[ooc; From the Parent Trap-'verse; after the big failed mountain cabin getaway & resulting heartbreak after... end of the week following these two threads]
––––
The last week has been rough. There is a lot swirling in her mind, still reeling from everything earlier in the week. Guilt has settled quite firmly between her ribs, and as a result, Yelena's mood has been... hard to read, at best, downright sour at worst. But it was all leading to this even harder day. Nothing could have prepared her for what she would witness that day.
The Thunderbolts– God, she hates that name, it is so objectively terrible– had been called to Cap's headquarters; some meeting of the minds about possible alien tech use in Greenland and a discussion of how to handle it, who should go, and if they might need to contact Captain Marvel or the Guardians for an assist.
She... barely remembers what was actually said because her focus had been on Sam and Bucky the entire time. The tension that she felt spark like static in the room as soon as Bucky and Sam's eyes met across the room. How awkward every inch of Bucky's body language was against Sam's seemingly very calm and ever-chill exterior.
Bucky was, somehow, quieter and frownier than usual. He seemed like his attention was divided between the task at hand and something else. Something around his eyes looked... blank, several times through the meeting- she's almost positive he was disassociating right in front of all of them. He also wouldn't even dare to look at Yelena the whole time. Probably for the best, she isn't sure she could have kept herself contained if he'd tried to say a single thing to her.
Sam's stance showed a subtle shift when Bucky was near him. Usually, she'd noticed before, he faced him if not wholly, then he was still shifted toward Bucky, but that's all gone; it's not the most obvious cold shoulder ever, in fact it might be the most subtle one she's ever seen, but it's there in that tiny twist of his body toward the rest of the room, just that little bit away from Bucky.
To anyone- probably everyone- else in the room, Sam likely seemed... fine. Business as usual. He smiled. He joked. He laughed. He made plans and called shots. He was... perfectly Captain America-ing, in excellent form on the business front.
But his smile didn't reach his eyes. His jokes didn't have the right amount of heart in them. His laugh didn't sound as hardy as it usually did.
His arms were folded across his body most of the time, except when he was pointing to maps or similar. His eyes were dull, and she didn't even know that could happen; his eyes always seemed a little bit like they were lit from the inside with starlight, but it was snuffed out now. He was too well-focused on all of the business of everything, in a way that was more like seeking a hyperfixation to distract himself than anything else.
"Whatever you need, buddy," Barnes had said, at some point, in a voice so soft she could have missed it if she wasn't so goddamn focused on the two of them. He even dared to reach out and clap a hand on Sam's shoulder. "We're in your corner."
There was a smile on Sam's face, genuine, but not wide enough. Not bright enough. It didn't reflect in his eyes like it should have. "Thanks, pal," had come out of his mouth as smooth as ever... but he still pulled away from that hand on his shoulder, even if he played it off as getting Joaqín to come help him look at some coordinates.
The whole meeting had her stomach in knots. She barely spoke except when it was absolutely necessary. As soon as it was clear that whatever meeting they were having among all of them was over, and that some people were lingering in the way people often do when they don't want to be the first to leave? Yelena happily jumped to her feet and stomped out of the facility first.
––––
Back at her own apartment, she locks up behind herself and promptly flops down on her couch, greeted by Franny pushing her cold, wet dog snout right into Yelena's cheek. "Hey, baby," she murmurs softly. "You are so lucky you are a dog..."
As if she could understand her words, but was very confused by them, Franny tipped her head to one side, and then the other. Classic confused puppy face.
Yelena gave a single, weak, "Ha." of laughter, shifting her position on the couch to give her dog space to climb up with her. Maybe she'd be able to think of a way to set all of this right after a little sleep.
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zvi
{A Character Study of Sam & Bucky through Yelena's eyes
Date: 2025-04-10 03:12 am (UTC)––––
The last week has been rough. There is a lot swirling in her mind, still reeling from everything earlier in the week. Guilt has settled quite firmly between her ribs, and as a result, Yelena's mood has been... hard to read, at best, downright sour at worst. But it was all leading to this even harder day. Nothing could have prepared her for what she would witness that day.
The Thunderbolts– God, she hates that name, it is so objectively terrible– had been called to Cap's headquarters; some meeting of the minds about possible alien tech use in Greenland and a discussion of how to handle it, who should go, and if they might need to contact Captain Marvel or the Guardians for an assist.
She... barely remembers what was actually said because her focus had been on Sam and Bucky the entire time.
The tension that she felt spark like static in the room as soon as Bucky and Sam's eyes met across the room.
How awkward every inch of Bucky's body language was against Sam's seemingly very calm and ever-chill exterior.
Bucky was, somehow, quieter and frownier than usual.
He seemed like his attention was divided between the task at hand and something else.
Something around his eyes looked... blank, several times through the meeting- she's almost positive he was disassociating right in front of all of them.
He also wouldn't even dare to look at Yelena the whole time. Probably for the best, she isn't sure she could have kept herself contained if he'd tried to say a single thing to her.
Sam's stance showed a subtle shift when Bucky was near him. Usually, she'd noticed before, he faced him if not wholly, then he was still shifted toward Bucky, but that's all gone; it's not the most obvious cold shoulder ever, in fact it might be the most subtle one she's ever seen, but it's there in that tiny twist of his body toward the rest of the room, just that little bit away from Bucky.
To anyone- probably everyone- else in the room, Sam likely seemed... fine. Business as usual. He smiled. He joked. He laughed. He made plans and called shots. He was... perfectly Captain America-ing, in excellent form on the business front.
But his smile didn't reach his eyes.
His jokes didn't have the right amount of heart in them.
His laugh didn't sound as hardy as it usually did.
His arms were folded across his body most of the time, except when he was pointing to maps or similar.
His eyes were dull, and she didn't even know that could happen; his eyes always seemed a little bit like they were lit from the inside with starlight, but it was snuffed out now.
He was too well-focused on all of the business of everything, in a way that was more like seeking a hyperfixation to distract himself than anything else.
"Whatever you need, buddy," Barnes had said, at some point, in a voice so soft she could have missed it if she wasn't so goddamn focused on the two of them. He even dared to reach out and clap a hand on Sam's shoulder. "We're in your corner."
There was a smile on Sam's face, genuine, but not wide enough. Not bright enough. It didn't reflect in his eyes like it should have. "Thanks, pal," had come out of his mouth as smooth as ever... but he still pulled away from that hand on his shoulder, even if he played it off as getting Joaqín to come help him look at some coordinates.
The whole meeting had her stomach in knots. She barely spoke except when it was absolutely necessary. As soon as it was clear that whatever meeting they were having among all of them was over, and that some people were lingering in the way people often do when they don't want to be the first to leave? Yelena happily jumped to her feet and stomped out of the facility first.
––––
Back at her own apartment, she locks up behind herself and promptly flops down on her couch, greeted by Franny pushing her cold, wet dog snout right into Yelena's cheek. "Hey, baby," she murmurs softly. "You are so lucky you are a dog..."
As if she could understand her words, but was very confused by them, Franny tipped her head to one side, and then the other. Classic confused puppy face.
Yelena gave a single, weak, "Ha." of laughter, shifting her position on the couch to give her dog space to climb up with her. Maybe she'd be able to think of a way to set all of this right after a little sleep.