"What kind of monster hands out assignments like this on the first week?"
"Oh hush," Natasha looked over at Clint as he collapsed backwards onto Bruce's bed.
"I wanted at least a week before I start getting called into after school sessions."
"You're not going to fail on the first homework assignment."
"It's a partner project Tash and neither of us have Bruce," Clint complained.
"First off that is not my fault," Natasha stated, "that was Bruce's inability to say no. Second off I'm not letting you fail because then I will have failed. Besides Bruce will still point us in the right direction."
"I want to know what Yelena is up to," Clint muttered, "she's never shown any sign that she knew Bruce is alive. She generally groups up with someone from her little group of followers. You don't think she secretly runs a cult and projects like this are how she brings people into it, do you?"
"That is the stupidest thing you've said all day and I had the pleasure of hearing you say 'puddingpult' at lunch," Natasha rolled her eyes. Still it was concerning, the seating had been random that day and Bruce didn't know how to say 'no' to people. Natasha had seen him give her the 'I'm awkward and sorry look' Bruce had perfected. Yelena had stood by the desk with a cocked hip and the look that had caused many guys to blindly follow her. Still, Clint was right, she never showed interest in Bruce. "I'm going to check on them."
"Ha, so you do think that something is up."
Natasha didn't answer as she left the room. Bruce was meeting with Yelena downstairs. It had annoyed Natasha more than anything when she ended up behind the girl on the way home. Yelena gave Bruce a ride and Natasha was trapped alone with Clint. She could hear a high pitched laugh coming from the living room already. Yelena was the type of person who had fifteen rumors about her, she had been around the football team, she got others to do her homework using her natural charm - that ticked Natasha off, and she wasn't above hurting everyone. There was a silent hope that she wasn't targeting Bruce.
"I had no idea you could speak Russian," scratch that, she was targeting Bruce.
"Only a few words, think you've got the hang of this?" Bruce was oblivious.
"Sort of, can you do one more for me?" Natasha reached the room in time to see Yelena a bit too close to Bruce. She could already tell they were not working on science.
"You just need to isolate the x on one side," Bruce explained. "It's like a puzzle, everything fits somewhere."
"Hey Bruce, we're on our own for food tonight. Want to come help me while Clint tries to wrap his head around chem?" Natasha gestured to the door.
"Sure just let me finish this question," Bruce replied as he worked through it and Yelena pretended to be interested. Once Bruce was done he gave a big grin, "and that's it. I'll grab my stuff from upstairs and we can go."
Natasha waited as Bruce went upstairs relying on Clint to be Clint and keep Bruce busy for a bit. She waited as Yelena packed up her books, she swore there was one for each subject at least, it made Natasha's blood boil. Once Yelena stood up with a smug smirk, Natasha has made a decision. As the girl passed her Natasha pushed her against a wall, some instinct took over as Natasha pressed her arm against Yelena's throat. "Do I have your attention? Good. I want to make this nice and clear, I know what you're doing, I don't generally care when you do this but if you hurt my brother it'll be the last thing you do. I will take what little you care about and destroy it, I will rip you apart from the inside out. Do we have an understanding?"
"He's just helping me," Yelena smirked despite her position, "is this why everyone calls you a freak?"
"I tend to freak out when my brother is in danger," Natasha states not even fazed, "hurt him and you'll learn the things they say about me are nowhere near as bad as I am. Believe me, when it comes to Bruce, no one gets away with hurting him while I am alive."
"What's going on?" Bruce questioned as he got back, "Tash let her go."
Natasha didn't budge for a moment as she glared at Yelena, eventually she stepped away and let her leave.
Natasha walked out to her car after a moment of silence and Bruce eventually followed, there was another long moment of silence after they both had sat down before Bruce questioned, "The hell was that about?"
"I was just making sure she understood something," Natasha shrugged like it was nothing.
"Tash you pinned her to the wall by her throat and were threatening her," Bruce turned his seat to completely face Natasha, "She's my lab partner Tash, I don't want to scare her off."
"She's using you," Natasha stated, "getting you to do all of her homework."
"Yeah, and? I'm not stupid Tash, I can kind of tell she's using me for grades," Bruce pointed out.
"And you just let her, you don't stand up for yourself Bruce no matter what's going on. I can't let that happen," Natasha shook her head, "it's not right that anyone does that to you."
Bruce let out a sigh, "Why not? If I'm helping her everyone else will leave me alone."
"Because then people will keep using Bruce," Natasha suddenly yelled, "You're not some tool that people can use then toss away, you're a person not an object for people to use the way they want. You can't let fear do that to you."
Bruce sat back in his seat, sinking down. "It's easier though."
"Doesn't mean it's right," Natasha looked at her brother, "I'm not going to stand by and let people use you Bruce. You wouldn't let people use me after all."
Bruce remained silent for a while, even after he heard Natasha's sigh. He waited as she started up the car and didn't speak again until they reached the first red light. "Where did you learn to pin someone like that? You're not just copying action movies are you?"
Natasha thought about it for a moment, "No, I just… It felt natural."
By the time they got back with the food, Clint was asleep on his text book at Bruce's desk. Bruce slid the worksheet that Clint was supposed to be working on away and shrugged, "At least he's getting better at this. Out of the ones he's done he's only gotten two wrong."
"He only did five questions," Natasha looked over Bruce's shoulder.
"I said he was getting better, not good," Bruce stated, "relook at the second one and last one he did. Also he's in the wrong section of the textbook."
Natasha sighed, "hold this." She handed the boxed of pizza to Bruce and grabbed a hold of the chair Clint was on. She suddenly jerked it away from Clint causing the boy to fall to the ground and wake up in shock.
"Huh? What's going on?" Clint looked around.
"You were trying to get some beauty sleep, it didn't work," Natasha replied, "also food's here but you only get some after you fix your sheet."
"Now that's just mean. I cannot work on a empty stomach," Clint stated.
"I've yet to see you work properly on chemistry on a full stomach, I figure we'd try different levels of hunger and see which works best," Natasha replied, "until then I will be eating your share."
"Bruccceeeee your sister is being mean to me again," Clint complained.
"You got drool on my desk," Bruce stated.
"Could be worse," Clint stated.
"I'd love to see how it could be worse," Bruce started but when he saw Clint shrug and a hand go for his pants Bruce held up his hands in defense and looked away, "NOPE NOPE YOU'RE RIGHT"
"CLINT! I swear if you whip it out in Bruce's bedroom I will end you," Natasha glared.
"What about your bedroom is that off limits too?" Clint joked
"Bruce, how far can we throw a pizza?" Natasha asked.
"Depends on a few things but I think if we keep it in the box we can get it far," Bruce stated.
"Oh come on guys I was joking, I am not going to do that in anyone's room. It's unsanitary and I don't want to put Bruce to shame with my awesomeness. Now onto the much more important topic of my food," Clint tried to leap at his pizza but Natasha moved it out fo the way.
"You both are cruel and unusual," Clint muttered.
"Uh-huh, homework, now. I will not let my grade suffer because of you," Natasha nudged Clint lightly with her foot. "Then you can eat.
254 Days
((Not 100% proud of this chapter, I had an idea but then it got to the end of that idea and it didn't work out as well as I thought it would. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out but it'll be Clint trying to join a sports team. The one after that will be, "First Date"))
