Kate Bishop enjoys a relaxed and well deserved Christmas with the Barton family and stays with them into the new year. But once she returns home to New York, she finds that someone had been waiting for her to get back from her holiday vacation.
A ce...
"Get the fuck out of my sight before I call the cops. We both know they'll take my word over yours."
The man - Connor - is seething, the muscles in his neck quivering with anger. He stares Kate down, or tries to at least, before walking away stiffly and shoulder-checking Yelena on his way out.
Or he tries to, anyway. Yelena moves deftly aside and sticks her foot out, actively tripping him. He slams into the floor and lets out a keening wail, curling in on himself and cradling his face.
The entire bar has gone silent, and Yelena realizes with some satisfaction that they all saw this douchebag pull some shit. The bouncer from earlier hurries up to them and apologizes for not arriving sooner, then quite literally drags Connor out of the bar and shoves him through the door with a barked warning.
Every single woman in the bar cheers, the men quickly following if they know what's good for them. Yelena pays them no mind.
"Kate, are you hurt?" She whips around to face the archer, hands coming up to cradle the woman's face and trace gentle lines into her cheeks. "Did he touch you? What did that придурок say to you?"
Kate is slow to respond, her eyes still stuck on the doors where Connor disappeared. She slowly looks down towards Yelena, and after a moment, she rests her hands on Yelena's own, still cupping her cheeks. "I'm not hurt, Yelena. I'm okay," she whispers, her bottom lip starting to tremble as she seems to come back down to Earth. "He didn't touch me."
Not this time, anyway.
Yelena makes quiet, soothing noises, gently pulling Kate back into the booth where she can sit. "Breathe, милая. You are safe. He's gone. Breathe, Kate. In for four through your nose, hold for four, out for eight through your mouth." She takes one of Kate's hands and holds it against her chest, breathing deeply to show her. "There you go. Match me, Kate. With me."
Kate follows Yelena's lead, slumping into her friend after a few minutes once she doesn't feel like she's about to spiral into a panic attack. Yelena wraps her arms around her tightly, not hesitating for even a second before she's running her fingers through Kate's hair and scratching at her scalp with her short nails.
Not even five hours ago, Yelena recalls that she had been mentally panicking about her inability to comfort, but she marvels at how Kate's weight sinks into her, the woman breathing deeply as if she was trying to inhale her.
"It's okay. You're okay."
Kate nods into her shoulder, her nose pressed into the blonde's neck underneath the collar of her dress.
Yelena waits a moment before begrudgingly shifting away in order to see Kate's face, a tiny note of pride glowing in her chest when she sees that the makeup she painstakingly applied to her skin is still perfectly intact. Even still, her blue eyes are downcast, and a dent has settled between her furrowed eyebrows.
"Kate Bishop." Yelena is silent until their gazes meet. "Do you want to go back to your apartment?" she asks gently, ducking her head close.
Kate stares at her, and her expression falls into a confused frown. "I owe you a drink."
"We can always come back another time. And besides, it's on me, remember?" Yelena picks up the still-full shot glasses and offers one, holding up her own. "Cheers, and then let's be on our way?"
Kate knows Yelena is trying to figure out if she's alright to stay out after that rather unpleasant debacle, but she was also determined not to let some stupid creep she had dated years ago for barely five months ruin her night out with her friend. She needed this. They both did.
She accepted the shot from Yelena and clinked glasses with her, heart warming at the smile mirrored at her, and quickly downed the strong drink before she could let herself think about it.
"Wooh!" Kate gasped, thunking the glass down on the table and full body flinching as the alcohol burned furiously down her throat, tears springing to her eyes. Yelena gulped hers down without a hitch and cackled as the archer pushed at her shoulder in mock-offense. "Holy shit, I really was not ready for that." She blinked at Yelena, eyes wide as the liquor settled in her stomach. "Round two?"
Yelena's face lit up hesitantly. "Do you not want to go back home?"
Kate shook her head and scooted out of the booth with a grin, already heading towards the bar. "Let's get drunk and forget all about that piece of shit."
Yelena watches her carefully, taking in Kate's long stride and the curls of her dark hair swishing against her back. Protectiveness swamps her in a wave, and she nearly growls to herself.
If that man shows his face again, he's going to regret it.
Do I want to write Yelena killing someone? Maybe. Am I okay? Lolllll I love them so much
