Chapter Text
The tail end of morning sunlight poured through the glass windows on the opposite wall of the kitchen, brightening and warming up the approaching afternoon effortlessly. It caught in clusters throughout the open space, against Yelena’s blanket folded neatly on the arm of a loveseat, at the twin rings of coffee stains over the breakfast counter that were hurriedly left behind by Alexei and Walker, Bucky’s succulent plants, Ava’s hair clip—things and random clutter that transformed the Watchtower into a home.
Bob wiped the counter clean. He didn’t mind.
They were busy making the world a better place one mission at a time. The least he could do is keep the place tidy and organized.
Right now, lunch.
He adjusted the volume of his audiobook as he chopped up some potatoes and carrots.
Silver blood spilled from a wound in the great king’s side, and it pressed its slashed palm to the spot, staggered back. As it faded back I stood, using my left hand to steady myself against the cracked altar, sword held out before me with my ruined right. The Elusha glared at me, eyes wide. With fear? With fury?
“How?” it asked.
I was quiet.
“Holy shit, right. How? What the fuck, let’s go!” Bob couldn’t help reacting out loud. “Ava’s gonna freak out.” He chuckled.
They were both reading the Sun Eater series, but considering that he is home more often, he is ahead of Ava by a whole book. He just reached the part where Hadrian has escaped his prophesied death by a hair strand! How can he not freak out?!
As we stood facing one another, I heard a distant cry boil from the plain at the foot of the stairs. “Halfmortal!” that fragile human voice rang out. “Halfmortal!”
“Halfmortal! Halfmortal! Half—ah!”
Bob turns around and cuts off his own chanting with a startled yelp. He wrenched the headphones off his ears as he clutched a hand over his hammering chest.
“Relax, man. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” A woman he had never seen before was sitting opposite the counter, arms up as if in surrender.
He blinked at her.
So he wasn’t imagining things.
Bob waited to regain control of his breathing. People were rarely successful in sneaking up on him. Ava tried several times until she eventually gave up because he gave no reaction. Maybe it was because of his heightened senses, that invincible part of him would subconsciously know the difference between safety and danger. Or maybe being at the Watchtower gave him no reason to look over his shoulder anymore, cautious of every noise and movement.
But he didn’t account for an unexpected guest when he’s supposed to be alone. Even though now that his heart beat slowed back to normal, he could hear another pulse. Her pulse. Strong and steady.
How could he imagine a whole person he has never met anyway?
Bob almost scoffed at himself before looking at the lady in front of him. She had green eyes and dark auburn hair tied in a neat ponytail. Older, he guessed, but not by a lot. Yes, he’s never met her but something about her seemed familiar, like he has seen her before.
“Where is everybody? I’m sure I didn’t come to the wrong place.” She looked around with something calculated, brow furrowed softly.
“Um. Depends who you’re looking for. Right now, it’s just me.”
“What’s your name?” She asks.
“Uh, I-I’m Bob.” He tries not to visibly cringe at how incredibly bad he still is at introducing himself, something Walker told him he has to work on.
“Bob, tell me.” She regards him coolly but not unkindly. “How’s Yelena been?”
At the mention of her name, his eyes widened slightly. “Yelena? She’s… She’s doing okay. What do you need from her?” His voice gained steel all of a sudden, reminding himself that she’s a stranger looking for Yelena specifically.
But she doesn’t waver. In fact, she settles more comfortably in her seat with a smile on her face, like she finds him amusing.
“I have business with her.”
His eyes narrowed. Several beats pass.
Her eyes. Her hair. The slightly poor attempt to pass as a civilian with her casual attire.
Then something—everything clicks.
“You’re Natasha,” He gaped at her. “You’re Yelena’s sister.”
“Yes. I am.”
“Oh my god.”
Bob is mortified. He did not just attempt to intimidate a Black Widow.
The Black Widow.
One of the original Avengers. She fought Loki and Thanos. Bob wouldn’t even dare bet his odds against her, godly powers thrumming through his veins or not. He refused to even entertain the thought.
Abruptly, Bob hastened with his cooking.
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry. Do you want—do you want something to drink? There’s coffee, some tea… Or water. Did you eat already? I’m making curry right now but if you don’t want that then I could—“
“Bob,” Natasha interrupts his babbling before he could embarrass himself any further. She smiles warmly at him. “You’re okay. I would love some curry. Thank you.”
It doesn’t really help that Natasha’s soft mention of his name sounded similar to Yelena’s.
His cheeks flushed.
Okay. Pull yourself together.
This is her sister.
“Right. I’m sorry,” He threw her an apologetic glance before pacing himself, no longer in unnecessary hurry. “Just a little nervous, I guess. Yelena spoke so much about you.”
“Yeah? Hope nothing embarrassing because I’ll definitely retaliate.” She grins wickedly.
Bob takes a mental note of it before shaking his head with a small laugh. “She looks up to you… Always said she’s very lucky to have you as her sister.”
Natasha’s teasing smile softens.
“I’m very proud of her.”
They let the moment settle, softening the edges between two people who shared common ground now. For a while, nothing heavy had to take place, and they both needed it.
Natasha tells him that she wants to get ahead of her sister while she’s not there, so he tells him a story involving a very competitive six year old Yelena beating the shit out of an opponent in the middle of their football match. Bob responds with something that happened not too long ago. Yelena’s bathroom sink was leaking for a week and she didn’t know how to fix it, so she never told anyone until Walker found out since his room is directly below hers. He still makes fun of her for it.
Bob continues cooking. While waiting for the curry to boil, he grabs a clean steel pot in the cabinet above the sink for the rice.
Natasha makes a small noise.
“God. She’s still obsessed with those?”
Bob looks up to where she’s pointing and he chuckles with affection. Yelena’s mac and cheese shelf assorted by flavors. Without even saying a word about it, she had claimed ownership of the area for her favorite snack.
“She gets mad if it’s not fully stocked,” He tells Natasha before closing the cabinet. “It’s kinda funny actually. She forgot she ate two boxes in one night and accused Walker that he stole from her. We had to retrieve security footage just to see what actually happened. She was so embarrassed. It was… Kinda cute.”
The lingering smile that the memory provided slowly dropped from his lips.
“What?”
Natasha stared at him.
“Do you like my sister?”
Something in the way that she asked made him freeze. It’s not mocking or anything cruel like that. But it was just so direct and intentional, there was no questioning what she truly meant. He knew. And she knew that he knew.
Nonplussed and tongue-tied, Bob also knew that lying isn’t an option. Especially to a Black Widow. Or a Black Widow about her sister.
He can’t do anything but stand there and surrender to the truth that he’s always known.
Only the truth.
With a pounding heart, he nodded.
“Yeah, I do,” He mumbled. He can’t look at her in the eyes as he says this. “I know it’s a problem. But I promise I’m working on it.”
“Why would that be a problem?”
“Because,” He can’t blame her for not knowing. They only just met after all, and yet, he couldn’t stop himself from continuing the rest of the truth. “She deserves better. S-someone more put together and just… Good for her. I can’t do that even if I try. Part of me will always… Drag her down.”
“Bob,” Her voice remains soft but also firm. “Whatever you said just now, doesn’t make a lot of logical sense.”
Okay. Not what he was expecting.
He blinked at her.
“What?”
“Half of the whole universe’s population got sliced in half and you’re still doubting if you’re enough for my sister. I don’t admire your set of priorities, Bob.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what I’m capable of. What I did.” He mumbled somberly, a little bit defensively.
Natasha keeps staring at him.
“Are you talking about Sentry or… The other guy?”
Bob inhaled sharply. He didn’t have to ask the question, the shock was written all over his face.
“Knowing things is part of my job description.” She answered.
“So you see how I can’t…”
I shouldn’t want her.
Bob’s eyes searched hers.
“Yes. But you’re also wrong.”
He stopped. She halted where his thoughts were already heading.
And she waits until he’s looking at her.
“If you keep punishing yourself for your worst mistakes then no one deserves anyone,” Natasha offered an imploring smile that achingly resembled that time in his shame room with Yelena. Where he couldn’t do anything but listen. “I’ve been down that road before and it doesn’t work like that. We’ll always be in danger, it’s just part of what we do… But you’re also allowed to choose her… Unless you have the hidden ability to split your body in half, then you can’t separate protecting from loving her. You just can’t.”
Something inside him collapsed.
“What if I hurt her again? What if I can’t pull back?”
“You won’t.”
“How can you be so sure, Natasha?” He asks her brokenly.
“Because Yelena would make sure you won’t.”
It’s a plain and simple answer. But coming from Natasha, something inside his chest loosened since they started talking. Bob doesn’t believe her just yet, but the gravity of her words doesn’t lose their meaning.
“Just tell her how you feel,” Natasha shrugged her shoulders.
“I-It’s not that simple.”
“Why not?”
“Because I—I don’t even know what to say or where to begin. I’ve never… I’ve never done this before!”
“Okay. Then just practice on me. Pretend I’m Yelena. Go for it.” She supplied like it’s something easy for him to do. Like setting the table or watering Bucky’s plants. She braced herself in a stance as if she couldn’t see how he turned three shades of red darker.
“I’m not doing that!”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“I-It’s embarrassing! You’re her sister. And we just met. I’m not gonna make a complete ass of myself by demonstrating how.”
At his flustered burst of indignation, Natasha’s mouth twitched.
“Oh my god.” He groaned into his hands. “Can’t believe this is happening.”
An actual laugh. Not a small chortle. Black Widow laughed even more.
“Alright, fine. Fine. You don’t have to,” She shakes her head, and once again, she stares. “But think about what I said.”
New York skyline overstretched outside in shades of approaching darkness, lavender and oranges softly vanishing like diluted watercolor. As evening approached, so did preparing dinner for five starving, exhausted and dirty superheroes on their way back home.
Natasha suggested that they should just order something to avoid the tedious work of making food. But Bob argued that their tomatoes were close to getting bad and he didn’t like wasting food.
In the span of a few hours, Bob learned quite a couple of things about Black Widow.
One of them is her outright aversion to cooking.
It’s interesting, really.
Her litany of Russian cussing over boiling pasta solidly reminds him that she’s still very much human beneath the luster of being a savior of mankind. Bob was just in the middle of chopping onions and tomatoes when the familiar hum of the Quinjet settling over the roof deck announced their arrival, which means Yelena is also arriving.
Almost immediately, Bob becomes intensely aware of the seconds stretching between now and when Yelena is by his side again. His own body, standing much straighter in anticipation, heart stuttering.
No matter how many times the team comes home from their mission, he knows he’ll never get used to it.
“Bob? Bob! Where are you?” Her voice, together with the soft pitter patter of her footsteps echoes through the floor like a small vibration.
This.
A smile slowly creeps along his lips.
“In here!”
Bob finished chopping the last tomato to throw over the pan. He didn’t hurry. He never hurried in the kitchen, moving in autopilot without second guessing adding more salt or pepper. Unlike Natasha, cooking became something of an anchor for his usually muddled brain to focus on following a set of instructions and arriving with a delicious result.
He was about to turn around to wash his hands.
Then the sound of her hurrying footsteps came first and suddenly, he’s got an armful of a short blonde in his arms.
He was going to welcome her home properly but the words died on his tongue as her own arms tightened around his waist, shoving her face on the center of his chest.
“Uh, Lena?”
“Shh. Don’t ruin it.”
“Oh, okay.”
There’s only a second of hesitation before Bob reciprocates, one hand squeezing between her shoulder blades and the other caressing the back of her head in comfort.
“Long day?”
Yelena grumbled something unintelligible.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
They kept close.
Bob isn’t new to Yelena’s demanding affections after a mission. It usually happens when said mission was particularly difficult or they’ve been gone for more than three days. In this case, it’s been both.
They’ve been gone for almost two weeks. Something about dangerous and illegal technology being developed in Cuba they had to infiltrate. He knows Yelena would fill him in with details later, but for now, he lets the immense relief wash over him in waves.
Yelena is back. Warm, safe and alive.
With him.
“Are you okay?”
He still asks just to make sure.
“I’m great now.” She answered as she looked up at him, a toothy grin on her pretty face.
His chest ached.
Natasha silently appeared from around the corner of the hall.
Bob feels his face burn hotly, embarrassed that he forgot the very present and important guest in front of them.
He swallowed, trying to pull away.
“Oh, right. Um, Lena…”
“What? Why are you moving so much?” Yelena whined, she wouldn’t let him, trying to keep him in place.
“There’s someone waiting for you.”
Natasha clears her throat.
With very little restraint, Yelena finally turned around.
He heard her breath hitch.
“Nat…”
Slowly, she lets go.
Uncertainty freezes her in place, unsure how to proceed at this moment. Yelena imagined reuniting with Natasha again countless times. Bob knew because she had told him. What her sister would probably wear, where they would see each other, what she would say…
She prepared for every moment.
Except reality.
“Yelena.”
So when Natasha says her name in a tone so broken, Yelena wasn’t prepared for the way she launched herself across the kitchen to embrace her sister tightly. Yelena keeps saying her name like an answered prayer while Natasha keeps reminding her that she’s here.
Bob averted his gaze and quietly gave the two sisters their moment.
Before he turns on his heel to the kitchen, he catches Natasha mouth a small thank you at him. He can only imagine what Yelena is feeling right now.
She must be so happy.
He smiled warmly.