(𝟮.𝟮) 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 ➣ {𝕪•𝕓} ❘ [𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖈𝕶𝖜𝖎𝖉𝖔𝖜 𝖝 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗]

⧗ 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔜 ❘ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇs

Since the sun had set, Y/N found a local restaurant near the convenience store to have dinner. Y/N and Natasha had gone to get drinks while Yelena and Nathan found a table for them and settled down.

Yelena removed the cloth around the gash on her upper arm as Nathan looked through the backpack for the alcohol to clean the injury.

Y/N and Natasha arrived back with the drinks and sat on one side of the table while the other two remained on the other side. The latter placed four beer bottles on the center of the table.

"Wait," Natasha glanced up at Nathan, "You're of age to drink, right?"

Nathan was not pleased by her mocking, "I am of age. I'm an adult."

"Physically, maybe," the redhead stated, "Mentally, you're still the same," she remarked, making the raven-haired man scowl.

"That gas," Y/N spoke up, sitting beside Natasha, "How'd you get hold of it?"

"It's a counteragent," Yelena replied," "It was synthesized in secret by an older widow from Melina's generation. I was on a mission to retrieve it and she exposed me and I killed the widow that freed me," the corners of her lips tugged downwards slightly.

"Did you have a choice?" Natasha asked.

"What you experienced was psychological conditioning. I'm talking about chemically altering brain functions. They're two completely different things. You're fully conscious, but you don't know which part is you. I'm still not sure."

Nathan patted her back in comfort and opened his bottle of beer, taking a sip and opening the other bottles for the ladies.

Y/N tapped the table discreetly, gaining her brother's attention. She motioned for him to switch places with her, making him smirk knowingly. But she only glared at him until he rolled his eyes and got up, taking her seat.

Y/N grabbed the top of the chair and moved it to Yelena's right. She placed it on the ground and sat on it. She took a look at the blonde's wound and grabbed the needed instruments to tend to it.

"Is that all that's left?" Nathan questioned, grabbing his beer from the table and handing one to the redhead beside him.

"Mmm-hmm," Yelena nodded, "It's the only thing that can stop Dreykov and his network of widows," she winced when Y/N applied pressure, causing her to mutter a quiet apology.

"He takes more every day," she continued, "Children who don't have anyone to protect them. Just like us when we were small. Maybe one in 20 survives the training, becomes a widow. The rest, he kills. To him, we are just things. Weapons with no face that he can just throw away. Because there is always more. And no one's even looking for him, thanks to you guys and Alexei."

"Alexei?" Natasha repeated.

"Dad," Yelena muttered. By now, Y/N and completed wrapping a gauze bandage around the wound and secured it with tape. She placed the chair on the other side behind the table and sat down on it.

Nathan looked around himself and saw how children ran into their parents' arms while laughing, seeing how the parents held them in their arms with huge smiles. He would give anything to experience that.

"Did you even look for your parents?" Yelena asked the others, "Your real ones?"

"Well, my mom abandoned me in the street like garbage," Natasha answered.

"Mine died while giving birth to me," Nathan muttered bitterly, "And I was stuck with my dad who was one sick son of a bitch,"

Everyone turned to Y/N who rolled her eyes, "Do we really need to talk about mine who made our lives living hell?"

"They destroyed my birth certificate, so I reinvented it," Yelena informed, "My parents still live in Ohio. My sister moved out west,"

"Is that right?" Natasha smiled.

"You're a science teacher. You're working part-time though, especially after you had your son. Your husband, he renovates houses."

"My best friend lives next door, who's recently got married," the blonde glanced at Nathan.

He turned to his sister, "You told them about Asher already?"

But Y/N only winked at him cheekily in reply.

"That's not my story." Natasha nodded softly.

"What is your story?" Yelena prodded.

"I never let myself be alone long enough to think about it."

"Did you ever wish for kids? Any of you?" Yelena grabbed her vest from her backpack and put it on, "I want a dog."

"Where are you gonna go?" Y/N questioned.

"I don't know," Yelena admitted, "I don't really have anywhere to go back to, so I guess anywhere."

Natasha placed her elbows on the table, leaning to be closer to the other three.

"Don't," Yelena warned.

"Don't what?"

"You're going to give me some big hero speech, I can feel it,"

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Speeches aren't really my thing,"

"Huh."

"It was more like an invitation."

"To go to the Red Room and kill Dreykov?" Yelena asked.

"Yeah," Natasha nodded.

"Properly, this time," Y/N added.

"Even though the Red Room is impossible to find and Dreykov is too slippery to kill?" Nathan looked from one to another.

"Yeah,"

"That sounds like a shitload of work,"

"It could be fun, though," Natasha offered.

"Yup," Yelena smiled lopsidedly.

The four of them remained silent until Y/N let out a long, single whistle, looking up at the three of them.

Yelena continued and whistled two long notes, resting her chin on her palm.

Natasha leaned back on her chair and let out a one long whistle note and two short ones in the end with a smile.

Nathan repeated her tune (One long and two short), echoing it, and rested his forearms on the table.

"Remember when all of us used to sneak out after bedtime?" Yelena spoke up, "After Madam B returned to her quarters?"

"The tree with yellow flowers?" Nathan prompted.

"Second door to the left after the main entrance," Y/N smiled.

"One left and a right," Natasha completed.

Grinning reminiscently, the four of them clinked the rims of their beer bottles together, knowing that they're gonna have an unforgettable adventure of a lifetime.

☆°。• *₊°。✮。• *₊°。°☆