Widow Sisters and Friends (Restoring Our Broken Hearts)

What About Me?

"Why don't you come hang out with me and Kate? We're going to practice some of the moves that she's not so good with, and they just happen to be our specialty, so I thought you might could help if you want," Natasha offered suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts. Yelena felt her insides twist a little, and it only made it worse since Yelena knew that Natasha was extending the invitation to her out of a place of kindness.

However, Yelena knew that Natasha was likely better off without her anyway and some part of her was terrified that Natasha was only offering out of pity. After all, why would Natasha be talking to her when she had spent so much time with Kate and had likely by now seen that Kate was so much better than her?

So Yelena just shrugged, forcing nonchalance as she called upon the training she had learned from the Red Room so well. The lie came to her so easily that it almost was baffling especially considering the fact that she was telling the person she trusted most.

"I promised Little Peter I'd go shopping for May with him. It's her birthday soon and he wanted to get her something nice," the words slipped off of her tongue as naturally as breathing, and she could not help but curse herself. She really was not good enough to be Natasha's sister.

Natasha mostly bought the lie, only looking just a little bit skeptical as she eyed the blonde. Yelena kept her eye contact consistent, forcing herself to be as normal as possible.

Natasha finally offered her a small smile, and she tilted her head as she approached her a little closer.

"Hey... After you go hang out with Peter, why don't we do something together? I feel like we haven't seen each other all week, and I know I've spent a lot of time with Kate recently," Natasha started, those eyes shining with that beautiful love and care that made Yelena ache, and Yelena immediately shook her head to interrupt her.

"I know why you have. It's okay," Yelena told her, and it was honestly a half-truth. She understood why Natasha was spending so much time with Kate as of late, but Yelena was not entirely sure if she herself was okay even though she could sympathize with Kate's situation.

"I'm so proud of you... But we need some time for just us. Let me know when you're done with Peter this evening, and me and you are going to Dairy Queen, okay?" Natasha told her with a small, playful grin, and Yelena nodded, forcing a smile onto her face. As much as she longed to be with Natasha and to spend time with her, she knew Natasha did not need someone like her. She also did not want to accept something that Natasha was probably offering out of pity.

Natasha grasped her cheeks softly, leaning forward and kissing the center of her forehead softly. Yelena closed her eyes with the contact, trying not to cry as the urge suddenly overcame her. As Natasha pulled back from her with a soft smile, Yelena forced one of her own, and she moved away from Natasha to walk off in the direction of the elevator.

She could feel Natasha's eyes on her, but once she got into the elevator, she pointedly did not look at the redhead, not wanting Natasha to catch onto her lie.

The truth was that Yelena was not about to go and spend time with Peter at all. In fact, she did not even really know what he was doing that day.

All of the pain and the stress of the past week had been more than Yelena could take, and she was finally reaching her breaking point. Something about seeing her sister again in that moment had made her hurt even worse. It made her miss her big sister even more, and it was making it even harder for her to accept that she needed to let her go.

So, to deal with these emotions, she was about to go and do something that would be nowhere near acceptable in Natasha's eyes.

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