Yelena Belova & Natasha Romanoff [with Rapunzel cameo + a quick call to Steve] March 6 (2025) & March 20 Natasha tries to talk to her sister, but Yelena doesn't want to open up. Then Yelena's knee is shattered (Thanks, Matt) and the sisters have an honest chat about what's been bothering her afterward.
RATING - Rish | Mentions of blood, death, loss
Yelena’s clothes were still very, very bloodstained and she was kind of pissed off that it wasn’t one of her tactical uniforms but clothes she had actually liked. Her jacket had washed out fine (thanks, Matt and/or Coulson) but this outfit was going to be consigned to the trash.
“I still don’t want to talk about it,” Yelena snapped as she walked in the door with Natasha. Yelena’s injuries had required magical intervention and now she was ready to get home, take a shower, and crawl into bed so she could ignore the world for a few hours.
Natasha folded her arms across her chest giving Yelena a look. “You’re going to have to tell me what’s going on with you eventually,” she pointed out. It was obvious there was something. Natasha was frustrated enough that her sister wouldn’t confide in her, but this time she’d very nearly died.
"Or I don't," Yelena shot back. She stomped off toward her bedroom and proceeded to open and slam dresser drawers as she pulled out comfortable clothes. She bent to undo the laces of her boots which were then kicked off; a smirk appeared as one boot connected with a wall and left a mark. It wasn't quite a hole but it was a near thing. She looked at Natasha because she hadn't bothered to close the bedroom door.
Yelena rolled her eyes. "It's fine. You worry too much. I'm not the only one who got injured by the birds," she said, exasperated as she stripped down to her underclothes. Definitely consigned to the garbage. "I'm going to take a shower."
“I wouldn’t have to worry if you would let me in,” Natasha retorted. It wasn’t just about the birds, but something had been off about Yelena since Natasha had arrived at the Station. The birds had been unavoidable, but it wasn’t the first time Yelena had come home with torn clothes and bruises. Natasha hadn’t called her out on it, but she had sure as hell noticed. ‘You’re being reckless,” Natasha added. She knew she was pushing it, but she wasn’t willing to just drop it.
"I'm not being reckless. I'm getting the job done," Yelena snapped. "Some of us haven't been out of the Red Room as long." A low blow, she knew, but there was no taking it back. And she didn't exactly want to take it back. "So," Yelena said, chin lifting in challenge, "whatever it takes."
She just didn't define what, exactly, the job was. Or jobs were.
Natasha fought the urge to roll her eyes at the obvious dig.Out of the Red Room or not, Natasha had still been in the business. She’d traded one shady employer in for another, even if she hadn’t known it at the time. Nick Fury was a good man, but S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn’t been the organization either of them had thought it was. That was all beside the point at the moment.
“The job. What job is that, Yelena?” Natasha asked.
Yelena scoffed. "You know better," she said, flatly, and gave her sister a Look. "Move." She pushed past Natasha anyway and headed for the bathroom in order to get the shower running. Holding eye contact with the redhead, Yelena slammed the door closed between them.
* * * * *
For weeks, Yelena continued to push her sister away. And then Yelena walked in the door looking worse for wear. How she was still on her feet was anyone's guess. It was late - and she hadn't expected her sister to be right there when she walked in the door. Yelena's knee finally gave out for the last time of the night and she dropped to the floor with a yelp. "Need the- Rapunzel," she mumbled, trying to focus on not vomiting from the pain. Again.
Had Natasha been waiting up? You bet your ass she had been. Yelena had been pushing her away and she knew it. The longer it went on, the more worried she’d become. Something was going on with her sister, but her attempts to pull it out of her had all failed. All Natasha could do was try to keep an eye on her, which is why she’d been up, waiting for Yelena to come through the door. If it had been much later, she might have gone looking for her.
When Yelena’s knee gave out, Natasha moved quickly. Not fast enough to keep her from hitting the floor, but she had her phone out of her pocket before the name even left Yelena’s lips, dialing Steve’s number. “Yelena’s hurt. She needs a healer. You know I wouldn’t ask-” After a quick conversation (and some questions on Steve’s end), he agreed to get Rapunzel to them.
“She’s coming,” Natasha told her sister. “Stay put.” She considered trying to help Yelena to the couch, at least, but she wasn’t sure moving her was a good idea. Instead, she stayed there on the floor until the knock sounded on the door, only getting up long enough to let Rapunzel in.
Yelena was grateful that Natasha didn't ask questions. She was also thankful that her sister didn't try to move her because violence might have ensued and neither of them was going to enjoy that. By the time Rapunzel arrived, Yelena was pretty sure amputation was the best option. Remove the pain at the source.
Unfortunately, the magic of the girl's hair did not help matters because even though Yelena knew what happened there was still the element of weird and magic and Yelena was certain that she was hallucinating. Yelling happened, threats were delivered at the Captain America that had accompanied the petite healer, and all in all it was a fairly successful night in Yelena's estimation. She didn't need Steve Rogers standing around wearing that expression when she already had Natasha to contend with. But her thanks to the girl, even accepting the worried hug that Rapunzel gave as Yelena sat up, was genuine. And Yelena was still glad to see the door close behind them. It wasn't going to be the end of it but Yelena sighed and decided to just sink back down into a lying-down position.
"It's fine," Yelena said. It was the usual line but, for once, it lacked any of the usual venom. She looked up at her sister and her expression softened. "I hate that you left. I know it isn't your fault but I hate that you left and I hate that it was so easy and I hate that you didn't remember being here."
Natasha rolled her eyes at the first words Yelena spoke to her after she’d been healed. They both knew that was bullshit and she barely masked her relief when her sister looked up and continued speaking.
“I know. I’m sorry.” It was only half a lie. She wasn’t sorry for the choices she’d made. She’d make them again if she had the chance. Maybe she’d do some of it differently, like getting Yelena out, too, but she would have made the same choice on Vormir that ultimately brought everyone back. Brought Yelena back. “The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you сестра,” she added. That much was the full truth. “I would have those memories back if I could.” That much was true, too.
Yelena sighed and reached out to grab her sister by the hand. "Just lay the fuck down with me," she said, tired and done for the night. It was the middle of the floor but Yelena didn't care. She just wanted the moment. Her lips pursed and the first half of their whistle blew out. I'm here.
It hadn't answered her back at Natasha's grave.
Tonight it did as Natasha did as she was asked, lying next to her sister. Who cared if it was the floor? She’d slept in less comfortable spots and if Yelena was asking, was finally letting her in, Natasha wouldn’t say no.
"I want to make a difference here and I can't," Yelena said quietly. "I've been picking up contracts. Murdock found me tonight. We didn't hold back this time." Because the last time had been their version of a friendly spar. "He caught my knee. That's what happened." She grinned a little, still staring up at the ceiling. "I broke his nose. I would have done more if he hadn't realized who I was and got me to stop." Yelena might have killed the man on the roof; she'd been angry and desperate even though there had been a small voice in the back of her head, telling her that she recognized something in the way the man had moved.
Natasha just listened as Yelena spoke, letting her get it out, grateful she was finally admitting to what Natasha had already guessed at. Some of it, she’d guessed anyway. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to thank Murdock or kick his ass for what he’d done to her sister’s knee. If it had led to this moment between the sisters, she was inclined to the former. Possibly a little of both.
“Why?” she asked about the contacts. She had her suspicions, but she was hoping to hear Yelena say it. “I know you don’t need the money.”
"Same reason Barton ran around," Yelena said without much emotion behind it. "It isn't fair that the assholes of the world get to live and continue to be assholes and ruin the lives of others. I can't just go and find myself here and help her free Widows." And how the Yelena Belova, native to the world that they were in, hadn't already tracked them down was a little embarrassing. "I want my time here to mean something."
The blonde turned her head to look at Natasha. "You just... you left and it didn't mean anything important to people because people leave all the time. I don't want to disappear and it be nothing. It isn't fair." Her hand squeezed her sister's and she swallowed. "You at least saved the world."
“It means something to me,” Natasha offered. She knew it probably wasn’t enough. “If you disappeared, it wouldn’t be nothing. It would be devastating. To me, to the other people here who love you.” Natasha knew it wasn’t the same thing as making a difference in the world at large and she wasn’t sure Yelena was going to be willing to stop taking contracts, but she also didn’t want her to think it wouldn’t matter if she left.
Yelena made a neutral noise and turned her head again to look at the ceiling. But she didn't let go of Natasha's hand. "I'm not going to stop," she said. "If it's the only good thing I can do here, to make a difference, I'm going to keep doing it. I can afford to be picky."
She didn't tell Natasha about the sleepless nights, waiting until the sun rose to catch an hour or so of sleep once she was sure her sister was still there. "Are you going to keep riding my ass about it?" Yelena asked, putting just enough of her usual dry tone into the words to sound almost normal again.
“Are you going to keep being reckless about it?” Natasha asked pointedly. She knew better than to think she could make Yelena do - or stop doing - something when her mind was made up, but she couldn’t help worrying, especially after tonight.
"Probably not," Yelena said without pause. What? They were having an honest conversation. "But I'm not going to get myself killed." She snorted. "I'm better than that."
It wasn’t necessarily the answer Natasha wanted, but she could respect the honesty. “You don't know that. Sometimes no matter how good you are...” None of them was immortal, not even Thor, and being good wasn’t always enough, especially when you took stupid chances. “I know I can’t stop you, but I hope you’ll at least be careful.”
And there it was. Yelena pushed herself up into a seated position. "Well, not all of us will throw ourselves off cliffs," she said. "Of those of us in the room, only one has done that." Yelena hesitated before getting to her feet. "Okay, that's a lie. But one of us did it with a parachute."
She turned and set a hand on her hip, chin jutting up a little in challenge even as she looked down at her sister. "How about this? I'll ask myself: What would Natasha do? before I possibly do something reckless," Yelena said and cocked an eyebrow. Her lips twitched briefly into the barest of smirks, daring her sister to argue that logic.
There was part of Natasha that wanted to push it, get Yelena to make a better concession, but she also knew she had a point and that now maybe wasn’t the time to argue it further, so she nodded her head. “You should get some rest,” she said. Tomorrow, she’d push for a plan that involved Yelena calling her for backup if she got in a sticky situation again. Hopefully before she ended up bleeding all over their floor.