Love and loss. Two very strong emotions that the world was feeling with the aftermath of the war. The world was healing, which was hard to do when so much happiness was flowing through their hearts. Those who had disappeared were home again, but the...
"I sware to God if you don't put down the bow I'll burn it!" Laura Barton called outside to her daughter Lila, who was practicing her archery before her schooling started. Although homeschooled, their mother was serious about when they started class. So Lila reluctantly leaned the bow against the tree and sighed.
"It's alright baby, start again after your studies!" Clint called out to his daughter who smiled and nodded before trotting into the house. "Kid will be the death of me."
"She has your skill." Wanda smiled, Nathaniel kicking in her lap.
Clint chuckled, "That's what I'm worried about." As he spoke his eyes swam back to her, watching how much Nate loved her, "What about you?"
"What about me?" She held Nate closed, her expression soft and innocent.
"Come on now, I know how much you love my kids. But we both know that you showed up in the middle of the night without notice and there is more of a reason for it than the one you gave me." Wanda shook her head lightly, Clint nodded, "Bullshit."
Wanda looked at Nate and smiled lightly, he looked just like Clint yet with Laura's eyes. "I just needed to get away."
"From what?" Clint was quick with everything, especially his replies. When Wanda looked up at him he knew in her eyes something was really bothering her, "From who?"
"Alright, someone needs lunch." Laura waltz out onto the porch and scooped Nate out of Wanda's arms. "We're doing pasta for dinner?" She smiled at Wanda who she always had a liking for.
"That sounds wonderful, thank you Laura." Wanda grinned politely as Laura made her way back into the house. Clint's eyes bore into her as he waited for his answer.
"I feel as though I have no control of my emotions anymore." She folded her hands in front of her on the picnic table.
"I need more than that kid." He leaned in closer, knowing this time she was really battling something.
Wanda sighed, she looked up at Clint then down to her hands which fidgeted, "It's been six months and everyday I feel as though I lose a little more of him. I can still picture his face but I no longer feel him there. And when I close my eyes to picture myself happy he's replaced by someone else and I feel...I feel like I'm hurting him. Like he's seeing it and I'm wrong...but it feels so...good." She whispered the last word almost to herself. Letting it all out was hard, but Clint was the person she could do that in front of.
"Look..." Clint breathed in deep, not really surprised by her words, "Sam's great..."
"Not Sam." Wanda spit back, she sighed and finally met his eyes.
"The soldier?" He added, she nodded. Clint almost chuckled which threw Wanda off.
"What?"
"Nothing...nothing," He was still chuckling, "Just...out of everyone, he's the one I'd see you with."
"Why?" She cocked her head to the side as she listened.
Clint shrugged, "Everything. Hydra, being inside of your head without control. He's the one that would understand everything you've been through. And Wanda..."
She blinked, Clint reached across the table and placed his hand on hers, "He's real. He's in front of you, aware. You're allowed to have something normal."
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Tears fought their way to the front of her eyes, "Why does it feel like I'm..."
"Cheating? Because you lost someone you love and you're moving on. Moving on hurts at first, but it's people that help you feel better." Clint patted her hand. "You're allowed to feel hurt, but be honest with me...does it feel wrong?"
Wanda bit her lip, "No." She didn't have to force the words because they were real, they were true.
"Look kid. I'm not going to tell you to go fall in love again right now." Clint rubbed his neck, "But, I will tell you that you're allowed to feel this way. You're not hurting Vision's memory. If fact, he would want you happy. Hell, you don't see me moaning around all sad. I lost my best friend. But Nat would come back and haunt me if I laid in bed all day. So I get up, I kiss my wife and kids, and I live the way Nat would want me to."
Wanda nodded, perhaps she was being overdramatic. Clint lost Natasha and he was moving on.
"I'll never forget her. There will never be a day that goes by that I don't think of her or see her stubbornness in Lila. I'll always say goodnight to her before I go to sleep." Clint's eyes got hazy, "But we're allowed to live kid."
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Wanda looked up at him slowly, words of wisdom weren't always Clint's specialty, but when he had them they always were strong. As they clouded her mind she sighed, letting the words hit her and mend her.
"I'm going to shave and shower." Clint patted Wanda's hands and stood up.
"I'll be here." She smiled gently as she was left alone, sinking in her emotions.
