"Hey, Natasha, what's your love language?"
Startled, Natasha looked to her left from her seat on the compound couch to see her little sister leaning over the back of the sofa with a curious expression on her face.
Since Yelena had spent years of her life unfairly under mind control while everyone else her age got to live an ordinary life, she had recently become obsessed with catching up on all she had missed out. That meant there was a lot of time spent on the internet looking through articles and dumb memes, basically anything she could get her hands on. Sometimes Natasha regretted having bought her a phone with the current number of dog pictures she got texted.
Natasha rolled her eyes and returned to the paperwork she had been preparing. So much for today being an 'easy day.' "I don't have one."
"Oh, come on!" Yelena planted her arm and vaulted over the couch, landing next to her sister with a solid THUMP. "Everyone has one; you just have to figure out what it is!"
The Avenger sighed heavily, before she dropped her pen and gave her sister her full attention. "Alright, I'll bite." Propping her arm up on the couch, Natasha leaned against her hand and flashed a tired yet soft smile. "What's yours?"
"Hmph." Yelena crossed her arms and gave a very unimpressed look, clearly expecting this conversation to have gone a different way. "You're the big sister, so isn't that something you should have figured out on your own?"
Natasha's smile changed into a smirk in an flash, and she dramatically pulled herself closer to her sister.
Yelena eyed her warily, wondering what could possibly be lying behind those mischievous eyes. Something good, she could only hope.
As soon as Natasha had grown close enough, her expression again softened before she leaned beside Yelena's ear and began whispering reassuring words, soft confessions of fondness and I'm proud of you's instantly caressing Yelena's ears before she could even process what was happening.
"H-hey, this isn't fair!" Yelena attempted to tell her off in a firm manner, but the way she leaned into her sister proved otherwise.
Natasha laughed softly before further proving her point by cupping the right side of Yelena's jaw and kissing her head. "All is fair in love and war."
"Ugh, you're such an idiot." Yelena avoided Natasha's affection by pushing her face away with her hand, still laughing despite her strive to sound serious. "Anyway, I'm going to figure this out, just you wait. I'm going to prove you wrong." Her grin, although playful, was genuine. She was determined to do this. Anything for Natasha.
"You're a weirdo," Natasha broke through, replacing her thumb on Yelena's jaw for a moment before she moved away from her. "Knock yourself out. But not right now. I'm sorry, I'm just swamped right now and..." The Avenger let out a breath and flashed an apologetic smile. "I have to finish all this paperwork by the end of the week."
"... Oh." Natasha didn't miss how Yelena's smile fell slightly, but her eyes remained bright and alert. "I didn't realize this was all super important; I... I'm sorry."
Natasha adamantly shook her head, reaching over to squeeze the top of Yelena's hand. "No, no, it's okay! Look, I promise we can hang out, just us, when this is done. Alright?"
Yelena nodded easily, patting the top of Natasha's hand with her other one before she bounced off the couch. "Okay. I'll try and stay out of your way before then. Maybe I'll bother that Spider-Boy Stark won't shut up about."
"Peter." Natasha smiled warmly after mentioning the boy by name. "You guys would get along if you'd just give him a chance."
"Sure." Yelena smiled and began walking away, leaving her sister to her duties. "I'll see you at home."
No way was she going to find Spiderling. Yelena had a new mission: to find out how to show Natasha just how much she loved her. Even if it was hard to say aloud, she wasn't about to let that slow her down. She was going to discover Natasha Romanoff's love language.
Words of Affirmation
It all started with sticky notes. Natasha had no idea how Yelena was pulling it off without her noticing, but little messages soon littered their apartment and Natasha's space in the compound. Some were pretty basic, like "I believe in you" and "You're my favorite Avenger," but others were completely unnecessary yet somehow sweeter than the rest. In their own, weird, unique way.
You are the best roommate I've ever had
Show that paperwork who's boss!
Your poses are the best and not at all conceited and attention seeking
Natasha accepted every little note with a fond smile and a shake of her head, wondering how long Yelena had spent coming up with different phrases.
But there was one in particular that really made Natasha stop and look. One that made her heart squeeze and her breath catch in her throat.
It's never been more real to me.
Natasha swallowed hard as she carefully removed the note from her computer monitor, looking at it closer as if to confirm she was reading things right.
Everything up until this point had been cute and funny, but this one felt different. Natasha was instantly taken back to the vulnerability both no doubt felt after they had taken down the Red Room. The moment where she finally admitted to both Yelena and herself just how much her Ohio family meant to her.
And here was Yelena, not only using the line said in times of distress, but saying it gently and for no reason other than she wanted to.
Natasha was on the verge of tears.
She had been trying her best to keep up with her and Yelena's relationship but she often found herself wondering if she was giving enough. Saying how she felt, how she really felt, did not come naturally. But Yelena always said the first thing that came to mind, blunt or not. It was one of the many things Natasha loved about her.
Now that was a word largely left unsaid.
Love.
It's not that she didn't feel it, but that one little word tended to get stuck in her throat when Yelena would look at her in such a way. Natasha was willing and able to tell Yelena all of these other things, wanting her to have what she hadn't for so many years, but expressing that was different. She did love her more than she ever thought possible, and she hoped Yelena felt the same.
Although, perhaps she didn't need to overthink it with the amount of effort Yelena was going through just with these silly notes.
Natasha smiled softly at the piece of paper in her hand before she folded it, tucked it in her pocket, and began rummaging around her desk to find a blank sticky note. Two could play at that game.
xxx
Yelena absently hummed as she walked around the compound, wracking her brain for other possible words of affirmation she could tell Natasha. Although Natasha had so gracefully demonstrated her love of this particular expression, Yelena still wasn't so great at saying such things on her own. Despite her lack of a filter.
Of course, she had an excuse for it being that way, but she hated playing that card. She wanted to prove the world wrong. That was one of the reasons she wanted to do this in the first place.
But above all, it was because she loved Natasha, and was prepared to show it in whatever way Natasha preferred.
As Yelena wandered, she ended up in the hall where Natasha's quarters were. She knew she wasn't there, but still, this was where her feet led her. Yelena was about to pass by her door but stopped short when a flash of a now familiar color was spotted on the door. She didn't put that there.
Her eyebrow furrowed for a moment before approaching the door to see who else was leaving messages in the compound. Who else even knew about her dumb antics?
There, written on a yellow sticky note, was not only familiar handwriting but an unmistakable language. And she doubted Bucky, the only other Russian speaker she knew of in the compound, would've written this.
Ya tebya lyublyu
Yelena reread those few simple words several times over, almost not trusting the information her eyes were giving her. After the countless words scrawled across those little yellow notes, this single sentence with no voice behind it was enough to make her throat tighten. There was no topping this.
In a game with no winner, Natasha had still managed to find a way.
The Russian's fingers gently ran across the lettering, some of the ink rubbing off on her skin, indicating the freshness of the endearment. Knowing that Natasha had taken the time out of her busy day to write something so sweet was enough to make Yelena start moving. Stealing the note from the Avenger's door and pocketing it first, Yelena left and began making her way to Natasha's office. Her autopilot turned on, and suddenly all she wanted to do was see Natasha's face. Even if just for a moment. Those words, still unspoken into the sky: nothing else filling her head but that phrase. But no sentence, no matter how long, would be able to explain just how much Yelena loved her.
Once the assassin reached the office, she knocked quickly before letting herself in, sure to stand by the doorway in case she needed to leave immediately.
And before anything could be said or done, Yelena noticed how all of her previous notes had been left in their original place, taken care of despite their possibly annoying locations. Except there was an obvious one missing. The one she had left on the bottom part of Natasha's computer. Yelena knew for certain that one would not have been in the way, but she also remembered what that note said.
Natasha looked up from her work and met Yelena's eyes, her eyebrows at first raising in question regarding what she needed, but everything softened when she saw the look on her sister's face.
Yelena swallowed thickly, her gaze darting from left to right as she tried her best to focus on Natasha's eyes. No words would come out of her mouth, no matter how hard she tried. Her brain didn't seem to know how to function with this many positive neurotransmitters.
It's never been more real to me
I love you
Natasha nodded, reassuring Yelena that she knew what she was thinking. She felt the same way.
Yelena smiled gently and returned the gesture. After everything was said and done, they could agree that some unspoken things mean just as much as words on a page or spoken into existence. They knew. And for now, that was enough.
Acts of Service
A yawn racked Yelena's shoulders as she quietly stood near the stove at an absolutely ungodly hour. 7:00 AM. She was already starting to wonder if this little experiment was worth it.
But Natasha had been leaving their apartment so early in the morning to help out in the compound (Yelena didn't know why she wasn't just spending the night there), Yelena wanted to make sure Natasha had enough time to eat before the long day ahead of her.
Goodness knows Natasha would forget to eat altogether if it weren't for her.
However, right now, Yelena was simply trying not to set off the fire alarm. It seemed that even though she and Natasha had no shared blood, their cooking skills had come from the same place.
"No, no, no, work with me here!" Yelena cursed under her breath as she moved the burning pan of eggs off of the flame. "Oh- Ow!" She dropped the handle quickly and waved her hand in the air before she shoved part of her middle and pointer fingers into her mouth to soothe her new burn.
She could take out high-level targets with one hand tied behind her back, was skilled in more weapons than she could count on her fingers, and survived two decades in the Red Room, and yet she was taken down by a frying pan.
Figures.
The toaster dinged as if to mock her, and the toast popped up as burnt as the eggs on the counter.
Yelena let out a breath, removing her fingers from her mouth as her shoulders sagged in disappointment. Maybe she should have practiced a bit more instead of jumping right in. Or at least looked up tips instead of watching dog videos.
"What are you doing up so early?"
The Russian jumped and whipped around, bumping into the counter in her surprised state. Here earlier than anticipated, was Natasha, already fully dressed with her hair brushed and put in its proper place. "Oh! H-hey, Natasha... You're awake." Yelena smiled awkwardly, stepping in front of the burnt food with one swift movement. "Just trying to get a head start on the day, you know how it is."
"Uh-huh..." Natasha followed Yelena's hand with her eyes as she so obviously hid it behind her back with an innocent smile plastered on her face. "Are you okay?"
Yelena's grin widened to the point of cheesy. "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"
Not believing her for a second, Natasha came forward and tried to take Yelena's wrist out from behind her, her lips pressed into a thin line like a tired mother. "I have to head to the compound soon, but if you're hurt, that's more important to me right now."
The assassin resisted at first, not wanting her sister to see the burn or her failed attempt at making Natasha's day go smoother, but as soon as she saw the caring look in Natasha's eyes, she caved. "Okay, fine... It's just a little burn, alright?" Natasha lifted her hand to inspect her fingertips, and Yelena playfully wiggled them as if to prove a point. "See? I'm tough."
Natasha laughed softly, shaking her head before she softly led Yelena over to the sink despite Yelena's gentle resistance. "I don't doubt that, but nothing you say will stop me from being the annoying and overprotective older sister."
Yelena huffed but couldn't deny how much better her burn felt as Natasha ran it under the stream of water. "What, making up for lost time?" she prodded gently, smiling when Natasha nudged her in response.
"I'd do this no matter what, Yelena," Natasha reassured, flicking the water off before she playfully lifted the Russian's hand to kiss her injured fingers. "Even if you are a brat sometimes."
"But not all the time," Yelena reminded, poking Natasha's shoulder with her uninjured hand. "I was trying to make you breakfast, you big poser."
Natasha raised her eyebrows, and Yelena instantly knew she had messed up.
"You made me breakfast?" the Avenger asked sweetly, a laugh hiding behind her innocent question.
"Um..." Yelena tucked her burned fingers in on themselves, her ears beginning to redden as she felt all of her walls crumbling down and exposing her as soft. At least they were home, and nobody else was around to experience this. "Yeah... At least, I- tried to? I never really learned how to cook ..." she stammered, avoiding Natasha's intent gaze. "But you've been so busy I wanted to be sure you ate before you left..."
Natasha turned her head to observe Yelena's attempt at breakfast, and a small smile appeared on her lips before she could stop herself. "There isn't much simpler than eggs and toast, sestra," she lightly teased before she reached out to rest her hand against Yelena's cheek, running her thumb across Yelena's flushed face. "But thank you. You're very sweet."
"Bah..." Yelena quickly nudged Natasha's hand before she pulled away with a laugh. "Don't you have anything better to do other than embarrass me? You have to get to the compound, right?"
"True." That same mischievous smile appeared on Natasha's face as it had a few days ago, and she stepped toward her sibling to press a long and appreciative kiss to her forehead. "But annoying you is worth being a little late," she teased against her skin before she pulled away and flicked her nose.
Yelena huffed through her nostrils before turning her body to follow Natasha's movements to the door. "Hey, you can't just say something like that and walk away!" She jumped forward and seized Natasha by the wrist, laughing as her sister quickly turned around and grabbed onto her sides, pushing her back with a tired smirk. Yelena flung her arms around her neck and latched on tight, forgoing her annoyance in favor of hugging her sibling goodbye. "I'm sorry I messed it up. I really was trying to make you breakfast," she apologized into Natasha's shoulder when the Widow submitted to the embrace. "Guess I should practice more, huh?"
"Probably." Natasha laughed and touched her nose to the side of Yelena's head before she pulled back just enough for Yelena to look at her. "But the fact that you tried is enough for me. You don't need to do all this."
"I know." Yelena scrunched her nose up cutely before tapping Natasha's own. "And you can't stop me from bringing you lunch later. I'll make it up to you. But maybe I'll pick something up so I don't accidentally set our house on fire..."
Natasha laughed softly before she finally let her sister go. "I won't be able to stop you, will I?"
"Nope," Yelena confirmed with an easy grin before she gestured to the burnt food on the counter. "Or would you rather me move on to trial run two?"
Surveying both her sister and the pan of charred eggs for a few moments, truly weighing her options, Natasha finally gave in and nodded. "Guess I'll see you at the compound later, then."
Yelena excitedly shifted back and forth on her feet, giddy that Natasha was willing to let her do something like that. She now knew for sure this was all worth it. "You will. I promise."
xxx
Ya tebya lyublyu - I love you
xxx
So, this is part one of two. I split it it because 1. it was getting a lot longer than I thought, and 2. I haven't posted in a while and I wanted to put something out. Part two is in the works, and thanks for reading!