So this is a thing. Because since watching Black Widow and having seen Endgame i am just eternally pissed at what happens with Natasha. So this is somewhat of a fix-it fic while also appealing to my desire to see Yelena in a poly relationship with these two Avengers while also holding onto the fact she is Asexual. Plus the idea of Carol/Nat have sexy good times and then having Carol go to the lounge to collect their sleepy little Ace-Widow for cuddling just does things to me in the best sort or way...
This may not be for everyone, given that i guess its technically at least Pseudo Incest with Nat/Yelena so keep that in mind.
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Carol had spent approximately 5 years working with what was left of the avengers old and newly recruited from outside of the alarm system it seemed. In those five years Carol has spent most of that across the galaxy helping in other solar systems where there were no hero's to help them out. When she returned to Earth her breaks were fairly shortly but when the briefing was over and she stopped to rest it was usually to find herself talking with Natasha. Or Nat as she had come to call her.
The friendship had grown fast and they'd enjoyed their time together. Natasha had, over time, come to trust Carol considerably and had opened up as a result. Carol learned all about Natasha's life over those five years and Carol had offered as much of her own past. They were fast friends, and they were comfortable with each other but that was all they were. Friends. Good friends. The best of friends even.
Except then it was much later, it wasn't even really spoken. But she noticed. When they'd all backed her, women hero's in all shapes and forms, from various planets and timelines even. But Carol, even in the midst of such dire moments, had noticed her absence like a punch in the gut… no, like a photon explosion before she had absorbed and adapted to the core explosion so long ago. Natasha wasn't there and she should have been. When it was over, when they were free. She didn't know what to do.
With the gauntlet having been used in their favour, most dire issues across the universe had been resolved. There were some. But there were task forces in most corners of space. They would be fine for now. But Carol didn't know what to do. Normally when she had downtime on earth it was spent with Nat. And now even there as everyone was mourning Tony's death and honouring his sacrifice. Carol had a frown on her face though looking off away from Tony.
"Carol?" It was Steve Rogers calling her out.
"Where is she?" Carol asks the question slowly and is answered with confusion.
"She… for the soul stone." Clint. He understood.
And in that moment, Carol did too. A part of herself was just gone with this knowledge. She had feelings for Natasha the likes of which she'd not had for anyone, except maybe Maria but even then they had only ever been the best of friends. Natasha and She had only been friends. But now Carol was feeling robbed of the chance to find out if they could ever have been more and that in itself was soul crushing.
"Someone has to tell Yelena." Carol murmured words but in the deafening silence of the moment most knew.
"Who is Yelena?" Rhodey asked frowning, an action mirrored on everyone's faces and Carol swallowed. Did they really not know?
"She… what?" Carol was confused. Nat never told them? But she told her…
"It doesn't matter. I'll do it. Let me know when… when you're laying him to rest." Carol looked to Tony's still form for a moment before she took to the sky's and left. She had no idea where to even try and find Yelena. But she'd start in Budapest.
Yelena stood there and stared at this woman who could glow and fly and was in some weird space uniform suit thing. This woman who was decidedly beautiful yet had just delivered her such ugly news and Yelena had only been back for the last 5 days like half of the rest of the universe. Carol, because she had a human name even if she was clearly some sort of pretty alien, had explained to her what had happened. She'd explained that before she had gotten to the part where her stupid sister had gone and thrown herself off some plateau in order to save half the universe.
Carol was standing there watching her too. She'd found her in France of all places. They were standing on top of some building, it was an apartment complex. A few days ago Yelena had found one of the controlled Widows and after a hectic fight had managed to release her. Yelena had stayed to let some of the deeper bruises mend and just to enjoy the short break after everything that had happened. Or hadn't? She was still confused. It didn't feel like 5 years had passed.
Yelena frowned at first though, taking all this information in and processing it. Then she laughed, because of the sheer absurdity. How did anyone ever have that much power they could just click their fingers and erase half of a whole universe? And then… then she blinked hurriedly and her lip trembled and finally she looked back at Carol who was standing there watching her. When she saw those eyes that looked clearly as shattered as she felt over this information, she broke. Yelena let out a sob and her knees buckled. She didn't make it to the ground before strong arms had wrapped around her and pulled her close.
They both cried.
"So you're in love with her?" Yelena asked later, after they had cried.
Now the pair were in the hotel room that Yelena had been in while she was in Paris. They were sitting at a small breakfast bar, Yelena was drinking vodka like it was water hoping for that warm feeling in her gut that distracted her and made things easier to deal with. Carol was also drinking vodka but not the way Yelena was. Carol had one tumbler and had only drank half of it to Yelena's quarter of a bottle.
"We became really good friends in those five years. She was miserable. Her friend Clint was in the wind doing… less than good things. Half of everyone everywhere was gone. She really stepped up and took charge. I liked that. We became really good friends but my visits were sporadic." Carol explains slowly.
"But you're in love with her?" Yelena repeats the question and Carol looks at the glass in front of her.
"Not that it does me any good." Carol murmurs softly.
"Don't say that. We are done crying now. Now we fix this because I have a serious need to do something to her." Yelena spoke with such conviction but left the comment so vague. Carol looked at her for a long moment.
"She never really spoke of you as a sister. She called you her sister, yes. But Nat would always have this look on her face when she spoke of you. How proud she was but also just something else…" Carol spoke slowly as she offered this.
"I think you're looking into it a little too much." Yelena shifted and blushed faint enough that anyone else might have missed it. Not Carol though.
"I think you both wanted family really really badly and given your past as a staged family, calling it sisterhood was just easier." Carol offers after a moment.
"Listen, Captain. You're getting off topic." Deflection but not denial spoke volumes.
"Did you talk about it?" Carol asks standing up now and she moved closer to Yelena.
"Of course not. How could we? We are sisters… and she's borderline hypersexual and I'm Asexual. What even would there have been to talk about?" Yelena was frowning again because this beautiful human glow stick was just getting under her skin.
"You can have love without sex. And Nat isn't hypersexual. She leans more towards Demisexual." Carol remembered that conversation they'd had quite a long time ago after teasing each other about living sexless lives.
"She's straight." Yelena huffs out.
"She's bisexual." Carol corrected simply.
"It's a moot point." Yelena frowns now.
"Why?" Carol frowns back.
"Because she's dead! She's gone before either us could get brave enough to say anything! She's gone because she'd rather give that weird Robin Hood freak, with his 20/20 vision, his family back than to pick us and it's bullshit and I want to hate her but I can't!" Carol had taken the bottle off of Yelena which was probably a good thing because she was sure the little widow would have shattered it in her grip as her hands clenched into fists.
"We need to get her back." Carol spoke after a moment of watching the blonde widow tremble with rage and sorrow.
"How the hell do we do that?" Yelena scowls darkly.
"We need to get some Intel but then we need to go back in time. Like they did." Carol says firmly.
"You… you really think we could do that?" Yelena finally looked hopeful and Carol smiled brightly then moving her hands to cups Yelena's cheeks and wipe away tears the younger woman didn't know had fallen.
"Absolutely. I know some people. But we have to time it just right." Carol says with such conviction Yelena couldn't help but smile hopefully as hands dropped from her face.
This plan was just as devastating as losing Nat really. Not as much for Yelena, but for Carol it wasn't amazing. They'd gotten some more information. After Yelena had broken Clint's nose, refused to introduce herself and scowled so fiercely at the remaining Avengers they all took a step back. In the end Clint explained to both of them exactly how it went down and even though he frowned, he told them specifically what time they had gone to and what hour.
Then the pair of blonde powerhouses had demanded a suit capable of withstanding deep space with an endless life-support. Amazingly, yet not surprisingly, they had found this with Pepper Potts. It was lightweight and made from Tony's Nano tech which meant it moved to fit to Yelena perfectly. The best part was how easily FRIDAY had been able to change the nanites to an alabaster white. Clearly this was the widows colour. The nanites, unexplainably, were able to draw even trace amounts of oxygen from the immediate surroundings and convert it to a sustainably breathable gas within the suit. Yelena didn't question it knowing full well it would make no sense.
Pepper didn't ask why they needed it, what they were planning or how they would pull it off. But the intuitive widow, the actual widow, had looked at them both squarely in the face and wished them good luck and told them she hoped they succeeded. Yelena just nodded while Carol gave an appreciative smile before the pair had left. Yelena now in the cool nanite suit that went quite well with the vest she had collected from Natasha's room at the Avengers compound.
They had been a couple of weeks figuring out the logistics really, it had been a frustrating couple of weeks. But it was undeniable that the pair of them had bonded. In fact they'd become close enough they didn't even pretend to sleep in different beds. It didn't really start out as anything, it was really just started as a few too many nights falling asleep on the couch together. Eventually it would be one or the other getting up after saying goodnight and going to the other where they'd end up laying down going over their plans again. Finally it was to the point where they didn't go to separate rooms but the same one. Usual Carol's. The room that had been allotted as hers years ago when she would take respite on earth and catch up with Nat.
But with the planning and the falling asleep together the pair had become very close in a short amount of time. Carol stopped trying to compare Yelena to her 'sister' on the second day of knowing her. Yelena was equal parts serious and sarcastic and entirely too playful sometimes and Carol found it extremely endearing. While both Widows could fight and fight hard and while both seemed extra durable and intelligent they were still both vastly different personalities. Yelena was fun and active and sarcastic and didn't mind a prank, she was also quicker to lash out which kept everyone on edge. Nat on the other hand was still these things but muted, she was calmer and more likely to turn away and let you know you were disappointed than to break your nose.
Because they had gotten so close so fast Yelena had offered for them to drop It completely. They both ached for Nat to be upright and breathing and preferably within their immediate proximity but Yelena could see the choices they were making wasn't easy for Carol. That wasn't fair and Yelena now cared enough that she didn't want Carol hurt. That's why now, while they were outside the hospital room where Maria Rambeau was laying connected to many a thing to keep her alive and comfortable, that Yelena offered the out.
Carol refused and in they went.
"Yeah I'll do it."
They had gone back in time about three years. The friends Carol new on the other side of the galaxy figuring out quantum physics some time ago meant the travel was practically fool proof. Meaning Yelena and Carol were able to manage quite easily between them. Now they were looking at the clearly dying old friend of Carol's. Carol's best friend as it was. And Maria hadn't even hesitated once Carol and Yelena had explained what they had wanted. Monica had gone with the first snap of Thanos' fingers and Carol knew that Maria dies before Monica can come back anyways. That was the only reason they asked her.
"Maria you really don't have too. I just…" Carol trails off after a moment not sure what to say.
"I do have too. You're finally…. Finally in love with someone. I can't deny you that. Besides you're offering to take me to another planet. Yes please." Maria smiles happily.
"I could find that elsewhere." Carol points out lightly and couldn't help but glance at Yelena. She never expected this woman at all. Not even with the way Nat spoke of her.
"Probably. But neither of you would be going to these lengths if it were that simple." Maria smiles lightly at them. She seemed almost too frail for any of this anymore.
"I don't want you to think that your life is worth less than Natasha's. It's not. It's just … it's got to be someone close to us and I don't have any one but Nat, and well Carol too but obviously that's not how this has to work… but if you said no." Yelena trailed off speaking up for the first time.
"Honestly I appreciate that. But my life is over anyways. I have maybe weeks and my girl went with the snap of his fingers. Just… tell her I lived for her even if I died for you yeah? She will appreciate that." Maria smiles still looking from Yelena to Carol.
"Help me up. Let's go." When neither woman had spoken Maria pulled her blankets back and swung her legs out of the bed.
Yelena and Carol had both gone over to Maria and helped her up, when they were all in contact Carol punched in what was effectively coordinates through time and space and suddenly they weren't there anymore. Instead they were on Vormir at the bottom of the only cliff on the whole planet it seemed. Maria looked around in wonder but Yelena looked on with determination. Carol drew a deep breath before the three of them made their way up, the two blondes helping the ailing woman between them.
At the top they listened to the Red Skulls silly explanation of what was going on and what needed to happen. Eventually he stood off to the side and watched as the three of them approached the edge of the plateau. Marie looked down and wrinkled her nose but steeled herself. Carol offered to take Maria back to the hospital in the right time but her oldest and best friend shook her head.
"When you get her back, man up and tell her how you feel… both of you. Don't waste another chance." Maria smiles warmly and shuffled a little closer to the edge.
"Maria… thank you. You're the best friend I could have ever had." Carol spoke earnestly.
"Just remember to keep an eye on my little girl. She's far too much like us to be left entirely unsupervised." Maria chuckled and coughed.
Yelena moved closed to Carol then and slipped her hand into the old woman's gently. Carol looked to Yelena and squeezed her hand gently before looking back to Maria just as the ailing woman stepped off the ledge. Carol cried out softly and took a step but Yelena held her in place. There was a moment and then the sky above them pulsed blue and suddenly they were both unconscious in the water below the cliff waking up with a stone between their still clasped hands.
"The price for this thing is far too high." Carol murmured sadly looking at the stone as they both sat there on their knees.
"I'm so sorry." Yelena speaks gently moving closer to Carol.
"She's worth it. It's just so cruel." Carol sniffles and it's then that Yelena leans in and kisses her gently. It was the first time this had happened and the circumstances were garbage but it felt wonderful all the same.
The kiss lingered. Or it might have, there was no pressure for more. It was just slow and sweet and distracting. Not quite distracting enough though that they didn't hear the approaching spacecraft however. Clint and Nat had just arrived and the prospect of seeing the Widow alive again thrilled both blondes.
"Let's go give them this." Carol held up the stone and Yelena gently took it from her before standing and offering the Captain her hand to help her up.
Natasha was increasingly surprised when she saw figures approaching them. The surprise only grew when she noticed the red gold and blue suit. It was Carol. It was surprising all over again to see Yelena was with her though. In fact it was giving Nat a headache trying to figure out why they were both there. Instead she and Clint waited until they were there. It was Yelena that hugged her first, and tight.
"You super suck." Yelena actually sniffled at Natasha and it confused the elder of the two.
"What are you two doing here? And how?" Clint was frowning at Carol.
"We came to save her." Carol says simply as Nat and Yelena pulled apart.
"I don't understand." Clint was still frowning but he was more confused than suspicious.
"The price to get the soul stone is the soul of one you love. You two came here alone." Carol shifts and Clint and Nat looked surprised.
"I wouldn't let her do that." Clint denies firmly.
"Idiot. You think you could actually stop her." Yelena scoffs frustrated.
"How does you two being here help. I absolutely refuse to let any of you replace me." Natasha spoke up suddenly.
"We don't have too. We already have the stone." Carol spoke softer now and Yelena held the stone up for Nat to take.
"What? But how? Who?" Natasha looked immediately concerned even as she took the stone.
"It was Maria." Yelena sighs softly and Natasha finally hugged Carol.
"Oh Carol. I'm so sorry." Natasha meant it too.
"It's OK. She didn't have long anyway and I think she preferred to go on her own terms." Carol murmurs. Clint had seemed to realise he wasn't needed and went back into the ship.
"Why would you go to all this?" Natasha asks as they leaned back a little. Yelena was hovering close.
"Why? Because we care about you far too much to let you do this. Yelena was one of the Snapped but I'd been there the whole time and you didn't even think to tell me you guys had a plan? I wasn't unreachable." Carol couldn't keep the hurt from coming through in her tone.
"I didn't know what the price would be. I thought I'd be going back and it wouldn't matter." Natasha admitted softly.
"It mattered. And not telling anyone else about Yelena… I… we agreed we had to do something. You're too important to us." Carol shifted a little nervously.
"Man up." Yelena commented to Carol and the photon infused woman nodded.
"I'm in love with you. I didn't realise until I learned you were gone… and it wasn't fair cause I don't love easy." Carol frowns a little and Natasha's eyes widen.
"Me too, just to be weird. And I'm sorry if you don't feel the same. But you confuse the hell out of me in the best sort of way but the headache is a real bitch." Yelena speaks up and Natasha looks to her sister and bites her lip for a moment.
"That's kind of why I didn't tell the others about you. I didn't know how to tell them you're my sister while also having such confusing feelings for you." Natasha moved closer to Yelena now and pressed her forehead to hers.
"Well then there's the 'I'm Ace' bit I'm sure that's not amazing." Yelena sounded a little annoyed with this.
"That's not even a factor. I have hands, they've served me well for years. I was more afraid that If you didn't feel the same I wouldn't even have a sister anymore." Natasha admits her concern.
"Definitely not the case." Yelena shrugs and smiles before Natasha closed the gap and kissed Yelena gently. It wasn't weird.
Yes they were sort of adopted sisters maybe, but they'd been estranged for a long time and though there would always be that bond there there was no blood ties or legalities saying that bond couldn't be something other than sisterly. And it definitely didn't feel sisterly as they kissed there then, tongues very lightly teasing at the edges of each other's lips, the gentle scrape of teeth sinking into full lower lips. It felt amazing to be doing this, both Widows agreed.
"Then there's the captain." Yelena points out when they did lean back out of the kiss and Natasha looked to Carol who was standing watching them with a gentle expression.
"You kind of snuck up on me." Natasha speaks finally.
"Honestly, like wise. I was happy roaming the universe and doing my thing until you. Then I realised I was happier back on Earth spending time with you. It took me too long to come to the realisation my feelings for you ran so much deeper than just friendly." Carol confesses blushing faintly.
"Well I never got to roam the universe but the only other person who really made me happy back on earth was Yelena. That's why you're the only one I spoke to about her. You made me so much more comfortable without even trying, than anyone else." Natasha admits gently.
"I'd love the chance to kiss you too." Carol spoke after a moment and Natasha offers a half smirk at the way Carol's cheeks went a deeper red.
There weren't anymore words then. Instead Natasha closed the gap and pulled Carol onto a deep and long over due kiss. Yelena watched them with a small smile of her own now. There was a clear chemistry between the two of them and even Yelena could see that they looked amazing together. It didn't hurt that they were both absolute power houses either. They complimented each other well. When this kiss broke there was a little more heat than their had been between Nat and Yelena but there was just as much love shining in both eyes.
"What now though? I mean with three of us?" Natasha bites her lip looking between the blondes as she stepped back.
"I think we should talk about that after you guys fix everything else. This can wait a little longer." Carol wasn't in as much of a rush now they had saved Natasha and feelings were out in the open.
"Are you two coming back with us?" Natasha asks then.
"No we have our own travel route and rather need to stop off and give this tech back to its owners." Carol explains gently.
"Oh hey… I got to kiss her first." Yelena pipes up then and smirks at Nat that comment was true for both of them but it's intention was to poke at Natasha.
"You're still a brat." Natasha huffs but with clear affection in her voice.
"Always. But it's time to go before Clint comes back down here and I break his nose again." Yelena urges gently moving closer to Carol as she did.
"Be safe." Natasha tells them both not even questioning Clint's nose being broken a first time.
"We will be. It's you that needs to be safe." Carol says firmly, like if Natasha didn't do just that then Carol would hunt her down and make her displeasure very known. Likely with Yelena at her side.
"I'll do my best. I have far too much to live for now to do anything less." Natasha moved backwards up into the ship as Carol and Yelena stepped off of it.
"See you soon." Yelena gave a little wave that Natasha returned just as the ship closed up separating them again. The blonde pair stood and watched as Natasha and Clint took off back to where ever they were going.
Surprisingly nothing else had really changed. Having Natasha on the battlefield had made things a little easier. For them all in general but for the most part everything else that had to happen happened. The best part was their ability to remove that timelines Carol and replace it with Present Carol. The same Carol that had Yelena with her, no snapped duplicates to be seen. Carol had deposited Yelena with Nat, the widows fighting side by side while Carol ran the gauntlet. And still they almost lost, even with foresight. Except for Tony, it was simply his time it seemed.
When the dust settled they all mourned, and it was easier for Carol to mourn Tony this time around. To grieve with Pepper who recognised the nanite suit Yelena was wearing but refused to know what was going on with it or why they had it. Poor sweet Morgan absolutely adored Nat, as it seemed all kids did though she seemed to favour Yelena from the start, and Clint got his family and was able to keep his best friend. Things went how they were supposed too which left two rather curious and hesitant blondes.
It wasn't until much later when they'd all gone back to the Avengers building, newly restored thanks to the power Tony had wielded. Removing all the taint that was Thanos. They had gone back to Carol's rooms and were having a drink. Natasha had been checking in with everyone to make sure they were all OK and even debriefing Nick Fury and catching him up with what had been missed.
It was a couple of hours before Carol's door opened and Nat walked in. The sight that greeted her made her smile. She suspected that the blondes hadn't slept much over the last few weeks so seeing them on the sofa fast asleep wasn't surprising. Carol was on her back with a hand behind her head, still in her suit, the other hand was in Yelena's now loose hair as the younger woman was curled into Carol's side lower on the sofa so her head was on Carol's stomach and an arm slung across the captains hips.
Ever so quietly, and with a wealth of faith in Carol, Natasha made her way over to the pair and lay on the barest bit of couch edge, pressed right up against Carol. She slung a leg over Carol's thighs as Yelena's hand moved to settle on her hip, even in her sleep wanting the older Widow close. Carol came through and brought her arm down and wrapped it around Natasha's back holding her securely against her as Nat settled her head above Yelena's on Carol's chest. It took no time at all to fall asleep with the two women who had literally given her life back.
She had a weird dream the first couple of times she slept, of her telling Clint it was ok and then forcing herself out of his grip and down to her death. But it faded and settled and became more a pseudo memory than anything else. The conversation had been had about the three of them and they'd all come to the conclusion that they wanted to be together. A throuple, as Yelena had dubbed them. And it worked.
They all adored each other immensely, the love they had could be a little explosive at times. Though this was usually directed at anyone else. Bruce for instance had laughed when the three of them had hinted that there was more going on between them than just friends. He hadn't taken it well at all but Yelena had promptly told him to get over himself before she put him somewhere foreign. Or more specifically she threatened to shove his head up his ass and with Carol Danvers backing her there was no way Bruce wanted to take that chance.
But they found that all being together worked well for them. Carol and Nat thoroughly enjoyed the sex, Carol had infinite energy and Nat was tenacious enough to at least attempt to give back as good as she was given. Yet they also managed to give Yelena exactly what she wanted in life. Family and somewhere to belong and though she had no interest in the sex, she was never really excluded.
When the pair would have sex Yelena would usually go to the couch and more often than not it was with the intention of sleeping there. She usually fell asleep there and was glad the couch was comfortable. But what made Yelena the happiest was that she never woke up on the couch. Without fail, when they were done being intimate one of them, usually Carol but sometimes Natasha, would go and get Yelena, usually physically picking her up and carrying her to bed where she would be snuggled between the two of them.
There was always someone somewhere that was causing problems. Carol would go off world for a period of time but she came back promptly every time. Back to Natasha and Yelena who nowadays fought together. People didn't question the dynamic after a while and Pepper Potts became one of their biggest supporters and Natasha and Carol adored Morgan even if Morgan thought Yelena was perfect and always wanted to hang out with 'aunty Lena'. Yelena would deny it but she adored the late Iron Man's little girl. Life was far from perfect, but since the final snap, when Tony was able to make everything right, it was pretty close to perfect for the Widows and their Captain.