『ᴀʀᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇʟ || ᴀ ᴍᴀʀᴠᴇʟ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

Ch. 40: You Little Minx

I looked down at Lila. She was laying on my lap, her hair covering her face as she slept. I continued to trace patterns on her shoulder, looking at the door to the hallway.

Steph turned the corner, gazing into the opposite room before glancing into the one I was in. She smiled at the sight of me before tilting her head curiously at the sleeping girl.

I gestured down for her to grab Lila, and she hustled in the room, putting her hands under the child and lifting her up.

I moved from the spot where I sat on her bed, helping Steph tuck Lila in. The little girl was exhausted- they played several different games and did different activities. Her energy had been drained completely.

I stepped out of the room, Steph following me as we walked towards the stairs. I looked at her, sighing quietly, "Thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

"Practically everything. I mean, you dealt with me when I wanted to tear out my own hair when we were younger," I laughed, shaking my head, "Even dealt with the fact that I was alive and didn't go to tell you. You actually dealt with that one pretty well."

"Yeah well acting is a thing," Steph giggled.

"Wanted to kill me?"

"I was thinking of different ways at first, yes. But I'd never go through with it."

I hummed, stepping down the stairs. Laura was waiting at the bottom, smiling as she saw us, "Is she asleep?"

I nodded, "Lila fell asleep pretty quickly after she grew tired. She was an absolute doll."

"Good, good... Hey, Clint said you wouldn't mind, but could you check on the tractor? Doesn't wanna seem to start at all."

I nodded, looking back to Steph and smiling at her, "Yeah, I'll give her a kick. Shouldn't take too long. Talk to you in a moment, Steph?"

She shook her head, walking into the kitchen, "You go and do your thing. I'll be waiting."

I walked to the door that led outside, walking down the stairs and to the barn. I stretched, glancing at the bandaged portion of my left arm.

The golden color was dried, and I poked at it, feeling no pain whatsoever. I smiled happily, humming a tune as I walked in front of the doors, seeing that the door was already open.

Tony was walking to the tractor, and I stepped inside as well, brow raised as I looked at the engineer, "Did Clint ask you to look at the tractor?"

Tony turned around and looked back at me, surprised to hear another voice. He sighed when he saw it was me, and turned back to the tractor, "Yeah, won't start."

I hummed, walking closer as I looked at it, "Well hello, Deere."

"Tell us everything," Tony sighed, "What ails you?"

"Do me a favor."

I turned towards the other side of the barn, sighing softly as Fury walked around the corner. He's wearing a grey shirt with a black sweater over it, black pants and slacks. He had his signature eyepatch and a black beanie on.

"Try not to bring it to life."

"Why, Ms. Barton, you little minx," Tony groaned quietly, glancing at the door then to me, "I get it, Maria Hill called you, right? Was she ever not working for you?"

"Artificial intelligence. You never even hesitated," Fury shook his head.

"Look, it's been a really long day, like Eugene O'Neill long, so how's about we skip to the part where you're useful."