Summary: When a thunderstorm hits in the middle of the night, Yelena jerks awake and is terrified as flashbacks come flooding back to her. She knows that there is only one person who can help her through this-- Natasha. But Yelena is very hesitant to go to her because she does not want her big sister to think she is cowardly. Little does she know that her sister can completely understand her fears.
Yelena's eyes snapped wide open as a terrifyingly loud sound resounded. Yelena rose up immediately, reaching for the gun that she kept beside her bed as she looked around the room fearfully. She did not know what had caused that noise, but she was fully prepared to start shooting.
After several long moments, she heard another crash, and she quickly realized it was thunder. She shakily put the gun back in its place, and Yelena only could see flashes of the survival runs that she would have to go through with other widows. The thunder would shake the forest and they would be forced to survive independently of one another, somehow figuring out ways to live through the freezing cold temperatures and ice-cold wind and rain whipping at their skin.
The very memory of such things sent shudders through her, and Yelena crossed her arms over her body.
The thunder let loose again, and Yelena stiffened hard with the sound. She shut her eyes tightly, but all she could see was the mud and the water rushing down the hill.
She saw the dead body of one of the girls she had used to train with every day, her blank eyes staring straight ahead as her limp limbs laid about her, the tips of her fingers turning black with the frostbite she had been trying to stave off.
The thunder shook the entirety of the house again, and Yelena jerked with the sound as it ran through her entire being. She had only one thought on her mind as she opened her eyes. The one and only person that could help her through all of this was her sister or at least her sister's presence.
Yelena immediately got off the bed, unable to take it anymore, and she quickly padded over to her bedroom door. She really did not want to have to go to Natasha even though she knew the redhead would receive her with open arms. She did not want to look weak in front of Natasha over something as silly as a thunderstorm.
However, as another clap of thunder erupted through the little house, Yelena wasted no time in opening the door and heading across the hall over to Natasha's room. She hesitated before entering Natasha's room. She looked down at the floor, knowing that there were creaky floorboards throughout the house and that Natasha had some in her room as well.
Yelena carefully stepped through the room, hesitantly working her way over to the bed where Natasha was lying. She knew that if she made any noise, it would alert the redhead, and she would wake up to see Yelena looking at her like a creep.
As soon as Yelena was near the bed, she very carefully raised up the edge of the blankets and she slid underneath, figuring that she would just wait out the storm next to Natasha until it calmed enough for her to go back to her room. She was scared and she knew the flashbacks would haunt her even after the thunderstorm, but she definitely did not want to look childish in front of Natasha for being terrified of a storm of all things.
When the blankets surrounded her, Natasha's scent flooded her every sense, and Yelena immediately felt somewhat better. However, as the thunder resounded loudly once again, Yelena jerked a bit and closed her eyes tightly as she desperately hoped she had not awoken Natasha. She tucked her head underneath the blankets, trying to more fully envelop herself with everything that was Natasha.
After a few moments, just as soon as she was convinced that Natasha must have somehow slept through the movement, she suddenly felt gentle yet strong arms wrapping around her middle and tugging her against a warm body.
Yelena stiffened for just a moment but quickly relaxed into the hold as a fresh wave of Natasha's scent overwhelmed her. She felt Natasha's nose gently brushing against her hair, and Natasha's calm breaths falling against her.
"Are you okay?" Natasha questioned, her voice huskier than ordinary but still filled with all the concern and care in the world. Yelena nodded, but as soon as the thunder sounded off again, she froze up almost violently. Natasha's hold on her tightened just a bit.
"Mogu ya pozhit' u vas nemnogo?"1 Yelena questioned, her voice small and hesitant. She hated to ask her sister something like this. Normally, she would not be ashamed, but since this was such a silly thing to be afraid of, Yelena could not help but feel terribly embarrassed of her request.
"Of course," Natasha expressed without any hesitation, and Yelena nodded just barely, not wanting to turn in her sister's embrace and look back at her. She was already ashamed to have asked in the first place and she definitely did not want to meet Natasha's eyes after this.
The thunder clapped, and Yelena stiffened slightly. However, she quickly felt Natasha press a gentle kiss to her head behind her ear, and then she leaned forward a bit, her lips near Yelena's ear as her cheek rested against Yelena's head.
"You remember in Ohio when there'd be thunderstorms and you'd crawl in bed with me like this?" Natasha questioned, her voice low and comforting in its quietness. Yelena nodded just a little, remembering those nights well. It was part of what fueled her courage to go to Natasha now despite her humiliation.
"I remember one time you were scared that there was a monster under the bed making all that noise," Natasha expressed, and Yelena huffed a little at the memory as the image came flooding back to her.
"You always said you were scarier than any monster," Yelena could not help but chuckle just a tiny bit, the thought of that small yet fierce blue-haired girl flashing through her mind.
"Yeah. And you'd always be worried that they'd come and get us anyway," Natasha added, and Yelena could hear the wide grin in her voice as she reminisced.
"That's because I knew what the monsters didn't know. You're the biggest cuddler ever and a giant poser," Yelena told her, risking a joke despite her persisting fear. Natasha scoffed playfully, and her hand ran up Yelena's side, her fingers skittering along and digging in just a bit.
Yelena immediately threw up her elbow, trying to block Natasha's assault. Natasha blew in Yelena's ear slightly, trying to mess with her further, and Yelena craned her neck to the side to try to crunch her shoulder against her head and keep Natasha from aggravating her any further.
Soon enough, Natasha let up on her, pressing a kiss against the back of Yelena's neck gently as she nuzzled her nose against the blonde. The thunder rolled again, and Yelena noticed that it was slightly less loud than it had been before.
"I should've just fed you to them," Natasha huffed, and Yelena buried herself more deeply against Natasha. Natasha easily received her, moving her arms more fully around Yelena's body. Yelena grabbed at one of Natasha's arms, dragging it upward so that it was looped around Yelena's shoulder and neck. Yelena pressed her nose against Natasha's arm gently, and Natasha's grip around her waist tightened a little.
"Of course, they probably would have just spit you back out," Natasha commented, and Yelena raised an eyebrow at her. Now that she was more securely tucked against Natasha, she felt safe enough to truly aggravate her sister in return.
"If they would have gotten their claws in my sweet self, they would've been coming back and begging for seconds," Yelena replied, and Natasha just laughed a little, the sound ringing in Yelena's ears. Yelena could not help her slight smile in reply to her sister's mirth.
They quieted for a moment, and the thunder clapped, showing itself yet again. Natasha gently pulled her arm away from Yelena's neck and shoulders, and Yelena stiffened a bit, wondering what Natasha was doing. Yelena would much rather have Natasha as close as possible.
However, as soon as Natasha's hand ran underneath Yelena's shirt, her fingers tickling the skin, Yelena melted against her, feeling the relaxation and contentment rushing through her. Natasha lifted her shirt, pressing a gentle kiss to Yelena's back before tracing patterns along the expanse of the skin. Yelena closed her eyes, feeling nothing but pure euphoria from the affection that she was being offered.
"Don't be scared, I'm meaner than thunder," Natasha whispered to her with a slight joking one in her voice, and Yelena chuckled a bit, a closed-lip smile spreading across her face as she raised an eyebrow.
"Like I said before, you're just a softie," Yelena told her, and Natasha hummed in reply, leaning forward and blowing a raspberry on Yelena's shoulder. Yelena wrinkled her nose at the sensation, squirming a bit in Natasha's grasp.
"You remember when I got scared of a thunderstorm?" Natasha asked, and Yelena furrowed her brow, her eyes slipping open as she searched her memory. She could not ever recall a time when Natasha had been scared of anything outside of when they were being dragged to the Red Room.
"No," Yelena admitted finally, and Natasha hummed a bit in amusement.
"I didn't think you would," Natasha agreed, and as thunder growled again at a low rumble, Yelena quietly tried to think of when Natasha had ever been afraid.
"I was afraid every time that you were. I always thought the thunder sounded like gunshots. They always reminded me of having to," Natasha trailed off, and Yelena immediately understood her implied meaning. Yelena moved her hand down to grab at Natasha's hand pressed against her stomach, wishing that her big sister would have never had to kill other widows since she knew how much it could scar a person.
"Does it ever get better?" Yelena quietly asked, and Natasha nodded against her, her nose rubbing against Yelena.
"I got used to it over time. Thor was the one that truly desensitized me to it," Natasha explained, and Yelena nodded slightly, feeling a sudden tiredness overcoming her as she realized that Natasha truly understood Yelena's fear even if she did not know the exact source of it.
Natasha kept up her gentle tracing along Yelena's back, and Yelena felt her eyes slipping closed even more with the feeling, the exhaustion left in the wake of the fear growing overwhelming as the thunder grumbled in the barest bits so that it almost resembled a lullaby.
She felt Natasha press a kiss to her shoulder before resting her chin there.
And so, knowing she was safe, Yelena let herself drift off to sleep in the warm embrace of her big sister.
(1) "Can I stay with you for a little while?"