Marvel Women Imagines

romantically? no. | fluff (y.b.)

Summary: Going through the motions of figuring out your romantic and sexual attractions, or lack of both in your case. Yelena understands you in a way no one else does.
Warnings: Soft angst? Invalidation and lack of understanding of romantic and sexual orientation. Lots of talks of both romantic and sexual orientation as both characters figure things out.

aroace!reader

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'Shut up! You heard me, I. Don't. Like. Anyone. Like. That!' You yelled at Steve.

You were frustrated from everyone constantly asking you if you had you had an interest in anyone. You were the only one that never seemed to go on dates or talk about crushes. You never understood why people were so obsessed over the idea of relationships and romance.

'It's normal for someone your age to date around,' They would keep reminding you.

'It's also normal for someone to have not date around. It's normal for someone to not have an interest in any of it,' You would always bite back at whoever it was saying that to you.

Today it just so happened to be Steve that faced the backlash of another day filled with them trying to get you to be normal. But you are normal. Just not their idea of normal. You didn't know how many times you were going to say it for them to understand. The only one that seemed to understand was Natasha. She never questioned you, she just accepted you for who you were. It was a nice change. Though you thought no one else was going to be as understanding as Natasha.

You didn't even notice Natasha standing in the doorway or did you notice the blonde standing right next to her. You stormed off and slammed the door to your room.

'What did you do this time Steve?' Natasha gave Steve a look, she understood what had happened.

'Don't give me that look, Romanoff,'

'Sorry about that, Lena,' That wasn't how Natasha wanted to introduce you to Yelena, 'I'm going to go check on her. Just stay here,'

Natasha approached your door, gave a soft knock before entering. You and Natasha were close enough that she didn't have to knock but given your current state Natasha thought it would be best.

'Hi Nat,' You sighed as you sat up on your bed.

'I'm sorry they don't understand,'

'It's not your fault Natty,' You gave Natasha a smile reassuring her that you were okay. Natasha gave you a small smile.

'I have someone I want you to meet,' And with that she dragged you out of your room and back into the room that you were previously in.

This time though you noticed the unknown blonde standing in front of you.

'Y/N meet my sister,'

'Yelena. Yelena Belova,' Yelena said as she stretched her hand out. You immediately took it and smiled at her.

'Finally get to meet the person who annoys Nat almost as much as I do,' You both smirked at each other.

'We're going to have a lot of fun together,' At this moment watching your interaction Natasha was regretting introducing you both.
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A few months had passed since you met Yelena but you had become so close so fast. You bonded mostly over pranking Natasha, that was the only time you hung out with the blonde. However, you both started hanging out more and more. You would watch movies together, cook together, you would regularly stay the night at Yelena's apartment. You'd call each other every night and talk for hours even if you had spent the day together. You understood Yelena and Yelena understood you.

'You know what I don't understand, Y/N/N?' Yelena started off, you were sitting next to each other watching a movie when all of a sudden Yelena paused it and turned to face you, 'I don't understand romance, relationships or even sex. I know I had a different childhood where we weren't allowed those things. But Natasha gets it and is interested but me? I don't think so,'

You felt like Yelena was reading your mind. She just said what you were always thinking.

'Don't worry Lena, I don't get it either. They always say you'll understand when you're close with someone. I'm close with you but-,'

'Does that mean?' You and Yelena were both confused. You both felt like you had to be someone you weren't so others wouldn't treat you differently.

That night was a defining moment for the both of you. You and Yelena had kissed and tried to do more, like you see in movies. But it just felt wrong and forced. You both ended up laughing at each other and what you were about to do. You had this bond with Yelena, it just wasn't romantic or sexual.

'Lena, what does this mean?'

'I don't know but what I do know is that I want you to stick around,'
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About a year had passed, you and Yelena had figured out and grown a lot. Natasha was always there supporting the two of you through anything. You and Yelena confided in Natasha after that night and she helped you both. She knew you both pretty well and had already been doing her research.

'How are you two not dating?' Steve asked once he walked into the room where you and Yelena were watching a movie.

Natasha mentioned to Steve that you both weren't dating each other after he kept insisting to her that you and Yelena were more than friends. But he still wasn't understanding. Yelena frowned when she felt you tense up beside her.

'What do you mean?' Yelena curiously asked. She wasn't happy at how withdrawn you had become all of a sudden but she decided to give Steve the benefit of the doubt.

'You use pet names and nicknames towards each other. You're always together no matter what you're doing. You seem to be each other's number one. You seem to know nearly everything about each other,' Steve was just clueless but going about it the wrong way.

'Well, yeah. Y/N/N is everything to me,' Yelena noticed you smile when she said that.

'So you're dating?'

'No,'

'That just doesn't make any sense,'

'It makes perfect sense,' Yelena was getting irritated but wanted to get it through Steve's head, 'Y/N and I, I guess in a way we are together. Just not romantically or sexually. Doesn't make us any less than you. It also doesn't invalidate the bond we feel,' You could see Steve's mind ticking until it seemed to finally click.

'Well, I'm happy for you both. I may not fully understand, but you both seem to understand each other,' You were pleasantly surprised but that fuelled both of you to be open with the others.

Everyone seemed to take the new information about their two friends quite well. Finally you felt free from judgement, free from this weight that had been following you around for years. You and Yelena understood each other and that's more than enough for you.