IVANOV ~ yelena belova

𝟎𝟑𝟎

"What?" Karina responded, bewildered and concerned.

"I've been in the Red Room for the entire time we've been apart," Yelena said, their hands no longer interlocked. "What made you think I wasn't in the Red Room? In fact, I think I should be the one asking where you've been," she continued, dumbfounded until her tone became bitter and harsher as she placed her hand in her hip.

"I don't think we should be discussing this here, Yelena," Karina said quickly as she checked their surroundings. Although the street appeared to be quiet, she was aware that there could be eyes and ears anywhere.

"Then where?"

ⴵ

𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭

Karina brushed her hand against the spiral staircase bannister, admiring the architecture. The building was old and the bricks were chipped, similar to the apartment in Morocco, but it was much more elegant on the inside, with stained glass that dyed the sunlight vibrant greens and blues.

But she didn't make an effort to appreciate the beauty because the weight of the burden she had just discovered felt heavier than the earth itself. The trip to Budapest was silent as neither assassin dared to say anything. The atmosphere was tense and their relationship was fragile.

Yelena unlocked the door after acquiring the keys from the elderly lady at the complex's entrance, and they both entered the apartment, which was nice but lacked sentimental or decorative value.

They both felt like they were going backwards as they sat on opposite sides of the dining room table, the joy of their reunion felt far behind them.

"How did you think I was out of the Red Room?" Yelena questioned, breaking the deafening silence. As they met each other's gaze it became even more strained.

"Natasha. She told me that she had taken down the Red Room herself," Karina said, and Yelena's face changed to one of shock and rage. Things were beginning to unravel like piece of string, and Karina wasn't quick enough to catch it.

"Natasha? And you believed her? She left us! She abandoned us when we were sixteen. We were fucking kids, Karina, and she left us in the tracks, and now you believe her. No, I'll tell you exactly what she did. She did this so you'd forget about me too, so you wouldn't find me and save me." As she stood up, Yelena's chair scraped against the tiled floor. Her chest heaved as she pointed accusingly at her partner, who sat stunned in her chair.

"Why didn't you save me, Karina? You disappeared. I was convinced you were dead, but I knew you couldn't be because I would've felt it, so I was left wondering every day, 'If you weren't in the Red Room, where were you?' But it appears that you were with Natasha all along," she went on, rubbing her now-red face to try to keep the tears at bay. She sniffled and slumped back in her chair, feeling the same betrayal she felt when Natasha left.

"I wish I could've saved you, Lena love," Karina said as she rose from her chair and kneeled in front of Yelena, gently grasping the blonde's face in her hands. "Trust me, I wished to be with you every day, hoping that you were safe and free because I wasn't. Dreykov dispatched me to Hydra after the bombing after finding out about our relationship."

"And Natasha - well, we met again when her and her partner were my targets but I didn't kill her because she's your family. Even if you don't consider her to be your sister anymore, I know you wouldn't be able to look at me the same if I did carry through with it," she continued gently as Yelena looked down with what Karina mistook for as regret for reacting harshly.

Yelena looked heartbroken as she learned that Karina had not escaped but had been subjected to the same, if not worse, torture. Life as an assassin was a vicious cycle, and she could only hope that they had both escaped.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Yelena said quietly as she joined Karina on the cold tiled floor and held her. Their arms snaked around each other, the warmth providing the comfort they had craved for, for years.

"It's okay, we have each other now, and that's all I've ever wanted," Karina said softly, running her hand through Yelena's blonde messy hair, which shone as the sun danced on each strand.

"That's all I've ever wanted," Yelena responded. They both knew they had a lot more to talk about and a lot more to share that would hurt. But, for now, they didn't want to share their grief but rather bask in the few and far between moments of happiness and love.

"Can we spend some time in Budapest? I've always wanted to live here because it's so lovely," Karina inquired after a brief pause. Yelena nodded yes and smiled at the thought of sharing the apartment's domesticity.

"I also made a friend in Hydra, his name is Bucky, and he's like my brother, and he's so sweet and nice, but I'm not sure if we're talking anymore, but that doesn't matter because that's not the point I'm trying to make—" Karina rambled nervously, unable to casually inform Yelena that the Winter Soldier was practically her brother.

"Just spit it out," Yelena urged, nervously chuckling, fearful of what Karina might say.

"Bucky is the Winter Soldier," she finally said quietly, smiling slightly to try to calm Yelena down.

The infamous Winter Solider is known by every assassin in every continent, known for his ruthlessness and brutality. Yelena used to share her fears of meeting him back in the Red Room, so she knew it would be difficult for the blonde to accept the piece of information easily.

"What the fuck."