No Tears | NR

Chapter 32

Dorsington, United Kingdom

The six numbers had a special meaning to Yara as nothing else did. It was the only visible souvenir that she had received and kept from Auschwitz. Sure, there were scars littering the skin all over her body especially her chest and back, but none of them were as visible and stood out as much as her tattoo did. Those six numbers were engraved in her brain like other people remembered their names and birthdays.

The tattoo was like a symbol, a reminder of the thing that started it all, the thing that turned her into what she was now. Purely out of habit, she took the time to go over each digit from the left to the right and then a second time the other way around.

Her trance was only interrupted when a set of slim fingers lightly touched the skin on her forearm. She looked up to see Natasha stuck in her own trance, tracing the lines of each digit slowly with her fingers.

The sound of a branch breaking somewhere not too far away from them caused her to snap out of it. The blonde suddenly pulled her hand back when she realized what she had been doing and looked up at Yara.

The brunette was certain that she had detected a faint red taint on Natasha's cheeks, but it was hard to tell in the dark shadows of the trees.

"Was that your number there?" She didn't have to explain what she meant.

Yara understood the gist and nodded her head shortly. The strange but comfortable aura that they had created purely by speaking from their hearts and being honest caused Yara's thoughts to soar. Her mind went over everything that had happened and that she had done in her life over and over again. A sudden thought broke the surface of the turmoil in her head and escaped her mouth before she had any time to stop herself.

"You know, my name is not actually Yara."

Natasha looked at Yara with an expression that the brunette could only assume to be one of confusion. Or maybe it was curiosity. She wasn't sure.

"At least it hasn't always been", she specified after concluding that it was too late to back out now. "I chose it when I went into hiding. My father's name was Yaroslav. That's where I got it from."

She fell silent again, letting her mind run wild again. But her train of thought was soon interrupted when she noticed a pair of eyes on her. Yara looked up to find Natasha watching her.

It took her a moment to realize why Natasha was looking at her like this. The Avenger was too respectful of Yara's privacy to ask, but she couldn't help but be curious what the brunette's real name was.

Yara smiled lightly, feeling grateful that Natasha didn't push her into telling her anything that she didn't want to say. The Avenger had been in her position before where she didn't want anyone to know anything about her. She knew just how hard this was for Yara. Maybe that was why the brunette felt so comfortable around Natasha. Yara knew for sure that it was at least part of the reason why the former redhead was the first one to who she had allowed herself to open up.

"Alexandra", she broke the silence that had stretched for a few minutes.

"What?"

Natasha looked back up at the woman in front of her and their eyes met.

By the time, that Yara had spoken up, the Avenger had moved on to different thoughts and hadn't expected the brunette to say anything more.

"My name. It's Alexandra. Or it used to be", Yara explained shortly.

Natasha didn't take her eyes off of the woman opposite her as she slowly repeated the name. "Alexandra Yaroslavna."

A smile found its way onto Yara's face. She enjoyed the way her name sounded when Natasha said it.