Chapter Text
The wind on the roof carried the smells of the city, like freshly baked pizza from a corner joint below, warm asphalt, and the faint sting of exhaust in the air. Kate’s roof had become something of a sanctuary, a place where the world felt distant and she could think clearly. She had built it into her own training ground, with targets attached all around the roof, old mats for takedowns and falls, and a bag of arrows that had seen better days. To practice long range, she had also hung archery targets on the neighboring houses around, a challenge that required both precision and patience, especially when she had to retrieve the arrows.
Two dogs lay at the edge, resting, as if guarding the place after hours of play and exercise. Lucky, the one-eyed golden retriever, stretched out across the rug he lay on. While Fanny, an American Akita, lay close beside him, slightly irritated at being disturbed by his stretching. Their presence gave the roof a sense of home, a quiet companion during the hours Kate and Yelena spent there.
In the middle of the calm stillness, Yelena raised her bow again. Kate stood a little to the side, arms crossed, while Yelena aimed at the target further away. The arrow flew away, hit the edge, and bounced away. Lucky lifted his head from his blanket, as if to judge.
"That... could have been worse," Kate said, trying to sound encouraging.
"I call it strategic diversion," Yelena replied dryly. "The enemy thinks I missed, then… surprise."
Kate smiled to herself. She already knew that Yelena missed on purpose sometimes. She could tell by the grip, the way she raised her elbow just too much, as if she wanted Kate to come over and correct her.
She pretended to sigh. "Okay, come on. One more time."
Yelena pulled the string back. Her shoulders were tense, the movement powerful but uncontrolled. The arrow shot away and missed again.
Kate walked slowly forward. "May I?"
Yelena let her. Kate stood close, almost behind, placing one hand on Yelena's forearm and the other on her back to adjust the angle. Her fingers followed the muscles slowly, without haste.
"You don't have to fight the bow," Kate said softly. "Let it do the work."
She felt Yelena exhale, her shoulders lowering slightly.
“Like that?” Yelena asked softly.
"Exactly."
This time Yelena let go of the string and the arrow flew almost straight into the center. There was a dull, powerful ‘thunk’ as the arrow hit its target. Kate smiled, unable to stop it.
"Nailed it, just a little outside the bullseye."
"Because you distracted me," Yelena said, a smile playing across her lips. "Totally unfair."
"Distracted you? I'm just trying to be an educational trainer."
"You're standing way too close to be educational."
Kate raised her eyebrows, leaning forward, the glint still in her eyes. "Is this better or worse?"
Yelena laughed quietly. "You're playing with fire, Kate Bishop."
Kate leaned her chin against her shoulder, the smile still there but her voice lower now, almost a whisper. "Maybe. But it's hard not to when the fire is so warm."
She felt Yelena take a slow breath, almost imperceptible, but enough for Kate to notice. There was something in the air, a moment that didn't quite know if it wanted to become something more, or just stay right here.
The warmth between them wasn’t just physical. There was something about Yelena, the way she stood still when everything else in the world was moving, the way her presence always carried both strength and sadness. Kate had tried to understand that, as she tried to understand everything else. She had analyzed Yelena’s movements, her tone of voice, her silences, as if there was a pattern to find, a code to crack. But every time she landed in the same place.
It couldn't be done. Because this wasn't something you could figure out. It was something you had to feel.
Yelena is my fire. She thought. Still dangerous, but not the one that burns up. The one that keeps the darkness away.
Kate let her arms slide around Yelena's waist. The movement was natural, like a silent agreement that had always been there. With Yelena's back to her front, she felt her breath against her chest. And even though it was an everyday thing for both of them, it filled Kate with a warm relief. That Yelena allowed it, that she demanded it as much as Kate did.
Around them, the city lay at dusk with a muted orange glow. The light from streetlights and neon signs danced across the metal of the roofs, and the wind carried the sound of a distant subway train and honking cars. Everything felt strangely far away, as if the world had slowed down just for them.
Kate carefully turned her head, her cheek brushing against Yelena’s. She let her lips rest against her skin, not a kiss, more a quiet affirmation, I am here, and I want to be close.
She felt Yelena react, a small, subtle tilt, barely noticeable, that told her that Yelena wanted her to continue. Kate smiled quietly to herself against her skin and began to leave small kisses on her neck.
The wind tugged at their hair, night slowly descended over the city, and Kate wished they could stay in this stillness for a moment longer, before the world and all its demands found them again. She moved her soft kisses up to Yelena’s jaw and then cautiously approached her lips, leaning back to meet Yelena’s gaze. Her heart beat faster, a warm fluttering sensation filled her chest, and she became aware of Yelena’s calm breath against her skin. The look in Yelena’s eyes was both playful and gentle, and as they leaned towards each other, it was clear that their lips would soon meet.
And just then, a familiar 'thwip!' was heard, followed by a thud on the roof and a "Hello!"
Peter Parker, in his full Spider-Man outfit, sat on the edge of the roof just behind them.
Kate flinched. Yelena hissed something in Russian and turned to him with a murderous glare.
"Oops! Am I… a little early?" he said, a little embarrassed.
Yelena let out a slow sigh. "Yes, very much."
Kate rolled her eyes a little, but couldn't help but smile. Now it was time for this weekend's patrol with Peter...I'm already looking forward to it being over. She thought. Couldn't I just get a little more time with Yelena, before the world demands my attention again?
"Peter! We've talked about timing! There are… clocks for that," Kate said with a laugh in her voice.
"Yeah, but we have patrol in ten minutes, and I was thinking… you know, punctuality!" Peter replied.
Yelena crossed her arms and glanced at him with a small grin. "Always in the right place at the wrong time, huh?"
Peter leaned down and muttered something about "aggressive energy in the room."
"I'll be there soon. Go and... climb something," she said.
"That's actually my whole thing," he said before disappearing over the edge.
Kate couldn't help but smile even more, despite the interruption. He always does everything his way…
Kate turned to Yelena again and placed her hand on her cheek.
"Sorry. You know how he is."
"I know. And I know what you're like," Yelena said softly. "The hero, who always has to help."
Yelena handed the bow to Kate, and the warmth of their contact remained in her hands. Behind Yelena's gaze, there was both concern and trust.
Kate walked over to the edge of the roof and retrieved the quiver of arrows that had been leaning against the railing, ready for the patrol. She paused to brush her fingers over the dogs resting nearby before strapping it over her back. When she was done, she turned to Yelena and pulled her into a final, silent embrace.
"I'll be back soon. I promise."
"I'm waiting for you," Yelena replied softly, and their hands found each other. Kate leaned in for a quick, soft kiss before letting go, holding the bow firmly in her hands and taking a step towards the edge. With one last smile at Yelena, she pulled her grappling hook from her belt, braced herself, and jumped over the edge.
She could hear Yelena's voice calling after her. "Poser!"
The sounds of the city hit her as soon as she and Peter landed on the next rooftop, sirens, distant voices, night air biting her cheeks lightly. She pressed the earpiece.
"Communication check," said Kate.
“Check. And hey, if your girlfriend is mad because I interrupted you two…” His expression turned genuinely worried. “Can you promise me you won’t leave me alone with her?”
Kate gave a mischievous grin. "Oh, I don't know… maybe I'll let her teach you a lesson anyway."
Kate hears him mutter, “I’m so dead…” and she laughs out loud.
They moved along the rooftops, looking for signs of activity. Kate loved the rhythm, the freedom, but in the middle of it all, Yelena's words gnawed at her head, "The hero, who always has to help." She thought about how she always tried to be on top, to please everyone, her leadership of the Young Avengers, the responsibility of Bishop Security, Yelena… all at the same time. The pressure was almost constant, and she felt how it could easily take over.
Kate's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of several cars honking their horns. She looked down over the edge of the roof and saw an elderly woman standing in the middle of the crosswalk, her walker stuck in a pothole, while cars honked angrily around her.
"This time it's actually your turn," Peter said.
"Yes, I know," Kate replied, lowering herself from the roof, she made her way out onto the road and lifted the walker up, gently taking the woman by the arm and leading her across the street.
“Did it go well, ma’am?” Kate asked.
"There are so many superheroes, but none who help old ladies," the woman said.
"And that's where I come in." smiled Kate.
The woman chuckled softly. “Well, thank you, young lady. You’re a rare one.”
When she left the woman, she heard Peter's voice in her earpiece. “You know, with so many elderly people we've helped across the street, we should get a big prize for it.”
"I don't think it gives points in the old Avengers league, unfortunately," Kate replied.
“No, but it should. Big things always start small, you know?”
She sighed, but couldn't help but smile. Peter was right, sometimes.
Just as Kate was about to answer, a dull roar was heard, like an explosion far away. The ground beneath her feet shook.
“Did you hear?” Peter asked.
"Maybe tonight is our night," Kate replied.
"Be prepared, here I come!" Peter shouted.
"No, wait, I—"
Peter swung past, taking Kate with him. She screamed, a mix of adrenaline and nerves about both the swing and what awaited them.
“Oh, I really need to eat more before patrol… swinging takes so much energy!” Peter shouted over the wind.
“Do you have to talk about calories in the middle of this, Webhead?” Kate muttered, half laughing and half annoyed.
“I’m just trying to make small talk! I can’t stand the silence!” Peter yelled back.
“Be quiet for a second. I’m trying to listen,” Kate said, raising her hand to her earpiece. She pressed it closer to her ear, tuning in to the police radio to catch any updates on what awaited them.
Then she spoke, relaying what she heard “Energy outburst near the bank on 47th Street.”
They swung between buildings, the wind whipping around them and the city lights becoming a blurry stream beneath their feet. Peter steered skillfully, and even though Kate hated being "lifted" by Spider-Man, she couldn't help but feel safe.
When they finally landed on the street in front of the bank, the calm hit them like a wave. The darkness of the night enveloped the place, and for a moment it felt almost surreally quiet, something felt wrong. A few passersby had stopped, curious about the bang and the rapid movement above, as Spider-Man swung by. A handful of people crept up behind parked cars, whispering and with mixed feelings of fear and fascination.
Kate turned to Peter. "Do you see anything special?"
“Let's see…” His white eyes lit up in a light blue tone. “Heat signature. I see a large energy source growing, someone charging something large,” he muttered. “And since you’re here, I guess it’s not you heating leftovers this time.”
Kate rolled her eyes at his joke.
Three seconds later, the night exploded.
A shockwave of energy caused windows to shatter several blocks away. Kate dove behind a car, her ears ringing. Through the smoke she saw him, Shocker.
He stood in the opening he had just blown open in the bank's facade, his energy gauntlet pulsing yellow and sparkling faintly. Thin wires extended from the gauntlet over his arms and attached to various parts of his body, like a web of mechanical veins carrying energy through him. His face was completely hidden behind a yellow robber's cap, with designer goggles that reflected the light of the streetlights. He wore a brown leather jacket, and slung over his back was a gym bag that looked like it held more than just workout clothes. Every movement radiated control and danger, and the sparking details of his gauntlets lit up the otherwise dark block.
Kate reacted with lightning speed, she saw people running away in panic and gave Peter orders in a calm but sharp tone. "Take care of civilians and keep them out of danger!"
She turned back to Shocker and analyzed his movement patterns. She noticed that the gauntlets were now starting to glow brighter than before and realized that he needed to recharge them after using them. She watched as he swatted a car that was barreling straight toward him, the vehicle flew into the air and Spider-Man was there to cushion its fall with his web. Kate assumed Peter had the civilians under control, which gave her the chance to focus on Shocker.
She watched as he tried to reload the gauntlets, but they still glowed as faintly as they had after he smashed the wall. She quickly pulled out a trick arrow, the putty arrow. She aimed and fired at the gauntlets as he brought them close together. The arrow's gooey substance interfered with the equipment, and the gauntlets got stuck together. Shocker became frustrated and tried to use them, but since they were not sufficiently charged, they could not be broken free yet. He looked around, searching for whoever was stopping him.
Kate ducked behind the car and called Peter over their comm channel. "He's going to cause too much damage here, we have to move him!"
"I saw a construction site a block away," Peter replied.
"Okay, that sounds good. Swing ahead and get the civilians out of the way, and I'll lure him in," Kate said.
"Already on the way," Peter replied.
Kate followed his movement with her eyes, analyzing which direction he swung, and thinking about how best to get Shocker to follow her. A little irritation usually makes one careless, she thought.
She loaded the bow with a new trick arrow, ready to put the next step in the plan into action.
Kate stepped out from behind the car and revealed herself to Shocker. "Stuck in a sticky situation, I see!" she shouted.
Shocker turned to her and his gauntlets were almost fully charged, he would surely use the pulse to free them from the goo. Kate took a deep breath, waited for the right moment, and released the arrow.
As Shocker's gauntlets fired an electronic pulse to burn away the goo, her arrow hit the wall behind him, sending out a shockwave that hurled him forward. Hand in hand with the chaos, the gauntlets broke free, but he never had time to catch himself in the fall and landed face first. His goggles cracked on impact and now sat crooked across his face.
"That must have hurt," Kate said, grimacing.
"You'll get that for that!" Shocker hissed, pulling off his goggles and slamming them down on the asphalt with a small thud.
Kate looked at him with a mocking smile. "And here I thought your stuff was dangerous… looks like cheap junk," she teased.
Shocker scrambled to his feet and let out a roar. “I’m going to smash your skull in!”
“Could you repeat that, but with a little less ‘just-faced-planted-into-the-ground’ energy?” Kate shouted, already moving in the direction Peter was swinging.
Shocker lunged after her, screaming with rage. He raised one hand and unleashed a short electric shockwave, but it was underpowered. Kate ducked effortlessly, laughing loudly to taunt him even more.
"Did you miss? Embarrassing!" she managed to shout before the next attack came.
Shocker struck with his other hand, sending another shockwave toward her. Kate rolled away at the last moment, feeling the blast slam into the asphalt where she had just been runing. She grinned to herself. His anger made him careless, just as she had hoped. Now she knew how long the gauntlets needed to recharge between each attack for minimal damage.
She ran further down the street, keeping him just close enough to keep his focus. When she figured out that he had almost finished reloading the gauntlets, she grabbed another trick arrow from the quiver. She glanced back quickly and saw that he was about to strike again.
"Perfect." she muttered and shot.
The arrow shot past him and erupted in a blinding flash. Shocker stumbled forward, disoriented, and the shockwave he tried to fire slammed into the ground sideways, rattling the entire street.
"Oh, you didn't see it coming, did you? You didn't see anything at all, it seems!" Kate shouted and kept running.
His frustration grew, and Kate took full advantage of it. She led him like a skilled hunter leads his prey, step by step, blow by blow, toward the construction site. There stood the skeleton of a four-story building, the walls still in place but the roof, doors, and windows missing. Steel beams jutted out into the night like ribs, and scaffolding wrapped around the facade. It was perfect, no risk to civilians. Just concrete, metal, and enough space to let Shocker unleash his fury without anyone getting hurt.
Peter landed right next to her as she entered the construction site.
"What's the plan now?" he asked.
"I haven't had time to think that far yet," Kate replied shortly.
“He seems very angry. What did you do to him?” Peter wondered.
"I tried your tactics, irritating into submission," she said, giving him a quick glance.
"Yeah, that's always the best part." he replied with a laugh in his voice.
Shocker jumped into the workplace with extra speed after a pulse from the gauntlets and landed with a thud.
“Do you think we can get the gauntlets off him? Can you get close enough to take them?” Kate asked.
"I can try," he replied.
As Peter swung up and landed on Shocker's back, a powerful electric shock went through his entire body. The pulse knocked him off balance, and he was thrown backward, landing hard on the ground with a groan of pain.
“Are you okay?!” Kate shouted.
"I'd rather not do that again," he groaned, trying to get up.
Kate saw his white eyes flicker, like when he activated his heat vision, but this time the light flickered erratically.
"Oh no," she heard him mutter before swinging away again, but his movements were clumsy, far from the controlled agility she was used to.
“What's going on?” Kate asked into the comm radio. No answer. Just static.
As Spider-Man swung out of reach, Kate hid behind one of the unfinished buildings. She quickly ran through her mind what trick arrows she had left. She had already used one putty arrow, a sonic trick arrow and a flashbang arrow. What remained was a magnetic arrow, a smoke arrow, another putty arrow and an electric arrow.
The first arrows were perfect for misleading and distracting, but the last, the electric one, was the only one that could do any real damage. The problem was that Shocker himself used electronics for both protection and power, making it largely useless against him.
She began to sense movement out on the construction site. Spider-Man looked disoriented, his swings more jerky than usual, and Shocker saw his chance. With a roar, he sent a massive shockwave that hit Peter squarely in the side. He flew through a half finished wall and hit the ground with a loud thud.
Without hesitation, Kate fired a smoke arrow. A thick cloud of gray smoke quickly spread across the area, obscuring her vision and buying her a few precious seconds. She rushed through the smoke, grabbed Peter where he lay, and pulled him into one of the unfinished rooms of the building, out of Shocker's line of sight.
“Are you okay? What happened out there?” she asked worriedly as she helped him lean against the wall.
“I don’t know,” Peter replied, taking a deep breath. “The electric shock… it short-circuited the suit. I can’t see anything, the heat sensor’s completely gone haywire. Everything was just… blending together, I could barely tell what’s what.”
They sat in silence for a moment. The sound of metal scraping against concrete echoed from the other side of the building where Shocker was moving. Suddenly, the blue hues in Spider-Man's eyes stopped flickering, and the white lenses returned to their normal appearance.
"Perfect," he muttered dryly. "Now all the equipment died... At least I can see again."
Kate turned to Peter and stared at him for a moment before she suddenly had an idea. She gently grabbed his face.
“I have an idea, but I don’t know how well it will work,” she said.
“What are you thinking?” he asked curiously.
"An electronic shock shorted out your suit. What do you think will happen if we do the same thing to his suit?" she said.
"Well... either the suit dies, or it explodes..." he mused aloud.
"Perfect, then we'll simply stand at a distance in case it happens," Kate replied cheerfully with a wry smile.
At that moment, a bang rang through the building, Shocker had gotten enough time to recharge his gauntlets, and the smoke had cleared. “Where are you, you little brats?!” he shouted.
"We're actually adults!" Peter shouted back, then turned to Kate. "I'll lure him out to the middle, and you do your thing."
"Absolutely," she replied as she picked out the correct arrow.
Peter swung past Shocker. "Come on, can't you do better?" he shouted as he passed.
Shocker ran after Peter, sending powerful pulses after him. Kate ducked behind a beam and cranked up her special electric arrow to full power. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her pulse as she quickly analyzed Shocker. Where should she hit for maximum impact?
The battery on his back, where all the cables came from, seemed to power the entire suit, but she needed to aim precisely to avoid missing. Her eyes tracked every movement, every tiny shift in his body, as she calculated the exact moment he would pivot toward Spider-Man.
As he did so, Kate aimed carefully and released the arrow. It hit the battery exactly where it was supposed to, and a blinding flash of light exploded. Shocker flinched as sparks flew in all directions. A loud, electric bang followed, and his gauntlets began to vibrate uncontrollably.
The power in the suit flares and flashes wildly before dying out completely. Shocker screams and struggles to regain control of his powers, but the suit is dead, overloaded and shorted by Kate's accurate arrow. Peter sees his chance. He swings forward, yanks off his gauntlets, and quickly wraps Shocker in his web. Hanging him upside down, completely unable to use his powers. He roars and kicks, but it's no use.
Kate walks around him, picking up the trick arrows she's already used. She holds one up in front of his face and smiles mockingly. "All these nice things you had... and yet you can't beat a simple archer," she says.
Shocker roars even louder.
As police sirens begin to echo through the streets, Peter swings away, while Kate sneaks away. They leave Shocker hanging in the web, along with the bag containing the stolen money. Kate leaves the scene in a controlled chaos, just as she planned, with no innocents harmed.
When she is out of sight in an alley, Peter lands next to her and hands over the arrows she used at the beginning of the battle.
"I'm starting to wonder if your idea about boomerang arrows might not be so stupid after all," he says. "Because then we won't have to pick them up every time."
"I know! But I'm actually working on it. But don't say anything to Clint… or Yelena, especially not Yelena."
“Okay,” he laughed, “But seriously, that was pretty impressive what you did. An electric arrow straight into his battery pack? Really clever idea.”
“Thanks. Someone has to think while you're throwing yourself headfirst into the wall,” Kate replies, smiling wryly.
“Oh, okay, true… but without me you would never have figured out exactly how to stop him,” he defends.
“Ah, so I'm supposed to thank your malfunctioning costume then?” she says teasingly.
He laughs, pulling his mask up a bit to breathe, “Well, now I have something to upgrade about the suit,” he says out loud to himself.
But then his body shape becomes more serious as he turns more to Kate. “Hey, I have to ask… When I was dealing with Shocker, once I could see again, I think I saw someone. A girl. Black suit, blonde hair. She moved really fast.”
Kate flinches but tries to keep her voice neutral. “Where?”
“Behind the containers next to the building. She disappeared as soon as the battle was over. I didn’t get to see her face, but I swear, it looked like Yelena.”
Kate felt something inside her stiffen. She tried to keep her mask on, but her mouth was pressed into a tight line. “Yeah,” she answers softly. “So she didn’t trust me to handle it on my own.”
Peter blinks. “No, I mean… I think she just wanted to make sure you were okay—”
“I was fine,” Kate interrupted, a little too quickly. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to mask the rasp in her voice. “I had it under control. I had a plan. I… didn’t need to be watched.”
Peter falls silent, noticing the tone and knowing better than to argue.
Kate turned away and looked out over the city, slowly recovering from the chaos, her fingers caressing the grip of the bow, as if seeking security in it. I did it. I showed it. This is my proof, that I can stand on my own two feet, that I no longer need anyone to keep an eye on me.
But apparently...
She swallowed hard. Apparently even she doesn't believe it.
Kate tried to smile again, but the smile turned stiff. “Come on, let’s leave before the police find us,” she said.
Peter nodded, but glanced at her quickly before shooting a net at a house facade. “She just cares, you know that, right?”
“I know,” Kate replied quietly. But inside, the words felt more like a reminder than a comfort. She cares. But does she care because she thinks I can handle it… or because she knows I can't?
When Peter extended his hand to give her a ride home, she hesitated for a moment before taking it. The sky above glowed faintly orange in the night. She was stuck in the idea that no matter how much she proved herself, everyone still saw her as the young and inexperienced one. Everyone in the Avengers, Clint, her mother, even Yelena. They saw her as weak.
The apartment was dimly lit when Kate stepped in. The first thing that greeted her was the familiar sound of paws on parquet, Lucky and Fanny coming rushing in, their tails wagging like a little metronome of joy.
“Hello, my heroes,” she murmured wearily, dropping to her knees and resting her hands in their fur. They always sensed her mood, and this time Lucky licked her cheek gently, almost as if he wanted to comfort her.
She stood up, hung her bow on the hook by the door, and kicked off her shoes. From the living room, the TV could be heard, the news anchor's voice slightly muffled against the background noise… "The Shocker has been captured by the Young Avengers. Eyewitnesses report that the new Hawkeye and Spider-Man…”
Kate gave a crooked smile, but it quickly died. Hawkeye. It sounded so big when someone else said it, but right now it felt hollow.
Yelena sat slumped on the couch, her legs drawn up, a blanket draped over her shoulders. On the table were two mugs, one half full of tea and the other untouched. Kate's.
Yelena turned her head slightly when Kate came in. She looked relaxed, but the gaze that quickly swept over Kate was alert, like a soldier immediately checking to see if anyone was injured.
“You're late,” she said simply.
“We got some extra action,” Kate replied, trying to sound neutral. She sank onto the edge of the couch, ran a hand through her hair. “Shocker. He tried to escape, but… he was fine.”
“I saw it,” Yelena said softly, her tone making Kate pause. The television was playing a clip of Kate firing one of her trick arrows, which was when she shot at Shocker’s battery and overloaded it.
Kate glanced at Yelena. "You saw it? From the TV or from… behind the container?"
Yelena's lips moved almost imperceptibly. "Does it matter?"
A brief silence fell over them. Lucky jumped up next to Kate, laying his head in her lap. Fanny had already laid down at Yelena's feet, as if the dogs knew something was charging in the air.
Kate mechanically stroked Lucky's fur, but couldn't take her eyes off Yelena. It was calm, almost too calm.
“No,” Kate finally answered, but her voice was stiff. “Not at all.”
Yelena reached for the remote control and turned down the volume on the TV. The room fell silent. Only a faint humming from the streets outside, and the muffled breathing of the dogs.
Yelena leaned back on the couch, but her eyes stayed on Kate. “You did well.”
These were words that should have been warm. But they came with an undertone, almost as if Yelena needed to reassure herself.
Kate took a deep breath. That tone. That feeling of being judged, again.
She got up and headed for the kitchen to wash her hands, mostly to have something to do. “Yeah,” she finally said. “I know. I made it.”
When she turned, she met Yelena’s gaze. Yelena had risen to her feet, and her stare was harder now. Something had shifted between them, an unspoken dissatisfaction, a word that had not been said.
“So you followed me. Again?” Kate said, arms crossed. “I know you’ve done it before.”
Yelena shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure nothing happened to you. Is it really that weird?”
“Weird? No… just frustrating.” Kate ran her hand through her hair. “It feels like you don’t think I can do anything on my own. Like I always need to be protected.”
Yelena snorted. “And you think it feels better for me to stand by and just hope you don’t get hurt?”
"I don't mean that. But if I can actually take care of myself, why do you have to keep sneaking around in the background?"
“Sneak?” Yelena raised an eyebrow. “I’m doing it for you, Kate Bishop. And if you don’t know I’m there, you can focus. You won’t have to worry about me.”
Kate sighed deeply. "I'm just trying to show that I can stand on my own two feet. But if you can't even trust me—"
She interrupted herself. Her gaze met Yelena's again. They stood there in silence, and Kate saw what she wasn't used to seeing, how Yelena shrugged her shoulders, how her fingers played with the hem of her sweater, how her gaze drifted away.
She's afraid. Afraid to say too much... but I see it. I see all the things she doesn't dare say out loud.
“Lena,” Kate began carefully, but with that calm determination she knew Yelena was listening. “You don’t have to keep everything inside. I want to hear it. I need to hear it, okay?”
Yelena shrugged, trying to sound unfazed, but Kate saw how her jaw tightened, how her breathing hitched before the answer came. "It doesn't matter..." she murmured, almost too quietly.
Kate took a step closer. “It matters to me,” she said softly, but with weight in her voice. “And it’s not just for my sake, you need to say it for your own.” She hesitated for a moment. “I know it’s hard. But you can.”
Yelena looked up at her, her eyes gleaming, a mixture of worry, anger, and something more vulnerable. Kate took her hands in hers, calmly but firmly. “Come on,” she whispered. “Say what you feel. I’m here. You’re not alone.”
After a moment that felt like an eternity but lasted only seconds, Yelena took a deep breath and let the words come out, fragile but true. “I… I’m afraid of losing you.” She swallowed hard before continuing, her voice low and broken. “Like with Natasha. I wasn’t there for her when she passed away. I never got to say goodbye.”
Kate felt her heart soften. She gently put her arms around Yelena and pulled her close. Yelena leaned against her, and Kate felt the tension in her body slowly begin to release.
“Shh… it’s okay,” Kate whispered, stroking her hair. “I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”
Yelena closed her eyes, her breathing calmed. Kate looked down at her, saw how her body finally gave in, how she allowed herself to be vulnerable, just for a moment.
This is how she shows she trusts me, Kate thought. And I'm not going to let that go.
They walked slowly towards the bedroom together, Yelena still silent, but safe in Kate's arms. When they finally lay down side by side, the dogs curled up at her feet, Yelena held on close, almost as if she was afraid Kate would disappear if she let go.
Kate let her be held. She felt every little movement, every breath against her skin, and knew that it wasn't just comfort Yelena needed, it was proof. Proof that she wouldn't be left behind again.
An orange glow from the night sky spilled through the window, but Kate didn't let it bother her. Instead, she focused on the warmth of the moment, how Yelena relaxed more and more, how the dogs sighed heavily in their sleep.
She needs to feel that I'm here. That I'm not going anywhere, thought Kate. And if that means I have to stay up all night just to keep her safe for a little while longer, then I'll do it.
She closed her eyes and gently pulled Yelena closer. For the first time that night, she didn't feel like someone who needed to prove anything. She just needed to be there.