Mentions of abuse
(Wanda PoV)
I am frozen to the spot, my hands resting on the back of the chair Y/n was sitting on, my eyes locked to the hallway the two of them have just disappeared down, my anger is so far past anything I have felt in a long time I'm sure that the girls around me can feel it radiating off my body. My breathing is heavy as I try and not let my anger take control of me, trying my best to extend the fuse that has been burnt away so quickly today.
I jump when I feel a hand on my back, turning to see Karen with a sympathetic smile and something else but I don't question it as she mumbles out a small go. I open and close my mouth trying to say I need to stay for Y/n but Karen shakes her head, placing her hands on my biceps.
"We will make sure Y/n is looked after, Kate is with her at the moment no doubt being the friend she needs. But you cannot be this angry when she comes back, so go outside and take a moment." I bite my lip looking over my shoulder to the hallway once more, tears building in the corner of my eyes from the anger and the picture of how scared and lost Y/n looked.
"She needs me." My voice trembles a little as I suck in a harsh breath.
"She does, but she does not need you to be angry. So go get some fresh air, we will let her know that you have just gone to make sure Yelena has left or something. By the time you get back we will all be on the couches ready to watch a movie." I look back to Karen, not having noticed Sharon moving about as she now stands next to her.
"You didn't hear this from me but I think Yelena needs to hear what you have to say." It takes me a little by surprise as Sharon isn't normally one for being a part of arguments, instead watching from the side lines. "And how do you go about that? Well I'm sure an angry Russian and an angry Sokovian is enough to make even Yelena listen."
"I wish I could be two people right now." They both chuckle as I let out a sigh. "Let Y/n know I am making sure Yelena won't be back tonight and that I have gone to get some extra chocolate and popcorn for us all."
"Of course." Sharon smiles, nodding, as she takes a sip from her beer. "Could you grab more alcohol too? I think one or more of you guys is going to need it."
"We will see." I look back at Karen who has her lip trapped between her teeth with tears in her eyes and I feel my anger dissipate slightly when I see how hurt she looks. "Hey what's wrong?"
"I just, I can't help but think some of this is my fault. You know. Maybe if I had been more present as a mother while Steph was growing into her own, being her own person and wanting her independence. Maybe if I had been a bit more pushy and messaged her more, or listened more, or even when she came to me for advice at least give her the time of day. But I was too busy with work, and with making sure that Vision was happy. I left out my own daughter." Karen's bottom lip trembles as a few tears fall and I am quick to wipe them away with my thumb.
"Hey none of that. Steph is an adult, she may only be 21, 22 or however old she is, but she is an adult. She doesn't live with you, she doesn't depend on you financially. She lives in her own place, she has a job, she pays taxes and bills. You weren't any less present because you didn't see her or communicate everyday. Communication is a two way street, if she doesn't message you then that is on her. If she doesn't ask for help, or ask to see you that is on her. If she listens to someone the way she did Vision then that is her fault, not yours. You are a good mother Karen, it is Steph who has strayed from the good path you put her on."
"But..."
"No, no buts. If you are putting blame on yourself for how Y/n reacted today please don't, it is not in any way your fault. Do you hear me?" I say it with some sternness but I keep the tone as soft as I can.
"I hear you." I nod, taking one last glance behind me to the hallway.
"I am going to get some air." Karen drops her hands from my arm as I make my way to the door, not missing Sharon lifting and pointing to her drink, grabbing my coat and purse on the way.
"Don't murder her, she is still technically our friend. Right?" I chuckle as I look over at an uncertain Sharon.
"We shall see." With that I leave the apartment heading outside and taking a deep breath in, the cold air filling my lungs.
"Get in the fucking car." My head whips around at the voice, seeing Natasha holding open the car door and motioning for Yelena to get in and before I can even think about doing so my feet move in their direction.
"Oh wow, so you came out here to have a go at me too?" I raise my brow, crossing my arms over and tilt my head as Yelena scoffs at me.
"Actually I came out here to get some air but the universe has handed me an opportunity I thought I was going to have to wait for." Yelena shakes her head, turning away from me and moving to get in the car.
"No." Natasha moves to stand in front of the open door and Yelena lets out a laugh.
"Wow so you want me in the car but you stop me from getting in. Are you stupid sestra, I need to be able to get in the car to be - you know - in the car."
"That was before Wanda was here and before you so rudely spoke to her. You guys are friends, she has known you for years Yelena. Ever since the first time she came around after we made acquaintances at work. Don't pretend all those years mean nothing. So no, you will not get into the car until you hear Wanda out."
"I don't want to hear how she is upset with me over an argument with her girlfriend, so if you don't mind moving so I can get in the car. The quicker I get in the quicker we can go home."
"We are not going home."
"Wha..."
"Not until you hear what Wanda has to say." Yelena sighs at her sister's ultimatum, but slowly turns to me looking rather ... bored.
"Go ahead, tell me how upset you are with me. How you want me to apologise to your fragile girlfriend so we can all be friends again." My jaw locks as I run my tongue along the front of my teeth holding back a little when I speak.
"I am upset with you. I am angry. I am confused. But I am also disappointed. Mostly angry, but also so disappointed." I don't shout it, not wanting to attract attention from the public around us but I know Yelena has heard it when I see her face drop.
"I want to go home." Yelena turns back to Natasha who has got a straight face, her features giving nothing away to how she may be feeling apart from the slight twitch on the corner of her eye.
"And I want you to grow the fuck up, but I guess we can't all get what we want." I don't let my surprise show at Natasha's venomous words, watching as hurt crosses Yelena's features.
"I don't have to deal with this. I guess I will get an uber home or something." Yelena is quick to turn around and try to walk away but Natasha is quicker, her hand grabbing her wrist.
"Stop acting like a fucking child Yelena. You are 22 years old, not 5. Grow the fuck up and stop being so stubborn." Yelena looks down to the ground at her sister's words, kicking her shoes against the pavement, Natasha's last few words laced with her Russian accent. She must be just as angry as me, if not more. "I am so mad Yelena, thinking you can act like that and say those things to someone. Especially Y/n. How do you think mama, or papa would feel if they heard their daughter saying such vile things?"
"Well it wouldn't matter since they are in Russia. What are they going to do, threaten to feed me to the pigs?" I scoff, shaking my head taking a step closer to Yelena as I unfold my arms and push my hands through my hair.
"That's what you got from that? Really? Wow, you're even more shallow than I thought possible. All you think about is yourself and you don't take into consideration other people's feelings in the slightest. It honestly baffles me how one person can be so self-centred and be so blind to the damage they are causing around them." I look Yelena up and down as I say these words.
"Wow so you're just going to let her attack me like this." I throw my hands up in the air, turning away from the two sisters bending over slightly as I put my face into my hands and scream silently into them, allowing some of the pent up emotions out.
"What she is doing is nowhere what you did to Y/n, so if you feel a little hurt how the fuck do you think Y/n felt? Wanda is defending her girlfriend against you, which by the way shouldn't even have been a thing in the first place, because you attacked her." I crouch down more looking up slightly as my hands drop from my face just listening to the two bicker behind me trying to plan what I want to say.
"Oh come on I did not."
"Yes you did. There is no fine line between not meaning to hurt someone and purposefully doing it here Yelena. You said those things on purpose. You hurt Y/n on purpose." I continue to just listen as I slowly stand back up wiping the tears from my face taking a few deep breaths.
"I didn't attack her though!"
"Yes you did."
"No, I didn't hit her!"
"No but the way you attacked her is so much worse at this point." I spit out pointing an accusing finger as everything I was planning in my head goes out the window and my anger takes over. "You shouldn't have said anything! Nothing at all! Your words cut deeper than your fists ever could. Especially when it come to my fucking girlfriend!"
"We have been friends longer than she has ever been in your life and one little argument and you are taking her side kicking me to the curb, out of your apartment!"
"You are no friend of my Yelena, not at this moment. Not until you get over whatever ideals you have in that head of yours and realise that you are in the wrong, that what you have said and done is so far from being anywhere near friendly. When you attack Y/n, you attack me and I will defend her honour and my honour until my final fucking breath. Because no one, no one, gets to say those things to the person I love and think they can get away with it. If you think I can't make your life fucking hell over this just wait and fucking see Yelena because mark my words if you step one more foot out of line. If one more word out of your mouth is aimed in a negative light towards my Y/n there will be hell to pay. And it's all on you, so you are the one who will be paying. Do I make myself absolutely crystal fucking clear."
"I don't get it! I really don't." I kiss my teeth tilting my head, my eyes darting to Natasha as she crosses her arms but doesn't say anything allowing me to say my piece.
"What is there not to get?"
"It's just I remember that you and Y/n fell out? And let me see if I remember correctly, something about you forgetting about her dead daughter and telling her she doesn't understand what it's like to have to look after children. And to make matters worse wasn't it the day of their death anniversary or something? So what I don't get is why you can get away with saying that but I can't tell her that she doesn't need to flinch at every single thing all the fucking time because we aren't her ex. We are friends."
"She doesn't flinch at every single thing, she flinches at you." I state, ignoring the way my heart drops at the mere mention of the pain I caused because I still will forever regret what I did and I hate to be reminded of it, but I won't let Yelena's little attempts to hurt me get to me.
"So this Steph girl hit her a few times and said some nasty things, and we are condoning Y/n's reactions to things that aren't that bitch? I mean sure abuse is nasty but she should have got out earlier, like when it started happening." I take a few steps towards Yelena until I am standing, towering over her, my entire body seething with rage.
"My girlfriend was put in hospital multiple times for what that bitch did to her, not just during their relationship but also after it. Her reactions are not some game, not some act she is putting on to get people to feel sorry for her. Her past trauma, through her whole life has conditioned her to have certain ways of thinking, of speaking, of going about daily tasks. Her relationship with Steph was abusive. Abuse is abuse whether its words being used or fists and everyone, including that amazing young woman who you've just berated for being abused, are allowed to not be okay afterwards. I'm so sorry you don't know what it's like to go through something like that and have to live life the way Y/n does, it must be so difficult for you to understand."
"But she has you, and she has Natasha. She has her parents, her ex-wife's family, she even has friends from work to support her through her day to day life. She has people. She has money. She has a house, and other homes. She has the cars and the suits and the hot woman on her arm. She has it all and still everything has to revolve around whether she is comfortable with those around her or not. She has everything anyone could ever fucking want and she still acts like a beaten down child!"
"Wow." Natasha lets out a humourless laugh, Yelena turns to look at her but my attention remains on the younger blonde not yet done with what I have to say but also allowing my interest at what Natasha thinks to grow.
"What are you going to say that I am wrong?" Natasha doesn't pay the question any mind looking around a little and I start to notice people looking our way but at this point I couldn't give a damn about it.
"You're jealous. That's what this is all about. All because you are fucking jealous." Yelena goes to speak but nothing comes out as her stance deflates a little but her features harden.
"So what if I am a little jealous of Y/n and the way life has given her all these amazing things? It doesn't stop the fact that she acts like a puppy in training." I can't even think to stop my open palm from hitting Yelena's cheek before it has already happened, the sound seems to make the usually loud and busy street suddenly very quiet; even though the people and cars don't stop.
"Did you just hit me?"
"Yes I fucking did. Maybe if I hit you a few more times, told you how much of a unlovable and disgusting person you are. Maybe if I threatened you to a point that you'd give in only for me to drop my act and put on a smile, you would learn to shut up when asked to do so. Maybe if I pushed you down the stairs once or twice you would learn that going against what I say lands you in hospital. Maybe you would learn a lesson or two, and become that little trained puppy you are on about. I think it would take a while to wear you down until I have you right where I want you. A scared fucking puppy who never disobeys an order as you say. Maybe then you will understand how it feels, understand what Y/n feels, understand that she is working hard to undo everything that Steph and others have forced onto her."
I've said it now and I instantly feel regret fill my body, a sickening feeling growing in my stomach as I realise everything I've just spat in anger at Yelena. Her face is pale as her eyes avoid mine, my breathing heavy as I turn around covering my mouth with my hand to hide a sob. I don't dare look at either sister allowing my tears to flow as I internally curl up into a ball to scream and shout into the nothingness. I take a deep breath, not looking at the two of them as I calm my voice.
"Y/n is not some puppy who needs training, she is not some mutt who needs to be kept on a tight leash, and she is most certainly not a puppy waiting for the next command. She is not broken and she will not ever break. but parts of her are damaged, chipped, and I am doing everything I can so help rebuild and repair those things while she does it. You do not see how hard she has had to fight, frankly I haven't known her long enough to see it either but I have seen enough these past few months to know that it is a constant uphill battle. She may never truly repair some parts of herself, but that is where we step in. We are meant to be the people she can turn to when she needs help, the people she feels safest around so she can feel like she can relax without consequences. You have had it out for her since you met her Yelena, and all because of some petty jealousy. How fucking childish. You are a fucking bully Yelena, and a manipulative one at that."
"I..."
"I'm not done." I finally turn around to look at Yelena who is looking up at me through her eyelashes with her head down slightly.
"Sorry."
"Those words should not be spoken to me, not that they seem to mean much anymore. How can you think that any of what you did is okay? How can you reason that what you did was for good? Yelena, you are manipulative towards Y/n and you lashed out at her for having a reaction she cannot control. You chose to attack what she already sees as her biggest downfall, her biggest weakness, all because she lives a different life to you. You don't get to justify your actions with anything because there is no justification in them. You have no excuses left. Zero, zip, zilch, nada, niente. None."
"What can I do?"
My eyes look at the red mark on her cheek from my hand, but her words cause my brows to crease. I thought she would fight back, not that I wanted her to, but I truly thought that she would try again. Try making the same excuses. I'm confused at the change in her. Was it because I hit her or maybe she is finally listening to what we are saying and is realising what her actions have done and how she needs to sort herself out before I let her anywhere near Y/n to apologise for everything.
"What you can do is go home and learn to be a better person. Go find some humanity and come back when you've learned how to accept Y/n for all of who she is and every little bit of baggage that comes with her. You don't need to ever know it all but you need to be able to handle your reactions and emotions so much better if she ever decides to let you in." Yelena nods solemnly at my words as I take a few steps back allowing more distance between us. "I'm sorry for hitting you Yelena, truly."
"It's okay, I deserved it." She shrugs it off and I quickly shake my head.
"No one deserves to be hit." I look at Natasha for a second whose face is still that of unreadable and it dawns on me she wants to talk with Yelena in private and not in the middle of the sidewalk like I have.
"Can we go now?" Yelena looks at her sister, and it's only now I see how young and innocent she looks and I feel like I see a child's mind stuck in an adults body, it's upsetting to see her look so small and fragile but I can't give in and back down from everything I've just said.
"Go sit in the car." Natasha says gently, finally moving out of the way for Yelena to climb in, but her teeth grit together slightly as she closes the door behind her sister.
"Don't kill her. She is completely and utterly in the wrong and whatever she has said and done is not excused, but she has already had one person shout and scream at her today. In public no less. Don't add to it too much because you know she is on the verge of shutting down. Let yourself cool off and have a sisterly heart to heart, be stern but be her sister."
"Says the one who cussed her out in the street." I sigh with a chuckle, my eyes diverting to look at Yelena in the car who has pulled her knees up to her chest.
"I know but she is your sister first. You are angry and disappointed but you need to remind her she is still loved. She just needs someone who isn't shouting at her to talk her through it. Explain it, get her to try and understand it."
"I can't promise that she will completely change but I can promise to do my best." I nod satisfied with Nat's answer as she goes around to the drivers side and I tap on Yelena's window.
"Mhmm." She looks at me slightly as she rolls her window down.
"I know what I said before, but don't forget I love you okay." Yelena's pout makes me smile a little as she nods slowly.
"I love you too." She mumbles before her eyes meet mine. "And I'm sorry."
"I'm not the one you need to be apologising to." I remind her gently and she once again nods.
"I know that too." My eyes move to Natasha as she buckles in.
"I will see you both soon, don't kill your sister Tasha." She rolls her eyes grumbling in agreement as I move back from the car.
"Hey! If you're all done talking can we steal Wanda back, Y/n's all pouty and wrapped in her red blanket and won't let us watch the film without her. Which sucks because it's like my all time favourite film." I laugh as I look up to my apartment Window to see Kate hanging out of it slightly.
"I got to pop to the shop and grab more chocolate and popcorn." I look back down to the car as it starts driving off both women giving a small wave in goodbye which I return.
"Fuck the chocolate and popcorn." I look back up to Kate chuckling with an eye roll.
"Don't forget my beer." Sharon appears next to Kate and Kate groans.
"See I also have to get Sharon some beer."
"But that means I have to see Y/n continue to pout instead of watching a movie." Kate leans more against the window sill. "Fine but hurry up."
"Right, yes, I'm going now. I won't be longer than 20 minutes." Sharon smiles disappearing back inside.
"20 minutes! Oh my gosh, that's so long."
~~~~~
I open the door with a small difficulty since I have a bag in either hand but they are immediately taken from my hand by Kate.
"Thank you Jesus, go cuddle your pouty girlfriend I have the food and beer." I open my mouth to say something but Kate gestures her head towards the couches. "She needs you."
I take my shoes off and put my purse down as I walk into the living room seeing Karen sitting next to Sharon on one couch, both enjoying a fresh beer, and just a bundle of red blanket on the other couch.
I delicately unravel the mess of the red blanket to reveal my pouting girlfriend, looking up at me with her doe eyes, and I feel my lips tug into a soft smile. My hand finds home on her cheek, my thumb gently caressing it, as I bend down to match her height since she is laying down.
"Hi baby." I whisper softly using my free hand to brush some hair out of her face.
She doesn't say anything but instead grabs the edges of the blanket in her hands, opening it up and shuffling herself towards the back of the couch to make room. I understand the silent request and move to lay down on the couch in front of her, the blanket and her arm instantly wrapping around me. She pulls me all the way back against her until I can't physically get any closer and I feel soft kisses being placed around the back of my neck and then to the top of my head.
"Hi bug."
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Word Count: 4366