He Didn't See That Coming.

7.5

Clint and Kate sat up on the loft the next day, talking about celebrities and gossip and boys. He really was your typical gay uncle.

"So...there's this boy." Kate started.

"And?" Clint grinned.

"And he's really cute...and I think he likes me." Katie blushed.

"Awwww!" Clint gushed. "That is so adorable! What's his name?"

"Mark."

"Is he cute?"

"Yeah."

Barney's voice cut in from downstairs. "C'mon, girls, we leave in five!"

"Fuck you!" Clint yelled down the stairs. "C'mon, though, we really should go. I kinda wanna see the cowboy capital of the world. Plus I gotta wake Pietro up."

Kate groaned, flopping back onto the bed.

"Shake it, Katniss." Clint threw a pillow at her.

Kate stuck her tongue out as Clint acrobatically jumped off the top bunk.

"Showoff." She climbed down the ladder.

"Yeah, down come on, before your dad gets his panties in a twist."

"I heard that!"

"I know!"

Clint slid down the banister, giggling like a child. "Damn, I should get a house with stairs. Why don't I have a house with stairs?"

"Hm, maybe because your boyfriend cannot walk up them?" Pietro came into view.

"Valid reason." Clint nodded.

Barney casually struck him in the gut, and Clint returned by kicking the footplate of his brother's chair.

"You are l-like children." Pietro laughed from across the room.

"Mhm, I had to put up with the two of them in the same house till I was six." Kate agreed.

Clint bounded over to his boyfriend. "'Morning honey." He kissed Pietro quickly.

"Clint can be a decent person?!" Barney exclaimed in mock surprise.

"Shut up."

Clint turned to Pietro. "You got your braces on and everything?"

"Yeah."

"Let's hit the road."

Kate grabbed her coat and slid on her shoes. She then proceeded to sit upside down on the couch.

"You guys are so slow." She whined, watching the inverted version of what was happening.

"Kate." Barney warned, pulling at his shoe to get it on.

"Sorry."

Lucky came over and started to lick her face.

Clint was kneeling down to tie Pietro's shoes, something that was slightly embarrassing for the younger. He couldn't tie his own shoes. The lack of dexterity in his hands made it impossible.

Kate's phone pinged, alerting her of a notification. She absently scrolled through her device, pacing. Her gray sneakers padded on the wood floor.

"Okay, let's go." Clint stood up, helping Pietro up from the chair.

Barney pulled on fingerless gloves from the counter, grabbing his keys and setting them in his lap.

Kate pet Lucky on the head. "Good boy." She cooed.

•••

Three hours later Pietro was winded and sitting on a bench, catching his breath. Clint's hearing aides had died about an hour ago so he'd shoved them in his pocket.

"Are you okay?" Clint's voice was a bit off pitch as he was mostly deaf without the aides.

"Yeah." Pietro nodded. "I am fine."

Clint sat beside him, pushing the hair out of his eyes before kissing him gently. "We can go back if you want."

"No, no. I am good."

Pietro was harder to lipread at first because of his accent and stutter, but after a while Clint got the hang of his speech patterns and the way his lips moved.

Pietro was standing now. He'd said something that Clint didn't catch.

So the deaf twenty six year old looked confusedly at Pietro, eyebrows furrowed.

Barney quickly signed what Pietro had said.

'He asked if there was anything else here.'

"Oh. No, not really." They'd hit all the tourist shops that were disability accessible.

They started back towards the car, the curious stares causing Pietro's cheeks to flare.

Before long they were at the car, and driving home. Clint and Pietro sat in the back, communicating through the tablet.

Listen, Clint typed. I haven't told you everything about why we came here.

What is wrong? Pietro tapped out, slower.

Well, I came here so Barney wouldn't have to go through the tenth anniversary of the accident alone. His fingers danced across the illuminated touchscreen.

Oh. Pietro replied. When is it?

Tomorrow.

•••

That night, Pietro dreamt of an old memory.

Five year old Pietro sat on the cold basement floor, Wanda standing.

"Da ladno, vy mozhete eto sdelat'." C'mon, you can do it.

"N-net." Young Pietro shook his head.

Wanda took his hands again, using all of her tiny strength to pull him up. He swayed, unable to control many of the muscles in his legs and hands.

Wanda held him up from behind. She nudged one of his feet forward with hers. He tried to lift his other foot, he really did, but nothing happened.

"Ya ne m-mogu eto s-sdelat'." I can't do it. He tried again, falling to the floor. "Moi n-nogi, oni p-prosto ne r-rabotayut." My legs, they just don't work.

Wanda nodded, sitting next to him. "Vse normal'no." It's okay.

Pietro tried to scoot closer, his body protesting. Between his injuries and unknown palsy, he could hardly move independently. He needed Wanda's help to stand him up and drag/help him crawl places. He couldn't yet walk, and he wouldn't for two more years. And for that, he was beaten.