Widow Sisters and Friends (Restoring Our Broken Hearts): Book 2

When You Need Me

Summary: When Yelena is about to leave for a mission, she quickly discovers that her sister is feeling less than fantastic. Needless to say, Yelena is quick to cancel her mission to stay home with Natasha during her time of need despite her big sister's protests.

   "Hey, poser, I'm heading out for the mission with Stark now," Yelena told her as she came striding into the kitchen where Natasha was doing the dishes from that morning.

After much begging and Natasha finally caving in, Yelena had finally gotten to go off on a mission again after what had happened on that one not too long ago with Steve where Yelena had gotten hurt, and she was happy to finally be heading out again. Even if it was with one of the more irritating members of the Avengers, she figured that she could likely handle him. After all, he was not as bad as Alexei. In some ways...

She was about to go out to the compound to leave with Tony and she had just gotten dressed, so she wanted to bid her sister farewell before she went. Her favorite part of leaving for missions without Natasha was the big, warm, enveloping hugs that Natasha offered her as she softly expressed

However, when Natasha actually turned to meet her eyes, Yelena paused immediately. Natasha looked positively horrid, and Yelena had not ever really seen her like this. Her hair was a little messier than usual and there was a darkness underneath her eyes. Her eyes were a little glassy, and even her posture itself was slumped a little more than usual.

Yelena did not know how she had noticed it earlier when they had breakfast just a little ago, and she could not help but beat herself up for letting her early morning exhaustion overcome her so badly that she did not notice such obvious features of her sister.

"Okay, little one. Have fun," Natasha replied to her prior statement, a gentle smile on her face despite the evident tiredness that was written in her features.

"You don't look so good... Are you okay?" Yelena questioned somewhat tentatively after a moment, tilting her head slightly as she looked at the older woman.

Natasha immediately straightened a bit, and Yelena could see her pulling her walls up as quickly as she could, struggling to remain stoic as possible despite the fact that she looked like crap.

Which only served to worry Yelena more.

"I'm fine. Why?" Natasha responded, and Yelena stepped closer to Natasha. Natasha stiffened just a little, and Yelena quickly caught the movement. From her current position so close to the older woman, she could feel the heat radiating off of her big sister in waves. Very apparently, it was in that unhealthy manner that could only be caused by sickness, which made Yelena extremely uneasy.

"You are hot."

"Wow... A little weird, but I'll allow it," Natasha quipped, quirking an eyebrow as she attempted to be funny, but the sarcasm and energy behind the gesture was significantly less than usual. Yelena, remembering how Natasha had handled her when she was sick, stepped ever closer to the older woman before swiftly moving in and kissing her forehead, feeling the temperature of the skin with her lips.

Natasha froze underneath her touch, and Yelena knew that the redheaded woman had realized what Yelena was doing. Yelena pulled back from her hesitantly, feeling a pit forming in her stomach as she realized that her sister was indeed sick as she had feared.

"You have a fever," Yelena stated matter-of-factly, and Natasha held her gaze firmly as they stared one another down. After a long moment of them both maintaining their stubbornness, Natasha gave in, looking away quickly as she avoided looking into the blonde's eyes. Yelena felt a small twinge of victory, but it was mostly overshadowed by her intense concern.