Prompt: Tree (part 1)
Pairing: N/A / Fandom: Marvel
Living in the country side had its advantages. It was far from the noise and craziness of the big cities, you made your own schedules, perfect to lay low after getting into some mischief and, come Christmas time, you could cut down your own tree, instead of buying it at an inflated price.
Clint was walking through the snow towards the line of pine trees that lined the edge of his property, a sharp axe on his shoulder and some rope on his waist. This was one of his favorite traditions, choosing the perfect tree and cutting it down. The smell of fresh pine needles would fill their house for the entirety of the holidays and he knew how much Alyssa loved that smell.
He had met Alyssa right after the battle of New York and fell head over heels for her. Natasha even had mocked him about it but he knew she loved Alyssa as much as he did. They had become the best of friends in a really short time (after Nat had made a full background check on her of course) and he couldn't be happier.
Memories flood his mind as he pushed through the snow: how they first met; when he asked her on a date; their first date; the subsequent months where they got to know each other; introducing her to Nat; Nat's blessing a la Godfather style; and the most important of all, when he asked her to move in with him into the farmhouse.
Clint was sure she was gonna put up a fight, after all, the farmhouse was in the middle of nowhere, but her reaction surprised him. And he wasn't easily surprised. She had agreed to move in with him, with only one condition: once a month, they would go on a date in the city. To say he was overjoyed, was an understatement, but he was also curious as to why she had agreed so easily.
That's when Alyssa told him that she had been raised in a small farm with her grandfather and that she had always planned to, one day, live in one again, just like when she was younger. She had a sweet smile on her face, remembering her grandfather and telling Clint about all the things she did growing up there. He couldn't help but to love her even more.
It has been three years since they got together and every year, on Christmas, he would cut a tree. She had mention by passing that it was something that her grandfather used to do, when they were getting to know each other and were talking about Christmas. Ever since then, Clint had made sure that he would cut a fresh tree, just for her. It was his way to honor her grandfather and for her to feel that he was still with her during the holidays.
Clint got to the trees and began his search. He had been there the week before and had marked one that he thought was perfect, now was just a matter of finding it again. He walked around for about thirty minutes before finding the one he wanted. "I don't remember it being so far away.", he thought, shrugging his shoulders.
Taking his jacket off and placing it on a branch from a nearby tree, he took a close look at the tree in order to choose what the best spot was to cut it down. He only needed the top of the tree, but he would use the rest either for firewood or for the various arts and crafts that Alyssa was doing.
Finally picking a spot, Clint positioned his feet and swung the axe, hitting the trunk of the tree with a swift and clean movement. Pieces of wood flew around him as he hit it again and again, thinning the trunk and making a clean cut on its base. It didn't take long for him to hear the unmistakable sound of wood cracking and to see the tree coming down.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he lowered the axe and walked over to see his work. It was a clean cut, as always. Pulling the rope from his waist, he made quick work in tying the tree up and into his axe. He was gonna use the axe as a puller to transport the tree more easily back to the house. Putting his jacket back on, he pulled the axe onto his shoulders and started pulling the tree.
Clint was getting closer to the house when he saw a figure out on the porch. He knew that silhouette anywhere in the world. Alyssa. There she was, leaning on one of the rails on the porch, a bright smile on her lips, waiting for him. He stopped for a second to catch his breath and to adjust the axe, thinking that he was lucky to have found someone like her and that he would do anything to make her happy.
As traditions go, this was definitely one of his favorites, but he knew that his favorite tradition began when he met Alyssa, and that that was never going to change.