The kid avengers

Nightmares

Pepper was woken with a start. It was 3.30am and someone was banging urgently on her door.

"What is it?" She called, hoping it wasn't anything major, sleep still clouding her thoughts.

"Mam, I think I need your help" came Steve's uneasy reply. He sounded rattled, instantly putting Pepper on edge.

She opened the door, dressed in one of adult Tony's Tshirts. Steve's face looked up at her; alert and frightened.
Before Pepper could even ask, she heard it; a scream from down the hall.
Pepper ran, not waiting for Steve's explanation, skidding into the room which Steve had been sharing with Natasha.

She was still asleep, but her face was screwed up in pain. Sweat coated her face, sticking loose tendrils of hair to her forehead. She was turning and thrashing in her sleep, mumbling, and on occasion screaming.

"I can't wake her" Steve panted from behind Pepper. He was stood in the doorway, a bewildered Tony had too been woken and stood sleepily at his side.

"Natalia, Natalia honey. It's okay. It's Pepper, you're safe" she tried over and over to rouse Natasha, to no avail. She tried everything she could think of, but nothing woke her, and nothing calmed her. Pepper was beginning to panic, she didn't know what to do. Tears rolled down Natasha's face, despite her eyes being tightly closed. Occasionally a murmur of "please no" or "help" escaped her lips, but mostly the words came out in Russian.

Tony quietly disappeared, moments later he reappeared again with Clint by his side.
At the sight of Natasha Clint seemed suddenly alert and awake. He ran over to her bed, climbing in behind her and hugging her tight. He ignored the pain it caused him as she struggled against him; he took an elbow to the chest and a fist to his chin in the struggle, but Clint just calmly whispered into her ear, gently stroking her back and eventually she calmed. She stopped fighting him, and instead turned to face him; moving tighter into his grasp. She was shivering now, and although her face had relaxed, the tears continues to fall.

Pepper finally felt able to breathe a sigh of relief.

She looked at Clint, who stared back up at her. "Can I stay?" he whispered, gently rocking Natasha back and forth.
Pepper stood up and nodded. "Thank you" she said, genuinely grateful. She had no idea what she would have done without him.
As she looked down at the two of them, she was reminded so much of the two friends she had come to love. She never realised how much they really needed each other. Even now, in their child state, Clint had been the only one to truly make Natasha feel safe. They'd have to re-examine the sleeping arrangements for tomorrow.. she definitely didn't want another night like this one!

She left the two of them there, snuggled together; looking just like a big brother comforting his younger sister. Steve, too, went back to bed.

Pepper took Tony's hand as she walked him down the hallway back to his room. "Quick thinking Tony" she said with a smile. That was the Tony she'd fell in love with. The world may see him as uncaring and cold. But she knew the real him. She knew how deeply he cared about her and his five new friends; and that Tony would do anything to ease their pains, and make them feel better.