Two months later
Quinn was shaking as she packed her messenger bag for her first day of school. Again. After the whole "mad scientist kidnapping incident." The scar tissue around the reactor for the most part was healed enough for normal activity like school and her body adjusted to the new hardware in the middle of her chest so it didn't hurt as much to breath or laugh. It was a dull enough ache that could be ignored. She could live with that. She was wearing two shirts. One long sleeve and one tee shirt. She wanted this thing covered and kept private.
She let out a shaky sigh, suddenly startled at JARVIS"s voice. "You'll be alright . Your father updated it so it it the same as his." She smiled weakly, putting her bag around her shoulder. "I'm aware Jay, only trusted fingerprints can get it open. Dosnt make me less terrified." She left her room, going down to the kitchen, seeing her mom and dad in there, enjoying a coffee. Tony smiled weakly. "Well this is certainly an improvement to your first, first day of school." She rolled her eyes. "Wheres Gage at? He's suppose to drive me." Kim frowned. "I don't think he's up yet. It's strange." Quinn frowned. "Did he patrol last night?" Tony sipped his coffee, shaking his head. "No. That was Clint." Quinn nodded. 'I'l go check on him. Make sure he's not sick." They nodded as she put her bag down, heading back upstairs.
"What the hell is wrong with you boy!? What the hell is this!?" A large hand held up a wrinkled comic book, gripped so tightly the pages were coming out of it's staples. The young boy, no older then seven was trying so hard not to cry out in fear, trying to keep a brave face. But tears steadily went down his cheeks, staring at his much larger, much more stronger father. "It-it's nothing s-sir..." The boy yelped when he was slapped then a large hand gripped his hair, holding him up as his father growled. "These are for stupid children with no life! For losers! For immature little brats! You'll be nothing if you keep reading this trash!" He threw the comic across the room, a few pages falling out of place. The boy sobbed, trying so hard to hide within himself.
He threw the boy to the floor before roughly dragging him by his arm, forcing him to walk. The boy sobbing, trying to escape. As they passed the living room, he saw his mother, tears going down her face. A black eye and a cast on her arm. He cried out, reaching out. "Mama! Mama help me!" She cried harder, turning around. The father got him to there basement where there was a shooting range made up, placing him at the start of it then placing a pistol in his hand. "Your going to shoot this until you can get a bulls eye with your eyes sown shut! Is that understood?" The boy just nodded, tears falling. His small hands gripped the pistol, firing the first shot.
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Gage startled awake, grabbing his gun from under the pillow. Quinn stood back with wide eyes. "Whoa, calm down. It's just me." He took in a deep breath, seeing her. "Quinn?" She frowned. "Yeah. You wern't awake so I came to check on you. You were having a nightmare. You ok?" He calmed himself, willing his anxiety to go down as he placed his pistol on his nightstand. "Yeah..I will be. I'm suppose to drive you to school arnt I?" She smirked weakly, walking closer to him. "I can handle that if you want. You look like you slept like shit." He huffed out a weak laugh. "Yeah, tell me about it." She smiled weakly, wrapping her arms around his bare waist. "Just stay here then and get some actual sleep. You can even sleep in my bed if it helps." He rolled his eyes. "Gee, how generous of you. I'm driving you." She sighed. "Fine but know that if your driving me were also talking about your nightmares." He rolled his eyes but he really didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to burden her. She already had enough nightmares for the both of them.
She got her bag again, Gage following her down to the garage as she picked out a car. He got the keys and got to the drivers seat, getting inside. She got in the passenger seat. Before he could even start the car she started. "So whats up?" He gave a weak smile, starting the car, putting it into gear. "You don't waste anytime do you? Were not even on the road yet." "Excuse me for worrying. I'l try not to do it next time you point a gun in my face." He gave her a look. "I'm fine. Just a bad dream." He drove out of the garage. She snorted. "A bad dream is being late for your final exam. Naked. This was a full on waking-up-in-a-cold-sweat-and-screaming kind of bad dream." "And I'm fine." Oh now she was getting a serious look. A look that might end in a fight. Damn stubborn streak. "How come I have to tell you about my nightmares but you won't tell me an inch of yours?" "Because yours can actually come true?" She nodded her head at that. "True enough but still, even when it's just re-living a bad memory, I tell you." She paused, frowning. "I just want the same in return. Ok? I love you and I worry. I always wondered why you always seemed to have yourself together with all the shit we've had to deal with." He stopped a red light, trying so hard not to show how her words were effecting him, but he was holding the steering wheel in a white knuckle grip.
She saw this, frowning, almost scared to reach out to him. "Why can't you talk to me? You know you can tell me anything, right?" He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when the light turned green, he spoke. His voice was controlling, his own anxiety. Trying so hard not to freak out at every little thing. Everything was reminding him of something from his past with his father. "It's a little difficult opening myself up like that. I was taught emotions like fear and love and dread were weak. Drilled into me." He gripped the steering wheel, feeling a lump forming in his throat. "I'm lucky I got away with my humanity intact, lets just be happy we have that." She frowned. "But you've always been open with me, you've never hidden that you care, that you love me." He parked in front of the school, turning to face her, his eyes watery. "You changed me. As sappy and romantic as that is. It's true. I first met you when you were about two years old. Guess your innocence and joy got to me."
She gave a dark, weak smile. "Sorry that changed." He smiled weakly, softly. "That hasn't changed one bit. How about I'l talk to you more but we do it at home, over some spongebob and chocolate milk?" She smiled. "I can live with that." "Good." She leaned in, kissing him. "I love you. Got get some sleep, ok?" He nodded. "I'l try. Call if you need me." She kissed him once more before leaving the car.
Once he saw her enter the school he drove off, going home. But half way home he felt his anxiety break. He could hardly breath, his heart felt like it was gonna beat out of his chest and he just felt terrified. He had to pull over on the side of the road, his head resting on his steering wheel, trying to regain his breathing and composure but the lump in his throat felt like that made it impossible and tears started falling down his face then suddenly he punched the steering wheel, over and over and over until he broke down into tears, hands gripping his hair so tightly but the pain helped. The pain centered him, made him focus on the now. He managed to breath and have enough focus to check his knuckles. One looked broken. Already bruised, skin broken and bleeding. He started to breath more calmly. Punching something until his knuckles broke did the trick to bring him back to himself. He wiped his face of tears, finally breathing normally and driving back on the road to the mansion.
He parked in the garage, getting out of the car when he heard the door to the garage open. "Let me see." It was Clint. Of corse it was. He gave him a look. "See what?" "Your , said you broke a knuckle." Gage rolled his eyes, looking at the ceiling. "Traitor." "It is only in my best interest that you see medical attention." JARVIS was installed in all the cars. He may not be able to talk in them but he can report back any issues. Clint gave him a look. "Care to step into my office?" Gage sighed. "Sure thing doc." He followed Clint to the bathroom in the lab that adjoined to the garage by a door.
Clint got what he needed out. Not his first broken knuckle and won't be the last. He started cleaning the wound. "How exactly did this happen? Defend your princesses honor?" Gage gave him a weak glare before looking away. "Something like that." He sighed. "I had a nightmare this morning and she wanted to talk about it. Actually I've been having alot of trouble sleeping." "I've noticed." Gage winced when Clint put the bone back in place but continued. "Mostly just reliving awful stuff with Black." Clint gave a dark kind of laugh. "Dear old dad still bothering you?" "Ever since she had that vision, that he was coming back. It's all I can think of. " Clint paused, seeing his brother staring off into nothing, eyes watering as he continued. "All I can think of is when he's gonna strike, how, will I be able to protect her?" Clint wrapped his hand with gauze. "No wonder your having these nightmares. If you spend all your time worrying, the "what ifs" will eat at you."
Gage just looked at his now wrapped hand. The throbbing still present. "What about you? Hows life as a three way?" Clint blushed faintly before cleaning up. "It's good...good." He said as he nodded. Gage gave him a look. Clint looked back, his eyes terrified. "Really good...and it scares me.I finally have them. Both of them and they care about me. I've never had anyone care for me like either one of them have and...I just don't want to lose them now that I have them." Gage smiled weakly. "It's ok to be a little terrified. If your not terrified then it probably isn't love." Clint smiled weakly, letting out a shaking sigh. "I guess your right..still scared out of my mind thou that I'm gonna wake up and it'l all be a dream or that they don't want me." Gage stood, putting his good hand on his brothers shoulder. "Don't sell yourself short. Your amazing and I wouldn't want anyone else to be my older brother." Clint gave a weak smirk. "Well you do need someone to save your ass." He nodded to his banged up hand. Gage gave him a look. "Funny."
"Oh TJ right there...ahh" Loki had his arms wrapped so tightly around his love, hands tangled in dark hair. TJ groaned, holding him against the wall of the broom closest as he worked himself into Loki slim body. Holding his hips."Oh Loki...I'm close." Loki groaned as TJ started thrusting harder into him. Making the shelves in the broom closest they were hiding in shake. "Oh Gods...me...to...ahh" TJ smirked weakly, suckling his neck, wanting to leave one of many marks on pale skin. Loki came with a shout, gripping TJ so hard, nearly pulling hair as spurts of white coated there bellies. It was the hair pulling that drove TJ over the edge, coming deep inside the trickster, riding out his orgasm. They both were catching there breath, coming down from the high. Loki smiled. "We have to stop doing this. We had class." TJ smirked, kissing Loki before letting him down gently to the floor. "I just fucked you in a janitors closest, I think class is gone." Loki rolled his eyes. "Not that kind of class." They both started to get dressed. Loki transformed back into his female form, white dress in place, fixing her hair.
Once TJ was cleaned and dressed he started to open the door but before he could open it his phone rang, loudly. "shoot to thrill" blaring in the little room. He winced, grabbing his phone quickly, seeing it was Quinn. "Yeah?" "Your in the closest arnt you?" TJ smirked looking over at Lucy. "In more ways then one." Lucy just rolled her eyes, able to hear Quinn over the phone."The janitors closest I'm currently standing in front of. Your inside of it arnt you?" TJ bit his lip. "And if i am? " Quinn sighed over the phone. "Then I'm obligated to keep watch for you while you make an exit." "Thanks sis." Then he hug up.
He opened the door a crack, seeing the dark hair of his sister first. "psst." She turned, giving him a look before looking down both sides of the hall. "Clear." She stood back, letting Lucy and TJ come out of the janitors closest. Lucy was blushing deeply and TJ was just smirking. "Thanks sis." "Your unbelievable sometimes." He grinned. "Thanks." the bell suddenly rang, signing they had to get to class. TJ took Lucy's hand as the crowds of students made there way thru the halls.
Quinn got in Gage's car, seeing him in the drivers seat, he smiled, kissing her. "Hey princess." She smiled then saw his hand. "What happened?" He looked at the bandaged hand. "Oh just punched the punching bag a little too hard." She gave him a look,knowing he was lying. She could feel it. She could feel he was off. She frowned. "Your lying to me." He let out a breath, putting the car in gear. She continued in his silence. "What actually happened?" He started driving, briefly looking over at her. "We'l talk later. Ok? I promise." She held up her pinky, giving him a look. "Pinky promise?" He smiled weakly, hooking his pinky with hers. "Promise."
Once home, "later" never seemed to happen. And she got the feeling that whenever he said they would talk later, it was a way to shut her up. He was either in the shooting range or in some conversation with her dad or Clint or had to go do this or that. Finally when she thought he wanted her up in his room she thought he was gonna talk. But soon as the door closed, he had her pinned, kissing her like he was drowning and she was his air. She wanted to melt into it. So badly. The kiss alone made her wet and her insides throb but that could wait. She pushed him away, trying so hard not to be pissed off. "Your avoiding talking with sex." "You do it all the time." He was gonna kiss her neck when she pushed him away again, walking further into the room before glaring at him. "Yeah. Thats me. And then you lecturer me about how I need to talk my feelings out instead of avoiding them with sex. This isn't you. What the hell are you trying to avoid?"
He glared. "Look, I had a shitty past, real shitty. Once I escaped it I spent the rest of that time pretending it didn't exist, blocking it and burying it and now I'm trying to bury it again." She half glared. Too over come with worry to truly be pissed off. "You should know better then to bury away horrible experiences. You've seen what it does. To dad, TJ, me. We've all tried to bury and pretend some things that happen, didn't happen and it never ends well." She walked closer, letting her worry show. "Someday soon I'm going to be your wife. I deserve to know whats going on in your head and whats bothering you. You know I can help you." "Maybe I don't want your help." She glared, feeling like she had been slapped. "What do you mean you don't want my help? Your not protecting me by shutting me out. We've established shutting each other out is bad."
He glared. "sometimes it isn't always about you princess. Maybe I don't want your help because I don't want to think about it. I don't want to think about my past, I don't want to remember being that weak and hurt and terrified." She glared, suddenly taking her ring off, pushing it into his chest. "If you don't want my help then I guess you don't want me." Before he could say anything she was out the door, slamming it hard as she could, making the lamp wiggle with the force. He stared at the door in shock then his hand, seeing the little gold, diamond solitaire ring in his hand. Finally having it all sink in he growled, punching the wall with his bad hand, not caring he was doing worse damage as tears started falling steadily down his face.
Tony, Kim and Clint were in the living room, watching TV. Tony's back snuggled into Clint's chest while Kim's head rested on his shoulder. Clint had his arms wrapped around Tony when suddenly they heard a door slam upstairs and Quinn run down. Kim saw her. "Quinn?" But her daughter ignored her, going down to the lab. Clint sighed, kissing Tony's head before standing. "I'l go see what happened." He stood up, going upstairs to Gage's room, knocking before entering, seeing his brother sitting at the edge of the bed, heed in his hands, sobbing. Clint cleared his throat. "Hey.." Gage nearly jumped, wiping at his face. "Hey." Clint signaled to the door. "So exactly what happened?" "We had a fight." Clint gave him a look, crossing his arms. "No shit. About what?" "She wants to know about my past. With dad and..." "Your shutting her out because you like to repress shit?" Gage glared at him but he knew he deserved it.
Clint continued. "Whats so bad in telling her?" Gage looked away. "She'd see how weak I am. I don't think I'd be able to talk about that without breaking into tears or a panic attack. I...don't want her to see me like that." Clint rolled his eyes. "Your a fucking idiot and you need to talk to her." Gage glared and was gonna talk before Clint shut him down. "No. Shut up. Forget your noble knight bullshit. Your an idiot. You've been having nightmares about dad and it's effecting you and your job. You either need to stop repressing shit and talk to her and accept that you might lose her over it." Gage glared but looked to the ground. Exposing himself like that to her. Could he do it? It was a terrifying thought.
AN: welcome to the next season!