mladshaya sestra = little sister
Clint goes splat instead in endgame and Natasha finds out her baby sister got snapped.
Yelena was difficult to say the least.
She was the exact definition of a little sister.
She was annoying.
She always asked Natasha for money.
She showed up in America on the tower door step at ridiculous times in the morning.
But, she was also funny.
She was talented.
She was adorable.
She was selfless.
She was everything that Natasha wanted to be.
Natasha loved her little sister with all her heart. She loved the way Yelena tried to lock herself away, but she would always find herself opening up to Natasha. She loved the way Yelena would curl up on her lap (in private obviously). She loved the way Yelena made all of the avengers laugh. She loved the way she cared for her dog, fanny. She just loved her.
There was only one place, one person she wanted to see after the snap, and that was Yelena.
So she called, and called, and called, but she never picked up.
And then she got that phone call that ruined her life.
•
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•
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"Mr Stark, it appears Agent Belova is outside." Friday announces.
Natasha's eyes widen and she shoots up from the couch.
"Lady Yelena is here?" Thor asks excitedly.
Natasha grins and runs down to the tower entrance, yanking to door open to see her little sister standing there.
"Lena!" Natasha exclaims and grabs her, pulling her into a hug. Yelena giggles and hugs her back.
"Hi, Talia." Yelena greets, her voice muffled from where her face is pressed against the gingers neck.
"What are you doing here?" Natasha asks and pulls away, checking her sister over for injuries.
"I'm fine, sestra. I just wanted to see you." Yelena says innocently.
"You didn't bring Fanny?" Natasha asks.
"No, she gets car sick. Melina is watching her for me." Yelena replies.
"Yelena!" Peter yells excitedly and runs over to hug her.
"Spider-boy," she greets and pats his back. "Did you grow?"
"A whole inch!" He says proudly and pulls away.
"Good for you, insect." She smiles and pats his shoulder.
"I gotta go to school, but I'll see you later!" He says. "Bye, Yelena. Bye, Miss Romanoff."
"See you later, kid." Natasha smiles and waves him off. "Come on, let's go inside."
Natasha wraps her arm around yelena's shoulder and guides her inside, keeping her tucked against her side, protectively. Yelena doesn't mind though, she's missed being held- her Mama and Alexei aren't the most affectionate people. But at least she has Fanny.
"Little Romanoff, good to see you." Tony smiles and ruffles her hair.
"Hey, stank." She quips, giggling at his glare.
"Is that Yelena I hear?" Wanda asks from the kitchen.
Yelena runs into the kitchen and jumps into Wanda's arms.
"Oh, it's so good to see you, little one." Wanda coos maternally. She's always cared for Yelena like a daughter. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too, Ma." Yelena grins, using the term of endearment she picked up a couple years ago. Wanda is more of a mother to her than anyone, and the nickname slipped once but it made Wanda smile so hard her cheeks hurt.
"You must be exhausted. Come sit, I'll make you something to eat." Wanda fusses and ushers her to sit.
"I'm fine. I ate something on the journey." Yelena shrugs.
"What did you eat?" Wanda asks sternly.
Yelena pouts and looks down. "A granola bar and a diet soda."
Wanda tuts disapprovingly. "That's not good enough. I'll cook."
"I'm not hungry-"
"Honey, you look like you could blow away with a gust of wind." Wanda huffs.
"But-"
"Malyshka, you know she won't take no for an answer." Natasha chuckles.
"Fine." Yelena gives in.
Wanda grins and kisses her forehead before pulling ingredients out to cook.
"ты уверен, что все в порядке?" Natasha asks concernedly. (Are you sure everything is ok?)
Yelena sighs and bows her head. "честно говоря, я немного одинок." She admits. (To be honest, I'm a little lonely).
"детка, почему ты не позвонил?" Natasha asks and cups her cheek. (Baby, why didn't you call?)
"я не хотел беспокоить тебя." Yelena shrugs slightly. (I didn't want to bother you).
"о, дорогая, ты моя сестра, ты всегда можешь позвонить мне." Natasha coos. (Oh, darling, you're my sister you can always call me).
"мне жаль." Yelena whispers. (I'm sorry).
"Не быть. Я люблю вас." Natasha smiles. (Do not be. I love you).
"я тоже тебя люблю." (I love you too).
Natasha kisses her temple before hugging her.
"So, how are the pensioners?" Natasha asks which makes Yelena laugh.
"Annoying as always." She says as Natasha grabs a bottle of vodka and some shot glasses. "Alexei is being disgustingly inappropriate to Mama."
"Ew." Natasha grimaces before they both down their shots.
"Hey, you shouldn't be drinking on an empty stomach." Wanda scolds.
"I hate earlier." Natasha defends.
"Romanoff, you're a terrible role model." Steve scolds as he walks into the room.
"Shut it, fossil." She snaps.
He chuckles. "Hello, Yelena, you look well."
Yelena grunts and waves him off. "You speak too old."
Steve shakes his head fondly. "What have you doing?"
"Lots of people." She replies which makes Natasha choke on her vodka, Wanda to drop her spoon and Steve to blush at how blatant she is. "What?"
"You're a baby!" Natasha grimaces.
"I'm 28, Natalia." Yelena reminds. "I have needs."
"Stop!" She cries and covers her ears.
"Like you haven't slept with your fair share of people." Yelena grumbles which makes Natasha smack her arm, which leads to a slap fight.
"Ok, ok, enough you two." Wanda sighs and uses her powers to separate them. "Yelena sweetheart, I think Steve meant what are you doing job wise."
"Oh." Yelena says. "Killing bad people. You?"
Steve just blinks slowly before leaving the room.
"Was it something I said?" Yelena asks.
Wanda rolls her eyes whilst Natasha laughs.
They had no idea that was the last time they would laugh together.
•
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•
"Natasha, you're alive." Wanda sobs and hugs her. "I thought-"
"I'm okay." Natasha reassures, rubbing her back before pulling away.
"Where's Clint?" Steve asks.
Natasha bites away her tears and shakes her head. "He jumped for the stone." She whispers.
The avengers all bow their heads, each saying a silent prayer for him.
She can't shake the sick feeling in her stomach and it makes her head spin.
"I need to get home, I need to call Yelena." Natasha mumbles before running to one of the jets to find her phone.
After searching for it, she finally finds it and immediately dials Yelena's number.
"Come on, pick up." Natasha begs.
"Hi, you've reached Yelena. Sorry I couldn't come to the phone right now, I'm busy doing anything else that isn't talking to whoever wants to talk to me. Leave me a message or don't, preferably the latter."
"Yelena, it's me. Something happened and I really need you to call me back as soon as you get this." Natasha says before hanging up.
She then continues to call Yelena repeatedly for the next hour, all through the journey home, leaving voicemail after voicemail, missed call after missed call.
"Yelena, I don't care what the fuck you're doing, call me back!" She snaps down the phone, before adding softly, "пожалуйста, младшая сестра." (Please, little sister).
Wanda, who's sat next to her, grabs her hand, equally as worried.
"She'll be okay. She's probably just annoying Alexei, or walking Fanny." Wanda reassures, but she can't even convince herself.
Natasha ignores her, dialling Yelena again.
"Come on, come on, come on. Pick up, Yelena." She whispers, biting her nails.
"Hi, you've reached Yelena-"
"Damn it!" Natasha shouts and throws her phone across the jet. She waits for it to shatter against the wall, but Wanda catches it with her powers and brings it back.
"Don't," she says softly. "Incase she calls."
Natasha takes a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She takes her phone and calls her again. And again. And again. Still, there's no response.
They still have an hour left on the jet, Natasha hasn't stopped calling.
But as she does to call again, her phone rings.
Incoming call from: Yelena
Natasha instantly picks it up.
"Yelena? You little shit! I have been calling you for hours! For fuck sakes! Do you know how long I've been- Mama?" Natasha's heart drops.
"Natasha? Is that you?"
"Mama? Mama, why do you have Yelena's phone? Where's Yelena?" Natasha asks.
"I-I don't know. We were talking on the phone and then she just stopped. I-I came rushing over but she's not here. Natasha, there's a pile of...ashes? on the floor."
"No." Natasha whispers. "No, no, you're lying."
"I'm not. Natasha, what the hell is going on? Why is my daughter a pile of ashes?"
"Mama, Yelena's been snapped."
Everyone turns to Natasha.
"Oh god." Wanda sobs, slapping her hand over her mouth.
"She's gone." Natasha clenches her jaw as tears fall down her cheeks.
"Gone? What do you mean?"
"I'm coming, Mama, I'll explain everything." Natasha says. "Steve, we need to mark a detour."
"Where to?" He asks.
"St Petersburg, Russia." She tells him. "It's Yelena."
"No." He whispers in shock. "She's been-"
"Don't say it. Just go, now."
She hears him talking over coms to the other jets before it turns direction and speeds off.
"I'm coming, Yelena."
———————————
"Melina." Natasha calls out as she steps into Yelena's apartment with the other avengers.
She doesn't hear a response so she walks fitness into the apartment until she hears whining.
In the kitchen, there's a pile of ashes on the floor. Next to the ashes, there's Fanny, her eyes watery and she whines sadly.
"Oh, Fanny." She whispers and falls to her knees next to the crying dog. "She's really gone, isn't she, girl?"
Fanny nudges the ashes with her nose, whining louder. Natasha bursts into tears, her hands falling to the floor to keep her up. The avengers gather round, taking to one knee, giving their respects to Yelena.
The apartment that is usually a happy place, always filled with music, laughing, cooking, joy- is now dull and grey, Natasha's broken sobs echoing off the walls.
Yelena is gone.
•
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*one month later*
"Come on, Fanny." Natasha beckons as she opens her car door, letting the door climb out.
She shuts the door and starts the small walk through the cemetery to Yelena's grave, flowers and teddy's surrounding it. Fanny runs up to the grave, sniffing around it before licking the stone, as if she knew it's Yelena's.
Natasha crouches down in front of the grave, throwing away from grass and sticks from the flowers.
"Hi, malyshka." She whispers and sits down. "It's Talia."
Fanny sits down next to her which makes her smile slightly.
"I miss you so much, more and more every day. It doesn't feel real, to know you aren't here anymore. I keep expecting to see you texting me to ask for money, or to see you show up unexpectedly. I hear Fanny runs through the hallways, and expect to hear you laughing and running after her. But I don't. I keep forgetting that you aren't here with me anymore, and when I do remember, it kills me more and more every time. I had to go through your apartment the other day, I had to decide what to keep and what to get rid of. I don't think I've ever cried so much. Mama tried to help, but she couldn't bring herself to throw anything away so I did it all. I found your stash of vodka bottle lids, it's an impressive collection, and I know it was your weird hobby so I'm going to continue it for you. Fanny is doing okay, she misses you a lot but she's having fun. I'm looking after her, I promise. Wanda said she'll come and visit you soon, she's shut trying to work up the courage to do so, she really misses you- we all do. It's going to take a long time, but I'll be okay, Lena, so if you're still lingering around watching over me, then stop. Move on, and find peace, god knows you deserve it. But if in the future, we find a way to bring you back, then you better drag your ass out of heaven to come back to me, ok?" Natasha says, crying silent tears and keeping one hand on the grave.
She sits in silence for a while, just breathing in the fresh air with her eyes shut.
"It was real to me too." She whispers. "Moya malen'kaya sestra."
A/N I don't know what this was, but ✨pain✨ :)