Summary: It's pouring down rain outside and all that Yelena wants to do is spend time with Natasha cuddling and watching movies. Unfortunately, Natasha has a meeting to attend with the Avengers that evening. Yelena is terribly disappointed but understands, and Natasha very unhappily leaves her baby sister. But is another of Steve's standard meeting really more important to her than Yelena's happiness?
"Wow, poser... It's pouring outside," Yelena told Natasha as she came into Natasha's office.
Natasha smiled a little as she looked over at the blonde from her place at the window where she was leaning against the frame of the glass. She was looking out the window, dreading her meeting that was coming up and that she was going to have to leave for in about fifteen minutes.
It was one of the usual protocol meetings, and she had not really told Yelena just yet, not wanting Yelena to have to join her in the misery of dreading it. Of course, Yelena did not have to go with her to the meeting, but she knew that Yelena would offer to come with her, and Natasha did not want her to feel like she needed to ask.
She also sort of assumed that Yelena probably already knew about it, but she was not totally sure of that fact.
Yelena accompanied her at the window, looking out of it alongside her. Natasha let out a gentle breath as she just watched the droplets hitting the window. It was dark, gloomy, and the wind was blowing hard in the barest light of the evening as the sun went down. Still, it was somehow therapeutic for Natasha to be on the outside of chaos looking in on it for a change. So much of her life was spent in the middle of it that she never got the chance to observe natural chaos in its beauty.
"Certainly a turdfloater," Yelena nonchalantly said, waiting for Natasha's response as she glanced between the redhead and the scene occurring outside the window. Natasha let out a deep breath, laughing under her breath as she shook her head.
"Y'know, just because Kate says something doesn't mean that it's the cool new slang that all the kids use," Natasha commented, raising an eyebrow as she looked over at her baby sister. Yelena's eyes widened in pure offense and shock, and Natasha could not help but laugh more heartily.
"I didn't get it from Kate Bishop!" Yelena cried as if she had been truly and utterly scandalized beyond all repair.
"Then you got it from Barton. Clint's the only person I've heard that says that, and Kate had to have learned it from him," Natasha pointed out, and Yelena just scoffed in reply from her position against the window on the opposite side from Natasha.
"Well, I will have you know that even if I did learn it from someone, it wouldn't be from Kate Bishop or Clinton. I learn the new slang from Little Peter, anyway," Yelena declared defiantly.
"Then where did you get it from?" Natasha questioned, and Yelena paused for a moment. She huffed and puffed for a moment, trying to think of a good response, which only proved to Natasha that Yelena had indeed gotten it from either Kate or Clint.
Having mercy on the girl, Natasha grinned at her, raising an eyebrow as she reached out and wrapped an arm around Yelena's neck as she tugged her against her. Yelena easily moved with her pulls, her head pressing into Natasha's shoulder as she nestled close to her. Natasha kissed her temple, her nose brushing Yelena's head as she took in a breath of that smell that was so simply and uniquely Yelena.
The both of them quietly watched the rain and wind outside, and Yelena pushed her head a little closer into the crook of Natasha's neck.
"You know... Since the weather's so bad outside... it looks like it might be a perfect night to watch some movies and maybe cuddle?" Yelena asked, and an answer of agreement was on the tip of Natasha's tongue until she suddenly remembered the fact that she had to go to that stupid meeting.
"Sweet girl, I would love to stay here with you and watch movies... It's just that I have to go to a meeting tonight with the guys," Natasha told her, and she immediately felt the disappointment rolling off of Yelena in waves.
"I didn't know you had a meeting," Yelena acknowledged unhappily, and Natasha nodded a little, her head pressed against Yelena's as she acknowledged her baby sister.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I thought you knew about it. And I didn't want you to dread it or feel like you had to go, too," Natasha explained herself, apologizing to her softly. Yelena nodded a little in reply, and Natasha sighed deeply, guilt eating at her as she glanced down at her baby sister.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Yelena offered, and Natasha immediately shook her head, warmed at the fact that Yelena was indeed willing to come with her regardless of the fact that Yelena hated those sorts of meetings.
"No, little one. I'll go take care of it," Natasha told her, and Yelena let out a sigh of both relief and disappointment. Relief from not having to go and disappointment at the fact that Natasha had to.
Natasha felt her heart squeezing painfully for her baby sister. She did not want to upset her or disappoint her, but she also knew that she was expected to be at the meeting.
"Besides... I'll be back before you know it, anyway," Natasha said, forcing a hint of cheeriness in her voice as she pulled away just enough so that she could look Yelena in the eyes. Yelena's gaze was downcast as she refused to look at the redhead.
"Natashka, you and I both know it'll probably last hours. Star Spangled Speedo likes to talk and Stark likes to argue with him," Yelena stated, and unfortunately, she had a point. Natasha did not really want to think that way, but she realistically knew that Yelena was actually probably right about the meeting.
Natasha pursed her lips a little before turning to look at the blonde, resting her hands on either side of Yelena's neck as she looked at her. Yelena looked up at her just barely, her eyes dejected as she met Natasha's gaze.
"I promise, I'll try to keep them from fighting too much, okay? I'll try to come back home quicker," Natasha told her, and Yelena just nodded, straightening a little in Natasha's grasp as she hid a bit of her pout behind a wall.
"Okay... Go show them who's boss," Yelena expressed gently with a slight smile, and Natasha forced a small smile on her face as she leaned forward, kissing Yelena's cheek as she reached her hand up to cradle the other side of the blonde's face. Yelena closed her eyes and leaned into the affection.
Natasha hesitantly pulled away, knowing it was time for her to go.
"I love you, my sunshine... I'll be back," Natasha assured her, and Yelena nodded, the mask of stoicism pulled over her disappointment.
"I love you, too, poser," Yelena responded gently, and the corners of Natasha's lips quirked upwards as she turned out of the doorway and headed toward the front door.
Natasha felt her heart breaking, and she honestly did not feel right about leaving Yelena alone. Especially in these sorts of conditions and with Yelena wanting her to stay with her. Natasha started out the door, her umbrella in hand and her bag over her shoulder as she headed to the car.
She made a run for the vehicle, quickly sliding into the front seat as she folded the umbrella and stuffed it behind her. She sat her bag down next to the seat and she cranked the car, starting to head out for the compound.
Natasha started on the road, the windshield wipers going as fast as they could to make up for the extensive rain hitting the glass. Natasha let out a deep sigh, her eyes locked on the road as she kept her hands firmly on the steering wheel.
However, no matter how focused she remained upon the road before her, she could not stop thinking about Yelena at home alone. She knew Yelena was a grown woman and that the girl had likely been just pouting because Natasha could not do what she wanted to do with her, but it still hurt Natasha to have to turn her down.
She worried that Yelena's disappointment might have run a little deeper as well. It always seemed as if Natasha was picking the Avengers over her. While the Avengers were often of more dire need than Yelena in concern to the fate of the world, the nation, or people's lives, Yelena was the most important thing to Natasha no matter what was going on.
And as Natasha thought about it a little more, she was honestly not too sure why she even had to come to the meeting. It was just a protocol meeting, and Steve always told her about what he was planning on adding to protocol in their free time to talk, so Natasha already knew everything that was going to be presented in this meeting.
Natasha furrowed her brow, debating her next move. As she came to a stop light about halfway to the compound, she just looked out the window, the rain pouring down on the car as the weather grew steadily worse as darkness fell. Natasha pursed her lips a little, chewing the inside of her cheek as she made up her mind.
"Screw it," Natasha muttered under her breath before looking all around and making a U-turn in the road so that she was heading back to the house.
Immediately, it was as if a piece of her fell into place. It felt so right to be turning around and coming back to Yelena that Natasha was honestly unsure why she had even left in the first place.
She was choosing Yelena over the Avengers, and it felt like what she had been meant to do all along.
.....................................................................................................................
Yelena let out a deep sigh as she prepared for bed. She would ordinarily be up for a little longer, but she figured that since Natasha was going to be gone for the majority of the night anyway that there was no reason to bother waiting for bed. She had gotten some leftovers from the fridge, but it was a pretty short meal, and she saw no real reason to stay up.
Besides, it always made her melt when Natasha would slip in bed behind her and just tug her securely and safely into her arms.
Yelena laid down on the bed, clad in her shorts and one of Natasha's baggier t-shirts. She nestled in the blankets, taking a deep whiff of her big sister's scent that permeated the blankets. Yelena fisted the pillow as she buried her face in it for a moment, just taking in the redhead's essence and wishing that she was sticking her face against the real thing.
Yelena let out a long, deep breath before closing her eyes, turning her head and resting the side of it on the pillow as she tried to get some sleep.
However, she just ended up relentlessly tossing and turning for an immeasurable amount of time. She finally let out a deep groan, knowing that trying to sleep without Natasha was a fruitless endeavor. Yelena groaned heavily as she sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed, resting her elbows on her knees and holding her face in her hands.
Yelena reached for her phone, checking for any messages from Natasha. She did not see any, and she let out a deep breath, reaching out for her earbuds and plugging them into the phone. She then put them into her ears. She absently turned on something from Christina Aguilera, trying to find a song to start out listening to that was one of her true favorites.
As she was scrolling through the options on her playlist, she was suddenly shocked by the feel of soft, gentle arms wrapping around her waist from behind as someone's face pressed into her upper back. Yelena jumped immediately at the feeling, tugging out one of her earbuds as she twisted to look behind her.
To her unadulterated surprise, Natasha was sitting there on the bed behind her, her face buried into Yelena's shoulder as she wound her arms around her affectionately and kept her legs crossed just behind the blonde. Yelena's eyes widened a little, and Natasha moved her head a little bit away from Yelena's back.
"Hi..."
"Natashka, I—"
"You remember how we used to build a fort in the living room when we did Saturday movie marathons as kids? Alexei always helped us set them up, and Melina would bring us snacks," Natasha reminisced, her voice warm and loving as she addressed Yelena. However, there was a presence of invitation and a little bit of mischief in her eyes as she watched the blonde.
Yelena immediately felt hope rising in her chest rapidly, a smile building on her face.
"Yeah, I do," Yelena replied, her tone in pure awe as she gazed at her favorite person ever. Natasha grinned a bit, kissing Yelena's shoulder resolutely before resting her chin on top of it.
"Good. So maybe you won't think I'm crazy when I suggest that we flip over the couch on its face and put some blankets on the floor underneath it?" Natasha playfully questioned, and Yelena shook her head, her grin growing as she turned a bit in an attempt to better access the redhead. Natasha grinned widely, her eyes half-lidded as she watched Yelena with so much adoration that it made Yelena want to melt.
"You're here to stay?" Yelena asked, unable to believe the fact that Natasha was actually here to be with her instead of going to one of the meetings.
"Yeah. That a problem?" Natasha questioned, quirking an eyebrow teasingly, and Yelena felt her heart soaring with Natasha's playful mood.
"No! I just... don't you have to go to the meeting?" Yelena asked. She felt just a little bit guilty, and she did not want to be the one holding Natasha back from important work just because the redhead felt obligated to be there with her. Natasha shook her head, shrugging in reply as her eyes positively glowed with affection.
"Nah... It's stuff I already know anyway. Besides, the guys are just going to have to manage without me, because you're more important than anything they could have to say," Natasha told her firmly, her voice loving and confident in its tone.
Yelena immediately felt her lower lip trembling just a little with the admission, and she moved her head forward, pushing her forehead into Natasha's neck. Natasha's skin was a little damp from the rain, and it was a little chilly because Natasha always seemed to be cold, but it was home to Yelena.
Natasha's hand was immediately at the back of her neck, holding her closer.
"I'll always choose you," Natasha told her gently, and the raw honesty in her voice made Yelena's heart squeeze tightly. Yelena remained there against her neck for a little while longer before she finally pulled away and grinned at her a little.
"Okay, poser... Let's make a fort," Yelena excitedly declared, and Natasha grinned at her, pecking her nose quickly before they both got up from the bed.
"Grab our wooly blanket and the weighted blanket, Rooskaya," Natasha told her as she started out of the bedroom door, a smile in her voice. Yelena wasted no time in grabbing it from their closet and bounding after Natasha.
Natasha was standing in the living room, and she had already moved the coffee table over and started making a space for the couch to lay flipped over.
Yelena placed the blankets on the floor nearby, and she started toward one end of the couch, helping Natasha to move it and put it in place. They took the pillows out of the couch and then flipped it over so that the top part of the couch and the bottom part were making a large upside-down V-shape on the floor.
Yelena could not help her wild grin as she looked at her big sister. Natasha's smile was so, so affectionate. Yelena could not wait to get under the couch with her and just snuggle in the small, enclosed space where she would be surrounded by so much of Natasha.
They stretched the blankets in the space made underneath the couch. Yelena grabbed the remote, sitting it on the end of the couch closest to the television where their heads would be poking out. Natasha headed into the kitchen and grabbed some M&Ms for the both of them, just snatching the whole bag and bringing it to the end of the couch that Yelena had dropped the remote on.
Natasha then approached the opposite side of the couch and crawled in. Yelena watched her eagerly, waiting for Natasha to get in and settle down so that Yelena could follow after.
"Wow... It's a tight squeeze... We might wanna rearrange this thing and make more room," Natasha acknowledged.
However, Yelena was determined to squeeze in with her, and she swiftly dropped onto her hands and knees, crawling in after her.
"If you'd lay off the peanut butter, it might not be so tight of a squeeze," Yelena jabbed jokingly, and Natasha just scoffed in reply to her.
"Don't even start with me about junk food addictions," Natasha warned, a teasing tone in her voice, and Yelena rolled her eyes, choosing not to respond to that.
Sure enough, it was extremely tight, but Yelena pushed her way through. Natasha was laying on her stomach, starting to turn on Disney+, and as soon as Yelena was directly above her, the blonde wasted no time in just flopping down on top of her heavily, her full body weight just squishing Natasha.
Natasha let out a grunt. Yelena simply smiled widely as she just rested her chin on Natasha's shoulder, her head leaning against Natasha's. She could easily see Natasha's smile that was rapidly spreading across her face.
"So what do you want to watch first?" Natasha asked, handing the remote over to Yelena behind her. Yelena reached around Natasha's shoulder, grabbing the remote in her hand as she looked at the options.
She allowed a pregnant pause before smirking widely and moving over to the one and only Encanto. Natasha immediately groaned loudly.
"Great..."
Yelena just laughed.