"Since when did you and Yelena start hanging out?" Nat's voice called out from the living room.
"A few months ago. Around June or July. Why? Is it a problem?" I asked.
"No, but I didn't know you two had become friends is all," She continued.
"She's your sister. If I'm going to be friends with you, then Yelena comes as a package deal. Besides, she's cool to hang around with. But, Nat, if you didn't want us to become friends, maybe you shouldn't have brought her to the compound," I remarked.
"Mira, I told you it's fine. I'm just surprised she decided to talk to someone else here besides Clint and me. Forgive me for being a little protective. So…when are you seeing her again?" Natasha asked.
"Tomorrow night. I think we're just going to watch a movie. Maybe have some chocolate,"
"Cuddle, perhaps? This activity…it's not a date, is it?" She asked.
"I…What? No, not to my knowledge. We're only hanging out. As friends. That's all," I replied, momentarily caught off guard. "Where's the interrogation coming from? I don't intend to hurt her. She's too important to…you," I continued, catching myself before I revealed too much. Nat arched an eyebrow.
"Too important to me? Uh huh. Hypothetically speaking, if Yelena were to, I don't know ask you out…what would you say?" she stated. Damn it all, she knows, I thought to myself.
"I…Natasha…I don't know. I suppose I would…excuse me," I stammered, pushing past her. I ignored her calling out my name and headed straight to my room to hide my embarrassment. Bury myself from the world to figure what would happen if Yelena had decided she liked me enough to ask me out. Nat's questioning had thrown a wrench into things, and it was bad enough she had discovered I had a crush on her sister. Now, she was being protective and wanting to know what my intentions were. Honestly, I didn't blame her. However, I hadn't been prepared for the hypothetical situation. Did I like Yelena? Yes, no question about it. When Natasha had brought her to the Avengers compound, she had appeared a little closed off, conversing strictly with Nat or Clint; on the rare chance, she chose to talk to Bucky. I didn't blame her. Who could she trust among the new people that had come into her life?
Slowly, of the course of three months, she started talking to more people, choosing me to begin with. Small stuff at first; what movies I enjoyed, what current book I had picked up, where I liked to eat – that sort of thing. Then we got into more heavier topics; what happened to her in the Red Room, nightmares, and insecurities. The more time we spent together, the more I grew to enjoy her company and went out of my way to invite her to events or hang outs. I always managed to include her whenever I wanted to go out to a bar or the movie theater or somewhere exciting. One night I took the chance and asked her to chill out with me and solely me.
"Sure. I'd like that. What did you have in mind?" she had responded. That's what began out movie night…or what evolved into quiet nights. Sometimes we would put on a drama movie that had us crying our eyes out or an action film that had us re-enacting out favorite parts. Other times we would put on some music and dance around the room. My favorite moments were nights spent lying on one of our beds, staying quiet or talking about life; we'd create stories for ourselves or our friends with what they could do instead of saving the world. She wanted a dog and I wanted…her. I didn't think she felt the same way, never speaking of any of the guys in or out of the compound…or women if she had a preference. To me, it was okay. If I could only have her friendship, then I would take it, if it meant I could have Yelena in my life.
If she never showed me affection, then it was perfectly fine too. I only needed her.
…But then why did I want her love? I burrowed deeper into my covers and waited for a new day.
The next morning, I went through my normal routine, train with Steve, Nat, Scott, and Wanda. Breakfast – a cinnamon roll – with Loki, Thor, Bucky, and Sam. A little bit of reading before my date…night with Yelena. Damn you, Nat for putting that hypothetical situation in my head, I thought. I set out a selection of movies for tonight and pulled out the ingredients for hot chocolate. I cleaned out our favorite mugs and set them out to dry before grabbing fluffy blankets and pillows.
"Wow. You're putting out quite the cozy atmosphere for tonight. Are you sure it's not a date?" someone asked me. I looked up to see Nat standing in the living room.
"Nat…I…"
"I know you have feelings for Yelena. That much is obvious. Don't be afraid to tell her how you feel. You may be surprised on how she feels about you. You never answered my question last night. If she asked you out, what would you say?" she said.
"I would say…yes," Natasha nodded and walked over to give me a tight hug.
"I would love to have you as a potential sister-in-law if it ever came to play out that way. Have fun tonight. I'll make sure everyone stays out so you two can reach your own level of cozy comfort,"
One hour to go.
Natasha stayed true to her word; she forced everyone out of the compound. Even while Tony whined about staying inside for a quiet night. Or Sam wanting to stay and find out what would happen between Yelena and me. The doors closed behind the rest of the team, leaving the building open for us to play around in. I finished setting up. I turned down the lights and draped out the blankets and fluffed the pillows…for the thousandth time.
"Whoa! Is this all for us? You went all out, didn't you?" A familiar voice said. I turned to see Yelena standing in the front door. Her long blonde hair was down, and she dressed in a grey sweater and black leggings, and dark grey fuzzy socks.
"Beautiful," I blurted out.
"What?"
"Uh…beautiful night, isn't it? Would you like to gaze at the stars tonight?" I stated, feeling heat rush to my face.
"Oh…um…no. I think I'd rather watch some movies. Should we fix some hot chocolate before we start?" she answered.
"Of course. Marshmallows?"
"It's like you don't know me at all. Always, marshmallows," We filled up our mugs and Yelena sat on the couch while I put in the first movie. I left some space between us, which resulted in her pouting.
"Why are you sitting so far away? I'm not going to bite you, you know. Come on, sit closer," she said. She tugged my pant leg and I slid closer to her body, settling into her warmth. I made it through the first movie without being too nervous. Halfway through the second movie, things began to get difficult. Yelena threw a leg over mine and draped an arm around my shoulders. I jolted up causing her to look at me.
"Everything okay? Do you need me to move?" she asked.
"No. You're fine," You're only making me super nervous. How could you possibly know that I want you as close as possible, I thought to myself. This was her cue to snuggle closer to me. Yelena reluctantly let go when I started the third movie but pulled me closer once I sat down. I let out a shaky sigh, Yelena rubbing my shoulders.
"I can stop if this is too much," she whispered.
"Please don't. I…love this," I told her.
"Good. I'm starting to enjoy cuddling with you. It's very comforting," I let myself relax against her, relishing in her touch. A quarter of the way through the third movie, she leaned down to whisper in my ear.
"Can I tell you something?" I nodded.
"I have a crush on you Mira. A big one. I had already decided before coming down here tonight that I would tell you how I felt about you. Do you feel the same way?" she said. I sat up to look at her.
"Yelena, I…" I cleared my throat when my voice sounded hoarse. "I like you too. I've wanted to tell you for a while, but I wasn't sure if you felt the same way," I told her. She smiled and pulled me into a hug. When she pulled back, she ran a thumb over my lips.
"I'm going to kiss you now. Is that okay?" I nodded and she pressed her lips to mine; they were soft and warm, tasting of the hot chocolate we had drank earlier this evening. I melted into the kiss, holding onto her waist as we kissed. She pulled away and we snuggled closer, resuming the movie. Our relationship shifted forward and I knew that Yelena was the woman of my dreams.