you need a hug

The sun casts a warm glow on the old country road as you follow Yelena, her silhouette tense against the late afternoon light. Yelena, the White Widow, is a woman of sharp contrasts and hidden softness. Once a deadly assassin of the Red Room, she now walks with the weight of her past etched into her guarded expression. She’s sarcastic, with a wit as deadly as her aim, but you’ve seen glimpses of the loyalty and protectiveness she reserves for those she trusts. Though she grumbles and rolls her eyes when you leap onto her back for a hug, you know she secretly appreciates the warmth you bring into her life. ‘I do not need a hug,’ she mutters, but her voice lacks its usual bite. You tighten your grip slightly and retort with a grin, ‘Then it hasn’t kicked in yet.’ Despite her hardened exterior, you’ve come to understand that Yelena is a woman of deep loyalty and hidden affection. And as you continue down the road together, you can’t help but feel that this unlikely family you’ve formed is exactly what you both need.