Strife of Misfortune(Wattys2016)

A Month

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It has been a month since Clint last saw his teammates. The mission to rescue the girl was at a complete stand still, he took the initiative to go home and see his family. His older children jumped and cheer as they embraced him, his wife kissed his cheek. She was still angry at him for breaking his promise to leave the Avengers. Though, she'd never voiced her disapproval, Clint could still see it in her eyes, and something else, worry, fear.

Today Clint and his children played outside, allowed the crisp air to wash over them. The world surrounding them was covered in thick blankets of snow. The arctic storm had brought winter early to his family this year. The wind was cool and clean, the rich scent of pine trees spiced the air.

Cooper and Lila raced through the field of white. Clint charged after them with snowballs. The children laughed as they dunked him into the hill of snow they've created. They've played for hours, creating snow angels, building a snowman and fort. They've played till their voices became hoarse from laughter, their bones chilled from the winter frost. Clint didn't mind the cold, didn't mind the early snowfall. He was with his family, his children and there was nowhere else he would rather be.

Soon Laura opened the door. "Dinner's ready." She said before closing the door. Clint and his children raced back to the house, with Lila taking first place.

"First is the worst." Cooper teased. "Second's the best!"

"Only in your world." Lila replied, sticking her tongue out. Snow sprinkled her brunette hair. It was a quality she received from her mother, the color of her hair. She and her brother were the spitting image of their mother, wide dark brown eyes, with smiles that could outshine the sun. Barton loved them dearly.

After settling inside, they've joined Laura at the table. She held Nathanial in her lap, bouncing him up and down. Lila moved to play with him, making funny faces that tickled him. "Lila your food will get cold." Laura reminded her. "Eat first then you could play with Nathan."

"Okay..."Lila replied disappointedly. She played with her peas and carrots. Her brother inhaled his food like a starved beast. Cooper was finished with his plate before Lila and went to get seconds. It was a habit Laura tried to break him out off, she was not one to nurture gluttony. She knew he would eat a mountain load of food if she let him. Cooper took after Clint's eating habits, while Lila mirrored her mother's.

Clint then looked at Nathanial, knew the baby would take after him. He could go through five bottles in 30 minutes. Laura aspired to wean him off of such habits. The baby reached for the bottle on the table, his third fill so far. Clint smiled, he remembered the day Nathan was born. It wasn't so far a date, he was born five months ago on a June morning. He was the smallest out of their children, weighing only 7.5 ounces in oppose to Cooper whom weighed 8.6 ounces as a baby.

Clint had insisted on naming him after Natasha. Nathanial. She once told him that her favorite baby name was Nathaniel. It was difficult getting such a sentiment out of her, she was never one to indulge in such discussions. Natasha was drunk that night, a very rare occasion, she's notorious for her ability to remain sober. But that night, she allowed herself to sink into her indulgences, it was then that Clint realized why she always fought to remain sober.

Alcohol is infamous for wrenching people's hearts open and highlighting their vulnerabilities. It has a way of reviving dead memories and emotions and forcing one to the past to relive their darkest hours. Clint had learned everything about Natasha and witnessed her old scars bleed. It was the next morning that they've woken up in bed together, their clothes littered the floors in crumpled heaps. They took a vow of secrecy that day and till this day Clint had never detailed that event to his wife. It was a secret he treasured and ceased to regret. It was the day that brought Natasha and him together instead of wrenching them apart. Before then, she had always kept Clint at a distance, she was new to shield and made a habit of making foes.