IVANOV ~ yelena belova

𝟎𝟐𝟗

From the moment her battered trainers hit the concrete to her bitten nails and scratched hands that tapped the top of the car, she saw her exit the taxi. Yelena's chest tightened as her mind became foggy. There was a pleasant twist in her gut, an expected warmth as she gazed at Karina. She was in a state of shock, expecting her lover to vanish in a cloud of dust.

She was frozen, as if a single movement would cause the girl in front of her to vanish for years again - something she was too afraid of. Yelena married Karina with her eyes in that moment when the setting sun shone on her face as she spoke to the old lady. She had never expected this moment to come after convincing herself that Karina was gone, whether she was in another country or her body had been left in pieces after the bombing.

Her hair had grown longer, but it appeared damaged and jagged, as if she had cut it herself from time to time. Each visible scar on Karina's body was like a shard of glass lodged in her heart - it appeared as if Karina had it just as bad as her during their time apart.

Each detail that had changed or wasn't there before only reminded Yelena of the time they hadn't spent together - their time together would be considered insignificantly small to an outsider, which made Yelena wonder if Karina felt the same way.

It was a possibility- a strong one - that Karina had moved on, forgotten about her, and proceeded to move on with her life, preferring not to dwell on their shared past together. Karina was her only hope in the Red Room, her only salvation.

Karina turned on her heel, fully expecting the elderly lady to be wrong about her girl being behind her - surely her search couldn't have been that easy?

But she was right, and the blonde assassin hadn't changed a bit -'still beautiful,' Karina thought. The light had hit her just right at that moment, highlighting her angelic features and sun-kissed skin that seemed so soft. The happiness that, while always present in Karina's life, seemed impossible to grasp most of the time, was at its zenith at that moment - at its most powerful and impactful.

She appeared to be healthy. Natasha's defeat of the Red Room, Karina reasoned, had enabled her to live her life freely. Despite this, Karina couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment and jealousy, having spent her entire life surrounded by four concrete walls.

But she dismissed all of that when Yelena began to approach her, which she was grateful for because her legs and hands were shaking. Yelena's eyes were clouded as neither of them dared to break eye contact, which Karina knew reflected her own teary eyes.

Yelena appeared in front of her in a matter of seconds. They stared at each other in awe until Karina reached out and gently brushed her calloused hand against Yelena's soft cheek, causing a haze of blush - the same reaction they had as children.

When Karina's hand touched her skin and Yelena didn't vanish, she knew the girl in front of her wasn't just a figment of her imagination.

Yelena's joy could not be hidden, as a gleaming smile spread across her face as she lifted her hand to touch Karina's, which was resting on her cheek. She squeezed it as she gazed up at the girl in front of her with love. She leaned forward until their foreheads touched, reuniting them through their minds and hearts.

"I've missed you," Yelena breathed, the relief she felt was like fresh air - weightless and free.

"I've missed you more," Karina said just as softly, giggling like a school girl as Yelena pressed a gentle kiss on her nose.

"I assure you, that's impossible," she replied blissfully as she giggled too. Their smiles were blinding, and they couldn't take their gazes away from each other, and their hands never left each other's.

"Young love," the elderly lady who remained on her front porch sighed happily as she looked at the couple in front of her, who reminded her of the beautiful and free love she once had.

Both assassins turned to face the elderly woman as a result of the subtle noise. As Karina took a step forward, both girls smiled gratefully. "Thank you very much, ma'am. I don't know how to thank you for bringing us back together," Karina said respectfully, her Russian accent hidden.

But the woman simply waved her hand, brushing off her remark with a gentle smile. "You don't have to thank me, kids," she said as she turned and walked back into her house.

"God, you're all I can think about Yelena," Karina sighed blissfully as her hand interlocked with hers and they started down Yelena's childhood block.

Yet, as she looked into Karina's eyes, Yelena felt the guilt claw at her insides; the happiness on her face was intoxicating, but Yelena could only imagine how her expression would change if she told her that her mother's blood was on her hands.

But Yelena wanted to keep it hidden, to bury it deep in her mind until she convinced herself that everything was fine and Mariya was still alive and well in the Red Room. Yes, it wasn't healthy, but Yelena wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of rebuilding their relationship, like nourishing the skin and bones until they were healthy again.

"So, tell me, what have you been up to?" Yelena inquired, but she wasn't genuinely interested in hearing the answer; she was too afraid to hear what her life was like without her in it - did she experience new life-changing events? Has she met anyone?

"I should be asking you that. What's life been like without the Red Room? Have you visited Paris, Italy, or Budapest? You've always wanted to," Karina responded, her eyes twinkling with genuine delight at the prospect of visiting the Louvre or the Colosseum. She was eager to know the answer while also attempting to divert attention away from herself and her time in Hydra - something Yelena was unaware of.

But Yelena only looked at her, confused.

"I haven't been to any of those places, Karina," Yelena replied, her frown deepening and her smile fading. "I've never been out of the Red Room."

"What?"