after.

teaser.

i can't hold back a heavy sigh as the birds chirp happily in the air. i collapse to the ground unceremoniously as i stare at the ever-familiar symbol engraved in stone. and the words, her name: "natasha romanoff"

natasha romanoff. natasha. nat. nat. nat. nat-

i don't look away until i feel a wet tongue licking at my cheek. startled, i reach for the blade hidden in my boot before realizing it was only a dog. "oh," i murmur. when it continues to lick at my face, i rub at it's neck, searching for a collar.  when i find it. i heave a barely-there laugh. "nice to meet you, too, fanny."

i stand as a blonde woman appears around a bend in the path. her gaze immediately finds mine, tracks to my weaponless hands, then to the dog, then back to my face. after a moment, she sighs and whistles for the dog. after she takes a few steps away, i call out. "i'm sorry," she stops briefly. "i can leave if you want some time alone."

"no," she replies dryly without looking back. she continues to walk. "please, i wouldn't want to bother you." she mumbles something else under her breath.

"no, i insist." i grab my bag off the ground, grab the book where it had fallen out and chuckle out, "i think she would appreciate your dog's name."

she stops suddenly, confusing the dog, who is twisting it's head around comically. she looks back sharply and i get a glimpse of her profile set off by the setting sun behind her. a beautiful silhouette. i tilt my head, trying quickly to decipher which medium would do the sight some semblance of justice. i have yet to figure it out by the time she speaks. "you... knew her."

"yes," i sigh wistfully as i look up into the tree branches, "very well, i like to think. she meant a lot to me. was a friend. always. even when it didn't seem like it, when we disagreed. always had my back."

"she was like that, wasn't she?" she was turned around completely now. facing the gravestone. "she didn't even have to think about it. that's just how she was."

i smile minisculely and we lapse into silence. after sometime, i offer, "charlotte... james."

no recognition flits across her features. good. "yelena. belova."

a memory immediately pops into my brain. "младшая сестра," i whisper and her head snaps up. an emotion close to anger crosses her features. "i'm sorry... she talked of you." i admit and she nods, looking completely away from me.

i smile knowingly, giving her a good-sized berth as i make my way down the path, spotting the nondescript car bucky was undoubtedly waiting in a ways away from the blue truck that was likely yelena's. ten feet past her, i look back, she stared again at the gravestone.

"you don't know who i am, yelena belova." she looks back at me, but i continue walking. "but i hope one day you will."

-

let me know if i should continue this. i have some ideas but need some motivation. thanks <3