Life Happens

Clint and Natasha

Clint entered the air vent. His hiding place and his secret network for moving around the facility. He followed the vent he was in until he reached an intersection of five vents or as he called it; his nest. It didn't have anything in it but its where he'd come to think. There was drawing on the walls that Clint had drawn with permanent marker. They were simple and stupid like doodles that helped him calm down by distracting him. Today however, he didn't need to think or calm down. He needed answers.

He continued through the maze of vents when he noticed something strange. Air was going to the big store room. He followed the vent until he came to the end. The vent in the room wouldn't open. Clint tried to pry it open  with his hands like what he had done to all the others but it wouldn't budge.

Clint pulled out his knife that he had on him and began to try and use it to create a little leeway but again, nothing. Clint started to think that the thing was welded on. He tried to move it for a few more minutes when he heard a noise coming from the room. Clint couldn't make out the noise properly due to the noise being quiet and muffled by the vent and he well... he was deaf with only one hearing aid in. Clint backed up slowly. He was going have to approach this a different way.

****

"And when they go to swing a punch or go in for a kick, hold them by that limb before flinging them away." Natasha instructed Wanda. "For a example," she said as she lifted her left leg up towards the dummy's head "grab hold of my left ankle." Wanda's magic held onto her ankle. "Great now toss me towards the padding." Nat nodded at the wall on her left. Wanda spun Natasha's body around and sent her flying to wall. Natasha landed with an thud with her left leg twisted underneath her. She winced in pain as she untangled herself.

"Natasha are you alright?" Wanda asked as she ran over to where Nat was currently lying.

"Wanda I'm fine it's ok. I just landed awkwardly." Natasha said as she tried to stand. She tried to hold back her pain back but knee was killing her.

"You are not ok." Wanda said with a frown.

"Wanda." Natasha said looking her dead in the eyes "I'm fine." Wanda shook her head. "I've had a lot worse than this. It's ok." Wanda frowned again. Wanda picked Natasha up with her powers. "Wanda what are you doing?" Natasha asked as she hovered in the air.

"You are going to get help." Wanda turned towards the door and began walking to the medical bay with a floating Natasha following her.

****

Clint was walking to the what he thought was a store room. He was going to watch from afar to see anything suspicious. Clint turned the corner and crashed into Wanda and Natasha fell to the floor and winced in pain.

"What the..." Clint started looking between Wanda and Natasha.

"I was teaching Wanda how to defend us from attacks and I kinda hurt me knee." Natasha said as if it were normal.

"I grabbed her by the ankle and through her across the room. I used too much force." Wanda said. "I was carrying her to the medical bay."

"Technically if I were a bad guy that would have been good." Nat said with a smile. "So what were you up to Clint?" She asked with a smirk.

"Bored. I was walking around." Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Need help?" He said gesturing at Natasha.
"I know you like being carried bridal style." He said smirking at her. Natasha rolled her eyes but still smiled at him.

"Fine." She said lifting her arms up. Clint picked her up in one motion and carried her down the rest of the corridor to the medical bay.

"You know, I think you might have gained a bit of weight since the last time we did this." Clint said as he walked.

"The last time you carried me it was our honeymoon like six years ago."

"Um what?" Wanda asked with a confused look on her face looking at the pair. Clint and Natasha laughed.

"We were on a mission. Going undercover as a newly wed couple at a hotel." Clint said with a fond smile. "They had the nicest pizza and coffee I've ever had."

"Of course that's all you'd remember. How about when you broke your nose by walking into the door."

"Ok. Number one, I'd just woken up. Number two, wasn't paying attention and number three, it was a glass door!"

"Apparently it didn't knock any sense into you." Natasha said laughing. The group approached the bay laughing. When they entered it was empty. Clint put Natasha down on one of the beds.

"I'll go find someone." Wanda said turning and walking away.

Natasha waited until Wanda was out of ear shot before she spoke. "Clint. What were you actually doing in the corridor?"

"I was going to the store room."

"Why?"

"Because I don't think it's a store room anymore." He said looking directly at her.

"What on earth do you mean." She said with a confused look.

"Well think about it. Steve and Tony have all but vanished but they keep going in this general direction. Plus the corridor smells weird when you walk through it know." Natasha looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Like plaster and paint...I'll look into it when my knee is better." She said nodding.

"Uh thanks."

"How have been Clint?"

"Good. I've been fine."

"Really?"

"Yes really. Why?"

"Because I worry about you. I know you haven't seen Pietro or the kids recently and I thought it might be affecting you. Plus we haven't spoken much since we got back here." She said as placed her hand on his. Clint bowed his head. Sometimes Natasha didn't need Wanda's powers to know how you felt. She read Clint like a book.

"You're right." He said letting out a long breath. "I miss the kids and dare I say Pietro. I just... I dunno." He said looking at their hands.

"It's ok Clint you'll figure it out." She reassured him.

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a a minute or two when Helen walked through the door.

"Natasha, Clint, its good to see you." Helen greeted them. "Wanda mentioned something about being thrown at a wall?" Natasha laughed.

"I'll see you later." Clint said as he stood. He kissed her cheek and left the room and saw Wanda waiting for him. "Hey again." He greeted her.

Wanda went to hug him but Clint grabbed her left wrist. A silver ring on her ring finger? "When did you get engaged?" He asked completely baffled.

"Oh! No! I'm not engaged! Vision got it me so I can be close to Pietro when I can't see him. Blue is his favourite colour and I read somewhere that blood from the ring finger goes directly to the heart and so..." Wanda trailed off.

"Oh ok. I was worried I'd have to get into my protective mood and see if someone was worthy of marrying you." The pair laughed as he hugged her. "Oh and I'm sorry about bumping into you earlier."

"Oh it was nothing. Besides I learnt a little about you and Natasha." She smiled at him. They walked together until they got to Wanda's room which is when they parted ways.

Clint walked to his room however, unlike a normal human being, instead of going to his bed he went to the air vent. He had a lot of thinking and planning to do and there was only place he could do that without being disturbed.