IVANOV ~ yelena belova

𝟎𝟏𝟐

They parted breathlessly, Karina's hands resting on Yelena's waist as she revelled in the sensation of the blonde's lips on her neck as she kissed at her throat.

But neither of them dared to go any further. The idea of a guard walking in on them was too dangerous, especially since their argument was about not being caught. As a result, they separated their bodies, both disappointed by the distance between them.

They both looked at each other, realising there was no turning back now, and neither of them wanted to.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" The Ivanov girl asked quietly, pleading for reassurance.

"Fuck Dreykov. I want you, and I would like you to be mine," Yelena said, attempting to push the negative thoughts to the back of her mind. She couldn't believe she was ignoring all of her survival instincts for the sake of a girl. But as she looked at Karina, she realised she wasn't abandoning them for just anyone; she was abandoning them for a chance at happiness and love.

"I'm yours."

They returned to their cold single beds alone, grateful for the lack of space between them. Neither of them wanted to be apart, but they knew that someone would arrive sooner or later, and the last thing they wanted was for the guard to find them in a compromising position.

Karina closed her eyes as the door opened, expecting to feel the cool metal on her wrist, but it never came. So she opened her eyes, perplexed when she realised she hadn't heard the guard's boots stomping either.

She was both shocked and perplexed by what she saw. Natasha Romanoff stood over their beds, staring at them. The girls sat up slowly, unsure of the redhead's intentions.

After their conversation in the kitchen, they began to see more of Natasha's older sister side, the one Yelena talked of in her stories from when she was younger.

The more experienced Widow would give them food from the kitchens as well as medical supplies such as bandages in secret. And Karina was relieved to report that she was no longer afraid of her; in fact, the sight of the redhead brought her comfort.

But, as she mentioned, it was done secretly. So the sight of Natasha standing in their room told her something was wrong. The risks of being caught were extremely high, but Natasha didn't seem concerned as she sat on the edge of Yelena's bed.

Karina sat with her legs crossed, leaning against the wall behind her, facing the two sisters.

The blonde cast a glance at Karina but quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing at the memory of what they had just done moments ago.

Yelena mimicked her actions, looking away from Karina to Natasha with what appeared to be worry but she quickly masked it, so Karina couldn't be sure.

Yelena remained cool and distant, in contrast to Karina, who had warmed up to Natasha. But Karina could see Yelena gradually embracing the idea of having her sister back every time Natasha gave them a piece of fruit or bandaids.

She knew, however, that the blonde girl's scepticism was justified.

Natasha cleared her throat, but Yelena cut her off. "What exactly are you doing here?! Don't you realise there's a guard standing right outside this door?" Yelena remarked sarcastically. Her voice was hushed but harsh as she jabbed a finger in Natasha's direction.

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious," Natasha said, rolling her eyes. "I told the guards I was going to handcuff you both tonight, citing Dreykov's orders."

Karina could imagine that it didn't take much persuading, the Black Widow's harsh stare could easily convince anyone to do whatever she wanted.

"But that doesn't matter because I'm here to talk about the graduation ceremony," Natasha continued, glancing at the two girls to convey the gravity of the situation. Karina and Yelena nodded, indicating that she should go on.

"It won't be nice, it won't be easy, but you two are strong," Natasha said, her voice strained at the thought of her sister and the girl she had begun to care for like a sister going through the same horrific experience she had.

"Don't fight it like I did," the girls looked at Natasha curiously but her eyes were glassy and she appeared to be somewhere else. "I made a mistake. I pretended to fail my physical exams, but Madame B was well aware of my dishonesty. I went through the ceremony anyway, but they made it far more painful than it needed to be."

The girls looked at the more experienced Widow with horrified expressions, disgusted at what she had gone through.

"What do they do in the ceremony?" Karina questioned, fearful of the answer.

Natasha looked at her with reassuring eyes, attempting to convince her that everything would be fine. Karina nodded, but her trembling hands revealed her fear of what was to come.

"They sterilise you. It's efficient. It supposedly makes the Red Room graduates better killers; they never have to experience such weakness as worrying more about a family than their mission." Natasha noticed their terrified expressions and tried to comfort them. "But, it means no periods, which is a plus." She said it clumsily.

Karina rose from her bed and went to Yelena's. She sat next to the blonde, who grabbed her hand because she, too, was scared shitless. The girls sat cross-legged opposite Natasha in the uncomfortably small single bed, as if she were telling the young Widows a frightening bedtime story.

"You don't have to worry though, okay? It'll be over as soon as you know it," she assured them, and it gave them comfort to know that the girl they looked up to had gone through the same ordeal.

Natasha tried to hide her tears as she looked at them. She was aware that this might be the last time she saw them for a while. Her plan to escape the Red Room couldn't wait any longer, and she had the perfect opportunity.

The guilt she felt for abandoning her sister again was overwhelming, but if she was certain of anything, it was this. Once she was free, she planned to demolish the Red Room and save every last Widow, just as she had dreamed.

So she savoured her last moments with the two girls she considered sisters.

"You'll both do fantastically well, and I have no doubt that you'll make an amazing couple. I should discourage it, but I wish I had someone with me here. But remember, if Dreykov finds out, things will not end well." Natasha said, knowingly looking at the girls in front of her.

Natasha would have laughed at their expressions if it hadn't been for the gravity of the situation. Natasha was aware that they were attempting to conceal their relationship, but she liked to believe that she knew her sister inside and out.

"Now go back to your beds, both of you. "I have these to put on you," she said, dangling the handcuffs from her back pocket. Her stance and voice were similar to that of a mother as she looked down at them with her hands on her hips.

She exited their room and turned off the lights from the control panel outside, wishing she had said a proper goodbye.

Yelena shifted in the dim light, tilting her head to see Karina's shadow. "I don't want them to remove my uterus or some shit."

"Neither do I, Yelena. Neither do I."