Inheritance of ash

Unwanted answers

Her phone screen dimmed. She tapped it, hoping for another explosion of texts. Nothing.

So she was back. Back in her room. Back in her head.

Back with Yelena.

Kate leaned her head against the wall behind her, eyes scanning the patterns in the ceiling like they might offer answers. She wasn't even mad anymore. Not really. At least, not the same kind of mad. The fire of it had dulled. The sharp sting had become a hollow, aching sort of missing.

Yelena had left after their fight. Walked out of the room, the tower, the city maybe, and hadn't been seen since. Not by her. Not by anyone.

Kate remembered vividly what the fight had been about. About 'them'. If there even was a 'them'. It had been about Yelena brushing things off. About Kate trying too hard to understand something Yelena didn't even want to talk about.

But mostly it had been fear. For both of them.

Now, that fear twisted again. Not for what had been said, but for the silence that followed.

Because... what if something had happened?

Yelena hadn't texted her. Not once. Not even Natasha. And that's what made Kate clench her jaw and fight the sting in her eyes. That's what made her chest feel too tight.

She could be dead.

The thought hit her like a sucker punch.

Kate grabbed her phone before the spiral went too far. She didn't want to think about that. Not tonight. Not when things were already weird and chaotic and fragile.

She opened her messages and scrolled.

Then, on impulse, she tapped Pietro's name.

Kate [23:01]
okay seriously
what is up with peter

The response came almost instantly, like he'd been waiting for someone to ask.

Pietro [23:01]
FINALLY
someone says it
i've been waiting all day

Kate blinked at the screen, surprised by the enthusiasm. She sat up straighter, her legs unfolding.

Kate [23:02]
do you know something???
or are you just guessing like the rest of us

Pietro [23:02]
nope
definitely guessing
but also wanda knows something
she's way too calm about this

Kate [23:02]
i KNEW it
she's been all mysterious and cryptic
and then acting like she isn't

Pietro [23:03]
she kept humming some weird song today
and baking with purpose
who even bakes with purpose???

Kate laughed out loud at that. It was the first time she'd really laughed since dinner.

Kate [23:03]
okay that's kinda terrifying
how do you know she knows tho

Pietro [23:04]
because she won't say she knows
which is exactly how you know she does
also she got weirdly quiet when Vicky kissed peter earlier
like silent
and wanda's never silent

Kate [23:04]
oh god
she's 100% in on it

Pietro [23:04]
peter's planning something
i don't know WHAT
but i swear on my hair gel it's big

Kate [23:05]
what if it's like
a date thing?

Pietro [23:05]
Didn't they just go on one??
nah
he's dramatic but not that dramatic
and then Wanda wouldn't know

Kate [23:06]
okay fair
but what else would need the whole tower cleared till noon???

Pietro [23:06]
you think he's proposing?
like nat said??