The Eternal Avenger

Chapter Twenty-Six: As Normal as Normal Gets

(Claray's POV):

Natasha managed our relationship regarding the team in the same way that she managed everything else – as a matter of fact. Any time she caught anyone looking at us, or if they looked as though they were going to speak or ask a question, her fingers gripped mine tightly and she glared at them until they thought the better of whatever it was, they were going to say. All, however, except for Wanda or Clint. The four of us made a core team, with Steve hanging out on the sidelines, largely too embarrassed by our antics to participate. While I had seen glimpses of Natasha's real personality – the one she hid behind the stern, snarky exterior that she typically presented, I had no idea how much of a goofball she really was. Her newest obsession in the weeks after our "official" first kiss was attempting to sneak up behind me and scare the daylight out of me. She was getting good at it, too. After managing a scare that launched an otherworldly shriek from both me and Wanda, she sat down on the couch next to me, curling easily into the nook of my arm, her feet tucked beneath her.

"Tell me more about this drug, kid," Clint joked, playing air drums with a couple of his arrows. Natasha and I had filled Wanda in earlier. I took a deep breath.

"Wanda, want to tell Barton what it felt like?" She grinned at me, blushing slightly.

"It felt amazing, like I was floating in the air without a care in the world," she reminisced wistfully. "It almost felt like I..." Wanda glanced at Natasha, who was glaring at her in a way that dared her to complete that sentence. Wanda stopped talking. Natasha rolled her eyes and poked her finger into my side before I could say anything. Clint stared between the three women across from him.

"Evolutionarily speaking," Tony interjected from across the room, "it makes sense." I nodded.

"I thought Vampires liked the struggle, though," Clint questioned. I grinned at him, winking.

"We like the hunt and the chase. Catching and feeding is kind of the afterglow," I explained.

"I'm tough, it wouldn't affect me," he shrugged it off, arrogantly. I raised my eyes at him, willing to bet but Natasha put a calming hand on my shoulder and snuggled in tighter.

"No one's biting anyone," she grumbled, glaring at her best friend. Clint, knowing when he was beat, sat back in his seat, shrugging.

"We should discuss a feeding schedule, however," Tony countered. I looked up at him, waiting for her to finish his thought. He glanced at me, barely covering a smirk at Natasha's glare. "You're stronger when you drink human blood, yes?" I nodded. "I'm just saying that it may be a good idea to keep you on that diet – in case something happens." He had a point. Natasha grumbled herself out of my nook, staring up at the older Avenger.

"What are you suggesting, Tony? That we bring Claray victims? That's absurd." Tony shook his head.

"You're not thinking outside the box, Natasha," he smirked. "Consider it a specialized blood donation service." I weighed the option carefully, before turning to Natasha, looking her in the eyes.

"Other vampires have done it before with measured success," I murmured, smiling and kissing her on the forehead. She nodded.

"If you're biting anyone, it's going to be me," she grunted. That was as close to her permission as we were going to get. Tony nodded, making his way out of the room to make a few calls and set up a regular blood bag delivery. I leaned down, lightly whispering in Natasha's ear, grinning when I saw a corresponding shiver.

"You're cute when you're protective, you know, but I managed to survive almost a thousand years without you watching my back." She glanced at me smiling.

"But not anymore, you're not," she retorted. I smiled. That was a battle I wasn't going to win, so there was little point trying.

"Whatever you say, Agent Romanoff." She punched my thigh lightly before leaning over and pecking me softly on the cheek.

"Can it, Agent Ridel." The rest of the team looked uncomfortable at Natasha's sudden interest in displays of affection and were aimlessly glancing around the room.

"What's on the agenda for the rest of the day?" I asked, lightening the mood. Wanda looked over at me expectantly.

"Wolf training?" Her pale green eyes lit up in a smile.

"Bring it on, Maximoff." I answered her out loud, making Natasha groan in frustration at our connection as Wanda and I both leapt to our feet and headed outside.

(Wanda's POV):

I watched the large, white wolf carefully, keeping my distance. Like Natasha had done with Banner's Hulk, we had been working on facial recognition with the wolf so that it didn't see us as a threat. Progress was slow, but it was still being made. So far, Natasha is the only one that could approach, and she did so with a fair amount of snarling in our general direction. I had never seen a wolf or a dog this large before, and I was fascinated by it. I watched Natasha as she stepped closer, hand raised, palm out. The wolf approached the crouching former-Russian, sniffing her palm before sitting down in front of her. Natasha smiled over her shoulder at us, keeping an eye on the larger-than-normal predator who was now laying on the lawn. Natasha bent down, whispering something to the wolf, whose ears pricked up at the sound. Then the assassin beckoned to me. Here goes nothing.

I had worked with Claray's wolf before, but not in proximity. I knew that my magic was sufficient to protect me if she was provoked or felt the need to attack, but I had a soft spot in my heart for misunderstood creatures, and I didn't want to use it if I didn't have to. I approached behind Natasha, who gigged slightly as the wolf licked her hand. My eyes widened in surprise, however, as she rested her hand on top of the giant head, fingers immediately becoming buried in the thick, white fur. The wolf glanced between her and me lazily before flopping back down on its belly on the ground.

"I'm sorry, but did you just pet that wolf?" Tony's sarcastic voice echoed from behind us. The wolf's ears pricked up again at attention before exhaling a low growl. Apparently, she didn't appreciate Tony's humor any more as a wolf than she did as her normal self. I honestly couldn't blame her there. Although Stark had grown on me and we had moved past our differences and our checkered past, I still didn't trust him very much. Not until he could demonstrate that he was trustworthy. He was, after all, the man responsible for the death of me and Pietro's parents. And Ultron, for that matter, although had that not taken place Pietro and I most likely wouldn't be here now, and I wouldn't be experiencing this first-hand. I walked up to stand next to Natasha, smiling down at the wolf by way of an introduction.

"Hi," I said softly. I tensed slightly as the wolf climbed back up onto its feet, sniffing the air in my direction before padding closer. Natasha's hand on my lower back steadied me, holding me in place. I held out my hand, palm-up, mirroring the actions she had taken. Similarly, the wolf acknowledged me and approached my outstretched hand, making a slight chuffing sound that seemed to indicate contentment.

"Come on now!" Clint shouted from a safe distance away, where he stood with the rest of the team. The wolf eyed them all before turning back towards me and Natasha, pawing at the ground. I frowned.

"I think she wants to play," I smiled to myself. The wolf bounced up and down in excitement. I crouched down in front of her, and she came even closer, allowing me to place a tender hand on the side of her face, whining slightly. "Do you want to chase Pietro?" I asked. Pietro and Claray had run sprints before, and he'd even managed to keep up with the wolf. It was familiar enough with him to not see him as prey, meaning it was time to have some fun. "Pietro, run!" I called over my shoulder, laughing in delight as the wolf bounded after my brother, the two of them chasing each other around the massive lawn in a furry, blurry mess. Natasha and I went back to rejoin the rest of the team as the two played, getting up to speed on our latest mission – Crossbones was headed to Africa looking to score no doubt more weapons of some kind, and we were going after him.