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"Okay, Kate, look, this is your chance to make connections with some very important people", Clint tells her on the phone. Kate is only half-listening because trying to navigate New York and its subway madness is draining, and her mentor has literally not shut up about this fundraiser since it was arranged four weeks ago.
"Clint, listen, I will be on my best behaviour", Kate tells him distractedly. She can hear him sigh at the other end.
"I know you will. I'm just trying to help you get over your own doubts and nerves," he tells her.
He sounds more like a father every day. Kate has to swallow. Her dad would be proud, she knows it. She also knows that he would be delighted that the Hawkeye himself has taken a liking to her and is now her mentor. Kate just wishes he could have seen it for himself.
"Kate!" comes Clint's words through the phone. Kate shakes her head quickly, ridding herself of the sad thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Clint. Must have spaced out... What were you saying?" She tries to sound as apologetic as she can. The long sigh on the other end tells her Clint's not buying it.
"Okay, kid, listen." He begins. Kate's brow furrows. He sounds guilty, like he did something wrong.
"What is it, old man?" Kate tries to lighten the mood.
It works only momentarily.
"At this party that you'll be going to this evening. There will be more people than I thought. Like.. A lot more." He says. Sounding almost sheepish.
"What does that mean, Clint?" She asks through her furrowed expression. The party should have been something low-key to help Kate establish some connections and introduce her to some important people before Fury gets the chance to announce the new Avengers generation.
"Natasha will be there. As well as some others." He rushes out.
Kate stops in her tracks.
"What?" she asks in disbelief.
"Yeah, she told me this morning. She wants to go with Maria and Yelena. After everything that went down with Wanda, she is keen to go out and change some people's minds about what happened with her." Kate gulps nervously.
She knew this moment would come. Obviously, she knew that she would have to meet one of her idols sometime. It's natural. She is a good friend of Clint's, a literal Black Widow...
Okay, keep your cool, Bishop.
What she didn't think was that she would be meeting her at a fundraiser event thrown by Bishop Security to raise money for kids in orphanages.
"Kate? Are you still breathing?" comes Clint's concerned voice through the phone.
"I... I'm here. It's okay." She rushes out. She tries to take a calming breath. She got this. She'll be as cool as a cucumber.
Or maybe not...
Yeah, definitely not.
"Kate breath. You need to take a deep breath for me." It sounds like Clint is a millisecond away from calling professional help. Kate chuckles at the thought. Young Avenger prospect dies of a heart attack after discovering she is about to meet her idol.
Not a very cool way to die.
"It's okay, Clint. I'm calm," is what she says to put her mentor at ease.
"Doubtful, but at least you can talk," He mumbles.
"Talk to me, Kate."
Kate takes a deep breath.
"Well- At least you and Laura will be in attendance to make sure I'm not fainting when I see them." Kate is reassuring herself more than her mentor.
But it works, so...
"Yeah. Laura and I will pick you up at 7, so be ready before that. I'm assuming Elenor will be in attendance, too?"
Kate winces. Her mother, right.
"Yeah, it's her company. She wouldn't miss this for anything." She says. And both Clint and Kate know not to address the underlying hurt in her voice.
Bishop Security always comes first.
"Will you be bringing Coop and Lila?" Kate asks distractingly.
Clint takes the question as it is, a deflection.
"No, they are still a bit too young, and Nate really needs his older siblings with him. I mean, he is only 6, but staying at Grandma's is always a bit of a challenge for him. It helps when Cooper and Lila are there with him." Kate nods absentmindedly. Sounds about right.
"Okay. Then I'll see you soon. Say hi to the kids for me," Kate says. Anticipating the quick goodbye from Clint and hangs up before he gets the chance to ask her more about her feelings for tonight.
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Taking the subway back to her apartment is a nice way to get some thinking done. And after she emerges from the underground, Kate has convinced herself that she will be cool and collected.
A total professional.
Her mother wouldn't take anything else.
Getting ready for the fundraiser involves many kisses for Lucky and many outfits on her bed. It truly looks like a bomb exploded in her closet. Looking at the time, Kate decides to just go with her black suit. It's classic, chic and conveys exactly what she wants. Confidence.
Clint and Laura are at her door at 6:55 because, as the old man likes to remind her, being on time means you're there five minutes early. Kate's pretty sure it's a European thing to be five minutes early, but alas, who is she to criticise the Hawkeye?
"You look really pretty and grown up," Laura tells her. A warm smile on her face as she cups both of Kate's cheeks before taking her in an even warmer hug. Kate instantly melts into the older woman.
"It's good to see you, too," she whispers into her shoulder. Laura squeezes her a bit harder in response before letting go.
Clint just nods at her.
"Hawkeye," he says. The fondness in his voice still catches Kate off guard.
"Hawkeye," she nods back. He rolls his eyes, but the little pleased smile is undoubtedly there.
"Let's get going before we're late," he turns and tries to leave.
But Lucky has a different idea. He clambers up and races to the front door to block Clint from leaving.
Clint just tilts his head fondly.
"Come on, buddy. This is important for your mama. Let us go," he says as he steps forward and strokes him behind his ears.
Lucky's eye locks with Kate, and she almost caves and stays home with him. But Clint is right. So she whistles for him and gives him his bone.
Leaving and getting to the party took a bit longer than anticipated, but they still arrive on time.
To Kate's horror, there is a red carpet.
She dreads even exiting the vehicle.
Being the daughter of Elenor Bishop and an upcoming Avenger at the same time has its negatives.
Press is one of those.
But Laura smiles at her and squeezes her hand, and it's really not that big of a deal.
The three of them pose for pictures together. Like a real family would at these events.
Her real mother is inside. And Kate thinks this is still the closest she has felt to family in a long time.
And wow- that's certainly a thought...
So she smiles and poses for some individual pictures before she follows the Bartons inside.
Inside is a ballroom decorated with blue-and-white flowers and white tablecloths.
The tables are full of high-profile people, and Kate just really wants to stick with the Bartons, but unfortunately, she is a Bishop, not a Barton.
So mingling and small talk it is.
---------------------------
Old white men are boring as hell. Like, really boring.
So boring in fact, that her eyes constantly wander around the room.
She spots a redhead, and her breath catches in her throat.
"Are you okay, Miss Bishop?" Asks the man she was just talking to. He lays his hand on her forearm. And ew. Her eyes snap to his as she takes a step back.
"I'm sorry, Sir, but I have to go; I think my mother demands my attention." She is lying, but the old man just nods and thankfully lets her go without asking any follow-up questions.
Kate heads to the bar instead of in the direction she knows Clint will be. She needs all the courage she can get before facing the Black Widow. Ordering a whisky may not be the smartest idea for later, but it is definitely the smartest idea for now.
Kate receives the drink and tips the bartender well, hoping she gets to nurse it in peace before the ultimate shit-show starts when she introduces herself to Natasha.
A throat clears beside her, and Kate has to actively stop the eyeroll that wants to escape her.
Great. More old men to talk to.
As she turns, her eyes widen momentarily.
Definitely not an old man.
Her mother engulfs her in a hug that feels far less warm and safe than the one she shared with Laura.
"Hi, Mom," Kate breathes out. Her mother lets go of her and steps back, creating a professional distance between them.
"Hi, sweetheart. I thought I saw you talking to Arnold over there. He looked a bit upset after you left. Everything okay?" She asks. And Kate would find it really sweet if the twitch in her mother's eye didn't indicate that she is not asking if Kate is okay, but rather if she offended the old man.
Kate has to stifle the sigh that wants to escape her, again.
On track for a new record of eye rolls.
"Everything is fine, Mom. I just excused myself because I needed to speak to Clint", she is lying, again. But well...
Her mother stiffens beside her.
Great.
"Look, Mom. I need to go and talk to some important people from Shield, or whatever they are called now. If you need anything, please just text or come and see me. I'm happy to help," she says and leans forward to give her mom a quick kiss on the cheek. Her mom squeezes her forearm and lets her go without speaking again.
Drowning her whiskey in a quick motion, Kate escapes that talk and heads to the Bartons.
Laura's eyes find hers first, and she smiles, encouraging her to come over. So Kate takes a deep breath and stands next to her mentor and his wife.
Eyes immediately snap to her.
Okay. Time to shine and not mess this up.
But Kate takes a second too long to introduce herself, and Clint steps in while clearing his throat beside her.
"Tasha, Maria, Yelena, this is Kate Bishop," he says smoothly as he gestures to Kate.
That snaps Kate out of her head, and she chuckles nervously as her eyes raise to meet Natasha's.
Wow- the green is even more striking than it is on Tv.
"Hi, I'm Kate," she says again as she steps forward to offer her hand.
Natasha's grip is somehow even firmer than she expected, but at least Kate has a good handgrip herself.
"Natasha. I've heard great things, kid. I'm excited to see if you hold up to them," she says and lets go of Kate's hand.
Kate nods.
"Can't wait to show you," She answers. And then her eyes flicker to Natasha's companions. Maria Hill is intimidating, that's for sure. But the blonde standing beside Natasha is flat out frightening. Not because she is big or has any noticeable other threatening characteristics.
But because she is the most beautiful woman Kate has ever seen.
Clint gives her a subtle shove.
Right, introductions.
Kate addresses Maria first, simply because she has to delay meeting the blonde's eyes for as long as possible.
"Hi, I'm Kate Bishop. It's really nice to meet you, too," she rushes out as she grabs the offered hand. Maria's grip is even stronger than Natasha's, but it's fine.
"Maria," the dark-haired woman answers. Kate nods.
And that's it, Kate thinks. Only the blonde girl is left.
So Kate turns to face the blonde girl head-on, and her breath catches in her throat.
Jesus Christ, these eyes will be the death of her.
Kate tries to swallow the lump in her throat, to no avail. It catches even more, and she is unable to make a sound as she stretches her hand out to grip the blonde's.
"Kate Bishop, I have heard many things," says the blonde, her voice heavily accented. Russian, maybe.
All Kate can do is stand still and hang on to the hand that she has grasped, as she nods.
"Its.. Its nice to meet you too..." She struggles to end the sentence; the blonde did not introduce herself.
The hand slips out of her grasp, and she takes a step back.
"My name is Yelena, I'm Natasha's sister," she answers to fill the silence.
Yelena. Hot. What a pretty name.
She hears Clint cough, sees the smirk on Natasha's face and the stifled laughter in Laura's pose-
No. She did not.
"Thank you, Kate Bishop. I happen to like my name also," Yelena answers.
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Kate flushes a deep red and tries to turn to run away, but Laura grabs her wrist and doesn't let her. The older woman leans into her space and mumbles:
"Just stand your ground, Kate."
"Okay, everyone, drinks?" Clint asks as he makes a beeline for the bar. Natasha and Maria follow, while Kate, Laura and Yelena stay behind.
"I'm going to the bathroom," announces Laura all of a sudden.
Kate's head snaps in her direction. Her gaze bleading as she tries to convince Laura not to let her behind. She sees a twinkle in Laura's eye and knows her efforts will be fruitless.
Kate watches Laura leave, mentally preparing herself to face the Russian once again.
Kate gets the feeling no amount of preparation will ever be enough to face Yelena head-on.
And then the Russian has the audacity to smirk and lift an eyebrow at her.
Shit.
"Okay... Seems like it's only the two of us now," Kate announces. Yelena's smirk only widens.
"Yes, Kate Bishop. It seems like it. I think the two of us will have some good fun.“