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makeitmakesomesense · 1 year

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War and Peace

Eternal!Reader x Yelena Belova, Eternals Family Fic

@flufftober Day 2 Family, Friends and Loved Ones

Word Count 6.5K.

Your mother is the Goddess of War.

You were adopted by her when you were too young to remember.

Your mother, Thena has a sickness. It is called Mahd Wy’ry and there is no cure. Sometimes, she forgets herself. She becomes violent and she hurts people.

Her family worried when she brought you to them as a small child. Holding you tight to her chest, Thena called herself your mother.

She told you later that she would have fought the world to keep you.

Still, with her sickness, the potential danger couldn’t be ignored.

It was Ajak who made the final decision. She often did. She said that Thena could not hurt you. That even the thoughts of sickness could not make her harm her child.

The rest of your family were doubtful. But, in the end Ajak was right.

Your mother told you that the Mahd Wy’ry felt like church bells ringing in her mind. That sometimes they grew too loud to ignore.

‘But l always hear your voice.’ She told you when you were small, sitting in her lap and playing with her long hair. You loved listening to her speak, believing absolutely in the quiet authority of her words.

Your mother lived with her partner, Gilgamesh. They had been together for thousands of years. Ajak told you once that their souls had begun to bleed together.

When you were young, you didn’t understand that you were human. There weren’t many people to compare yourself to. You’d only known the eternal beings around you.

Your mother and Gilgamesh lived in the middle of nowhere. Before you had come, they had lived even more remotely in the Australian outback.

For as long as you could remember, you’d lived in Canada. When Thena took you in, Ajak’s only request had been that you would all move closer to her ranch in the US. Canada was the obvious choice. Thena’s sickness made the low population and empty landscape preferable.

You’d only met a few members of your extended family. Sersi and Ajak had been visiting ever since you were very small.

You loved spending time with Sersi. She was unwaveringly calm.

You knew your mother loved you more than anything. You felt it in the way she looked at you, in the way she held you tight when you were scared. But there was still a feeling, an uncertainty that her sickness brought with it. Sometimes, you would watch wide eyed as Gilgamesh had to remove her, silently but forcefully from the room.

Sersi was steadier. When you were little, she would sit quietly in the corner with you as the adults talked. She’d pick up small objects and change them for your entertainment. You never grew tired of watching glass turn to water, or stone to dust.

Ajak felt older than the others. She always brought you gifts when you visited. More often than not, she brought books that told you the ancient history of the world. Your family was in most of the stories. You would turn the pages, fascinated.

Ajak talked to you about everyone else in the family. Thena rarely mentioned the others and you could tell that she usually didn’t care about Ajak’s stories. Selfishly, you loved that Thena cared for very few and for you especially.

Ajak told you about the ones that had not yet met you, and about the ones that did not want to. Your family talked about Sprite sometimes. You’d met her once when you were very little. Now, she refused to see you. Ajak told you that being able to grow up was a special gift and that Sprite wished to be like you. That it’s hard to be around what you can’t have.

You didn’t understand what she’d said. You didn’t understand what growing up meant, that your life could not stay the same forever. It already felt so complete.

In your youngest years. When you had everything to learn and when learning always felt like play. You could remember only Thena. Even in your haziest memories, there was always the image of her white dress.

You remembered her tight arms and her soft songs. The sound of her heart as she carried you on long walks. The steady footfall of Gilgamesh beside you.

It was hard to understand that Thena could be anything other than your mother. Like the safe warmth of a cocoon, her love wrapped around you.

Gilgamesh was the perfect addition to your childhood memories. He made your house, a cabin in the heart of the forest, feel like a home. As you grew older, he showed you how to cook, build and fish. He gave you confidence with your hands.

He argued sometimes with Thena. Ever since you were young, she had refused to teach you how to fight. Gilgamesh wanted you to be able to defend yourself.

Thena’s very purpose was violence. It made up her character like love and a soul. You would watch her as she practiced with weapons that she conjured from the air. She never hesitated, even when she sparred with Gilgamesh in his worst moods. She fought like she was predestined for victory.

You did not have the same violence inside you as Thena. And though you knew she would never hurt you. The violence inside her scared you deeply.

You’d seen the same fear in her eyes too. Once when you were small, you’d tried to get close to Gilgamesh and Thena as they practiced fighting. You’d been curious about the quick, beautiful movements. Thena’s blade had been inches from your throat before she’d realized.

As you grew older, Thena’s sickness became a larger part of your life.

Gilgamesh had always tried to shield you from it. But a few incidents inevitably slipped through the cracks.

Once, Gilgamesh had left you both at the dinner table. He’d left to check the pie he was baking for later. You watched Thena’s eyes roll white, your own eyes widening at the sight. Her hand had spasmed with a dinner knife in it. You jumped in fear when it clattered against her plate. Thena told you that everyone was going to die. She gasped like she was underwater.

You’d never felt scared like that before. You didn’t recognise your mother. You watched her get to her feet, a new golden dagger sliding against her palm. You watched it slice easily through the thick wooden table that Gilgamesh had built by hand.

Thena turned her unseeing stare on you. Fear paralyzed you.

Gilgamesh dropped his pie as he walked through the door.

Thena apologized later. She didn’t need to, because you didn’t blame her. The haunting regret in her face told you everything. You didn’t hear her crying that night. But you saw the red evidence of tears in the morning.

You never blamed your mother. You just hated that she could be lost so easily.

The next time it happened, Gilgamesh had fallen asleep in the middle of the afternoon. He was slumped in a comfortable chair across from you. You were watching Thena as she sketched in a notebook. Your gaze flickered between them, waiting with gleeful anticipation for Thena to realize. Gilgamesh was always accidentally falling asleep and it annoyed her every time.

When Thena dropped her notebook, you thought for a moment that she was about to reach over and nudge him awake. Then, she turned to stare down at the ground. Despite the sharp bend in her neck, she held herself rigidly still.

You heard her start to murmur incoherently and your heart sank unpleasantly into your stomach.

You started speaking to Thena in a low voice, watching nervously as a sharp weapon appeared in her hand. Her arm twitched erratically. Then, her head tilted towards you and with some relief you realized that she could hear you.

You kept talking, keeping your voice low to hide its persistent tremor. Slowly, the weapon faded from her hand.

‘I love you.’ You reminded her at last, reaching out to touch her hand. The touch seemed to bring Thena back to herself.

Her eyes stayed white, but a slow tear rolled down her cheek.

You moved forward, instinctive as you tried to take away her sadness.

‘Careful.’ Gilgamesh told you quietly.

It was not often that you ignored him, but you did then. You hugged Thena unsurely, your heart thumping with uncontrolled fear.

Thena held you tightly. Instinctively, she began rocking you gently. She began to hum some ancient lullaby from when you’d been smallest.

You knew that everything had changed that day.

The next time it happened, you were the one who talked Thena down. And the time after.

You watched a stress begin to fade from Gilgamesh. He seemed happier, more relaxed as he lived each day with one less worry.

Very occasionally, he left the two of you together. He would disappear for an hour or two at a time; to fish, or walk, or even to drink with strangers.

As you grew into your teenage years. You started to wish for more than the small, insular world that you’d been presented with so far. You couldn’t help wondering about the nearest town, just a thirty minute drive away.

You’d heard about other humans. About the wars they caused and the slow pace of their progress. Still you longed for a friend, someone like you.

Your future had changed too. You could see now that Thena would never be lost to her sickness again, not if you were there to help. Even as time forced you to grow up, you accepted that you would never leave this life. Your family would always be your home.

You’d heard about romantic love and about friendship, you’d seen pictures in books of the beauty that the outside world held. It didn’t seem as real as the small world you knew.

Gilgamesh knew your decision without you having to talk about it.

One day, when you were fishing together by the lake, he sighed and put his hand on your shoulder.

“When you love something, you protect it. It is the most natural thing in the world.”

You nodded at his words, if anyone could understand, it was him.

For your 16th birthday, there was somewhat of a family reunion. Sersi and Ajak had come to visit. So had Kingo, who you were meeting for the first time.

On the day of your 16th birthday, half the universe disappeared.

‘Probably just a coincidence!’ Kingo had scribbled in his last minute birthday card.

Your family had sensed the change like it was something in the air. You had been completely oblivious. One moment, you’d been sitting at a nearly full dining table. The next moment, Thena’s hands gripped your shoulders as she told you firmly to stay still. The warning in her eyes made you instantly obedient.

You watched your family leave and suddenly felt empty with inadequacy. You’d always admired the way your family’s own history was woven along with the world’s. You were proud to be your mother’s daughter. But, for the first time, you realized how little you had to offer to your family or to anyone.

You spent the rest of the day alone, trying not to be bitter about a global catastrophe and bad timing. You tried not to dwell on your new dark thoughts.

Your family returned in dregs throughout the evening. There was something tortured about the look in each of their eyes.

You touched Ajak’s arm worriedly when she returned. ‘We’ve seen a lot of human grief. It never gets easier.’ She said softly. You could feel the palpable heaviness from the room.

Whatever human suffering they’d witnessed had sent Thena over the edge.

Unlike the others, your mother didn’t come back into the house. Instead, you watched her from the window as she tread the same path through the forest, weaving in and out of trees with steady focus.

She ignored Gilgamesh as he talked to her from the porch. Her eyes were determined, but you caught the darker emotions wrestling across her face.

Thena circled the cabin all night, guarding all of you from nothing. You lay in bed that night, listening to her soft footsteps outside.

Every few hours, you heard the low pleading voices of different members of your family, trying to convince her to come back inside. Thena refused them all.

You’d heard that evening about the billions of humans that had suddenly turned to ash.

Your mind lingered on the thought. It could so easily have been you. You thought of your mother and what grief would one day do to her.

The next morning, everyone watched you as you made yourself breakfast, clearly worried that your mother’s strange behavior was upsetting you. Sersi stood with you, asking careful questions about how you’d slept.

You just shrugged, took out a second plate and began to fill it with breakfast for Thena.

‘It’s not her fault. She wants to fight anything that could hurt her.’ You said simply, glancing at Gilgamesh for confirmation. He nodded with an expression that seemed like a tired type of acceptance.

You interrupted Thena’s steady patrol with your offering of food. The serious look faded from her expression when she saw you standing on the cabin porch. Her mouth twitched into an automatic smile.

‘It’s been a long time since someone gave me an offering.’ She said wryly, slowing as she approached you. You sat with her on the wooden steps and began to eat. She didn’t speak and neither did you. Her arm wrapped tightly around your shoulders and you knew she was reminding herself that you were still there.

The others stayed for nearly a week. They discussed the snap endlessly, offering different theories about what humanity would do next. Thena barely paid attention. Instead, she stayed close to you, eyes flickering with constant readiness around the room.

Approximately 5 years later and half the universe returned. Thankfully, it did not ruin your birthday twice.

There is not much to say about the days before the quakes began. Your life had been outlined for a long time. Every day felt like another piece of an inevitable plan falling into place. Time blurred easily.

You knew Gilgamesh was pushing for you to have a more normal human life, but Thena would not be convinced. Your mother was unashamedly selfish in her refusal.

You heard her voice raise once as you returned from the forest.

‘She stays with us.’ Thena’s sharp tones caught your ears. ‘Her life will be over so fast.’

‘Exactly.’ Gilgamesh had thrown back with unexpected force.

You dismissed their argument as irrelevant. You knew you wouldn’t be leaving.

Gilgamesh’s only victory was teaching you how to drive.

After the driving lessons, when you returned back to the cabin, Thena would always be standing on the porch. The golden light of home would burn behind her. Her hands would grip the wooden railing as she waited for you.

‘I can’t protect you when you aren’t here.’ She told you, kissing your hair as you walked inside.

The Deviant came shortly after the first quakes rattled the Earth. The monster that had haunted your childhood nightmares found Gilgamesh alone in the forest. You were in the kitchen with your mother. Thena’s head had turned instantly at the far off sound. She was out the door before you could speak.

Later, they returned together. Immediately, you could tell that Thena was not all there. Gilgamesh kept his hand on her back, gentle but firm as he directed her back to the house.

Seeing you waiting for her on the porch, Thena’s gaze locked on you. She seemed fragile and you didn’t know what to say.

You kept your hand on her shoulder as you led her to the small garden behind the cabin. Summer was beginning and the flowers had started to bloom. You sat together. You let the sunshine and the rustling sounds of nature soothe the worried look in her far off stare.

When Gilgamesh came out to sit with you, he brought Thena her sketch pad. You watched with muted concern as she began to hurriedly chalk out strange, alien scenes. One after another, the drawings piled up.

‘I think the others will arrive soon.’ Gilamesh told you both. ‘Noone has seen a Deviant for centuries.’

Thena didn’t respond, hands still busy with her drawings. You brushed her shoulder worriedly as Gilgamesh headed back inside to make food.

Still without words, Thena grabbed your hand and held it tightly. You felt her apprehension thread inside you. Something terrible was coming.

Your mother made a dagger from the air and spun it with her fingers. You watched it twirl as fear seeped into you.

You only met Ikaris and Sprite very briefly. Together with Sersi, they had found Ajak dead on her ranch and now every plan had changed. There was no question that Gilgamesh and Thena would have to go with them.

There was no question that you would have to stay. Before they left, Sersi gave you a smartphone. You’d used her own phone briefly before, but still the technology was new to you. You promised to answer when they called.

Your mother did not say goodbye to you. Instead, she held your face gently between her hands. She looked at you with an expression full of worry. She pressed her forehead against yours and whispered ‘Be safe.’ It was the first time she’d spoken since the Deviant.

You watched your family leave and realized, as the loss of Ajak hit you with force, that immortality didn’t make them safe either.

Despite your quiet upbringing in the middle of nowhere, you had never known silence like this before. Two days passed and nobody called you. There was too much silence at the cabin.

You decided to drive into town, keen to be anywhere else. You knew also that if you could find the right signal, you could find news updates on your smartphone.

As you pulled into the usually quiet town, you noticed immediately the black cars lining the usually deserted streets. There were small groups of people caught in serious looking discussions. You drove past most of them, and finally pulled into one of the only free spaces left.

A blonde girl in a gray coat watched you park, she was leaning against a wall. You got out of your car and the blonde girl began to walk lazily over to you.

Before she even spoke, your heart started pounding in your chest. Her eyes slid down your white dress, a hand-me-down from your mother.

‘Are you looking for the monster?’ She asked casually.

You felt shy and scared at the same time.

‘No. What monster?’ You asked, looking automatically over your shoulder.

The girl’s eyes danced with amusement.

She gestured over her shoulder at the expanse of forest you’d just driven through.

‘Apparently, some hikers saw this giant alien creature.’ Her eyes widened dramatically. ‘Now the authorities have shown up.’

‘Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing.’ You said hurriedly, feeling overwhelmed. ‘Maybe it was a bear.’

The girl smiled patiently, as if your lie was obvious and she didn’t need to tell you. ‘I’m Yelena.’ She said after a moment.

‘I’m Y/N.’ You introduced yourself. Suddenly, you remembered the imaginary games you’d played as a child. Elaborate daydreams where you’d find yourself with a friend.

‘So, Y/N, why are you in town?’ Yelena asked.

‘Oh.’ You held out your brand new smartphone, brightening with a question that felt safe to answer. ‘I want to link this to the internet.’ You gestured vaguely to the sky. ‘But there’s no signal where I live.’

‘You live there?’ Yelena nodded back to the forest where the Deviant had been found.

You didn’t answer, scared to speak as you realized that this girl was much smarter than you. Yelena only nodded at your silence.

‘I can help with that.’ She gestured to your phone. ‘Help get it… linked up.’

‘Oh. Thank you, that’s so kind.’ You said gratefully.

Yelena suggested getting a drink at the local bar while she looked at your phone. You followed her inside, looking interestedly at the interior of a room that was not in your home.

The bartender looked you both up and down disinterestedly before returning his attention to the television set up at the side of the bar. There were two men, well dressed and serious looking, also watching the small screen.

‘Can I get you a drink?’ Yelena offered.

You racked your mind trying to think of what Gilgamesh often drank. ‘Can I get some mead?’ You asked.

Yelena’s eyebrows raised dangerously and you knew you’d said something wrong.

‘I don’t think they sell that.’ She told you, almost teasingly. ‘But I can ask.’

‘Right.’ You mumbled, embarrassment burning your cheeks.

She returned with two beers. You tried not to pull a face of disgust as you sipped yours. Mead was definitely sweeter than this.

Yelena’s hand slid across the table. A new feeling shot through your spine as you watched. She lifted your phone and began to look at the settings.

‘You were on airplane mode.’ She explained after a few seconds, handing you back the phone.

Your fingers brushed hers as you took the phone back. For a second, you forgot to breathe.

‘Right.’ You said again.

‘Easy mistake.’ She grinned, taking another sip of her beer.

‘Are you here to find the monster?’ You asked, trying suddenly to deflect the attention away from you.

Yelena shrugged. ‘It’s why I came. But now it’s much more interesting.’

‘Oh?’ You squeaked nervously.

‘The police found the monster pretty fast.’ She told you. ‘Cut up into lots of pieces.’

You kept your face very still.

‘Bit strange.’ Yelena commented as she continued to drink her beer. ‘Who goes into the forest with a blade. And who has the strength to use it like that.’

You remembered a name you’d heard over the dinner table.

‘Maybe it was the Avengers.’ You offered casually.

Yelena met your gaze then. Her stare was full of sudden unspoken sadness.

‘Maybe.’ She said at last.

You didn’t know how to tell her that you recognised her grief. You touched her hand unsurely.

Yelena’s eyes flashed and she withdrew her hand. You tried to ignore the sting of rejection, certain you hadn’t imagined the look in her eyes. You glanced down as your phone screen lit up.

Many missed calls and a single voicemail. You pushed your chair back, ignoring the screeching sound.

‘I have to -’ You muttered unthinkingly, as you called back the number and hurried to the door.

Sersi answered. Her calm voice soothed you immediately.

‘It’s over now. You’re safe.’ She said simply. You took a deep breath. ‘Is everyone okay?’ You asked.

Sersi hesitated. The pause lasted several seconds. Your stomach swooped with horrible anticipation.

‘Gilgamesh.’ You said hollowly as pieces clicked together. If it had been your mother, Gilgamesh would have found you already. Sersi said something else, but you didn’t hear. Numbly, you ended the call. You gripped the wall next to you and tried to breathe.

You made it to your car and started to cry. Half-blind from tears, you started to drive. Gilgamesh had been your father in everything but name. He had made your world safe. You’d never told him.

Regret clung like a bad taste in your mouth.

You drove back to the cabin, some part of you believing that Gilgamesh, or even your mother might be waiting for you. You found the cabin standing empty and knew that you were alone.

You stayed in your car until you were ready to check your phone again. One new message from Sersi.

‘Give her time. She loves you.’

You realized that you must have missed Sersi telling you that your mother wasn’t coming home. You stared at the cabin as dusk settled in. Without the usual bright lights inside, it seemed stark and unwelcoming.

You stiffened as a low rumbling sound began to build behind you. When you recognised the blonde girl driving the truck, you got out of your car to face her.

Yelena stepped out of her vehicle and didn’t hesitate.

‘Are you part of a cult?’ She demanded, scanning the forest clearing carefully. She moved next to you, guarded in her stance.

‘No.’ You muttered, wiping tears from your face.

Yelena looked at you like she didn’t believe you.

‘You try to order a drink from the 1300s. You don’t know how to use a phone. You’re wearing that dress. You get a mysterious call that makes you cry and then you hurry back to this creepy cabin in the woods.’ Yelena’s strong accent emphasized every word.

‘It’s not a cult.’ You muttered, using your sleeves to wipe more relentless tears. ‘My mother’s partner. He - .’ You choked on the words.

Yelena’s face softened immediately.

‘I’m so sorry. I am such an idiot.’ She told you. You felt her arms open and accepted the offered hug. You knew she was still a stranger but at that moment you only wanted to feel better.

‘Is your mother here?’ Yelena asked you. She sounded steady, as if she knew what needed to happen next. It reassured you. You shook your head. ‘No, she uh. I think that she’s taking some space.’

Yelena’s lips pressed together.

‘Is there someone else you can call?’ She asked at last. You shook your head, beginning to feel the heavy weight of grief. ‘I don’t know anybody except my family.’

Yelena looked worried then.

‘I think we should get out of here.’ She said at last, hand touching your shoulder.

Together, you walked into the cabin. Yelena waited in the living room as you disappeared to fill a bag with clothes. When you came back, you caught her looking interestedly at your mother’s chalk drawings. You didn’t care. The place felt so empty that you could barely stand it. Yelena led you to her truck and began to drive back along the road to the town.

You let her drive. You didn’t know where you were going, but you didn’t want to be alone anymore.

As you drove, Yelena kept asking you questions. About your family, your childhood, about your knowledge of the outside world. She flinched apologetically when her questions made you speak about Gilgamesh, but she didn’t stop asking.

You tried to answer as best you could. You couldn’t help trusting Yelena, but she was also the first human you’d ever met. You kept the details hazy, as you described an idyllic childhood lived in nature.

The truck approached a large sprawling mass of buildings. You looked curiously at the place that dwarfed anything you’d seen before.

‘Is this a city?’ You asked Yelena and she snorted loudly. ‘Sure, if 2,000 people can make a city.’

Your eyes widened, it was more people than you could imagine. Yelena parked in a hotel parking lot.

‘This is where I’ve been staying.’ She said. ‘Come on, I’ll get you a room too.’

A wave of inadequacy settled over you as Yelena walked you into the hotel. She spoke with the woman behind a desk, who gave you a sympathetic look. You brushed the tear tracks on your cheeks embarrassedly.

The woman booked you into the room next to Yelena’s. You walked up together.

‘Want to hang out for a bit?’ Yelena offered, as you stood together in the hotel corridor. ‘We could order food.?

You nodded, realizing suddenly just how hungry you were. Yelena had a practiced ease about her as she led you into her space.

You eyed the contents of her room curiously. Without your mother and the compelling gravity of your family home, the world felt brand new.

The small room was messy, a variety of debris emanating from an open suitcase that had been flung onto the small armchair in the corner of the room.

Yelena shrugged her gray coat from her shoulders and threw it over the suitcase. The gesture seemed casual, but you couldn't help wondering if it was intentional. You forced yourself to stay calm, it was natural that a person would be self conscious with someone new in their space.

Yelena picked up the hotel phone and started to dial for room service. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up but you couldn’t figure out why. Your gaze finally landed on the stack of books piled on the vanity across from you.

Fear trickled down your spine like ice water. A paperback of ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’ lay on top of a copy of ‘Athena: The Story of a Goddess.’

You looked at Yelena, who stood frozen, watching you with the hotel phone still in her hand. You heard something like your mother’s voice shouting in your head. You bolted for the door.

You couldn’t run far and there wasn’t anywhere you could think to hide. You typed a desperate message to Sersi as you hurried down the hotel’s emergency exit stairs. You didn’t know if you’d sent it right. The message was a different color to the one she’d sent you earlier. Despair flared in your chest.

You reached the bottom of the stairs and the door swung open casually. Yelena stood in the doorway. Her eyes swam with guilt but you could tell from the tight line of her jaw that she was determined.

Any fleeting hope of finally having your first friend dissipated.

‘They shouldn’t have kept you like that.’ Yelena told you with forced calm. Her voice seemed to simmer with anger and sadness. ‘None of it was real.’

For the first time, you met someone else’s anger with your own.

‘Of course it was real.’ You snapped. You could guess Yelena’s intentions now.

Gilgamesh had always been there to protect your mother from herself. But he had also been there to ward off others who might see her potential as a weapon of destruction.

Now that job appeared to have fallen to you.

‘How did you find us?’ You asked. Your voice was quiet and you could feel yourself trembling. You had never felt anger like this before. You’d never met someone who wanted to hurt your family.

You suddenly knew as you clenched your fists that you were not weak. You had been raised by gods.

Yelena took a step forward.

‘Stay back.’ You told her furiously. She paused and her hands slipped loosely into her pockets. You waited for her to deliver a weapon from them but Yelena stayed still.

‘I didn’t know that they were keeping you there.’ Yelena told you abruptly. She was trying to hold your gaze and you weren’t sure if you should let her have it. If this is part of another trick that you wouldn’t see coming. ‘I was given a mission to find your mother. Someone is looking to pay her generously for her powers.’

‘I didn’t know about you.’ Yelena promised as she continued. ‘I’m not going to betray you, or your family.’ She hesitated. ‘I know what it’s like to lose people.’

In a flash, you remembered seeing her brief moment of grief earlier at the bar. You felt sudden indecision burn inside you. You took a deep breath and decided you wanted to trust her. You didn’t know if you were being reckless, you wished that you’d had some experience of the real world before today. Your family and your home felt far away.

‘Okay.’ You said at last. You walked forward and watched Yelena’s eyes widen as you reached out to take her hand. You didn’t know if this was what friends did, but you knew you wanted to. After a second, Yelena squeezed your hand back and you smiled. You were right, it was that simple.

Later that evening, you sat together on Yelena's bed, a pizza box in the space between you. You watched her silently, despite everything still in awe of the first real person you’d ever met. You already knew they weren't all this special.

‘But of course, you’re not actually an alien.’ Yelena ended her explanation of she'd found herself at your house, as she chewed the final slice of her pizza.

“Sometimes it feels like it.’ You admitted quietly. There was a long pause as Yelena watched you. You didn't look up, a strange shame seeping over you.

‘I was raised to be a soldier.’ Yelena told you at last in a tight voice. Her expression was brittle and when you looked up, you saw that her eyes were far off. ‘They brainwashed me into something that wasn’t even human.’

Something in her lost expression reminded you of your mother. You hummed cautiously, letting Yelena’s attention snap back to the room. You put a careful hand on her shoulder. Yelena blinked uncertainly and she looked younger. After a moment, she leaned her cheek against your hand.

The whole world was full of broken people. You’d never realized before. Yelena started to speak again.

You moved your hand without thinking, twisting it to brush the side of Yelena’s face gently. Yelena watched you, her expression was open.

‘You were a child?’ You asked, desperate to understand every piece of her and not knowing why.

Yelena nodded carefully, eyes never leaving you. ‘It took me years to get out. I found my sister again.’ She paused. If you hadn’t been holding her gaze, you wondered if she’d have continued with the truth.

‘She died.’ Yelena whispered into the quiet room. Wordlessly, you brushed a tear from her cheek with your thumb.

‘I’ve never said that aloud before.’ Yelena muttered, breaking eye contact and pulling her face away from you as she straightened up.

You looked at the intricate braid holding her hair back from her face. Memories of loving moments with your mother, Sersi and even Ajak flashed through your mind.

‘Did she teach you how to braid your hair like that?’ You wondered, letting your arm drop to your side. Yelena touched a piece of her hair reflexively and you noticed her breathing stutter.

‘Yeah.’ She said at last.

Out of nowhere, the hotel building began to shake, as if even the foundations had been startled. Your chest tightened as you remembered the text you’d attempted to send earlier. You slipped your phone out and saw bright bubbles of text appear one after another. ‘New message.’ and ‘Missed call’ repeated themselves like some secret code.

Yelena read the words over your shoulder, just as the building shook again.

‘Oh, fuck.’ She muttered, getting to her feet and slipping two knives from her pockets. Her eyes flickered to you apprehensively. In a rush, you felt the familiar uselessness of your childhood spent in the corner only allowed to watch your family fight. You knew she wanted you to stay out of danger.

The door came abruptly off its hinges and your family arrived in the room. You braced yourself as Thena walked in. Sersi stood behind her, her hands up and ready to use her powers.

Yelena’s gaze didn’t leave Thena, who was blazing in her fury. Yelena gritted her teeth and met her stare head on, she'd obviously realized that words would be useless. You watched her fists clench and then relax purposefully around her two knives.

Thena smirked as she saw the weapons in Yelena’s grip. You watched her create her own two daggers out of thin air. She took a step forward, her eyes trained entirely on Yelena. You knew she would kill her before Yelena could even raise a hand.

You blocked Yelena with your body. It was all you could do.

Thena’s knife caught your shoulder. The sting was sharp but Thena had stopped herself before any damage could be done.

She stuttered to a halt as if the mistake had burned her. She looked at you, furious and confused in the one breath. Panic was spreading behind her eyes.

Yelena stared at you too, as if she'd never seen you before.

‘I didn’t mean to worry you.’ You murmured to your mother, trying to calm the spiralling tension in the room. ‘It was my mistake. Yelena was being kind. She just didn’t want me to be alone.’

Thena gave Yelena a murderous stare. Sersi stepped forward, carefully interrupting the moment. Her hand touched your shoulder and you held back a wince as she inspected the area the knife had touched.

Yelena took her moment to speak.

‘It was a misunderstanding.’ She told Thena steadily. ‘I am sorry.’

Yelena glanced back at you, for a moment unsure. Then, she swallowed her nerves and spoke again.

'She's my friend.'

Your mother’s stare returned to you. Pain echoed back at you. Gilgamesh’s loss loomed suddenly. You let yourself fold into your mother’s arms. She hugged you tentatively and then with a kind of desperation that she’d never shown before. Tears pricked your eyes as you felt her grief wash over you like an eternal wave.

When she pulled back at last, Thena took your hands in hers and squeezed them. For a moment, you believed you were a child again, safe just because she was there.

‘He was right.’ Thena said quietly, after a moment. ‘I have to let you go.’

She kissed your forehead and her words sank in. You looked to Sersi and her mouth was tight like she had known this was coming all along.

At your look, Sersi spoke up. She told you about their spaceship and the idea to fly across the universe, warning others of the impending emergences on their planets.

It made sense then. If Thena walked the Earth then you knew she would always stay by your side. She knew that you would do the same. That’s why she was going to leave.

Your heart began to break into pieces. You wondered if it would have a soft landing.

You turned to Yelena, who’s face had stayed impassive for the last few moments. Her expression cracked suddenly.

‘My sister went to space once. She saved half the universe.’

She didn’t have to tell you that her sister hadn’t come home. You nodded, sure now that Yelena was someone you understood.

Thena and Sersi left that day, Eternal beings seemed to be ones that didn’t hesitate once their minds were made up.

A week later, you were sitting again in another hotel room. Yelena had driven you to Ohio, the one place she’d ever called home. It was a far cry from your own cabin in the woods.

You sat on a different hotel bed that wasn’t your own, surprised that the weight of change hadn’t crushed you yet. You stared at a beige wall, trying to let go of the future you’d once resigned yourself to. A future that you wouldn’t have minded, until the moment you’d met Yelena.

You felt her sitting next to you, a distant comfort coming just from her presence. She was being incredibly patient with you. The night before, she’d spent hours teaching you how to braid your hair.

She was more than just the friend you'd dreamed about. Desperately you wanted her to feel the same about you.

You were beginning to believe this was real to her too.

Hesitatingly, Yelena bumped her shoulder lightly against yours.

You looked to your left and saw her nervous smile waiting for you. Your heart thumped harder at the sight of it.

Yelena moved forward and her lips brushed yours. It was hesitant, soft and careful.

When she pulled back, her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes met yours briefly. You could tell she was waiting for your reaction.

You reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

You'd known since that first day, when you'd brushed her tears with your thumb. When you'd stepped between her and the knife.

“When you love something, you protect it. It is the most natural thing in the world.”

#yelena belova x reader #eternals fic #yelena belova fluff #flufftober2023 #day 2

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makeitmakesomesense · 1 year

Text

They Were Teammates

Maria Hill x Reader

@flufftober Day 1: "I've got you."

Word Count: 2.7k

You never expected to work for Shield, but then again, it’s not the sort of career that can be predicted.

It wasn’t a struggle convincing you to take the job. Something about it appealed to you that was hard to explain. You’d just finished the training programme for another government agency when they called.

They asked for an interview face to face. You agreed, curious more than anything to see what the people there were really like.

One woman arrived. Dark hair tied back in a ponytail, straightforward manner. Her eyes were harder to pin down. Like something fragile in the middle of something strong. You kept your thoughts to yourself, sitting in a small meeting room on your best behaviour.

The Agent gave you a brief outline of the different types of missions, the different career paths, the opportunities to develop. You didn’t speak, or ask a question, waiting patiently for the moment at the end when you could accept.

The recruiter seemed surprised, her eyebrow lifting at your calm manner. She was right, it hadn’t been a thrilling pitch. But there was something about her approach, the calmness and the heart behind it. You had a feeling she was smart enough to know the best thing for you.

You shook hands and exchanged pleased looks. Her handshake was strong and straightforward.

‘Thank you, Agent.’ You’d said, your heart brimming with the feeling of making a good choice.

‘Call me Agent Hill.’ She’d said.

Later that night, you wondered if she knew her eyes were so hard to forget.

You got your answer when you joined the Shield base and were thrown into yet another, more rigorous, training programme. Even back then, Agent Hill was enough of a legend that low whispers entered any room she did.

Despite her being the first person you met from Shield, as a rookie you rarely saw her. Sometimes, when you had the chance to observe missions, you would hear her sharp instructions on the comms.

When at last, your class of recruits all became agents in your own right, there was a small party held in one of the break rooms. The six of you had gone through hell together to get to this point. You’d spent the most miserable days of training promising each other that you’d have a wild party at the end.

You were all too exhausted for any kind of wild party. Instead, you celebrated with relieved smiles and playing combat video games.

Agent Hill was the only agent to visit your group that evening. She knocked the break room door, before coming in with a six pack of beer, her finger hooked in the white plastic.

Her smile was small but it lit up the room. The others gave a grateful cheer as she placed the beers on the table for you all to enjoy.

‘Well done agents.’ She said, emphasizing the title that you had finally earned. The others cheered again, but you stayed quiet and at last let the feeling of pride settle inside you. Agent Hill’s gaze caught on your half hidden smile. Her eyes softened and you felt the directness of her approval for the first time. When she’d left the room again, another agent - your best friend on the programme - gave you a knowing look.

Your first real mission was the scariest and most exciting day of your life. The effort it had taken to get here felt like a badge of honor. But nerves and adrenaline still pulsed through your veins.

Agent Hill was waiting on the Quinjet when you arrived. Your job was to give her cover as she completed some intel retrieval. You kept your expression calm and pleasant, desperate not to seem unprepared. You were sure Agent Hill could tell nonetheless.

As the Quinjet flew, she took the opportunity to go through the planned mission in detail. You latched onto the information gratefully, eager to take your mind off the way your heart was beating out your chest.

The mission was a success. Your mind calmed itself as you covered Agent Hill through the enemy building, you ran through her detailed instructions over and over in your head.

‘Don’t forget to keep your eyes upward. A warehouse like that will have beams running across the ceiling.’

As you walked through the seemingly empty space, you both heard the quiet click of a weapon. You had time to hear Agent Hill’s breath catch, to watch her eyes dart to the shadowed corners ahead of her. Your gaze glanced upwards and you didn’t hesitate to shoot the man you saw.

At first, Agent Hill didn’t look at you. You could see the frustration flash across her face. There was a reason this had been given to you as your first mission. You weren't supposed to be needed.

In less than a heartbeat, her expression was gone. Agent Hill’s gaze found yours and you knew again that she was proud of you. A grin broke out on your face, despite the situation.

On the Quinjet, heading back to base, you approached Agent Hill. You cleared your throat nervously and thanked her for helping your first mission go well.

Agent Hill gave you a look of indulgent patience. You wished you could know what she really thought of you.

‘When we’re on a team. I’ve got you.’ She told you simply.

You nodded, swallowing a lump in your throat that you couldn’t explain. You turned to leave, but just as you did Agent Hill spoke again.

‘And when we’re on a team. You can call me Maria.’

‘Me too.’ You replied, feeling your cheeks heat and wondering if she could tell. Maria’s mouth lifted in amusement and you realized your mistake. ‘Wait. I mean you could call me Y/N too, if you wanted.’

And that was the start of the next three years. Three years of you climbing the ranks at Shield, just nowhere near as fast as Agent Hill did.

In that time, you had a dozen more missions together. Sometimes, you only knew about her involvement when you heard her calling your first name over the comms. It never failed to make you smile. If it was an intel mission, sometimes you’d glance up to the ceiling of the building you were in and relive the moment from your first mission that had become one of your proudest memories.

Shield was not an easy place to make a home. A lot of broken people walked the hallways, doing their best to stay whole. You were not an exception.

Maria just made you remember yourself. The person who had joined Shield. The person who was proud to work here. The person who could come back from missions with a smile on their face.

Maria always made dry comments to you over the comms, sarcastic enough to almost hide the joke behind them. You weren’t as good at multitasking as she was, but when you had enough brainspace free, you tried to make them too.

Sometimes, on the Shield base, you’d spot her in the cafeteria eating alone. You’d slide casually into the seat next to her. You knew she didn’t sit with anyone, unless it was a working lunch. Maria always raised her eyebrow at you, a picture of skepticism, but you could tell she was pleased to see you. In three years, maybe it wasn’t much of anything. But, if you were honest with yourself, it meant a whole lot.

Almost a month ago, you’d heard the first rumors about the new secret missions that an elite team of agents had been brought in on. You knew just from the word ‘elite’ that Maria was part of it. You couldn’t help paying attention more than usual to the gossip. Shield operated with a high level of secrecy. But, it was also filled with the sort of people who traded information like a hot commodity.

You picked up pieces. Just hearing the murmured rumors, made you feel a cold apprehension.

You learned that one of the other experienced agents on the elite team had ended up quitting Shield altogether.

‘Apparently, it’s the things they’re having to see.’ You heard one agent say over lunch in the cafeteria. ‘They’re even making the Black Widow see a therapist.’

When your annual holiday leave was due to begin, you found yourself both grateful and reluctant. The elite team had just been sent on another top secret mission. The rumors already flying around promised it was going to be dangerous.

You didn’t want to be around for the horrible waiting game that would be too easy to play. You couldn’t even ask her about it. You weren’t really close to Maria. At best, she was a work friend that you rarely worked with. You were leagues apart in your ability and rank.

You didn’t expect to see Maria in the hallway on the morning that you left the base. Something about her presence immediately worried you. She didn’t look well.

Her face was pale and her shoulders were tense. You wanted to speak, but you didn’t know what to say to her. Your stomach gave a cold lurch. You glanced into the room she was waiting outside of. The other elite agents were inside. You recognised some civilians, family members there for visits. You recognised Agents Romanoff and Barton sitting with a woman who was holding a baby.

Your stomach lurched again. Where the hell were they going on this mission?

You turned back to meet Maria’s gaze. Her stare was more vulnerable than you’d expected.

She would always be a person who’d supported you in your best moments. You knew it was more a testament to her character than your closeness.

You reached forward and gave her a careful hug. She felt tense to the bone.

‘Good luck Maria.’

She didn’t speak. Worry descended on you as you walked away.

——

You spend the first night away from Shield in your own apartment. You lie in bed, staring at your ceiling and wondering if home will always be so unfamiliar.

You spend five long days realizing that this place can only be your home if you make it one.

You don’t expect your phone to ring. You never thought it would be her number. Your mind flashes with the mission that you’ve been trying not to think of.

—

You answer the phone and despite the darkness, the world begins to burn in screaming color.

Maria’s voice is cracked. She tells you that she is safe and you wonder if you can believe her. She gives you her location. She pauses, like she doesn’t know how to ask.

You tell her you’re coming. Trap or not, mission protocol to hell, you’re going to be there.

You’re driving in your car not ten minutes later. Nerves and adrenaline are coursing through your veins like old friends. The familiar feeling you wear on missions has sunk in.

You try not to think about what’s waiting for you. What’s happened on the mission. You have another hour to drive.

You let yourself enjoy the reckless feeling of swinging sharply around the tight corners when you reach the dirt tracks. Maria is at one of the more secret safe houses.

You wonder if that’s why she called you. You are perfectly unattached to whatever has happened. You aren’t involved in the mission she’s come from and anyone watching the Shield base wouldn’t be tracking you. Illogically, embarrassingly, you hope she’s called because of the moment in the hallway.

Your gut starts churning with another feeling. A desperate need to do this right. Whatever this is. To pay back something that can’t be paid back.

You pull up at a lonely farmhouse, and you notice the tire tracks leading to the closed barn doors. You walk there first.

She said she was safe

You remind yourself as you force your heart to calm down. You hate the dark, and there is nothing like the darkness of open fields at night.

In the dim light of the moon, you can see a motorcycle inside the barn, standing against an old discarded workbench.

Cautiously you touch the exhaust pipe and feel the cool metal. Maria likely waited to call you. Your stomach tightens but you aren’t surprised.

You move around to the back of the farmhouse. There’s a light on inside and your shoulders loosen.

You walk through the kitchen door.

Maria is sitting at the old fashioned kitchen counter. Her head is in her hands. Her arms are bare and you can see the soft bruises littering her skin. She is hunched forward and for the first time you think she looks small. She is not the woman you have known before.

‘Maria.’ You call, barely above a whisper.

She looks up at you with a forced dry smile. Her eyes still flicker with something familiar, and you remember that you have known her for years.

The lighting is too dim to tell if she’s been injured, but you have a feeling. You walk closer: the quiet and her stare feels intimate. It makes the world seem suddenly small.

You cautiously ask a few questions about what led her here. You stand next to the counter and Maria stands up automatically, like she’s giving you some kind of mission report. She replies to your questions, but you can tell she doesn’t really want to. She admits to some injuries. You can make out a fresh scar on her cheek, cutting the skin below her eye. Her answers aren’t always concrete. All you know is she’s safe now. That the danger has passed, it didn’t follow her.

‘I don’t think I can sleep.’ Maria tells you suddenly. She starts to grip the counter top and you watch her arms tense. Muscles tighten under mottled skin. Her voice is cracking with fear and you feel scared too. Someone like Maria doesn’t invent her fears.

You touch her shoulder and don’t know if it’s the wrong move. You remember the hallway at Shield and the way it wasn’t enough. Maria’s shoulders tense. Her breathing is ragged and you can feel it under your fingertips now. You don’t know what to do. You can feel your own fear rising. The spiral of wanting to do something right and feeling it fall apart anyway.

You know she’s fighting not to cry. Her sharp, stuttering breaths are forced through clenched teeth. You do what you do in a lot of emergency situations. You try to remember what you’ve been told before.

You catch Maria’s gaze. Her eyes are wide and for the first time you feel calm. You know what to do.

‘When we’re on a team.’ You say, and your voice is steady. ‘I’ve got you.’

Maria stares at you and you wonder if her words are still familiar to her too. It doesn’t matter. What matters is what they mean.

‘Maria, we are always on a team.’

You reach out and take her hand. You feel her squeeze it tightly and you watch as the first tears start falling.

You go to hug her and she hugs you back. Her body is trembling and you know in your bones that it has been too long. Your arms tighten around her and her body leans into you.

That night, you drive together back to your apartment. The air between you has become something different and you don’t know what yet. You have a feeling that you might have loved Maria since the first time you saw her. But that’s okay. These things will work out if they’re meant to.

Maria is facing into the dim car. Her chin is resting against the seatbelt. Her eyes keep closing, but you’re pretending not to notice. There’s a streak of dried blood on her face.

She was telling you before about growing up. About the things that made her join a place like Shield.

She is irrevocably human now and you are grateful. The night feels heavy but also, you realize, that you have never felt stronger.

You keep looking out onto the dark road. You know that she’ll fall asleep any minute now. There is no danger, she’s on a team and someone’s got her back. She can rest.

#maria hill x reader #marvel fic #day 1 #flufftober2023 #hurt/comfort

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