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Kate had no particular plan that night… well she does but it seemed implausible to do considering how she can barely move from her bed. One slight movement had her groaning out loud, still mindful that she won’t accidentally wake Lucky or Fanny or the entire neighborhood.
So, when Yelena called, she had rolled over to the side of where her nightstand was — utterly yelping from the pain littered across her body. She really shouldn’t have taken that mission.
“Yello?” She grunted, settling herself to a more comfortable position. She didn’t even bother seeing who had called her.
“Kate?”
It was Yelena. Her voice was raspy but definitely tired from whatever the hell she was doing prior to this call. Kate wasn’t privy to everything she does as a New Avenger, but she wasn’t lying to herself about being a little jealous that she was doing bigger stuff to help the people. Saving cats stuck on trees can only do so much.
“Yelena, hey… are you still at the office?” Kate’s voice softened, however. She hated hearing how tired the woman was, knowing how demanding being a New Avenger was.
“Are you home?”
“Yeah, I am. I’m beat though, I can’t move much. I was going to call you.”
There was shuffling from the other line and then a splash of water. Kate didn’t need to know where she is.
“Can you come up to my office instead?” Yelena’s voice was low, less teasing than usual.
“Did something happen?”
“No,” Yelena chuckled. “I just— Can you come, please?”
Kate almost dropped her phone on her face. She had been to Yelena’s office at least two or three times; it wasn’t fully for leisure and Kate was not allowed when she had clients over.
Clients that would be… helpful with her vigilantism, never mind that Yelena thought her work was a small potato compared to New Avengers work.
“Don’t you have a client over?” Kate rolled over to the side of her bed, grunting quietly under the duress of the bruises littering across her back.
“They just left. I’m sure the environment can help you.” Yelena’s voice was soothing, she could fall asleep and let herself succumb to the timbre of her voice.
“You had a client over at this hour?” She looked over at the clock, it was nearly eleven in the evening. She didn’t doubt New York never sleeps, but she was worried how Yelena barely got any sleep. However, she was curious who that client was.
"Come up so I can tell you who,” Yelena chuckled. “I can hear your brain working from this distance.”
“Shut up,” Kate mumbled. “I’m coming, and tell the lady at the front—“
“That was one time—“
“I swear she has it out for me.”
Yelena chuckled from the other line, a low rasp that sent tingle all over Kate’s nerves. “Come up. She won’t be at the front tonight. It’s very late.”
“Okay. I really need a relaxing bath anyway.”
“Don’t bring the pups, they need their beauty sleep.”
“And I don’t?” She said under her breath half-heartedly. Yelena raspy laugh echoed from the other line. Kate forced to wake herself up., by sitting up, ignoring the spike of pain all throughout her body.
“Do you need me to get anything?”
“Are you hurt?”
“No. Are you? I’ll bring those cooling pads.” Kate deflected, she didn’t want Yelena know what she was up to… but she had a hunch that the blonde knew it anyway.
“Kate.”
“Talk to you later. See you.”
She heard Yelena grumble. Kate felt the rush of guilt inside her chest but she ignored it, standing up to find some cooling pads around their room.
“Okay, thank you. Bring us some dinner too. Anything is fine.”
“Thai it is.” Kate sighed, staring at the dark screen as the call closed with a click.
Minutes later, Kate dragged herself with the strength of ten thousand bulls out of her apartment in Bed-Stuy to 3250 Brighton Beach… which was not an easy feat considering the distance and her current condition. She had to taxi her way right into the next corner, which was very expensive.
Yelena was right. The lady manning the front desk wasn’t around. The halls were empty and quiet; she wondered how long Yelena was going to be up and about in her office, doing some of her work.
“You’re dressed.” Yelena was already inside the pool, her robe discarded on the side and her laptop was open, playing some low upbeat music Kate couldn’t discern.
Kate placed the paper bag with their dinner in it on a nearby table. The cooling pad was in a different paper bag, placed beside it.
“Oh don’t be disappointed, you’ll see me undressed soon, darling.” Kate teased with a fake accent, watching her leave the pool with her back facing her. She didn’t mind the view at all, so sue her if her disappointed face appeared when she was all covered with the robe.
Yelena was practically skipping toward Kate, and to think something wrong had happened made her worry feel slightly ludicrous.
“Oh, look what they did to you, moya lyubov.” Yelena cupped her cheek once she was in her space, inspecting the scrapes and bruises on her face.
“And you still look marvelously beautiful, Yelena.” She did, even with her hair down and how it was longer each time they made time to see each other. She was still the most beautiful woman Kate ever laid eyes on, and loves.
Yelena was still fussing, checking the bruise on her cheek that was alarmingly coloring to a magnificent purple. “You weren’t kidding about the rough night.”
“Isn’t it funny that all I did was stop a robbery?”
Yelena pursed her lips, still cradling her cheek. Kate leaned in to her touch, craving the warmth of her hand. “I did tell you to rest, didn’t I? You never listen.”
“And I told you to be home before eleven…. Well we’re both not really great at listening to each other, aren’t we?”
“This is different.”
“I know Small potatoes and Big potatoes. I get you, Elena.”
“You are very annoying.” Yelena grabbed her collar and yanked her forward. Their lips met in passion as if they hadn’t kissed in a thousand lifetimes.
God, she could do this all day. Yelena always kissed like it was the last moment, she was quite an expert but grounded and that was one of the things Kate loved about her.
Kate snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Yelena’s other hand, the one that wasn’t gripping on her waist too, was on her left shoulder. It took Kate minutes to realize that she might have been slipping from the wet floor.
They only pulled away when a ping from Yelena’s computer caught their attention.
“Back to work,” Kate panted, still holding Yelena. Her head felt light and her feet felt like she’ll float over the clouds. Her eyes couldn’t help but track the movement of her girlfriend’s lips as she spoke
“It can wait.” Yelena waved her hand dismissively. The woman didn’t look to keen to step away from Kate either, and honestly she liked that.
“It might be importa—“
“Bah! My office, my rules, remember?” Yelena looked back at her laptop lying on the makeshift table. “They shouldn’t be bothering me when I’m having my alone time with you.”
“Oh, is it your te—“
“Shh— get undressed, lyubov.” Yelena put her finger on her lips, looking back at Kate intensely.
“You’re too direct, you know that?”
“Yes.” Yelena stepped away slightly and pushed the fabric of her robe from her shoulder and the rest of it slipped dow— Oh, right. Yeah. Why didn’t that click on her brain right away?
“Close your mouth.”
“I’m gonna— yeah— I’ll be right back!” Kate all but jogged back into one of the doors to get her own robe.
“Don’t be hasty, you’ll slip!” Yelena called from behind her, and Kate wasted no time changing out of her clothes.
Once they were in the water, Yelena had all but doused Kate with the pool water, which was warm, to help with her “injuries”, never mind that she had already showered roughly an hour ago.
“Is this necessary? It’s just going to get washed out from the water anyway.” Kate grumbled. Yelena had procured a small tub of healing cream out of the blue, pasting it all over Kate’s visible bruises from shoulder up… which was embarrassingly too many.
“My office, my rules.”
“I know, love.”
“So, tell me about the robbery.”
Kate gave her a look, trying not to whimper as the cream collided with her sore right shoulder. “I’m pretty sure you know.”
Kate kept wriggling in the water until Yelena swatted her arm with a warning. She then sat still, letting the blonde swat more of the cream that was surprisingly soothing.
“You should get me some of that you know. I don’t care if this is — classified.”
“No, I can’t.”
"Not even for me?"
"No." The blonde grinned cheekily.
Yelena finally placed the lid on the cream container, throwing it somewhere in the room. Kate’s marksman eyes tracked it toward near the entrance, just in case she’d accidentally slip on it. She was not looking forward to a very expensive trip to the hospital.
“Enough of that cream,” Yelena said, scooting closer. “Hold me, lyubov?”
She looked back at her, opening her arms, ready to take her in. “Always.”
When Yelena asks Kate to hold her, she’d bury herself against her — stubbornly trying to mold herself into Kate’s shape. This was no different, except Kate sat on the pool’s floor with her legs splayed out and Yelena’s back was pressed against her front. The taller woman didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around her torso, letting Yelena guide her to where she wants her arms to rest — they stopped above her stomach indeed.
Kate peppered kisses on her shoulder, admiring the shape of her arm and the smell of her — earthy but still sweet, especially her hair. “Did you have a rough night too?”
“Mm… not much.”
There were ways Yelena could lie, this one was deflection. The way her shoulder shrugged against hers, and her voice low almost fading away from incomprehension. Kate dropped her forehead onto Yelena’s shoulder.
“Is that so? Wanna talk about it?”
“It’s Big Potato stuff.”
Kate groaned, “You keep using that analogy when I told you it could be something else—“
“I like Potatoes!”
“—like you can use Tomatoes instead of that!”
“This is not up for debate. I will not argue about this anymore.”
“Okay, I’ll drop the subject.” Kate smiled, playing with the strands of Yelena’s hair. “I miss the short hair.”
“This is still short.”
“Eh, I still miss it.” Kate shrugged, still thinking about who visited her enough for Yelena to use the office outside of work hours. “Do you want to get mashed potatoes?”
“Why? You bought us dinner.”
“Not going to lie, I’m hungry from that potato talk. Aren’t you?”
“I know what you’re doing. You are not getting me out of my Banya.”
“I am not getting you out of your Banya— when was the last time you ate, love?”
Pulling the “love” card was evil but necessary.
“I called you so you can bring me dinner did I not?”
“I know… I’m just— This is where you usually interrogate your clients.”
“I do not interrogate, you are so funny. I give them information.” Yelena was making rippled with her finger on the water, her voice utterly avoidant of any feeling. Kate knew better.
“Semantics.”
“Okay, I am caught.” The blonde groaned, raising her hands up in surrender, some of the water hitting Kate on the face.
Yelena turned around, the water splashing everywhere as she did so, and kneeled on the pool and cupped the archer’s cheeks with both her hands, her green eyes looking at her intently.
“Hi.” Kate grinned, noticing the green-golden flecks in her eyes.
“Hi.” Yelena’s smile was always bright, bringing some sort of peace inside of Kate that she never would have found anywhere else. “You caught me,” She whispered.
“I caught you,” Kate whispered back.
“You never should have figured out.” Yelena’s laughed lowly, almost sheepish in a way her nose scrunched at the silliness of it all.
Kate felt like a fool in love. “It wasn’t like you were hiding it sloppily.”
“Okay, I surrender!” Yelena said loudly, her voice echoing throughout the room.
“People are sleeping!”
“My office. My rules.”
“Okay!” Kate laughed, wrapping her arms around Yelena again. “Can you please tell me who visited you tonight?”
Yelena surprisingly didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, it was the telepath girl.”
Kate felt stumped, she didn’t remember who that was. “Uh…”
“The girl with the red hair? I told you about this yesterday.”
“To be honest with you, I was hung over yesterday.” Kate admitted. The night out with Cassie and Kamala was not the best way to interrogate a suspected crime lord. Yelena was so pissed when she smelled the alcohol on her, the rest of the day was a blur. It was the reason why she was in her Banya all day.
“I’m sorry, I was so mad.”
“It’s fine. I forgot you had history with alcohol. It’s my fault too.”
“It’s okay, It is past.” Yelena placed her forehead against Kate with her eyes closed, playing with the strand of a stray dark hair that escaped Kate’s wet puppy look.
“What did she want with you? The telepath girl?”
“Oh, we talked…” Yelena then moved her head towards Kate’s admittedly bruised shoulder. She mumbled something on her skin, and she could not discern what it was.
“Come again?” She murmured, soothing the blonde’s back with her hands.
Yelena’s chin then moved to rest on her shoulder gently. “We talked about Natasha. And Sarah.”
Kate’s brows knitted together, realizing what she meant. Sarah wasn’t hard to figure out in connection to Yelena. “Oh.”
“It was… okay.”
“It’s good that you talked.” Kate knew how the topic of sisters was something she could not relate to in the context of her being an only child. But she knew how it felt to lose someone dear to you.
“I know.”
Kate wiped a tear from her eyes, noticing the lack of make-up on the blonde as well. Oh, Yelena.
“It’s okay.” She hugged her tight. “It’s okay, Yelena.”
“I know that, I know. I still—miss her,” Yelena mumbled tiredly, holding onto Kate tightly. This was why she called her, that hit Kate harder than it should have.
“I would have loved to have met her.”
“She would find you funny.” Yelena pulled away wiping the tears away, smiling. “I think.”
“She would.” Kate said firmly, assuring her. From both Clint and Yelena’s accounts, she really wished she had ever met Natasha.
It was quiet for a while after the short air of levity left the conversation. Yelena had gone back to snuggling into Kate’s space, this time on her front staring at Kate too intently.
“Is there something on my face?” She had been wondering why she was staring at her way too many times over the past hour. Yelena was looking at her then looking away as if thinking better of telling her what she wanted to say.
“You can say it out loud you know.”
“There is something on your face,” Yelena defended, touching the bruise on her cheekbone. Kate winced. “The cream is coming off.”
“Told you.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine…” Kate pecked her lips briefly. “Thank you for the cream.”
“Of course, I hate to see you hurt.” Yelena whispered.
“Ditto.”
Yelena was staring at her intently again. Honestly, she had enough of it.
“Just spit it out, love.” Kate enjoyed the way her nose scrunched up in thought and then her whole frame slumping downward into the water until her head was the only thing she could see.
Yelena opened her mouth and then her eyes darted away from hers, and shook her head. “I don’t want to make it sound like I’m mean to you…”
“Yelena, you’re always mean to me.”
“I am not!”
“Come on, just say it.” Kate said urgently.
Yelena sighed dramatically and attempted to swim away from Kate caught her barely, almost tackling them both underwater.
“Kate!”
“Sorry!”
“Just tell me, I swear I won’t be mad.” Kate panted, righting herself against the edge of the pool. She was so sure she almost swallowed a lungful of pool water.
“You promise?” Yelena was right in front of her, her mouth pulled downward. She was scared it might get bad tonight, Kate wasn't honestly prepared for that.
“I promise.”
“You really really promise?”
“Yelena,” If Kate was standing she would have been tapping her foot impatiently until she made a hole into the floor.
“You were not in a robbery mission tonight weren’t you?”
Kate knew Yelena knew where she was tonight, but to say it out loud felt like she was caught stealing a cookie in a jar.
She took a deep breath, steeling herself against the edge. “To be fair to you, it’s still Small Potato stuff.”
“I don’t give a fuck about this analogy shit— you could have died!” Yelena hissed. “I told you not to look into Eleanor’s files.”
It was a losing battle and to be fair, she did want to tell Yelena all about it until the damn Small Potato and Big Potato shit bothered Kate so much, she’s been secretly investigating stuff about her mom’s criminal life behind Yelena's back. Which was a big ouch, thank you very much.
“I deserve to know,” Kate said hotly. “How was I going to know they were planning to kill me instead. I should know that! I barely escaped a bullet to the head tonight.”
“What.”
It was interesting seeing Yelena angry at someone else. She’s seen it on her face with Clint — the switch up frightened her.
“I’m fine.” She tried to assure. Her stupid fucking big mouth should have stayed shut.
“You shouldn’t have lied to me. Where is this shooter?” Yelena said lowly, already leaving the pool. Kate was right at her heels.
“I didn’t tell you because it would make you react like this— blood thirsty vigilante persona or something.”
“At the cost of you?” Yelena turned around while Kate was mid-step onto the three-step stairs. “I cannot tolerate that.”
“It’s small potato stuff—“
“Don’t start with me—“
“I’m trying to say that you have to trust me,” begged Kate. “I’ll call you speed dial right on top always when it gets worse.”
“No— No—“ Yelena shook her head, stepping backwards slightly, holding her hand up. “I will choose you over the world.”
“You can’t.” Kate sighed, slowly reaching the landing until it was safe to hold her hands and keep it enclosed in her own. “You know you can’t.”
“Then we will finish this. I can put my calls on hold.”
“No, don’t do that.” Kate didn’t like that at all, she did not want Yelena to put her life on hold for Kate — even when she was being actively shot at.
“Kate—“
“Listen, we will need to listen to each other.” Kate said quietly, gripping her hands tight enough to look at her.
Yelena seemingly calmed down, but she was still scowling.
“We will have to listen to each other this time.” Kate said firmly. “Do you understand?”
Yelena was clearly hesitating. “I can go with you to finish this.”
“This is my own mess, and it’s still small potato stuff—“
“Stop saying it.”
“You should see how I feel,”Kate shot back. “But seriously, I need you to trust me — I think my Mom’s in deep shit, and as much as I hate her right now… I need to know it’s not affecting my life literally.”
“That’s the most adult thing you’ve said the entire time I met you.” Yelena said quietly, brushing a stray hair from Kate's face.
“I know,” She sighed. “I’m surprised myself.”
It was quiet again, until Yelena spoke.
“You’re leaving again, aren’t you?”
“For a time,” Kate forced herself to look at her girlfriend’s gaze, sad and utterly disappointed. “I don’t love it — I hate being away from you, but I have to go back to the root of its cause.“
“California’s a bitch.”
“It has its moments,” She shrugged but then gave up, dropping her forehead on the woman’s shoulder. “I wish I could stay.”
“Call me when you get home.” Yelena whispered against her hair. Kate closed her eyes wishing all the world's problems would go away.
“Not when you’re in Big Potato stu—“
“Of course, you should call.” Yelena cradled her face again. She’s always doing that, Kate noticed. “You come back to me in one piece, or I will personally revive you back and kill you again, do you understand?"
The brunette held her wrist, and moved her head to kiss her palm. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I still think I should kill this shooter.”
“Love, I think we should eat dinner now.”
“Fine. but I still think—“
“I know,” Kate pushed her towards the table where their food it, picking up their robes along the way. “When I find out who it is, I’ll call you and inform you they will be maimed. How about that?”
“Maim? Not exactly my love language.” Yelena scoffed, taking one of the robes— the deep purple one that was supposed to be Kate’s.
“How do you even know love languages?”
Yelena pecked her on the lips just as Kate was struggling to put on the dark blue robe.
She pulled away, coloring her tone. “I scroll on my phone when I’m not consulting.”
At the look on her eyes, Kate was damned sure she will find the attempted shooter with or without Kate’s knowledge.
She decided she’d rather not know, and enjoy dinner with her.