Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kate stared at Yelena with wide eyes, took two steps back, swallowed hard, and sat up abruptly. Her heart and mind were in such a panic that she couldn't transform back. The blonde looked at her, her mouth still open and blinking in shock.

"You..." She spoke hesitantly and stopped, then Kate lay on her stomach on the wet ground and covered her snout and face with her paws. "Oh my god, this is so cute." Kate heard but remained frozen. "Kate? It's that you? Can you understand me?" She asked, taking two hesitant steps closer, and the only thing Kate could do in her wolf form was whimper. "Please, look at me?" Yelena asked, and there was a moment of pause as her paws left her face and she looked at Yelena. Kate felt completely insecure at that moment. "Can you... go back to human form?" The question came, and Kate nodded and swallowed hard.

Kate then closed her eyes, allowed herself to visualize her human form, and took a few deep breaths. It was difficult to reverse an involuntary transformation like that on a normal day, and with Kate's anxiety as high as it was, it was a little more difficult. 

She tried once, twice, and on the third time, she found herself sitting on the wet ground in her human form. Kate looked away and took a deep breath, trying to find some way to explain, justify, demonstrate that she hadn't hidden it out of malice.

"So..." Yelena spoke, and Kate cleared her throat and stood up, not looking directly at the woman, and there was a sigh. "Okay, what do you think about sitting down and talking?" The request came gently, and that made Kate look at the blonde. "Please?" Again the gentleness, and Kate nodded, moving closer to the backpacks. The towels were spread on the ground, and the two sat down. "I—" Yelena began, but was suddenly cut off by Kate.

"That's not how I wanted you to find out." She spoke quickly and then looked at the river.

“And how did you want it to be?” Yelena asked in a delicate, yet slightly insecure tone.

“It’s something… New to me, it’s my first full moon as…” Kate cleared her throat. “A werewolf.” She added, and Yelena made a soft sound. “I wanted to tell you in a less…” She gestured. “Dramatic.”

“I thought you might be a witch, like Wanda.” Yelena spoke, and Kate looked at her.

“You know about Wanda?” The question came, and Yelena made a positive sound.

“Superficially, and more by connecting the dots than by a direct confession, I treated a kitsune once that was injured, and he explained a little about the supernatural world to me. It was a… Shock at first, as you can imagine, but honestly, I never saw much difference between non-supernatural people and those who are.” Yelena looked away for a moment. “I thought you had magic, and that’s why it was difficult for you. He asked me to keep as a secret, I never told anyone and never found others supernatural and Wanda herself never told me directly.” She commented in a very gentle tone.

“Theoretically, a werewolf, or wolf as we casually call them, has their first transformation at around 8 years old.” Kate looked away. “When it happened the first time…” She stammered slightly. “Silver is extremely toxic to our physiological systems, it’s bad enough for humans, but it can be deadly for werewolves.” She explained, looking back at her own hands. “My father thought it was a good idea, and a great idea, to find a way to ‘cure’ me when it happened the first time. Someone he’d never seen before said, ‘Here, this injection will help, it’s silver.’” She heard Yelena’s heart race. “For twenty years, my father injected a monthly dose of silver into my body, claiming it was a medicine to cure whatever I had.” She whispered.

“He poisoned you.” Yelena simply stated in a low tone, and Kate nodded.

“On the last full moon, my wolf went berserk, I transformed, dissociated from my rationality, and started running through Central Park in despair. My neighbor — who I didn’t know until then — was supernatural… She kind of knocked me out.” She paused briefly. “And then we found out about silver. Carol recommended Wanda to help me, and my mother and I didn’t hesitate to come. And it was… A journey, I’d say, to begin to understand what was happening to me, what the silver was doing to me, and how things really were.” She cleared her throat again and sighed. “When I said I was sick for a while, that’s what I meant. I had 12 grams of silver in my body, binding me, hurting me, slowly killing me. The witches’ magic helped, they removed almost 9 grams of silver from me, and I’m slowly metabolizing the rest.” She continued, breathing deeply and clenching her hands, unable to look at Yelena, but she could hear the blonde’s heart racing. “My father tried to kill me with the excuse that I was sick and that there was a monster inside me.” She whispered. “My wolf, which should have been complete, mature, and perfectly able to be who it is, was tied up, restrained, and things like that happen. Involuntary changes, hypersensitivity with the wolf's senses affecting the human form, and it's… Horrible that you found out this way. I wish I could have talked and shown you, explained everything before a 50 kg wolf suddenly appeared in front of you.” Kate took a deep breath, and there was a longer silence. And then there was this realization in Yelena.

“Was it you in the forest? Both times?” Yelena asked softly, and Kate cleared her throat again.

“Yes.” She began and held her breath for a moment. “The first time was kind of unintentional, I smelled you and started following you, I was curious because my senses were more heightened and it was the first time something like that had happened. That an unfamiliar scent had caught my attention. I found you, you looked at me, I looked at you and realized I was a gigantic wolf and I was scaring you, so I left.” Kate said, and Yelena shook her head slightly.

“And the second time, you had someone with you.” She said, stating the facts.

“Rio.” She said, and there was a small “oh.” “Agatha has magic, Rio is a wolf like me. But Rio is a wolf who matured in the right way, so she doesn’t have the problems I still have. But she’s helping me understand what’s possible or not, what I need to do or not, how to walk safely in the forest, how to somehow try to make up for what has been prevented for twenty years.” Her tone was low, and if it weren’t a quiet place, she didn’t know if Yelena could hear. “I smelled your scent, this time knowing it was your scent.” She shrugged slightly. “I wanted to see you briefly, but I crossed the tree line and Natasha, quite rightly afraid, pointed the gun at two wolves. Honestly, it was terrifying, so we left. It was the first day of the full moon.” Kate lightly squeezed her fingers and played with the edge of her swimsuit’s boyshorts.

“I’m not angry.” Yelena said, and that made Kate’s eyes rise to Yelena. “I sincerely understand why it’s difficult to talk about this, you’re a giant black wolf, but you’re also a cute and clumsy person.” She spoke softly.

“I’m cute and clumsy in wolf form too.” Kate tried to joke, and there was a small, low laugh.

“My mother says I’ve always been more sensitive to what’s different, that even without knowing it, I sought out what’s different. And that wasn’t always a good thing.” Yelena said, looking away, and Kate held her breath. “But I… When I met you, I felt this inexplicable familiarity, I was at ease with you and I wanted you very much.” The last part was a small confession. “I know it’s not the way you wanted to show it to me, but I’m glad it happened.” Yelena paused. “Can I see your wolf form again?” The request came and Kate nodded.

And transforming this time consciously was easier, less terrifying, and she stood up and stopped in front of Yelena, electric blue eyes meeting curious green eyes. The black fur was still a little wet, and then Yelena reached out her hand, hesitating a moment, and Kate leaned forward, her muzzle touching the tips of Yelena’s fingers, and then there was the touch, still slightly hesitant, but it occurred against Kate’s cheek, feeling the whiskers, and Kate wagged her nose slightly.

“Sorry, the whiskers are sensitive. I believe your physiology is similar to that of a wolf?” She asked, and Kate made a so-so gesture in response. “I’m fascinated. If I saw you without knowing, honestly, it would be impossible to identify you.” The blonde touched Kate’s ear gently. “Can you return to human form?” She asked, and Kate transformed back.

Kate stopped in front of Yelena, and then the blonde patted her side lightly. This made Kate sit down.

“I have several questions…” Yelena said shyly.

“I’ll try to answer with everything I know, which isn’t a large arsenal of knowledge.” She said awkwardly. “You can ask anything you want.” Kate reaffirmed, and Yelena nodded.

“How does it work? Do you transform when you want… Or do you have no control?” She asked, and Kate made a pondering gesture.

“Involuntary transformations are more common for immature wolves, like in my case, but strong emotions can still bring it on, especially the feeling of protecting.” She said, considering the times this had happened. “But most of the time, the vast majority in fact, it’s voluntary. I think about my wolf form and I transform.” She explained gently.

“And does it hurt?” The new question came accompanied by furrowed brows.

“With the silver in my body, yes, it felt like it was tearing. Nowadays there’s discomfort. As long as there’s silver, there’s pain.” Kate lightly ran her hand over the natural mark on her hand. She saw Yelena’s eyebrows furrow as if she were pondering.

“Your mind remains rational and well… I don’t know if that sounds offensive.” She spoke in a slightly grumpy tone, and Kate gave a small, low laugh.

“Yes, the mind remains the same, the senses are altered, and it’s absolutely strange to see the world with the absence of colors that wolves have.” She considered.

“It’s dichromatic vision.” Yelena explained, and Kate looked at her curiously. “Canids in general see in shades of blue and yellow, which makes red-green not very distinct. There are only two types of cones in the retina, humans have three.” Yelena explained softly.

“That explains why some colors look kind of faded. The sky and water have a soft shade of blue, leaves and grass look kind of grayish-yellow. But I confess that seeing in low light is incredible.” She said playfully, and Yelena gave a small shake of her head.

“Does that exist in the human version too?” The question came curiously.

“Not really, what’s most sensitive as a human is mainly my sense of smell and my hearing.” She commented shyly.

“That explains how you knew there was someone at the clinic door and that the pup had no heartbeat.” The realization dawned on her, and Kate nodded. “Are there rules for what happens when you tell someone you’re a werewolf?” The question came moments later.

“The supernatural society has existed side-by-side with humans forever.” She spoke softly. "In antiquity, there's the Greek myth of Lycaon, a man punished by being forced to live in wolf form, but as far as we know, he was a werewolf who transformed publicly, and because he was unknown, it became divine punishment. The Norse and Germanic peoples had a somewhat shamanic idea of ​​embodying the strength of an animal, and we assume that a berserker who turned into a wolf was a werewolf. In medieval Europe, there were many regions with wolves and packs of werewolves, and at the same time there was the problem of witches being persecuted, and historically, witches and wolves tended to form packs or villages of coexistence at that time. There were more witches, more werewolves, more vampires who lived in reasonable peace, but then the Catholic idea of ​​sin and curse began to persecute especially werewolves and witches. From what Wanda told me, in the 16th century there was a French man who was a psychopath and liked to kill people in wolf form. And when Romanticism came and Gothic literature appeared, the idea of ​​vampires..." "Witches, wolves, which are the most well-known in common human culture, became what they are today. Probably some werewolf told details to some human and then the myth was created.” Kate explained, and Yelena's mouth opened and closed.

“Vampires? There are vampires?” She asked, shocked.

“Yes, but they're not like the ones in Cult culture, they need blood, yes, but practically all of them have some human who donates blood to them.” She shrugged. “I don't know that much about them.” Kate said and cleared her throat. “I only ask that you don't comment on us, there are still some rare groups of “monster” hunters, I don't want to put the people of the city at risk.” She said, and Yelena's eyebrows furrowed deeply.

“I won't tell anyone.” She said quickly and in a very serious tone. “You said you still have silver in your body…” There was no question, but it was there.

“A few grams, trapped between the meninges, in the spinal cord, in the brain.” Kate spoke and cleared her throat. “Which explains a lot about why I’ve always had headaches and backaches, not to mention the tremors.” She pondered to herself. “But with the transformations, my body is slowly metabolizing, we assume it will take another year of consistent transformations for this to be removed. Agatha is keeping track.” She spoke gently.

“You mentioned hunters…” Yelena looked away for a moment.

“It’s nothing like Van Helsing, or an ancient order that hunts beasts, or anything like that, the church doesn’t act like that anymore, which helps a lot. But there are people who are heirs of hunters and the culture of killing monsters still exists, they are rare nowadays. And Rio told me that they are very unprepared and someone supernatural versus an ordinary human, it usually ends badly for the human.” Yelena nodded and cleared her throat.

“I need to ask this, if I don’t ask this, my therapy would be failing me.” The statement was accompanied by a small nervous laugh. “Am I in danger in some way?” She asked and Kate found it a very sincere question.

“No.” Kate spoke firmly. “Werewolves are very protective and I wouldn’t hurt you.” She spoke with furrowed brows.

“I mean hunters. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.” The statement caught Kate slightly off guard.

“I don’t think it’s really a problem, the hunters, it’s been more than three centuries since there have been consistent groups.” She spoke softly. 

“Does the full moon make you lose control or something? Is that some cult culture thing that I feel is wrong?” Yelena bit her lower lip slightly, and Kate looked at her for a moment.

“Imagine that between my human and wolf forms there’s a door, a door that I actively go through when I want to transform, or that sometimes — if it’s involuntary — opens.” She explained as Wanda had explained it to her. “On a full moon, the effort to open that door is practically nil, it’s always unlocked on a full moon. We call it the veil, the veil between wolf and human becomes thinner, which makes it easier for the animal and human forms to intertwine. But that’s all, I remain just as rational.” She made a short gesture with her hand.

“That’s very interesting.” Yelena seemed genuinely fascinated, and then she cleared her throat. “Wouldn’t it be easier to find another werewolf for a relationship?” The question didn’t sound brutal, but rather insecure.

“I like you.” Kate spoke firmly at first. “And wolves are rare these days, there aren’t many, and those that are born are within packs. I still haven’t discovered where lycanthropy comes from in my family, there’s no one we know who’s a werewolf. We’re researching.” She continued. “And I wouldn’t change anything about you, Yelena, you’re perfect as you are. Being a wolf or being human doesn’t change that.” The first touch on Yelena’s hand was soft, hesitant in itself, but their fingers intertwined.

“Would you have tokd me in the future if it weren’t for today?” The question came with her cheeks still slightly flushed from the compliment.

“Yes, I was waiting for things to become more solid, we’re still getting to know each other. Ideally, I would wait a few months to see how we would progress, but it happened now. Does that change anything for you?” Kate sounded slightly uncertain.

“No, well, yes.” Yelena spoke firmly and then gave a light laugh. “I really want to touch your wolf form, I find it fascinating. I’ve never been very close to wildlife medicine.” She said, and Kate gave a low laugh.

“Not sticking a thermometer in me is okay.” This made Yelena giggle and shake her head.

“Your joke from that day gets an extra layer of humor now. No, no thermometers.” Kate chuckled softly and nodded.

“I’ll be a good guinea pig.” She teased, and Yelena pushed her aside, and they both laughed lightly. When the laughter subsided, the blonde licked her lips slightly.

“I have confessions.” The blonde spoke softly, and Kate looked at her curiously. “Uh… Here.” Yelena then sat with her back to Kate and pulled her crop top off her body. She was wearing a plain black bikini top, but that wasn’t what caught Kate’s attention.

It was the tattoos.

There were smaller ones, which she allowed her eyes to take in the details. A small red star made only of lines, the double helix of DNA, and a red hourglass that, like the star, was only lines. And then next to it was something that Kate could say was almost an image of her wolf version. 

Kate stared at the design etched into the skin as if it were about to move at any moment. A black wolf, entirely shrouded in shadow, shared the space with geometric lines that seemed to break its face into fragments, as if half of it had been born from mathematics and the other half from wild instinct.

The eyes, two points of an electric blue, almost uncomfortably intense, shone from within the ink, hypnotic, as if looking directly at her, piercing through any defense.

Above, three pine trees stood like sentinels, and between them small moons, full and split, orbited in a silent dance. There was a contrast that held her attention: on one side, the controlled chaos of geometric shapes, circles, hexagons, and patterns reminiscent of beehives or broken crystals, on the other, the raw realism of the animal, its dark fur and firm, almost suspicious expression.

She swallowed hard, her hand rising without her thinking, slowly tracing the division between realistic wolf and geometric wolf, and she saw Yeena's skin prickle.

"How?" It was a silly question, if Kate were honest, but it was all she could think of and come up with.

"I can't say exactly..." Yelena replied softly. "I have recurring dreams about this wolf, always in a forest, always under a full moon, always the same black fur and blue eyes. I think what shocked me most about seeing you was the resemblance. It seemed like the recurring dream had become reality." Yelena spoke softly, and Kate frowned, trying to search her mind for something that wasn't as overly creative as what her writer's imagination could conjure up.

"And the other three?" She ran her finger along the hourglass, followed the contours of the DNA, and then the star.

“The hourglass is Natasha, it was the symbol of the military group she was part of when she turned 20. The star is my father, he always liked stars and the color red, and the DNA is my mother.” Yelena’s voice had indeed dropped an octave with Kate’s soft touch.

“When did you get the wolf?” She asked softly.

“It was my second tattoo, I started dreaming about it repeatedly when I was 19 or something like that, but if I think about it, the wolf had already appeared in dreams before. I’ve always had a little fixation on it since I was little.” Yelena pondered softly and Kate leaned in, resting her chin on the blonde’s shoulder to listen. “One day I asked my father for a design, he scribbled something similar to this, but it wasn’t right, the blue wasn’t right. It took us a while to find what I wanted. It’s my biggest tattoo.” She spoke gently and that’s when Kate noticed the small deer on the blonde’s nape.

“And this one? What does it mean?” It wasn't Kate's fingers that brushed against the tattoo on the nape of her neck, but rather her lips, and Yelena shuddered and gasped.

"Hope, renewal. The deer is almost always linked to cycles, renewal, spirituality, and openness to the future. It was the last one I got, after my abusive relationship ended." Yelena spoke softly, and Kate nodded against her.

"I have a very important question, Yel." Yelena nodded at this. "Can you look at me first?" And with that, the blonde turned around, and the two looked at each other. "You're the only non-supernatural person outside my pack who knows about me." The words were spoken delicately. "And my father, but we don't count on him." There was a nod from the blonde at this. "Anyway, you're the only one outside the circle that helps me who actually knows about this. The pack is like a family, they're people I see as family." Kate made a small grimace to herself. "I've written five books, and I'm going in circles." She muttered to herself. “The point, the point is… You knowing this, and even though it will hurt if that’s the answer, I’ll accept the no…” Kate stumbled again.

“Ask, Kate Bishop.” Yelena spoke not mockingly, but slightly amused.

“Do you still want to continue exploring what we have so far? Continue building something? I understand if the fact that I’m a werewolf is a problem, and if the answer is no, I’ll just ask that you keep it to yourself, I don’t want to put anyone at risk—” A finger of Yelena’s touched Kate’s lips and the two looked at each other.

“I even find it slightly gallant that you’re giving me an easy way out.” The blonde spoke and Kate froze. “But I pass on this opportunity to escape.” She continued softly. “I don’t care that you’re a werewolf, that’s a lie…” Yelena spoke and corrected herself, and Kate’s eyebrows rose. “I think it’s very cool and amazing.” Yelena’s cheeks flushed slightly. “But no, Kate Bishop, I don’t want to stop seeing you, getting to know you, and spending time with you. I think this has only added another layer that I find impressive and I want to understand more.” Kate felt a smile spread across her lips. “I want to know more about you, your wolf, your pack, the supernatural culture, and all of that. So yes, I want to keep seeing you, okay?” The blonde’s voice was soft, and Kate nodded. And there was this moment of prolonged silence between them.

“Can we go to your house?” Kate’s question sounded almost hurried, and Yelena looked at her in surprise. “This is a well-known cove, and I don’t want to expose myself too much, so you can see my wolf form, and I can kiss you.” She spoke, and Yelena laughed.

“Now, Kate Bishop, you’re speaking my language.” Yelena stood up with a wide smile. “Let’s go.”

*********

Kate sat motionless while Fanny diligently sniffed her. It was almost ridiculous to be in wolf form in Yelena's living room with Fanny inspecting her. Fanny's black snout was practically on Kate's neck, and there was this clear doubt in the Akita's expression about what the hell was going on there. But Yelena had gone to the bedroom to get a measuring tape, apparently, she very scientifically wanted to collect data, which made Kate laugh, but also patiently wait for the woman to return. And then, Fanny, who had been in the yard until then, entered through the doggy door and came face to face with Kate.

The dog first froze, then sniffed the air, and with Kate standing still, she moved forward and began to walk around Kate, sniffing, and now she was clearly sniffing as closely as possible. Her ears twitched slightly uncertainly, and it was as if Kate's scent was there, but the absence of the human figure that Fanny liked so much made her confused.

Fanny made a disgruntled sound and nudged Kate again, this time against her ear, and the black ear twitched slightly, making Kate whimper softly at how intrusive Fanny was being.

"Fanny, stop bullying Kate Bishop." Yelena spoke loudly, and it was almost hilarious how the Akita snorted, turned her back, and walked away. Kate looked at Yelena and then at the dog for a moment, tilting her head to the side. "A 53kg wolf, that's a huge dog." Yelena grumbled, and Kate rolled her eyes in wolf form, which made the blonde laugh. "Okay, now stand up." She ordered.

And Kate stood up, getting on all fours and yawning, then shaking her head slightly, and Yelena looked at her with amusement. Then the measuring tape was used, Yelena noted the measurements and looked impressed at the phone screen.

"Okay, you can return to human form." She said proudly, and Kate transformed back. “That’s very strange to watch.” She grumbled.

“Rio made a slow-motion video and it traumatized us all.” Kate pulled out her phone, selected the video, and handed it to Yelena, and the expression of horror was so genuine that she could only laugh.

“I never want to have that image straight from hell in front of me again.” And that made the brunette laugh with pure amusement.

“Completely horrible. Yes.” Kate said and licked her lips slightly.

When the two returned to the city and went to Yelena’s house, there was a collective movement for the two to get ready. Then Kate used the hallway bathroom for a quick shower, and Yelena went to her own room.

“So….” Kate cleared her throat. And that made Yelena, who was looking at the wolf’s measurements on her phone, raise her eyes and stare at the brunette. “You know how wolves mark places with pheromones in their urine and all that, right?” She didn’t let Yelena answer. “Werewolves mark with physical touch, my hands, my face, all skin-to-skin contact generates pheromone markers. It’s how many werewolves involuntarily mark a pack like theirs. There are affectionate touches that slowly mark people.” Kate cleared her throat slightly. “And for uh… couples. There are bites.” Yelena’s eyebrow rose in curiosity.

“Fiction style and mating bites?” The question made Yelena blush. “I’ve read things like that in stories.” She justified herself.

“It’s something like that, but without the non-conventional rampant need for marking, like in many things. But there’s still a marking. Me biting you here will mark you as mine.” She brushed her finger gently along Yelena’s trapezius muscle. “You biting me in the same place does the same for you. But unlike in fanfics, it’s not a bond of life where you die if I die and blah blah blah. That’s an exaggeration. But yes, a marking that serves especially as a notification for other shapeshifters. Wolves, nagas, kitsunes, Velka and Thalon. Who have more acute senses. And maybe vampires, but I don’t know about the latter.” She contemplated.

“Velka and Thalon?” The question echoed curiously, and Kate found it really amusing that Yelena focused on unexpected things. She could have asked about the bite, but her brain automatically went to something she didn’t know.

“Cats and birds, respectively, are more common in Europe, but Agatha said there’s a strong Velka community in Salem and a Thalon community in San Francisco.” Kate explained, and Yelena nodded. “But Europe is more common, especially Nordic countries, they are more isolated.”

“And this bite… hm…” Yelena began and pondered for a moment. “I like being bitten and marked, Kate… We’ve talked about it, and I… I don’t mind other shapeshifters knowing that I carry your scent and your marking. But I don’t want it to sound like I’m forcing a label we don’t yet have. I don’t know if that makes sense.” She spoke and gently played with a strand of hair.

“For the record, I really wish we were girlfriends.” Kate said and gave a small squeal when the blonde suddenly nudged her by the shoulders.

Unexpectedly, Kate found herself with Yelena sitting on her lap, one leg on each side of Kate, and the two looked at each other.

"I really want to be your girlfriend." The words rang out, and Yelena's smile was bright.

"Am I going to be promoted from fuck buddy to girlfriend?" The brunette joked, and Yelena threw her head back and giggled.

"You were never just a fuck buddy." The blonde said with a smile.

"I know." Kate said with an easy smile. "Girlfriends then?" She asked softly. Yelena smiled and nodded with a slow smile.

"First relationship where the proposal comes before sex, we're so conservative, Kate Bishop." The blonde teased lightly, and Kate playfully touched the hem of the blonde's t-shirt.

"I know we thought about it when we came here. But I don't want to hurt you because the veil is thin, and I don't have much awareness of the strength I possess in this situation." She said, and Yelena put her hands on Kate's shoulders and smiled.

“I know, I can wait, we’re adults.” Yelena said, rolling her eyes slightly, then leaned in to kiss Kate slowly.

The brunette’s hands went to the blonde’s ribs in a firm touch, fingers spread wider, slowly moving up and feeling each little valley and rise of the ribs, and this made a low moan sound from Yelena’s throat.

Their mouths parted and Yelena threw her head back, especially to pull Kate against the skin of her neck. And it was sensual, Kate’s already sensitive senses seemed to revel even more in Yelena’s scent, and their teeth grazed lightly.

“I can’t believe I’m going to have to wait more until I can suck on your piercings.” The brunette said dramatically, and there was a laugh mixed with a moan coming from Yelena.

“We can fix this.” The blonde whimpered as Kate lightly sucked on her collarbone, and then there was a hip thrust from Yelena against Kate. “Does it still count as waiting if I’m the one making all the effort and you’re just standing there?” The tone was foul.

“I’d say yes.” Kate grumbled, starting to pull Yelena’s shirt up, and as she went to get past her breasts, Kate’s head snapped back and looked at the front door with furrowed brows, which made Yelena look at her in confusion. “Natasha.” The information came, and Yelena grunted discontentedly.

“Fucking hell. I’ve never been a dick blocker for her, but again she’s being one for me. Three times. Three. Stay there.” Then there was the knock on the door, and Yelena pulled the shirt down and grunted in discontent. Kate just relaxed on the sofa and leaned back against the cushions. The door was forcefully opened, and this seemed to startle Natasha.

“My god, you walk around with your panties in a severe twist.” Natasha said with arched eyebrows.

“You keep stopping me from having sex, sestra.” The conversation took place as Yelena went back inside the house, and Natasha took a hesitant step inside, then she looked at Kate there, and the redhead's head went between the two.

"Hey Natasha." Kate spoke softly and tried not to feel self-conscious about the firm look she received.

"Wait, wait a minute, your fuck buddy is Kate Bishop?" The question came, and Kate, unlike Yelena who grimaced, just laughed about it. She found the nickname funny.

"I told you to stop using that nickname." Yelena's tone wasn't friendly, and she sat stiffly next to Kate. "And you need to stop laughing every time she says that." The comment to Kate was grumpy, and the brunette shrugged.

"I think it's funny." Kate said and leaned in, lightly brushing her nose below Yelena's earlobe. "Relax, I appreciate the protection, but it's honestly okay." She spoke softly and saw the shiver on Yelena's skin, and Yelena held back a small sigh.

“When did this start? You and Kate Bishop fucking.” The redhead asked, feeling like she was on thin ice when Yelena glared at her.

“You talk like things only need to be physical.” Yelena said, and Kate looked between her sisters, not wanting to get so deeply involved in the situation.

“It’s been years since you’ve dated anyone, I thought you were finally getting laid.” Natasha replied, shrugging. And she saw how Yelena’s body tensed.

“I think we clicked.” Kate chose to reply, and the redhead’s eyes focused on her. “Yelena is easy to talk to, she’s fun, she has the best smile ever and laughs at my jokes, I don’t think anyone needs much more than someone who appreciates her for who she is.” Kate spoke softly and saw how Yelena relaxed slightly. “I know it seems sudden, but we’ve been getting to know each other for a few weeks, and yes, I know, there was no information from her to you, but no offense, Natasha, it wasn’t your problem.” She saw how the redhead tensed.

“But is my relationship with Wanda your problem?” Kate wanted to poke her own eyes but sighed.

“It became my problem when Wanda was tearing her heart out because you were an idiot.” Kate spoke and saw Natasha’s eyebrows furrow. “The moment someone in my family is hurt, it becomes my problem. Just like if Yelena hurts me, it will become Wanda’s problem.” She then turned briefly to Yelena. “Please don’t do that, Wanda is scary.” She whispered, and Yelena shook her head slightly and laughed.

“I don’t plan on.” Yelena spoke softly. “But yes, sestra, Kate is right. I don’t need to go into all the details, but she and I clicked, and we work well, I’m happy.” Yelena spoke softly. “It’s not like last time.” The person who abused Yelena in the past.

“Yelena…” Natasha spoke softly.

“It’s completely different, there’s not the control that was there, Kate is kind.” There was a pause. Kate leaned in and kissed Yelena's cheek.

"I'll go to the backyard so you two can talk, okay?" She said gently. "If you need anything, I'm within earshot." It was a way for Yelena to know that even in the backyard, Kate could still hear the conversation, but it was also a way to get Natasha to open up about her concerns.

"Okay." Yelena said softly, and Kate got up and went to the kitchen, exiting through the back door. Fanny was there and approached with a canine smile.

"Hi, girl." Kate said softly, sitting on the deck and letting Fanny nestle between her legs in a loving gesture.

"Kate Bishop?" Natasha's voice was no longer shocked, but questioning.

"I like her." Yelena said, clearly defensive. "She's not like..." The absence of the name and the tense silence made Kate realize that it was again the much-mean ex.

"I hope not, sestra, you were heartbroken when it happened." Natasha said softly. “If you want to sleep with Kate Bishop—”

“We’re dating.” Yelena cut in, and there was silence. “We decided today that we’ll use the label of girlfriends.” She spoke again in a more insecure tone. “I really like her, Natasha.” Yelena spoke softly.

“Sestra…” Natasha began but was interrupted.

“I like her, I haven’t allowed myself to like anyone in recent years, I haven’t allowed anyone to get close, even more so… She broke through my defenses with a gentle smile, a caring soul, she’s thoughtful and takes care of me.” Yelena spoke, and Kate ran her hands more firmly through Fanny’s fur. Yelena knew she was listening. “She doesn’t say bad things about my body, my schedule, my job. She encourages me to eat, Natasha.” The tone was tiny, and Kate heard Natasha sigh. “She came when I asked, without hesitation, without asking, she just came.” And that was spoken, followed by silence.

“If she hurts you, I’ll hurt her.” It was a warning, just like the one Kate had given Natasha earlier.

“We don’t need another administrative process, seatra, you already have a stain on your record, we don’t need another one.” Kate frowned when she heard this, and Natasha sighed.

“It was deserved.” The tone was stubborn.

“Deserved or not, it delayed a possible promotion for years. I don’t want that again, the legal process and then the settlement were already too much trouble.” Yelena grunted and sighed. “And I don’t think that will happen to Kate.” She spoke sincerely.

“No awkward feeling this time?” The question came from Natasha softly, and Kate sighed slightly.

“No, I feel safe with her.” The sentence was followed by silence, as if it weighed heavily.

“Okay, bring your girlfriend inside home, I’ll try not to be a jerk.” Natasha seemed to have given in, and Yelena chuckled softly.

“You’re always a jerk.” The sentence came, and there was a snort. Fanny then relaxed against Kate, and the brunette gave a low laugh, with the dog practically sitting in her lap. Then she heard footsteps coming toward her, and Kate looked over her shoulder as the door opened. “Come in, Kate.” It was a soft call, and Kate tried to slowly stand up so Fanny could move.

“No?” She asked the dog and then chuckled softly, slipping her arm under Fanny and picking her up in exactly the same way she would carry Lucky or Phantom, with her front paws resting on Kate’s shoulder and her arm supporting her hind legs, and Fanny seemed to revel in being carried, her furry tail wagging rapidly.

“This is a ridiculous scene.” Natasha said with a slightly amused tone, and Kate shrugged.

“She didn’t want to get off my lap.” And with that, Kate sat up, with Fanny quickly adjusting to tuck her snout between the brunette’s neck and shoulder. “Lucky and Sparky do the same thing.” She indicated, shrugging.

“Your girlfriend smells like a dog, sestra.” It was a tease, a joke, but the reality of the statement was so blatant that Yelena laughed and Kate just shook her head, chuckling softly. The blonde’s laughter caught Natasha off guard, who seemed merely confused.

“I’m lucky she likes dogs.” Kate said playfully, and Fanny whined when Kate stopped scratching her back. “So demanding.” The brunette grunted and then looked at the cell phone on the table, hearing what Agatha called an electronic pre-ring signal, and she reached for her phone before it even rang. And a second later the phone started ringing. Rio’s name came up and she tilted her head to the side. “Hey, how are you?” The question was soft, Rio wasn’t a big fan of phone calls on normal days.

“Yes, I’m fine. But can you pick Nicky up from school? Agatha is in Eastview buying books and I came with her but…” There was a grunt. “Someone delayed the packing and we’re going to be late.” The tone was barking, and Kate heard a pathetic apology from a man in the background.

“Uh, sure. He’s leaving now, isn’t he?” Kate saw that it was almost six on the clock next to the television. “I’m in town, I’ll pick him up.” She spoke softly.

“Yes, thank you. He’ll stay with you at Wanda’s until we get home. I’ll text the principal to let her know.” Rio said with a sigh. “It’ll still take us an hour or two.” The tone was unhappy.

“It’s just me at home, I imagine my mother should arrive soon, but she had a virtual meeting with headquarters in Shanghai, so it might take a while because of the time difference.” Kate considered. “I’ll find something to entertain the little rebel.” This made Rio laugh.

“Thank you, Kate.” The tone was kind.

“Sure, no problem.” Kate said, and the two said goodbye, and she gently put Fanny aside and looked at Yelena. 

“You need to go.” It was a soft voice, not a demand.

“Nicky needs a responsible adult, it’s a crime to think I’m up to that.” This made Yelena laugh and roll her eyes.

“You adore the boy.” The response made Natasha look from one to the other.

“He’s the best little guy ever.” Kate said smiling and Yelena gestured to the door. “See you later, Natasha.” The tone was friendly and Natasha was practically sprawled on the living room armchair, with one foot on the coffee table, and just nodded, and Yelena walked with Kate to the door in leisurely steps. “He’ll probably want to run home.” She gestured to herself.

“Rodeo, I see.” Yelena joked. “Let me know when you get there, okay?” She asked and leaned in, kissing Kate gently on the lips.

“I’ll let you know, but I must warn you, the little rebel likes a bit of a mess, so maybe there will be cake crimes in Wanda’s kitchen.” This made Yelena chuckle softly. “I’m letting you know, have fun with Natasha.” She pecked Yelena’s lips.

“Have fun with Nicky, see you later.” And with that, Kate started walking towards Nicky’s school, leaving Yelena behind.

*********

“We’re going to play American football, in a fun way, at school tomorrow.” Teddy said as Kate stopped lifting the bar and took a moment to breathe.

“Okay?” Kate said, slightly out of breath, and looked at the boy. “Do you want me to cheer for you, Teddy?” She joked, and Teddy chuckled softly.

“No, actually I need a player.” This made Kate look at him curiously. “The opposing team is down a player, and it’s kind of a charity game, and it’s still a local one, to cheer up the kids and raise donations for next year’s school supplies.” Kate blinked at him a few times.

“Are you telling me that they have to do a charity event every year to raise money?” She repeated, and he nodded.

“We serve the entire Westview area and even smaller towns. It’s not a notoriously wealthy area, so yes…” He said softly.

“I understand. Well, I can make a donation.” She offered, and he made a puppy-dog face. “I’ll play, I’ll try not to hurt anyone. You know my strength is a bit off." she grumbled.

“Great! Thanks, Kate.” He said playfully, and then they went back to training.

Kate then took a quick shower in the gym’s locker room, and she and Teddy walked out together.

“Teddy, we’re going to do the interview, but I also promised to wait for Yelena to get out of the clinic. Can we do that at Bob’s restaurant?” The question was casual, and Teddy looked at her with furrowed brows.

“Yes, sure.” He said lightly. “Will she meet us there?”

“If she finishes before us, yes.” Kate said, putting her hands in her pockets. And walking with Teddy was easy. Unlike Billy, who was noisy, talkative, and lively, Teddy was quiet, calm, and even reserved. But he was still company that Kate greatly appreciated.

“Hi Kate, hi Teddy.” Bob said with a wide smile.

“Hey, Bob, how are you?” Kate asked, smiling. “We’re going to use the corner table, okay?” She then offered.

“Sure thing, coffee?” And there were a few sentences exchanged between the three, and Kate sat with her back to the door. She knew that if she kept looking at the door, it meant her attention would be on waiting for Yelena to arrive.

“So, Kate….” Teddy began to speak a moment later, in a serious posture, and this made Kate smile amusedly. “As the founder of the fan club, I want to thank you for agreeing to an interview, it’s been a few years, hasn’t it?” He asked shyly.

“I think it was four years ago?” Kate pondered, and Teddy smiled. And out of the corner of her eye, in the empty restaurant, Kate noticed that Ava and Bob were paying attention.

“We opened a question box and selected the most recurring ones…” he said and cleared his throat. “What has changed in your life since the last time we talked for the fan club?” He asked curiously.

“I think practically everything?” Kate gave a low laugh. “I moved to a different city, and coming to a smaller city completely changed my rhythm. I sleep better and consequently write better. If I'm being very honest, my personal life has taken a really nice turn for the better.” She said smiling, and he nodded. In general, Kate wasn't known for giving away many personal details, and she appreciated that he didn't insist, even though he now knew a lot about her personal life.

“The fan club has practically doubled its followers in recent years, we're very close to hitting the one million mark. Last time you were surprised by the numbers, does it still surprise you?” He asked curiously.

“I always find myself shocked at how my books have hit an unusual curve for LGBT literature. Today I’m considered a successful author with 1.3 million copies sold. And knowing that you guys in the fan club are close to reaching 1 million followers terrifies and delights me at the same time. But it’s still kind of utopian, I often feel like just the fanfic author who started writing something she wanted to read very early on.” She shrugged shyly and Teddy nodded with a smile.

“And I hope the numbers increase.” He spoke clearly cheerfully. “We recently did a fanart campaign, small fan-made reels of scenes from the books, and you kindly gave the winners a special edition of your first book.” He slowly built up the question. “What’s it like to have this kind of attention?” She noticed how Bob and Ava were paying attention, but it was the sound of the door opening and the smell of Yelena that caught Kate’s attention.

“Hey, Yel.” She spoke when she heard some footsteps, and Kate heard the amused snort, but the blonde still put her arms around Kate's shoulders and rested her chin on the brunette's head.

"Did I take too long?" The question was kind, and Teddy answered.

"No, actually, we're just getting started." He said, and Yelena then sat down next to Kate and smiled at Teddy. "Kate?" He asked softly.

“Right the answer, hmmm .” She thought for a minute. “I like the attention this way, the drawings, the animations, the fanfics, I think overall we’ve managed to build a very safe community. So it’s always rewarding to see how people appreciate my work and I always try to value the efforts. So please don’t stop tagging me in things, I may not comment often but I always like them.” She spoke sincerely and Teddy gave a small laugh.

“You even reposted the meme they made about Lys, Percy and Katry meeting.” He joked.

“I love that meme, it’s saved as a little treasure in my personal file. I always laugh.” She said amused.

“Which meme?” Yelena asked curiously and it was Kate, not Teddy, who pulled out her cell phone and showed the saved image and Yelena gave an amused snort. “That meme, yes, I love that meme.” Yelena said smiling and took Kate’s coffee to take a sip.

“Now about the fans, are there any unexpected messages?” He asked curiously.

“I think there always is.” Kate scratched her chin slightly. “Earlier this year, someone sent me a video of a marriage proposal. This girl, Jess, did a series of reels talking about how her girlfriend was a fan of the books, so she showed the whole process of creating a little place like in Prata for the proposal. And she talked about how imagination transcends barriers, and it was amazing.” She said, smiling. “I sent them a wedding gift.” Kate shrugged slightly.

“That’s sweet of you.” Yelena spoke softly.

“I think it’s very important that artists, with their abilities, of course, support their fans. Mine are a loyal audience, I have people who followed me from fanfiction to my first book. And that’s special to me. I’ve made friends in other countries with my older readers, and I try to support them. I may not be as present as I’d like, but I try to repost things, I try to answer comments, and be present without it interrupting my private life. It took about two years teaching them what was okay and what wasn’t, but most of my readers today know what I’m like.” She spoke calmly.

“And what inspires you today?” Teddy asked curiously, it was a question that always had varying answers.

“I think that along with the changes in city and lifestyle, I’ve had a significant change in how my family nucleus is composed, how today I have influences from incredible women and incredible guys who help me be better than I was. And hearing their stories, seeing their little mannerisms, understanding the dreams, desires, and wishes of these people who, even though so recently included in my life, are very important to me, is something that inspires me a lot. I can count on sincere opinions and kind words, something I’ve always valued a lot. I don’t know if there’s a greater inspiration than feeling valued and loved.” The words echoed softly, and she saw Yelena give a gentle smile.

“I think all we want is to feel loved and valued.” Teddy spoke in a very gentle tone.

“It should be kind of a natural function of the LGBT community to shelter, love, protect. We suffer so much prejudice in so many different ways. Sometimes it’s painful to see that there’s prejudice within the community itself. Non-binary, bisexual, trans people, all suffer prejudice inside and outside the community. And I, as an artist, as an author, as an example on some level, want everyone to feel welcome.” Kate’s response made Yelena’s hand go to her wrist, and the brunette looked at the blonde with a small smile.

“As a gay guy, I can say that regardless of whether your books are about a lesbian couple, there’s a lot of representation within them. And the beautiful construction of relationships has always made me feel a warm feeling in my chest. I say for myself that the universes you create are a safe place for me.” He spoke, and Kate held both of Teddy’s hands, without saying anything, just giving him a smile. She knew there were problems between Teddy and his family, in the last interview, the boy had told her about it, and now, with the friendship they had, she had more details. "Is there any advice you'd like to give to the younger fans?" This made Kate rest her elbow on the table and her face in her hand, letting out a small, thoughtful hum.

"My advice is that everything will be okay." Kate spoke in a soft tone. "Even when everything seems really bad, really dark and confusing, everything will be okay. That they believe in themselves, that they lean on those they love, and that yes, everything will be okay. There are no ready-made answers, unfortunately, but believing that everything will be okay is something that has carried me for many years and is still a recurring thought whenever something is not good, I repeat that everything will be okay." There was a worried look from Teddy, and Kate heard Yelena's heart race slightly. "A light question now?" She offered, and Teddy gave a small, nervous laugh.

“Okay, let’s get into the lighthearted question zone.” He joked, trying to steer the mood of the situation higher. “Do you prefer a quiet night at home or going out for an adventure?” He asked playfully.

“I think an adventure followed by a quiet night. Or a quiet day and a nighttime adventure. I like exploring the world, now I have hiking partners so I can go for walks in the forest and that’s a lot of fun. I like nature. So let’s say I prefer adventures in nature followed by quiet moments. It’s all about balance.” She replied playfully, and Yelena gave a small snort and rolled her eyes, which made Kate smile at her.

“And your comfort food, is it still cake?” Teddy asked curiously.

“Chocolate. Yes. Time has only made me wiser in choosing good chocolates for my cake.” And that made Teddy laugh.

“The best cake.” Yelena muttered softly, and Kate heard because of her wolf hearing, and she lightly bumped her shoulder against Yelena in a teasing gesture.

“I chose this question because I thought it was funny.” Teddy said, clearing his throat. “What’s the strangest habit you have that nobody would guess?” He asked, and Kate blinked a few times.

Digging in soft earth in the shape of a wolf, sitting in the middle of town trying to identify smells, counting the heartbeats of the people she can focus her hearing on.

Kate cleared her throat, blushing slightly, and she saw Teddy’s amused look. Then she looked at Yelena, and the blonde seemed curious.

“It depends on what we consider weird.” She said awkwardly. “I’m a slightly weird person, but recently I’ve been trying to catch up on reading Agatha Christie’s collection and failing miserably at guessing who the killer is.” She said in a slightly dramatic tone.

“It’s practically impossible to guess who the killer is.” Teddy grumbled.

“Yelena got the last two right.” Kate said, and Teddy looked at the blonde.

“What? It was obvious.” She grumbled, and Kate laughed amusedly.

“Only for you and your genius, we normal people can’t get it right.” Kate teased, and Yelena grunted.

“You can write universes, and I discover book killers. Sounds like a good deal.” She said with a dramatic sigh.

“Yes, please don’t steal my writing assignment, it’s one of the few things I’m good at.” She whined, and Yelena glared at her.

“Be kind to yourself, Kate Bishop.” The little scolding came, and the two looked at each other.

“Yes, ma’am, my lady.” The reply, delivered with a smile, made Yelena chuckle softly.

“Idiot.” She whispered, and Kate lightly nudged Yelena’s ribs. Then the brunette looked at Teddy again.

“You two are cute.” Teddy said with an easy smile. “But Kate… Do you feel like you’ve changed a lot since you started getting public recognition?” He asked curiously.

“I wish I could say I get a lot of recognition, but no, I don’t. It happens when I go to other cities, the gay community in San Francisco is very present when I do promotion there, then there’s the gay community in L.A. But usually the recognition comes from people going to book events. My mom usually says we’re too ordinary to suffer brutal recognition, but when it happens, it’s usually simple, someone wants a photo, an autograph, a minute of conversation. My fans are great and very special.” She spoke sincerely. There have never been any real problems.

“Uh…” Teddy read the question and hesitated. “What have you learned about yourself in the last few years that has surprised you the most?” He said and then added. “We don’t need to talk about that…” He suggested, and Kate understood and appreciated his consideration for this very intimate moment in her life.

“I can answer that.” Kate said softly. “In the last few months I’ve learned a lot about myself, and inevitably that makes us change. I feel more comfortable in my own skin, more secure with myself, and especially happier. The changes in my personal life have been positive for my relationship with myself. I have an amazing family, wonderful relationships that I’m building, more friends, more people, and especially nowadays I have a peace with myself that I’m experiencing for the first time in almost 30 years.” She spoke softly and felt Yelena’s hand against hers in a gentle, affectionate touch.

“So, if I asked you to describe your life today in three words, what would they be?” He asked with an easy smile.

“Peace, recognition, and healing.” Kate spoke softly, and Teddy gave a gentle smile.

“All we need, isn’t it?” He said, and Kate nodded. “The silly interview question is, when was the last time you laughed until you were breathless?” He asked playfully.

“I have someone in my life who, if they weren’t a veterinarian, would be a comedian.” She said and winked at Yelena. “I laughed this morning at a photo I received that, if I think about it a little more, I’ll start laughing.” She started laughing and cleared her throat, and Yelena blushed.

“That’s always good to hear.” He said playfully. “And our classic last question, is there anything you’d like to tell the fans directly?” He asked, and it was a chance for spoilers.

“I’ll be opening a poll in December, on the release date of Gold, for a very important poll that may or may not define Lysthea’s future.” She said and tried to keep a serious expression when Teddy’s mouth opened and closed. Then the recorder was turned off, and he blinked a few times.

“What does that mean?” He asked, his eyes wide.

“I can’t say, I promised not to give Yelena any spoilers.” She said seriously, and Teddy groaned.

“That’s mean.” He complained.

“I’m known for being cruel.” Kate said, and there was a double grunt from Teddy and Yelena.

“You’re the sweetest creature in the universe.” Teddy said, and Yelena nodded.

“Cruelty isn’t part of your personality, I’d say angst is.” Yelena said, and Kate gave an amused laugh.

“It’s something I’m struggling to decide, both options are good, the fans will decide.” She shrugged. “Was that it, Teds?” The question was gentle, and he nodded.

“Yes, yes. I’ll see you at the game, okay?” He said playfully. “I need to go home and also call Billy.” He said, scratching his chin.

“Want company home?” Kate offered Yelena, who nodded. “Okay, the coffees are paid for, and I’ve done my professional task for today.” Teddy chuckled softly at this, and the three stood up. And that's when Kate noticed Ava's heavy gaze on her. She tilted her head slightly to the side and felt Yelena's hand pulling hers to help her walk. "Bye Bob, Ava." She said politely, and then the three walked away from the restaurant. Teddy went in the opposite direction as Kate and Yelena started walking.

"I need to make a confession." The blonde spoke softly, and this made Kate look at the blonde.

"A naughty confession?" The question was asked playfully, and Yelena laughed.

"No, no." Yelena seemed slightly uneasy, and Kate gave her time to speak. "Ava is my ex." The sentence made Kate stop walking and look at the blonde with arched eyebrows, her mouth opening and closing. She looked back towards the restaurant and then again at Yelena. There were many feelings.

Kate didn't know all the details of how bad it was, but she wasn't stupid, she picked up on details, and there were the things Yelena had told her in private. Kate opened and closed her mouth and then cleared her throat.

"Let's talk at your house, okay?" She spoke softly, and then the two started walking. She saw that Yelena was tense, but they were still a few blocks away. The next six minutes were a little tense and strange, if Kate was honest. She could smell the panic slowly settling in Yelena, but still, Kate was somewhat shocked, and the minutes of walking were good for her to quiet her mind for a moment.

Fanny greeted the two with joy, and yet, Kate saw how tense and restless Yelena was. She followed the woman with her eyes, seeing how the unease was settling in even before Kate could say anything.

"So..." The speech was paused, trying to be relaxed about it, and she saw how Yelena tensed up. "Ava is your ex." She stated the fact, and Yelena looked to the side. "Can I have some context, dear?" The affectionate nickname made Yelena's shoulders relax slightly.

“When Natasha and I moved here, I had just graduated, Natasha had left the army. Things were a little strange, maybe, the city was smaller back then - yes, that's possible - and being bisexual here is a bit difficult, maybe.” The blonde spoke softly. “I met Bob, who had recently inherited his parents' restaurant, and with him came Ava. I was 26, the world was still a bit silly, I think. And I was innocent.” Kate nodded at this. Yelena had just turned 32 and she knew that the previous relationship had lasted a while. “Things with Ava were… Fast, incendiary in a way that Natasha tried to warn me at the time wasn't good. She had many red flags that I ignored, in innocence, in foolishness, and even manipulation on her part.” Yelena spoke, holding her hands lightly.

“I told you, darling, you were the victim, it's not your fault.” She spoke softly and saw Yelena look at her.

“With Ava came a lot of control. And to relieve the pressure she put on me, we moved in together after only a few months of dating.” She spoke softly. “And that derailed the situation even more, the control through messages and calls became control inside the house. I was emotionally punished for wanting things, or doing things.” She spoke softly.

“Like what?” Kate asked in a tone that was a mixture of concern with furrowed brows and the inherent curiosity of a human being.

“You know about the food part, I didn’t eat sweets because she said I would get fat and with that came the ‘nobody will want you but me’. The ordinary manipulation of the psyche.” Yelena spoke and Fanny snuggled against the blonde, offering support. “Sex was something that became almost torture on some level, it only happened when she wanted, the way she wanted and I always ended up being left out, it wasn’t about me, or about us, but about her.” Kate’s eyebrows furrowed at this. “There was the gaslighting about my work, about her hating that I could go out in the middle of the night to help animals, or accusations that I was giving too much attention to the owners. It was always difficult.” She paused, and Kate opened and closed her mouth, searching for something to say.

“Was there anything good about it?” The question echoed so softly that Kate could barely hear herself.

“Phantom and Bob.” Yelena shrugged. “Ava adopted Phantom in an attempt to please me about a pet, he’s older than Fanny, Fanny came later.” She spoke softly. “And Bob strongly condemned what Ava did to me, they have a very tense relationship when it comes to me.” She spoke and sighed.

“I… Did she physically hurt you too?” The question came dryly, but Kate’s eyebrows were still furrowed, and her hands were slightly clenched.

“Sometimes.” The whisper came, and Kate felt a tightness in her chest, the growl that escaped her was much more visceral and uncontrolled. The wolf was furious, she was furious. She stood up with a growl.

"I'm going to kill her." The tone wasn't friendly, and she saw how Yelena's eyes widened, and then the blonde's hand grabbed Kate's wrist, pulling her to sit down, and Kate looked at her, seeing the apprehension there, the fear, and like a dog that had been scolded, Kate's posture shrank, trying to make herself smaller, less threatening somehow. "Sorry, I don't mean to scare you." She spoke softly, and there was a moment when Kate took a deep breath.

"The wolf?" Yelena asked softly.

"I..." The brunette stammered and turned to Yelena, then touched the blonde's face carefully. "It hurts me to know that you were hurt like that, that there was this mistreatment, this lack of respect and care for you." She spoke softly, looking at Yelena with affection. “My wolf is protective, he wants to protect you, it especially wants to hurt whoever hurt you. But this tooth-for-tooth reaction comes from the immaturity of my control over my wolf, a consequence of the late connection as it is.” She gently brushed the tips of her fingers across Yelena’s face. “You are perfect as you are, Yel, with qualities, flaws, human, and perfectly perfect in your imperfections. You shouldn’t be deprived of what makes you happy, of sweets, of your work, of your choices, of sex where you want your pleasure to be the main focus.” Her tone was low. “Ava is an idiot.” She grunted and waited a moment to ask something she wanted to know. “How did it end?” Kate asked softly.

“With me ending up in the hospital with her hurting me, nobody believed that she, poor thing, had hurt me. Only Natasha, but that was the end. She left to prevent Natasha from killing her, my sister has a great punch, I must say, after all the legal trouble that ended in a settlement I was able to live in peace.” The tone was soft, embarrassed. Kate heard Yelena's small, emotional tone.

"I'm so sorry, darling, I promise to protect you with all my heart." Kate spoke softly, unsure of what to say, but it felt like the right thing to do.

"And she automatically hates you." Yelena rolled her eyes, and Kate raised her eyebrows. "Bob is a big gossip and he accidentally told her that you and I are close, and today we were both at the restaurant. Ava is many things, but she's not stupid, she'll find out we're together." Yelena spoke without hesitation.

"Well, because I'm not going to hide you, I'm not going to diminish us because of an idiot. If she wants to hate me, so be it, I recently discovered that I can hit really hard, if she tries to hurt you again she'll find out." Kate spoke in a very firm tone, and Yelena sighed.

"She'll be on the team tomorrow, try not to kill her." The request was made without much force, and Kate grunted slightly.

“No promises. What a fucking jerk.” She muttered, and Yelena looked at her with a mixture of fascination and amusement. Then she moved to sit on Kate’s lap without much hesitation and looked the brunette in the eyes.

“Would you hurt her in my name, Kate Bishop?” She asked softly.

“If I find her in the forest and I’m in wolf form, I’ll make her pee herself.” Kate promised with a grunt, and Yelena sighed.

“Don’t put yourself at risk. I’ve spent days convincing Natasha to leave the wolves we found alone.” She spoke softly. “Don’t put the pack at risk because of my idiot ex.” The words weighed heavily, and Kate felt the weight of it echo, and Kate’s tense shoulders slumped.

“You’re right.” She spoke a moment later and sighed. And the acceptance seemed to surprise Yelena. “I won’t do anything unless she does something first. If she tries anything against anyone in my pack, I’ll react.” Kate spoke softly. “She’s certainly no more terrifying than a bear.” This made Yelena’s eyebrows arch.

“A… Bear…” There was a lip-licking.

“Rio and I found a bear the day we found you two in the forest. We fell rolling in front of it while playing tag. The bear reacted defensively, and Rio and I reacted defensively. There was no conflict, but the size of that beast was terrifying.” Kate grumbled.

“Kate Bishop, you need to be careful in the forest.” Yelena scolded firmly, and Kate blinked a few times.

“I’m sorry?” She offered. “I promise to be more careful?” She offered again.

“Please.” Yelena’s tone was soft, and then there was a long yawn from the blonde. “God, I’m sorry, today was a complicated day.” She spoke in a slightly sleepy tone.

“How about we eat something and you take a shower and then we go to sleep?” Kate offered softly. “Or better yet, I’ll make something for dinner while you take a shower.” She stated easily.

“No, I don’t want to bother you.” Yelena frowned uneasyly.

“It’s not work, I want it.” And with the ease of a werewolf who had finally regained her strength and energy, Kate stood up, which made Yelena give a playful little squeal and giggle. “I’ll take you to the bathroom.” She said provocatively, and Yelena clung to her with amusement.

“Kate, I can walk!” It was a playful tone, amidst laughter, and Kate ignored the comment, making heavy footsteps with her mouth and carrying Yelena to the bedroom. But Kate stopped at the door and gently placed the blonde’s feet on the floor.

“Delivered.” She said playfully.

“I thought you were going to leave me in the bathroom.” Yelena teased, running her hand over Kate’s collarbones in amusement.

“I haven’t been invited in yet.” The teasing came back, and Yelena rolled her eyes.

“You’re a werewolf, not a vampire from Vampire Diaries.” Yelena grumbled and pushed the door open. “I’ll even let you stay in the bathtub with me—” The words were sensual and ended in another yawn, which made Yelena look at Kate with slightly red cheeks.

“Tempting, but you smell hungry and tired. Go take your bath and meet me in the kitchen. I’ll have food.” She made a dramatic gesture as if she were a villain from a story. “And the plan will be complete muhahaha.” And that made Yelena snort and laugh playfully with a wide smile on her face. “I’ll feed you and we can cuddle.” The falsely evil tone continued and Yelena laughed again.

“Okay, you convinced me, it’s cold and you’re warm.” The blonde said, entering the room. “I won’t be long.” She offered.

“Take all the time you need, I’ll wait for you while I convince Fanny that I’m cooler.” She teased, and Yelena snorted playfully.

“Impossible.” She spoke, closing the bedroom door, and Kate laughed, moving to the kitchen.

Yelena was a person of healthy habits, so preparing the salad with the vegetables, leaves, and greens that were there was very easy. Kate cut some cubes of white cheese to put along with it and small pieces of toast. 

And even though Kate wasn't a very skilled cook, she knew how to make a good Alfredo pasta, so starting to create the meal was easy. Fanny was sitting in the middle of the kitchen, watching attentively and reacting every time Kate spoke to her.

"Is she trying to bribe you?" The question made Kate look from the stove to the door, and the brunette opened her mouth, feeling speechless. "Kate?" The call came, and Kate cleared her throat.

"You're wearing a very thin tank top and no bra." It wasn't a complaint, but an observation.

"You can see the piercings, can't you?" Yelena teased, and Kate grunted.

"Unfair, unfair that I still can't suck on them." She said, complaining, and Yelena chuckled softly.

"I'm so sorry to be on my period." she said awkwardly.

“Don’t apologize for something natural.” Kate said calmly. “I’m dramatic, but yes, I can see the piercings and they’re nice.” Kate sighed dramatically. “I’ll continue making dinner like the poor werewolf I am.” She said, and Yelena laughed, approaching.

“Poor? You’re practically a millionaire.” She said in a mocking tone and approached Kate, kissing the brunette’s cheek. “Thank you for making dinner.” It was soft and gentle.

“I know, you want me for my money, body heat, and cake-making skills.” Kate said in a light tone, and Yelena laughed.

“Damn, she figured out my plan.” The two looked at this and laughed amusedly.

“Go sit down, problem, I’ll serve the food. Get the salad from the fridge and something you want to drink. Uh… I’ll drink water, I haven’t drunk enough water today.” She grumbled to herself, and Yelena made a sound of easy acceptance.

Dinner was a lighthearted affair, with Yelena mostly talking about her day and Kate asking questions about what was being said. It was sweet to watch the blonde excitedly chatting about work, animals, and sharing little anecdotes from her day. When the dishes were put in the dishwasher and they settled down after brushing their teeth for bed, Kate just sighed, feeling Yelena snuggle against her.

"You're so warm." The blonde whispered against Kate's neck and sighed as the brunette's hands moved down her back.

"I'm your personal warmer." Kate teased softly, and Yelena chuckled slightly.

"I like it when you say you're mine." The confession came in a sleepy tone.

"Well, I like saying I'm yours." Kate said and kissed Yelena's forehead affectionately. "Goodnight, darling."

"Goodnight, baby." And it took minutes for Kate to feel Yelena's breathing slow down and her heart beat slowly in a deep sleep.

*********

"Excited for the game?" Wanda's voice was soft as she sat across from Kate with face paints, wetting a thin brush to draw a small, colorful mask on Kate that would be used as a team determiner — whatever that meant. Since everyone would be wearing black and white, Kate was wearing a black T-shirt and white pants — crazy, in her opinion, to wear white.

"Eh, whatever, really." Kate spoke sincerely, and that made Wanda look at her with amusement. "I'll donate, my mom will donate as Bishop Security. American football was never really my thing to watch or even think about playing. It wasn't something my sick self thought: wow, I really want to do this someday. You know?" She shrugged. "But it's for charity. You guys will be there, Rio will be on the other team, so at least I know I won't kill one person. And I'll try not to kill Yelena's ex." She snorted the last part, and Wanda stopped moving the brush lightly and looked at Kate.

"She told you about Ava, hm?" The tone was soft. “Yelena didn’t talk about it for a long time, we know it was bad. Did she tell you how bad it was?”

“For the most part, yes, she told me that she was hospitalized because Ava hurt her, but there weren’t any sordid details, so to speak. Yelena had already opened up a very closed part of herself, which was this abusive relationship. I didn’t want to push her or be overly curious.” Kate spoke sincerely, and Wanda nodded.

“It wasn’t pretty. I was starting a friendship with Natasha. We were together at her house when Yelena called to say she was going to the hospital in Eastview. It was… Bad. I went along because that’s what friends do. Yelena was hurt. There were exams, there was conversation with the police, but it didn’t really yield results. Yelena wanted to let it all go and stop Natasha from killing Ava. We respect that, but we’re still careful. Ava, in general, isn’t very well-liked in the city.” Wanda said and went back to painting.

“I wonder why…” Kate’s sarcastic tone made Wanda laugh.

“And you… You slept at her house the day before yesterday, didn’t you?” The question was curious.

“Yes, but she wanted company, her hormones were a little crazy because of the end of her menstrual cycle.” She shrugged. “Still no sex.” The sigh Kate gave made Wanda laugh amusedly. “But what about you and Natasha?” she asked curiously.

“We will talk today after the game. I feel less furious, more able to talk.” She shook her head slightly and then indicated the mirror. “There, you’re ready to represent the crows of Westview.” The tone was playful.

“At least they’re not the lambs. That would be ironic.” And that made the redhead laugh.

And with that, Kate went downstairs and got into Eleanor’s car. Wanda would go with Billy and Kate with Eleanor, for some reason.

“Why are we going in two cars?” She asked curiously.

“Billy will use Wanda’s car, so two cars.” Eleanor explained calmly. "When am I going to be introduced as Yelena's girlfriend's mother?" she asked suddenly, and Kate coughed slightly.

“Soon. I’ll probably spend the night with her this weekend, and tomorrow we’ll both go home for lunch.” Eleanor nodded.

“Great, I don’t want to have to corner you.” Kate stopped and looked at her mother with amusement, and Eleanor laughed. But the drive to the school’s soccer field was uneventful.

Teddy was an assistant teacher there, he helped with physical education classes while he was still finishing his degree, and it was good. It was good for Teddy, who loved children, and for the children, who had such a kind role model as Teddy.

“It’s a shame there’s so little investment in this school.” Kate said as she and Eleanor got out of the car.

“Yes, but I’m talking to the investors at Bishop Company about investing here.” Kate nodded, she knew there had been an administrative division of the company, Eleanor was chosen to manage all the organizations outside of North America, that is, the Bishop Company, and Derek was left with the largest companies, the technology and development branch, Bishop Security and Bishop Tech, which were mostly based in the US and Canada. This made her father happy and especially the investors happy. Derek was the engineer and Eleanor the administrator, it was always this combination that made money and divorced or not, none of the shareholders wanted to let Eleanor go.

"Did you manage to convince Pepper to leave you alone with the idea of ​​you coordinating Stark's operations?" She asked, walking beside her mother and seeing a man with a broken arm, sitting in the stands and looking at the field, and something about that man made her stop for a moment.

"Pepper will never stop, she wants to administratively kidnap me." Eleanor said, and then the pack began to approach.

"Hey, what are we looking at?" Rio asked curiously and followed Kate's gaze. “Ah, that’s Wally, he’s not much of a talker. I think we’ve exchanged two or three polite sentences in the last ten years.” She commented casually.

“He’s trying to tie his shoe.” Kate said with furrowed brows. And she saw how Yelena and Natasha approached.

“Hey.” Yelena spoke softly and Kate looked away from Wally and looked at Yelena.

“Hey, darling.” The tone was soft and affectionate and Yelena blushed slightly. “Hey, I’ll be right back, okay?” She offered, already moving, and she felt the group follow Kate as she walked over to Wally.

Wally was a somewhat worn-looking man, he wore slightly baggy clothes and seemed thin, and his broken arm didn’t seem to help his current situation much, his brown hair was sprinkled with gray streaks and he was clearly frustrated trying to tie his shoe.

“Hey, can I help you with that?” Kate offered suddenly and the man’s eyes went up to look at Kate and he seemed awkward.

“I don’t want to bother you.” He said shyly.

“It’s no bother, I’m offering. Let me help you tie your shoes.” She offered with a slight smile, and Wally nodded, still awkwardly. And Kate bent down to tie his shoes calmly. “I’m Kate. Kate Bishop.” She offered as she stood up.

“Wallace Xavier.” He said, offering his unbroken hand, and Kate accepted without hesitation, and that’s when she had that very specific feeling she had when she was near Cho or Rio or Cindy. She frowned and sat down next to Wallace so she could speak close to him.

“You’re a shapeshifter.” She said softly, and she saw how he tensed. “I’m a wolf.” She offered, and saw how he looked at her and then at the field.

“Velka.” He offered softly. “I noticed that you and Dr. Belova smell alike.” He said shyly. “She took care of me a few times in feline form, she’s kind and willing to take care of stray cats.” He spoke awkwardly. “Things are tough financially, you can imagine…” Wally continued.

“People are kinder to animals than to other people, hm.” Kate spoke softly and he nodded. “I’m sorry Wallace, the world can be a bit of a cruel place. But Yelena knows me, she would help you even without being a feline.” The conversation flowed smoothly and gently. “I also needed help, there’s a good community here, I can help you integrate if you want.” She offered and he swallowed hard.

“That would be nice, my family…” He stammered and sighed. “There were three of us, we lived far from here and one day my daughter had an involuntary transformation and well… My wife tried to protect her from humans and…” She didn’t need to hear everything to fill in the gaps. “I came here after that and I feel kind of lost these last few years, losing them…” Kate’s hand went to Wallace’s shoulder in a friendly gesture.

“I’m so sorry. I can’t fix this, even if I wish I could, but I can… I can be your friend if you’ll accept, Wallace.” She spoke, and there was this moment of connection, a kind act like Kate always tried to give to others that seemed to resonate deeply in a wounded soul.

“That would be nice, Kate, I don’t have many friends.” He spoke softly.

“Great, come on, let’s go with my pack, they’re nice. Just, uh, the smaller redhead doesn’t know about us completely.” She said, indicating the group, and Wally stood up shyly. And with that, the two began to walk towards the group, who were intrigued by the situation. “Hey guys, this is Wally, he’s going to sit with us.” Kate said, and there was a moment that sounded like a silent ‘why’. “What’s the expression, birds of a feather flock together?” She spoke firmly, and Wanda was the first to realize that Wally was supernatural.

“Sounds good, come on, Wally. Grab a soda, let’s watch these crazy guys play ball. Kate Bishop, you need to go to the field.” She pointed to where the teams were. “And you too, Rio Vidal.” She scolded them, and the two werewolves looked at each other.

“Geez.” Rio said playfully and kissed Agatha’s cheek. Nicky was with the school kids in a cheerleading squad near the field.

“I’ll go with you, I’m the field medic. What a stupid idea.” Yelena said, rolling her eyes, and then the three started walking. “He’s a…” The blonde asked between silences, and Rio looked at the two of them.

“Velka.” Kate spoke softly, and there was a hint of recognition from Rio, who looked between the two women and nodded.

“Lonely?” Rio’s question was as gentle as Kate’s words.

“His family was murdered in another city, and he’s kind of lost.”  Kate spoke softly, and there was a slight moment of tension in Rio's shoulders.

"Damn it, I never paid attention, fuck, I'm upset with myself." Rio grunted and shoved her thumbs into the waistband of her pants, moving angrily toward the field. And Kate sighed.

"You took care of him a few times in the past." Kate whispered to Yelena, who looked at Kate with furrowed brows.

"Oh…" There was a hint of surprise. "I wouldn't know."

"I don't think he wanted you to know, but I told him you'd help, no matter what." She spoke gently.

"Of course, we only have one doctor in this town, and he's usually out and about, if someone needs help I'll help." Yelena grumbled.

"Okay, let's be kind to Wally, he's been through a lot from what I could tell." Yelena nodded at this.

"Okay, I'll sit with the coach, try not to kill anyone." She said smiling. “We don’t want to have to send people to Eastview Hospital.” She spoke softly.

“Of course, I’ll do my best. I promise to try.” The two stopped and looked at each other. “A good luck kiss.” Kate playfully pointed to her own cheek. Yelena rolled her eyes, and then came the moment of greatest proof for Kate that Yelena wasn’t embarrassed by the two of them or afraid of Ava’s reaction.

The blonde’s hands went to Kate’s cheek, avoiding touching the painted part, and she playfully pecked Kate’s lip, and the two looked at each other for a moment.

“Good game, don’t kill yourself.” The blonde pushed Kate lightly, and the brunette saluted the blonde, who just giggled.

“Yes, Captain, my Captain.”  She spoke cheerfully and moved to the team, made up mostly of parents of the students. Teddy was on the opposing team, and so was Rio.

She quickly made friends with a few people and felt Ava's eyes, who was at the back of the field with Bob on the other team. She didn't seem very happy, but Bob waved to Kate cheerfully, something Kate easily reciprocated.

Then the coach and physical education teacher walked to the middle of the field and blew his whistle, which made everyone stop talking and look at him. He gestured for everyone to come closer, and it was a mixed-gender sports field, so it was marked with paint so that the game at that moment would be understood. Teddy had said that all grass sports were played there.

“Alright, everyone, pay attention for a second!” Coach Gonçalves said with a wide smile. “First of all: this is a charity game, it’s for fun, not an official championship. So let’s keep the spirit of the party, nothing personal.” He said, pointing to Rio. “I’m talking about you, Vidal.” Rio shrugged and stuck his tongue out at the coach, who just laughed. “Now, the rules: No fixed NFL positions, everyone plays where they feel most comfortable. The field is smaller and marked with paint in the scoring zones. If you cross the end line carrying the ball: point! It’s not rocket science.” He indicated with his hand. “It always starts with the quarterback’s pass. You can throw or hand the ball. No bumping into each other like in a professional game, okay? Let’s try to avoid concussions, even with helmets. There will be two 15-minute halves, with a break in the middle for water, laughter, and the cheering of the little ones who organized themselves for this.” He indicated the children who were clearly excited. “Regarding the scoring, you crossed the field to the end zone: 6 points. If you want, you can try a simple conversion with a short pass worth 1 extra point. And please, if someone falls, we stop. If someone misses, the game continues with laughter. And if someone makes a nice play, everyone applauds, regardless of the team. We are here for the children and to raise money for the school. So give it your best, but play fair. Agreed?” He asked, and Kate looked at Teddy and made a ‘I’m watching you’ gesture. The boy gave an amused laugh and stuck his tongue out at Kate.

“Ready to win, Bishop?” One of the women she had briefly known spoke, and Kate laughed.

“Yes, I’ll stop Rio from killing us all, you guys score points.” She knew that Rio was the most frantic to win there, the brunette’s competitive spirit was always strong. There was collective laughter, and then the two team leaders approached the center of the field, where the coach flipped a coin to decide who would start playing. “I’ll stay on defense, okay?” She asked, and there was a collective nod, which made Kate go to the back of the field, protecting the end line. She wasn’t that big a fan of American football, but she would help.

The other team started, and Teddy and Rio were apparently a good team together. She watched as the ball was passed from one to the other, and she started to move when she saw they were getting closer. In a reasonably athletic leap, Kate intercepted the ball and fell rolling. In a quick movement, she threw the ball to a member of her team and saw how quickly disarmed the opposing team would lose their rhythm. She then pointed at Rio and stuck out her tongue, which made the brunette giggle.

Kate watched for a moment as the other group advanced and saw the ball cross the field in a beautiful throw made by Rio. She began to follow the ball quickly, walking diagonally, and when she jumped to catch it, she felt someone making a reasonably violent tackle under her legs, which were still in the air.

Kate, who had been prepared to land perfectly on her feet, felt her body being thrown upwards, her feet completely losing their position for proper landing, and it would be a painful fall. She could foresee this, so, as Teddy had taught her, she tucked her chin to her chest and closed her elbows, releasing all the air from her lungs and falling to the ground hard.

“Time, time!” She heard Teddy shouting and then people approaching.

“Kate?” Yelena’s voice sounded, and Kate opened her eyes.

“I’m fine.” She spoke softly, sitting up and shaking her head slightly. The helmet was removed, and she noticed Yelena looking at her with concern, a flashlight flickering slightly in front of her pupils.

“Are you dizzy? In pain?” The question came in a worried tone from the blonde, and Kate blinked a few times.

"I'm fine." Kate spoke softly, and she stood up, seeing that there was a small commotion.

"Ava made a brutal tackle on you." Yelena spoke softly.

"I'm fine, we can continue." Kate spoke loudly, and that made the commotion subside. "I'm fine, darling, I promise. I'm tougher than I look." She whispered, and Yelena nodded, still slightly uneasy, but Kate put on her helmet. "Now it's my turn." She spoke softly and turned to the coach. "We can continue."