing you-”

She doesn’t get to finish, Kate rushes against her, kicking the door shut and holding her against it, swallowing Natasha’s moan and taking her tongue into her mouth, hiking her leg up around her waist with one hand and cupping her face with the other.

It’s so soft, and at the same time so jarringly harsh, that Nat didn’t know how to follow. Instead, she lets Kate lead and sighs when she bites at her neck, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around her waist, walking her to the bedroom.

“Are you okay?” she asks when Kate drops her on the mattress, already pulling off Natasha’s lacy underwear and tugging at her shirt, all slightly detached, like she wasn’t really… there.

She looks up at her with a hollow stare but smiles anyway.

“Of course.”

And then her fingers are inside her, her tongue against her, and Nat loses track of the conversation. Thirty minutes later she is on the bed, her breathing haggard, with Kate at her side. They both stare at the ceiling, and Natasha gently taps a hand against the other woman’s firm stomach.

“Gimme two minutes,” she breathes, blinking the stars from her vision as her legs slowly stop shaking, “And I’ll do you.”

Kate hums, hand at her mouth, idly dragging her tongue along the tips of her fingers to taste the remnants of Nat as the woman slowly returns to reality.

“It’s okay,” she breathes, sighing in defeat. Despite having Nat moaning her name, despite being turned on, Kate felt no desire to do anything to scratch the itch.

The woman beside her rolled over, looking at her profile with a small frown.

“... Are you okay?”

This time Kate keeps her hands to herself, and she drops it against her chest with a long, drawn-out sigh, wincing at the ceiling.

“I… saw my ex on the way in,” Nat nods, and Kate huffs again, “She was on the street.”

“Likely place for her to be.”

Kate snorts, and Nat reaches out. Her hand takes Kate’s and the younger woman glances down, watching her play with their fingers, nails idly dragging along them, soft and calming. She looks up, and Nat is staring at their hands, lifting them up and lacing them together without much thought.

Kate is warm, comfy, and she realised she missed the friends aspect of their situation, even if it was barely touched on at this point. Maybe that could change.

“Do you want to go to the movies, or something?”

She doesn’t even realise she’s asked until green eyes snap to her, curious.

“The movies?”

In for a dime, in for a dollar.

“Yeah.”

A part of her wonders if Nat would hate this, if she’d pick Kate up by the scruff of her neck and kick her out, demanding she never return for asking something so stupid. But before those thoughts could take flight, before Kate could forget who Nat was, the woman sat up.

“Huh,” she shrugged, rubbing her neck, “Yeah, sure.”

Kate sat up too, “Really?”

And Nat smiles. She looked down on her, hair messy, a halo around her head, and she blew some out of her eyes.

“Why not?”

The movie theatre is one of the new builds which lacks all the charm of a small independent place, but the employees are so bored they don’t really care enough to charge when Kate asks for extra butter on her popcorn. Nat side-eyed her carrying the huge bag, shaking her head with an amused little smile.

“Are you gonna be able to eat all that?” she asked, and Kate grinned.

“Nope!”

Nat takes the soda from the employee, and without much thought, takes Kate’s hand. The other woman didn’t comment either, and let herself be pulled along.

“So what are we seeing?”

They walk to the employee scanning tickets, and he gives them a half smile, nodding them to go ahead. Kate retakes her hand.

“The new killer clown movie, it’s meant to be good!”

Nat kicks the door open, holding it with her foot so Kate can walk in. She smiles and squeezes her hand, and the two women find their seats. There are a few other people in there, and a young couple close to them a few rows ahead. The boy looked nervous, as did the girl, who awkwardly shared his popcorn. Nat raised an eyebrow but still sat down beside her.

“Hm, I’ll take your word for it.”

They comment through the trailers, and Nat takes more than her fair share of Kate’s popcorn, but she doesn’t care, sharing the straw with the soda.

“Ew, gross,” Nat mumbled, snatching the straw back.

“We’ve literally spat in each other's mouths.”

“That’s different, now it's all wet.”

“... The joke is too easy to make, so I won’t.”

The movie starts, and for the first twenty minutes, Nat finds herself enjoying it. The plot is dumb, and the characters are ridiculous stereotypes, but she is starting to get invested, when something catches her eye. The kid in front of them was yawning.

She tapped Kate’s arm and nodded to the back of his head.

“He’s making the move.”

Kate gasped quietly, and they watched his arm stretch around, conveniently across the girl’s shoulders. He looks at her, and she smiles up at him, snuggling against his side. Nat can’t see his face but can tell he could probably punch the sun right now.

“Brave,” Kate mused, whispering in her ear, “I never had the courage.”

Natasha looked at her, the outline of her face illuminated by the screen in the dark as a teenager was brutally murdered, and raised a curious brow. She had a lot of things to say about Kate, but shyness had never occurred to her.

“What, ever?”

The younger woman looked a little bashful and shook her head, “Never the first time, the girl I was with always had to initiate it.”

Nat’s mouth closed, and she smiled up at her. Kate didn’t look away, lost in her eyes, despite the distraction on screen.

“Is that a hint?”

“No, why?” she could see her smile in the dark, and even if she couldn’t see it, she could certainly feel it, “Do you want it to be a hint?”

“Oh my fucking… come here.”

Kate will never confirm or deny if it was her plan all along, but she does look awfully proud of herself when she lifts her arm up and over Natasha’s shoulders. Besides, the redhead can’t complain too much, because sitting there in that dark room watching a killer clown chase after high schoolers, she realised something.

Kate was incredibly comfortable, and she reclined willingly against her broad chest, idly reaching up to take her hand, playing with her fingers without much thought.

“Why don’t they just stay out of the cornfield?” she asks, and Kate shrugs, lifting Nat’s hand a little with the movement.

“It’d be a boring movie.”

And, as much as she wants to, Nat can’t argue with that. So she just accepts it and cuddles into Kate’s side, and neither were ready to admit how perfectly they seemed to fit together.

Not yet, anyway.

Notes:

How could it get messier? Well, easily (:

Thank you so much for reading! You can find me on blue bird app and tumblr if you'd like to yap (its mostly bishova and lottienat brainrot atp)

Chapter 3

Notes:

(if you noticed the chapter count change, no you didn't)

You guys are amazing, every single comment is a delight to read, and I'm sorry but you'll probably hate me by the end of this <3

After three soft knocks on the office door, Larry doesn’t have to wait too long for the sound of his boss calling him in. He pushes in with his tablet, flicking through the documents and meetings Miss Bishop had upcoming that week.

“Hello, ma’am,” he says, looking up and nodding at her. Kate is at the desk, her shirt sleeves rolled up, staring intently at the screen and flicking through it with her mouse. She smiled at him when he entered.

“Hey, Larry,” she huffed, “You got this week's meetings lined up for me?”

“Yes, I can just-”

“Can you send them to me?”

Her voice cracked a little, he worried for a moment that she was getting ill, as her face was also flushed. He stepped closer, lowering his tablet.

“Of course,” he winced a little, “ma’am, are you feeling okay?”

Her eyes widened a fraction, she waved her hand and blew a raspberry with her lips.

“Never better!”

She laughed, too. It felt weird, and Larry frowned a little deeper.

“Are you sure? You look quite… warm?”

She waved a hand in her face, fanning it, “It’s quite a hot day, I guess.”

He takes a step closer, pointing at the glass wall behind her.

“Do you want me to open the windows-?”

“No!” her knee hits the table and she curses, freezing him in place, before she laughs awkwardly, painfully, “No, no, I'll do that, have to get out of this chair at some point, hm?”

She chuckled again, it felt forced but he joined in regardless, slowly backing to the door. Miss Bishop was acting… weird today, and he knew it was best to steer clear before he was dragged into her mess.

“Well, if you’re certain you’re okay, ma’am?”

She laughed again, winked and clicked her fingers at him, “Sure as eggs is eggs!”

Weird. He held up his tablet and tapped at it, getting the files ready to email to her.

“Then I’ll send the arrangements to you,” she nodded, her face getting redder, so he was quick to wrap it up,  “and your invitation has arrived for the party. PR have asked me to push and see if you’ve considered their suggestion?”

Kate’s jaw tightened, and she winced a little.

“I will get back to PR.”

He smiles politely and opened the door, “Perfect, goodbye, ma’am.”

Larry closes it behind him with a soft click, and Kate is quick to flick a switch on her desk that drags the lock across, and looked down at Natasha between her legs. The older woman looked far too amused, comfortable on her knees between Kate’s thighs, green eyes looking up at her as she pulled away from Kate’s centre.

“You were enjoying that too much,” she grumbles, and Nat’s wet lips pull up in a knowing smile.

“Feels like you were, too.”

Her voice was husky, her fingers tapping at Kate’s thighs, gently pushing a kiss between them. Kate’s eyes fluttered, and her fingers threaded back into her hair.

She shoves Nat back down, spreading her legs and grinding her core against Nat’s smirking mouth, feeling a thrill when the redhead moans against her, and returns to eating her out without much complaint. Kate leaned forward against her desk, groaning quietly to herself.

Twenty minutes later, which involved Natasha laying on the couch, covering her whines while Kate ate her from behind, and the CEO is wiping at her face while Natasha re-buttons her shirt. She looks at the other woman, and her mind wanders back to the conversation she had struggled to pay attention to when hidden under her desk.

“What did PR want?” she asked, and Kate glanced up at her before standing from the chair, stretching her arms above her head.

“Why’d you ask?”

Nat shrugs, smoothing out her shirt, “Felt you tense around my tongue, thought I should check in.”

Kate flushes, and yet again Nat is impressed with the complexity of this woman. To go from confidently nailing her against the desk to blushing and unsure. Kate rolls her sleeves back down, looking at them for distraction. She tended to need that; a distraction, when the topic was awkward or she felt uncomfortable. A reprise, something else to do.

Only one person seemed to notice it, she was always the one who found a clever way to comment on it too, to check that she was okay, when the answer felt foreign even to herself. To be seen like that, to be known so well by a person was thrilling, terrifying.

Kate didn't want to share that much of herself with someone like that again. Not yet, anyway.

“PR think they have an idea that’ll help me secure a big client, the kind that has so much money it would be worth any ridiculous plot to get his favour.”

Natasha nodded, and slipped off the desk, collapsing into Kate’s large, and very comfortable, office chair, spinning once and smiling up at her.

“Give it to me.”

“Didn’t I just?”

“Don’t be cute,” Nat sighs, “C’mon, what's the weird plan that makes you uneasy, who’s the client? All that.”

Nat lightly shakes her shoulders, teasing, and Kate crosses her arms. The shirt is tight over her biceps, and Nat is almost distracted all over again.

“Not sure I should be telling you this…” she mumbled, and Nat nodded slowly.

“... Did you sign an NDA?”

“No.”

“Then we’re all good,” she leaned back in the chair, draping a leg over her knee, “Spill.”

Kate snickered and leaned back on the desk, crossing her arms and looking down at her.

“Client is a pretty big deal,” she wiggled her eyebrows, ”have you heard of King T’Challa?”

Nat snorted, “Leader of the largest and wealthiest country on the planet?”

"Yeah."

"Can't say I have."

Kate rolled her eyes, and Nat grinned to herself.

“Well, they’re expanding their global infrastructure projects; mining, energy, logistics, and resource transport,” she nodded her head back and forth with each item, hand waving throughout the list, “They want a deal with discrete, and competent private security partners to handle protection in the more… unstable regions without the need to deploy their military assets. So they can focus on the work rather than the ‘boring’ bits.”

She dropped her hand back to the desk, slapping it against the fine wood. Nat stared at it for a long moment and crossed her legs tighter.

“Right…”

Kate tapped her fingers together, “And Bishop Security is bidding to be involved.”

“... I’m sensing a but here.”

The woman winced, “The King is a very family orientated guy, he appreciates someone who isn’t all in.”

“All in?”

“He doesn’t like it if their job is their life,” she sighed, running a hand over her face, “Prefers to work with people who have a family, a partner, a life outside of work. Stability.”

Nat clicked her tongue, “Huh. Like an old-school bureaucrat?”

“The makings of one, but fuck don’t call him that,” she laughed, shaking her head and looking down with a wide grin. Some of her hair fell from her tie, and Nat’s fingers itched to brush it away. Instead, she tapped Kate’s knee with her foot, getting those blue eyes looking at her.

“So what do PR want you to do?"

She watched Kate’s gaze soften, but her shoulders tensed a little more, all the same.

“They want me to go with someone, pretend they’re my girlfriend or boyfriend, make me look more honest and human," she sighs something great, and Nat hummed.

“... That’s something straight out of a romcom.”

“I know!” she shouts, sagging back and dropping her arms with a huff, “It’s ridiculous.”

Natasha purses her lips, crosses her arms, and clicks her tongue. Kate zeroed in on the sound and watched the older woman smile to herself.

“Will press be there?”

Kate shook her head with a somewhat knowing grin.

“No, a lot of the people bidding don’t want to be in the public eye. There will be one photographer to get a photo with the King, should he want, but no one else.”

Natasha hummed, cogs turning in her mind, “Sure about that?”

“We’re a gathering of security companies, if we can’t keep some press out then we don’t deserve to be there.”

“Good point.”

They stare at each other for a long few moments, drawn out and full of something unspoken. Natasha taps her nail against the armrest, her smile becoming knowing, which also made Kate look even more confused and cautious. Cute.

The idea of someone random pretending to be on her arm didn't sit right with Nat. They had to earn to see this side of her, she was certain. Even if she didn't know why she felt like this, it made more sense than a stranger being at her side during a stressful evening.

“Ask me.”

“... What?”

She tilts her head to the side, red hair falling around her face and causing Kate’s mouth to water.

“Ask me… To be your pretend girlfriend.”

Kate narrowed her eyes, her lips pulled up into a smile, leaning closer to the other woman, pushing into her space.

“... This feels dangerous," she purred, and Nat raised a brow.

“Why, worried you’ll get feelings for me?”

“I mean, you said, that is the romcom pipeline, so...”

Nat hummed, sitting up to kiss her gently, barely a peck, with a small grin.

“I think we’ll be fine. Besides, this way you’ll go with someone you actually know.”

Kate was staring at her now, and Natasha winked back at her. She knew they looked good together, they wouldn't find it difficult to pretend. At least in her mind, anyways. She wondered if Kate thought so too.

“What’s the dress code?”

“Wait, you’re serious?”

Natasha waved a hand, “Of course I am.”

The other woman sat forward, her legs tucking up a little, swinging in the gap Nat had just occupied. She seemed a little wary but mostly excited.

“Oh, wow, okay,” her smile was wide, infectious. Nat’s grin matched her own, “Yeah, it's white tie, so I guess…”

Nat stood, a hand on Kate’s shoulder and the other guiding her chin up, meeting her lips for another quick chaste kiss. It was dangerous, with no intent, but neither could find it in themselves to care. In fact, Kate hummed into it before they leaned away from each other. Nat straightened up Kate's shirt, pushing the wrinkles out, and flicking her eyes up to Kate.

“Text me what you’re wearing and I’ll match it.”

The other woman fell to her feet, and Natasha stepped back so she could lean up to her, Kate's hands resting on her face and gently squeezing it, gasping excitedly.

“Thank you!” she gasped, kissing her again, breaking back with a quick breath, “Holy shit, if we win this client that would be…”

“Life changing?” Nat asked, brow-raising, and Kate nodded once again.

“For so many people who work here, yeah!” she glanced away, then back at Nat, “I’ll be able to increase the pay of everyone here by like, five years worth in one go!”

“And buy a bigger house?”

“I don’t need one, but I could if I wanted to!” she kissed her again, lips against her chin, cheek and forehead, pulling back to beam at her, “You’re amazing.”

Nat snickered a little, pulling back and smoothing out Kate’s shirt.

“You haven’t seen my bill for the dress, hair and makeup yet.”

The younger woman snatches a wallet from the table, shuffles through it and pulls a black metal card from within, giving it to Natasha.

“Don’t need to, don’t care,” she winks, “Treat yourself.”

Nat takes it, but also whines, stepping a little further back.

“We just fucked, please don’t turn me on again.”

Kate’s grin is infectious, and she winks at the shorter woman.

“I can’t help it.”

Nat groaned and shoved her shoulder, stepping back and slipping the card into her bag.

“This doesn’t mean we’re even, by the way.,” she tells her, shouldering it and turning to give the woman a steady look, “You’re gonna kiss my ass for this.”

Kate nodded, that wicked, knee-aching glint in her eyes once more.

“I can get behind that.”

Natasha stares for a few moments, and then scoffs, rolling her eyes away from Kate’s alluring expression. She had already lost too much of the day due to the younger woman's libido.

“Your generation…”

“What?”

“Obsessed with butt stuff."

"I didn't hear you complaining."

"We have to stop talking if you want to get any work done today," she waves a hand to the door, “Now go distract your employees so I can sneak outta here.”

Kate bursts through her office, immediately getting the eyes of all her employees and rushing to the other end of the room, clapping her hands and making everyone look up and follow her.

“Okay, guys!” she shouts, spinning on her heel with a wide cheeky grin, “We have a meeting to prepare for!”

They shuffle around, excited and engaged, as always with their charismatic boss. Natasha rolls her eyes fondly and slips out of the slowly closing door, now fitted with the best soundproofing money could buy. She meets Kate’s eyes over the crowd as they start to slowly walk to the meeting room, all ready to discuss the plan for meeting T’Challa that week, and she smiles as a goodbye, waving her fingers teasingly.

She feels eyes on her and turns, and smirks at Larry’s gobsmacked expression by the reception desk, half out of his seat and frozen. She winks and holds a finger to her mouth in a shushing motion. He swallows and nods, and Natasha slips out the back door, to the staircase.

⟡

Kate did hate driving in New York, but it was better when she was able to enjoy it. She had an array of cars to use, but tonight felt special, she had a lot of people to impress, and she wanted to show Natasha a good time.

She turns the engine off her midnight blue Aston Martin DB12 Coupe. It was sleek, the deep paint giving a hint of sapphire, with a low grill and dark wheels. The interior was nice; a fancy centre console, two seats which could go all the way back, and doors which opened to the side, revealing the navy stitching to the black leather interior. It was clean, valeted that day, with a lingering smell of oranges.

She got out of the car and closed the door behind her, locking it with a flick of her wrists, and leaning against the door, pulling her cell from her pocket when it buzzed.

Natasha

pre warning i am going to be the centre of attention tonight

Gold Rush

i’ll have to take your word for it i haven’t seen any pics :(

Natasha

so needy

coming down now

Kate grinned and locked her phone, shoving it into her breast pocket. She leaned against the car and frowned at her feet, the smile shifting into something more forlorn.

As grateful as she was to Natasha, a part of her still ached, and longed for Yelena to be there. She would have kept her grounded, held her face and kissed the tip of her nose, whispering calming words in a language Kate had managed to get a grip on, learning them in secret, a surprise to go along with a ring.

Kate never bought the ring. Didn't have the chance.

She is now staring at the floor with a blank expression, jaw tight, but then feels the eyes of people around her shift. No longer looking at her, but rather behind. She knows why before turning, and Kate does with a grin.

Her eyes sweep up from the pavement outside the other woman’s apartment, stopping at Natasha’s heels, then up the long line of the gown. The slit, the black velvet, the impossible curve of her spine framed by that backless plunge. The light catches on the diamond necklace trailing down like a silver fuse waiting to ignite, dipping between her breasts, tantalising and almost teasing.

She raises one brow, slow and appreciative, meeting dark green eyes alight with humour.

“You weren’t kidding about being the centre of attention.”

Natasha’s red lips curve, but she doesn’t answer, she just steps closer. Kate’s hands fall to her sides, subtly tensing, awaiting her approval. Her usual confidence remains, it would be hard to get rid of, but there’s reverence now too. She takes a breath she didn't realise she was holding.

Natasha takes the pause in her brain function to roam her eyes along the sharp angles of Kate’s midnight suit, clinging to her strong arms and taut body. The satin lapels, the precision-cut line of her shoulders, and the way the white cravat softens her jaw without reducing its sharpness. Arrows on her cufflinks, her hair combed back out of her face, but with her long hair still framing her face. Natasha stops just close enough to brush imaginary lint from Kate’s lapel, her fingers lingering.

“... You clean up dangerously well, Bishop.”

She carried her name on a teasing lit, and Kate grinned, taking Natasha’s hand, and gently bringing it up to her lips, kissing her knuckles, and looking up with a heated stare.

“I had to keep up with you.”

Nat smiles, patting Kate on the cheek and tutting her lips, nodding to the car.

“Get the door, darling?”

“Of course.”

Kate opens the door and helps Natasha into the car, closing it gently behind her. She paused at the door, closing her eyes and taking a slow breath. Natasha was hot, she knew this, but damn if she wasn’t beautiful tonight.

Stay focused, she told herself, pushing off and walking around to the driver's side, be horny later.

Kate slips in the seat just when the glovebox door shut. She looked at Nat, bemused when the other woman looked positively innocent.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

Kate narrowed her eyes, and Nat winked, but didn't give much else away, so Kate had no choice but to pull away with a sigh in response to Natasha's smug expression.

Traffic was mercifully manageable today, and with the soft music playing from the speaker, they fell into a comfortable silence, which Nat used to text her sister.

Sestra 1

i’m going to an event tonight so will be mia

jsyk

Sestra 2

ok

have fun

“So, shall we go over our story?” Kate asks just as Nat drops her cell in her bag.

“If you want,” she reclines back in the extremely comfy chair, turning to watch Kate’s profile as she drives through the city, lights flashing by the window, giving her a soft, warm glow with the setting sun. She was so handsome, Natasha had realised this some time ago, but the reminder was always welcome, especially when bright eyes glance at her, smile small and teasing.

Nat relaxed back further, and hummed, looking out of the front window.

“We’ve been together for around three months, but we knew each other for a while, a few months at least. You liked me but never asked me out, I liked you and eventually just had to ask.”

“So I’m a loser?”

She glances at her, and Nat winks, “Just a little bit.”

Kate shrugs, tapping the wheel.

“Eh, fits the narrative I guess.”

“It does?” Nat laughed, and Kate grinned lazily, sitting back in her seat.

“You’re so attractive and that's really intimidating.”

“I’m intimidating?”

“Oh, completely,” she risks a glance away from the roads, red lights from the vehicle in front colouring her in a dangerous glow, wicked as she winked at Nat, making her breath pause for a moment, “I love it.”

Nat blinks, and smiles, shaking her head and looking away. Her heart felt weird for a second like it shook or something. She made a mental note to tell her doctor if it happened again, and looked out the window.

“I’ll take it,” she replied, tapping her lips, “So, it’s a solid plan. Close enough to the truth that we won’t get caught out.”

Nat caught something out of the corner of her eye and glanced at Kate to see her fist raised. She shook her hand, and Nat huffed, knocking their knuckles together, which made Kate cheer.

“Let’s get that Wakandan bankroll!”

Nat rolled her eyes and didn't comment further. They drive for forty minutes, before pulling up to the grand location.

The venue was indeed high security, with guards gesturing cars up the long gravel driveway, people slowly walking inside with more suits than Natasha could count lining the walls and peering out at them. She caught fifteen cameras and twelve sensors, and that was just with a glance.

“You weren’t kidding about this place being high security…” she mused, and Kate snorted, nodding along. They pulled up to the house, which was a huge four-story mansion with thick Roman-esq pillars and a dark roof, built with solid white bricks and heavy-duty doors.

“Here we go…” Kate mumbled, slowing the car to a stop at the front. She shared one last look with Nat, and got out of the car, quickly appearing around the other side and gently shoeing an usher away, opening it for Natasha. She smiled roguishly and held out a hand which Nat easily took.

“You ready?” she asked, and Kate squeezed her hand, giving her a lopsided smile.

“As I’ll ever be.”

Natasha smiles up at her and gently lets go of her hand. Before Kate can even think about looking at her with panic, Nat loops her hand under her elbow, holding on as a date should. Which is what she was, right now. A date for Kate Bishop.

Her blue eyes twinkle a little, and she holds her closer, before walking into the house, smiling at the door staff and giving her keys to someone to park the car, slipping some cash in their hand as she does. Nat’s heart twitches again, and she makes a mental note.

Once inside they stand in the large group of people, their voices so loud but their words lost, creating a canopy of sound around them. It was almost overwhelming for Kate, but Natasha kept her anchored, if for a moment.

“So tell me who we got here.”

She watched the younger woman’s face, and she looked through the crowd, zeroing in on three people, a man and two women. All three were dressed to the gods, and were almost at the front of the makeshift line following after the King.

“Well, over there we got a representative from Kestral Group,” she tells her, and Nat squeezes her arm, “They’re quiet, quick, efficient, way too expensive.”

Nat nodded slowly, spying two men a little further behind the line. They were shifty looking, talking in hushed tones, hushed even for that event. She jutted her jaw towards them.

“Hm, okay. Them?”

“IronDisc Solutions,” Kate is quick to reply while shaking her head, she disapproves, “Heavy duty, well armed, incredibly cooperative. But like, to a fault.”

She looks back at Nat, shrugging a little, and gesturing with her free hand.

“They will listen to a client's wishes over what’s best for safety, every time.”

“Not a great move?”

“Not when the client wants to get ice cream in the park with a target on their head, no,” she huffs, scratching at her jaw, “Poor guy. That mistake will follow them for a while.”

Her date can only agree, and Nat looks around.

“Okay, okay I get it. Anyone else?”

The taller woman hums, and points at two women near the front of the line.

“Well, that’s Onyx Tier, cybersecurity, mainly. And they… Oh god. There he is.”

The people parted for a brief moment, the stretch from hundreds of sales pitches separating just enough for Kate and Natasha to see him; King T’Challa.

He was sitting on a tall white throne, but it didn’t look like he wanted to be there. Politeness kept his eyes from rolling, and probably the presence of his guards prevented him from running. He wore a tuxedo, midnight black with small purple details etched into the lapels and buttons, vibranium weaved into his collar, but he wore no tie. Instead he had a slim necklace with several panther claws carved in the same metal his people were rich for, a single golden one in the middle.

He wasn’t trying to be the most important person in the room, he just was. She felt bad for him and could tell at this speed, that no one would be receiving his contract, so she tugged at Kate’s sleeve, getting blue eyes to look down at her.

“Let’s get a drink.”

Kate’s eyebrow raised, glancing at the bar, and back to Nat.

“I think we gotta go talk to him first.”

“Look at his face,” Nat told her, turning the woman’s neck to look at him, “that man does not want to hear another sales pitch right now.”

“Good point…”

Natasha tugged on her hand, and Kate followed.

“C’mon,” she said, ignoring the muffled sounds of confusion from the people behind her, “let's get a drink, dance a little, have some fun until you talk to him. Sound good?”

She knew she had won Kate over the second those eyes dragged over to her, the corner of her lip turning up and she took another slow step with her.

“Yeah,” she says, and Nat steps on her toes, pushing a kiss against her cheek. Kate grinned and squeezed her hand, leaving the line with her, “Sounds perfect.”

They break away from the line they had found themselves in and sit at the bar. Nat orders them both a drink, picking something alcohol-free after Kate remembers she needs to drive, and they sit at the almost empty bar for a solid twenty minutes. After a second drink, still alcohol-free as Nat chose to stand in solidarity with her sober driver, she looked over to the tragically bare dance floor. The classical band played for no one, as all anyone wanted to do was speak to the already exhausted King.

“Do you know how to dance?”

Kate snorted, she sat with a foot bouncing on the floor, the other propped on the stool. She was still nervous, but the virgin cocktails weren’t helping.

“In the college way, yeah.”

Immediately Kate knew Nat didn't know what she meant, so she lifted her arms to pretend to dance to music with a beat and would have, if Nat didn’t snatch them back down to her sides. A look passed between them, saying not now, and Nat pushed again.

“Any ballroom?”

Kate shrugged, and their hands swung between them a little.

“I mean, entry-level at best. Haven’t done it for years. Why?”

Natasha leaned forward, her hand pushed on Kate’s knee and stopped her movement, making the woman look up, somewhat surprised, and with an amused expression.

“We’re gonna dance.”

Kate’s smile was charming, “I guess I could've figured that out.”

Moments later they’re pushing through the line, which had both moved a long but somehow got longer, offering their greatest pardons to get to the other side. The floor was still empty, a few employees walking around the edge as the line started to turn into a half circle around it.

The whole ballroom to themselves, with an audience. Nat used to dream of this.

She turned back to Kate, who looked a little nervous and took her hand.

“Do you mind if I lead?”

She looked absolutely relieved and slipped their grip accordingly.

“Do what you want with me.”

And Nat does. 

They come together and move like they have done this dance a thousand times, the first few steps are a little awkward, too formal and made for posturing, their faces intentionally unreadable. That is, until, Kate catches Natasha’s eye and they both break out into snickers, her step falling too short and causing Nat to step into her hold, laughing and gently smacking her chest.

“Focus!” she teases, and Kate laughs, spinning them around.

“It’s hard, have you seen you?!”

Natasha almost cackles at that, and leads them across the dance floor, feeling curious and bored eyes fall onto them, silent opinions forming from people Natasha didn’t care enough about to ask for.

They are dancing some sort of waltz, barely, and Kate tries to curtsy mid-spin. She nearly stepped on Natasha’s foot and would have if the older woman hadn’t grasped her waist, lifting her a little to carry her over the foot and turn a stumble into something presentable.

“Is this a new style of waltz?” she teased, and Kate winks.

“Of course, it’s avant-garde.”

Natasha rolls her eyes, fondly, and stands up to kiss Kate on the cheek, taking her hand and spinning her out. The song changes, faster now at least two people are willing to dance. This time Kate spins Natasha, who lifts her arm and guides the motion of the move, looking more purposeful and intended.

There are whispers now, quick and curious, but Natasha finds that she doesn’t really care. She is used to the eyes of every room following her, but this is different. She felt… light, free, like she could drop into the worm and Kate would laugh and try to do the same with her.

Judgement free, curious.

Of course, she doesn’t fall into the worm, not in this dress, and the music slows a little. Kate loops her back against her front, her lips ducking down and brushing against Nat’s ear.

“Must be a pretty enjoyable evening for the others,” she tells her, and Nat grins a little.

“Why’s that?”

“Well, they’re all watching us.”

They pull back from one another, staring at each other with a curious look. Amused, she thinks. Maybe something close to joy, or even relaxation, confidence. She looks down at Kate’s lips, Kate follows suit, and Natasha knows she could lean up, and kiss her.

But she doesn’t. That would be dangerous, normally they kiss when flirting, with the end goal of getting the other in private against any solid surface, or maybe even after that. But this?

She wanted to kiss her, and Nat was aghast to realise it felt dangerously real. She must have been staring for a long moment, as the song finished, and a few people clapped around them. Kate looked around, breaking the spell and laughing, giving Natasha a mock bow, which she weakly smiled at, ducking low in a poor excuse of a révérence.

Kate notices, of course, she does, and frowns at her, taking her hand and lowering her head to whisper.

“Are you okay?”

Her mouth opens, but a different voice cuts across.

“It is nice to see people dancing!”

They both spin around, facing a beautiful woman standing behind them, with a stunning, and quite relieved smile. Kate nods and Nat tucks into her side, both wearing matching, beaming smiles, any weirdness squashed down, for now.

“I know, right! Music shouldn’t be wasted!”

The woman laughs, loud and excited, and Nat’s eyes flicker up and down her figure. Her gown is deep emerald, made of Wakandan weave. It clung to her figure and flowed in the right places, minimalistic almost, but around her neck was an eye-catching necklace with three golden panther claws, resting above her chest.

She was important. Natasha felt as thought she had seen her before, and the way she seemed somewhat hesitant confirmed this to Nat. She held herself regal, but with training. Unsure, unfamiliar. Married in, learning on the job.

Wife? Queen.

She queeried it in her head, but outwardly smiled, cuddling up to Kate like the love sick date she was, and grinning up at her. Kate glanced down the charm of someone smitten, and then back to the woman.

“I’m Kate, this is Natasha, my girlfriend.”

It almost catches Nat off guard, but she manages to keep it together by some grace of whoever is watching over them. She just smiles, and the woman beams, clearly excited.

“It is a pleasure to meet you both,” she says, hands held in front, “I am Nakia.”

Kate swallows nervously, and gestures to the dance floor.

“Would you like to join us?”

She seemed almost relieved, and Kate held out her hand for the woman to take, which she did with an elegant flourish. Kate let go of Natasha and allowed the woman to step into her hold, and the redhead stepped back just enough to hear her response.

“I would love to.”

The woman laughs and they twirl onto the sparse floor. Natasha stands still and watches them dance to a song, this one faster and pulling laughter from the woman Kate now danced with. Whatever teachings Natasha had parted onto her seemed to work, and the two of them danced across the hardwood floor with a decent amount of elegance, almost all supplied by Nakia, of course.

A waiter appears beside her with a flute of champagne, and Natasha decides to treat herself after the half-revelation she refused to revisit at this moment, nodding her thanks and sipping at it as the two women seem to talk their way through the dance, although there was more laughter than words.

They stop after a short while, and Natasha notices the increase of eyes on them. It is no longer a few curious and bored looks, but the attention of everyone present, locking in on her just as a man stands next to her.

“Very impressive!”

He claps his hands, smiles wide and is full of adoration for the woman by Kate’s side. She seemed shocked, her breath caught in her throat and she stumbled over what to do. She settled on bowing a little, lowering her head and standing up tall with a loose grin, comforted by the calm of the woman beside her who remained utterly relaxed.

“Ah, thank you, Your Majesty,” she tells him, “It’s all her, I’m an octopus with bony legs out there.”

Nakia frowns, lips pursed to fight a smile, “An octopus doesn't have bones.”

“Exactly my point!” Kate tells her, and the woman lets her smirk take over, “Besides, it was all you, my girlfriend is the one with the skill.”

She points at Nat, and she is suddenly staring down a King, a Queen and Kate Bishop. She should respond further than a bashful wave of her hand, but she can’t yet. The King seemed to like Kate’s honesty, and he smiled at her.

“I know, it is nice to see you didn’t claim her victory.”

He winked at Nat, and Kate laughed, being guided closer by Nakia.

“I would never claim her victory, Your Majesty,” she said, slipping an arm around Nat’s waist as the redhead sank against her side.

“I wouldn’t let you,” she mused, and Kate kissed the back of her fingers. The King and Queen share a look, and he hums in approval.

“I find you interesting,” he tells her, and despite the music and gentle hum of curious voices, Nat felt as though she could hear a pin drop. She could also hear Kate swallow, and her fingers tapped Nat’s waist.

“Is that a good thing, Your Majesty?”

“I am unsure. You were the only ones who didn’t approach me tonight, didn’t try to catch my eye, skip the ridiculous line…” he looks over the sea of faces with a tired expression, “You were also the only ones to speak to my wife, and not try and use her to get to me. Out of all these people, just you. You dance. Why?”

It hangs between them for a long moment, his security waiting to see if she had an ulterior movie up her sleeve. Natasha runs a hand up and down Kate’s back, feeling her exhale slowly.

“... My girlfriend wanted to dance.”

His expression breaks into a smile, and he takes his wife’s hand, waving at the musicians. They change songs midway through one, and it is far more upbeat.

“Then let’s.”

That is how Kate found herself dancing with the King and Queen of Wakanda. Laughing and spinning their partners around, while being the face of envy for many people who watched with agitation, trying to cut in only to be stopped by the intimidating security of the King.

Eventually, they tire and go to a private room in the back. Kate and Natasha accept a flute of champagne, alcohol-free this time, and are opposite the two on a table. It is incredibly casual like they were talking in a bar rather than discussing what could be the deal of the decade for Bishop Security.

“I admit, out of the people I have met tonight, you are the most… ordinary.”

Kate sits a little taller, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Good, that is how it was intended.”

Natasha rests her hand on Kate’s thigh, squeezing it comfortably. An unusual feeling had grown in her chest throughout the evening, watching Kate navigate a professional situation in a way so entirely her was a delight to see. Natasha was proud of her, she realised. Kate was doing well, it made her feel so full.

T’Challa sat forward in his chair, Nakia sipping from a short glass next to him, now sharing the intensity he had.

“Miss Bishop, I have seen many companies and governments chase contracts like these at the expense of… everything else,” she nodded seriously, and he counted off on her fingers, “Employee safety, comfort, stability. That concerns me.”

Kate put her glass on the table.

“I understand, Your Majesty, but that isn’t how we operate at Bishop Security. We don’t cut corners.”

Natasha nudged her shoulder, blue eyes softening at the sight of her.

“Trust me, if she tried I’d be the first in line to give her hell for it,” she teased, and the three of them shared a small slight smile, while Kate took her hand.

“Which is reason enough not to try anything.”

T’Challa chuckled to himself, shaking his head a little with a longing look to his wife, and back at them.

“Your company, while not the largest in the room, has a few outstanding truths. Your employee turnover rate is small, your client satisfaction is high, and the quality is untenable.”

It is definitely pride, watching Kate sit taller under the confirmation she did a good job.

“Thank you, your majesty.”

He looks back at Nat, and then Kate, “You know, leadership is not just the ability to protect one another, it is the ability to nurture, trust that those by your side will not stab you in the back while you protect their own.”

He holds out a hand across the table for her to shake. Kate takes it, her own not shaking, but she can feel her heart race in her wrist, as the King continues.

“It is in my experience that those who build strong partnerships are better at protecting what matters.”

Kate nods, “I agree, Your Majesty.”

“Just call me T’Challa.”

“... T’Challa.”

They shake their hands, one firm, solid shake. The King seems content and makes to stand up, offering a hand to his wife to guide her up, which Kate did for Natasha.

“My people will contact you on Monday. Now come, let us get a photo, and drink.”

Kate nods with him, and when the King and Queen are facing away, she turned to Nay and mouthed "Holy shit!" at her. 

Nat snickered silently and took her hand, tugging her after them. They exit the private room, and Natasha can feel the entire room sag in disappointment, but they still watch as T’Challa speaks quietly to Kate, stopping by the photographer waiting to take the first photo of the evening.

He does so quickly, of Kate and T’Challa smiling professionally, shaking hands, the sign of a new deal. In a pause of flashes, Kate catches Natahsa’s eye, and she winks.

Nat feels her heart skip, and she curses so loud in her head she almost doesn’t hear Nakia at her side.

“How long have you two been together?”

Natasha tries to be blasé about it, but her throat is tight and dry, so it’s hard to accomplish.

“Not too long,” she sips her drink, “a few months.”

Nakia nods knowingly, looking up as the flashes continue.

“Time doesn't have to mean anything, I can see it in the way you share looks. While new, it’s special.”

Natasha supposes it is. Kate's laughter comes over from something T’Challa said, and the two are back to back, arms crossed and posed like how Tony would on his magazine covers. The King is very amused, and their enjoyment beats away the disappointment from everyone else in the room.

"Something like that," she decides on, and Nakia continues with this knowing look.

“Don’t worry, I understand,” she replies, clinking their glasses together and looking at the King with a look of longing, one Nat was worried to realise she could recognise, “When you know, you know.”

Natasha swallowed more of her drink and didn’t comment further. They spend the rest of the evening talking to the Queen as T’Challa begrudgingly returns to speaking with other CEOs and endless last ditch effort sales pitches, but Kate doesn’t worry. There wasn’t a single other photo taken that night.

The evening draws to a close, and the Queen stands opposite them when the guard says it is time to go.

“It was a pleasure to meet you both,” she tells them, and Kate takes her hand, kissing the back of it.

“You too, Nakia.”

The woman then gasped excitedly, remembering something.

“We are so lucky you came to see us even on your birthday. T’Challa was looking pretty desperate until you showed up.”

“Thank you.”

The Queen winked, wiggled her fingers goodbye and left with the security, giving Natasha enough time to smack Kate on the arm.

“Hey!”

“It’s your birthday?!” Nat hissed, and Kate winced.

“Well, yeah-”

“Why didn’t you say anything?!”

She waved her hands around, “We were busy!”

Natashas groaned and looked up at the clock on the wall, it was just past eleven PM, they had time.

“Urgh, you’re so lucky I’m perpetually horny.”

“Obviously, but why now?”

Natasha covers her mouth, hand covering her lips and preventing her from babbling on anymore, which made the redhead grin for a second, her voice low and husky as she answered.

“Because we got forty minutes left of your birthday,” she tells her, “You’re gonna say your goodbyes, go back to the car and put on what I brought with me.”

Kate’s eyes widened, and she leaned away from her hand.

“... Did you bring the-?”

“Yes!” Nat interrupted, thinking about what she hid in the back seat and the glove box, “I was planning on riding you in the front seat the second you told me you had an Aston Martin.”

The Kate she recognised returned, horny as anything, blinking her eyes slowly with a small blush on her cheeks. She looked over Nat’s shoulder for a second, then back to her.

“... Can I bend you over the front?”

Nat pecked her lips.

“If you’re a good boy, now go.”

Kate ran off to get to the car, and Nat snickered to herself, stopping at a waiter. She took a flute from her tray and swallowed it all in two gulps, placing it back on the metal tray with a satisfied smile.

“Thank you.”

The woman just stared, in awe, and Natasha walked out of the building. Kate was in the car outside, the door open and waiting for Nat. A man at the door guided her in, and Kate was in the driver’s seat, looking a little uncomfortable.

“Did you put it on?” she asked, and Kate nodded, driving away from the impressive house.

“Of course I did, the harness feels weird though…” she mumbled, shifting in her seat, glancing at Nat, “What’s different about it?”

Nat shrugged, and pushed the glove compartment open, “New Stark tech.”

“Something unreleased?”

Nat took the strap out of its wrappings, waving it at her low down, as they were still on the driveway.

“Friends in high places,” she teased, holding it up, “look at this.”

It was large, thick, with a dark blue colouring, purple tints running up and down the side, to make it almost look like it could swell. Kate swallowed excitedly, having to tear her eyes away to the road. 

“... What is that?”

Nat balanced it in her hand. It was heavy, soft, and felt almost real. She leaned forward and tugged at Kate’s zip. The woman breathed harshly for a second, and the harness was exposed under her pants. Nat idly wondered how she had slipped it on so fast without anyone noticing, and touched the metal at the front.

“A strap, one that connects to your nervous system. So when I place it against the plate at the front of your harness…” she slides it against said plate of metal, and Kate gasps quietly, sitting taller in her seat, and Nat gently dragged her fingers along it, “You should feel it like a guy would.”

Indeed, she could. Kate threw her head back and almost stalled the car, looking from the strap between her legs, breathless already, and Nat.

“... Are you fucking kidding me?”

She could barely get her words out, but Nat winked, slowly uncliping her seatbelt and leaning over the centre console towards her. Kate shook with something, fear, excitement, either of them.

“Get ready for the best blow job of your life, Bishop.”

“Wait, I’m driving-!”

Her words are cut off with a choke, her hands grip the wheel, and she almost swerves the car. Because Natasha had leant over, fingers tightening around the base of the shaft closest to her crotch, and took the tip between her lips.

It was like a shot to the head. She almost leaned back against the headrest as a groan rumbled from her lips, legs twitching, and car jerking at the sudden feeling.

“Whaaat…” she gasped, eyes rolling back for a second when Natasha’s tongue rolled forward, across the tip, delicate and soft, wet and warm, “the fuck…”

She could feel it, like the thing was attached to her she could feel Nat take her in her mouth, cheeking her for a moment with fingers dragging up and down the base. Slow, steady, cruel, really.

The car behind beeped, Kate jerked and felt Nat smile around her shaft, before swallowing her even harsher, tongue dancing around the base as she sank lower. Kate groaned and raised a shaky hand behind her, and the car flashed.

“Christ…” she groaned, lowering her hand, when she felt Nat take it. She stopped at some lights, illuminated in red, and looked down.

Nat’s head was tilted to the side, the strap in her mouth, fingers caressing the parts she couldn’t fit, Kate’s hand in her own. She lowered it to her hair, squeezed it purposefully, and Kate swallowed, threading her fingers through her locks.

“Is this safe?” she asked, and Nat shrugged as best as she could without moving, humming a “Probably,” deep in her throat.

Deep, so deep that Kate’s voice cracked, her hips snapped up and she grabbed the woman’s hair. Natasha smiled to herself, relaxed her throat, and swallowed around Kate as best as she could while the woman focused on driving.

Watching her be so charming, so kind and funny with those people, with a king and queen, did absolutely wild things to Nat. Seeing all those eyes on her, chasing her around the room, full of want and jealousy.

It drove her insane. Nat knew she was going to tease her the entire way home, that was the plan from the beginning. But that was before she knew how hot Kate looked in a suit, how she felt letting Nat guide her across a dance floor, and that it was her birthday.

Nat was going to get her off in the car, once or twice, ready to take the wheel if she needed it. Then she was going to take her to her apartment, ride her until she couldn't remember her name, and then take Kate as best as she could, strapping her until she was dizzy, until she was just a sweaty mess.

But then Kate took an exit, early, before they were even close to the freeway. Nat couldn’t even look up to ask, as Kate kept her head pinned down, hand locking her against her lap with a determined expression. She wasn’t thrusting, not anymore, and Nat squeezed her thighs together as she did her best to breathe around the obstacle in her throat.

The lights dim, she can see shadows through the glass, darkness settling over them, and Kate turns off the engine. She sits back in her chair, looking down at the woman lodged on her, and sighs a long breath.

“I’m gonna fuck your throat,” she tells her, legs spreading, now freed from the job of driving, “And then I’m gonna have you over the bonnet. Okay?”

Rather than answer with words, because she couldn’t, Nat hummed happy birthday to you. Kate laughed a dry sound and tightened her grip on Nat’s hair.

“That’s it…” she groaned, sinking back against the seat, resting an elbow on the door and leaning the fist against her head, weakly bucking her hips up into Nat’s yearning throat, “Keep doing that.”

Nat hates how horny it makes her. She also loves it, and hums whatever tune comes to mind. Kate’s jaw goes slack, her thrusts weak and slow, words falling as whines from her lips, each one making Nat feel wetter with each determined thrust.

She was close, Nat could tell from the way she sounded, something that stuck in her head, in her dreams, at this point, and she groaned deep in her throat.

The hand in her hair fisted, the car rocked a little and the windows steamed, her mouth hung ajar and she groaned. Her thrusts were shallow, short and rapid, her breath just as harsh. Nat can’t take it to the base, not yet, a thought which flushes her cheeks just as bad as the swell of heat between her thighs growing greater at the thought of being used like this, by someone so put together as Kate Bishop.

Well, she thought, as put together as she can be.

She glances out of one eye, and sees Kate’s thighs tense, quivering only slightly, but it was enough. She knew, Nat felt like she would always know.

“Nat…”

She pulls back, gets as far up the strap she can against Kate’s hand and her thrusting hips, when Kate gasps, and pushes her down. She groans the strap goes deeper, and Nat is suddenly struggling to swallow because…  holy shit.

It slammed into her throat, making her gag and choke, shocked and fucking pleased to discover that the strap not only felt like the real thing, it came like it too.

A taste so vividly Kate shot into her throat, painting her tongue against the roof of her mouth on the way down. Kate held her down, and Nat did all she could to swallow it.

Tony wasn’t kidding, she thought as her eyes rolled back, this thing is realistic.

Still, Nat swallowed, she sucked, her tongue dancing around the strap in a slow motion, even as Kate finally slumped back against the seat, her chest heaving, easing her hand out of Nat’s hair. She brushed the sweaty strands from her face as Nat sat up making eye contact before swallowing one last time. Kate’s eyes nearly fell out of her skull.

“Did this thing just come?”

She asked it between shuddered breaths, and Nat sat up, taking her jaw and kissing her. Kate tasted herself on Nat’s tongue and held her face to pull her closer.

“I think you’ll find that you did,” Nat grinned as she pulled back, and Kate was wide-eyed, licking her lips.

“Holy shit,” she mumbled, looking from Nat’s lips to her eyes, “... did I just come inside you?”

Natasha smirked up at her, bringing a hand to her mouth and wiping the back of it along her lip, raising an amused brow at her and tilting her head to the side. 

“I think so.”

“This has awakened something inside me,” Kate nods a few times, and unlocks the door, “Come on.”

Nat glances around them, thick trees surround them, she isn’t even sure where they are. Kate flicks the headlights on, showing more trees and giving less answers.

“Where are we?”

“The woods, off the track on the way to a van site. We’ll be alone.”

Nat hums, “Will we?”

“Probably, is that okay?”

Kate stops at the door, her hand on the handle, and looks at Nat with a heavy look. She is quite the state, as messy as she is with a thick strap between her legs, so inviting that Nat fights the urge to just mount her now. But no, outside, where they could be caught.

It sort of excites her. Nat kisses Kate again, a long slow touch, wet when they break away, and she grins wickedly at her.

“It’s perfect. Come on.”

Kate has her against the bonnet in seconds, pushed against the metal on her front, pulling at her dress and hiking it up around her hips. She huffs an amused laugh, seconds before her hand pushes into Nat’s core.

“You’re so wet,” she groaned, and Nat shivered, feeling a finger get pushed inside her, going flat against the front of the car, her cheek resting on the cool surface.

“You just came down my throat,” she husks out, “Of course I am.”

She grinds her hips back, pushing against Kate’s hand and groin, feeling the tip of the strap slide against her core. They both groan, and Nat feels Kate take her knee, slowly bending it up to rest on the car, giving her the perfect angle.

And fuck did she use it. The strap sunk into Nat and she gasped Kate’s name, it pushed embarrassingly easily into her warmth, and she felt Kate push up flush against her back. Her lips kiss at her neck, her voice groans into her ear, and she pulls out, slowly.

The ridges scraped her in the right way, and Kate started to thrust. The car moves a little, and Kate shoves herself back inside Nat. They both gasp, Nat arching back against Kate’s grip as the angle let her swallow the other woman whole.

“Yes, yes, yes,” her voice wasn’t her own, her words from somewhere far away, as Kate held her hips in a vice grip, and smacked their hips together, “So deep, hard, fuck…”

Nat’s close, which is great as she can feel that Kate won’t last long. Muttering about Nat’s warmth, her soaked centre, how easily she takes her how desperate she had been to have her all night.

Nat comes a second before Kate does, her core clenching around the strap just when Kate snapped her hips forward, bottoming out and filling her with that strange, exhilarating feeling of being filled, pumped with something but it didn’t matter what, it was Kate. And Nat would take anything she had to offer.

“Nat…”

She shakes against her back, holding Natasha tight as she throws her head back, and all Nat can do is shake and take it. Something she would never do for other partners, but this was Kate. She got a… special treatment, for reasons she didn’t want to think about yet.

But of course, she thinks about it. Natasha isn’t stupid. She knows what this means, these feelings related to someone she is just meant to fuck, someone she shouldn’t care about. But she does, because of course she does.

A hand is on her shoulder, she lets it guide her and turns to look at Kate who is ravished. Shirt unbuttoned, hair a mess, pants around her hips. She nods her head to the side, and Nat knows. She rolls over, legs around Kate’s waist and back flat against the warm bonnet as she pushes into her again.

“So pretty,” Kate mumbles, hips snapping forward and making Nat arch up, looking at the sky as Kate kisses at her neck, nips and bites at it, “You’re so beautiful.”

Her words are rough, as are her thrusts, and Nat whines into them, pulling her close and matching her pace, whining into her touch, and falling back as Kate pumps into her. Wet, hard, strong, hard.

Is there anything she can’t do?

That’s when Nat sees it; a dashcam in the front of her car. It is most likely accidental, she knew Kate well enough to know she wouldn’t plan to secretly film her on purpose, but the small flashing red light sent Natasha with a thrill. She opened her mouth, pulling Kate up to kiss her, deciding, why not?

She was getting that footage, and she could put on a show, after all. Getting filled, over and over, by the woman she hadn't quite realised had worked her way into Natasha's heart.

Happy Birthday, Bishop.

⟡

They return to her apartment sometime around one in the morning, the car booked in to be cleaned later in the day. They giggled as they walked, drunk on each other as they stumbled upstairs and fell into bed for something much slower, easier than anything they had done yet. Kate didn’t realise when they had reached this point, sleeping over at each other's places. They used to just fuck and leave, but if Natasha didn’t mind, then she didn’t either. Waking up next to someone always felt better, anyway.

Morning came with Lucky scratching at the door, so Kate got up with a small groan, trying to keep silent for Nat’s sake, and slipped out of bed. She was mostly successful, as Nat only blinked awake when the door closed, before groaning and sinking into Kate’s pillow to sleep again.

“Hey, baby,” she says to Lucky, kissing his head and slipping his collar on, “You wanna go pee?”

He grumbles a “Vrooo,” sound in response, and she walks him downstairs. The building had a dog park in the back, and Kate beelined to it, dressed in shorts and a loose shirt.

They pass her post box, and she quickly empties it to find bright-coloured cards inside. She snickers and walks outside with her instant dog, finding a bench and letting him off the lead to run around and sniff.

The first card is from Peter and MJ, something cheesy with spiders all over it because Peter could only draw two things, and the Cool S would look out of place-

“Oh, no,” she interrupted her inner thoughts, tapping the “S” in her last name he had written on her card for some reason, which she now understood, “There it is.”

She snickered took a photo to send to him, and went through the others. There was a postcard from America, a thick envelope from Greer and Franny which was full of confetti, much to her reluctant joy, wiping it from her hand.

She would see them all soon to celebrate, she could get revenge then. Kate opened the last card but froze at the handwriting.

She could recognise it anywhere; Yelena. 

Her hands shook as she opened it, and tears filled her eyes at the first word.

Kate,

I am sorry if

She shut the card. Fuck. Fuck.

“Lucky!” she shouted, voice shaking, and the dog ran over. He whined and headbutted against her chest, burrowing as she shook and cried into his fur.

Kate goes back to her apartment, Lucky sticking to her like glue as they shuffle into the house. Her nose twitches, Natasha was cooking something. She put the stack of cards on the side and smiled as best as she could.

Nat was at the hob, flipping an egg over as she entered, turning to look over her shoulder.

“There she is,” she practically purred, voice still husky, waving the spatula, “I made eggs.”

Kate hummed, patted Lucky so he could slip away with a worried glance head back to the couch, and leaned against the counter, her arms crossed. She tried to smile, but it wasn’t quite convincing when Natasha was so used to the real thing.

“Awesome, thank you.”

The woman paused, and turned the eggs off, covering them with a dish, and then faced Kate. She raised a brow and looked at her quiet friend.

“What's up?”

Kate glanced at her and shrugged, dropping her arms and leaning on the counter, ankles crossed. 

“Sorry, just…” she let out a long breath, “got a birthday card from my Ex, so.”

Natasha nodded and pushed forward away from the food.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Kate shrugged, but didn’t answer. Her eyes watered a little and she blinked the tears away. Natasha raised a hand and caught a rogue drop anyway, guiding her sorrowful expression to look at her.

Kate looked so tired. Her eyes were hollow and shoulders low, weak, tired almost. Like her life had been drained. Not for the first time, Nat wished she could find this ex. Wished she could smack her up the head for hurting Kate as much as she did, maybe brag about how much she missed out on, how Kate had gone from an excellent lover to god-like with Natasha’s guidance.

But that would just hurt Kate more, and Nat was quickly realising that’s something she didn’t want to be the cause of in any capacity.

“She really did a number on you, didn’t she?”

Her voice was soft. Kate shrugged and didn’t comment, leaning into Natasha’s hand.

“Yeah,” she mumbled, voice sort of defeated, “Broke my heart. Didn’t even tell me why.”

“She sounds like an asshole.”

“Nah, she’s not,” Kate shook her head, Nat brushed the hair back behind her ear, “I don’t know.”

“She’s not here you know,” Nat teased, “You don’t have to pass a test.”

Kate smiled for a second and finally met Nat’s eyes again.

“I know, but it’s not a test,” her hands slipped around Nat’s waist, she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against Natasha’s, “She was amazing, I just want her to be happy. Always kinda thought she was with me."

Her thumbs ran circles on Nat’s hips, soothing herself, breathing slowly. Nat just stared at her, and Kate smiled weakly, "Guess she wasn't."

“... Fuck sake,” Nat grumbled, tugging a bobble off her wrist and gathering her hair, “drop your pants.”

Kate blinked, “What?”

Nat stepped back, looking Kate up and down, tightening the knot and nodding at her friend.

“You look like a kicked puppy, and you’re too nice for that,” she tells her, clicking her fingers and pointing at Kate’s waist, “Pants. Lose 'em.”

She then fell to her knees, and really, who was Kate to argue?

⟡

After a few months of living in New York and having her world rocked every other night, Nat is determined to keep her sister as her priority. Before her work, before Kate.

They met up several times a week, making up for the years lost between them. One of her favourite things to do was walk the dog together, early in the morning or late in the evening. Fanny was very cute, and Nat enjoyed throwing a ball for her. Unlike Lucky, Fanny would actually bring it back after she threw her anything.

“She's smart!” She laughed as the dog kept up and caught the frisbee she threw, and then spat it out at her feet, “I've got a fluffy friend too, you know?”

She said it to the dog as she patted her fat head. She didn't seem to know what Nat was saying but wagged her tail anyway.

“You do?”

Nat stood after one last pat, flipping the plastic disc in her hands. Yelena stood behind them, scrolling through something on her phone. Probably Instagram again, she often saw her checking that app, specifically one profile she never caught sight of. Her sister was too good at hiding it before she could see, knowing it would be the beginning of her sisterly mockery.

“Yeah, labrador,” she replied, brushing her hands together, “Very cute.”

Yelena’s face cringed for a moment, “Oh. Your friend’s?”

“Yeah, but don't worry Fanny,” she ruffled the dog’s thick fur, “I love you too.”

The dog stared at the frisbee, and Natasha flipped it again before launching it across the park. The dog ran off, and Yelena watched her go. Fanny had been weird lately, sniffing at Nat whenever she came over, curling up and burning her nose in Nat’s clothes. Maybe she had a new perfume designed for the dog to like her, maybe she was just getting attached.

“I used to have a retriever,” Yelena says, watching Fanny catch the frisbee and swallowing a lump in her throat, “Well, my ex did, but by the end, he was basically mine too.”

She felt Nat’s eyes on her and tried to act like she didn’t miss Lucky like she didn’t spend every night dreaming of Kate.

“Co-parents…” she drawled, and clicked her fingers at her. Nat didn’t seem amused, actually she looked kinda pissed, and huffed, crossing her arms.

“Why don't we talk about the ex?”

Yelena felt her guard go up, “Because you don't ask?”

“Yeah, I do,” Nat cut back, “But you dodge it, every time. Why really?”

Yelena looks down when Fanny drops the frisbee at her feet. She scoops it up and launches it again. Fanny dashed after it, and Yelena let out a shaky breath.

“Saying her name hurts.”

“... Why don't we just call her The Ex?”

The blond scoffed, that was stupid. But she needed to talk about it, about Kate, so… Maybe?

“That could work.”

Natasha nodded and faced her, “Okay, so… talk to me. What did you do?”

“Why do you think it's my fault?”

Nat scoffed, “Because you'd be much angrier if she did something, nowhere near as mopey.”

“I'm heartbroken, not mopey.”

“I'll be the judge of that,” Yelena blinked away, “Spill.”

It takes her a moment to start speaking. In fact, Fanny returns with the frisbee before she can find the words, but she eventually does. Somehow.

“We were together for three years, nearly four.”

Nat let out a breath, she didn’t know why but she hadn’t expected it to be that long.

“Holy shit, that's a while.”

“Yeah,” Yelena looked down, Fanny caught the frisbee, “... we were even looking at rings.”

Nat has nothing to say to that. Guilt at being absent during such a huge portion of Yelena’s life was merged with concern for her sister. She had assumed the ex was important, but not this important.

“... I saw her the other day.”

Yelena’s voice broke her out of her thoughts, and Nat nodded.

“Oh, okay.”

Yelena’s jaw is tight, and Nat watches it click.

“I think she is seeing someone.”

“Gross.”

Her sister scoffed, and Natasha put a hand on her shoulder. Green eyes looked at her, Nat tried to get her words across without speaking and squeezed her hand.

“You should go find someone,” Yelena immediately rolled her eyes away, and Nat’s smile remained teasing, “as a person new to the whole friends with benefits thing, I highly recommend.”

“I don’t want anyone else, just her.”

Yelena shakes her head, and Natasha lowers her hand, shrugging. 

“Well, she moved on, by the sounds of it…”

“No, I saw her face,” Yelena interrupts, “She… she hasn’t. I haven’t.”

“But she can still jump on someone?”

Yelena’s gaze is sharp, Natasha expects her to lash out, but she doesn’t. Instead, she looks down, picks up the frisbee and throws it, but Fanny doesn’t run. She stays by her side and pushes her nose into Yelena’s stomach, and the blonde runs a hand through her fur.

“... I can’t expect her to wait for me.”

Nat huffed and looked around the park. It was hard being an older sister. She wanted what was best for Yelena, but the ex was clearly trying to move on. It hurt to see her sister so hurt.

“Well if you asked her to, she should have.”

Yelena dropped to her knees and hugged the dog, which was when it dawned on Natasha.

“... You didn’t ask her to, did you?”

“No.”

Nat sat next to her, and Yelena leaned out of Fanny’s fur, eyes red with tears.

“... Sestra, what happened?”

She laughed, sharp and bitter, wiping her face in Fanny’s fur and hugging her tight enough that Nat struggled to hear what Yelena said next, but she did.

“You, actually.”

Nay blinked and flinched  back like she had been stung.

“What? I don't even know this girl!”

Yelena hummed and sat back, legs open for the dog to circle in her lap, her back to her owner, panting and staring out at the field, eyes on the frisbee.

“Yeah but you contacted me again,” Yelena told her, rubbing the dog’s chest, “It sent me into a… bit of a spiral. I wasn't this well-rounded adult with a job and control of my life anymore. I was there again, in that house, waking up to find out you had gone.”

Natasha looked down, guilt rearing its head once more. She had been 23, in some city across the state and too drunk to drive home for the holidays. Their parents had come to get her while Yelena stayed at home to study. She was 18 with her head screwed on tighter than Nat’s ever was. Already with her colleges lined up, and just needed the grades to get in.

Morbidly, it was a good choice.

Her parents were hit by a truck, thrown off the road and dead on impact, that’s what she tells herself, anyway. The guilt clawed at Nat, she was at the funeral with her sister at her side, who couldn’t meet her eyes even then. She didn't blame her sister, not outwardly, but it hung between them. If not for her, their parents would still be alive.

It's a hard truth to swallow, an even harder one to ignore.

After two weeks of living in a haunted house, the angst, anger and guilt built and boiled, until things finally blew up. Nat had enough of the silence, and picked at anything to get mad about, screaming at Yelena for hours over nothing. Her sister didn’t back down, and they both hurt each other more with words than hits could manage.

That night Nat had left without another word to her sister, a silence that would last ten years.

She'd signed up, excelled, climbed the ranks in military, and held job titles so classified, that even mentioning them would violate several federal statutes. Still, she didn’t speak to her sister for years.

Until a few months ago, which apparently caused her to lose the love of her life.

Natasha looked down, some hair fell in her face and that hollow feeling returned. Self loathing swirled in her head, and she looked at the floor.

“... I’m sorry.”

Yelena nudged her side, and she looked up to see her sister smiling at her, eyes red, watery, but warm. Fanny was too, her tongue lolling out in the heat.

“I’m not,” she told her, looking down, “I am sorry for how I treated… The ex, but I am glad I have you back. For however long, this time.”

Nat guessed that was a fair response, but damn did it sting. Fanny’s soft tail swatted against her knees, and Nat got to her feet. They watch her run down the park with a light jog, finding the frisbee and walking back to her sister and the dog. She tossed it, and Fanny caught the disc in her teeth, before giving Yelena a determined stare.

“... Call her.”

Yelena shook her head, standing up.

“She won’t want to talk to me…”

“You did, when I called,” Yelena looked up, “Didn’t think you would, but you did.”

She sighed, slipping Fanny back on the leash.

“... I was horrid to her.”

“And she loves you,” Nat cut in, “Call her.”

It shouldn’t be that simple, Yelena knew. Her words haunted her, tactically placed to push Kate away, and when that didn’t work she did all she could to distance herself. Sending her stuff from the apartment, blocking her number, cancelling their subscriptions and avoiding the places they used to go together.

She didn't know if she expected for Kate to chase her, but after week two, when Yelena had shouted at her to leave her alone, the younger woman had. Kate had said she still loved her, she would always love her.

… But now she was seeing someone else. She knew it would hurt this bad, and seeing it was the worst thing she had felt in a long time. But this was her right, to move on, to try and be happy.

If Yelena was in her position, she would never speak to Kate again. But Kate was better than her, too forgiving, too understanding. So very Kate Bishop.

“... Okay.”

Natasha seems content with that, her older sister's duties fulfilled for now, at least, and flips the disc one last time, giving it to Yelena, who drops it for Fanny.

“How are things with your… friend?” she mumbles, standing up with a small grunt, and Nat smirks, kicking her foot.

“That seemed difficult for you to ask.”

Yelena shivered, “Felt it, too.”

They both turn and start walking to the exit of the park, Fanny walking calmly between them. Nat shrugs, thinking about her friend. How after her revelation on her birthday, the two had become closer in Nat’s mind. They would sleep over more often, and for the past few days had even hung out without sleeping together.

Kate had tried to cook her pizza, but dropped it on the big reveal, and decided a calzone would do. Natasha saw a new movie she wanted to see and got it on DVD for them to watch on Kate’s couch, and they actually watched the movie.

It was too comfortable, and Nat knew she should run, that this was dangerous, but it was nice. What was wrong with things being nice?

She looks down when Yelena pushes the gate open, stepping through it.

“Things are good.”

Yelena glances up at her sister, and groans dramatically, pushing Natasha with a laugh.

“What?” she asked, and Yelena sighed, amused.

“... You have feelings for her.”

“No I don't."

Apparently, her lying skills could not fool her sister, who barked a sharp, sarcastic laugh and rolled her eyes with a loud groan.

“You so do, oh my god you stereotype.”

She could try to deny it, to Yelena and even herself. But what would that achieve? She had done it, she’d fucked up, fallen for someone who made it so easy to descend. She groaned and held her hands in a praying pose in front of her face, exhaling slowly, and dropping them with a cool, calm, and collected composure.

“...  Nuh uh.”

Yelena found it hilarious, pushing Nat with some more bursts of laughter, which Nat just stumbled back with, staring ahead with dead eyes.

“Knew it!” Yelena snickered, “So predictable!”

“I am not-”

A harsh finger on her shoulder.

“So predictable.”

Nat smacked it aside, “Shut up.”

They pass a kid with a bright blue ball on the street, which Fanny stares at but doesn’t go after. Balls were always Lucky’s thing, and she would just get them for him. No point now, really.

They get to a crossing, where Yelena walks over the road and Nat would continue down the pavement to her apartment.

“Are you going to tell her?”

“About the fact you think I’m into her?” She raises a brow, Yelena just nods happily, short hair flying in front of her eyes. It was a little longer now, she’d need a cut soon, “Probably not. She’s still pretty messed up about her ex.”

Yelena hummed, looking down at Fanny who sat at the lights.

“Well, if you’re making me talk to my ex,” she drawled, petting her dog and smiling at her sister, “you can talk to your friend about definitely liking her.”

Nat points between them, “I don’t see how that correlates.”

“You don’t?” Yelena pretended to look shocked, and then it ‘dawned’ on her, “Oh right, I forgot you were bad at school.”

“You asshole. I’m gonna go before you cross the line and I shove you.”

Yelena snorts, “Shove me?”

“Clearly you’ve never been shoved by me, it’s no laughing matter.”

The blonde laughed again, and rolled her eyes. She brought Natasha in for a hug, and muttered in her ear.

“You are such a loser…”

Nat pushes back and huffs, pretending Yelena’s snickering didn’t make her feel so light. She missed her, but damn was she a pain in the ass. 

“Goodbye, dear sister,” she drawled, breaking the hug and walking away, when Yelena shouted after her.

“Bye, stereotypical loser!”

She mutters under her breath and pulls out her cell, tapping on a familiar contact.

Natasha

my place?

Gold Dust

Natasha

actually that changed my mind

Gold Dust

don’t lie it made yo u want me more

Natasha

i hate you

Gold Dust

<3

omw

Yelena watches her sister walk down the street to her apartment, her phone in her hand, no doubt talking to her friend. She was happy, that was obvious, and any other time Yelena would have shouted some abuse at her from down the road, some parting words to embarrass her further.

But she was too tired, too nervous, to even consider that. She tugs on the leash in her hand.

“Come on, Fanny.”

Her dog sits by her side in the elevator and walks nicely at her side to the apartment. She pushes the door open and Fanny immediately goes to the box by the door, burying her nose in Kate Bishop’s smell and whining, tail drooping.

“Sorry, baby,” she tells the dog, locking the door and resting her forehead against the wood, “She’s still not home.”

Her dog huffed and trotted to her water, immediately drinking from it. Yelena dragged herself to the couch and flopped against the thick cushions. She stared at a hole in the ceiling, where Kate had launched a quarter and Yelena refused to cover it up.

“But it looks so bad!” Kate had complained, concerned, and Yelena kissed her cheek, pushing the frown away with her lips.

“It’s you,” she had told her, and Kate glanced at her, pouting, “I love it.”

Yelena looked down and pulled the cell from her jacket pocket. Fanny trotted over and jumped onto the couch next to her, curling up and flopping against her, head in her lap which she quickly started to pet, fingers dragging through her fur, and she stared at the contact.

DON'T DO IT

With hesitancy, she clicked edit, unblocking the number and changed it back.

Kate

Yelena didn’t know what she was expecting, maybe a flood of messages like Kate could sense the change, like she still cared after four months of silence.

Nothing comes through, she had to be brave, had to break the nothing she had created.

Her hand shakes as she types, hesitating for a long moment, until she closes her eyes and hits send.

Hey Kate,

If you don’t want to talk to from me, I completely understand, but I just had to try.

If you don’t want to, or if this message never even reaches you, that’s okay. I still needed to say that I’m so sorry.

Truly.

I’m sorry for everything, and if you’re open to it, I’d like to explain, but only if you want to hear it. I won’t push.

I just hope you're okay. That you're happy.

It’s Yelena, by the way. Yelena Belova.

She can’t bring herself to text anymore, to go any further, not yet. The message is delivered, but Kate doesn’t read it. Yelena put the phone on the table like it could burn her, and covered her head with her arms, groaning into them.

What if she blocks her? Reads the message and leaves her on read, tells her to...

But then her phone vibrates. Yelena snatches it up, flips it over and it's Kate. Calling her.

She sat up on the couch, and answered. Her voice wouldn't work, strained and trapped in her throat, staring into space with silence on the other end.

Until. 

“Yelena?”

She wasn't prepared for hearing Kate's voice after months apart. Once so used to it, hating that it was now almost foreign to her. Her hand shakes, she puts the cell to her ear, and wonders if Kate can hear how shallow her breath is.

“... Hey, Kate.”

Yelena can hear Kate’s breath, she can hear her swallow and exhale, composing herself, probably for the same reasons Yelena had been struggling with, too. She was outside, in the street, most likely frozen in place.

But still, she answered. She put Yelena first, again.

“... Hey.”

They’re something closer to strangers for each other now. It hurts. It’s her fault, she knows, but still it hurts.

The silence drags. Kate could normally fill any of it with her continued chatter, but now? Now, Yelena couldn’t blame her for the stretch of awkwardness. But then…

“... Are you okay?”

It’s so… her. It’s so incredibly Kate Bishop that Yelena’s eyes fill with tears, but she blinks them back, smiling at nothing, feeling the emptiness at her side more than ever before.

“Better now,” is her amazing response. A sound comes from her end, and it takes Yelena a second to realise it’s a laugh. Her laugh. Kate Bishop. Yelena’s lips pulled up for a second, she wiped at her face.

“How are you?”

There is a pause, she can hear the phone rustle on Kate’s end. Her heart is racing, thundering in her ears, so loud she almost missed her voice. Almost.

“Better now.”

Yelena fell back against the couch, and smiled up at her ceiling, the first of many tears rolling down her cheek.

Notes:

I know Kate's birthday is later in the year but let me have this for the drama of it all, please 🙏

Thank you all again for your love on the last chapter! It is absolutely amazing to see, and it means so much to read each and every comment, you have no idea how much joy it gives me

You can find me on twitter and tumblr if you want to scream at me, which I wouldn't blame you for lmao

Chapter 4

Notes:

sorry for the wait! life did that thing again, but this is extra long to make up for it!

Yelena paced the length of her apartment under the watchful eyes of Fanny, the dog remaining on her bed when her mom was in this mood. She knew better than to try to get her attention or play, especially when she chewed on her thumb, frowning at nothing as she listened to the voice on the other end of the phone she had pressed to her ear.

“So, we could meet up in a few weeks?”

The blonde sighs silently, looking around her apartment with an edgy energy. Uncomfortable, ready to run if need be, but still she speaks.

“Yes,” her voice is rough, and she clears her throat. “That should be okay.”

The woman on the phone pauses, giving her the grace to not comment on the awkwardness between them.

“Okay. I’ll make it up to you, Yelena.”

She can’t do this anymore; she is not a woman but a teenager, stuck back in time once again. Alone, afraid, angry. Her hand shakes, the rage bubbles, and her teeth ground together as her eyes water.

“... Sure.”

Before Natasha could answer, Yelena hung up the call, tossing her cell onto the couch and covering her face with her hands. Her normally calm and cool mindset had faded; she was exhausted, alert, terrified and… excited.

Confusion was the big one; she didn’t know how she felt, so she felt all of them at once. Overwhelming her mind and making her hands shake.

Natasha. Natasha. Her sister was coming back.

Yelena sat on the couch, her legs shaking, her mind racing, and a key turned in the door. Fanny looked up at her from the bed, a gentle whine growing in her throat, which Yelena couldn’t think about; she couldn’t think about anything.

Kate pushed into her apartment, grinning widely, a brown paper bag held by one arm and a Lucky on a leash in the other.

“Hey!” she announced, and Lucky barked right after, both sounds making Yelena flinch at the sudden volume. Fanny shot off her bed and trotted to Lucky, who rushed to meet her, and Kate let him, dropping the leash, which hit the floor.

Another flinch, one Kate didn’t see as she was rifling through her bag, kicking the door shut with her foot. Lucky bounced on the couch and licked Yelena’s arm, and she side-eyed him, opening her arms, for the dog to shove his head against her chest. She pouted, hugging him tight, when Kate stopped in front of her, pausing in concern.

“... Everything okay?”

She could tell Yelena wasn’t okay already, just from how she held herself like the weight of everything had befallen her shoulders and pressed her into the ground. Yelena’s eyes didn’t meet her own, and something settled in Kate’s stomach, uneasy.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” the blonde mumbled into Lucky’s fur, and Kate let herself fake a smile, shrugging a little.

“Not sure, you had your serious face on.”

Yelena looks at her, but she doesn’t smile, not yet, so Kate tries to move on. She knew better than to push Yelena when she was feeling like this, and instead shook her brown paper bag. 

“... Anyway, I got some supplies!”

The blonde frowned, “I fully stocked my kitchen.”

“Yeah, but you missed out on something,” Kate winked, pulling something out of the bag, “Hot sauce!”

The bottle is clear to show the thick red sauce inside, and the label has a blushing cartoon devil, with a bright yellow cap. It was her favourite, something she had never disclosed, but Kate had just noticed. She would always go to it when they went grocery shopping together, putting way too much on her food, as she had two nights before, when they had hot wings and watched some movies.

But any adoration at the recognition soured, twisted into something dark in her stomach, and she sighed, leaning away from the dog, who grumbled unhappily.

“I have some.”

Kate lowered the bottle, clicking her tongue and catching it in her hand, flipping it in the air once with a small smile.

“I know, but I noticed it goes out of date next week, and I saw it while I was out, so I thought-”

“That you’d found a way for me to owe you?” Yelena interrupted, and Kate froze at the tone, watching her sit up on the couch, elbows on her knees, hands together, jaw tight, “By buying me something I didn’t want?”

She was… angry?

Kate didn’t know why; her mind raced with things she could have done, but she came up empty. They rarely argued, but whenever they did, it was due to something else, so she mentally steeled herself, lowering the bottle.

“... No, I got it because I thought you would like it.”

“Without asking me,” Yelena’s jaw clicked, looking from the hot sauce and back to Kate, “Did you even check the sell date on it?”

“The sell date?”

Yelena scoffed, and Lucky slunk off the bed, joining Fanny on the floor.

“When it has gone off and is useless,” she huffed, standing with a scowl, “like you are being right now.”

She reaches out and snatches the bottle from Kate’s limp hand, immediately feeling irritation at the date she read, “Great, now I have until the end of the month to finish two of these.”

She pushes past Kate and to the kitchen, grabbing the brown paper bag as she walks, slamming it and the bottle on the tabletop. Kate shook her head, feeling her anger grow. Kate loved Yelena, but she wouldn’t let her talk to her like this.

The woman walked over slowly, hands clenching at her sides before she took a calming breath and let them go loose, leaning on the counter opposite Yelena, fingers clenching again, before she relaxed them, taking a slow breath as Yelena aggressively emptied the bag, stocking the shelves and fridge. 

“... Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

Yelena paused, her hand around a box of tea bags.

“Did you just call me, dude?”

Kate shrugged.

“I could call you something worse that starts with ass and ends with hole if you want?”

Yelena snorted, but without any humour, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, you’re so funny.”

Kate leaned on the countertop.

“No, I’m kinda pissed, actually. Why are you being such an-”

“Asshole?”

She shrugged, “Hey, you said it.”

Yelena slapped a hand on the marble top, the other crushing the paper bag down.

“You are the one being annoying,” she snaps, “I was having a perfectly normal day, when you show up with your dog and your hot sauce into my apartment.”

Kate nodded, taking it in, still not seeing the problem, which pissed Yelena off even more, waving her hand around.

“What if I had plans? Plans I had to put on pause for you.”

“Did you?”

Yelena rolled her eyes, “That is not the point.”

“It kinda is,” Kate argued, “Also, your apartment? Baby, I pretty much live here-”

“But you don’t,” Yelena interrupted her, “Not yet, I never officially asked you.”

Kate fished in her pocket, her key around her finger, which she spun around on her finger, catching it with a clink. 

“You gave me a key-”

“For emergencies,” Yelena shoved the bag across the table, “Does this look like an emergency?”

Kate let out a bitter-sounding laugh, “No, it looks like a way for you to start shit with me over nothing!”

She watched the other woman cross her arms, unblinking as she glared at her.

“So my feelings are nothing?”

“What the… of course not, Yelena,” Kate deflated, pushing her anger down and dragging a hand over her face, “You’re just being kinda weird.”

“I am being myself.”

Kate scoffs, “Been with you for over three years, not buying that.”

And she is right, Yelena realises. This is out of the ordinary for her, and Kate knows her too well to recognise it. She can see her, understand Yelena’s emotions, maybe even better than herself.

Other times, she would find peace in this. Some appreciation for how well Kate knew her, or at least a subtle comfort that even when she was lost in her head, there was someone who knew how to pull her out of the dark she lost herself in.

But Yelena didn’t need that, right now. This was different to a bad day; this was something she needed to deal with, by herself, alone, far away from people she could hurt.

What’s worse is that she knew she was about to hurt Kate Bishop, but she needed to. She had to be alone, and Kate deserved better than to be around her as she fell apart.

“I need some space,” she tried to tell her. “Can you please go?”

Kate understood, of course, she did, nodding slowly and taking a calming breath, easing herself away from the counter.

“Okay, sure, I can go,” her voice is soft, “Lucky?”

He quickly nuzzles Fanny and gets off the bed, trotting towards her, leash dragging on the floor. She picks it up and smiles at Yelena, words of comfort on her tongue, but she never gets to say them.

“Leave the key.”

Kate froze. Yelena wasn’t looking at her, finding a spot on her counter particularly interesting.

“... What?”

“Leave the key, Kate. Please.”

Lucky sank to his tummy on the floor, feeling the tension through his leash as Kate’s hands shook. Her eyes felt hot, sparks of something making them water. 

“Yelena, I’m not leaving the key,” she ground out around a tight throat, “What’s happened? Have I done something?”

Yelena crossed her arms.

“Do you think you have?”

“I don’t know!” Kate threw her hand up, the other clenched around Lucky’s leash, “You’re acting like this, so I…”

“Acting like this,” Yelena cut in, “what does that mean?”

She raised her voice, and Kate’s heart raced. She hated arguing with Yelena like this, with no goal in mind, just because she was hurt and wouldn’t talk to her about whatever made her feel like this. Even now, she didn’t know how to deal with it. She loved Yelena, but she knew how to hurt her.

“Yelena, please!” her voice almost broke, “Stop it-”

“No, you stop it!” she shouts, finally, slapping her hand on the counter, “I have asked you to go, so go!”

Finally, a tear fell, but it just made Yelena angrier at herself. Kate didn’t deserve this; she shouldn’t be here when Yelena locked herself away and ignored the world for a few days.

“Why-”

“I need space, Kate,” she seethed, “I need you to go, please go.”

They stare at each other for a long moment, not in silence as they are both breathing heavily, and the dogs are quietly sniffing, looking between them. Kate swallowed and took a long breath, stepping towards her a little, trying not to feel hurt when Yelenea pushed off the table and stepped back.

“... You can always talk to me, Yelena,” she stressed, but it did nothing to the other woman, “about anything and everything, okay? I promise you, if you’ve done something or… or if I have, please, talk to me. Don’t lock me out.”

For a moment, she thought she had got through to her, but then Yelena held out a hand, her palm up, fingers exposed.

“They key, Kate Bishop.”

Kate gritted her teeth together. She knew a lost cause when she saw it, and she would never do anything Yelena didn’t want, even if it meant her agony. She unclipped the key from her belt and tossed it at the blonde.

She easily caught it, hand fisting around the key.

“I am not giving up on you,” she tells her as Yelena shoves it in her pocket, pointing between them, “whatever this is? It is nothing compared to how I feel about you.”

Yelena crossed her arms, and Kate sighed, closing her eyes and walking to the front door. Yelena followed silently behind, and Fanny whined, making Kate and Lucky turn around, locked under Yelena’s heavy and watery gaze.

“... Goodbye,” the blonde muttered at the door, hand on the frame as Kate stood in the hall, and she had to ask. She had to know.

“... For how long?”

The blonde doesn’t answer, just stares at her, and Kate feels fear clutching at her chest. She stepped to the door.

“Yelena-”

She slams the door shut. Yelena drags the locks across and walks back to her bedroom, finally crying to the sound of Kate knocking at the door, begging her to let her in, her voice slowly petering out.

This is for the best, Yelena thought as she cried into her pillow; she deserves someone better than someone like me.

"Yelena, please! Yelena!"

Yelena sat up with a gasp, staring at the ceiling, feeling dizzy and disoriented. She groaned and ran a hand over her face, leaning a fist on her hand and holding her head up, quickly checking her cell.

It was just past eight. Good, she wasn’t late.

Yelena had been talking to Kate more and more for the past week. They’ve managed two whole phone calls and have been texting each other constantly. The depth and intensity of them were growing slowly but surely. They had a long way to go, but it was something familiar.

A whine made her look up; she could see Fanny’s shadow under the door. Yelena groaned and quietly got out of her bed, stretching her neck and rolling her shoulders, padding to the door.

“I’m coming, Fanny,” she called to the dog, “one moment.”

She opened the door, and Fanny whined up at her, closing her dark eyes when Yelena kissed her head. It made her tension seep away a little more and settle as nerves in her stomach.

She was seeing Kate today. They would be alone together, intentionally this time. No bumping into each other on the street, no standing outside her office building and shaking with nerves before leaving, feeling like a failure.

They were meeting. Today. At a beach, of all places.

She kissed Fanny again and stood up, idling to the kitchen for a cup of tea, then to the bathroom to shower, and finally to her bedroom to get dressed.

Yelena dressed in high-waisted ivory trousers which were cuffed at the ankles, a leather belt around her waist, with a fitted black sleeveless top. She matched it to black Converse, scuffed on the toes, and paired it with her golden necklaces. A few chains, rings, and earrings finished the look as she messed up her short hair the perfect amount, slipping some sunglasses down her shirt, and staring at her reflection in the mirror.

“You got this, Belova,” she told herself, jaw clenching, “You have to.”

Finally, the clock ticked by, and it was time. Yelena got in her car, which was a 1996 Rover Mini Cooper. It was red with a dent on the door, but she couldn’t part with it. The car drove well, and she got in it to drive to the beach she had chosen, and Kate had agreed on.

You got this, she repeated to herself, you have to.

The parking lot was mostly empty, a few cars here or there, but with room for Yelena to park overlooking the sea. It was a warm day, but this beach was less well-known to most people, so it was almost entirely empty. Yelena got out of her car and leaned on the bonnet, eyes glancing over the few people sitting on towels, someone throwing a ball for a black Labrador, watching it splash in the sea to chase it.

She was there for about five minutes when she heard the car, a soft rumbling engine slipping past the gentle breeze. Yelena took a steadying breath when the car stopped, the door slammed shut, and her ears peaked at the sound of it locking. She breathed out and slid off the front of her car, finally looking up at Kate Bishop.

She was breathtaking as ever. Kate walked towards Yelena across the parking lot, and the wind took a role in freezing the breath in Yelena’s lungs, making her long dark hair flow to the side like she was a runway model winning a fight against a wind machine.

She wore denim jeans, which she had also rolled to her mid shin, black and white Vans on her feet. An oversized Chunky Half Zip Jumper, zipped down to expose the collar and black long-sleeved shirt beneath. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, exposing her forearms, with her hands tucked in her pockets. She had her sunglasses on, the purple aviators Yelena had always known her to wear.

Yelena swallowed and pushed off her car, glad she didn’t see what insanity Kate had arrived in. She watched the news, she kept up on the company and was proud to see how well it was doing. A part of Yelena dared to wonder if Kate read her articles, and had no way of knowing that she did.

The woman stopped opposite her, smiling faintly, and Yelena walked to meet her.

“Hey.”

“Hey!” Kate looked up at the sky, smiling when a bird flew past. “It’s a… nice day, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, the weather's…” Yelena's jaw clicked, “Good.”

“Yeah.”

Kate slowly looked down. Yelena could see her fists clenching in her pockets, but she still gave her a charming smile. Something she used for meeting with clients and business partners. She nodded to the side.

“So, do you want to check out the beach?”

Yelena bit inside her cheek.

“No, I’d like to stay here.”

Kate’s nose crinkled, and she pointed at her, a breathy laugh between them.

“Ha, sarcasm," she clicked her finger, "I gotcha.”

They walk down a sandy path to the breach, across a dune with some long strands of grass somehow growing from the ground. Kate led the way, and Yelena trailed behind her, watching the back of her head.

She looked good, happy, healthy even. It was obvious that she had been working out more, probably eating less, and that alone gnawed at Yelena’s gut. She clenched her fists until they reached the bottom of the path, smoothing them out before Kate could see when she turned at the end of the hill.

“So, how’s work been?” She asked, turning with a small smile, and Yelena shrugged with a slight grin.

“Good, they posted my story this month.”

Kate nodded, eyes narrowing behind her glasses in thought, lips pulled into a small smile.

“… The one about the soldier frozen in ice?”

Yelena paused, the sand already getting in her shoes and bunching around her socks uncomfortably. It was that story, the one she had to work really hard to get all the information on, the soldier who had gone down in World War Two, only to be secretly discovered in 2011 and restored from his frozen state. Perfectly healthy, with untold secrets and the question of ethics being completely thrown in the wind.

He had run, found his people and tried to live a life away from the people who had already stolen his, but they hunted him relentlessly. He hadn't been seen for years, and Yelena was determined to prove his existence, to try and help this man she had never met.

“… You read it?”

Kate shuffled her foot, stubbing her toe on the ground and grinding her heel into the floor. She felt awkward; hell, Yelena did too, but she nodded at the floor.

“Of course I did. Read them all.”

“That's… huh.”

The waves crash somehow louder, and Kate scratches her jaw, turning to continue walking slowly towards the beach, Yelena trailing behind her.

“What did they think of it?" She asked, glancing back at her, "Your boss.”

They're side by side now as they enter the beach, the pale sand warm under their feet with the sun in the sky. Kate rolled up her sleeves, and Yelena was glad she had left her jacket in the car.

“Agatha thought it was a no-go to anyone who asked, but obviously supported it behind the scenes. Just to save face for the military if they pushed.”

“Did they?”

“Of course they did, but they could do nothing to me," they both grin at that, the Belova confidence remaining strong. She looked at Kate as they walked, "I kept up with your company, too. Congrats on the Richards deal!”

Kate beamed at the sky.

“Wait till you hear about the new one I just scored.”

“Do tell.”

“Well, it’s under lock, key and NDA…”

Yelena mimes a lock over her lips, and Kate laughs.

“Okay, okay fine. One word…”

She leans down, and Yelena feels her heart skip as her lips brush past her ear.

“Wakanda.”

“No way.”

“Yup.”

“You got it?!”

“Of course I did! I’m too charming.”

“Kate, that is huge. I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks, I…”

They’re interrupted by a strange sound, and Kate slowly turns, Yelena following. They see two people riding horses on a beach, guided by a man walking ahead. They weren’t going very fast, but Yelena took a half-step towards them. She loved horses, always had. Once they went on a vacation to Seville, and she spent half the time at the equestrian centre.

Kate had found it hard to control the horse at first, but she was determined and a fast learner. It became a… thing of theirs. They would vacation for long weekends and go on horse rides, finding peace in a comfortable silence, broken only by the clips of the hooves and slow trotting.

Yelena knew what Kate was thinking when she looked back at her, but her smile was so soft. 

“Do you want to go ride a horse?”

Yelena stands next to her, bumping her shoulder a little.

“Think we can ditch the guy leading?”

“Let me handle that.”

Handling it turned out to be approaching the owner of the company, haggling with her for two minutes, and paying to rent two horses for the entire day, with a little extra to go without a guide. Yelena genuinely didn’t know how Kate managed it, but if her first language was English, the second was business of any kind.

“This is Princess Blossom Megatron, Meg for short,” she says, gesturing towards the white horse, and then to the grey one next to it, “and this is Tod.”

“Interesting names.”

“Interesting horses. Who will it be, Yelena? Meg or Tod?”

She takes Tod, because a part of her wonders how long Kate would keep her joke up for, and also, Tod is just easier to remember.

They get saddled up on the horses, promising to wear the helmets, she is certain they'll hand off their belts as soon as they're out of view of the owner, and make to leave.

“Stay on the beach,” she warns them one final time, “They don't like the road. Too many people.”

Kate grins, gently rubbing her horse on the neck. It flicked its ear, tail swishing behind.

“Well, Princess Blossom Megatron, we have that in common,” she cooed to the horse with a silly grin, and the woman pulled a face.

“Her name is-”

“Thank you,” Yelena interrupts, “We will be around.”

The woman still looks slightly unsure, but with her wallet a little heavier, she can’t do much else. They walk out onto the beach with the horses, the first few minutes in the almost familiar silence. Broken by their slow, sandy trotting, the push of the water, and the clips of hooves.

“This brings back fond memories.”

Her hands tighten around the reins, and Kate flashes her a soft smile, “Saville?”

“And Cappadocia,” she hummed, leaning back on the saddle, “Which is your favourite?”

“Horse?”

“Vacation, that we… or anyone! Doesn’t have to be us.”

Kate looks over the sea, and her horse slows for a moment.

“… Upstate New York," she relents, looking ahead with a slightly blank expression, "Lake House.”

“Oh!”

“Oh?”

The blonde sat a little taller. Of all their experiences away, from Barcelona to Dubai, Greece and even Scotland, she didn't expect Kate's answer to be so… local.

“Yeah, just… that was our first vacation together, and you know, it was kinda…”

“If you say lame.”

“Not lame!" she laughed, and Kate did too, which calmed her heart for a moment, "It just… rained all weekend.”

Kate hummed, looking up. The sun caught her face, and Yelena almost dropped the reins in her hand.

“We had to stay inside. Eat boxed mac and cheese and play Monopoly.”

“I spent the whole time worried that you’d hate me by the end.”

“And the opposite happened.”

Kate meets her eyes, just when her horse rose a little taller on a very slight uprise, and they are eye level. She can see herself in Kate’s aviators, but imagines she can see her eyes, and wonders if she is feeling the same as she did. Hopeful. Nervous.

And for the first time in a… long while? Happy.

Yelena pulled at the reins, squeezing them a little and nudging the horse forward, pleased when Tod listened so well.

“But I do have a question for you, Kate.”

Kate swallowed a lump in her throat, blinked a little too fast and stared dead ahead.

“Ah, you do?”

“Do you remember how to ride, or will Princess Blossom Megatron let you down?”

The horse thrumped and stomped a hoof.

“I told you, she prefers Meg.”

“Well, Meg. Race you.”

“What?”

“Go, Tod!”

They charge ahead, and a pearl of laughter bursts from her chest at the sound of Kate spluttering from behind, her horse quickly catching up with her shout of “Princess- Meg! Go!”

They run, their horses keeping a very good pace with one another as their riders egg them on, between their snorted laughs and half-baked insults.

“You’re so slow!”

“You cheated!”

“I disagree.”

“You would!”

In the end, Yelena pulls on her reins to slow her horse, which Tod does with a grateful huff, turning around as Kate gallops past and turns Meg around, grinning at her.

“I think I crossed the line first.”

“There was no line, Kate. I just wanted to run. So did Tod.”

Her horse huffed, his tail flicking, nostrils flaring, and Yelena grinned, running a hand on his side. Kate didn’t speak; her words became lead in her mouth when the breeze caught Yelena’s hair, her cheeks flushed slightly red from the exertion, with a smug little smile and light eyes.

“... You’re happy you won, though.”

“Of course I am, I won.”

“Ass.”

Kate points between them, “If this were you, you’d be the same.”

“No, I'd be so much worse.”

Yelena winks, Kate can see it through her glasses, and her horse shakes its head, bringing her back to reality. Yelena tilts her horse to the side, and Kate follows her line of sight, finding a dune overlooking the beach.

“Do you want to go up there?”

“Lead the way.”

The dune is a little tall, but nothing too difficult to scale. They come to the top above the beach, overlooking the sandy banks with the people dots from the distance they had made. There were strands of green poking out from the sand, as well as two wispy trees.

Kate got down from her horse, leading it towards the tree in the small amount of shade it cast, and looped the reins over a branch. Yelena followed, hoping they were trained enough to stay put and not bolt.

They don't, and the two women take a few steps away. Kate sat first, falling back with a small grunt and no care for the sand on her branded clothes, and Yelena followed. Kate held her knees under her elbows, messing with her fingers as Yelena became a statue, staring out into the ocean, the breeze in her hair.

Kate clears her throat, and Yelena knows it's coming.

“When… When do we talk about it?”

The wind picked up for a moment. Not cold, but loud, a soft whoosh between them. Some hair fell across Kate's face, the crease in her brow as her gaze dropped to the sand on her shoes.

“... I was kinda waiting on you. Didn’t want to push, or…"

She smiled awkwardly. Yelena felt her jaw ache from how tight she clenched it. Her eyes stung; she blinked them harshly.

“Would you be okay with it?" she asked, almost begged, "With us not talking about it?”

Her fingers tap together. Yelena has to look away, subtly wiping her cheek on her sleeve as Kate speaks.

“Well, not really, but if that’s what you want.”

“It’s not, I was just…”

Surprised. She was surprised by Kate Bishop. Her calmness in this moment, her willingness to understand. Like the water lapping at the sand, gentle up close, turbulent when you search deeper.

Yelena relaxed her fingers, unaware she had tightened them into a fist.

“I want to. I think we both deserve it.”

Kate reached the side, her hand scooping up a decent pile of sand, which she scratched between her fingers, the course grit firm on her palm, letting it drop back down to the sand, letting it fall through her fingers.

“Well, if you're okay to?”

“Da, yes, yes I… hold on.”

Yelena shuffled forward, bringing a knee to her chest and holding it there. She stared dead ahead, finding a strand of grass pushing out from the thick sand.

“You remember what I told you about my sister?”

“A little, I know she kinda… Skipped town, when your parents...”

“Yeah. Well. She called me that day. We talked a little. She was planning on coming back to the city."

Yelena dragged a hand through the sand, up her leg and stopped at her knee. Her foot tapped. Her jaw clenched.

"She wanted to see me.”

Beside her, the woman leaned back on her hands, "Did she?”

“Yeah, she did.”

Kate sat further back on her hands, legs straight out in front of her, looped over the ankles. She pushed her sunglasses higher up her nose, frowning straight ahead.

“Not sure what I’d say if I ever saw her.”

Yelena laughed softly, “You would think she is attractive.”

“Not after what she did to you.”

She shook her head, “Everyone thinks she is beautiful-"

“You’re beautiful."

Her voice was a whisper, barely heard over the loud breeze of the wind. But Yelena heard. She sat up a little taller, turned her head, and risked a look at Kate's profile.

But she wasn't looking away; the younger woman was facing her, pushing her glasses up into her hair, glancing between Yelena's eyes with a near-probing intensity.

"… Inside and out.”

Silence. It stretched between them. Kate felt a twinge of awkwardness at her admission, despite them being so easy to say not too long ago. Yelena's jaw clicked. Kate wondered if she still wore her retainer to sleep.

“So… yeah, she called me that day," Kate swallowed and looked away at her words, "and I was so… angry I just…”

She shrugged, looking down and fiddling with her fingers.

“Well, you know.”

She saw Kate's hand clench into a fist, kept still as she exhaled, the heat growing from her.

“Why didn’t you reach out?" she asked through clenched teeth, "I’m a grown adult, Yelena. We could have talked.”

“I didn’t know if I wanted to." Yelena admits, "I had hurt you, and I hated myself for it. I couldn’t face you after that.”

“But I wanted to face you."

Kate turned, her hand on the sand between them, staring at Yelena's face even as she glared at the sand. She reached out, took her chin and gently guided her eyes up, meeting Kate's tearful ones as her lip quivered, an action matched by Yelena.

"… I wanted to talk to you, and you just ran away from me. From us. That… that really hurt, Yelena."

She took a deep breath, feeling her eyes sting with tears in seconds. She felt the tears build, and the first rolled down her cheek with a heavy exhale.

“I am sorry, Kate." She shook her head, lips twitching through the tears, "I don’t… I don’t know what to say.”

Kate's eyes watered, glaasy as she turned more intensely, sitting up on one knee a little to look at her, hand moving up to caress her cheek. The sand was rough, but comforting as Kate looked between her eyes. Blue and green.

“… Promise me.”

Did she not know Yelena would give her the moon if she asked?

“Promise you what?”

Her thumb caught a tear, wiping it from her face, and she gently shook her head.

“That if anything like this happens again? You talk to me. Do not shut me out like that.”

The blonde nodded, sitting up a little too, making Kate lean back so they were both facing one another, on their knees, the sun blazing above them.

“I promise.”

“I mean it, Yelena," tears filled her eyes once more, "If this happens again, then I'm…”

The blonde took a breath, looking out to the sea and preparing to hear it, to hear that Kate was tired of it. Tired of her. That her patience had finally drawn thin and was ready to snap, to break away and forget about her.

But instead, she scoffed, a sound which was similar to a tearful sob, and shook her head, dragging a hand over her face with a groan.

“… Damn," she groaned, huffing, "I was going to say that’s it. I’d be… Done with you, but I don’t think that’ll ever be true.”

Yelena looks up, swallows the tears thick in her throat and tries her best to smile.

“You’re not?”

Kate sighs slowly, “Hm?”

“Done… with me?”

The other woman stares. At her, into her soul. She reaches out, gentle as she clutches at Yelena’s hand, softly picking her up and running a thumb down the back of her palm, squeezing softly.

“Yelena, I never stopped loving you. And I don’t ever intend to stop.”

Then they're looking at each other again. In that way, which is so achingly familiar. Yelena can see Kate's pupils dilate just a little, and Kate can see how Yelena sucked in a slight breath.

The flecks of gold in her eyes, the freckles on Kate's cheeks. She squeezes her hand once again, flickering her gaze down to Yelena's lips, and this time watches as her breath catches.

Kate hesitates, then leans forward a fraction. That was all it took for Yelena to break her state, to lean up towards her, ready once again to give all she could to Kate Bishop, to lose herself in whatever the archer would give her.

Kate's eyes slid shut, and just as they're about to touch, Yelena finally allows her own to do so, too.

But then there is a scream. They both scramble to their feet as Princess Bubblegum Megatron rears back and jerks her head, kicking her hooves and tearing her reins free of the Kate had tied her to, on the end of it? A particularly mean-looking squirrel.

“Hey!” Kate shouted, stepping forward, “Get away from- AH!”

The squirrel had changed targets and snapped over to Kate, attaching itself to her head and running around in a blur of colour, up and down her body as the woman yelled and tried to get it off her.

“Get it! Get it!”

Yelena ripped a bush out of the ground and sprang at the squirrel, smacking it to try and knock it off, but ultimately missing. The squirrel, that is.

“I’m trying!” she yelled, and Kate yelped when the bush hit a little too hard, jumping up and jerking away.

“Hey!”

“It is a small target!”

But eventually Yelena gets it, softly scooping up and launching the squirrel off Kate’s body and onto the sand. It hissed and scampered away, leaving the two women breathing heavily, while Tod chews on the grass he had found, unbothered.

“That squirrel hated me.”

“It really did," Yelena agreed, dropping the bush, "Did you offend it or something?"

Kate shrugged and wiped at her face, “Maybe it had beef with Meg… Oh, shit. Meg!”

They turned in the direction of the horse and watched as Princess Bubblegum Megatron galloped away down the beach, both deflating a little.

“I knew Tod was loyal.”

"Can't fault her survival instincts, though.”

They share a look, and that’s all it takes. Kate folds forward with laughter, clutching her stomach as Yelena cackles at the sky, so loud and joyous that tears build in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks as they just laugh.

How long had it been since she was this happy? She knew the answer without much thought.

“Ow…” Kate grinned, her laugh petering out as her face suddenly burned, raising a hand to her cheek and flinching away when she made contact again.

“What is it?” Yelena asked, gently taking Kate’s wrist and pulling it down, revealing three small scratches on her cheek.

“I think that squirrel got me.”

Yelena grimaced, “Or me with the bush.”

Kate shook her head, pointing at the bleeding welts.

“No, I could feel its sick satisfaction. This was the squirrel.”

She couldn't help but snort, and the other woman gasped in faux scandal, which quickly broke into laughter. Yelena reached up, brushed Kate's hair out of the way of the scratches, her thumb just barely drifting over them, doing her best to avoid the blue eyes which so easily captivated her.

“Well, it doesn’t look too deep," her voice was rougher than she intended, and she fell to the gaze watching her every move. She practically sank into her eyes, breath catching once she did.

"… Do you want to go get it checked out?”

Her palm is warm on Kate's cheek. Soft and purposeful, gentle against her skin as she kept her close, kept her safe. Kate leaned against it, smiling at her as Yelena supported her head, hands finding Yelena's sides as they stood there, gently tugging at her shirt.

“No," she told her, "I’d rather stay here, with you.”

“Are you sure?” she asks, eyebrow raising. “What if you have rabies?”

“I can think of worse things.”

Yelena stands up on her toes, guiding Kate’s head down and kisses her cheek, right over the welts. She holds them both there for a moment, and secretly Kate is glad, because the taller woman had frozen entirely. She wasn’t sure she could move even if she wanted to, and she definitely didn’t want to.

Eventually, Yelena pulls back. She is looking into Kate's eyes. So close she can smell her perfume, she can taste the lemon in the air, can see her pupils widen and hear the breath catch in her throat.

“… Then we can lose our minds together.”

Kate's teeth flashed in a smile.

“Oddly poetic.”

“I am very poetic.”

“I remember," Yelena's hand fell to Kate's, and she quickly caught it, hesitating only a moment before lacing their fingers together, "I just missed it.”

Tod huffs, which ultimately breaks the spell they had fallen under. They pull apart with small, slightly awkward smiles, dropping each other's hands as they look out to the sea while the sun drags itself across the sky, painting it slightly with orange through the blue.

“Do you want to go find Megatron?” Kate asks, and Yelena hums with a laugh.

“So we're full naming her now?”

“Well, she got me in trouble with the horse lady.”

“Has she?”

Kate shivers, scratching the back of her neck.

“I can sense it.”

Yelena barked a laugh,

“Let’s go get her, need to get your money's worth out of these two.”

Yelena approached Tod and gently coerced him away from the tree, holding his reins and running a calming hand over his neck. Kate appeared at her side and held out a hand for her.

"M'lady?"

The blonde laughed and took her hand, standing up on Tod's stirrups and throwing her leg over to the other side. He grunted but stayed still, and she looked down, getting a firm grip on his reins.

"Didn't even ask to lead?"

Kate grinned and took her hand, "I know you too well to even try."

As though she hadn't said something so world-shattering, she took Yelena's hand and pulled herself up. She stopped snug against Yelena's back, her front pressed against her due to the saddle size.

Kate settled in place behind her, arms around Yelena's waist to stay upright. Her grip was firm, her hand lacing around her other and gripping her own wrist. Snug against her stomach. Firm, strong, familiar.

Yelena swallows the lump in her throat and turns to Tod, guiding him towards Megatron with a soft click, which he listened to, being guided after the other horse in an easy gallop.

The arms tightened around Yelena's waist, and the blonde did her best to crush her tears down. Behind her, Kate let them fall, resisting the urge to let go and wipe them away, as that would mean letting go of Yelena. Something she never wanted to do again.

⟡

When Kate had left Yelena that evening, she knew she had to call things off with Nat. Talking to Yelena had felt like breathing again, like she was her old self, happier, and she had missed Yelena so much.

Natasha would understand, but Kate was sure she would be fine with it anyway. This had been an arrangement for both of them, sure, and Natasha had been the one to set the boundary. No feelings, no silly romances. Natasha was better than that; she would probably just laugh and ask if she could sneak one last quickie in before Kate goes back to letting Yelena win her back.

Kate shook her head in amusement and texted Nat asking to meet her, feeling a little guilty at the dead text chain. Since the night Yelena had first texted her, their conversation had been a little dry. They sent memes and jokes, of course, but every attempt to meet up had been softly shut down. Kate was too tired, too busy, out of the country, anything but the truth; she was too afraid to talk about it out loud, that she was talking to her ex again, that she was letting the love of her life return to her.

Some people would call her foolish, Kate would probably agree, but still call Yelena back. She always would.

Gold Dust

hey, are you free?

Natasha

bookstore on the street with the pizza place

you know the one

Gold Dust

on my way

Kate read over the text again with a slight grimace. She was sort of dreading this. She still liked Nat, and she hoped they could remain friends after this.

The young woman slipped her cell phone into her pocket and pushed into the bookstore. She was instantly hit with the smell of well-loved books with worn pages, a soft light broken by a warm glow from mini light bulbs on the wire, and wooden shelves storing hundreds of books.

She immediately spies Natasha, standing by the far wall, looking at something on the shelf. Kate took a breath and slowly let it out, walking over to the other woman.

Natasha looked up when she approached, smiling up at her from the book, which she closed with a soft tap.

“Hey,” Kate whispered, feeling the need to stay quiet in a bookstore, which was probably the effect of libraries in high school. Natasha smiled softly and turned to face her, holding the book in her hands between them against her front.

“Hey,” she said, tilting her head just a little, “So, can I take a shot in the dark and guess you’re ending things with me?”

Kate laughed in surprise, eyes widening, “What makes you think that?”

Nat sighed, flicking through the pages in her book with an outward expression of lack of interest.

“Because,” she drawled, glancing up at Kate, “we haven’t hung out since you bailed last week, apart from when we got lunch that one time.”

Kate nods, “It was a good meal.”

“Yeah, it was. But we felt weird,” she pointed between them, “Am I wrong?”

Natasha was always hard to read, which sucked because Kate prided herself on being able to figure people out in seconds. A buyer or client could go into a meeting with her after extensive training in body language and communication, and she’d have them down to a tee in seconds.

But never Natasha, she could hold all the secrets in the universe behind a coy eyebrow raise, a smile hiding any sort of devastation brewing beneath the surface.

Kate thought she was good at reading her, but apparently, she wasn’t. She looked down and missed the flicker of Nat blinking, maybe too hard.

“... No, no, you’re not.”

The redhead stared at Kate Bishop, the woman she was determined not to fall for, and had somehow done just that. It was a cliché, of course, she realised she liked someone just as they lost interest if there was anything there to begin with. Rejection was a bitter taste to her tongue, acidic in the way it made her want to knee-jerk, insult this woman so she could come out on top, win the breakup despite being nothing more than friends if that’s what they even were.

But she was Kate Bishop, and she looked upset, so Natasha decided to try to make it easy for her. She would sit down over a bottle later, and cry over something she didn’t even realise she would care to lose.

“Okay,” she cleared her throat, swallowing the thickness in it, “So we’re finished?”

She could see the stress on Kate’s shoulders, “I don’t want to hurt you-”

Natasha laughs, giving a tight-lipped but still friendly smile, slowly shaking her head back and forth with a soft tut.

“You didn’t hurt me, Kate,” she tells her, tilting her head to the side, lifting her hand into a scissor motion and clipping her fingers together, “This is the deal we made. No strings.”

“I owe you an apology.”

She was keeping it together, but Natasha knew that would break the damn she had, hearing Kate Bishop apologise would make her cry, and she couldn’t have that.

“Keep it, you don’t owe me anything, Bishop.”

“I just thought-”

“What?” Natasha asked, her smile shrinking only a little, which Kate faltered at, “That you’d given me so many orgasms and laughs that I’d fall for you?”

The other woman took a step back, and Natasha knew she had done it. She’d made this easier for Kate, which is what mattered.

She has pushed her away just enough for it to stick, exactly like her sister.

“You’re being mean.”

“Runs in the family,” Nat shrugged, turning to put the book on the shelf and taking a second to compose her face once again, looking back at her. “But thank you, you know. For the sex and the jokes.”

Kate nods, looking down and scratching her chin.

“A man walks into a bar."

“Ouch,” they both say together and glance up to share a small grin. Natasha steps closer to Kate, taking her hand, scratching her face and pulling it away, standing up on her toes to kiss the area she had lightly scratched with her nails.

“But seriously, you were golden, Bishop,” she says, setting back on the balls of her feet and squeezing Kate’s hand, “If you want to be friends, I can do that, but I’m not stepping between you and whoever got that sparkle back in your eye again.”

A sparkle grew, but this was the start of tears building in her eyes. Natasha stepped into her embrace and hugged her, feeling Kate wrap her strong arms around her waist and hold her close. She was so warm, always so open. Nat knew she would miss these hugs, and idly wondered just when she had fallen in love with the idea of Kate Bishop.

“You helped me way more than I think you realise, Natasha,” the woman whispered against her hair, “I will forever be in debt to you.”

The shorter woman hummed softly, “I’ll send you the bill.”

They both share a soft laugh, not too loud to break the unspoken bookstore rule and pull back, but not too far. They are close enough that Nat can taste Kate’s breath, traces of some fruit she’d had for breakfast and toothpaste. Peppermint.

She couldn’t help herself and slowly moved closer. Kate didn’t move and closed her eyes just as Nat’s lips pressed against her own. It wasn’t anything heated, a soft touch, a memory of what they had, a whisper of what they could have been.

Nat pulls back with a small sigh, fingers dragging down Kate’s arms and settling back. The other woman slowly blinks her eyes open and smiles at her. It’s so gentle, and Nat needs it to end before she does something stupid and cries in front of her.

“We had fun, didn’t we?”

Natasha nods and finally lets her go.

“We did,” she tells her, “I’ll see you around, Gold Dust.”

Kate smiles one last time and turns to the door. She walks out with a slight flourish, her head down, pushing through the door so the bell rings once again. The moment it shut and she saw Kate walk past, waving at her through the glass, Natasha exhaled a shaky breath, turning back to the book and doing her best to ignore that her lip was quivering.

She takes her cell from her pocket and calls her second emergency number, it rang once and then crackled when it connected.

“Natasha?”

“Are you free right now?” she interrupts, making for the door and heading in the opposite direction.

“I’m at work,” her sister answered, “but I have lunch if you want to meet me for some food?”

She closed her eyes in relief.

“That sounds amazing, right now.”

Yelena meets her at some fancy café, shoving her lanyard into her pocket, and Nat pauses at the prices on the menu.

“What is it that you do again?” she asks, and Yelena glances up with a thinly veiled glare.

“Really?” she slapped the menu down, “I showed you so many articles.”

“... I was tired?”

Her sister huffs a heavy breath and picks it back up.

“I am an investigative journalist. Which means I can make huge companies shake in their boots and be paid well for it.”

Natasha agreed it was a good job for Yelena. Ever since they were kids, her sister had an incredible sense of right and wrong, and a fierce determination to make the world better wherever she could. While Natasha picked up a gun, Yelena took up a pen.

They truly were quite alike. Despite being adopted, born in different countries, and separated for ten years, their bond was unmistakable. They were a family, in the end. Blood didn’t matter. The waiter came and took their order, leaving a jug of ice water for them to have, which Yelena started to pour.

“So I have some good news…”

Her sister says it with a little wiggle, close to a dance but not quite, pushing a glass to her sister.

“I wondered why you seemed so chipper,” Natasha teased, “hit me with it.”

Yelena beamed a massive grin and sat forward.

“I’m talking to my ex, the ex.”

Natasha gasped excitedly, and her sister sat back with a laugh they both shared.

“Oh, sestra, that's huge!” Yelena nodded excitedly, “How’s it going?”

“The ice is still thin, yes?” she shrugged, unable to remove the smile even if she wanted to, “But it is good, I think. I am not sure.”

Natasha leaned over the table and took her hand, squeezing it.

“It’s amazing, Yelena. I’m happy for you.”

Her sister smiled and squeezed it back, just when the waitress brought their drinks, settling them down between them. Yelena thanked her when she walked off and brought the coffee to her lips.

“Thank you, she is pretty great,” she seemed so bashful as she said it, which made Nat’s heart feel warm. “How are things with your freaky friend?”

Immediately, Nat deflated a little, stirring a spoon in her cappuccino with a slight shrug.

“Eh, I think that’s over and done with.”

She tried to say it nonchalantly, but Yelena was her sister; she saw right through her and sagged a little.

“... I’m sorry, Natasha.”

“Don’t be,” Nat was quick to say, waving her hand and bringing the coffee to her lips, “it's not your fault. It was probably for the best, anyway. Mind-blowing sex doesn’t mean compatible.”

Yelena put her coffee down.

“That is why I got with the ex in the first place,” she told her, looking away with a fond smile, “We hooked up a lot and I couldn’t find it in myself to leave.”

“Gross.”

“I’m kidding,” Yelena snickered, “A little. She is also very funny.”

“It’s true, being funny is a great way to get in someone’s pants,” Nat mused, “You ready to talk about her yet?”

Her sister shook her head, leaning over the table a little closer with a wince on her face.

“I do not want to jinx it,” she tells her, “you know?”

Nat did, and nodded along, “I get it, don’t let fate mess with a good thing.”

The blonde laughed quietly, bringing the mug to her lips.

“Yeah, I think fate is on my side right now,” she mused, drinking, and Natasha sighed, stirring her coffee.

“Yeah, happy for you, sestra.”

But some part of her couldn’t help but wish fate could be just a little nicer to her, too.

⟡

A few days after the beach, Yelena was nervous. She paced back and forth over the carpet, past the couch and Fanny, who was watching curiously. Yelena couldn't even comfort her, because she was too busy gnawing her thumb in her teeth, staring just before her feet.

Kate was coming over. She was going to sit and talk and act like things weren't as painstakingly awkward as they were. Yelena had some things planned, talking points, a movie, and food if she was hungry. The box of stuff had been moved from the door, Kate's clothes stored in Yelena's closet once again. The photos were lifted back up, the carpet vacuumed over and over again, and the cushions plumped.

She didn't know what to expect, so she froze when the doorbell rang. She slowly lowered her hand from her mouth, her breathing quickened, and Fanny slowly stood from her bed.

"Zalyshsya," she mumbled, and the dog whined quietly, but did as asked when Yelena went for the door. Her hand shook, but she dragged the chain over and opened it.

Kate looked up from the floor, her long dark hair falling out from her face, and she smiled. She wore a baggy dark purple sweater and black cargos, a bright red leash in her hand, Lucky wagging his tail so hard it slapped her leg.

Yelena couldn't stop the grin on her face; it split her lips, and she gripped the door, brushing her hair behind her ear.

“Hey! You came!”

Kate gave a lopsided smile with a shrug, "Well, you invited me, so…”

“Yeah…”

The blonde looked down when Lucky bounced up on his toes, which made her uncomfortable feeling sink away, just when Fanny barked from her bed, dancing forward as Lucky pulled.

“Fanny!” Kate gasped when the dog pulled free of her hand and scampered past, bouncing with Fanny as they barked and thudded off one another, barking and licking at each other with their tails wagging.

“You brought Lucky!” Yelena beamed, holding the door open for Kate to walk in, which she did after a long glance around the front room. Mentally, Yelena winced; she wondered if their argument ran through her head as often as it did in Yelena's.

But then she grinned, kicking off her Converse, “Of course I did!”

She immediately dropped to her knees, and Fanny tore herself away from Lucky, her paws going over Kate's laughing shoulders, and she started licking her face. Kate snickered, her words muffled against the dog's fur as Fanny did her best to cover Kate in her scent once more, burrowing against her.

Yelena was in a similar state, as Lucky had taken barely a second to crash into her, his leash flailing around behind him as he pushed off her chest to run in a circle and bounce back to her, licking her face and shoving his head into her chest before running again.

“She’s missed you," Yelena laughed, finally grabbing the dog and holding him to her chest, kissing his head.

“I missed her, too," Kate nuzzled Fanny's ear, nodding at her dog, "And he is obsessed with you still. Little charmer.”

She eventually peels herself off the dog and makes her way to the couch with Kate in tow. The dogs bound off once more after Kate managed to rangle the lead off Lucky's collar, and they scampered away into the apartment. They sat on opposite ends of the couch, but Kate angled her body towards Yelena, and the blonde brought her knee to her chest, leaning her side on the back of it. Kate put a cushion under her arm, and Yelena hugged her own.

“Did you want to go get some food or something?” Kate asked, breaking the silence. Yelena nodded.

“I was thinking we could order in. Some-"

“Pizza?”

Kate asked it with a hopeful smile, and suddenly Yelena wasn't in her apartment; she was walking down the Lower East Side of New York, the bitter dregs of Winter fading into Spring, but still nipping at her cheeks as she ground her teeth together and held her bag close around her body.

She remembered being angry, a bad meeting at work where they declined her story and told her she was on a final warning. She was angry, humiliated and this close to accepting the job she had been offered at another paper, glaring at her phone and not at all paying attention, when she collided with someone in the street.

"Ah!" the woman had yelped, slipping on a persistent plate of ice on the floor, as Yelena also tumbled. The woman caught Yelena by the wrist, keeping the blonde on her feet as a white thin box slipped from her hand.

"Are you okay?!"

Yelena looked up at the woman, who had steadied the blonde in favour of her pizza, which was splattered across the pavement with a garish red streak. Pigeons immediately descended on it, and Yelena winced.

"I am sorry," she had said, looking up at the woman who still held her wrist in a soft grip, "I wasn't looking where I was…"

That was the first time she had seen her, Kate Bishop. On that random street after one of the worst days of her career, with a small smile and an understanding expression.

"… Going."

Kate had laughed, letting Yelena go but not moving away from her, shrugging her shoulders.

"I get it, it happens. Are you alright?"

"I just made you drop your dinner, and you're asking that?"

A slightly lopsided smile, and then, "Yeah, I am."

Yelena was done for from minute one. That's how she had found herself talking to this total stranger about her biggest agitations, after helping her scrape the sauce off the floor and shove the box in the trash, leaving the bread out for the birds.

They return to the pizza store after Yelena insisted on ordering her a new one, even as Kate said it was just a monthly treat, which unintentionally made Yelena more determined to do so.

She'd had a bad day at work; she could do something good.

Of course, as she would come to understand, Kate was an excellent listener. She let Yelena talk about her horrid day, and as they stood there in the dim lights of the pizza store.

"It sounds like you've outgrown this place."

"Maybe," Yelena had sighed, "I want to leave but… I don't know. The pay is good."

"I mean, yeah. It's hard to walk away from something comfortable, but it's only if it doesn't cost you what matters."

"... Did you get that from a bumper sticker?"

"It would be a long bumper," she winked, "I get that I've just met you, but I think we both understand that you already know what you want."

They had gone their separate ways that night, but Yelena couldn't get Kate out of her head. She hated that she never got her last name, and went to the pizza shop with her number to give to the staff.

Twenty days later, her phone had buzzed, and she unlocked it to a text.

UNKNOWN

How do I know this is even actually you?

Yelena

I got the job at the other place

Kate

That's amazing!!

Drinks to celebrate?

And the rest was history. She crashed back into her apartment when Kate rested her cheek on her fist, leaned on the back of the couch, and Yelena swallowed around her smile.

“That sounds nice.”

Yelena orders the pizza from the same store as Kate's exact order, which the younger woman watched with a small smile, only being distracted by the dogs flopping back on Fanny's bed and curling up together.

“They’ve missed each other," Kate mused, and Yelena nodded.

“Well, I’m glad they can hang out again.”

She looks up, willingly trapped by deep blue eyes, with her words dying on her tongue.

“Me too.”

And then they're just… staring at each other. The dogs are silent with their gentle snores, and Yelena's gaze drops down as Kate's tongue dashes out between her lips for only a second. She leaned her head forward a little, and Yelena lowered the pillow.

She ached for Kate Bishop. The woman was all she thought about, all she wanted, and who she missed so desperately every day. The feelings were mutual, and Kate had to clench her fist to not lunge across at her.

Instead, Kate took a breath, her nail scratching the couch.

"So, do you want to watch a movie?"

Yelena nodded, looking around the couch with her tongue in her teeth, "Yeah, let me get the… Huh."

"… Huh?"

Yelena pointed at the table in front of them, noticeably bare.

"… The remote was right there."

"You lost it?"

"Well, it was right there," she huffed, when a sound a little too close to a laugh made her look up at the other woman. "What?"

"Nothing."

Yelena sat up, "No, you're laughing!"

"It's just…" Kate's lips twitched. She shrugged, "… Who loses a remote in plain sight?"

Yelena scowled and shoved her hand down the back of the couch.

"Maybe it's between the cushions…"

They both lift their pillows and then lean forward with a thud, cracking their foreheads together. Kate groaned with a laugh, leaning back and holding a hand over her throbbing head.

"Ah!" she whined, and Yelena smiled, rubbing her own.

"Nice to see you are as delicate as ever," she sighed, blinking as Kate scoffed.

"I am super delicate, Belova. It's you who headbutted me!"

She drops her hand in disbelief, looking up at Kate with a shocked expression. Kate was still leaning forward, hand rubbing her head, when Yelena poked her shoulder.

"I forgot how annoying you were."

She meant it as a joke, but Kate opened her eyes, and she suddenly realised how close they were. Barely a few inches away, the other woman exhaled slowly.

"Yeah, well…" she whispered, because anything louder could break it, this moment they had fallen into, "I didn't forget anything, so."

She watched Yelena's expression soften, and it cracked Kate's armour. Whatever she had been unknowingly wearing to protect herself from this exact thing happening shattered just a little, because Yelena was smiling at her, and it was the most beautiful thing Kate had ever seen.

She didn't mean to move, not really, but their foreheads bumped again, gentler, more intentionally as they rested against each other. She saw Yelena's eyes close and took a sharp breath before she plunged herself in.

They crash against one another. They aren't graceful or slow, but fast and burning. Yelena kisses her like she was starved, and Kate like she was dying of thirst. Her lips slide against Yelena's, and she has seconds before their teeth click together, a groan shared between them, swallowing each other's heavy breath.

It was a rush, and a desperate kind of relief. Kate's hand found Yelena's cheek, brushing under her eye as she pulled back, feeling her fingers tug at Kate's sweater, kneading her sides and pressing into her. Her grip was tight, like she didn't want to let go, like she was too afraid to even try.

Kate jerks at the hand pressing between her legs, falling backwards when Yelena pushes her, falling on top of her and grinding her hips down across her pants. Kate gasps at the feeling, her head falling back with her mouth open, leaving Yelena free to kiss her neck.

"Kate," her voice is rough, building a heat between Kate's legs which Yelena pushes against as she settles slowly between them, "Kate, please…"

Kate tries to reach for her, but Yelena's hand takes her wrist. She tugs gently, forcing her arm down with a small sound. Kate lets her, going limp on the couch as Yelena's thumb drags across her palm.

She needs this, Kate realises. So she gives it to her as she nods. Leaning back, head on the cushion as Yelena rocks her palm against her.

"Yes," she manages, wrapping her fingers around Yelena's and pulling it up to the band of her pants, swallowing with a determined nod, looking up at her with lidded eyes and a half smile, "Do it."

Yelena doesn't need much more persuasion. She leans forward, capturing Kate's lips and sitting up on her knees, pushing her hand under the band of Kate's pants. The woman gasps, trying to pull at her wrist, which Yelena kept down with a look alone.

Kate swallowed and did her best to lower both hands back down, above her head. Yelena nods, and Kate feels a thrill at doing something right.

They rested on the couch, and Yelena slipped under the band of her boxers. There is a tight moment between them, Yelena looking down on Kate with her hair a mess, a halo around her face, leaning forward close enough so she could feel the hitch in Kate's breath as her fingers dragged low across her core.

Her own caught too, almost whining at the warmth under the pads of her fingers, slowly dragging them down, and then, painfully so, back up. Dipping in slightly, making Kate's hips jerk forward as it rocks up, soft against the precipice of her thighs.

Kate's hips jerk, her fists clench but remain still, and she lets out a harsh breath.

"Yelena…"

She forces her eyes open, just as Yelena gently slides back down, guiding her hand with her hips, pushing her fingers lower, closer to where Kate needs her the most, pausing just before pushing in.

"Do you want me?" she found herself asking, staring dead ahead at Kate's neck, teeth aching to nip at it, watching her pulse race, "Do you need me?"

Kate nodded, her breath deep and slow, fighting her urge to snap her hips up and instead ground her teeth together. Yelena watched the emotions dance across her face, her heart aching at the traces of love that were still so noticeable.

"Kate?"

"Yes!" She swallows, betraying herself and grinding her hips up against Yelena's palm, something which makes them both shiver with Kate's mouth slipping open. Her fists, still above her head, squeeze tight.

"Please, Yelena, please. I need you. I have always needed you."

Blue bore truth into green, and Yelena sank into her.

Kate arched, spreading her legs as much as she could, one leg falling to the floor as Yelena rolled her body against Kate's, kissing at her chin and breaking off with a groan.

"So…" she grumbled, slowly pressing herself in deeper, harder. Her teeth scraped against Kate's chin, and she immediately kissed it better, "Kate Bishop…"

Her words fade at the sensations she had worried she was never to feel again. Her warmth engulfed her, so wet and addictive she never wanted to go without it again. She whined in the back of her throat and pushed just as hard.

"You are perfect."

Kate's breath was speeding up, her sounds being met by Yelena's soft grunts, the scrape of her pants on the couch, a wet slick from between her legs, Kate's sweater bunching up on her shoulders as her slack jaw dropped sounds from within.

"Yel…" she shivered, "Yelena, I'm…"

"Yeah?" the blonde asked, breathless and burning, "Are you?"

All Kate could do was nod, and all Yelena could do was kiss her. Her cheek, her chin, her lips, as she rocked them both back and forth as purposefully as she could. The urge to see into Kate was high, but not now. This had to be slow; she needed it to be.

Kate clenched around her fingers, tight and soaked, feeling something slick down the back of her hand. Her walls quivered, and Yelena almost dropped her head, but she leaned back, watching Kate's face as her jaw hung low, her throat swallowing, begging words falling from her mouth.

She was close, so so close Yelena could almost taste it. She wanted to, needed to taste her, licking her lips and grinding her teeth, pushing harder into Kate as the woman sank open as much as she could, her moans loud, drawn out, and well missed.

She was so close, Yelena needed her to come, craved it. She-

Knock knock.

Yelena paused, Kate froze, dread growing on her face at the sound which made the dogs look up at the door. It knocked again, and Lucky barked just as Yelena's expression cracked into something regretful.

"No…" Kate whines, nodding at the apologetic expression on Yelena's face. She dropped her arms from around the blonde's shoulders, covering her head with a pathetic-sounding whimper as fingers pulled out of her.

"I am sorry," Yelena whispered, kissing her cheek and getting up, wiping her fingers on her pants and heading for the door.

"Tip them for their efficiency," Kate called from the couch, slowly getting her breathing under control as she scrunched her face in her arm. "Fastest damn pizza place I've ever heard of…"

She pulls the door open and smiles thinly at the man who had unfolded a pizza from his bag.

“Pizza for Belova?”

She nodded, “Tak, dyakuyu.”

He looks confused but gives it to her. Yelena tips him and shuts the door, turning to see Kate had stood with a stretch from the couch. Her cheeks were flushed, and she avoided looking at the dogs who were fast asleep.

Her hair was a bit of a mess, her sweater was too, and Yelena felt her mouth fill. She went to the kitchen, waving Kate in and shutting the door behind her, dropping the pizza on the counter as Kate leaned next to her.

"What's-"

Yelena didn't find out what Kate said, because she put a hand on her hips and pushed her against the counter, reaching up to guide her head down and kiss her again.

"What," Kate groaned between kisses, "about the…"

She didn't get to ask about the pizza, because she fell into Yelena's embrace. Her mouth parted under Kate's, and Kate responded without thinking. Their mouths slid together with a practised familiarity, one Kate had tried to forget, but Yelena never could. The sort you don't unlearn.

Yelena made a small, involuntary sound in the back of her throat, and Kate felt it like a hook in her chest, her heart thundering against her ribcage as Yelena tugged at her pants, pulling them over her hips and down onto the floor.

Yelena pulled herself away with the strength and will of a forgotten god, only to lean back once more to kiss Kate's neck, her collar, down her sweater down to her knees. Her tongue pushed against Kate's underwear, groaning at the taste and sound of the taller woman's soft gasp, rocking forward from the touch alone.

Yelena almost lost her mind, but she regained it. With her eyes stinging from tears she wouldn't let fall, she kissed Kate's thighs, pulling on her underwear until they, too, dropped.

She leaned forward to taste her, a hand in her hair as Kate sank into her touch, and Yelena pulled herself as close as she could, open-mouthed against the woman she could never not love.

The following morning, Kate was in the shower. Yelena wore one of her college hoodies, dark grey with a purple inlay, some underwear and nothing much else. Her hair was a mess, brushed back out of her face, but a mess of blonde, which Kate brushed aside to kiss her neck.

"Morning," she mumbled, still tired, her voice gruff. Yelena grinned and leaned back against her front, eyes focusing on the eggs she slowly prepared to perfection in the frying pan.

"Good morning," she hummed, tilting her head to the side for Kate to kiss her neck more easily, grinning at the feeling, “My work is hosting a family day.”

“Oh yeah?” Kate asked against her throat, kissing up to her cheek with a hum.

“It is basically an excuse to drink and dance," Yelena shrugged, realising then they were swaying. The eggs in her frying pan sizzled, and she leaned forward to move them around. "They want to involve us more. Make us feel like a family.”

Kate hummed, giving her one last squeeze and standing up.

“Weird.”

“It is," she sighed, and set the eggs on low, turning around to the woman behind her. Kate was smiling, wearing one of Yelena's slightly too short shirts so her stomach was exposed, wearing boxers. Her hair was slightly wet. Yelena's fingers found the base of her neck, playing with the damp curls. "Do you… want to come?”

Kate grinned, winked, “Do you want me there?”

She takes Kate's hand and pulls it to her mouth, quickly kissing her palm, “Yes… I do.”

“Then I’ll be there.”

Yelena smiles so wide she has to hide it, biting her inner mouth and making sure her smile isn't too beaming.

“Thank you.”

Kate put her forehead against Yelena's and stepped away, heading to the sink after pulling a glass from the cupboard. Yelena turned back to the food, moving it with the spatula as she filled it up with water.

It was nice, Yelena thought. Familiar, if terrifying. This felt like the past, before she had ruined everything. Too good to be true, she's sure. Even if Kate was willing to try… something again, it didn't mean everything was okay.

Long way to go, Yelena thought, shuffling the eggs around a little more.

“Does Jimmy still work there?” Kate asked before taking a sip, and Yelena shrugged.

“Unfortunately.”

“Urgh…”

“Don’t worry," she grinned, "he won’t talk to you.”

But Kate disagreed; the guy was tenacious in a way that was almost inspiring if it wasn't awful. She groaned by the sink, placing her glass on the side.

“No doubt he'll ask me out while you're off shaking hands.”

Yelena hummed and looked up, waving her spatula with a wink.

“Then just don’t leave my side.”

She looked back down, but could still feel Kate's smile aimed at her back from across the room.

“That is a tempting offer.”

Yelena hummed, biting on her bottom lip for a second as she shrugged as casually as she could manage.

“Besides, my sister is coming too. She will keep you company when I cannot.”

“Your sister?”

The disdain in Kate's voice was heavy and hard to ignore. Yelena looked behind her, and the woman was pouting, an angry line between her brows.

“Please, if I can forgive her, you can play nice.”

"Not sure that’s how it works…” she grumbled, and Yelena scoffed, turning her head towards the other woman.

“I think you’ll like her. She is as charming as you.”

“That I’d love to see," Kate sighs and pushes off the counter, taking a slow step towards Yelena, her fingers tugging at the blonde's stolen hoodie, "You know what else I’d like to see?”

“Your lead-up links to sex haven’t gotten any better.”

“Never had to improve them," Kate winked, and the blonde paused, her eye twitching a little as she looked up at Kate.

“… Hm.”

“What?”

“I’m jealous.”

“Oh.”

And that's all it took. Yelena kisses her again, but this time it is harder, feeling Kate's tongue pushing at her lips and slipping in with a soft groan, gently sucking on Yelena's tongue in a way that made her hands shake, before reaching behind her for the gas.

Kate turned it off with a click that made the eggs go silent, and Yelena whined into her embrace, sinking into it as Kate pulled away for a second.

Yelena takes her chin, opening Kate's mouth a little as she pulls her down, kissing her bottom lip and once again slipping against her mouth.

“Kate Bishop…”

Kate likes her using her full name again, and the eggs, just like the pizza, were quickly forgotten.

⟡

Natasha cast her gaze around the room with thinly veiled disdain. She was proud of her little sister and the work she did, but that didn't extend to the people she worked with. More than once, she had caught curious eyes following her, and she was fairly sure some people had whispered about trying to talk to her as she helped herself to the open bar.

Nat didn't know if it was Yelena's presence or her visible annoyance that kept them at bay for now, but she knew journalists. It wouldn't take long for one to risk it and bite the bullet.

“At least try to look happy to be here.”

She sagged a little in relief at her sister's voice, bringing the glass to her lips.

“What if I’m not?”

Yelena sat next to her with a smirk, “Then try harder.”

“I still don’t know why I agreed to come here," she sighed exaggeratedly, "What with your girlfriend being back in the picture."

“Not my girlfriend," Yelena is quick to correct, "and was it anything to do with the free alcohol?”

“Ah, of course,” she swirls her glass, “And for the chance to meet tall, dark and handsome.”

“How did you know she’s handsome?”

Nat shrugged a shoulder, “Educated guess. Is she still coming tonight?”

“She should be coming soon, let me check…”

Nat heard the faint buzz of Yelena’s cell just before she got it out of her pocket, saw her lip twitch at the notification, a small smile which didn’t spread far across her lips but did make her eyes light up. She slowly shook her head with a fond eye roll to her glass and sipped her whiskey as she sank in her seat.

“She is almost here,” Yelena tells her, and Nat nods, casting her eyes around the room as she taps away. It was by no means an interesting venue, brass bars and exposed pipes used as decoration to chase the feeling of something ‘rustic’ if she had to guess. The staff were milling about, in much more casual wear than Nat had expected, but still expensive. They wondered in groups, awkward partners laughing at inside jokes they probably knew about, but not well, not the same way everyone else did. Nat caught a few looks sent her way, some with envy and some with lust, which she just ignored.

A part of her betrayed herself, and she wondered what Kate would think of this. Of the forced laughter from employees and secret conversations between partners and friends. She would probably think it was funny, smirk over her glass and catch her eye, winking before insinuating that they go somewhere private, or at least with a locking door.

The alcohol burned her throat, past the sting in her eyes when Yelena scoffs and locks her cell with a fond familiarity, laughter barely heard over the soft music playing from the speakers.

“Kate Bishop, so funny…”

Her voice whispered, an afterthought to herself which Natasha caught onto, blinking her eyes open and snapping her gaze to her sister.

“What was that?”

Her voice was sharper than she intended, but Yelena didn’t seem to notice, waving her cell and shoving it into her pocket.

“My ex, well, not anymore… I think?”

Yelena waves her hand, looking almost nervous as she glances around the room, to the doors at the front where people were still idling through, Yelena’s coworkers with their partners, some alone, but all excited and immediately beelining to the bar. Her sister tucked some hair behind her ear and looked back at her sister with a lopsided and bashful grin.

“It does not matter. Anyway, she is very funny.”

“What is her name?”

Her eyebrow raised, “Kate Bishop.”

Natasha sat up as Yelena settled next to her once again, hand on the arm of her chair, jaw set as hurt struck her chest. The fact that Yelena knew Kate’s name was one thing, but to use it? To try to upset her?

“... Are you fucking with me?”

Yelena laughed, a scoff really, and narrowed her eyes a little.

“What?”

“Are you fucking with me?”

It wasn’t a question; it was perhaps too loud, as someone walking passed paused and looked over their shoulder at the sisters, even as Yelena frowned but still laughed once more. 

“No!”

Something like led settled in her gut.

“... Your girlfriend is Kate Bishop?”

Yelena looked away, rubbing her neck under her ear and grimaced with a slight blush.

“Well, as I just said, I don’t know the labels or anything-”

“Yelena.”

Her jaw clicked, and Natasha gripped the arm of her chair. A daunting wave of no, no, no settled over her and started to crush her spine. Her head hurt, her nails hurt, and her heart raced.

Yelena nodded.

“Yes,” a shot through the chest, “her name is Kate Bishop.”

No.

“Prove it.”

The words are out of her mouth before she can question the choice to say them, swallowing as the blonde smirked a little, sipping her drink.

“What, are you a little star stuck?”

“Sestra.”

Something in her voice made Yelena sigh and take out her cell once more, unlocking the blank lock screen and going to the photo album, a private one she had to type a code into to access.

“Fine, you are so weird,” she mumbled, turning the cell around, “Here.”

It was her. Kate. Hugging Yelena’s dog on her couch, the couch Nat had sat on. The one she had sat on while texting her, texting Kate to meet up, to forget their exes and fuck each other senseless over and over again.

Her sister’s ex-girlfriend. The girlfriend, the one she was still in love with.

Kate Bishop.

The phone was taken from her limp hand as Yelena’s breath caught and she turned. Nat saw the smile she could barely register, she could barely think or speak, and she was in shock.

Kate Bishop.

“She’s here.”

Nat followed her gaze as the body walked into the room, immediately getting the attention of every reporter present, and some more than a little appreciative of her three-piece suit, jacket over her arm, tie slightly loose, with her hair tidy, falling in gentle ringlets around her face.

Blue eyes glanced around the room, lighting up at the sight of Yelena, before they saw Nat. Then they froze, then they filled with confusion, and finally, fear.

Oh great, Nat thought as Kate's hand raised and she awkwardly waved, which Yelena returned and gestured for her to come closer, unaware that Kate was frozen, staring at Nat with an utterly gobsmacked expression.

Nat waved back and did her best not to voice the words running through her head.

We're fucked.

Notes:

... damn
Thank you for reading! This took a long time to write, so I hope you enjoyed it!

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