#kate fell first but definitely did not pick up on yelena’s reciprocated feelings

[mosquito-queen]

“kate bishop, you do not smoke!”

but yelena did. she did and she would ask kate for a light, just to tease, but she didn’t know how stupidly kate wanted to touch her mouth. so kate bought a shitty plastic lighter that was nearly the same color as yelena’s eyes. and she stole yelena’s much sturdier, metal cased lighter that looked like someone had attempted to knife a design into it. and she waited.

she waited until yelena’s phone pinged and the widow grew agitated with whatever was on the screen. and she waited until yelena grabbed her vest and aggressively motioned for kate to follow down the stairs and out into the crowded street. she waited until yelena produced a cigarette and then patted down her vest pockets looking for something she couldn’t find - because it was in kate’s poor excuse for a cutlery drawer at her new apartment. (which she did now at least own two of everything, thank you!)

and then kate didn’t have to wait anymore. because yelena was scowling and desperately rummaging in her empty pockets and kate said, so very cooly: “do you need a light?”

kate held up her shitty gas station lighter and yelena looked just as surprised as when kate slapped her in the elevator nearly six months ago, “kate bishop, you do not smoke!”

which was a point of contention. because kate hated when yelena smoked, but one time she wanted to put her mouth where yelena’s had been because it was the closest she would ever get to what she really wanted. and she had taken a drag and nearly hacked up a lung while yelena berated her for even trying. while yelena said all the same reasons kate told her not to smoke. and then kate was laughing and coughing which made tears streak down her face. and yelena had told her at least she was cute when she wasn’t trying to be cool. and that was a small win.

but kate was trying to be cool right now. she was trying to keep her panicky, throbbing heart from busting out her chest. because, she was going to light yelena’s cigarette and a small part of her brain told her she was special for that, that this was only something yelena would let her do. “do you want it or not?”

and yelena put the cigarette between her lips with a roll of her eyes, her hand outreached to grab the lighter. but kate swatted it away, and flicked the stupid thing - once, twice, fuck was it going to light? embarrassment at her shortfall burned her face, and kate sheepishly looked at yelena. which was always a mistake. because yelena looked like an angel - well the kind that definitely got expelled from heaven. she had a godawful crooked smirk around the cigarette because yelena knew, she always knew kate’s spiraling shenanigans.

and yelena took mercy. as merciful as a fallen angel could be. her hands cupped around kate’s holding the lighter, brought it closer to her face. her eyelashes fluttered and kate almost whined. her last brain cell worked and a flame finally sputtered from the definitely uncool means of getting the proximity kate craved.

yelena lit the cigarette, slowly pulling away. after a dramatic inhale, she took it out of her mouth and said so disgustingly simple: “kate bishop, it is your turn to take me on an american date, yes?”

kate spluttered, “my turn?”

“we had drinks, i paid,” yelena’s nose crinkled, “i said -“

“you said it might not be so bad to be my hawkeye’s widow.”

“and then you choked on your liquor.”

“i thought you meant -“

yelena’s face fell and kate could of kicked herself. “oh, do you not want -“

“no! i mean yes! of course! yes,” kate’s heart was definitely exploded twice over, “i want to take you on a date.” did those words really come out of her mouth?

“good.” it sounded more like a threat, but yelena beamed at kate. she put the half-used cigarette out on the pavement and tugged kate’s sleeve in the direction of their mission, “first we take care of business, then you take me to coney island.”

kate had no choice but to trail after yelena, “coney island? i thought i got to pick this time.”

yelena let out a short bark of laughter.

several bruises and crude stitches later, they went to coney island.