IVANOV ~ yelena belova

𝟎𝟎𝟗

"Natasha."

Karina froze and looked back and forth between Yelena and the girl she now knows as Natasha. Her gaze was drawn to Yelena's hard, stoic expression as she finally put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Her thoughts raced as she realised Yelena's sister was the "favourite." The one everyone feared, the one Karina feared, was her friend's sister.

When she remembered the night Yelena told her her story, Karina felt incredibly stupid and selfish. She should have asked if Yelena was okay because she had not only lost Natasha, but Natasha had chosen to leave her.

And as she looked between the two sisters, she realised that Yelena's pain had turned to hatred as a result of her sister's betrayal. Natasha, on the other hand, appeared impassive and uncaring until she opened her mouth and suddenly became urgent.

"You have to leave Yelena, both of you," she said, glancing at Karina who was on Yelena's left. Her voice was hushed, but her words were pressing as she frantically looked around. But Yelena was searching the redhead's eyes, as if she was looking for signs of deception. "If Dreykov finds you here, he won't hesitate to kill you."

Karina didn't like that idea at all, but Yelena was stubborn and stood her ground. The blonde girl was right to be wary of Natasha, but Karina also understood that neither of them wanted to die.

The sound of movement behind the closed door prompted all of the girls to take action. Natasha grabbed their arms and dragged them behind a counter. Karina nearly fell over her foot due to her firm grip and quick movement, but she managed to catch herself.

"Both of you stay here and shut up," Natasha said, standing up and moving away from the counter the young girls were hiding under. But Yelena's harsh voice cut her off in her tracks.

"We don't need your help," she said, about to stand up when Karina tugged on her arm, forcing her to return to her seat. Yelena's expression was as if she was questioning what Karina was doing. Karina, on the other hand, responded with a "Are you crazy?" look. Yelena could get them both murdered if Dreykov were to find them.

Natasha felt a twinge in her chest as she noticed the looks they exchanged. Although many people believe she was a ruthless, unfeeling assassin, she still had a soft spot in her heart for her sister, which she kept hidden. So seeing Yelena find someone to lean on made her happy, despite the fact that she knew it was her responsibility as her sister.

When the door opened, Natasha stood up straight in the middle of the room, taking care not to look at the counter in the corner. Dreykov strode into the kitchen, guards on either side of him and quickly glanced around the room.

"Dreykov," Natasha said, bowing her head slightly before raising it again. It was humiliating for her to show respect to a bastard who had done nothing but cause her pain and misery, but it was necessary for survival.

"Ah, Natasha, I've been looking for you. What are you doing here? You don't belong with the workers; you're my star." His thick Russian accent echoed throughout the room as he spoke.

His slimy gaze trailed her body, causing bile to rise in her throat, which she promptly swallowed. She knew she should have gotten used to his inappropriate remarks and looks by now, but it still made her want to castrate him.

Yelena and Karina waited for Natasha's response with bated breath. She had the option of outing them or covering for them. Yelena knew what she was going to do, but she was still anxiously waiting for her response.

In the cramped conditions, Yelena and Karina clung to each other. As Yelena leant against the counter, Karina's back rested against Yelena's chest. Their excuse was that there wasn't enough room, but they both knew they just wanted to be near each other.

Karina could feel Yelena's warm breath against her neck, causing goose bumps to form and her breathing to become laboured. She could feel Yelena's heartbeat quicken as she awaited Natasha's response as well. Her hand found Yelena's and she squeezed it, as if to let her know she was there.

"I thought I saw someone in here, false alarm," Natasha replied calmly, just like the trained assassin she was. She maintained eye contact and kept her breathing even so Dreykov wouldn't catch her out on her lie.

Their shoulders slumped in relief beneath the counter, and Karina turned her head to smile at Yelena, who responded with a smile of her own.

"Well, don't stay too long in here, the lights are going out soon," Dreykov said as he walked away, the guards trailing behind him like lost puppies.

Natasha huffed and rolled her eyes once he had left, relieved to be free of his presence. "It's safe to come out now," she said.

They crawled from under the counter and made their way to Natasha. Karina felt extremely awkward because no one was speaking, as if she were interfering with a family matter. "Thank you for your help, Natasha," she said, trying to break the silence but mentally questioning why she had to sound so formal and make a fool of herself.

Yelena hid her smirk when she realised how embarrassed Karina was and focused her attention on Natasha. They were both standing in front of the redhead, as if they were children about to be scolded by their parents.

"It's no problem, just don't do it again," she said, attempting to catch Yelena's gaze, but the fifteen-year-old stubbornly kept her eyes fixed on the ground. "Yelena," Natasha said one last time, hoping to catch the blonde's attention.

Natasha nodded at the younger girl when she finally looked up, knowing that if she tried to start a conversation with her, she would just shut her down. As this was Natasha's first approach to Yelena, she decided not to push her sister.

Natasha's voice rang out around them as Karina and Yelena began to leave, "don't get in too much trouble girls," she said with a small smile on her face. When they saw that the coast was clear of guards, they huffed a laugh and left.

ⴵ

They lay in their separate beds, the lights were turned off, and there was nothing but their breathing to be heard. Karina, on the other hand, was bored. She couldn't help but stew in her thoughts. She wondered why Yelena hadn't told her Natasha was her sister, but she knew it wasn't any of her business.

"I was going to tell you, you know," Yelena said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "About Natasha. I just didn't want you to have a different opinion of me." Yelena's voice was small and vulnerable, as if she was revealing a deep secret.

"Nothing could change my mind about you, Yelena. Nothing."

"I'll hold you to that."