(By rouge-barnes-17 on tumblr)
I was sitting down on a bench, already inside of the ship, taking off my boots when I heard someone enter the stance.
Whoever it was, sat down on the opposite side of me, so we were back to back.
"You were good out there."
I widened my eyes, staying still in my place instead of spinning my head to her.
I had never heard Yelena speak before -she didn't talk much with anyone, aside from her handler, Madame B, and Natalia- but I just knew it was her.
"Thank you." I replied quietly.
There was a beat of silence, of which I took advantage to finish taking off my boots and my tactic coat.
"I like your braids." she spoke again, this time making me turn around a bit confused about her random statement. She looked at me up and down with that noctant glance before stopping her eyes on mines. "Can you braid my hair? It gets tangled in the ponytails." my confusion went further, finding the situation quite ridiculous. "I don't know how to do it." she clarified, biting her lower lip.
"Uh, sure." I replied, quicker than I would have liked, passing one of my legs over the bench in a way that I was now straddling it. "do you want me to teach you or-?"
She shook her head no, taking off the rubber bands holding up her ponytails and getting closer to me. "I like how you do them."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was getting ready to sleep when Yelena appeared at the entrance of my room.
"Hi." she whispered, fidgeting with something in her hands while staring with her green eyes at my form. "I'm leaving for a mission."
"Oh." I replied, not knowing what else I could say.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "can you braid my hair?"
A small smile tugged the corners of my lips as I nodded, patting the mattress for her to come to me.
"any preferences?" I questioned, grabbing the rubber bands she handed me, the ones that she had been fidgeting with, I figured.
"Uh..." she stopped for a hot second, a goosebump making her sigh when my cold fingers brushed over her neck to pick her hair up. "Can you do the one you wore two days ago?"
"A five strand one?" I guessed, already parting her soft, blond hair.
"Uh... I guess?" she replied quietly, scooting closer to me in the most subtle way. "I don't know the names."
"It... Makes sense." I twisted her hair against and again until there was no strand left and I tied it up. "Take care in the mission." I muttered, placing a hand on her shoulder blade for an instant.
She looked over her shoulder and nodded, giving me a timid smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
We had been guided by Madame B into the ballet room in order to start our routine.
We all were lacing our pointe shoes when the woman's high-heels were heard rapidly clicking against the cold floor, followed by a loud slap on someone's face.
We all looked up to see Yelena with her eyes trained on her feet as she covered her left cheek.
"why is your hair still down, didn't you hear what I said? Hair up, shoes laced."
Without thinking much, I got up and walked to them both. "I was going to braid her hair, Madame." I informed the woman.
She gave me a warning glare before replying. "braid it right now, or you both will be punished."
I only nodded and kneeled besides the blond girl, whose eyes dug into mines with a thankful look in them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
She came crying to my room, but I was asleep.
I didn't know for how long she had been standing in the door before I opened my eyes. Not much, I guessed, I would have woken up earlier otherwise.
"What's wrong?"
"I had a nightmare." she mumbled in a strained voice. "can you touch my hair? Please?" she hugged herself, a hiccup leaving her lips. "I-I can't sleep."
I moved aside and sat up, extending my hands for her to take them, so I was able to lead her into the bed.
"I'm sorry." she whispered moving as close as she could to me.
"it's okay." I assured her, lying down once again, this time with her cheek on my chest and my hands playing with her locks. "it's alright." I insisted, wrapping my arm over her shoulder to pull her closer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I woke up in the infirmary, sore and in pain, with my eyes blurry.
I only remembered being shot more than once during the mission, but everything else, before and after, was just a blank space in my memories.
As I started to take in my surroundings, I began to feel hands running through my hair in the most tender, careful way.
"Раз, два, три," a soft voice counted to herself branding some strands of my left side. "Пожалуйста, проснись. (wake up please)" Yelena pleaded, loosening the braid to start again. "Я люблю тебя. (I love you)" she whispered calmly, grabbing the strands and starting again. "Раз, два, три-"
"You love me?" I questioned, taking my hand up to stop hers.
"I love your braids." she corrected me as her pulse sped up. "Are you okay?"
"how long have you been here?" I inquired with hoarse voice, looking up at her.
"I came when they brought you."
"how long?"
"a while."
I sighed and she looked down, squeezing my hand.
"I got worried." she confessed, loosening the strands once more. "you didn't teach me how to braid my hair."
"you never asked me to." I retorted, slowly sitting up to face her, to which she responded with a worried gasp. "come here, I'll show you, alright?" She nodded and sat in the bed besides me. "give me your hands." she did as she was told and, once I was holding them, I pulled her to me, planting a kiss on her lips.
We stayed shut for a moment, her eyes closed and my heart racing.
"That's not how you braid my hair." she spoke, finally parting her eyelids. "you do this." she explained, separating three chucks of my hair from the rest.
Her eyes flickered once to mine before her fingers tangled into my hair, pulling me into another kiss.
"So you love my braids?" I questioned in a mutter, my lips still close enough to ghost over hers.
"Yeah, your braids."
