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Kate Bishop had grown up and lived in New York her entire life. She was born there, went to school there, and later attended university all within the vicinity of the big city. So by the time she became the leader of the Young Avengers, she was pretty sure she knew every single spot in New York, both new and old.
Growing up in New York also meant living in a place where people were often considered too crazy and overwhelmingly obnoxious, and also a city that was usually targeted by outside forces thanks to the Avengers.
So she was used to weirdness, it was already a normal thing for her.
And so, when she was promptly interrupted in the middle of her day at the office, enjoying one nice evening for once, she wasn’t really surprised or worried about the way they acted.
She had given her assistant clear instructions to let the younger kids in whenever they showed up, because they wouldn’t interrupt unless it was an emergency.
She wasn’t surprised at all when Kamala sat down in front of her, shadowed by the rest of the team, all of them grinning with bright, excited expressions.
She wasn’t surprised when Kamala started talking about an underground place in New York that apparently had the best coffee ever, and that it was the center of her new mission.
“And what’s there supposed to be?” she asked, since Kamala hadn’t given her any more information besides the fact that the place had amazing coffee. By the time they finished explaining it was her new mission, that was still all she knew. And she wasn’t surprised about that either, because Kamala was still a very excited young woman. Even though her entire life now revolved around being a superhero, she still found joy in the little things. Kate liked her for that.
“There’s a big magical energy coming from there, we’re trying to track it down because it might be dangerous in the future, it just appeared out of nowhere really.” This time it was Billy who cut in, and Kate was pretty sure there was some mischief in his eyes as he spoke.
He was the only one on the team with the ability to sense magical energy, so the fact that she had to follow his instincts when it came to magic was totally out of her control. But if it were up to her, she would not be messing with magic at all.
“Okay, and what’s the plan? Barge into the café and then ask where the magic thing is?” Cassie and Tommy both huffed. Too much time spent together had led them to connect and share more with each other than with the rest. Having personalities more alike than the others was a factor too.
“You’ll be going in as recon,” Stature informed her. And that, again, was not a surprise. She was the leader and the oldest of the group, so it had always been a fact since the beginning that she would take some matters for them. “We just want to know what’s going on down there for the time being.” Kate nodded then, leaning back in her chair and looking at each of them for a moment too long. She really didn’t buy the whole thing.
“And why me, may I ask?” she said, suspicion in her tone as she raised an eyebrow at the group standing in front of her.
“There’s an age limit to go down there. We’re all still under nineteen or just barely there, so you’d have to be the one,” America said, nodding as she spoke.
Kate looked at each of them for a moment. She knew her team, and that was the reason she had been named leader. With the years she had spent as a vigilante and then as part of the team, she had learned how to read people better than most, so she knew how to act according to the situation far better than when she had first met Clint a few years back.
She was still a little awkward in some situations, but it was nothing compared to the others. She had taken on responsibility for them with the little time she had, and they hadn’t wasted a second in supporting her through it.
But of course, she knew she was in charge of a group of kids trying to do the same thing as her while also going through a time in life where everything felt complicated. She had dealt with the tears of more than one teenager after a personal crisis that had more to do with their own lives than their powers, and she had been fine with it, because she would have loved to have someone there to listen and help when she was their age.
She had taken them under her wing the way Clint once had with her, caring for each of them like the siblings she never had. She learned from them and they learned from her too. And doing so also meant taking on the most difficult and dangerous situations for them, whether recon missions or surveillance work where one of them risked being exposed.
This time was no different.
“Okay, when is this supposed to happen?” she asked, shifting forward with her arms on the desk.
“Tonight,” they all said in unison. And that’s when she knew she was in for disaster.
Trust was the base for forming a great group. Having confidence in each other meant there were not many secrets between them and nothing to worry about in the details they shared.
The Young Avengers had told her she shouldn’t bring any weapons because the place seemed peaceful enough, and there would probably be no problem inside, but Kate couldn’t really go without a weapon to a place she was supposed to be reconning.
So she had decided to trust their words and dress maybe not so accordingly for a coffee shop, going with a suit they had recommended she should wear for this mission. Not one of the elegant ones she saved for reunions and dinners, but one that leaned more towards the fashionable way. All because they said she should look “important,” since everyone there was going to look that way.
She had hidden her retractable bow and a few arrows in a pouch she could carry under the suit jacket. If neither of those could pass, she could always find her way to a gun. She was a sharpshooter after all.
She had been picked up in a van, Billy driving it. He was the only one besides her who had a license. She sat down and was quickly briefed on what to do and how to get there. After that, the van had erupted in different conversations that she joined, her voice mixing with the others as they made their way not far from where they had picked her up.
She was not surprised the hidden place was in plain view, or almost. There was no better way to hide something than to put it right in front of everyone to see.
She was given an earpiece and sent out the moment they arrived at a shady-looking alleyway. She was told to be careful and to check in with them every few minutes. They would be listening anyway.
She walked down the alley, her footsteps echoing slightly against the walls of the two buildings at her sides. She walked with confidence and a steady rhythm before turning at the first curve she found.
The entry resembled that of a subway station, a wide open staircase leading her into pure darkness. For a moment she hesitated to go down, a chill running up her spine at the simple view, but she still kept walking as if she had been there before a million times, using the rails to guide herself down.
As she descended, she noticed the papers plastered across the walls, announcements for different businesses, many of them already old and sticky looking. Graffiti layered over them and across the empty walls. A common sight in some areas. She was pretty sure she had gone out and done graffiti on a wall herself when she was younger, not that she would ever admit it to anyone.
At the end of the stairs she found more darkness that swallowed her whole. She walked a few more steps before a bright light shone down on her. An automatic, flashy bulb that shook her for a moment, though she acted like nothing had happened. Then she noticed the door in front of her. It looked like a heavy exit door, definitely calling to be pushed to be let in. It carried a clear message not to enter in the center of it, but she stepped closer and went inside, pushing the rusty red door open and slipping inside without a second thought.
The place inside was not as dark, voices filled it with chatter and shushes, most people walking around and some just standing to look.
It was nothing like she had expected.
The place looked like an underground market, filled with different types of vendors and shops across both of her sides. People went in and out of the stalls like it was a living city beneath the actual city. Which, if she thought about it, shouldn’t be surprising. There had always been claims that people lived in the underground side of New York, but she hadn’t expected this type of thing to be just there for everyone to see.
She was tapped on the shoulder by someone nearby after she stood still for a few seconds, a tall man with an unfriendly look. She raised an eyebrow as he spoke. “You are requested to show an ID, ma’am.” Of course.
She handed over a fake ID, good enough and believable without a second glance to not be really recognized, and was waved through once the man gave it back.
The place was surprisingly cozy for it to be the center of a strong source of magical energy. Soft yellowish lights lit the narrow alleys, strung across the street from one side to the other on a zigzagging path. And as she walked, the place felt more crowded with people than it had been from a simple look. There were different stores and shops, some too dark looking for her liking, but still having people going in and out. Her goal wasn’t to go inside those anyway, but to find the coffee shop she was meant to check.
There were cobwebs added on the corners of some of the shops to give the spooky style the place definitely was going for, adorned with what she hoped were toy spiders.
The strong scent of coffee guided her to a small shop off to the side. It wasn’t too full but still had plenty of people inside sitting at the tables.
Everyone was covered, and from the entrance she couldn’t see anyone’s faces properly. The big neon signs outside gave light to the storefront leaving her with flashing colors behind her eyes every time she blinked, while the inside was only dimly lit with a few weak bulbs that bathed everything in a warm yellow glow. It gave the place a cozy atmosphere, but she knew not to let her guard down.
She sat at one of the corner tables near the windows, able to see outside but not be seen from there, her back to the window and her eyes on the rest of the room.
She was usually surprised by how few people recognized her. She had never been one to seek media attention, often rejecting informal interviews after a fight after many of them only searched for her because of the problems her mother had in the past. Now it worked to her advantage, making her also the perfect choice for recon.
“I’m here already, anything on your side?” she whispered. What was she supposed to be looking for anyway? They should have given her more information about whatever was going on.
“Lay your work phone on the table, I’ll use it to search up the place,” Riri said into her ear. Kate did as told, turning on the phone and pretending to check something before setting it on the table.
By the time she did, a young brunette had walked over to take her order, asking if she preferred a menu and a few minutes first before deciding. Kate choose to keep it simple, pointing to one of the muffins in the counter display and asking for a coffee. She wasn’t planning to stay up the entire night after this but it worked as a perfect choice.
She leaned back in her chair. It was comfortable, at least. People around her were talking at the adjacent tables, nothing suspicious or strange, just casual chatter as far as she could hear. And the place was nicer than she expected, definitely a good spot to be.
The counter had a small bar on the side, a man serving a few light drinks on the other end, cocktails being placed in front of the patrons. Everything looked clean, not how a shady place should actually look, but still.
She relaxed a bit, because even though the place wasn’t in a very nice looking area and it wasn’t exactly common to have so many stores underground, maybe these people didn’t know what she was there for. Maybe they really were just normal people trying to go about their night. In an abnormal place, but still normal people.
There wasn’t much she could do while she waited. Her comms were silent except for the faint static that came and went and she had to wait for her order to arrive. She would have liked to come with someone, but none of the kids looked old enough to pass as young adults, or at least not legally for a few more years. In the meantime, things like this would still have to be only her responsibility.
She liked her team, but sometimes she was too conscious of the age difference when it came to reunions, after missions reports or just normal get togethers they would do, which was also the reason she had been chosen as leader.
Her age showed up whenever they talked about new social media trends or slang she didn’t quite understand. Sometimes they were just silly words thrown around between them without context, leaving her confused for the rest of the day trying to figure it out without asking them about it.
She would have loved for there to be a new addition on the team closer to her age. They had collaborated with Sam Wilson’s Avengers, and Kamala had been very excited about her already friendly connection with Captain Marvel. Kate herself had gotten the chance to meet more of the original Avengers, not her favorites, but still Avengers, old mighty heroes. During those times, the group had tried to coax Joaquín, the new Falcon, into joining the Young Avengers, but he had turned down the offer to stay training with Sam. And honestly, Kate couldn’t blame him, she would have done the same if she could have trained with Clint for a few more years.
They had crossed paths with the New Avengers too, though the interaction hadn’t been as friendly.
She had tried to contact Yelena after the New York disaster with the Sentry and hadn’t gotten a response in any possible way.
She had tried to approach her in person, texted, called, searched for any channel to reach her, but Yelena hadn’t even acknowledged her. Or if she had, she had ignored her without any interest at all.
And after many tries, she gave up and told herself it didn’t matter anymore. If Yelena wasn’t interested in talking, then she wasn’t worth the trouble.
So when they first saw each other again in person during another big problem in the city, Kate ignored the blonde woman and focused on the threat ahead, even though all she wanted was to ask why she had been ignored for so long.
The older group had gotten in their faces after the battle was over. A blonde man she could recognize from some old news came over to tell Kamala that she almost punched him with one of her fists in the worst way possible to address someone who had been trying to help, and the woman holding him back complained about how someone had nearly stepped on her when growing in size.
Kate had stepped in, because she was the leader and the kids were her kids. If anyone was going to correct them, it would be her. But honestly, they had done a wonderful job helping and not destroying anything in the process.
She knew Yelena was practically the boss of her group. So when she saw her push Walker aside to stop him from saying more, Kate turned around, led her team to the other side of the street, and asked America to open a portal to her penthouse.
She wasn’t going to get into a confrontation with someone who had no interest in talking to her.
Their next encounters weren’t pretty either. A few more words had been exchanged between each group, but never in a serious way. Nothing really organized, no working together or collaborating, so there was no reason to talk about anything beyond the light insults traded in low voices only for the others to hear. Cassie and Riri were always the first to defend themselves and the rest whenever someone spoke badly about the Young Avengers or anything they’ve done, and they were always harsh whenever they could. Kate would agree that in some moments it was a reasonable way to react.
Kate had accepted that being older also meant she didn’t have the same time for training or other activities as the rest. But she enjoyed outings with them, even if sometimes she just sat back and listened to them talk about whatever was going on in their lives.
She was taken out of her thoughts when her order was brought to the table a few minutes later. She eyed the coffee and muffin warily, thinking it wouldn’t be a good look to leave them untouched.
She thought that by the time her order arrived the others would be done with their tracking, but there was no sign they were close to finishing. Nothing came through her comms.
“Have you guys finished?” she whispered into her cup, taking a sip of coffee and letting the taste linger before deciding Kamala was right. It was the best coffee she had ever tried. Not that she had traveled the globe tasting coffee, but it was definitely a hundred times better than the coffee from the machine she had every morning at work.
“Not yet, give me a few more minutes.” The comm crackled with Riri’s voice, the loud background chatter of the others spilling through. She heard Kamala and America laughing, the rest talking over them. She actually wished she was there with them rather than sitting in a quiet coffee shop in a secret underground alley with an unknown source of magical energy nearby.
She wanted to tell Riri to hurry up, because she couldn’t drag her stay out too long with just a coffee and muffin. She could order orange juice afterward or even a drink from the bar, but that wouldn’t last long either. She could drink her coffee slowly, though, and nibble on the muffin in small bites.
She was weighing her options when she heard the soft ring of the bell above the door. Someone walked in wearing a cap, relaxed demeanor, focused eyes scanning the room as if looking for someone.
Kate quickly averted her gaze before the person looked her way, trying not to appear like she was spying. But she reminded herself it was a recon mission, and the best thing she could do was remember as many faces as possible. It might matter later.
She looked down at her phone, checking the time. Almost 10 p.m., and the place was still full. People kept coming and going. She thought about going home afterward and having the best sleep of her life. She was still young enough to want to go out at night, and she had been a vigilante long before becoming a Young Avenger, but there was no way she wouldn’t feel exhausted after a week of work and night patrols.
She was about to sip her coffee again when a raspy voice spoke beside her.
“You’ve already ordered without me? That’s not a good look, Kate Bishop.”
She stiffened, her cup inches from her lips. For a moment she thought she had imagined it, that the voice belonged to someone else. But a quick glance gave her the answer.
Yelena had slipped into the chair across from her, looking at her with curious eyes.
The cap covering her blonde hair was a look Kate hadn’t known she needed to see. She was used to seeing Yelena in a tactical suit, hair loose. Now, stray strands of blonde escaped the edges of the cap, framing her face. Her green eyes, accentuated with a slight blue makeup, glistened as they fixed on her. She looked younger than Kate had ever seen her.
But what was she doing there?
“What are you doing here?” she asked, almost a whisper in her voice as to not alert anyone else around them. She looked at the little glint in Yelena’s eyes disappear, a small and almost not visible flinch crossing her face before she even responded.
“You called me here, didn’t you?” Kate was confused for a moment, and then her phone lit up. She averted her eyes toward it, Yelena’s eyes doing the same before sending a look to another place as if to give her privacy.
She took it and read the text, a message from the group chat sent by Billy, a short sentence that made her realize what was going on.
Billy: enjoy your date night! don’t get mad at us for this, we’ll pick u up later if u need it!
And then a fluid of other texts that came right through next to that one.
Cassie: although we would prefer if u go home with her u know
America: we love you but you NEED to talk to her like serious face to face chat
Tommy: btw if you’re mad i was not part of this
if you are not then i was
Riri: girl enjoy the night, we’ll see you tomorrow for brunch
Billy: or not…
but like
on the i way that i hope you have a make out with the black widow and you don’t show up tomorrow bc you’re with her
Cassie: enough
gn katie, have a great time
Kamala: we love youuuuuuuuu 🩷
Kate almost gasped out loud, because she should have seen it coming. The place didn’t look like somewhere someone would hide something like a big magical energy producer, there was nothing of the kind around there and yes, it was a hidden place and a very dark looking one, but it was very comfortable too, and the people seemed nice enough and the coffee was so good.
She had been fooled by a bunch of teenagers into a date night with the one woman that didn’t want to talk to her. She took off the transmitter from her ear and looked at it with an anger flare.
“I’ve been tricked,” Kate whispered to herself, a mumble of words that came out at the same time she left her phone on the table again and tossed the small earpiece in her pocket, looking up at Yelena and noticing the confusion on her face.
Yelena raised an eyebrow then and slowly asked, “You didn’t leave anything for me at the tower, right?” Her deep voice was now slower, her eyes drifting around her face but not focusing on something specific. She moved uncomfortably in her seat.
And Kate was going to answer with something else, because she didn’t like the look of Yelena uncomfortable. She was used to seeing her walk around confidently and working her way into anything, she was like that always, and she didn’t want her to be in this position because of her. But the truth was going to be the only way out, because the Widow would eventually find out the truth one way or another.
Kate let out a big sigh, and then looked at her in search for something to pay attention to.
“I didn’t. I don’t even know where I would leave something directed to you, but no, it was my team most definitely.” She didn’t have an explicit confirmation from their side that they had been the ones to set this up, but there was no other way it had happened. And the text messages were pretty telling.
Yelena nodded, lowering her head, half her face being covered by the cap she was still wearing. She knocked slightly on the table twice before looking back up, no emotion showing.
“I’m sorry about this then, I’ll leave you to yourself.” She was about to stand up, already moving to the side of her chair when Kate reacted. Because this could be her only chance at a normal conversation with the woman after everything that happened, and if she could have it, she would totally get it.
“No!” she yelled, almost too loudly for the calm ambience around them. It called the attention of the rest of the tables, but it stopped Yelena in her tracks for a moment and she turned to look at her the same way as the other clients around. “Sorry,” she said, looking around and then back at Yelena to direct her words at her. “Stay please, we can have a talk if you want.” She prayed the blonde woman wanted the same as her.
Yelena didn’t twist her body back at her for a few seconds, making Kate think she would actually leave her there and not want to talk about anything, but instead, she sat back down and then looked at her, a small smile growing on the corner of her lips.
“Sure. I would like that.” She called down a server, ordering rapidly, and Kate took the chance to ask the young woman for another coffee since the one she had was already too cold to drink.
She eyed her muffin while Yelena got herself comfortable.
“What did the kids tell you to come here?” Kate puffed, because she knew Yelena was going to use it against her, she still told her anyways.
“It was supposed to be a mission thing.” She shrugged a bit, almost crossing her arms in defeat but instead looking up at Yelena, now smiling slightly at her.
“A group of kids tricked you then.” She teased, and Kate was so ready to answer to her.
“A group of kids tricked you too.” She smiled, teasingly looking back at Yelena who now showed an expression of exaggerated indignation.
“It was pretty believable may I say, you should be careful with a group of people that can copy your handwriting so well.” Kate stopped unwrapping her muffin, looking up at Yelena.
“They did what?” because she knew all of them were very smart, but to reach the point of copying her handwriting. Wow. “I’m going to send them to training every day of the week for a month.” She finished with the wrapping, taking a bite of the muffin as if it had been the one to offend her.
Yelena muffled a laugh, and then a silence settled between them.
Kate didn’t know how to start the conversation and she knew Yelena probably didn’t know where to take the conversation towards. In which state was their dynamic now? Because they were never even friends, they were basically on opposite sides during the entire time they had interacted, and then afterwards they were team leaders of different groups and only crossed paths once in a while when the problems were too big for just one group. Even if Kate had wanted to contact her for so long, there was nothing that connected them together.
Kate swallowed and looked at the woman. They were both adults, they could talk things through like normal people, even if neither of them was normal enough.
“Why didn’t you answer my attempts at contacting you?” she asked after what felt like a few minutes, loud enough to be heard only if the other person was paying attention. And Yelena looked up at her now, focusing on her expressions as if she could give her an answer with them.
She analyzed her, and she looked confused for a reason unknown to her.
“Contacting? When?” she baffled. “The only times we saw each other you would turn the other way.” Kate this time was offended, because how dare she.
“I tried calling you first. I know you use burner phones so I knew that was not going to be a possibility,” she numbered, pulling a finger up. “I tried to get close to you publicly whenever you guys had something of the ‘New Avengers’ going on, you’d never be there or you would just ignore whatever I would do.” Second finger, now Yelena looked even more confused, her expression more open to Kate. “I tried going to the tower, and tried any other type of public contact that was close to you but every attempt ended in no response. There was nothing ever.” And she was angry, because she had spent a long time in research trying to find a way to contact someone that used to be a contract killer and was now an Avenger. She had been virtually impossible to find and even worse physically, because Yelena wouldn’t care about someone that was walking beside her if it was not a target or someone she should distrust.
She looked at her, expecting an answer to already be out but there was nothing.
“Anything to say?” she asked, and they were suddenly distracted by the waitress, who came into view with their drinks and a few more things Yelena had ordered for herself. It was a nice way to calm things down, Kate had realized just how intense she had been with her words, but they were her true feelings on the matter.
The woman left, leaving them to their silence after receiving a thank you from their side.
“I didn’t know you were trying to get in contact with me,” she responded finally. And Kate was about to object but she continued. “After that Christmas I left and didn’t go back to work for a really long time, I did dispose of the phone I had, so you’re right, that wouldn’t have been a good way of communication.” She sighed, then reached out to wrap her hands around her mug. “The other parts I didn’t know about. The tower is closed off to anyone on the outside, the computer won’t tell us if there’s someone out if they are not trying to be intruders or if they are not in danger.”
She wasn’t looking directly at her, she was only paying attention to the cup, twisting her fingers around it and passing her finger over the ring of it.
“And any other type of contact is closely tied to Valentina, my old contractor. She won’t tell us anything that is not related to work or the New Avengers.” She explained, and Kate shifted back on her chair, considering the words. “And whenever we go in public we weren’t allowed to act up in any way, we got out of that one though because we couldn’t just be the perfect people she wanted, but still we followed her orders for a long time at first.”
As she finished she looked up, finding Kate’s eyes already focused on her, a small frown on her face.
“I’m sorry for accidentally ignoring you, I would never have wanted that, it was the contrary.” She shrugged.
“The contrary?” Kate asked her.
“Yes.” Yelena nodded slightly. “I know there’s more ways to contact you through mails and phone, but I didn’t have anything to say to reach for you. I know it’s not an excuse to not do anything but still, I have many things to say but not the best idea of how to do it. If i’ve known you were looking for me I would have tried to get in touch” Yelena was socially awkward, and Kate could see that and totally understand her point of view, she hadn’t been raised to be a social butterfly and was only trained to be an insensitive person, something she was not in reality. “And by the time I tried getting closer to talk to you after missions you were already pulling yourself away and not even wanting to report anything to each other about missions or damages.”
Kate could have tried, honestly, but she had been tired of being ignored and not reached out for either.
“I’m sorry for not reaching out,” Yelena finished, and Kate shook her head. Because this woman didn’t have to ask forgiveness for something Kate herself had also caused.
“You don’t have to be sorry. I should have listened when you would get close after missions. Even if I was not really in the mood it could’ve been important.”
She wanted to slap herself for being so immature, she was more than a woman with a broken heart, because now she was sure that was the thing. It had felt like a rejection of her affection when Yelena didn’t look after her the same way she did. She had wanted Yelena’s attention since the moment she accidentally voiced her thought and invited her to go for a drink instead of killing Clint. It was definitely a nervous reaction at the woman’s attitude and charm even when fighting her, but of course she wouldn’t have admitted that back then.
Now there was that same woman with a defeated expression on her face sitting across from her, sipping her drink slowly and expecting something else from her to be said.
“I’m not mad about it, and it’s better now that you explained it to me.” She didn’t want to make the situation uncomfortable, and what she said was the truth. She had been blinded by her own thoughts and wrong assumptions, it had been her fault for the most part.
“Still I stand with my apologies, I will be talking to Valentina soon.” The last part was almost like a threat, she didn’t know the woman besides her public figure, but she knew Yelena was going to go after her when she got the chance.
A silence settled down for a moment again, this time it was a comfortable one. They both enjoyed their own drinks and pastries for a moment before Kate got curious again.
“What did they send you?” she asked mid bite. Yelena frowned and twisted her head in an adorable way to show her confusion, and Kate had to stop herself from initiating something she didn’t know if the other woman wanted. “My team, they sent you something right?” Yelena let out a small ah before looking sheepishly at the table. Kate could swear there was some blush there.
“I came back to my room one day and there was this letter there, signed by you, inviting me here.” The phrase sounded like she wanted to continue, but she stopped, looking at Kate. The archer raised her eyebrows in an encouraging gesture for her to continue. “It had the time and everything written down and said you wanted to talk and just pass some time.”
There was something else, and the only reason Kate could know that was because of the way Yelena would look the other way when she explained to her what the letter said.
“Anything else?” she pressed, gaining a puff from Yelena that made her chuckle. The blonde woman drifted her gaze around and then to her, stirring her drink a little.
“It was stated as a date of sorts,” she mumbled out, and for a moment she understood how people would see her when she would not stop talking and just start to mumble words out, and Yelena looked beautiful to her in her nervousness over this specific topic.
It also surprised her how bold her teammates were, because she had never been vocal about anything with Yelena besides her rants about how she had ignored her even with all the ways she had tried to get in touch. They had assumed right, of course, and she would have to give them credit for that.
“And you wanted it to be a date?” Kate asked, being bold herself, a question she instantly regretted after it came out of her mouth because it just sounded so silly in the open. But Yelena didn’t mention anything and just nodded slightly.
“I was hoping it was.” And Kate was, for the lack of words, shocked. Utterly shocked, because this beautiful woman that had used her as a rag doll for the better part of the time they’d spent together wanted to have a date with her and she had been so oblivious to the fact that she didn’t even think of that possibility before, not even her wildest fantasy could have led her to this specific moment.
She didn’t answer for a moment almost too long, but ended up speaking.
“Then we are definitely getting a date.” Her voice was a tone too high, excitement bubbling inside of her because Yelena Belova wanted a date with her, and that was the most thrilling thing that had happened to her in a long time. “I would totally want to get out of here and take you to somewhere nicer, but we totally can change the date and do it tomorrow because now it’s already too late.”
She started talking, a nonstop of words that the blonde was very attentively catching, a smile on her face and small nods as she went on.
“But if you’re too busy tomorrow then we can arrange something for another time, I’m totally in for whenever you are.” All in one breath. She was about to continue when the hand of Yelena slipped to grab hers and with no effort she entangled their fingers on top of the table.
“I would totally like for a date tomorrow, but we can finish this one first, the coffee is really nice.” She reassured, and Kate could only smile and nod.
“Right? Kamala told me about it today when telling me to come here.” Yelena perked up at that, and then she looked curiously at Kate.
“And how was it that you were tricked into coming here?” she asked, voice low and deep as she now knew Yelena could have.
She touched her neck for a moment in a nervous reaction. “Well, it’s a long story you see,” she said, and Yelena hummed, leaning back into her chair, a relaxed expression and a hint of excitement in her eyes.
“Well, we got time.” Kate groaned then, taking a laugh from Yelena at her reaction, and Kate swore she could hear it for the rest of her life and not get tired of it.
They left the shop almost an hour later, having spent the rest of their time talking things through and saying a few dozen apologies down the line. They shared some stories too, more coming from Yelena’s side now that she had been living for a while with the New Avengers, and they were much more trouble than they seemed to be.
They walked down the alley of shops, not really paying much attention to the other customers still going in and out of stores that didn’t seem to close yet, and neither paying any mind to the strange things that were being sold in them.
They walked out eventually, stepping into the dark stairs and going up into the cold night.
Kate didn’t want the night to end.
“I can take you back if you want,” Yelena offered, pointing to a car stationed close by. Kate nodded, delighted that they could spend a little more time together.
And the car ride was uneventful. The conversation had lulled down, Kate got comfortable in her seat, looking out the window as they passed the tall buildings and enjoying the night trip.
They commented on things that they saw around, mostly Kate, who could point things out and check on things properly while being the copilot.
She gave directions toward her penthouse as if Yelena didn’t know exactly where she needed to go, but she gave them anyway just to be sure she had the right direction and didn’t drive her back to her old apartment.
Once the car came to a stop, Kate wished she had more time to linger around Yelena, but the blonde had gone out of the car and quickly walked to the other side to open the door for her with a charming smile and an extended hand that Kate took without hesitation.
“Thank you so much, Miss Belova,” she said playfully, gaining a smirk from the other woman.
“Oh, you’re very much welcome, Miss Bishop.” They both walked toward the entrance of the building, the reception now quiet, very few people walking around in the street.
“So…” Kate dragged the o for a second extra. “Are we having that date tomorrow?” she asked, nervously looking at the woman in front of her, who instantly nodded.
“Of course we will.”
“Then I’ll send you…” she cut herself off. “Um.” She didn’t have her number, she didn’t have a way to contact her yet. That was the whole reason she had to be tricked in the first place.
Yelena quickly extended her hand and asked for her phone. “I do have a secure and stable line now that I’m an Avenger, and my teammates decided that I need to stay in contact and all that,” she dismissed with a wave of her hand.
Kate took the phone back when it was offered and stayed where she was. The low lights of the reception were making Yelena look even more endearing. She didn’t move and neither did Yelena, a shift in her stance being the only thing visible, and Kate couldn’t help but fidget with the hand she had in her jacket.
It felt like a few minutes had passed before Kate tried to talk again, trying to push away the fleeting idea of kissing Yelena that had popped into her head.
She had her mouth barely open the moment Yelena’s hands grabbed her shirt and pushed her closer.
She gave her a light kiss on the corner of her lips, a quick almost peck that left Kate shocked in place and unable to continue with the train of thought running through her head.
“I don’t think it would be nice to not ask,” Yelena started, her voice low, making Kate tremble in place and almost reach for her before she was given the time to keep talking. “Can I kiss you?” Yelena asked, looking at her lips while being so close, and the only thing Kate could do was nod before feeling the soft lips against hers.
She couldn’t believe what was currently happening, but it had definitely not been a bad thing at all.
The kiss was slow and soft. Kate found a way to get Yelena even closer by grabbing her waist, and the Widow’s hands found their way around her neck, bringing her down and closer to her.
It was the best kiss Kate had ever had.
But it ended sooner than she hoped. She didn’t let go of Yelena and neither did she. She was sure there was a bright blush on her cheeks judging by the burning sensation on them, and she couldn’t believe seeing Yelena was matching.
“Would you like to come up?” Kate asked, dumbfounded by the kiss and totally wanting to kiss Yelena some more.
“That’s a very indecent proposition for a first date, Kate Bishop.” Kate was sure she could combust in place by the slight mention of what Yelena had thought.
She was not exactly opposed, of course, but it hadn’t been her first thought.
“No, no!” she pulled back a little. “I meant like if you would like to come up to watch a movie or something, maybe we can eat some ice cream. I’m pretty sure I still have some.” She started rambling, stopping only when she heard Yelena giggle, the cutest sound she had ever heard, and she had to stop herself from saying that out loud.
“I think a movie and some ice cream would be nice,” was Yelena’s answer, and the only thing Kate could think was fuck brunch tomorrow once she hit the elevator button while holding Yelena close by the waist.
She hadn’t expected the night to go in that direction, but she was more than happy to have Yelena again in her life in a way she was not prepared for. It was not at all unwelcome nor unwanted, on the contrary. She was more than happy to have someone in her life to form a relationship with, and she was expecting their date the next day to go in the best way possible. She was already planning for many more after that one.
She wouldn’t tell her team that what they did was the correct thing and that she was glad for their help, because that would push them to do these kinds of things on more occasions. And she would also not give them an explanation about what happened that night or about what had her looking so happy the next day when she arrived very late to brunch.
At least, not for a while. Maybe after they had gone through all the extra exercise she had given them as punishment for tricking her into their plan. But she also gave them small gifts during the same week as a way of saying thank you for their help without vocalizing it, and they would also get a few extra gifts coming from an unknown sender, all of them only signed with “thank you :)”.