not how it's supposed to go

will you still love me (when i'm nothing new)

They've been at Clint's house for one day and Yelena already can't sit still. This was a problem last time, too, but most of the depression she was feeling at the time had her sleeping ninety percent of the time.

This time around, though, she's comfortable, and she wants to explore.

So that's how she ends up on a run with Kate at eight in the morning, even though Kate would much rather be sleeping. Clint offered to go in her place, but Yelena's missed torturing Kate with workouts a little too much. For some reason, seeing her girlfriend suffer through relatively easy workouts was a big part of their relationship.

"We need to make a workout playlist when we get home," Kate comments once they take a break. They're pretty far out from the house now and both thirsty. Summers in the midwest are not a joke.

"You keep saying that and we keep not doing it," Yelena replies, downing the rest of her water bottle.

Kate shrugs, "I'll do it when we get back."

"Sure you will, malyshka," Yelena responds, fiddling with her now empty water bottle, "Where's a witch to move stuff with her mind when you need one?"

"No clue," Kate fixes her ponytail, "Why'd you finish your water this early anyway?"

"Thirsty," Yelena retorts matter-of-factly, shaking it a little as if more water would appear, "What's all this excitement with the Fourth of July about?"

"It's an excuse to get drunk and make Captain America not look like a sore thumb," Kate shrugs, obviously not having a clear answer, "Lots of barbecues and fireworks and - have you ever played with sparklers?"

"What's a sparkler?"

"They're... god they're hard to explain. They're fun, though. Kids can play with them, they're safe, and practically a staple of being an American is to play with them every fourth," Kate explains, a giddy look on her face. Yelena loves how excited Kate gets about stupid things sometimes.

"Sparklers," Yelena says softly, testing the word again in her mouth, "Interesting."

"They're fun, I promise," Kate insists, taking a sip from her water bottle again before standing up a little straighter, "Go again?"

"If you insist, Kate Bishop," Yelena teases, kissing her cheek before getting a little bit of a head start.

"Asshole!"

They run for another half hour before stopping at the house so Yelena can fill her water bottle, catching Wanda and Laura in the kitchen.

"You two need to shower," Laura comments, and Kate just offers a smile in response as she fills her water bottle.

"We're gonna keep going," Yelena says, standing in front of the AC for a second, "just ran out of water. Kate Bishop insists we need it."

"You're still calling her by her full name?" Laura asks, handing them each a protein bar, "And water's important, but so is breakfast."

"We had smoothies," Kate retorts, ripping open the protein bar, "also, the whole name thing, it's kind of her thing. I'm in trouble if she calls me Kate."

"Interesting," Laura replies, some kind of mom look on her face that Yelena can't decipher, "How much longer are you two going to be out? Wanda and I were thinking about making breakfast."

"Only an hour," Kate responds, glaring slightly at Yelena as she takes a long drink from her water bottle.

"Good morning," Clint appears from the stairway and Laura immediately presents him with a mug of coffee. He looks over at Kate and Yelena, amused look on his face, "Early run through the sprinkler? I didn't know ours was still working."