- I saw Spider-Man: No Way Home in theatres today and I'm inclined to agree with the people who believe it's the best Spider-Man film of all time. Not going to spoil anything but I really encourage everyone to go see it.
- Besides the movie, Halo Infinite and FFXIV: Endwalker was also released this month. I've only beaten the first few missions of the newest Halo title so far but just playing as the Master Chief again has been awesome. I'm almost done playing through the story of Endwalker though and it is truly a beautiful tragic plot. The writers of the expansion did a really great job.
Enjoy the chapter.
...
Yelena easily recognized the famous individual on the right. She was the Scarlet Witch and arguably the most powerful member of the Avengers. The Sokovian woman seemed to be a little younger than herself and looked even more lovely in person.
"You must be Natasha's sister. It's nice to meet you."
The beautiful Russian blonde shook her hand. "Likewise, Ms. Maximoff."
"Just call me Wanda. How was your trip?" The Scarlet Witch asked.
"Eh, long and boring like most flights are. Thanks for having me here...and for taking care of my sister."
Wanda gave her a warm smile. "Of course. Though truth be told, she took good care of us more than we did her."
The Scarlet Witch pulled her hand back and moved to the side so her boyfriend could make his introduction. Yelena's heart melted as she watched him approach. The younger Widow felt like she was staring at the human equivalent of a puppy...a very handsome looking puppy. As innocent as the young man looked though, she could also tell he was a formidable fighter and not someone to make an enemy of.
Spider-Man greeted her with a respectful bow of his head. "Glad to finally meet you, Yelena. I'm Peter Parker.
"The pleasure's all mine." Yelena said, extending her right hand with the palm facing down. Peter gently grasped onto it and raised the back of her fingers to his lips. "So you're the man that was able to capture my sister's heart."
"You've heard of me?"
"She mentioned you once five years ago when we were on our way to rescue our father from a gulag in Siberia. I've been wanting to meet you ever since."
The younger Widow looked at Natasha with a mischievous grin. "Мне он нравится. Он очень милый."
Her older sister's eyebrow twitched a little. "Ты Лучше ничего не пробуй. Он мой."
"You're no fun at all, you know that?"
Spidey just chuckled nervously from the side. Unbeknownst to Yelena, he understood what they were saying. Natasha has been teaching him how to speak her mother tongue for the past few months. Her words were admittedly flattering to hear but it also made him feel kind of awkward.
Yelena turned her attention back to Peter. "Thank you for making those cookies. They were very tasty...the three of us ate most of them in less than five minutes."
He looked at the nearly empty plate on the table. Out of the two dozen Rogaliki that were baked this morning, there was now only seven left. "I'm glad you liked them. Is it alright if I take the rest?"
"Go ahead. I wouldn't mind having these again."
"I promise to make some more for you soon."
Peter picked up the plate of cookies from the table. Wanda went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of iced tea from the fridge. When she returned to Peter's side, the young Sokovian mother gently took the plate from him.
"I'll bring these back for Carol." She said. "It's almost time to feed Maybelle and William anyways."
"Alright. I'll let you know when our lunch is ready."
"Looking forward to it. It was good to meet you, Yelena. I'll see you later."
Yelena nodded at the Scarlet Witch with a friendly smile. Her eyes grew wide in shock though when Wanda suddenly kissed Peter for a brief moment before she walked past the doorway and left the kitchen.
"Hold on a second...why did she just kiss Peter?" The younger Widow asked, looking very confused. "I thought you were the one dating him, Сестра."
Natasha didn't answer her sister right away. She just realized that Yelena still didn't know about Peter's polyamorous relationship with herself and the six other women in his life. Her mind worked to think of the best way to explain this. Spider-Man approached the Black Widow and reached for her hand.
"Do you want me to tell her?" He quietly asked.
She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "It's okay, I can do it. Thank you though."
Natasha refocused her eyes on Yelena, who was still waiting for her to answer the question she asked earlier. "I'll explain everything but it's kind of a long story. You might want to sit down for this."
The beautiful Russian blonde obliged and sat back down in her chair. Her older sister took a deep breath before she started to talk about the details of her unique relationship with Peter.
...
Yelena stared blankly at the cup in her hands as she processed everything that was just told to her. Natasha, Maria, and Wanda were all romantically involved with Peter...along with four other women. One of them was here in the building while the other three were all the way in New Asgard. She wasn't sure what to feel about all this and sorting out all the thoughts running through her mind right now was proving to be difficult.
Tossing back the last of her hot chocolate, she stood up from the table. "...I need some air."
Her older sister rose to her feet too. "Where are you going?"
"Just for a short walk outside. I have to clear my mind before all these thoughts make my head explode."
The younger Widow walked off and grabbed her coat on her way out of the kitchen. They could all hear the sound of her boots stepping down the hall outside. Natasha's first instinct was to go follow Yelena and make sure she's okay but she understood her sister just needed some space for a little while.
"Will she be okay?" Maria asked her old friend.
"I think so." Natasha murmured. "Yelena just needs some time to think things through."
A quiet sigh escaped Peter's lips. "I'm sorry. This probably wasn't the way you wanted to reunite with your sister."
"It's not your fault. I'm glad we told her about us now rather than later."
"You think she hates me?"
Hill smirked out of amusement as she shook her head. "I doubt it. The second Yelena laid eyes on you, it looked like she wanted to give you a big hug."
The Black Widow chuckled. "I saw that too. I can't say for certain but I think she adores you already."
"Here's hoping you're right. I'd really like us to be friends." Peter mumbled as he stood up. "Anyways, I'll get started on cooking our lunch. It shouldn't take too long for me to prepare."
"What are we having?"
"I think I'll whip up a chicken noodle casserole with some French onion soup on the side...unless there's something else you both want to eat."
Natasha knew better than to mess with the menu Peter plans out for their meals. "Nah, those all sound pretty good. May I suggest you make a little more than usual? She might not look like it but Yelena does have a very big appetite."
Spidey nodded his head. "Consider it done. Thanks for letting me know."
"We're definitely eating like royalty today." Hill said. "Think I'll go train a few rounds with Carol before it's time to eat."
Maria pecked a kiss on Peter's cheek before she left the kitchen. The two Spiders were now left alone at the table. The Black Widow embraced Spider-Man by the waist, with the right side of her face nuzzling against his chest. He held her close and rested his chin on top of her head.
"How are you holding up?" Natasha asked, closing her eyes as she listened to the steady beats of his heart. "I know you and Wanda took a short nap earlier but you still must be feeling tired."
"You're not wrong about that but we'll be fine for now."
"Just don't push yourselves too hard, okay?"
Peter barely managed to hold himself back from yawning. "We'll be careful. What will you do now?"
She thought about it for a moment. "...I think I'll go look in on Maybelle and William. With my sister coming here, I've completely forgotten about them."
"You don't want to find Yelena?"
"Maybe later. Like I said earlier, she just needs a little time to herself right now."
He nodded in understanding. "If Yelena comes back here, I'll let you know."
Raising her hand to caress his cheek, Natasha affectionately kissed Peter. "Thank you. I'll see you at lunch."
The Black Widow turned around to exit the kitchen. Spidey went to the fridge and pulled out the ingredients that would be needed to make their meal. He then grabbed a knife and small cutting board from one of the drawers near the sink. Rinsing the peppers with cold water, Peter began to dice the vegetables into bite size pieces.
"What are you making?"
The sudden voice almost made him cut into his own finger. Setting the knife down, he turned his head...and was surprised to see Yelena standing behind him. "Holy shit, you scared the hell out of me. I thought you were still outside."
Yelena was amused by the way Peter jumped in place just now. "I was...but it started to rain just a few minutes ago so I came back here. Sorry for scaring you."
"It's alright, no harm done. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. The fresh air helped a lot to clear my head."
Spidey nodded, relieved to know that she was feeling better. "Good, I'm glad to hear that. So is there something I can help you with?"
The younger Widow took a deep breath. "I owe all of you an apology. The way I walked out of here earlier wasn't exactly courteous. It's just learning about the sort of relationship you have with my sister really caught me off guard."
"There's no need to apologize. I would've been surprised if you hadn't been shocked. Some of the other Avengers reacted the same way when we told them about us. I was more worried about you hating my guts after Natasha finished explaining everything."
"Don't worry, I don't hate you. I'd love for us to be friends...just let me ask you something first."
He nodded for her to go ahead. "Of course. What is it?"
She took a step closer to him with a serious look on her face. "Do you love my sister? I need to know for certain that this isn't just some sort of fling to you. She's suffered too much already...and I don't want to see her get hurt anymore."
"...Neither do I. She's been through enough pain for one lifetime, both her and you."
Peter looked at Yelena in the eyes as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Everyday, I'm so amazed and humbled by the fact that Natasha, Wanda, and the others chose to fall in love with me of all people. I love your sister with all my heart...and I will always be there for her no matter what."
There was no hesitation on his part as he said that. All she saw was a fierce look of determination and passion within his hazel coloured eyes. Yelena's lips curved into a small smile...it seems Natasha has indeed found a worthy man to give her heart to.
"...She's lucky to have you by her side." The beautiful Russian blonde pulled Peter into her arms for a firm embrace. "Look after her for me, okay? My sister can be a handful sometimes."
He held her close with a mirthful chuckle. "I always will. You have my word."
The two of them slowly let go of each other before Peter returned to his earlier task of cutting the red and green peppers. Yelena watched him work for a moment, impressed by how fast he was dicing the vegetables with a knife.
"So what are you making?"
"Chicken noodle casserole with some French onion soup on the side. It's always nice to have hot soup on cold days like this."
Yelena could feel her mouth beginning to water a little. The Rogaliki Peter baked earlier were amazing and she couldn't wait to try out some more of his cooking. "That sounds delicious. Do you mind if I lend you a hand?"
"Not at all. Do you know how to cook?"
"A little bit...Melina's taught me how to make a few simple dishes."
He smiled. "That's fine. Could you start grating the cheese? We just need enough to fill this measuring cup."
The younger Widow nodded before she moved to take off her jacket. Peter placed a block of cheddar and a metal grater on the counter. Quickly washing her hands in the sink, Yelena picked up the block of cheese and grinded it against the grater. The two of them soon struck up a friendly conversation, taking the time to get to know each other better by sharing interesting details about themselves.
...
The Black Widow kept her eyes on little William as he slept in her arms. He only stirred once when she carried him from his crib but surprisingly didn't cry and instead returned to sleep. Wanda was sitting in the rocking chair beside her, breastfeeding Maybelle. Their daughter suckled away on the breast milk like there was no tomorrow. The little girl was obviously hungry...perhaps she had inherited her father's infamous appetite.
Maria and Carol left for the exercise room together shortly after the Black Widow came into the nursery. They wanted to get some training done before it was time to eat.
"Your sister's very pretty." The Scarlet Witch said, looking up from her daughter. "Natural beauty must run in your family."
Natasha smirked. There was some truth to that, she supposed. Melina was in her fifties but she still looked exceptionally young. It was like she hadn't aged at all. "I guess...although you wouldn't be saying that if you saw Alexei. He looks like a scruffy old bear that hasn't taken a bath in years."
She didn't know if that was the case now. When she and Yelena broke him out of the Siberian gulag though, he looked horrible...and smelled just as bad. Their father figure didn't even bother to clean himself when they arrived at Melina's pig farm in Saint Petersburg. All he did was put on his old Red Guardian suit in the bathroom, one that their mother never washed once.
It was part of the reason why she and Yelena couldn't even eat anything at the time despite Melina offering them food. Alexei's terrible odor pretty much killed their appetites. How their mother had been able to ignore it without any trouble, she'd never know.
"Ew. Are you planning to visit them in the future?"
"Maybe. For now though, I'm just happy to see Yelena again. She hasn't changed at all."
"It's raining outside right now so she may have come back already." Wanda suggested. "Maybe you should go find her."
The Black Widow thought for a moment before she nodded. "That's a good idea. Will you be okay here?"
"We'll be fine. The kids always fall asleep fast after they've been fed. Go find your sister."
Natasha placed their son back on his bed in the crib. Waving goodbye to him and Maybelle, she opened the door and quietly left the nursery. She decided to head back to the kitchen first and see if Yelena was there. If not, the next place to check would be in the front lobby. It was doubtful she just got in her car and drove off...FRIDAY would've alerted her about it if that happened.
As she walked further down the hall, her ears heard what sounded like jovial laughter coming from the kitchen. Natasha moved up alongside the wall and peeked through the doorway to see what was going on. Her younger sister and boyfriend were working together to prepare their meal for lunch. He was pouring some white wine into a mixing bowl full of beef broth near the sink. She stood at the electric stove, boiling the egg noodles in a pot of hot water. Yelena must've said something really funny to Peter because he couldn't stop laughing.
"You really think your sister is a poser?"
"Absolutely." The younger Widow said before she took a few steps back. Crouching down low with her left leg extended, she planted her right hand on the ground while holding out her other arm in the air. "What else would you call it when she lands in poses like this?"
Peter couldn't stop smirking as he shook his head. "Natasha probably does that to maintain her balance, not to show off."
Yelena quickly popped back up to her feet, cringing in disgust at the pose she just demonstrated. "Ugh...I never want to do that again. You might be right but I still think she's kind of a poser."
Spidey just chuckled again before he grabbed a metal whisk and began to mix the ingredients together. The beautiful Russian blonde returned to the stove and kept a careful eye on the boiling pot of noodles. It was soon Yelena's turn to laugh when Peter began to tell her a true story about how Natasha almost fought with Wanda and Carol over the last piece of a lemon meringue pie he baked after dinner was over.
The Black Widow smiled fondly at the carefree look on her sister's face. It was good to see Yelena getting along so well with her boyfriend. Natasha watched them both for a couple of minutes before she decided to return to the nursery. Yelena was having a fun easygoing moment with Peter and she didn't want to disrupt that. There would be plenty of time for them to catch up later anyways.
...
- The little bit of Russian that Yelena speaks translates to "I like him. He's very cute." Natasha's reply translates to "You better not try anything. He's mine."
- Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone. See you all again soon.