Dinner with Friends ¦ Kate x Yelena

Chapter 3: Pizza Dog

By the time Kate starts to wake up, the winter sun is fully shining on her through the windows. Her face which is directly in the sunlight feels hot whereas her body is almost freezing. She pulls her sheet tighter around her. Lucky is no longer lying at her feet as he was last night, and he's most likely thinking why the hell she isn't up yet.

After last night, she really feels like sleeping in. She was exhausted.

Ignoring her grumbling stomach, she turns to her side and closes her eyes again. 'Just a little longer ...' she mutters to herself.

As she just spoke the words, a voice calls: 'NOOOOO!'

Kate jumps up in bed, instinctively reaching for her bow that was carefully placed next to her nightstand in case of emergencies. 'Who is there?' She asks, her voice still hoarse from just waking up.

'Kate Bishop, you're up!'

There are few people who call her by her full name. And only one of them has that distinct Russian accent, which is someone she wasn't expecting to see again for at least a couple of days.

You have got to be fucking kidding me. 'Yelena?' She asks as she awkwardly steps out of bed.

Yelena is standing in the doorframe looking bored out of her mind, which makes Kate wonder just how long she has been in her apartment.

'Hiiiiiii!' Her smile feels out of place compared to Kate's just woke up look: Yelena is standing there looking like a whole sunflower while she is feeling like a thorny rose that lost all of its petals. 'I made lunch.'

Kate is stuck somewhere between wanting to kill or kiss her unexpected visitor. Getting up for food is usually a delight but not today. Eventually, she says: 'Give me a couple of minutes.'

'Okay, slowpoke.' Yelena disappears back to the kitchen.

With some trouble, Kate strolls to the bathroom to freshen up and change. Her plans to stay in her pj's all day clearly fell through so she throws on a random Christmas sweater that is on top of her pile of clothes.

When she looks in the mirror, she still looks sleepy, her eyes hardly opening. But somehow, her skin is glowing. 'Goddamn, girl, last night's walk did you good,' she tells herself.

As soon as she's done flirting with herself, she quickly heads to the kitchen before Yelena has to come and drag her there. She's barely walked into the kitchen when she's handed a plate of mac and cheese and she's pushed into the living room to sit. There, another surprise awaits her in the shape of a dog she has never met before. At first, she's even more confused as she gapes at the Akita on her couch.

Then, realization hits her. 'You must be Fanny!'

She barks at her in reply.

'It's so nice to meet you! Has Lucky been friendly to you?'

Lucky is sitting next to Fanny, looking happier than ever. Kate's sleeping in didn't seem a bother to him at all now that he was getting attention from his fellow canine friend.

Yelena grins. 'They like each other. Playdate was a good idea!'

Kate tenses up a little wanting to tell her she didn't actually mean for her to come over only a couple of hours after they last saw each other. But Yelena seems genuinely happy and so does Lucky and her stomach is killing her at the smell of mac and cheese.

So rather than correcting her or complaining, they sit down on the couch with their plates. Without saying another word, Kate takes a big spoonful of mac and cheese and stuffs it in her mouth. It takes her five minutes tops to finish the whole plate and she wholeheartedly thanks Yelena for the food, having had no idea just how hungry she really was.