Pulling Me

Part Twenty-Six. This First

Kate
Of course! I'm free. You can swing
by if you want. Everything okay?

She was already beginning to worry. Things had begun to spiral so fast once she learned about Yelena's mission.

Y/N
Great. I'll be there around 10.

No response to if everything is okay is a response all in itself, she thought.

She waited in agony for Y/N to arrive at her door. After everything that had transpired in the past two weeks, she felt like it was starting to actually fall apart around her. Not only was Yelena on them, but she knew where they lived and seemed set on her mission.

Now? Y/N was coming over and seemed less than pleasant through text. It's just a text, Kate, she told herself, It's probably nothing.

But it was the opposite and Y/N was feeling every bit of it. Their walk to her was eating them alive. It was easy to think about doing this while they were with Yelena, but now they were alone. Part of them wished they would've done this early on. Another part wished they would've never even taken the suggestion from their sister.

Hurting anyone was never enjoyable, but now they were going to hurt someone they truly and deeply cared about. Luckily, nothing had really transpired between them because Y/N wouldn't allow it. Could it have? Absolutely. The sinful thoughts they had about her at times were enough to put them away, but they knew something was off.

I like her but, I like her but, I like her BUT! they continued repeating to themselves in their head. The but was what kept them from diving in with Kate. It wasn't that she wasn't enough or that they didn't like her, it was because there was someone else who was fighting to occupy their mind... and winning.

They were wracking their brain the entire walk. What do I even say? How do I explain this? Should I be completely honest? What would I even leave out?

Before they knew it, they were on her front porch step, hand hovering over the door waiting to knock. Their heart rate was accelerating, throat drying up. It's now or never.

Y/N knocked on the door but was quickly taken back by how fast she opened it. Kate must have been waiting at the door since they texted her, which only made them feel worse. The worry was painted all over her face... She knew and it was already killing them.

"Come in, come in," she tried painting a smile on her face but failed as it cracked. Y/N knew they needed to rip the bandaid off as quickly as possible.

They smiled, following her in and meeting her on the couch. There was an uncomfortable silence sitting between them, like an invisible brick wall they couldn't bring down.

Y/N cracked their neck both ways before finally speaking up, "I don't want to string this along but I'm also not completely sure how to do this."

Kate knew what was coming and she assumed it was because of Yelena. She had roped them in to help with her own agenda and now her blood was boiling. It was difficult, but she allowed them to continue on as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"I think you're incredible, Kate... but-" and there it was. Her eyes fell down to her lap. She had seen it coming and thought that might help the pain, but it didn't. "but there is someone else and I don't want to string you along. That's not fair to you."

Y/N watched her shift in her seat and seemingly contemplate how to respond. Kate hadn't looked them in the eye once since they sat down and was now burning holes in her legs with her eyes. But they were patient, they gave her that time to process and think about what she wanted to say.

She was sifting through millions of thoughts and most of them were anger... Anger she didn't want to take out on them. They weren't dating and had never claimed to be exclusive. She had just assumed and that's what got her hurt.

But on top of it all, she couldn't hold back her thoughts on Yelena anymore, "It's Yelena Belova, isn't it?"

Their eyebrows furrowed as they looked at her totally caught off guard, "How did you... What? How do you know her?"

It was boiling over now and she couldn't stop it, "Because I work with the Avengers, okay? Well, god okay AN Avenger but still-"

"No, hold on. You're not going to blow past that like it's nothing," they interrupted, shifting in their seat to face her completely. Y/N's face scrunched, confused and slightly irritated by the lack of information they were constantly given by the two women they'd been seeing. Of all people, how was Wanda the only one completely transparent with them?

Kate stood from her place on the couch, "Right now, yes I am. That's not what matters. What matters is that an assassin was placed on you and has you under her own control right now. Maybe you don't like me, fine, what the fuck ever, but you need to understand who you're dealing with."

Y/N stared at her speechless. This was not at all how they'd expected this conversation to go. They just looked at her until she shook her head, "Hello?"

"Sorry, I just... this is a lot to take in. I've had a lot thrown at me the past few days," their eyes glanced around the room. How the hell did they end up here? Their ex is an Avenger, the girl they've been seeing works with the Avengers, and the girl they're falling for was contracted to murder them.

What the fuck, they thought.

It didn't take long for Kate's feelings to relax once they saw the look on Y/N's face. No matter how angry she was, she couldn't imagine what they were thinking or feeling, "I'm sorry, Y/N. I care about you so much. Not even just because I uh..." she hesitated, fidgeting with her hands, "because I like you. Just because I care about you. I don't want to see anything happen to you."

Y/N sat back in their seat, thinking over all the information they'd received today. How did they miss the part of Kate being involved as well? Is that why she'd run off whenever they told her? How did they know they could even trust her?

God... Is anyone telling me the fucking truth? they thought.

"I have to go," they stood from their seat.

Kate quickly followed, "Wait-" she grabbed their hand, pulled them close. They couldn't meet her eyes. She placed the side of her index finger under their chin to raise their eyes.

She wanted to kiss them, to pull them in, to take them back from Yelena, but she stopped herself. Tears were welling in their eyes from all the things they were feeling, "I'm sorry, Kate. I really am." Then it broke. She pulled them in and just held them, "I don't know what I'm doing."

"It's okay, Y/N. I'm here..."