I know... I suck at being consistent with updates for this and my other stories... I wrote this out during my Chem class so... please forgive me for that. I just thought you guys deserved an update!
Anyway, I hope you guys like it. Bringing in some Mister Hulk Banner plus Hailey bonding times.
While the Avengers promised her that they will save her, Hailey didn't really need saving. Natasha was around more, feeling guilty that she broke her promise to the little girl.
"Hailey, you have to work on your back handspring before we can move on to aerials," Natasha stated standing at the end of the mats where she taught Hailey gymnastics.
"But momma," Hailey whined to her, putting on the full pout. "It looks so cool when you do it."
"And I'm only able to do it, princess, because I worked on my basic skills," she said fixing the stray hair that has fallen out of the little girl's otherwise perfect bun. Hailey huffed at her before walking over to the mats again causing Natasha to smile at her.
"I's gotta be perfect, then I gets to do air-yal?"
"You're already perfect. You just have to practice more, so that you're safe."
"Okay, momma," Hailey replied performing her perfect basic tumbling sequence.
From the shadows, Clint clapped his hands together, making Natasha tense and Hailey turn to the source of the sound.
"Good job, baby," Clint said with a smile, coming to a stop next to Natasha. Hailey beamed at the both of them.
"I show you 'gain, daddy."
This time, Hailey performed a different sequence including a few jumps as she tumbled around the mat.
Clint let his eyes focus on his daughter, while addressing Natasha. "Thank you for teaching her."
"It's not a problem."
"She uh... she was really..." Clint stuttered. "She's behind on her Russian."
"Alright."
"She's also behind on -"
"She's your child, Clint," Natasha muttered watching Hailey do her finishing sequence.
"I - Look she-"
Clint's stuttering was cut off when Hailey ran up to them with a big smile on her face. "Did you see? Did ya? Did ya?"
"You were amazing," Natasha stated with a smile. She turned to leave the gym when Hailey caught her hand.
"You's not gonna go 'ta lunch with us?"
Natasha shook her head, squeezing Hailey's hand. "I have to go to work, but I'll take you out to lunch sometime... If it's alright with your dad."
Hailey looked up at Clint expectantly, her face going into a pout. "Please, daddy?"
"If you're good," Clint stated looking up and meeting Natasha's eyes.
Natasha turned away to leave the family alone, stalking up to her room where she changed for her date. A lunch date at that, she figured that it was safe. A dinner date always made people assume more. This way she could just... say she had something planned for later that afternoon if the date wasn't working out.
It was a bright, sunny, Afternoon where New York's hustle and bustle was accompanied by kids shrieking with happiness. She scanned her surroundings, freezing up a little when she noticed Clint and Hailey out at the patio, Hailey talking animatedly to her father, as she always does. She had to calm her brain that went straight into panic mode when she noticed her date was looking right at her, sitting a few tables down from Hailey and Clint.
Finally meeting her date's eyes, Natasha unconsciously tugged her white sundress down lower, and hugged her jean jacket a little tighter. One would never guess that she was the Black Widow walking around looking so uncomfortable. The fifteen steps (yes she counted) that it took from where she stood to where her date, James, was sitting, she had to convince herself to suck it up. That it didn't matter that Clint was in the same restaurant as she was having lunch with his daughter, while she was out on the first date – a set up thanks to Pepper – in about six years.
Besides, Natasha, she told herself. Clint doesn't care.
The 'devil' in her mind chuckled. He doesn't want you, anyway.
"Hey," she said with a smile. He stood up pulling her seat for her and pushing it in once she sat down.
"I hope you don't mind sitting out here," he stated, flashing her a smile. "It's a beautiful day outside."
"It's fine, James. Like you said, it's a beautiful day outside."
"Good," he smiled at her.
Four tables down, in the patio area of the same restaurant, Hailey and Clint were having lunch. Hailey was devouring her mac and cheese, while Clint stared at the redheaded woman whose back was turned to him.
"Whatcha lookin' at, Daddy?" Hailey asked noticing her father's intense stare. She turned around in her seat before Clint could stop her. Hailey's eyes widened and a smile appeared on her face as she recognized the redhead sitting a few tables down. "It's Tasha! She says she's..."
"She's working," Clint replied gruffly. "Finish your Mac and Cheese, baby. I'll take you to the zoo after."
Hailey placed a spoon full of mac and cheese into her mouth, shaking her head. "I wants-ta go with Tasha later."
"She's working," he repeated. Although he knew that she wasn't. Natasha Romanoff had a switch, and as one of the only to ever see her both at work and in person, he knew what the difference was. The way she unconsciously played with her hair, or the glass of raspberry tea - and indulgent that she only let herself have off the job - were telltale signs.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Natasha was on a date.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Clint was angry.
It was almost midnight, and Bruce was quietly staring at his white board, trying to determine why the formula that he created wasn't working out, when he heard a small noise that signaled an air vent getting lifted. He turned around with a smile on his face.
"Hailey Morse," he said quietly making the girl freeze midway to putting the misplaced tile from the vent back on. "You are not supposed to be up this late."
"I needs your a-vise Mister Hulk Banner," Hailey stated climbing down from the bookshelf carefully with Bruce's help.
"What do you need my advice for?" Bruce asked with a small smile. He watched as the young girl sat herself down on one of the black leather stools, crossing her legs and using her arms to rotate herself. He followed suit, pulling another lab stool and sitting on it facing her.
"Is about being mad - and Mister Iron Man says yous' the bestest person ta-talk 'bout 'ang-gur ishus'."
"'Why are you angry, Hailey?"
She shook her head. "Not me, silly! Is 'bout daddy and 'Tasha."
Should've seen that one coming, Banner.
"What about your dad and Natasha?"
From what Bruce could tell, while the tension was high the past few weeks that Natasha left suddenly for a mission, the tension was gone. Natasha seemed lighter and she had been spending more time with Hailey like she had before they all met the little girl.
"Daddy got a ang-ry face at lunch," Hailey recalled. "He only make dat face when he really mad 'bout somethin'."
"Well there are a lot of things that could have gone wrong to make him mad, Hailey."
She shook her head once again, more vigorously this time. "It's cozza-we saw Momma 'Tasha at the rest-resto-at the place, and she told-ed us she workin'... but it look'd -ya know in movies? Like... Like Lady and the Tramp with the sp'hetti?"
"Like she was on a date?"
"Uhu. Add-ate."
"Sometimes, that's Natasha's job, Hailey."
"Nuh-uh. She no look like Agent Romanoff playin' dress up. She look-ed Tasha. My Tasha."
"So what do you want me to do?"
"I wants ta know... hows you get from Mister Ang-ry Hulk to Mister Hulk Banner... so's I do for daddy and Tasha. Then they not ang-ry no more and... we goes back ta 'for when we was a family."
"I uh..."
"You no gots form'las for it?"
Bruce sighed. "I'll make one, just for you."
"You's gonna make me, and daddy, and Tasha be a fam'ly 'gain Mister Hulk Banner?!" Hailey's face lit up. "Mister Iron Man was right! You da bestest!"
"No promises," Bruce stated, he watched as the young girl's face fell. "But I'll try."
He looked at Hailey who smiled and tried to cover up her yawn. Bruce smiled at her, "But first you have to promise to go straight back up to your room and sleep. It's way past your bedtime, Miss Morse."
Hailey nodded her head, fatigue catching up on her little body fast. She covered up another yawn as Bruce walked her to the elevator, not trusting her safety in the air vents.
"Good night, Mister Hulk Banner."
"Good night, Iron-Black-Hawk-Bird-Girl."
Hailey giggled as doors of the elevators closed.
Bruce sighed. How do I fix this?
Let me know what you guys think!
Sorry again for the irregular updates. Hopefully you guys are still interested in the story!
Reviews, please? (: