Chapter Text
Whimpering sobs echoed noisily in the small room. It was essentially a concrete box with a drain at the center of the floor and a trolley cart for all the tools and toys of the trade.
Natasha stared down at the pitiful lump of a man in front of her, his body was limp and his head lolled at an unnatural angle. He had long since given up the information she needed, all that had been left was retribution for hurting her little sister and his body was beginning to shut down.
His whimpers turned sharper when she stepped up to him again. She wasted no time in burying the knife in his chest where a heart was supposed to reside.
She left the concrete prison and headed for the stairs, knowing some lackeys would be tasked with dispatching the body and clearing the room.
A glance at her wristwatch told her, logically, she had more than enough time before her date tonight to get some paperwork done and get ready but the nerves in her stomach buzzed with emotions she thought were long forgotten and she only stopped at her office to make a sparse report of everything the man had given up. She could review the tapes later for anything she missed.
Long strides took her to the master bedroom but a Yelena sized obstacle materialised in the doorway.
“Jesus!” Nat hissed, falling a step backwards.
Yelena only grinned, stepping back into the bedroom. “What’s got you in a hurry?”
“Just want to clean off the scraps.” Nat shrugged heading for the en suite bathroom.
Blood diluted in the running water and she paid attention to the thorough scrub she was giving her nails. She could feel Yelena’s stare from the doorway and only spared her a glance from the mirror.
“Somewhere important to be?” She asked, a knowing smirk on her face.
Nat rolled her eyes, “None of your business.”
Her boot fell against the tile with a loud clap and Nat glanced over her shoulder at the stunned expression on her little sister’s face.
“Do you have a date?” She demanded. Her eyes narrowed and Nat tried to hide her face in the sink, focusing on scrubbing the last of the blood from her hands instead of giving herself away.
Yelena didn’t let the silence stay for long, coming up behind her. “Oooh, you do! Who is it? Do I know them?”
Rolling her eyes again with a long-suffering sigh, she turned away and headed back out into the bedroom, snatching a hand towel off the rail on her way. Yelena still bounced behind her spilling question after question from the doorway of her walk-in closet.
“Alright! Alright.” Nat groaned, caving with her hands buried in her clothes. She gave Yelena a resigned look, “I’ll tell you, if you help me figure out what the hell to wear.”
“Deal.” Yelena grinned smugly, walking back and plopping herself onto the end of Nat’s bed.
“So, who are they?” She fired off first.
Nat let out another sigh before she answered, “She works for Wanda-”
“The doctor girl from the other night?” Yelena leant forward over her folded legs.
Nat nodded, holding up two shirts. “Yes, her. Which one?”
Yelena squinted at them consideringly, “Neither. Go for a dress. You were a shirt and pants every other day.”
Nat see-sawed her head in somewhat of an agreement and headed back in, only just hearing Yelena’s next muffled question.
“Does she have a job?”
“She’s a barista and a baker for Wanda.” Nat called out, eyeing her selection of clothes in frustration.
“Soooo, she’s a civilian.” Yelena stated, something disapproving threading her tone.
Soft footsteps padded across the carpet and Nat glanced back to Yelena leaning against the door frame with a serious press to her lips. “Does she know ?”
“She helped you.” Nat pointed out.
Yelena pinned her with a stare, “But does she know? What you do, who you are.”
Natasha turned to meet her stare, ready for a challenge. “She knows. She’s known since she started working for Wanda.”
Yelena hummed, folding her arms. “Explains why she didn’t freak out that night. But she is experienced for some supposedly young, college-attending barista.”
The implication wasn’t lost on her and Natasha worked to bite back the venom she wanted to spit in her defense. “She’s trained in field medicine to a degree from her parents. They’ve more or less disowned her since she decided her own future instead.”
“And her experience saved your life.” She added pointedly, letting the bite into her words.
Yelena pressed her lips together at the reminder and Nat could see the tension minutely easing out of her where she shifted her weight against the frame. “I’ll be grateful for that but I’m not giving her a free pass to my sister because of it.”
“At least try not to be too much of a hard ass.” Nat retorted, letting the jab ease the tension.
Yelena stuck her tongue out and came further into the wardrobe, pulling out a black dress with a silver embroidered pattern. “This one. And black shoes. And a silver necklace maybe- do you even have jewellery?”
Nat rolled her eyes at her sisters question, taking the dress off her hands. “Yes, I have jewellery... Somewhere.” She muttered under her breath, heading for the bathroom to change.