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No. Don’t do it.
Don’t look.
She inhaled sharply at her own voice in her head. At how stupid it sounds. Almost scolding. Like when she would leave her shoes caked with dirt by the door and Natasha would get mad and scold her.
That voice.
She looked up.
Wait. No.
Stop it!
She squeezed her eyes shut.
But she already saw it.
There’s a lot of them behind the unhelpful barricade. There’s a small group actually. Four women in particular had the Golden Guardian of Good surrounded by all sides.
She scoffed. “Хуй. Why do they always come in four?”
“Yelena, there you are!” Ava’s voice cuts through like a sharpened knife and Yelena jumps. “Bucky’s been looking for you. Idiot one and Idiot two are mixing up the details from last night’s report and—hey, you good?”
Black Widow is never one to violently flinch from Ghost’s unceremonious wall phasing. As a matter of fact, her rigorous training as an assassin has forced her body to react less and expect more in lapsing moments like this. A bullet to your head while you sleep. A hidden weapon under clothes. A secret motive from so-called allies…
So, Yelena getting visibly startled felt like the early days. When everyone was still trying to find their bearings living together.
“Yeah. I’m good.” She quickly recovered herself, looking at Ava now. Staring at Ava. Focusing on Ava. She’s being a functioning adult talking to her friend and colleague and not getting distracted.
Then the tinkering sound of girlish giggling reached her ears and something must have showed on her face before she could stop herself. Because that’s all it took. It was only a second.
One second.
And Ava was already grinning before she chanced a quick glance behind her shoulder. Years of Red Room training going out the window just like that.
“Oh. I see the problem.” Ava had the stupid audacity to hum at her!
Yelena rubbed a hand across her eyes.
“Don’t.”
“I’m not saying anything.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“It’s all over your face.”
“My face?” And also the audacity to play dumb.
“Yes! You do that thing with your face where it gets really really punchable.”
Ava raised a brow. “As opposed to what? Decently punchable?”
“Ava.”
“Yelena.”
Then came a pause before Ava started again.
“You’re pouting.”
“I’m not pouting. I do not pout.”
“You’re doing it right now, Belova.”
There’s really no point in trying to explain herself to Ava. She’s already giving her that look that didn’t just suggest, but stated how Yelena is so full of shit. Ava crossed her arms and leaned on her right leg.
“So you happen to just subtly hover around Bob’s vicinity and his legion of fangirls?”
They both know the answer to that. Yelena’s conference with the media ended two hours ago, she had no reason to stay behind. But Val had convinced Bob to interact with fans as the shiny new member of the team. Which is just code for dangling Bob like fresh bait over shark infested waters.
The shark infested waters happen to be obnoxious women with signs professing their undying love for him, hollering and squealing with no regard for their collective volume.
Yelena crossed her arms back.
“Shut up.”
Ava’s grin only deepened further.
She hates this. She hates this so much. Why couldn’t Bob just be their resident roommate who always welcomes them home warmly in his soft sweaters and reading his nerdy fantasy books and drinking his chamomile tea? Why share him with the rest of the world? Why couldn’t he stay just hers?
“Hmm… So you don’t want me telling you that a cute brunette is feeling up his arm right now?”
It felt like a bucket of ice cold water poured over her head.
“What?” Yelena snapped her head forward and saw. “Сука.”
Ava wasn’t fucking with her, much to her dismay.
“I gotta say, he’s managing pretty well.”
Ava was being generous. Well, if they knew anything about Bob, huge crowds terrify the shit out of him, especially when he is the center of attention. Although right now, as Sentry, he’s playing it off well enough. Yelena can see Bob is being polite and friendly, the smile not quite reaching his eyes. She can see the tense set of his shoulders and still, that stupid and pathetic womanly part of her panics and it won’t turn off!
“Are you just going to stay back and let all of that happen?”
Yelena doesn’t like what Ava is suggesting.
“And do what?” She scoffed, looking back at Bob still keeping his respectful distance, guarded in a way he usually is around strangers. And all of that still with that endearing smile on his handsome face. “Like you said, he’s managing pretty well.”
“Even you don’t believe that. He’s probably considering just bursting through the ceiling to escape.”
“I know what you’re trying to do, Ava Starr.” She deadpans.
“I’m not trying anything.” Ava replied with a far too innocent expression on her face.
“Sure.”
Yelena has noticed the woman’s twisted sense of entertainment. She had just instigated an argument between Walker and Bucky last night over the last spicy beef flavor of ramen they had left in their pantry. Her reason? Nothing. Ava just thought it’d be funny.
(It was. But Yelena is not going to admit it out loud.)
“Come on, Belova. Go stake your claim on your man! Give your chronically ill friend with an unstable molecular equilibrium something. Drama’s all I have.” Ava continued with a flourish.
Yelena snorted. “You’re being emotionally manipulative.”
“Maybe. But I could tell it’s working.”
Ava really knew how to use her instability as a weapon in almost every argument.
Even this one.
She closed her eyes. A quiet breath escaping through her nose. “Weren’t you telling me about some details Bucky needed?”
“Yes. But Barnes can wait and someone else can't.” Ava dropped the little subtlety she had left and gestured at the sight Yelena has been painstakingly trying to ignore.
She snaps her gaze back to Bob and see the same woman just right on time, running a perfectly manicured hand up his broad chest. Black Widow is admittedly not proud of how quickly she squared her shoulders, her hands balling into tight fists.
Her nostrils flared watching Bob take a step back immediately, but her blood already started boiling and nothing could stop her from finally moving. Not years of self-restraint whether by training or experience. Not Ava’s encouraging hollering and clapping. Not even her heart beating like a drum, on adrenaline overdrive. Often a telltale sign beginning her missions.
Yelena adds an extra swing to her hips as she approaches.
The people passing by parted for her, as if they knew what was coming. Media personnel, their staff working at the lower levels, some guards. Some stole glances, a few muttered apologies for almost bumping into her, and she lets their attention bolster her like a suit of armor as she reaches where Sentry is standing, his back to her.
“There you are,” She raised her voice slightly, attracting almost everyone’s attention. Including the foursome who circled him, but especially the tall brunette bold enough to touch what she shouldn’t. But Yelena only has her eyes on Bob.
And much to her delight, he looks extremely relieved to see her.
“Lena…” He said her name with such softness that’s very typical to him. She tries not to preen at the way he tilted to face her. His attention drew. “You’re still here.”
“Hm. I am. I wanted to make sure you’re not bailing on movie night just because it’s my turn to choose.”
He almost looked offended at her words.
“What? No, of course not! I’m not bailing. I’m actually pretty excited because you always choose something I haven’t seen before.”
She bit her lip at his accidental display of passion over his perfect attendance. And none of the ladies know about it. They don’t know him like she does. They don’t know that he hogs all the popcorn. That he likes mid budget slasher films. That he drinks chamomile tea. These facts were enough to slightly ease her murderous thoughts.
She snickered. “You fell asleep last time.”
He blushed. “Only because you kept playing with my hair.”
Just because she can and they can’t, Yelena reaches forward. He even tucks his head low so she could run her fingers across his brown locks curling rebelliously on his nape. She’ll tell him later not to cut them too short again.
“It’s so soft. I can’t help it. It’s softer than Cucumber’s fur.”
“Noted. I’ll keep using the shampoo Ava gave me.” He had his eyes closed too, clearly enjoying her touch, if the genuine smile that spreads over his face isn’t indication enough.
Yelena giggles, the area behind her ribs turning warm.
“Sentry?” Another voice cuts in and she pulls away softly, wrapping her hand around his bicep instead. Sure, Yelena just wants to touch Bob but there’s some pleasure in the way that the brunette’s eyes widened.
“Oh, my bad. Who are your new friends?” Yelena asks, looking up at Bob with a smile she knows he has now see through. Though it grows more sincere when she notices him going blank, unable to recall a single name.
“Uh…”
“I’m Christine.” The brunette and clearly leader of the pack started. Хуй.
“Emma.”
“Sandra.”
“And Chloe.”
“Right. Nice to meet you,” Yelena managed a clipped smile at everyone before turning to Christine. “Ещё раз прикоснёшься к нему, и я сломаю тебе запястья.”
“Uh, excuse me?” Christine looked at her offensively.
But Yelena’s smile doesn’t waver.
“Nothing. I was just complimenting your dress. Хуй.” She tells her while she feels the way Bob sneaks his hand down to pinch softly at her waist, biting back his own grin.
“Sorry to cut this short. Not only movie night is in jeopardy but our boss is looking for him. You don’t want to get Sentry in trouble, do you?” Yelena babbled, not even entirely sure what she’s talking about because they don’t have a boss. They are the boss. It’s all bullshit. Yet, Bob still smiles down at her, eyes sparkling with amusement that melts away the rest of the tension she’s been nursing behind the pillar.
“Yeah. We gotta go. We don’t want to get our boss angry.” He winks softly in her direction before nudging her gently with a hand on the small of her back.
“Oh. We’ll see you later then, Sentry?” Christine asks, still hopeful.
Yelena hides her smirk when Bob looks back over his shoulder in surprise, obviously having forgotten that those women even existed.
“Yeah, maybe. Have a good night,” He tells them before tugging Yelena away and she lets him.
Bob leads her across the open space of the atrium, who has surprisingly gotten quiet. Yelena deliberately ignores Ava grinning wickedly and telling her that she’ll take care of the report Bucky needed. They rounded a corner and into the hall that led to the main elevator of their upper floors. His hand did not leave her lower back until they entered the elevator and the doors closed on them.
The car makes it to two floors before Bob suddenly pressed the emergency button to stop them from ascending, twisting around to take her in.
Yelena’s brow furrowed. “Bob, what are you…”
Her voice trailed off softly once she looked up at his darkening eyes and most immediately, he’s crowding her against the wall beside the doors, one hand cupping to cradle her jaw and the other holding her steady by her hips.
“Shh, Lena. Just…”
Bob leans over and slams his mouth against hers, lips devouring her in seconds. Messy, hot and consuming Yelena all at once, it didn’t matter that this is happening in the elevator where anyone from their team could press a button to make them move again. Her arms still wrapped around his neck and her fingers bury themselves in his hair to tug and pull.
“Bob…” She audibly gasps as they pull away, yet keeps her incredibly close. The tentative fingers on her jaw almost curling around the back of her neck. She moans lowly when he squeezes ever so gently, pressing her tight against him. His lips descend on the other side of her neck, kissing and licking and sucking until he trails back up to her ear, breathing in deeply.
“Fuck. You were so hot back there getting all possessive on me.” He hissed and Yelena is aware that her face must be scarlet red, hands finding his shoulders to keep herself grounded.
“I wasn’t trying to—“ She tries to deny but then yelps when he playfully bites the shell of her ear.
“No need to deny and pretend, Lena. Not with me.” He whispers in her ear before licking a hot stripe down the length of her throat and she groans, going weak in his arms and trusting that he’ll keep holding her up.
“Well. Christine shouldn’t be touching what’s mine.” She counters, raising her chin bravely for as much as she feels his grin against her skin.
“What’s yours?” Bob questions, a smugness to him that Yelena can only find attractive on him and disgusting on anyone else, kissing the corner of her mouth before he sets her back on her feet.
“You have a problem with that?” Yelena raised a brow at him, almost challenging him to deny her claim.
Like he would.
She knows he won’t.
“Not at all. I’m all yours, Lena.” Another kiss. “Always.”