We've been training for months, and Yelena is still convinced I'm not up to snuff. She has me running up and down these concrete stairs to the park while she and her dog Fanny just calmly play fetch and watch me. I can practically hear her saying I'm out of shape before I get back to the bottom of the stairs. Surprisingly, she just gives me a nod to tell me I've sufficiently killed myself for the day. I make my way over to where they're playing fetch and silently hold my hand out for the ball Yelena's holding. I throw it, Fanny sprinting after it, and Yelena finally says something.
"We have a job. We leave tonight."
"You're finally taking me with you?" She's left a few times since I've been here with her, always saying I'm not ready to be back in the field.
"You're ready. I probably could have taken you on the last one," she admits, and reaches down to fasten Fanny's leash to her collar as she approaches. I pat my thighs and Fanny jumps up on me, her ball in her mouth. I pet her excitedly before Yelena gives her a sharp command in Russian, and she gets down, dropping the ball for Yelena to retrieve.
"Oh, let her give me lovins," I chide, and Yelena gives me a disdainful look.
"I train my dog to behave and you ruin her, cyka." I just shake my head, knowing she just called me a bitch, but not caring enough to throw another jab at her. We make our way back to the car, the chilly March air slicing through my light jacket. Yelena hooks Fanny into the backseat, and I wait for her to get in before asking her where we're going. "Back to New York. I'll brief you when we get home, for now, music!" She hits play on her standard CD, and starts jamming to her eclectic mix. I catch myself smiling at her bobbing her head and singing along. Damn it, I need to stop letting myself fall for her. When we get home, I jump out of the car and run inside, excited to get my shit together for the job. While I'm packing a bag, I play my own music and sing along. Yelena pops her head into my room and laughs at me while I'm playing air drums.
"Rude! I quietly endured your eight millionth performance of American Pie in the car, I think you can handle my music."
"Nothing beats American Pie," she shrugs, and leaves me be. Because I'm the worst, I pull up The Saga Begins, the Weird Al parody of the dreaded song, and blast it. She runs back in to listen, and when the lyrics start, she starts yelling in Russian.
"Oh come on! It's Star Wars! Who doesn't love Star Wars?" I ask, knowing she hates that I like this version better. Instead of answering, she knocks me over and pins me to the floor. Predictable. It's so easy to provoke her into a fight. I break free and tackle her, and the next thing I know, we're sparring. She throws a shoe at me and tries to take me down again, but I dodge her and throw an arm into her side. We go like that for a while. She finally gets me pinned again, face down on the bed with my arms behind my back. She's holding my arms together with a knee on my back to keep me down. "Don't threaten me with a good time, Lena," I flirt, and she releases me, making a disgusted noise.
"Gross, ugh, you're so annoying!" Her face is all scrunched up, and she's standing at the foot of the bed.
"Am I annoying, or alluring?" I tease as I get up from the bed. She grabs my arm and pulls me into her, gripping my hips strongly with both hands. My breath hitches.
"Annoying." She gives me a squeeze and promptly walks out, leaving me flustered. I go back to packing, and when I'm done, I walk out to the kitchen to find her waiting for me, a file open on the counter. She gestures loosely toward it and I open it, reading carefully. The target is a rich guy, in his late forties, who has been slinging his money around the political arena a bit too much for Val's liking. Seems simple enough.
"So what, we'll be in the city for a day?" I ask, thinking this'll be a piece of cake.
"Probably a little longer, keep reading," she instructs, and I flip the page. I see a picture of the target, Jack, fencing with- no. That's Kate, the cute girl that wants to be an Avenger! There's more about his collection of rare weapons, and his close relationship with his would-be step daughter. Okay, well, this'll be a little more complicated then.
"What are you suggesting? That she'll be protecting him?" I assume.
"I want her out of the way." She's being a little more evasive than I'd like.
"So you're saying we're gonna take her out too? I thought you liked her," My brow furrows in confusion.
"I'd rather not, but if she gets in the way-" Yelena makes a face, considering the options. I keep reading the file.
"This charity event next week, I could distract her, she doesn't know me as well as you."
"I've proven distracting to her before," she tells me.
"Okay, so we do it then. One of us distracts her, the other finishes the job, we come home." Still seems simple to me when I think about it. I mean, I'd like to stay in New York longer, but I don't think we'll need to.
"How do I put this? I don't exactly think we should have to kill him," Yelena admits.
"Is that not the whole point of the job? How do you suggest we complete the assignment without doing the one task it requires?" Why does she care about this guy's life? I get that she likes Kate, but really?
"I'm not sure yet!" She paces back and forth across the kitchen.
"Why do you want to spare him?"
"Kate doesn't have any other family, with her mom in jail, I feel responsible. For her." She continues pacing, not looking at me.
"You really like her, don't you?" The realization hits me like a truck. She might have feelings for Kate. Platonic or not, doesn't matter. They're feelings, which is more than I can say she has for me.
"No! I just feel responsible." Yelena stops pacing and grabs her go bag. "We'll keep thinking on the plane. Let's go."
