lonely heart - k.bishop

f o u r t e e n

"Who the hell was that?"

Eden stood silently on the edge of the rooftop, her eyes fixed on the distant lights of the city, where Yelena had just disappeared. The cold wind bit at her exposed skin, but she barely noticed. Her thoughts were too tangled, too heavy with the weight of the night's events. Clint stood a few feet away, his back to her, speaking in low, urgent tones to Kate.

"You don't wanna know, Kate," Clint said, his voice strained with an edge of finality.

Kate's frustration was palpable, the stubborn set of her jaw a clear sign she wasn't backing down. "I cannot be your partner if you don't tell me what's going on."

Clint turned to face her, his expression hard. "You're not my partner. Do you understand that? You never were."

The words hung in the air like a slap, and Eden saw Kate flinch, though she quickly masked it with anger. But Clint wasn't finished. His voice dropped lower, rougher, as if speaking the next words cost him more than he was willing to admit. "Someone has hired a Black Widow assassin. This has gotten very real, very quickly. So I'm doing this alone."

"No, you're not." Kate's voice was defiant, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She tried to look tough, but the tears in her eyes and the quiver in her voice betrayed her. "Look, I know that tonight didn't go as planned, but I chose to be here. I understand the risk, I understand all of that."

Clint shook his head, his expression unreadable. "I'm not gonna do it. Do you hear me?"

Kate didn't respond, she merely stared back at the man on the verge of tears. Clint averted his gaze, unable to look at Kate while her heart was breaking, "Go home, Kate. It's over."

Eden felt the tension radiating off of Kate as she stood there, rooted to the spot, unable or unwilling to move. For a moment, Kate looked to Eden, her eyes pleading, searching for some kind of support, some sign that she wasn't alone in this. But Eden couldn't meet her gaze. She stared at the ground, her jaw tight, knowing the pain she was causing but feeling trapped in her own turmoil.

When Kate finally turned and walked away, the hurt evident in every stiff line of her body, Eden felt a pang of guilt twist in her gut. The sound of Kate's retreating footsteps echoed in the still night air, each one driving a nail deeper into Eden's chest.

Clint didn't move until Kate was out of sight. When he finally turned back to Eden, his face was a mask of exhaustion and grief. He approached her slowly, his hands tucked into his pockets as if trying to shield himself from the cold—and from the conversation he knew they were about to have.

As soon as Kate was gone, Clint turned to Eden, his eyes sharp and questioning. "You know who it is, don't you?"

Eden didn't answer immediately, instead taking a deep breath, bracing herself for the conversation she knew was coming. "It's Yelena," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Clint's face hardened, a mix of anger and concern flashing in his eyes. "Eden, you shouldn't be involved in this. It's too dangerous."

Eden clenched her fists, the familiar burn of anger rising in her chest. "And what? You think I'm just going to walk away? Pretend like none of this matters?"

"This is personal for you," Clint argued, his voice firm. "That makes it even more dangerous. You're not thinking clearly."

Eden took a step forward, her voice rising. "That's exactly why I have to stay, Clint! I know Yelena. I know how she operates. If anyone can get through to her, it's me. Besides, this is just as personal to you as it is to me..."