I don’t think before speaking very often. It’s one of my least admirable qualities. Kate seems to have a similar problem. We’re standing near each other at the bar when I overhear her telling someone about her Avenger training. She’s going on about trick arrows when I decide to interrupt. I shift so that my elbow knocks a stack of coasters to the floor and bed to grab them as she turns to see what happened. When I’m straightening up again our eyes meet.
“Hey, do I know you?” She asks, both of us aware that she does.
“We met on Christmas Eve, yeah? Kate?” I ask, stacking the coasters back up neatly.
“Right. Did you ever find our mutual friend?” Ooh, points for subtlety, Katie.
“I did.” Then, unbidden, “Have you seen her since then?”
“A couple times, yeah. You?” Fuck, why did I ask? I was suspicious about Yelena’s strong fondness, but to test my theory, right now? Stupid. As if hearing my consciousness, Yelena whispers incredulously into the comms.
“Are you jealous, Y/n?” I ignore her and respond to Kate.
“I have,” I smile at her. “Thanks, by the way. For helping me.” I lean on the bar and rest a hand on my chin. A little flirtatious lip bite, a teasing smile, then, “Very heroic of you.” And bingo! There’s a blush.
“Don’t - ah, don’t mention it,” she fumbles, trying to lean on the bar casually. I smirk at her clumsiness.
“I hear you're gonna be an Avenger. I’d love to see your moves sometime.” I raise my brow at her while I take a long drink of my cosmopolitan. Not the most badass drink, but perfect for flirting. And damn good.
“Stop flirting and get her to meet us already.” Yelena’s voice bites in my ear. If she wasn’t so scared Val would see her, she’d be the one talking to Kate right now. I grab a napkin and write my name and number on it, folding it between my fingers before Kate can read it.
“If you wanna show me, I’ll be in town for a little while. Text me.” I wink before I down my drink and hand her the napkin, letting my hand linger in hers a touch longer than I need to. “Bye, Kate.” I slink out of the bar, waving flirtily at her before meeting Yelena on the street outside. We start down the block before she speaks.
“You have a problem, y/n,” she shakes her head at me.
“Flirting is effective, Yelena.” I roll my eyes. “And, she’s hot. Sue me.” I hold my hands up defensively.
“Why did you ask if she’s seen me?” she prods.
“I had a feeling,” I admit, shrugging.
“Why do you care? I’m not replacing you, if that’s what you were thinking.”
“I wasn’t.” It’s just, for someone who doesn’t do romance, you seem to be very interested in her. I refrain from saying it, but damn I want to. “Listen, Lena, what you do without me isn’t my business. I know that.”
“Good.”
“Is my flirting with her going to be a problem for you?” Not like I’ve been flirting with Yelena for months with no reciprocation or anything. Why do I feel like I need her permission?
“Why would it be?” she asks, and a million reponses fly through my head. I debate saying something about how I feel about her for a second too long. “Do you want me to have a problem?”
“No,” I panic. I can’t say anything else. I can’t even change the subject. My brain has stopped functioning. Lovely. We’re crossing the street when I feel my phone vibrate. It breaks me out of my funk. “She’s already texting me,” I inform Yelena, and pull my phone out.
“Just make the arrangements.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I mock her, giving her a sarcastic salute.
“Cyka,” I hear her mutter under her breath. I roll my eyes yet again.
~~~~
Now that we’re about to meet Kate, I’m getting a little bit nervous. I’ve been talking a big game through text all day, and I’m a little worried our Avenger in training might actually be able to show me up. If I had challenged her hand to hand, I doubt I’d be nervous, but no, I decided to challenge her marksmanship. An archer. I’m an idiot. But, maybe I want to see her shoot. The idea of her focusing on a target, concentrating hard, bowstring taught, it’s pretty hot. Yelena is next to me, shooting. She hasn’t missed a shot, unsurprisingly. I try not to let my gaze linger on her muscles as she shoots, but damn, she looks good. After a minute, I see Kate heading toward us with her bow slung over one shoulder, quiver over the other. When she sees Yelena, she smiles super wide.
“Yelena? Shut up! How are you?” She runs up and hugs her. I hope it's in my head but it seems like they hold each other a little too long. It’s probably in my head.
“Kate Bishop! I’m fine.” There’s a tenderness in her voice that makes my chest pang.
“Y/n, what a great surprise! But I’m not gonna forget your challenge.” she warns, and pulls her quiver of arrows off her shoulder. “This is my personal bow, so it might feel a little off your first shot, but I doubt you’ll be able to beat me anyway.” She smirks as she hands me her bow and an arrow.
“Cocky,” I sidle in front of her and raise the bow. It’s heavier than I was expecting, but I can adjust for that. I draw the string back and loose a shot, hitting the target just shy of the center ring. Yelena chuckles, but Kate whistles her approval.
“You’ve really never shot a bow?” She asks, reaching for it to take her shot.
“Strictly a gun shooter.” I may have done it once, but I find them impractical, honestly.
“Impressive. But I’m better.” She looses a shot hitting the target perfectly with her wooden arrow, then readies another and looses it to split the first one. Robin Hood ass bitch.
“Alright, but I’d like to see what else you can do. And if you can aim a gun that well,” I concede.
“Not until you say I’m a better archer than you,” she commands.
“You’re a better archer than me,” I parrot, and she giggles excitedly. We shoot a few more arrows, mine hitting the center now, and she shows me a new trick she learned to shoot two at once, which is pretty cool, actually, but I won’t tell her that. After she shows me that, she offers the bow to Yelena.
“Wanna try?” Yelena shakes her head, but I wanna see her shoot it.
“Oh, please Lena, for me!” I try, whining a little bit. She rolls her eyes.
“Fine, cyka.” She takes the bow and shoots three targets, dead center. Because of course she does. We move on to guns, and Kate is passable, but not nearly as good as Yelena or myself. She’s a little inconsistent.
“If it didn't kick back I’d be better at it. Is there any gun without a kickback?” She complains. I just chuckle.
