Yelena's first week at the hospital went as smoothly as she could've hoped for. She really enjoyed the interns she was given by luck of the draw. She found herself spending more of her downtime with Jen and Sonya. They were assholes but that's what Yelena liked about them. Having friends wasn't something she had since leaving the army. This new assignment was the complete opposite of her time at the hospital in Ohio. Yelena had opted to go through her first year without talking to too many people. She wanted to work on her own but now with the new doctors, it seemed like team work wouldn't be a bad option. She had requested that Cassie's dad always be available for her surgeries for the simple fact that he was the least annoying anesthesiologist she'd ever met. She had worked ten days in a row and she was ready for her day off before her three days of 24 hour on call started. "We are going out tonight," Natasha called from the otherside of her bedroom door.

"I thought you were working nights." Yelena didn't want to go out. She wanted to cook a nice dinner, have a glass or two of wine and curl up with a good book before getting a solid 14 hours of much needed sleep.

"That was last week," Natasha was still knocking.

"Cut it out. You don't have to knock. We are talking," Yelena was a little more than annoyed. "Just come in and talk to me like a regular human being."

"Wow," Natasha walked in with a smirk, "you are grumpy today."

"I wasn't really planning on going out tonight."

The red head looked Yelena up and down. She was lounging on her bed wearing a pair of leggings and a tank top. It looked like she had come back from the gym and just collapsed on her bed, "I can see that. Doesn't mean it's not happening."

"We have vastly different ideas about what a day off looks like."

"You go to the gym everyday. How exactly is that celebrating a day off?"

Yelena closed her book, placing it beside her quickly realizing her sister wasn't leaving, "is it a crime that I want to keep my body in shape?"

"I go to them everyday too," Natasha rolled her eyes, sitting in the fluffy green armchair taking up residence in the corner of her room. "I'm just saying, that you've been here over three weeks now and we haven't gotten a chance to hang out."

"I see your affinity for guilt trips has not diminished since I've been overseas," Yelena rolled her eyes. "Can't we just stay in, watch some tv and order a pizza?"

"We can literally do that any night of the week when we are both home. Wanda is at work tonight and I want to go out with my baby sister. Maybe find you a date. Drink myself stupid. Then wake up for work in the morning and swear that I'll never do it again."

"This is your idea of a good time?" Yelena absolutely did not want to go out with Natasha just to be set up on a bad date. She never had a problem finding her own dates. She just wasn't entertaining that particular idea right now. "What would you do when Wanda was at work before I came?"

"Go to the bar and play with strangers. Or get some of my work buddies to come over. I can not picture you being okay with me inviting the guys over."

"It is not my house, Natasha. Why would I have any say in what you do?" She checked her phone. It was just after six. It was still early enough that if she went to the bar with her then she could be back in bed by nine at the latest. She really did enjoy dancing. Maybe letting loose for one night wouldn't be so bad.

"I hear you thinking all the way over here. Are you coming with me willingly or do I have to carry your ass there?"

Yelena's mouth dropped open, "you wouldn't dare."

"You are a very petite lady. Thick and muscular but also you are what 4 foot 10? I can easily hoist you over my shoulder."

"You will not hoist me anywhere," Yelena wasn't amused. "I will go willingly." She saw her sister's face light up, "but."

"Of course there's a but," Natasha sunk down in the chair pouting.

"If you pout I won't go at all…"

"I am not pouting," she crossed her arms. "What is your condition?"

"I want to be back home and in bed reading my book by nine. You can stay longer but i'll be leaving before 9."

"I can work with that," the smirk on Natasha's face told Yelena that she had disregarded everything she just said. "Get ready, Grandma. We will leave at 7. Wear something sexy."

"Ha! So funny."

Natasha stopped in front of Yelena's closet, "hmm I see a lot of fur and grandma sweaters."

"Get out of the closet."

"Already did that. I'm just making sure you have something that's sexy." She pulled out a little dark green cocktail dress. "Okay. You do. Maybe wear this one. I have something similar in red."

"So we are going to look like the Christmas sisters?"

Natasha laughed, "funny. I like it. It could be our thing." She tossed the dress on the bed and headed towards the door, "and for the love of all gods take a shower. I love you but you stink."

"Fuck all the way off," Yelena flicked her off as she was leaving. She gave her book a longing look and placed it on her nightstand. A few drinks and some dancing wouldn't be the worst way to spend the evening even if she had to face the relentless teasing from her sister. She sat up, pulling the dress over to herself. It was a very nice dress that she hadn't gotten a chance to wear yet. Yelena sighed, resigning herself to the evening ahead of her. "I do not stink," she slightly bent her head and sniffed, "okay I admit that was a lie."

45 minutes later a freshly clean and dressed up version of Yelena emerged from her side of the apartment. She was wearing that green dress which had an indecent slit up her thigh, a pair of gold heels, a few gold necklaces and rings on every finger. She wore her hair down and her makeup dark. "You don't have to have multiple rings on every finger to alert the women you are gay."

"You know Natasha," Yelena was putting her phone and wallet in a small purse, "contrary to what you believe I don't actually have to accompany you tonight."

Natasha frowned, walking over to her sister before holding her phone out and snapping a picture to send to her girlfriend, "but look how cute we are."

Yelena looked at the picture and sent it to herself, "be a shame to waste this effort sitting around the house."

"That's the spirit," she grabbed Yelena's bag and threw her stuff into it. "What?" She noticed the look on her sister's face, "we both don't need to bring a bag."

"You are a leech."

"But you love me," Natasha smiled, opening the door for them.

When they got to the street Yelena was surprised when she turned towards the opposite direction of the hospital, "where are we going? Subway? Taxi? Uber? "

"Walking…It's only a few blocks away. On the main road near the hospital."

"Oh great. So the chances of me running into a coworker on my day off…"

Natasha grinned, "probably high. This is where I met Wanda."

"Fucking hell," she rolled her eyes. "Now that I have the chance to ask, you need to tell me what happened with Hill."

"I need way more tequila for that," she pulled Yelena into an establishment called The Toolbox Bar.

"Natasha, I hate to burst your balloon but this is a place for gay men."

"My bubble has not been busted. Tonight is ladies night. So baby sis, like I said, the rings weren't necessary. Plus it's 2023. There are gays, straights… the works. Nobody cares about that when there's tequila," she pulled Yelena towards the bar and ordered herself a shot and looked at her sister.

"Vodka, no ice. Two please."

Natasha looked at Yelena, "well damn. I guess we are getting drunk tonight."

Yelena downed both of her drinks after thanking the bartender. The liquid pleasantly warmed her insides and she felt better about coming out, "we dance?"

"Fuck it," Natasha threw back her own shot. "We dance." The two of them dancing together was getting the attention of many of the ladies around the club. "Girl over there is staring at you. My 3."

"I'm not interested in any girls," Yelena grabbed a waitress when she walked by and ordered a few more shots for her and Natasha. Her sister was smirking, "if you mention my rings again I will punch you so hard in the face they leave indents." Instead of saying anything the red head waved her fingers at the girl who was staring at Yelena. She quickly grabbed her hand, "what are you doing? You have a girlfriend." The waitress came back with their shots which Yelena accepted gratefully. She leaned in and whispered, "put it on my tab, love."

Natasha drank hers and laughed, "okay you won't look at the girl but you'll call the waitress love?"

"Habit. I was not flirting with her. Fine, where is this girl?" Yelena turned her back towards her sister and her eyes widened before turning back around, "that's my intern. What is she doing here?"

Natasha looked over Yelena's shoulder and shrugged one shoulder, never ceasing her own dance moves. "From where I'm standing it looks like she's going to shoot her shot with that brunette over there."

"I thought you said she was looking at me? Now there's a brunette?"

"Are you jealous?" Natasha laughed.

"Absolutely not. I'm not interested in my colleague. She must have been just as thrown off to see me here. Who is the brunette? Is she cuter than me?" Yelena smirked, turning Natasha so she could see the girl in question. Her face dropped and she stopped dancing, pulling Natasha with her towards the other bar in the back of the club away from the dance floor. "You didn't say children were permitted in here."

"If she's your intern then she's not a child. She has to be at least 23," Natasha rolled her eyes heading to the bar. "Two shots vodka, two shots tequila," she gave them her tab info from the other side of the club. They downed the shots without flinching and continued staring across the bar. They were both up to seven shots consumed and Yelena still seemed perfectly sober to her sister. Natasha was feeling a little buzz but nothing crazy. "Can we at least go back to dancing?"

"I wasn't talking about Cass. I was talking about the brunette."

Natasha shook her head, "I don't think they let children in here. Are you sure you aren't jealous?"

"Me? Jealous? Please." Yelena took a deep breath in, "I have nothing to be jealous of. I thought I might see a colleague. I was not expecting to see a patient."

"The brunette? Who is she?"

"The one I was texting you about," Yelena's eyes didn't move from the two women across the bar. "My second patient with the track record."

"Oh the junkie? I've heard all about her from Maria. I still can't believe she got involved with her," Natasha started to make her way back to the dance floor until Yelena caught her arm.

"What do you mean? Got involved with her? How?"

Natasha rolled her eyes, "did we or did we not come out here for a good time? Discussing my ex and your patient that you totally aren't jealous of or over is not my idea of fun. Why don't you go over there and ask her why she is here."

"And why would I do that?"

Natasha groaned, "because something is obviously bothering you. You always were too stubborn for your own good."

"Pot calling the kettle black, Natasha," Yelena was starting to get angry.

"Wait a minute," she was looking more intently at the two in the corner, "didn't you say you put a cast on that girl?"

"Da."

The red head held back her laughter, "well where is it?"

Yelena looked over and saw Kate standing there with a drink in her one hand and the hand that should've been casted was folded in across her stomach as she swayed her hips to the music. "You've got to be kidding me." The doctor in her was pissed now. "How can someone be so stupid not to follow simple advice. Six weeks. She put it in her calendar. I watched her. Fucking idiot."

"Why do you think none of the doctors want to take care of her? Well everyone besides your intern over there. Seriously how can one person not realize they are making obvious fuck me eyes at someone," she laughed. Okay, the alcohol was definitely starting to settle in, "why aren't you laughing?"

"Shh," Yelena's face remained neutral, "I'm thinking."

Natasha shrugged, looking around the club, "hey there's one of my buddies from work. Want to come say hi with me?" Yelena shook her head no, "okay we can just stay here and stare at those two girls."

"Go say hi," Yelena brushed her off. "I'm going to go to the restroom."

"If you are just using this as an excuse to sneak out and go home," Natasha gave her a knowing look, "be safe and text me when you get home."

Yelena kissed her sister on the cheek, "have fun." She watched the red head walk across the club, hugging the woman she had pointed out from her work. She ordered one more double shot and threw it back before closing her tab, paying for her and Natasha's drinks. The bartender looked at the bill and then at the tiny woman in front of her, "I'm Russian. This was like a drinks appetizer. Don't let that red head over there drink anymore. She's past her limit." The bartender nodded and walked away, taking the empty shot glasses with her. She saw Cassie put her drink down to answer her phone. It looked like she had to go. Being able to read lips, Cassie had told Kate that it was work and she was needed at the hospital. Of course her intern was on call. She better not have been drunk. That'll look bad for her but that wasn't her main concern. Cassie looked fine as she paid her bill and walked out of the club telling Kate she would text her in the morning and to get home safe. She saw Kate order another drink from the bar. It looked like a margarita and she smirked, "why do all the cute ones like tequila?" She shook her head clear and stalked over towards her prey, "Kate Bishop, what a surprise to see you again so soon."

Kate spun around quickly, a little bit of her drink sloshing over the rim of her glass, "doctor, hi." She quickly hid her arm behind her back. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"How could you?" Yelena let her eyes travel up and down Kate's body. The younger woman was wearing a pair of tight dark washed jeans, a black tube top and a purple blazer with heels completing the look. She couldn't deny that Kate looked good but she was simply here to ask her about the cast. She didn't know why, "so your girlfriend had to leave," came out of her mouth next. The brunette just stared at her in confusion, "Dr. Lang, my other intern. She had to go?"

Kate was glad the club was dark so Yelena couldn't see the blush on her cheeks from the obvious display of jealousy going on in front of her. "Cassie isn't… we aren't… she's not my girlfriend." Yelena didn't say anything, just staring while waiting for her to continue. "She got called into work. Can we maybe?" Kate looked around and pulled Yelena over towards the bathroom away from the speakers. "Now we don't have to shout. I met her here last week. I recognized her from the hospital so I said hi and we have been texting since."

"She likes you."

Kate wasn't sure what happened to her brain when she was in the presence of this woman but words and all intellectual thought flew out of her mind. "Does she?" The blonde rolled her eyes, "okay I guess she does."

Yelena hummed her response, not really giving Kate much to go off of, "shame for her. You should let her down easy."

"You are just assuming I'm not interested in her that way?"

"I am very good at reading body language, Kate Bishop. The way she was looking at you was not reciprocated. Do not cause me problems at work," she said, looking at her with an intense gaze.

"Wouldn't dream of it, doctor." Kate took a sip from the little straw in her drink, grinning at the older woman.

"I did not realize it had been six weeks already," Yelena stared at the naked hand that was holding her straw.

"Yeah about that…" Kate was running through the list of her excuses she had indexed away for all occasions but seemed to find it almost impossible to lie to this woman. "I felt it was healed enough."

"So you thought," she started with an American accent, "it's been 10 days, close enough to six weeks. Fuck it," her regular accent returned, "and just removed it yourself?"

"The accent thing," Kate smirked, "so hot."

"Do not change the subject. How did you remove it?"

"Would you believe me if I said I have one of those little hand saws at home?"

Yelena didn't flinch, "100%."

"I cut it off. I can't work with my hand cast. It kept getting in the way. Very inconvenient."

"Your chart said you are a student," Yelena pointed out. "How would a cast have gotten in the way of that? Unless you have another job that you did not disclose."

"I've had enough broken bones to know when I'm healed, all right," Kate sounded a little annoyed, "let's leave it at that."

"So it's all healed up? Good as new?"

Kate didn't miss a beat, "yup."

Yelena looked around and a smirk crossed her face, "okay then. A bet? You seem like a woman who likes to take risks."

Kate nodded, taking another sip, "what's the bet?"

Yelena pointed over her shoulder, "a game of darts. This is your dominant hand that was casted right?" Kate nodded. "You play with that hand. If it is as you say, healed enough, you should beat me no problem."

Kate was never one to back down from a bet, a challenge or a dare. Her wrist was definitely still tender but her cocky nature wouldn't let her say no, "fine. I have time to beat you at darts."

"When I win," Yelena continued ignoring the taunt, "I get to recast you and you have to keep the cast on for the mandatory time."

She thought she was so smart. Kate wasn't going to back down, "and when I win, I get your phone number."

The smirk that graced the blonde's lip would've been considered sinful in any other scenario, "bet," she held out her hand for Kate to shake. Her grin grew even larger when the brunette slightly winced at the pressure on her wrist. "I'll get the darts from the bar. Do you need another drink?"

"Trying to get me tipsy so you have the advantage?"

"Oh Kate Bishop, I do not need to impair you to get what I want. I was just being nice. Drink or no?"

"How many drinks have you had?"

"9 shots of vodka," Yelena held her hand out and it was perfectly still.

"I'll pass on the drink," and watched Yelena nod before making her way to the bar. "Fuck me if that wasn't the sexiest thing I've ever witnessed. This woman could run me over with her car, reverse it on me and I'd worship the ground she walked on."

"What was that?"

"Are you ready to lose?" Kate was thrown off by Yelena's laughter, it was like a song of the sirens.

"So funny, Kate Bishop. Come, we shoot darts. I win and we go on with our lives."

Kate found herself enthralled by the way Yelena moved while playing. She expected her to be good since she was a surgeon but the grace she threw with was so sexy, "are you swindling me or something."

That damn smirk would kill Kate, "I do not make bets that I can't win. You should know this about me."

"What else should I know about you?" Kate asked when she picked up her next dart. Her wrist was burning halfway through the game but her pride wouldn't let her quit. She was throwing just as well as the blonde. Or at least she was until Yelena was standing closer and closer to her as the game went on.

"Something for something, Kate Bishop."

"I like the way my name sounds with your accent," did she say that out loud? Yelena chuckled, yes she definitely said that out loud. "If I lose this game it'll be a shot to the ego. I am the star of my college's archery team. I've won so many awards for my archery over the years. They call me hawkeye."

"But I'm a skilled surgeon. I'm very good with my hands," she brushed past Kate stepping in to take her final shot. She let the dart fly and as if by magnetic force, it hit the bullseye. "Perfect game. Best you can do it tie."

"I told you about the archery team, something for something."

"That red head over there," she angled Kate slightly so she could see across the bar. The brunette's breath hitched when the older woman didn't take her hand from her hip. Yelena whispered just under her ear, "that's my sister. She's a pain in my ass."

Kate nodded, "cool. Cool." Her hip felt incredibly warm where Yelena's hand was resting. She thought she might explode from the contact. "Sisters are cool."

She squeezed her hip before taking a step back, "the coolest. Go on Kate Bishop, shoot your shot."

Kate let out a nervous laugh, "I don't think that means what you think it means."

"Sure it does," she pointed at her hand then the board, "throw your dart."

Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "shoot your shot," she breathed out. Yelena was in her line of sight and saw her cross her legs, her dress hitching on her thigh. Kate's brain exploded and when the dart flew, it landed just shy of the bullseyes. She had lost. She never lost. "That was unfair."

"What are you talking about?" Yelena stood, trying to sound as innocent as possible. She casually walked over to the dart board examining where Kate's had landed, "huh… would you look at that," she pointed to the bullseyes. "Looks like I won. Sorry about the hit to your ego, little hawk."

Kate tried not to blush at the pet name, "I still think you cheated."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

Kate crossed her arms, looking Yelena up and down, "that dress should be illegal."

She only smirked, "Natasha picked it out. I'll let her know you approve of her taste."

Kate felt the smallest tinge of jealousy before realizing, "the red head?" Yelena nodded, "did anyone tell you that the two of you are dressed like Christmas?"

"That's what I said!" Yelena cleaned up the darts before leading Kate back to the bar to drop them off. "Celebratory drink? I should really make it an even ten shots."

Kate looked at her with a look somewhere between confusion and pride, "we will have two shots of vodka," she told the bartender to put it in her own tab. "Congrats," she held the shot out for Yelena waiting for her to clink their glasses together.

Much to her delights, Kate didn't make a face when she threw the drink back, "thank you. Ten. It's my lucky number."

"How are you not drunk?"

Yelena shrugged, "Russian. Vodka is like water to me. Very delicious and spicy water. Now, if we were having whiskey, bourbon, or anything else… I could possibly be a little tipsy. But just slightly. I have a very high tolerance."

"I can see that."

"So should we talk about my prize?" She took Kate's fractured wrist gently into her warm hand.

Apparently that was enough for all rational thinking to leave Kate's brain when she suggested, "dance with me?"

"I do not think that is a wise idea," Yelena tried to get her conversation back around to the girl's wrist. "You are my patient. We should be talking about this," she ran her fingers across the damaged wrist.

"Just because you are a doctor and I was your patient doesn't mean we can't be friends?" She saw the blonde's eyebrow raise. "Friendly? Acquaintances? People who nod at each other when they pass on the street? What's the harm in one little dance?" Yelena could think of a bunch of reasons not to indulge Kate in her request but failed to voice any of them when both of her hands wrapped around hers and pulled her onto the dance floor, "please?"

It was at that moment Yelena realized she was royally fucked. There was no way she'd ever be able to deny her any wish, "just one." She circled one of her arms around Kate's neck and started swaying her hips in time with the music.

The way Yelena moved her body was enough to melt the brunette but she wasn't ready for the look of desire burning into her through dark green eyes. Maybe she was feeling the same. There was only one way to find out. Kate let her hand rest on Yelena's hip, bringing their bodies closer together, moving as one with the beats flowing through the club. Kate bent slightly so her lips rested just next to Yelena's ear, "you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."

There was something about this girl that Yelena was inherently attracted to and she found herself chuckling at the shameless flirting. "Do you say that to all of your doctors, Kate Bishop?" She pulled back slightly so she could look at her.

"Just you," she turned Yelena around so her back was against her front, never stopping their slow grind to the music. Kate wrapped her good arm around her waist, helping to guide their movements. Yelena would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised by the smooth dancing from the other woman. With an accident record like she had, the dancing was a nice surprise. The blonde pressed her ass into Kate's front for probably a little longer than was appropriate when she wrapped her arm around the back of Kate's head, scratching her scalp. She swore she heard the brunette choke back a moan.

When the song ended Yelena pulled away first, "you are very good at that." She saw Kate was still holding onto her waist. She grabbed the girl's good hand, spinning out of her reach. "Dancing. That was fun," she shouted when the next song started up. Kate attempted to bring her body back to her when Yelena shook her head, "only one." She looked to see her sister was still over with her friend from work and there seemed to be more people around her now. She looked back to Kate and held up a finger asking her to wait a moment.

Kate watched as the blonde walked over to the woman she pointed out as her sister and started talking to her. She took the opportunity to close out her tab and pay the bill when Yelena made her way back over to her with a phone, wallet and keys in hand, "I told Natasha I was leaving."

"Cool," Kate nodded, preparing to say her goodbye to Yelena for the evening with her fake promise of getting her cast replaced because of the bet. The next words out of her mouth could've knocked Kate over with a feather.

Yelena started to walk away from her but turned and looked over her shoulder, "well are you coming?"