When Natasha went to check on Clint, she was greeted with an empty house. She finally found Laura in the garden. Standing on the patio, looking out across the fields.
"Hey. I got your message. Where is he?" She asked.
Laura pointed to the tree line. "Probably dangling his feet in the river." She didn't know how to help Clint, so she had to get someone who could talk to him. Someone who knew all the details. That's why she called in their closest friend.
Natasha calmly walked across the fields and then through the thin tree line, towards the sound of running water. She found Clint laying there. Hands behind his head and with feet dangling in the river. Gazing upwards, he stared into the sky. She walked towards him and made sure she made noise, just-in-case he didn't have his hearing aids in. When he didn't look over at the noise, she assumed he had turned them down or off. She let her shadow shift across his vision and he merely turned to see her. His hands moving to his ears.
"I guess Laura called." He said, turning his vision back to the sky.
Natasha dropped down next to him. "Yeah, she's pretty worried about you."
Clint sighed, closing his eyes for a second. "I know she is. I don't mean to make her worry. I really wish she wouldn't to be honest."
Natasha leaned over so her face was above Clint's.
"Well she loves you Clint. She's going to worry, and with you avoiding the subject I'm not surprised that she's concerned about you."
Natasha moved back a little and watched him sit up, wringing his hands together.
"I can't sleep and being awake is just as bad," he says softly staring at the grass in front of him.
Natasha shifted closer and took his hands. "You've had your head messed with. It's not going to just go away." She said. "You need to talk Clint."
He shook his head, taking his hands back. "I can't Nat. How can I sit down with Laura and tell her all these things I can see in my head?" His voice on the verge of faltering.
"Then talk to me. I understand. I'll stay if you want me to. But all your silence is doing is making you and everyone around you suffer." Natasha said.
Clint swallowed heavily and then turned to look at her. "You'll really stay?" he asked.
Natasha gives him a look. "All I want is for you, Laura and the kids to be happy. If that means, staying here for a while then I think I can manage it. I didn't have anyone to help me through it. I'm not letting you suffer through it." She said, standing up.
Clint nodded and a small smile graced his features. He stood up and they walk back up to the house in silence.
Laura was standing there on the patio when they returned. Clint is quick to get up the stairs and pull her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry."
A small smile flickered across Laura's face. "I'll get the spare room set up for Nat shall I?" She squeezed him tight and then headed inside.
Natasha patted Clint on the shoulder and followed Laura, leaving Clint to stare out into the distance.
Upstairs, Natasha found Laura fixing up the spare room. "Thank you." Laura said, as she finished arranging the sheets on the bed.
"I've been through this before. He may have you, but you're still innocent to all this and he wouldn't want you to know." Natasha said, leaning in the doorway. "Me, I'm damaged. So getting him back to working order is my job. We all want the hawk to fly again."
Laura grinned and gave Natasha a quick hug before heading back downstairs. The children would be home from school soon and food needs to be on the table.
Natasha walked over to the window and stared out onto the garden. She turns her attention to Clint who is still standing on the patio below. She knew that once the kids were in bed, the two of them would sit down with a bottle of vodka and he'd talk to her and then they'll go to bed and the cycle would continue. In a couple of weeks Clint would be back to his usual self and the two of them would be back on assignments and Natasha would know that her partner had her back.
Had a new Beta for this one. So pleased with the outcome. Let me know what you think?