For the Love of a Father ✓

The Reason

I'm awoken the next morning by a soft breeze blowing across my face. I startle awake, and almost fall out of the porch swing, waking up my companion who starts laughing. "It's not funny Steve." I say with a smile. "I should probably get back before Dad knows I stayed out here all night with a senior citizen." I add with a wink.

"Oh, that's how you're going to play it?" He asks, standing up and pulling me to him. I smile and nod.

"We'll have to talk about this more later. When the world isn't on the brink of destruction."

"Whenever you're ready." He says. "But there is something I want to do once more before I don't have the chance to." When I look at him questioningly he lowers his lips to me again and I could've collapsed right then and there.

We break apart and I smile sweetly at him before disappearing right back into the house. "And just where were you all night?" I jump a foot in the air when I see Nat walking downstairs.

"Gah! Give a little warning next time." I say, clutching my chest. She smiles.

"So... where were you?" She asks with a shit eating grin on her face.

"Judging by that smile, I can only assume you saw the position I woke up in this morning. And I'm begging of you to keep it to yourself." I plead.

"I guess. But how're you going to keep Clint quiet?" She asks with another smirk as Hawkeye comes out of the kitchen laughing his ass off.

"Simple. If you don't want your wife to know about that dangerous stunt you pulled in St Petersburg on that one op, you're going to keep your mouth shut about this." I say, narrowing my eyes. He holds his hands up in surrender while continuing to laugh.

I'm sitting outside on the porch a couple of hours later, watching Dad and Steve chop firewood for Laura. "Earth's mightiest heroes." Steve comments, huffing a laugh. "Pulled us apart like cotton candy."

"Seems like you walked away alright." Dad comments. I move to stand up, knowing that if they get into it about this, it's not going to end pretty.

"Is that a problem?" Steve asks, schooling his features so Dad doesn't read anything into it. He's paying extra attention to not look over at me.

"I don't trust a guy without a dark side." Dad says before bringing his axe down on his piece of wood. "Call me old fashioned."

"Well, let's just say you haven't seen it yet." I didn't like what was brewing between them. It was leaning too closely to my vision.

"You know Ultron is trying to tear us apart, right?" Dad asks.

"Well, I guess you'd know. Whether you'd tell us is a bit of a question." Steve replies. I decide to head down to intervene.

"Banner and I were doing research. I see you're purposely ignoring the fact that Myra was there too."

"Don't bring me into the creation of this mess. I had nothing to do with that." I interrupt.

"That would affect the team." Steve says as they both ignore me.

"That would end the team! Isn't that the mission? Isn't that the 'Why We Fight'? So we can end the fight. So we get to go home!" In Steve's frustration, he rips a log in half and I have to clench my legs together to keep the feeling from intensifying.

"Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time." Steve says, seriously.

Before Dad can respond though, Laura comes out. "I'm sorry. Mr. Stark... Clint said you wouldn't mind, but our tractor doesn't seem to want to start at all. I thought maybe you might..." she trails off.

"Yeah, I'll give her a kick." Dad says, looking slightly embarrassed, something I'd never seen on him before. "Don't take from my pile." He says, pointing to his... smaller pile. I almost laughed looking at Steve's mountain in comparison.

I wait until Dad is completely in the barn before I turn to Steve. "Why wouldn't you tell Dad what you saw?"

"I didn't want him to read too much into it."

I cross my arms over my chest. "And what does that mean?"

"Nothing. I just want us to figure out what exactly last night means before I tell your dad anything."

"So we're going to talk about this now?" But before Steve can respond, Dad walks out of the barn, but he's not alone. "Shit."