i'm dancing | bucky barnes

t h i r t e e n

We walked across the grassy field and reached a handmade wooden fence. Off to the side, there was a shed, which looked handmade too, and a flat bed truck with some wooden logs hanging out of it, and then front and centre was a large house. The property was surrounded by green. It was beautiful. The birds were happily chirping, and the grass was gently swaying with the warm breeze.

We were the complete opposite. There was no peace or tranquility in us. We had just fought and lost, again. For the second time, the light in our eyes had faded, and our heads hung in defeat. In our eyes, we were failures. We had just failed to protect our city. Our home, and we failed it.

Clint held the door open for us to walk in and then stepped in himself.

"Honey? I'm home." he called out and a woman with a long dress shirt walked into view.

"Hi, company. Sorry i didn't call ahead." He was cut off by the woman pulling him into a small kiss, smiling up at him. It was only then that i noticed the large baby bump beneath the shirt she wore.

"Clint?" I muttered, confused by the warm welcome the man had received from a woman i assumed none of us had heard of.

"That's an agent." Tony spoke quietly to the men standing either side of him.

Then i heard a stampede of footsteps. Clint walked forward to meet a couple of kids running towards him. His kids.

"Daddy!" The young girl leaped into his arms, hugging him tight and the older boy ran to his side and hugged it.

"Hey! Hey buddy! How you guys doin? Look at your face! Oh my goodness!"

"Those are.. smaller agents." Tony reasoned with himself quietly.

"Did you bring auntie Nat?" the little girl asked innocently. I looked up at Natasha, who's face immediately lit up as soon as the words fell out of her mouth.

"Why don't you hug her and find out?" She said, walking forward and picking up the little girl, Clint chuckling.

"Sorry for barging in on you." Steve spoke lowly.

"Yeah, we would've called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed." Tony spoke, scanning the room for any other surprises.

"Yeah, well Fury helped me set this up when i joined. Kept it off S.H.I.E.L.D's files, i'd like to keep it that way. I figured it's a good place to lay low." Clint mumbled, looking almost ashamed. I felt eyes burning into the back of my head, turning around to meet Thor's eyes.

I walked over to where he was standing, placing a hand on his arm, giving him some energy. He smiled at me with gratitude, the usual sparkle back in his eye. I turned back to Nat, who was crouched at Laura's stomach, speaking to it.

Thor stepped on a lego model, kicking it to the side and under a chair to conceal the breakage. from the children. It didn't work though, the young girl stopping at his feet, looking up at him and then back down to his feet.

He quickly spun on his heel, heading back out the way we came. Steve followed after him, calling his name as he did. I stayed there, watching Clint's kids run around the space before me, hugging his legs as he laughed.

This was the life i had wanted at 15. Kids, a farm. A normal life. Instead i got this. This wreck of an existence i lead.

"Juniper." My name pulled me from my thoughts, my head whipping to meet the voice. Natasha stood with concern etched onto her face, "You okay?"

"Yeah, no, i'm fine." i brush her off, turning to the door we had entered through, leaning against the wall beside it to fill my lungs with the dewey afternoon air.