Pulling Me

Part Fifty. This Universe

Everyone in the room looked over to Yelena, smiling to themselves as they watched a bit of pink begin to fill in her cheeks. It was her, always. Of course, there would be universes where Y/N figured it out with someone else first, but not this one. Not even most. 

It was always Yelena.

"That's not really a surprise to any of us," Kate noted, smiling when she saw the way Yelena's eyes lit up for the first time in weeks. 

595 nodded, peering around at each of them to see who was left in this universe. She could tell that Steve, Tony, and Nat were gone. Noticing the detrimental losses, she laid her hand on Yelena's upper arm. 

This Wanda didn't use her powers to manipulate people, but to truly do her best to make everyone around her heal in all the ways she could. With her hand on Yelena's shoulder, she did her best to rewire all the pathways that had led her down the road that got her to Y/N. In the 595 universe, she'd never needed all of that to meet them.

Now that she'd met them here, 595 didn't find it necessary to have those wounds still so deep in her mind. Yelena deserved peace and considering that was 595's best friend in her world, she couldn't help but do her best to try.

Everyone watched the interaction as it unfolded. A beautiful conversation was had without words between the two. When 595 removed her hand from her shoulder, Yelena quickly stepped forward to pull her in. Arms wrapped tightly around her, she couldn't help but let tears fall.

"You deserve it," 595 whispered, knowing exactly what Yelena was going to say. "You deserve happiness and love. You deserve to live a new life."

And she would. She would live that life with Y/N, who had just happened to limp through the portal while the two were occupied. Seconds went by as they watched Yelena cling to 595. 

"When you're done with that, can I get one just as good or are they only reserved for life-saving witches?" They joked, catching themselves on Kate's shoulder as she ran forward to hold them up. "Thank you," Y/N smiled. 

Kate grinned back, just thankful that they were even alive at this point after everything that had happened to them. The warmth of their side radiated through her body as she held them. She knew that this life wasn't meant for them and she wondered about what 595 had said. There must be a universe out there where she ended up with Y/N. 

But it wasn't this one. She contemplated asking 595 as she looked at Y/N. Their eyes were full of gratitude and love. Kate could only wish that it was more than what they were feeling, but it would never be.

That was reserved for the one whose eyes they would dart to next, for the one whose mouth was hanging wide open. Those feelings would always be for her in this life, in this universe.

"So, is that a no on the hug or?" They smiled, blowing a quick breath out when Yelena nearly tackled them. Her hands pulled them in tight, searching all over their back to make sure that Y/N was real, that 595 had really figured it all out. 

"Where were you? What happened? Are you okay?" She couldn't stop with the questions now that she had them back in her arms. 

Y/N laughed, "I'm fine. Whatever that Wanda did to our Wanda released everything she'd done. The barrier in my brain, the invisible hold she'd had me in to hide from you all-" Yelena's eyes filled with rage darted over to their Wanda before softening when she realized that she was still unconscious. Guilt started pooling over her chest when she saw the way her body had fallen limp where she lay.

"She'll wake up in time. Her body has to rest after removing all dark energy of that from her. When she wakes, she'll be the Wanda you all knew before," 595 smiled. 

Nodding, Yelena threw her attention back to Y/N. She couldn't help but take them in as much as she could. They were back now, fully. Whatever barrier had been placed was gone, but now she wondered if they remembered-

"Stop," Y/N interjected her thoughts. "Stop thinking for two seconds and just look at me."

"I am looking at you-"

Y/N stepped forward, cutting her off with the collision of their lips on hers. Their hands placed delicately on her waist and face, pulling her as close as they could. Yelena's thoughts went offline as she melted into them. The two hadn't been this close, this intimate in what felt like an eternity now.

Each person in the room felt the joy radiating from them both, watching as they pulled each other in. Y/N's hand pulled her closer by her waist while Yelena's crept up into their hair. It didn't take long for them to realize that they had eyes on them before they finally pulled apart.

"I don't care what happened," Y/N spoke softly as they kept Yelena's face close to theirs. "I don't care about any of that. What I care about is you. We'll start over. We'll go back to the coffee shop, back to the theatre, back to where it all started and we will do it again because you're worth it. You're worth every single bout of pain we had to go through and I would do it all again a million times over if it meant being here with you."

Her throat dried as she swallowed hard, pain filling it as she tried to choke back the tears. The only person who had ever shown her an ounce of understanding or unconditional love was her sister. Nat was the only person on earth that had ever made her feel like there was nothing Yelena could do that would push her away for good.

But now there was Y/N. Now, they would finally have that person to love and to hold, that person to be there no matter what, that person who would go to the ends of the earth for them. They were everything she'd ever dreamed of and more.

"I love you, Y/N," she sighed, running her thumb across their lip as she thought about pulling them back in again.

They laughed, holding her wrist before kissing the inside of it, "I love you, Yelena."