Work Text:
There is an indentation in the shape of you
Made your mark on me, a golden tattoo
All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation
Kate is many things: a super skilled archer, a black belt in like 6- no 7 different martial arts, good at getting herself in trouble, bad at getting herself out of said trouble… but most of all, she is like super duper gay for her best friend Yelena Belova.
I mean, you would be too if you saw her.
Gorgeous Sandy blonde hair, the brightest green eyes you’ve ever seen, and the most lithe and breathtaking silhouette. It’s even more impressive when she’s absolutely kicking the asses of their enemies. (Literally, her kicks are wicked good form).
And here’s the thing, Kate has felt this way for a while. Maybe even since they first met, sitting across from each other in a dimly lit kitchen, eating boxed Mac and cheese out of the same pot, smirk said quips flying back and forth. Even when Kate knew that Yelena wanted to kill Clint, she knew that she was trouble for a whole other reason. Every time she said her full name, like she was pronouncing every syllable in wonder, Kate became a little bit gayer and her heart beat a little faster.
Then Yelena and Clint fought and she nearly killed her mentor, which really shouldn’t have been hot but kind of was (sorry, Clint). Hard kicks and swift spins and so much delicacy to land such rough hits. It’s what was so enamouring about her. Yelena Belova was so brutal in the way she killed her marks and fought her enemies, but then she looked at Kate and was so, so freaking soft.
The laughed over cartoons and re-runs of The Golden Girls where Yelena cracked jokes alongside Betty White in that soft Russian accent of hers. And God how hard it was for Kate to hold back on the nights when the moon light would catch just right and her blonde hair would soar to life, nearly glowing incandescent in the dim room. And then Yelena would turn to her waiting eyes and deep green would send Kate’s heart right into her throat.
Which was probably a good thing, because in every one of those moments, she nearly confessed her crush and god how awkward would that be. There was absolutely zero way someone as hot and capable as Yelena would like someone as big of a mess as Kate. That was just a fact, she reasoned.
But honestly she was okay, perfectly cool, totally a vibe, super coolio.
Definitely.
Okay so she was a mess for her best friend.
What about it? There’s not much she can do about it and she knows it.
My hands are shaking from holding back from you (ah, ah, ah)
—
There is this ball at the Avenger’s compound. No big deal at all, Clint had said. Just a way for all of the new recruits to meet each other and mingle- they’d be future team members after all.
Now, super chill is not one of the things kate just *is*. So naturally when she gets the invite via text from her mentor himself, she immediately picks up the phone and dials the one person who she’s able to confide to about it— her best friend.
“Kate Bishop, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?” And there was the melodic voice that sunk right into Kate’s purple little heart. The proverbial cupid’s arrow to her ass.
“Did you get the invite to the charity ball thingy at the compound?!” Kate was so excited she could barely contain herself. Every bit of the avengers-obsessed kid she had been was soaring to the surface.
Yelena took a minute to respond and for a brief second Kate worried that maybe she hadn’t and there was some mistake and god she’d made it awkward. But then she heard a noise that sounded suspiciously like a man’s muffled scream and one of Yelena’s signature widow’s bites being deployed.
“Sorry моя любовь, I’m just finishing a job,” she breathed into the phone, slightly out of breath and smile on her lips. Kate’s heart plummeted upwards once again at the sound of Yelena’s Russian.. even though she still had no idea what she was saying. Fuck Duolingo. All that stupid bird has taught her is that she’s
too dumb to learn a new language for a girl she’s simping over.
“Oh, it’s okay. Everything good?” Kate choked out.
“For me, yes. For this dirty human trafficker? No,” There was a sound of another scream, this time not so muffled.. and then nothing. “I’m all finished here actually. Dinner tonight? I want to watch that new… как это называется..? Film. That new film, Beauty and the Beast.”
And would Kate love to curl up with Yelena in front of the tv and watch a love story play out on screen? Yes, yes she would. But there’s that ball and it’s at the avengers compound and the little super fan in Kate’s heart is. not. letting. up.
“I mean, yes yeah that sounds incredibly tempting. But there’s that party at the compound? Aren’t you gonna go?” Kate busied herself digging through her closet, not that dress, that suit is too dark, nope, no again, ooooh yep that was the one.
“These things are not really my scene, Kate Bishop. You should know that by now,” Yelena breathes playfully and Kate could hear her clearly in a jet, hopefully on her way to her.
“Oh,” her heart dropped back down to its normal place. “You’re not going?”
“I didn’t say that,” Yelena laughed. “My dress is way too good to waste.” And that.. that did things to Kate that she probably couldn’t say out loud. Or admit to anyone. “I just thought I would try and convince you to stay home first. I am soooo tired.”
“I’ll make it worth your while, Yel,” Kate smiled into the phone, reaching into the closet and tossing out a pair of her favourite dress shoes… and then she realized what she said.
But before she could stumble over her words, take it back, She could honest to god hear her best friend wink. “You’d better, Kate Bishop.”
And okay— tonight was going to be interesting.
All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting
My hands are shaking from holding back from all this (ha, ha, ha, ha)
—
Three hours later and Kate was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the lapels of her suit and straightening her bow tie… only for it too pop crooked again.
She sighed.
Lucky whined.
Someone knocked on the door and then just opened it.
Kate’s heart stopped.
Yelena.
“Kate Bish—“
Say my name and everything just stops
I don't want you like a best friend
Only bought this dress so you could take it off
Take it off (ha, ha, ha)
Holy fuck. Yelena was not kidding about that dress. Dark green velvet clung to every curve and ended mid-thigh which was just not right at all. Cruel really.
Multiple gold earrings and a signature gold choker with a tiny arrow had Kate’s heart beating so fast she was afraid the fancy watch Clint gave her was gonna call her an ambulance. Or worse. Call Clint himself. That would be embarrassing to explain.
Oh hey clint, yeah no I almost died from being so turned on about my best friend who also tried to murder you. Sorry to bother you.
But then Yelena turned around to close the door and Kate nearly fell over or something much more embarrassing like confess her love… right there in the middle of the kitchen. There was no back on the dress. None at all. Just pale, scar glittered skin until where the velvet touched right above her ass.
What. On. Earth.
“Earth to Kate Bishop,” Yelena waved, smirking like she knew the very effect she was having.
Kate cleared her throat, straightened herself (homosexually).
“You look… “ she wasn’t sure there was a word to accurately describe the sheer goddess that was standing in front of her. “You look fucking incredible.”
Yelena laughed and stepped forward, into Kate’s personal space, straightening the rebellious bow tie. It stayed still after she touched it, like it knew who it really truly existed for.
“You are gorgeous too, моя любовь,” She whispered and there were those words again. They were haunting and beautiful and for all Kate knew Yelena was calling her an idiot (which would be accurate and Kate would still take it). “Now, the car is waiting out front and the driver called Happy who seems not happy at all told me to be quick. So we should probably go.”
For once Kate was speechless. She just went, followed the love of her life out the front door and to the party that she was suddenly wishing they could skip.
Carve your name into my bedpost
'Cause I don't want you like a best friend
Only bought this dress so you could take it off
Take it off (ha, ha, ha, ha)
Inescapable, I'm not even gonna try
When they arrived to the party, it was already in full swing. Loud bass music echoed out of the front entrance, enchanting and enticing everyone inside.
Happy, not Happy, the driver, got out first and opened the door for the women, gesturing quickly for them to get out and go.
He added, annoyed, “If you see a nerdy kid named Peter, about yay tall, tell him his curfew is 10pm and those are his Aunt May’s orders.”
Kate nodded her head slowly, confused as hell, and then huffed a laugh. “Will do.”
The entrance to the party was unlike anything Kate had ever seen before. Yelena was just ahead of her and the expanse of skin paired with the magnificence of the lights and people and food made for an ethereal experience. She never wanted it to end.
“I’ll get us a drink,” Yelena spoke into the shell of her ear. It was loud in here and that’s the only reason she was so close. Definitely. Goosebumps erupted where her breath landed and Kate embarrassingly shook it off but her friend didn’t seem to notice.
And if I get burned, at least we were electrified
I'm spilling wine in the bathtub, you kiss my face and we're both drunk
Okay so full disclosure, Kate Bishop is a serious light weight. She’s had maybe two drinks to Yelena’s six and she’s feeling way too vibe-y. They’re dancing and Yelena is close, so close. So close she can actually feel the press of her curves against her front and she’s really not drunk enough nor sober enough to stop her hands from reaching out and drawing her closer.
Yelena doesn’t seem to mind, wrapping her hands behind her neck, fingers trailing a line from her clavicle up to the nape of her neck, playing with the baby hairs there before she spun around quickly.
It was moments like these that Kate forgot that Yelena was actually a really fucking good dancer. Because now her ass was against her and her arms were up and playing at the edge of her jawline and she was moving in a way that was decidedly not platonic.
“Yel,” Kate tried to huff above the music. Yelena didn’t hear. She turned around and dropped low, maintaining eye contact as she drew her hands down Kate’s legs and up up over her hips and waist and —
“Yelena!” Kate’s eyes were wide and Yelena was stepping back before Kate could stop her.
“I’m sorry Kate,” and then she ran. Kate never hated her first name singular more than in that moment. She had to find Yelena. She must have been able to tell Kate was turned on and was weirded out.
Great. She ruined her best and only friendship.
Everyone thinks that they know us, but they know nothing about
All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation
My hands are shaking from holding back from you (ah, ah, ah)
All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting
My hands are shaking from holding back from all this (ha, ha, ha, ha)
Weaving through the drunk crowd was a mission in and on its own. Everyone was stumbling and dancing and laughing.
Where was Yelena?
And that’s when she saw her favourite dress ever slip out the side door onto a balcony. Ah, there she was.
She approached cautiously, more to give herself time to figure out how to apologize, knowing the Assassin could hear her coming from a ways away. She would know by the delicate and uniquely hers footfall that it was Kate.
“Yelena.”
Say my name and everything just stops
I don't want you like a best friend
Only bought this dress so you could take it off
Take it off (ha, ha, ha)
Carve your name into my bedpost
'Cause I don't want you like a best friend
She didn’t turn around, just stared out at the skyline, grip hardening on the railing.
“Yelena, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Kate whispered, the music thumping meekly in the background.
“What?” That made her turn around. She looked confused which made Kate look confused. They were clearly both confused okay? “I thought I made you uncomfortable?”
“How would you make me uncomfortable?” Kate breathed incredulously.
“Because I love you. And I only bought this dress so you could take it off of me. And my dancing was too much,” she blurted and Kate’s heart stopped right then and there. It was starting to become too common around Yelena.
“I—“ Kate started and then stopped because never in a million years did she believe this was possible. “Is this real?” Is what she decided on because it was late and she was in fact a light weight and it wouldn’t be the first time she had hallucinated on a night out.
Yelena laughed that laugh that warmed every bit of Kate. “Yes, моя любовь, it’s real.”
“What does that mean?” Kate whispered in awe, eyes searching.
Yelena stepped closer, two steps to be exact. She was so close now, Kate could feel it in her heart and on her lips when she whispered, “it means “my love”.”
And that’s all Kate needed to crash her lips into her best friend’s. It was all lips and tongue and teeth and so much love. Yelena kissed like she fought, all power but with a frightening delicacy that pushed and pulled at every heart string in Kate’s chordophone body. It was everything and everything.
They broke apart only for Yelena to whisper into her mouth, “Take me home, Kate Bishop.”
Only bought this dress so you could take it off, take it off (ha, ha, ha, ha)
Only bought this dress so you could take it off, take it off (ha, ha, ha, ha)
Only bought this dress so you could take it off
—-
They were halfway to the car, stumbling, drunk on love only (well okay definitely a bit the alcohol for kate) when Yelena bumped into a teenage boy.. about yay tall.
She glared at him until he apologized, which really, really didn’t take long. Hot.
“What’s your name? You look nerdy,” Kate squinted her eyes and Yelena laughed into her shoulder.
“Hey! I do not look nerdy,” The kid pushed up his glasses up indignantly and straightened his comic book T shirt before realizing and then added resigned, “Peter Parker.”
“We found you!!!” Kate whisper yelled and Yelena just watched, amused by the whole situation. “We’re supposed to give you a message,” she said tucked behind her hand, like a loud secret.
“Happy, who is really not suited for his name by the way, anyways Happy-Not-Happy says that you have to be home by 10:30… or else.”
“Did he really say the “or else” part?” Peter whispered wide eyed and glanced nervously at his watch.. which looked Stark powered. Interesting. Who was this kid?
“Yep. Yes. Definitely. I wouldn’t wanna piss him off.” Kate nodded matter of factly. She was in fact lying. It was the alcohol okay?
Yelena pulled at her sleeve then, gesturing towards the line of cars. “Let’s go моя любовь, leave the poor kid alone.”
“Thank you Miss…” Peter trailed off waiting for Kate to finish but he got.
“—Hawkeye. That’s Miss Hawkeye to you.” And Yelena was laughing hard now dragging her away.
“Holy frig, we’re co-avengers!” He said excitedly but the two women were two busy wandering off hand in hand, heart in heart. They were cute, Peter thought. “I have to tell Ned I just met the new Hawkeye. And MJ.. and oh my god it’s 10:30. Oh no. Oh god, Happy’s going to or else me. Im in SO much trouble.”
Little did he know the curfew was actually 10, not 10:30.
Good luck, Peter.