Widow Sisters and Friends (Restoring Our Broken Hearts)

With Your Hand in Mine

Summary: When Natasha is sound asleep, she is quickly awoken by the sound of a metallic click nearby her head, and she jerks awake. However, the last thing she expected was to see Yelena laying there with her hand cuffed to the headboard. It is up to her to help her sister overcome the leftover scars of the Red Room.

   Natasha jerked awake as she heard something click nearby her head. Her eyes were wide as she looked up quickly, her hand already reaching out for the pistol near the bedside. However, she swiftly froze as she met eyes with Yelena sitting up just barely in the bed, the moonlight illuminating her form with just the barest sense of light.

"What're you doing?" Natasha slurred just a little with the sleep that was still addling her senses, just gaping with her eyes as large as saucers. After just a moment, she realized Yelena's posture was exceedingly stiff as she stared at Natasha with something that resembled intense guilt, her red-rimmed eyes looking slightly glassy.

It was then that Natasha truly remembered the click that resounded next to her head, and she furrowed her brow as she noticed how Yelena's arm was outstretched directly above her head. Natasha followed Yelena's arm and her eyes settled heavily on the blonde's wrist.

To her mild surprise and deep pain, Natasha saw Yelena's wrist handcuffed to the headboard. Natasha's eyes shifted back to that of Yelena's, her mind immediately much more conscious as she gazed sadly upon her sister. Yelena was now avoiding her gaze, tears in her eyes as her entire posture screamed defeat and pure shame.

"Yelena, sweet girl..."

"I'm sorry. It's easier this way sometimes," Yelena croaked just barely, her voice hoarse and pained as she flickered her eyes just barely in Natasha's direction. Natasha could easily tell that she had been crying. Natasha just shook her head, turning on her side to get closer to the blonde.

"It's okay, come here," Natasha opened her arms, and Yelena tearfully looked over at her, her signature frown pulling down at her lips before she crashed into Natasha as effectively as she could considering her wrist was bound. Natasha received her warmly, moving closer to the girl's side of the bed in order to allow Yelena to get closer. Yelena nestled her head and face under Natasha's chin, pressing her nose against Natasha's collarbone firmly as she just breathed in deeply.

Natasha slipped her fingers underneath Yelena's thin tank top to brush against the blonde's lower back, tracing patterns gently.

Yelena's free arm was clinging to Natasha firmly, the appendage wrapped around Natasha's waist as she tried to drag her closer. Natasha could feel the shudders rippling through Yelena as her breaths came out shaky. She was trying desperately to keep her sobs to herself, and it made Natasha's heart ache.

"How long?" Natasha asked gently, love and concern in her words and she knew Yelena comprehended her meaning despite the simplicity of the question.

"A month ago," Yelena muttered just barely, her accent and voice thick with emotion, and Natasha felt a sharp stab to her heart and a need to question her further on precisely when and where. However, she held her tongue. She did not want Yelena to feel any worse than she surely already did.

"Every night?" Natasha tentatively questioned, and to anyone else, she might have sounded like she was speaking in code of some sort. However, the two had such a deep connection that she knew Yelena understood exactly what she meant by all of the small cryptic questions she was asking. She was keeping her questions short to keep from humiliating Yelena further and to give Yelena the ability to control how much she wanted to say about the entire ordeal.