Summary: Pietro and Wanda grew up only having one another. And now they have a team, a home and most importantly a family. Yeah, they definitely didn't see that one coming. A series of stories set post Age of Ultron as the twins settle into a world of heroes, monsters, gods and Tony Stark.
Pairings: Established Clint/Laura, Tony/Pepper, Thor/Jane, Darcy/Ian. Hints of Wanda/Vision
Warnings: Um, spoilers for Age of Ultron and season two finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Author's Note: Hey! I'm back. Glad you guys liked last chapter. Hope you'll like this one as well. Important note before you start reading, it's been four months since baby Nate made his appearance and things are a lot different. More notes at the end. Enjoy!
A Change Is Gonna Come
Wanda tried to hide a grin as she heard Pietro let out a sigh of relief at the bell signaling the end of the school day. Ordinarily she would try and reel him in when he reacted that way but she knew all too well how her brother suffered though the day. She knew that what passed as normal time for everyone was painfully slow to someone like Pietro. It was worse when they were in school. Time passed abnormally slow to even a non-speedster once they sat down at their desks. She knew it was killing Pietro a little on the inside but he would play the part no matter how much it hurt. Because that's what they needed to do to blend in and stay safe.
"Let's go," Pietro said, walking over to her desk where she was slowly gathering her things. He was literally bouncing on the balls of his feet. She knew he had an excess of energy he was dying to burn off. But it would have to wait. They had to play the part. They had to be normal. "Cooper and Lila will be done soon."
"They can wait for a few minutes, little brother."
Pietro rolled his eyes. "Stop calling me that!"
"Never," Wanda smiled, pressing a kiss to his cheek as she stood up beside him.
She could feel the curious stares of the other students in the room as they drifted towards the door but she ignored them. Their class was an eclectic mix of people. There were teenagers like herself and Pietro who were too old for high school but wanted a chance to get their degree. Then there were the older adults who had made mistakes and were trying for a second chance. If they were doing this for any other reason than trying to hide who, and most importantly what, they were, Wanda might have been interested in talking to her classmates… maybe even making friends. But the truth was, they were only doing this because it was becoming suspicious that Clint and Laura had two foreign teens living in their home who were barely ever seen. People were starting to suspect they were hiding something. And that just wouldn't do.
Paranoia was at all-time high following the events in the six months following Sokovia and Ultron's campaign of destruction. People were angry. They wanted someone to blame. Tony voluntarily took the brunt of the blaming and shaming. But it wasn't enough. People were still scared by the thought of people with superpowers running rampant. The Avengers were hesitant at first but confident that it would blow over eventually. But it didn't. Because instead of the public finding something other than superpowers to fear, they ended up with new reasons to fear superpowers. Hundreds of people across the United States started to present with previously unknown powers or mutations. This was happening in succession with mysterious deaths where people were literally petrified. No one knew what was happening but it was spreading every day. And people got scared. Wanda knew that fear was never a good thing when it came to mankind. Her mother used to tell them that people were scared of things they didn't understand. And sometimes they would lash out at these things. Her mama was right. Because people started to lash out at the "freaks" almost as soon as the first wave of them appeared.
That brought them to their current state as a team. The Avengers were scattered around the world. Thor, Darcy and Jane were living in London. Tony was the public face of the team, taking responsibility for their actions as well as trying to create a bridge of understanding with the confused and panicked masses. Natasha, Bruce and Vision were working to find the source of these new powered people. Rhodes went to work as normal but continued to offer up information regarding the government's supposed steps at controlling the powered people. Steve and Sam were also gone. They were aggressively tracking down leads on the Winter Soldier. He was a wanted man on all fronts now. The United States government was grasping at any leads they could as to what was happening. And one of those leads led them to information on the Winter Soldier. So now Bucky was being hunted by HYDRA as well as his own government. The injustice of it all made Wanda sick to her stomach and she didn't even know Sergeant Barnes. She just knew that he was being hunted for things out of his control.
Just as she knew that her brother was suffering for things out of his control. It wasn't Pietro who wanted to sign up with SHIELD (or rather HYDRA infiltrated SHIELD). It wasn't Pietro who planted the nightmare in Tony's head that started this whole mess. But it was Pietro who was given the power of speed. Pietro who died and was saved by his powers before nearly being consumed by them. It was Pietro who had to dye his increasingly more silver hair at least once a week to keep people from noticing him. Pietro who had to reel in his need to go fast because it wasn't normal. Wanda hated herself every day for the role she played in all of this. Her family was suffering and despite what they said, she knew she held as much responsibility for this as Tony. She actually had more.
"Stop," Pietro whispered in her ear as they continued out the classroom and down the connecting hall that would lead them to the elementary school. "No one blames you, Wanda."
"That is because no one knows the truth," Wanda corrected with a hiss. "Because you, and Laura and Clint shield me from it all. It should not be Tony taking the blame or being called a monster. It should be me."
"No," Pietro said, his tone harsh but just as hushed as Wanda's. "It shouldn't be either of you. What happened was unfortunate but bad shit happens all the time. The people blaming Tony are cowards. They are scared by people like us. But instead of trying to find a way to work with us, they fear us. They push us into hiding so we go away. Out of sight, out of mind. This is nothing you should be blamed for. You cannot be blamed for the cowardice of mankind."
Wanda blinked away the tears that welled in her eyes as her brother spoke. She lifted a hand to his hair. It was time for another dye job. She could see some of the stubborn silver peeking through the dark brown. While the color was pretty much a match to the natural brown color he sported for most of his life, Wanda found she missed the silver curls. His hair had grown longer since he started dyeing it. He had enough for a small ponytail. It was the only way to keep the unruly curls in check. She missed when he could be free to be who he was meant to be.
"One day, sister," Pietro promised, catching her hand with his. She felt his conviction through his gentle touch. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before whirling around his heel to catch Lila in his arms. She pouted as she failed to catch him off guard… per the usual. "Why do you even bother to try, little monkey?"
"Because I'll get you one day!" Lila promised, wagging a small finger in his face. Pietro rolled his eyes before shifting so that she was on his back as she wanted in the first place. Lila wrapped her arms around his neck while her legs wound around his waist, coming to rest just above his messenger bag. She tightened her grip for a moment in a facsimile of a hug before ordering him to march forward to home. Pietro snapped out a 'sir, yes, sir' before doing just that to the amusement of the other siblings and parents collecting their children. Wanda felt some of her dark thoughts chased away as she watched Pietro interact with their adopted sister. Cooper slid out of his classroom and by her side with the same silent footsteps she had observed from Clint. Wanda smiled, feeling a peace settle over as Cooper and Lila started bickering about something with Pietro chiming in though he was clearly on no one's side. She let their words become background noise as she focused, instead, on their feelings.
Cooper was in a foul mood before he caught up with his siblings There was some incident at lunch with a bully. Wanda made a mental note to bring that up with Clint and Pietro. Bullies always picked on the ones smaller than them. She wondered how this bully would feel facing someone bigger than him. She moved next to Lila. As usual, her little sister was abuzz with pleasant and happy thoughts. Lila's mind was one of her favorites. The girl found the joy and beauty in everything. Her sunny disposition (100% all Laura) made her friends with everyone and her feisty attitude when pushed (that was pure Clint) made sure that no one messed with her. Those that tried learned not to try it again very quickly. Turns out Clint's aim is genetic and Lila was definitely her father's child. She brought a new meaning to the word sneaky. Wanda added Lila to her revenge plans. Nothing is more humiliating for a bully than to be taken down by someone even smaller than them. She grinned. Yeah, that might work better. She slung an arm around Cooper's shoulders.
"We're not all fighters," she murmured. He leaned into her embrace as they started the trek home. Some days Clint would be there waiting for them but the weather was still nice and the walk home help Pietro burn off the energy he had pent up all day.
"I just wish sometimes I could stand up to him. He's such a jerk."
"You don't have to," Wanda assured him. "That's why it helps to have older siblings. You don't think I'm weak when I need Pietro to help me, do you?" Cooper shook his head. "And was Pietro weak when he needed you and Lila to help him when we first moved in?"
"No, he was healing," Cooper protested. He bit his lip as he thought about the point Wanda was making. "Oh, I see."
"We all have our strengths. You think with your brain and not your fists. You have a pure heart. You need to keep that," Wanda said. "Do not wish to be anything more than who you are. Because you are great."
Cooper smiled. Wanda felt his mood lighten. That was good. Cooper was not a fighter. He was a thinker and he was sensitive. She wanted to preserve that. She never had a chance to be anything but a fighter. Lila was a fighter by nature. But Cooper was the opposite. He was like Laura. And Wanda wanted him to stay that way.
"Pietro!"
The four of them came to an abrupt halt at the sound of the speedster's name. They turned around to see a strawberry blond young woman running in their direction. Wanda narrowed her eyes as the girl came closer. She was in their GED class. She was around their age… or at least she looked like she was anyway. Her name was Crystal or something like that. Wanda had only touched her mind briefly once and found that it was chaotic. It felt like all the forces of nature were at work in the girl's mind. Wanda never went there again. There was something off about that girl. So of course, she had to have a thing for her brother. Her brother who might have a thing for her. Wanda watched as his lips ticked upwards at her approach. Okay, never mind. He definitely had a thing for her. Oh brother.
"Hello, Crystal," Pietro greeted as soon as she was standing in front of them. "Is there something you needed?"
"No," she answered, pausing for a moment. "I mean yes. I mean…. Not really. I just wanted to say hi. Long weekend coming up."
"Yeah," Pietro grinned. "You have any plans?"
"No, just hanging around at home," she muttered, glancing over her shoulder at a man leaning against a car. He made no secret of the fact that he was staring at them. He must be her father. Wanda didn't even try to touch his mind. "But if you're not that busy this weekend, maybe you and I could… talk?"
"Talk?" Pietro muttered. "Uh, like on the phone?"
"Or on the computer!" she suggested with bright eyes. "I mean they do that. Talk. It's really convenient. You can actually see the people you want to talk to while you're talking. You people have some of the cutest things here."
"You think computers that talk are cute?" Lila piped up from where she still sat draped across Pietro's back. "Where are you from exactly?"
Crystal's green eyes widened. "Nowhere. I mean here. I mean I'm from here. You know… America."
"Uh huh," Cooper muttered. Wanda didn't need to look to know he was looking at the girl with a skeptical expression on his face. Pietro looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Wanda took a brief moment to enjoy his embarrassment before stepping in to ease the situation. That's what big sisters were for. She reached into her bag, tore a piece of paper off and quickly scrawled the number for Pietro's Starkphone on the scrap.
"This is his number," Wanda said with her best smile. "Call him anytime."
Crystal's eyes widened. "Awesome. Thank you! I mean this is great. I won't call like any time. I'll call at like appropriate times. I promise."
"That's fine," Pietro murmured. A slight flush growing in his cheeks. Wanda bit her cheek to keep from laughing. It would be adorable if it wasn't so painfully awkward and weird. Thankfully, Crystal's male friend felt the same way.
"Crystal, let's go! We have things to do."
"Coming, Karnak!" she shouted over her shoulder. She turned back to Pietro. "I'll talk to you later?"
"Yeah, later is good," he assured her. She smiled once more before turning on her heels and racing back to where her friend was waiting. Wanda watched as the man, Karnak, pushed himself off the car. She paused as she noticed his head. It was oddly shaped and seemed larger than normal. But before she could get a better look, they were in the car and driving away. There was something very, very strange about that girl.
"Wanda, you okay?" Cooper asked.
Wanda shook her head as if shaking away her thoughts. She was going to have to pay attention to Crystal and her equally questionable friend, Karnak. Her brother was too into this girl to notice, so Wanda would. She would not allow that girl or her secrets to harm her brother.
"I am fine. We should start walking before Clint comes looking for us again."
"One time we were late," Pietro muttered, hiking Lila further up his back and starting down the road. "He never lets us forget it either."
"He has a memory like a sea lion. They never forget anything," Cooper chimed in. Wanda wrapped her arm around Cooper again. She loved when he shared facts like that. She loved that he knew facts like that to begin with. "And neither does Dad. He remembers everything."
"Except for Mom's birthday last year," Lila said, a hint of evil smugness in her voice. Wanda glanced over at the little girl. She was spending entirely too much time with Pietro.
"And how did that work out for him?" Wanda asked, genuinely curious as to how the archer was still alive if he forgot his wife's birthday.
"He pulled off a really romantic surprise for Mom later," Cooper replied, grinning himself. "Now we have a new little brother."
"Ew, gross!" Lila squealed.
"You're seven! You're not even supposed to know where babies come from," Pietro chided. She tapped him on the forehead.
"I've about that for months and months! Before I even turned seven."
"What the hell do they teach you kids in school these days?!"
"Language!" Lila chirped, giggling to herself.
Wanda shook her head and followed along with her ridiculous family as they continued the walk home. As soon as they were a safe distance from the school, Pietro felt more comfortable running. Lila loved it when he ran. So it wasn't out of the ordinary for the pair to have done two or three laps back and forth to the house before Wanda and Cooper could even see the farm where they lived. That's why Wanda was surprised to see them standing in one of the fields of the abandoned farm near their home. Tony kept joking about buying one of them to use as his own safe house from the media storm. Wanda didn't need to read his mind to know that he wasn't actually kidding about that. But at any rate, the farm closest to the Barton's was still abandoned (for now). There hadn't been anyone there for months. Well, that is, until today.
"What is that?" Wanda asked, cautiously approaching the box that Pietro and Lila were standing in front of. Neither of them answered her, instead choosing to continue staring in the small cardboard box with concerned expressions on their faces. Wanda was no less cautious as she pushed Cooper slightly behind her and moved so that she was standing shoulder to shoulder with Pietro. She looked down and frowned. "Seriously, what is that?"
At first glance, there was a wriggling mass of what appeared to be fur within the box. But eventually, the mass of fur registered its audience and separated revealing itself to be three very small kittens. Wanda never considered herself to be a pet person but she admitted in that moment that she might have melted a little as three little faces looked up to let out plaintive cries. Wanda sighed. She knew that if she melted a little then….
"We have to take them home."
Then Pietro had turned into a complete puddle of goo and would likely want to take them home. She didn't need to look to know that Cooper and Lila were already on board with this plan. They were Barton's. Their natural reaction to creatures in need was to take it home no matter how rabid or feral they might be. They were genetically incapable of exercising logic and sound judgment when it came to strays. Look at their father. He was ordered to take out the Black Widow and instead he took her in, made her his best friend and gave her own room in his home. Wanda knew she was about to launch a losing battle but she wanted the record to show that she at least tried.
"No," she said, as Pietro reached for the box. Her twin twisted his head to meet her gaze. "We are not taking them home."
"But Wanda, if we don't take them with us, they will die!" Pietro countered, with a bit of the puppy dog expression he still said he didn't have. Wanda steeled herself.
"It is not fair to bring them home. There are five of us now, not to mention Lucky and then the other Avengers who drop in frequently. The best thing we can do is to call animal control and report them. They'll take them in and find them good homes."
"But we already have a good home for them!" Lila protested. "Our home!"
"They're really small. You won't even notice they're there," Cooper chimed in, quietly. Wanda closed her eyes, trying to ignore the desperate meows. She had to stay strong. She had to be the one that said no. She had to be the one that said…
"Please, Wanda. We can't leave them out here to die."
She took a deep breath and then made the mistake of looking down at the kittens. While they were still meowing, there was one that was staring up at her with the saddest blue eyes. The kitten was all white… almost silver. She knew it was a losing battle before she started it. But now she knew it was truly over. She motioned with her fingers to lift the box into Cooper's waiting hands.
"Don't blame me if Laura and Clint will not allow you to keep them."
Her warning fell on deaf ears as the rest of the walk (and Pietro actually slowed down enough to walk… willingly) was filled with chatter about the names of the kittens and how well they would get along with Lucky. Pietro was convinced that the dog hated him for some reason and was looking forward to the kittens being his allies. Wanda was privately of the belief that the constant experiments that gave their powers severely screwed something up in her brother's head. That was the only explanation for some of the things he said. She refused to believe that he was this much of an idiot before their parents died. Although…
Any further contemplation of Pietro's idiocy was put on hold as they finally arrived home. Wanda wasn't surprised to find Laura sitting on the porch swing with Nate in her arms. Her face lit up as her children came into view. Wanda watched as her eyes narrowed in on the box held in Cooper's hands. Once they were on the steps, she leaned forward to see the three kittens. Pietro, Lila and Cooper were clearly anticipating questions or perhaps straight up denial. Instead, she shook her head and motioned towards the barn with her thumb.
"Go ask your father."
Pietro let out a small chuckle while Lila simply smiled smugly. Cooper shrugged and led the kitten committee around the house and towards the barn where Wanda could hear Clint practicing with his bow. Wanda raised an eyebrow at the woman she came to accept as her mother before leaning down to kiss her little brother on the forehead. As expected, Nate giggled, waving his hands to catch her fingers. Wanda smiled at him even as Laura shifted him into her arms and scooted over. Wanda settled down on the swing beside Laura and felt peace returning. She was so anxious during the day when they were at school or around other people. But here on the farm, they could be them. They were safe to be who they were. Pietro could run to his heart's content. She could practice her gifts without judgment or fear. Lila had even started training with a bow lately. She was definitely a natural. They were safe here. They were home.
"What are you smiling about?" Laura asked, draping an arm around the back of the swing. Wanda leaned into the embrace.
"Just thinking about the chaos that will happen when Clint caves and lets them keep the kittens," Wanda murmured. "You do know that he's going to give in, yes?"
"Oh, I know. But well the house is big enough. Besides, pets are good for teaching kids responsibility. Lila and Cooper would do well with a pet of their own."
"And what is Lucky?"
"Oh, Lucky is very much Clint's dog. The only one he responds to half as well as Clint is Lila. She's the only one in this house that can woo him away from Clint without having to bribe him with an entire pizza."
Wanda bit her lip to hold in a valiant effort to refrain from laughing. She failed miserably. It was true. Lucky favored Clint and Lila and then the rest of them. He wasn't absurdly loyal though. He could be won over with pizza but it wasn't for long and he didn't stray too far from Clint's side. Pietro was convinced the dog hated him. He might not be entirely wrong. There was a certain lack of affection between the two. Probably because they both craved attention from Clint at around the same times. Wanda snorted. Her twin was special. He was also back on the porch doing what could either be some ancient mating ritual or a victory dance. Really could be either or with Pietro.
"In your face, Wanda. Dad said yes."
"Ever notice that Clint is Dad when he agrees with whatever stupid plan you come up with for the day?" Wanda teased. Her twin rolled his eyes before grabbing Nate and racing into the house.
"I swear Nate isn't going to understand how to walk normally at this rate," Laura complained, climbing to her feet. "I'll call the vet's office in the morning and see if I can't get the kittens in for a checkup. I'm sure your father and brother will be off at some point to buy a ton of stuff we don't need for those cats."
Wanda laughed in agreement and allowed Laura to pull her to her feet. Laura's arm was a warm, welcoming weight around her shoulders. That was another thing about that Barton clan. They were very tactile people. Wanda didn't need to hear Laura or Clint say that they cared. She felt it in every hug, pat on the shoulder, ruffle of her hair or kiss on the forehead. They loved and accepted the twins unconditionally. Sometimes it was a little overwhelming and then other times, it was exactly what Wanda needed. Well them and….
"Wanda, you want to go with us to the store to get stuff for the cats?" Pietro asked, words jumbling together as he spoke. She glanced at the equally amused Clint who was following behind the hyper speedster.
"Sure," Wanda agreed. Laura held her hands out for her bag which Wanda handed over gratefully. "We're just going to the store for cat supplies, right?"
"And maybe I promised I'd get Pietro ice cream on the way home," Clint replied, sheepishly. Laura gave him a look. "What? The kid literally burns off everything he eats in five minutes or less. I seriously doubt that ice cream is going to ruin his dinner."
"And you think the others spoil him," Laura muttered.
"I don't spoil him." Clint turned to Pietro. "Do I spoil you?" Pietro shrugged. Clint turned back to Laura with a wide grin. "See, it's not spoiling unless he thinks it is."
"That's not even remotely how that works," Laura laughed, shaking her head. "But go. Spoil our children, see if I care. I'll watch the wee ones until you return."
"And that's why I reward you with kisses, love and that chocolate cake you love with the layers and frosting. I think it goes pretty well with ice cream, no?"
Laura closed her eyes with a dreamy smile. "Yes, hurry. Get the ice cream… I mean cat supplies. And make sure you get enough for extras."
"We expecting company tonight?"
Laura shrugged, already moving into the house. "I don't know. I just have a feeling that it's not going to be just us tonight."
"Probably just Nat again. She's been getting antsy with just her, Bruce and Vision. Especially since Bruce started talking to Betty again. Awkward. Well, the more the merrier. Unless she brings Darcy. And then I'm kicking them both out."
"No, you're not."
Clint grunted. "No, I'm not. Come along, Wonder Twins."
Wanda followed her twin as he practically vibrated towards the car. He looked like a hyper hummingbird on crack. But more importantly, he looked happy and peaceful. If rescuing a handful of kittens and the promise of ice cream was all it took to bring about her brother's happiness, Wanda would give him all of that and more. She would open up a Baskin Robbins in their backyard if she thought she could get away with it. Honestly, she would probably do it even if she couldn't get away with it. It would be worth it to see Clint lose his mind. She made a mental note to talk to Tony about that later. She was pretty sure he would go along with any scheme that made Pietro happy and gave Clint a few gray hairs.
It turns out that the only thing more amusing that Pietro after a long school day was Pietro on a sugar high after a long school day. Clint knew it was wrong to laugh but seriously? A hyperactive speedster was the most hilarious thing he'd seen in an awhile. And that included the time that Lila decided she needed a moving target to practice on and volunteered Pietro. The teen had grossly underestimated her abilities with a bow. He never did that again.
But at any rate, once they returned home, the kids settled in to take care of the kittens. The fuzzy silver one with the too bright blue eyes quickly adopted the twins as hers. Wanda was quick to tell Pietro that he was currently under the influence of way too much sugar and there was no way they were going to name the kitten Princess Sassy Pants. As they watched the silver kitten hunting her brother and sister with unerring glee, group consensus agreed her name should be Eris, goddess of chaos. Her brother, an equally tiny gray cat was named Victor and enjoyed curling up in the crook of Lila's arm. The final kitten, with fuzzy black fur with a silver streak on her left front leg, chose none of them. She seemed almost hesitant to come near any of them. She would cry loudly and was content to hide underneath the sofa in the living room. Cooper was alright with that, saying he would help Lila to care for Victor and leave the black kitten to acclimate on her own.
Once the kitten had claimed their humans, Wanda, Lila and Cooper split up to set up the ridiculous amount of cat supplies and toys the twins conned Clint into buying while Pietro did a few hundred laps around the property to burn off the rest of his epic sugar high. Clint was sad to see it go. But there was cake and ice cream for dessert. With any luck, Pietro would go for an encore. Yes, he was aware that he was the parent in this situation. But no one ever accused Clint of being the mature, rational parent. That's what he had Laura for.
Almost as if she knew what he was thinking, his wife hip checked him as she made her way to the kitchen table with a vegetarian lasagna in her hands. Pietro followed after her with another two lasagnas in hand. There were another two waiting in the oven warmer. It was rough feeding four kids, one of which required a disturbing amount of food, but being an Avenger (even a part-time one) paid very well. They were just sitting down to eat when the doorbell rang. Clint was automatically suspicious.
All of the Avengers had keys, though there were a few that didn't want to use them. Thor had yet to grasp the concept of using a key and preferred to land on the roof and wait for someone to let him in. Natasha favored either picking a lock or climbing through a window. Really the only ones that actually used their keys were Tony, Rhodey and Bruce. Even Steve seemed to act like an idiot when it came to using the key. He would either "test their reaction times to potential threats" with Sam by breaking in different places around the house or ring the doorbell like he was a guest and not the guy that crashes on their sofa at least twice a month in between his searches for the ever elusive Barnes. With a heavy sigh, Clint realized that it was probably Steve here for his bimonthly pity party.
He glanced at his family to see they were thinking along the same lines. Pietro rose to answer the door but something in Clint told him to stay put. He couldn't figure out why he was suddenly dreading opening the door but there was a pit forming in his stomach as he got closer and closer to the door. Finally, he pulled it open, not at all surprised to see Steve and Sam standing there. But it was the figure slightly behind the pair that caught his attention.
"You have a key, Rogers. So you do, Sam," Clint chided, taking in his two friends.
They both looked exhausted. But beyond that Steve looked… lighter. He seemed more at peace than Clint could remember seeing him in a while. The only time he looked this happy was when he found out that Peggy was still alive. But even then he came away from that meeting with that too familiar sadness clouding his eyes. The sorrow born from losing everyone he knew and loved. Except now it wasn't there. There was only one reason why it wouldn't be there. Clint exhaled slowly and carefully looked over the thus far silent member of the trio.
The man was wearing a hoodie over a baseball cap. Wispy strands of brown hair peeked through the hooded cover. His eyes were downcast but Clint could make out the color faintly. They were a hazel blue. He was pale and looked more exhausted than Sam and Steve combined. There were dark circles around his eyes that spoke to sleepless nights. He probably wasn't eating much either as the clothes he was wearing were hanging off of his surprisingly slim frame. But none of that caught his attention more than the silver line that appeared in the small space between his hoodie and the glove he had on his left hand. Clint pulled the door closed behind him, silently motioning for the others to move away from the door and his probably eavesdropping family.
"Steve… please tell me you didn't do what I think you did."
"Uh, Clint? I would like you to meet James Buchanan Barnes. I just call him Bucky. I, uh, I found him."
Of course he did what Clint thought he did. Because why wouldn't he?
"The Winter Soldier! You brought the Winter Soldier to my house?! My house with my wife, kids and the menagerie of animals they're accumulating?"
"There's more than just Lucky?" Sam asked, almost against his will. Clint and Steve both glared in his direction. Sam closed his mouth and stepped away.
"Look, I know its short notice and all… but HYDRA is looking for him. SHIELD is looking for him and so is the government. I needed somewhere safe and off the grid. Even when SHIELD got leaked around the world, there was nothing about your place."
"Seriously, Steve! You brought a Russian assassin to my home!"
"I'm right here," Barnes muttered, speaking for the first time since they showed up. Clint sighed. He didn't mean to freak out like that. He was just more than a little freaked out by their sudden appearance. Plus he knew exactly what the Winter Soldier was capable of. And he wasn't eager for that to happen to his family. Though, it would appear from the way he was hunching over as if trying to disappear into his own skin, Clint didn't think Barnes was too eager for that either. And now he felt like a jerk.
"This was a mistake," Barnes continued, shifting his gaze from the tips of his boots to Steve's scuffed sneakers. "I told you that this wasn't going to work. Why won't you just let me go, Stevie? I don't belong here. Just let me go."
Clint didn't need to look at Steve to know that the man's heart was breaking. Hell, Clint felt his heart breaking and he had no personal attachments to Barnes either way. He let out a sigh. He really did need to stop taking in strays. This was it. Barnes was the last stray he was taking in. Totally. Probably not.
"I never said you couldn't stay," Clint said, feigning a casual tone. It must have worked because suddenly both Steve and Barnes were looking at him with wide eyes. "Just next time you guys plan on bringing any of the world's most wanted around, call first. Besides you're lucky that Laura had a hunch some of you would be showing up tonight. Otherwise there wouldn't be enough cake for all of you."
"With Pietro around, I don't think there's going to be enough cake for us anyway," Sam quipped, earning an amused snort from Steve and Clint. Barnes' lips twitched like he wanted to smile. That was a win right there.
"Look, Clint. I just wanted to say thank you. You're right. I should've called and let know we were coming. I really appreciate that you're letting us stay regardless. I just needed somewhere safe and quiet."
"Well, it's definitely safe," Clint smirked. "I don't know about quiet so much."
Off the confused looks he was receiving, Clint smirked even more and went back to the front door. Even through his hearing aids, Clint could hear the faint echoes of a commotion of some sort. He didn't know what was happening but he knew that Pietro was at the center of it all. Because of course, he was. He opened the door only to find that Lucky and Eris were tussling on the floor. Or rather, Lucky was trying to shake the oddly strong and tenacious kitten off his back while also fending off the other two kittens that were attacking at their silver sister's behest. Pietro was loudly threatening Lucky and yelling at him to stop bothering his kitten. Clint needed to work on his perception of situations. Because he clearly wasn't working out who the instigator was in this scenario.
He glanced around the now crowded foyer to look at the rest of his family. Laura retreated back in the kitchen to feed Nate. Wanda was both rolling her eyes and watching her brother anxiously. Lila and Cooper were taking bets on who would be the most damaged before this was all over. The overwhelming consensus was that Pietro was going to cry before all of this was over and the kittens were probably the most badass things in the house. The fact that they looked at the three Avengers and former HYRDA assassin before making that comment proved they were his kids through and through. Why couldn't they be more like their mother?
Clint was about to break the fight up when he became aware of a wheezing sound. It wasn't any of the kids as Pietro was now sitting on the sidelines with Wanda halfheartedly comforting him. Lila and Cooper were still commenting on everything and Laura was still pretending like feeding the baby was something that required her to be completely away from the chaos that she was 50% responsible for. No, the odd wheezing sounds was coming from Barnes. The man was watching his children and pets act like complete idiots with wide eyes. His flesh hand was pressed against his lips as more and more of the strange wheezes slipped through. By this point, Steve was now standing close to him, trying to figure out what was happening. Clint knew though. It still didn't take away the fuzzy feeling he got when Barnes finally let go and gave into the bellyaching laughs that had been threatening to slip through since the second they walked into the house. Steve's entire face changed. The exhaustion was gone as he watched Bucky laugh so hard, he was wiping tears from his eyes.
"Yeah, so I guess those guys are staying," Clint commented to Sam. The other man snorted, still looking in the reunited friends' direction with a slight smile on his lips. "What about you, Wilson? You sticking around too?"
"Duh. I have to check on my godchildren."
"Spoken like a true godmother."
"Screw you, Barton!"
"Mommy?" Lila's voice cut through the madness. Laura poked her head around the corner. "I heard Uncle Sam say something strange. What does you 'screw you' mean?"
Laura's eyes narrowed as she focused on Sam. "It means that Mommy is going to have a very long talk with your Uncle Sam about what should and should not be said around innocent and impressionable children. And also Lila."
"Clint, help me," Sam whispered.
The archer shook his head. "Honey, you can kill Sam later. I want you to meet someone." He motioned for the still laughing Bucky to come forward. "Laura, this is James Barnes also known as Steve's Bucky."
"He's totally Steve's," Sam chimed in, clearly over his impending doom. Barnes and Steve both flushed but neither seemed in a rush to deny it. Clint pursed his lips thoughtful. Interesting.
Laura was also looking between the two reunited best friends. "It's a pleasure to meet you, James. You're welcome here as long as you need. Don't mind the children. I'm almost 60% certain they're not insane." Clint glanced at Laura. "Well, I know for sure Cooper and Nate aren't. The other three are your children." Wanda, Lila and Pietro protested. She sighed. "Okay, you're right. Wanda isn't crazy either. Any craziness is a direct result of her twin. The other two though. They're all yours."
"Betrayed by my own mother," Lila wailed, throwing her hand over her forehead and swooning onto her amused brother. Laura glared pointedly at Clint. He shrugged. He couldn't help it if their daughter took after him. Laura should just be happy that it was only Lila and Pietro. It could've been all of them. He kind of wished it was all of them. He was pretty damn awesome. Oh well, there was still hope with Nate.
"Do not corrupt my baby, Clint," Laura hissed. She reached for Barnes' hand. His metal hand. Because his wife was all about accepting people as they were. "Dinner is this way. I know you must be hungry."
Barnes looked hesitantly between Clint, Steve and Sam. All three nodded. Barnes let Laura take his hand and lead him into the living room with the kids and Sam following after them. Steve held Clint back for a moment.
"I just want… thank you," Steve said, almost breathlessly. "I know that this is a huge risk. But I've been with him for the past few days and he hasn't had any outbursts or violent episodes. He's been... almost like he used to be."
"He's got his memories?"
"Yeah, he remembers being Bucky."
"Not those memories."
Steve swallowed. "Yeah, Sam has been talking to him. He sometimes wakes up with bad dreams, he calls them memories and he can be a bit much… but he's pretty good at staying put. I figured he could just share a room with me or Sam or maybe we could sleep in the barn or something."
"Steve, I'm not worried about that," Clint rushed to assure his friend before the man talked himself out of staying there. "I'm worried about how he's dealing because he's been through some crazy horrible stuff for the past seventy years and he's your friend. You obviously care about him and so I care about him too. I'm not asking you about this stuff because I'm worried about him murdering my family in their sleep." Clint paused. "That's not a concern, right?"
"Right."
"Okay then. Let's grab dinner before the human garbage disposal in there eats it all."
"They look good, you know? The twins? They look like they're settling in."
Clint smiled as they lingered in the doorway briefly. Laura was chiding Pietro for bringing Eris to the dinner table while Wanda was feeding Lucky scraps under the table. He thought for a moment about the two punk kids they met in Sokovia. The angry, hurting, damaged kids that they were and allowed himself a moment of pride that they were no longer that way. And it was in large part thanks to him and his family. His family that they were a huge part of. He wasn't going to lie, it just about made his day anytime Wanda or Pietro slipped and called him Dad. He definitely melted a little when they called Laura Mom.
"Come on, Rogers. Let's eat," Clint declared, pushing Steve into the room. He naturally took the empty seat next to Barnes while Clint sat between Pietro and Lila. Clint admitted to being a little worried about whether dinner would be awkward but that was all for nothing. The kids and the twins accepted Bucky as part of the family with barely a blink of an eye and the usual lively dinner time banter continued. The kids talked about their day (and the girl Pietro had a crush on apparently) and Sam shared embarrassing stories about Steve from their days searching for Barnes. This prompted Barnes to chime in with embarrassing stories of Steve growing up. Clint wished Tony was here. Not just because he was isolated from the team and being maligned by the media all day every day but also because some of these stories were hilarious. Clint made a mental note to call Tony later and tell him about the time pre-serum Steve thought it was a good idea to pick a fight with a guy two times his size in a movie theater. And he called them reckless.
The conversation came to an abrupt halt, however, when the kitten that was previously content to ignore them all suddenly appeared and decided that Barnes' lap was as good a place as any to hang out. Barnes' eyes widened in obvious surprise and silence fell over the table as they all waited to see what would happen. He lowered his fork to his plate and tentatively placed his hand on the kitten's soft black head. It mewled in happiness before purring loudly. Barnes looked to Steve. The good captain shrugged before looking to Clint. The archer snorted. Didn't it figure? No one wonder she didn't want one of the kids. She must've known in her heart.
"Guess she's yours."
"Really?" Barnes questioned, though he kept petting the purring kitten. "I just met you like five minutes ago and you're going to give me a cat? What would I even do with a cat?"
"Yeah, think of her as a therapy cat," Sam offered. "Pets can be an effective form of therapy, especially when recovering from trauma."
Barnes glanced down at the cat for several long moments. Then a soft smile stole across his face. He picked his fork up and that was that. The fuzzy black kitten was officially the pet/owner of the former Winter Soldier. Clint found himself smiling as well. That is until he noticed the expression on Steve's face.
The man didn't just look delighted. He looked like his whole world began and ended with the man sitting beside him balancing a fork in his metallic hand while the other idly toyed with the kitten's soft fur. Clint liked Steve. Hell, Clint admired the hell out of Steve and trusted him without a thought. But he worried about Steve. Because even with the friendships he built with the team, especially Sam and Natasha, Steve seemed lost. And that was before he found out about Barnes being the Winter Soldier. After that, it was like he had one purpose in life and nothing save for a robotic army attempting to destroy humanity could knock him off that course. And now he found him and he looked settled. He looked happy for the first time since any of them could remember.
Clint often wondered about Steve's single-minded devotion to bringing Barnes back from the brink. He knew that he would do the same for Natasha but there was often a desperation that went further than that of a friend. He pursed his lips. No way. There was no possible way… except maybe there was. Maybe Steve Rogers didn't have a thing for James Barnes back in the day but he kind of definitely had a thing now. He was about three minutes away from drawing their initials in hearts and planning their dream wedding. Clint bit his lip to keep a laugh from bubbling out. Good for them. Even if there was nothing there (there so was. Wanda kept giving them these little looks every now and then), Clint was still happy that after everything they found each other again. Still, he was pretty sure that the radio serials and history books never picked up on that. Man, he couldn't wait to tell Phil… He closed his eyes. Almost four years later and he still had to remind himself that Phil was gone. He was gone and it was still his fault.
"I just don't understand why the new guy gets to keep his kitten at the dinner table and I don't. Isn't there some kind of seniority rights or something?" Pietro's voice cut through the self-deprecating shame cycle Clint was about to enter. He was about to reply to that when he noticed the smug grin playing across Pietro's face and the telltale glances that Wanda was throwing between the pair. Wanda must have sensed the shift in his mood as she was also sporting the same smug grin.
Clint sighed. This family thing was alright. Still, it wouldn't do to let them think they could get away with being total brats. So he did what any responsible part-time superhero archer and full time father would do. He launched a forkful of lasagna at the twins and instigated the largest food fight in Barton history. It only ended when they all seemed to remember that Barnes was also a sniper and used him against Clint.
"Dude, no! Snipers stick together! We're supposed to be sniper bros!"
"Sniper bros?" Barnes repeated slowly. "Is that an actual thing?"
"It could be."
Barnes tilted his head to the side before nodding. "Okay then. We're sniper bros." Lila cleared her throat pointedly. Barnes raised an eyebrow. "I guess girls can be bros too." She grinned evilly.
And that was the story of how the Sniper Bros (and sis) were formed. It's also the story of how James Barnes found a family and a home. But Clint liked the origin of the Sniper Bros better. Way less sappy.
*the end for now.
Okay, so end notes. Yes, I'm leaning towards there being a romantic relationship between Steve and Bucky. I'm sorry if this bothers some people but I've been reading way too many Stucky stories and posts on Tumblr. It's broken me. So yeah, that's probably going to be a thing. More changes coming up for the Barton/Avengers clan. Next chapter is going to bring them all back together for a bit as well as bring in some new characters. This story is taking on a whole life of its own. It initially was envisioned to be a home for fluffy Barton clan stories but then it started getting a plot. Don't get me wrong, there will be fluff. But there's an actual plot incorporating elements from the Civil War storyline though it definitely won't get nearly as dark (most likely not) or divisive (definitely not). Anyway, that's enough of my blabbering. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter should be up within the next two weeks or so.