𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐋 𝐈 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 - 𝐊. 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩

Six.

A/N- what? Two updates back to back? 🤯

The next day, Y/N decided to leave at seven thirty A.M because it would take her roughly seventeen hours to drive up to her family's farmhouse. She would arrive at one A.M the next day, but that was okay with her. Mostly because Y/N wanted to avoid a run-in with her entire family, but knowing her parents, one of them would probably stay up waiting for her.

Y/N attempted to change into a new hoodie and sweatpants, but it was difficult because of her fractured shoulder. One could practically run a marathon with what Y/N was trying to do, but after what felt like an eternity of struggling, she managed to pull her arm through a hoodie and t-shirt. After double and triple checking that she had everything, she slung her backpack over her good shoulder and checked out of her room. The last thing Y/N did before she left was grabbing a dark coffee from the hotel's breakfast. Now Y/N was ready to start her journey back home.

The drive was long, but it gave plenty of time for Y/N to think. Would she play the events from the last few days off as nothing important happened, like she normally would, or would she treat it as the serious topic it is? How would Kate react to Y/N saying that she was a 'friend' on live television? Most importantly, how would her family react to her leaving on Christmas, and how would Lila act especially? Just imagining her family's reaction made her cringe. Nate's little disappointed face, Lila's cold glare from pure hurt, her parents' undoubtable worry. It was all something that Y/N was sure to face.

To get her mind off things, Y/N turned on the radio, hoping it would be enough of a distraction. Surprise, surprise, it wasn't. There wasn't one minute of the car ride that she wasn't thinking of Kate, or her family, or both. Constantly worrying was tiring, especially when you didn't have enough energy to begin with. The idea of resting sounded so sweet, she somehow felt relieved and nervous about going home. Almost like she wanted to go home, but she didn't at the same time. Of course, she would need to persevere and drive the full two-thousand plus miles, and then Y/N could get her well deserved rest.

At roughly six, Y/N decided that she needed to fill up her tank, so she took an exit to a rest stop. First, Y/N stopped by the convenience store to get another coffee and Monster Energy. This was probably too much caffeine for someone to drink in a day, but Y/N didn't care. She was so tired because she woke up multiple times last night from her many injuries. She tried to sleep as much as she could, but even still, you could see her eyebags from miles away. All Y/N hoped for was to survive the rest of the car ride home.

___Timeskip___

Finally, it was the moment Y/N had been dreading. She has stood in front of the little farmhouse many times, but this time was the one she was most nervous about. It probably made her more nervous than fighting Kingpin, which was saying a lot.

All right, Y/N. It's fine. It's probably just mom or dad, you'll be fine. Everyone else, including Kate, are asleep. It's alright. Y/N gave herself a small prep-talk before she mustered up the courage to walk through the door. Slowly and quietly, she stepped up the front porch so she could unlock the door. Y/N anxiously opened the door, and as soon as she did, the two people waiting for her jerked their heads in her direction. Her dad was there, as expected, but he was accompanied by someone else. Kate. Y/N felt a stab of guilt as she looked over Kate's worried expression. Her brows arched, eyes red, and her mouth opened just a little bit. Y/N immediately felt 10x worse for leaving now.

"Are you two just gonna keep staring at each other, or are you gonna say something? Y/N, you've got a lot explaining to do," Clint said suddenly as he stood up and walked over to Y/N. "What happened to you? What's with the shoulder brace?"

Y/N paused as a small, awkward smile formed on her face.

"So...funny story. I may or may not have gotten a fractured shoulder from fighting Kingpin," Y/N chuckled as she looked down shamefully.

Clint blinked a few times while he looked at his daughter in disbelief. "You what?" He asked slowly, but firmly.

"Yeah, um... I sorta fought Kingpin so now my face and ribs and shoulder hurt like crazy," Y/N replied awkwardly.

"But you're okay, right? No concussion or lasting damage?" Kate asked quickly as she swallowed a lump in her throat. Y/N saw tears slowly forming in the other girl's eyes, so she was quick to walk over to the couch and wipe them away.

"Yeah, yeah. Of course, I'm not that reckless," Y/N sighed as she let out another sad chuckle. She hated seeing Kate like this, sad and worried for something that didn't even concern her. It made her look vulnerable, and all it did was make Y/N want to protect her.

"But, uh, I should probably go to a hospital. 'Cause my shoulder blade's fractured," Y/N said again as she turned to Clint. Clint let out a big sigh as he grabbed his keys.

"Alright, kiddo. Let's go," Her father replied as he opened the door. "You too, Kate. C'mon."

"Wait, what?" Both Y/N and Kate asked at the same time.

"Yeah, you heard me. Kate's coming with us, whether you like it or not, now hurry up," Clint said as he exited the house.

"For god's sake," Y/N whispered under her breath. She quickly followed after her father to the car as Kate trailed after her.

Once Kate and Y/N made it to the car, Clint started up the engine and he drove to the nearest hospital.

"So, Y/N. This is your time to start explaining. I'll start with a simple question, first. Why were you fighting Kingpin in New York City?" Clint asked sternly. Y/N looked down at her lap while she swallowed the lump in her throat. This is gonna be a long car ride...

Word count: 1100