WinterWitch: Control

Chapter 15

James POV

"Are you okay?" Clint asked. I was staring down at the lasagne I had been given by the canteen staff. It was actually a really good meal. The vegetables were good too - peas, carrots and broccoli. I was glad there weren't feeding the agents rubbish.

Natalia and Clint were eating the same meal that I was. Wanda had asked for a small portion of the roasted vegetable lentils they were offering. Part of me wanted to tell her to get a normal sized portion, but I held back.

We joined Clint and Natalia at their table and after a few minutes of silence, Clint asked that question. Was I okay? In reality, definitely not. I knew I wasn't alright. The people I had seen so far were all afraid of me and I didn't like it. It was good that people feared me, but this much? So much that a young agent can barely nod her head before scurrying off?

"It was not exactly how I wanted the evening to start out," I huffed, piercing two peas with my fork and sticking them in my mouth. "But I don't blame them."

"Hey," Wanda said and placed her hand my arm. I felt her fingers squeeze around my forearm, rubbing it with her thumb. "Once they understand, they'll stop being afraid."

I looked up and saw her smile at me before she slipped her hand away to pick up her fork. She continued to eat as I looked up at the other two. Clint didn't seem to be interested, his focus being on his large portion of lasagne that wasn't as big anymore.

However, we had Natalia's attention. She was expressionless, which wasn't a surprise, but I could always tell what she was feeling. There was a small crease in between her eyebrows that shower her true emotion - suspicion. She noticed how I wasn't put off by Wanda's affectionate touch. I didn't let many people touch me. She went back to eating her meal, but something told me that she wasn't going to just let it go.

"Besides, they'll just have to accept the fact that you're on our side now," Clint said. He smiled at me with a friendly look on his face. I liked Clint, though I wasn't sure what was going on between him and Natalia. Perhaps they fucked every now and then. It was unlikely that she actually developed feeling for the archer.

He was a key part in Wanda's life, that was certain. They seemed to have a father-daughter type connection. I didn't want to get in the way of that, but Clint didn't seem to have a problem with me being around, especially going by what he just said.

"Thank you," I said, giving a small smile back at him. His statement didn't require a thank you, but we both knew what he was trying to say. He wanted me to feel accepted and I felt grateful for that.

Clint nodded in understanding and continued to eat his lasagne. "How was training?" he asked, though I was unsure to whom.

Wanda shrugged. "I did okay."

"Wanda, you did great. Do you think it took me five minutes to master that move? No," Natalia replied. It sounded like she was telling the truth, but she might've been trying to make up for her rude comments to Wanda earlier that day.

"She's right, you did well. You worked hard, so you'll need to stretch out later tonight though," I told her, cutting up a piece of lasagne. I heard Clint stifle a laugh at my words.

"Will you be the one to stretch her out, Barnes?" he asked with a sly grin. I could feel my cheeks redden as I glared at him. God, Barton was repulsive sometimes.

Natalia snorted slightly and I glared at her too. "Clint, you are absolutely disgusting," Wanda scolded, picking at her vegetables as her cheeks turned red too. I didn't need awkwardness between Wanda and I. We were just starting to become good friends and I wasn't going to let comments like that ruin it for us.