No More Excuses//Katelena

11: So Let's Just Talk

Back to the merriment of gays drinking ungodly amounts of vodka :))) or that's what we think...

Content warnings: alcohol, assault, someone getting beat up, men being horrible, depression, trauma, PTSD, abuse, talk of self harm, talk of suicide, talk of S/A

(This chapter is heavy, please remember there are always people somewhere who love you and want to help)

Kate and Yelena consume nearly two bottles of vodka (Yelena drinks the bulk of it) and who-knows-how-many servings of the bacon mac n cheese they serve at the bar before calling it a night, and Kate's legs ache from dancing with her friend. She slings an arm over the assassin's shoulder and leans into her warmth as they push through the doors and out into the chill of the night, barely keeping herself from nuzzling into her hair.

Kate had always been an affectionate drunk, and she's feeling the effects of the liquor in full force as her heart practically begs to cuddle Yelena until neither of them can breathe. Yelena seems to have already picked up on this, as she snakes her own arm around the archer's waist and holds her tight as they walk.

"Thank you, Yelena," Kate mutters happily, laying her cheek on top of her head, still tall enough despite the blonde's heels.

Yelena squeezes her hip in response and gives a non-committal hum, red lips smiling.

They amble along, soaking in the other's warmth, but, of course, as it had gone the entire night, the peace is fleeting. A body slams into the two of them from behind.

Yelena's body kicks into overdrive immediately; she wraps her arms around Kate while simultaneously twisting around so her back hits the pavement and kicks out with her feet, making contact with the attacker. There's no cry of genuine pain from Kate, so she ignores the burn in her spine from tumbling across the cement and shoots up in an instant once the archer is safely out of her arms, leaping to tackle whoever had jumped them.

She's not even surprised to see Connor, the man who had been bothering them just a few short hours ago, and she doesn't hesitate before kicking him in the groin and bringing her knee up to slam against his head when he doubles over with a groan. He drops immediately, and Yelena has his face pressed into the pavement in less than a second, his arms twisted painfully behind his back and legs pinned down under her knees. A full crack echoed from his shin.

"That was the stupidest shit you could have pulled tonight, ублюдок," Yelena hissed, her grip tightening on his wrists to strain his bones as he cried out. "Men like you never take a hint. You have the law on your ass and you still think you can get away with taking whatever you want from women just because you're a white male."

She grinds his cheek into the asphalt harder, eyes glinting wickedly at the pained noises he lets out, and lowers her mouth to his ear. "You're lucky my Kate Bishop is here, because her presence is saving your worthless carcass from rotting in a dumpster where the rats can feed on you." She leans away and drives her elbow down into his temple, and Connor is unconscious just like that.

Yelena stares down at him, body hot and seething, wishing she had those skates from earlier so she truly could gut him with them. She grits her teeth and sucks in deep breaths, chest heaving. "You prick."

And then she remembers Kate.

"Kate Bishop," she gasps, scrambling over to the archer, who is sitting up and gaping, chest rattling with shallow breaths, cheek smeared with blood from a cut under her eye. Otherwise, she appears relatively unharmed, but Yelena fusses over her, scanning every inch and prodding her limbs to make sure no bones are broken. Kate shakes her head when she asks if there's any pain besides her face, and only once she's completely sure her companion is safe does Yelena release her breath.