Desi fidgeted in place as she stood in front of her alter, the sage burning slowly in her hand. Her newcomers, two middle-aged men helped lay down an elder woman onto a table bed in the middle of the room, and the whispers of what sounded like bickering between the men reached her ears.
"Please, refrain from speaking of personal topics while you are in this domain." She stated as she approached them.
The duo looked at her apologetically before they backed away from the woman. Desi immediately noticed that the woman's face was scrunched up, a common indication of pain and discomfort.
"She's been in pain for several weeks now, but doctors can't seem to find what's wrong with her. No health issues, no injuries; we don't know what to do..." one of the men spoke, but she never made an indication of acknowledging them as she finally stood before the woman.
Taking a deep breath, she began her chant as she cleansed around the woman once, before making her way around the room. She then placed the sage into a rock design bowl, still chanting she grabbed three large agate stones towards the woman.
Although the air was cleansed, the tensity in the air was now on her chest; something or someone was affecting this woman and now her. She placed one of the stones above the woman's head, one on her chest, and the last one on her stomach. Placing the women's hands on the stone on her stomach, she continued chanting until she felt it.
It felt... dominant.
She heard a growl around her, not failing to notice the men startled, but she had to be quick. "Any concerning comments or behaviors?" Desi asked, trying to figure out what type of being was trying to attach to her.
"Just that she wants it to end, but...we always thought it was because she was in pain." One of the men spoke.
"What about her lifestyle? Any friends or any traveling, visitors?" she asked.
"She had made a new friend named Bal? An older gentleman but comes to visit her. She never leaves the house though." Another voice told her. She closed her eyes, removing her gloves. "Don't move, no matter what you see or hear." She told them before she placed her bare hand on the woman. Desi gasped; her head thrown back as flashes of memories that were not her own played in her head.
An old man with a long beard.
Speaking and flirting with the elder woman.
Watching him walk into the woods.
Shifting into a jaguar-like creature.
She had her answer.
She snapped her eyes open.
"Dzulum."
The air shifted, the brothers looking around frantically as the lights went out, but Desi kept herself calm as she began her chant. The Dzulum attempted to invade her thoughts and attack her spiritually, but Desi grabbed for her sea salt.
She avoided the attacks as she circled the room with sea salt hastily, her chanting getting louder as she felt the house literally shake. Slowly, the tension disappeared around them, everything seemed to calm around them. The men both sighed in relief, but Desi looked over at them.
"Please, stay where you are while I cleanse once more."
She did quick work, feeling light-headed but she had to cleanse the area to remove any traces of the creature. With the sage in her hand once more, she cleansed around the woman and the home again, before making her way to the piles of salt. She swept it all up in one pile with the sage and threw it into the small firepit beside her, throwing water over it.
"It is done." She said, smiling over at the two men. The men went over to the woman, and a smile crept on their faces.
She was smiling in her sleep.
Desi took the stones off her body, allowing the men to lift her up. "Thank you so much, curandera, how can we repay you?" the men asked.
"I was just glad to help, but please, make sure she is off that land. It's not a good property for anyone to be on." Desi said, smiling warmly at them.
"Again, thank you so much." One of the men spoke.
Desi gave it a moment for them to leave her home before she put her gloves back on, hearing the door open once more.
"Are you okay, sister?" she heard her brother Cole's familiar voice.
"Yeah, it was a creature, it's been a while since I did one of those." She said, smiling wholeheartedly. He smiled at her as Lemi walked in, nudging his brother before he walked over to Desi's side. She hated to admit it, but Lemi doted on her more than Cole, who preferred to give her that tough brotherly love.
"Why don't you go ahead and rest while we bury the ashes?" Lemi asked.
Desi shook her head. "I just need some water and I can keep going, the lightheaded feeling is just a side effect; it'll pass." She assured him, feeling something cool touch her right shoulder. Looking over, she saw Cole holding a water bottle out toward her.
Cole was 6'1 tall, with a muscular build. He was brunette, always had his hair in a comb-over style hair, parted always from his right going left, his brown eyes always sharp. It came from his time serving in the Marines, he was the same brother who taught her how to use a marksman rifle in case of emergencies.
Lemi was 5'10, but the oldest sibling. He had a leaner tone of the body than Cole, but he was still muscular on his own with his training in the Air Force. Brunette as well, his hair was a disconnected undercut, with long hair on top with short, buzzed sides. His eyes were a nice green color, which he no doubt got from their mother.
Desi, being 5 foot flat, always had to crane her head back to glare at them, but she learned to be a good climber to get advantages over them as a child.
They were as thick as thieves, never leaving without the other until she began to show signs of her ability. Now, they rarely left her side for more than a few minutes, always watching over her in case something was to happen to her. She was more prone to attacks but appreciated them all the same.
"Thank you, brother." She said, smiling as she took large gulps.
"Ready to go?" Cole asked.
"Once Lemi is done, yes." She stated.
"That was your last one for the day...I'll bury this first, okay?" Lemi suggested before he exited the home. Desi looked over to Cole, looking over his stance; he was fidgeting. "Any word yet?" she asked. He sighed; he knew she'd see right through him.
"It's been a few months, and still nothing. I wonder what's taking so long. I can handle rejection, but I'd like to be told, you know?" Cole told her. She nodded, "I understand, I'm sure you two will hear something soon." Desi assured him but he shrugged. "Why don't we head to the house and get something to eat?" Cole asked her.
"Let me just document today and-"
She heard a knock on her door; alarming Cole enough to push his sister back; Lemi wouldn't knock.
"This is Agent Hill, I need you and Miss Desi to join us outside, please." A woman's voice rang out to them. Cole looked over to her cautiously, but Desi nodded.
"Together." She acknowledged, smiling to reassure him.
He nodded but he took her hand, keeping her close behind him; she wasn't combat trained like he was.
Walking outside, Lemi was standing with his arms crossed, his eyes drilled on the four agents standing in front of a large suburban vehicle. There were two agents standing in the back, one of them a short red-headed curled bob, wearing a tight bodysuit with her eyes drilled on Desi with the SHIELD logo on her arm.
The second one with a bow on his back, but he stood with one hand clasped onto his other wrist, looking at the two brothers simultaneously. He wore relaxed pants with a tight vest, with the SHIELD logo on his chest.
The two standing in front of them was a tall thin woman with a brown hair ponytail with a similar suit to the red-headed woman. The fourth man was a tall man in a black outfit, with a black trench coat and an eye patch over one eye.
He must be the main guy, Desi thought.
Cole guided his sister over to Lemi, who stood just as protectively in front of his sister; it made the bowman smile at the brotherly sight. "You're SHIELD…I'm afraid we'll need something confirming that." Cole said, crossing his arms once more.
The eye-patch man walked towards them, holding out a tablet.
"This should suffice." He said, his voice rough and stern, but patient, from what Desi could decipher. The trio looked over the tablet, seeing their profiles but Cole took over the tablet and dived into other profiles on the tablet.
"Cole..." Desi warned him, but he ignored her as he continued looking some more before he handed the tablet back.
"I'm satisfied." Cole said.
"I take it you have a question?" the eye-patch man asked.
"Yeah. Why is Nick Fury, one of the top agents here with other top agents?" Cole asked. "If it was about our applications, you would've sent other agents." Lemi added. Fury smirked, "You're right, normally we would. However, we came to speak with you about more than your applications." Fury said before his eye landed hard on Desi.
Desi took a deep breath; she didn't like that look in the least bit. "Can we talk about this inside? This is too out in the open." Fury suggested, not failing to notice the brothers' glares. "You can come into my home, please." Desi offered, smiling as she walked over to her home.
"Desi, you just cleansed it."
"And I can do it again, this is important for both of you." Desi countered, her smile never wavering as she opened the front door. "It'll smell Earthy in there, so I'm sorry in advance." Desi stated, waving her hand in welcome to the group.
"Ladies first." Fury said gratefully one of the siblings was more at ease with him. She had a full smile at this point, whispering a thank you before she walked in, the group following her inside.
"Please sit anywhere you'd like." She said, smiling as she leaned against the table bed. No one sat, which was expected by the tension now heavy in the air.
She jumped up onto the table, her short legs swinging as she took deep breaths, noticing they stood now in front of her and her brothers, one brother on each side of her.
"What's this about then?" Cole asked, not wanting to beat around the bush.
"You both were recommended highly to us for the Avenger's Initiate, but with that came the intensive research. Family backgrounds, investigations... surveillance. Your family line is all military, everyone served except for one..." Fury said, looking now to Desi.
"Not liking where this is going..." Lemi said softly on his breath, inching closer to his sister.
Desi could feel the unease and placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort for both of their sakes.
"We needed to learn why she was in particular different. She is the first female in your family to bear in over two decades, following your family tree. We needed more information and in order to do so, we needed to bring people in to observe her." Fury spoke.
"You mean..."
"Our agents have seen you...work here in this building, Miss Desi."
Desi sighed, hanging her head as she gripped her brother's arm, feeling his anger rise.
"You son of bitch!" Cole shouted, but Desi grabbed his arm with her free hand, her touch keeping him still.
"Be still, brother." Desi whispered, her head never rising as she was trying to calm herself.
"Am I a threat to my brothers' chances?" Desi asked, bringing her head back up.
"Actually, we want you to join as well." He told her.
Desi blinked, "I'm sorry?"
Both of their brothers tensed, placing a hand on each of her sister's shoulders.
"I'm afraid she isn't available. Why are you interested in her anyways? There are other curanderas." Lemi asked.
"Although that's true, she is who we want. The same could be said about you two, why have you two, when we have others to pick from? Because there is potential there. We've seen her healing abilities, and with proper training, she can be one of the best agents we have on the field. Who better to protect her on the field than her brothers?" Fury explained.
"Excuse me?" Cole questioned.
"These two agents are the top agents, Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton. They would train her to defend herself, show her the ropes, and everything else while you both attend your training." Agent Hill told them.
"You can call me Clint, by the way." The man spoke, smiling casually with a wave towards her.
"I'm Natasha." she said, a small smile on her face.
"Hello, Natasha and Clint." Desi said, smiling at them, but she quickly snapped her eyes closed when she felt her brothers squeeze her shoulders.
"Don't be friendly." Lemi whispered but everyone could hear him in this small room.
Lemi's eyes widened, alarmed when she saw her eyes droop a bit before she shook her head.
"Are you feeling light-headed again?" Lemi whispered.
Clint zeroed in on the conversation, ignoring Cole's questions.
"That spirit creature took a lot out of me; I'll be fine though." She whispered in reassurance but giggled when Lemi handed her the bottled water.
"My sister isn't an option, I'm afraid. She's...she's never been exposed to the brutality of war, of destruction. I don't want her to see any of that. She's afraid of the dark, for God's sake!" Cole told them.
Clint couldn't help but smile when he heard her groan.
"She wouldn't be a part of the fight, per se. She'd be in a lab with other doctors. If she's called to the frontlines, it'll be after battle to help but not before or during." Agent Hill told them.
"I'm afraid we aren't negotiating this." Cole spoke, standing firm.
"Well, I'm afraid it's up to her." Fury said, looking back at her.
Desi bit her lower lip, considering their words.
"You're not seriously thinking about this, are you?!" Desi looked up at Cole, looking at her in bewilderment.
"What would you expect of me, responsibility-wise?" Desi asked, ignoring both of her brother's groans. Natasha smirked at this; she liked her already. She approached her, ignoring the twin's glares at her.
"Other than training for both your skills and for protection, we weren't wrong about being with the other doctors. You wouldn't be SHIELD's witch doctor; you'd be the Avenger Initiate's healer exclusively. We will avoid you on the front lines because you, Desi, are important to us and the team. You can heal and calm others in a way that others can't. To me, that's pretty damn special." Natasha told her.
Desi smiled, her words hitting her in a way she didn't expect it to.
"Don't you dare even think about it." She heard her brother Cole say, but she had already decided. "If I were to do this, please don't put station, my brothers, with me." Desi told her, noticing Natasha with a winning smirk on her face; the SHIELD agent was smiling at their success.
"You're so weak, you caved too easily." Lemi told her, but he couldn't help but not be mad at her.
"First of all, you're not joining. And second, what do you mean we can't station with you?! We're your brothers, we are sticking together!" Cole yelled at her.
Clint narrowed his eyes at him but was grateful Lemi wasn't reacting the same way.
Desi glared over at him, her smiling dropping immediately.
"YOU BOTH were trying to get into SHIELD without me, you were already going to leave me: regardless! Not to mention, I've been nothing but supportive of both of you. So please don't pull the brother card on me, mister. Besides, you joined to find your purpose, and it can't be you protecting me all your life." Desi pointed out.
"That's my job!" Cole grunted in frustration, walking a few steps away from them, but Lemi sighed.
"You don't have to agree to this if you're feeling guilty, you know." Lemi stated, knowing his sister too well.
He knew if someone asked her enough or made her feel bad about something, she'd change her mind in a heartbeat.
"I want to. I love what I do, but if I can help others, then I want to." She told him.
"It wouldn't be full-time, thinking of it as seasonal. You would be called when needed." Fury told her, and she nodded in understanding.
"When would I leave?" Desi asked. As the brothers began to rant at her again, Natasha walked over to Clint.
"I like her." She whispered.
"I like the kid too, but she's too innocent; sheltered. I almost hate taking her from here." Clint whispered back as the brothers were arguing with each other about her going and not going.
"But she is choosing this, so let's make sure we prepare her." Natasha said, watching as Desi dropped off the table.
"Enough, both of you!" she yelled, rubbing her forehead as a huge headache overwhelmed her from their emotions.
"We would leave now if you can. There's a situation that I need to attend to, and we need you." Fury spoke.
"No, you're not-"
"Let me go pack, I want to say goodbye to everyone." She spoke over Cole.
"We will be right outside waiting for you. Please pack light with as few personal items as possible, clothes will be provided for you upon arrival." Agent Hill spoke, leaving the home as she pulled out her phone.
"As for your two," Fury spoke as they turned their attention to him.
"Welcome to SHIELD's Avenger Initiative. Your training starts tomorrow for one month before we redeploy you, Agent Hill will be leaving the information for you in the morning. I know this is sudden, but we need to be out of here yesterday." Fury told them.
"Thanks, I'll be quick." Desi said, smiling at them before she left the building, her brothers following up with disapproval on their faces.
"Are you sure you want to use her?" Natasha asked once they were alone.
"Her skill is a rarity, you know. And at her age, she shows a lot of potential. You've seen her at work: she deals with monsters we can't see and her healing abilities. I think she'll be a perfect addition to the team." Fury said as he walked over to her altar, looking at all the herbs.
"I think she's exactly what the Cap needs...maybe even for the big guy." Clint spoke. Natasha nodded, agreeing with him.
"For everyone, really. This job can take a toll, let's just make sure she never has to lift a gun." Agent Hill said.
"Let's make sure we take this stuff with us; it'll help her feel more at home back on base." Fury told them as he walked towards the exit.
"Mom!" Desi shouted as she walked into their home, looking around the home briefly before she walked past the set of stairs in the entryway.
"Desi, please, will you please talk to us!" Lemi shouted as they entered their large kitchen.
Desi stopped in her tracks and looked over to her brothers, who were both looking at her with fury in their eyes.
"This isn't your battle; you don't need to join them." Lemi told her in a calm voice.
Desi didn't realize it until her eyesight was becoming a blur, but she was on the verge of crying. His words broke her, closing her eyes as she tried to control herself.
"I know it's not but...something is calling me. Pulling me to join this, and I want to. It'd help me in the long run, I'd gain knowledge in things that I don't already know. Besides, this is only temporary. I want to." She assured them, hearing her voice shake.
"I can't do this right now!"
Desi looked over to see Cole walk out of the room but smiled sadly when she saw her mother walk in behind him. Her mother was a short, petite woman just like herself, her pure black hair braided to the side like hers.
"What's with the ruckus?" Her mother questioned, her voice stern.
"So, SHIELD's here..." Desi spoke, smiling happily.
Lemi looked down, grabbing his sister's hand almost desperately.
"We got offered the positions and accepted, but..." Lemi looked back to his sister.
"They want me to join as well, as a doctor of sorts." Desi told them.
Her mother looked unamused, merely blinking in response, and Desi had to clear her throat from her cold behavior. Her mother never really accepted her since her return; rarely allowing her into the home but her brothers are what kept her here mostly.
"I won't be thrown on the frontlines or anything. They offered me additional training on my abilities, more resources and... I want to help. It'll only be for a little while. I-I want to help." Desi told her mother.
"Go ahead and go." Her mother merely said, walking out of the kitchen without a second glance, breaking Desi's heart once more.
"I'll calm Cole down..." Lemi said, but Desi stopped him, clasping her hand on his shoulder.
"Let him cool down, but thank you." Desi told him, smiling gratefully to him.
Desi grabbed her duffle bag and glanced around her room, unsure of what to take. She knew common sense not to take items too personally. Walking over to her dresser beside her window and looking around for anything significant to her. Looking around, she frowned when she realized she didn't have anything but a simple picture of when she came home. She took the picture in her hand and smiled, taking one final look before she put it back down.
She looked at the wood-carved deer on her dresser and smiled, each one representing her family member. She chuckled and put them in her bag, it was as close to a family picture as she was going to get.
Putting that in her bag, she also grabbed her favorite book Pride and Prejudice, a few journals, and pens, including her large journal where she already had her detailed descriptions for her herbs and crystals.
Good with what she had, she walked down the stairs and noticed the door wide open.
"This is bullshit!"
Desi turned around to look up the stairs to see her brother Cole charging down the stairs toward her. She attempted to grab his hand, but he slapped her arm away, alarming her.
"You won't last out there, Desi! Don't you get that? There is no one protecting you out there!" Cole yelled at her.
She fought the tears in her eyes, but she wasn't allowing herself to break.
He had never yelled at her before.
She ignored him and walked out of the home, noticing her brother Lemi and mother waiting for her with the four SHIELD agents watching her, each with their own expressions; she knew they saw and heard everything.
"Don't walk away while I'm talking to you! You'll die out there! Do you hear me? We won't be there to protect you! None of these people care about you, you need to stop being so naïve! You'll be just as friendless and alone as you are here! You won't last a week out there! You'll be coming home in a box!" Cole yelled.
"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Clint barked, noticing Desi stood there with her eyes closed. She smiled sadly before she turned to face him, her smile still planted.
"You'll regret saying those final words to me." Desi said before she clasped her hands together.
"I know deep down this is you trying to get me to stay, but I love you, Cole; rather you say it to me or not." She said before she felt someone spin her around. Lemi was embracing her tightly, hearing him sniffle.
"I love you, sis, I'll miss you so much..." Lemi said to her, his voice cracking.
"I'll miss you terribly brother, please be safe for me out there." Desi told him, fighting her tears.
"Those are supposed to be my words." He chuckled before he pulled back, kissing the top of her head before giving her one bigger hug.
Lemi pulled out a sheath dagger from his cargo pocket and handed it to her.
"I was saving this for your birthday, but I figured this was a good time as any." He said as he unsheathed it for her. She smiled when she saw the hilt had a female deer on them with a simple swirl design on the blade itself.
"Dad made that for you before he passed away…keep it safe, will you?" he told her, sheathing it back before handing it to her.
"I will, promise." She smiled as he placed a kiss on her forehead, tearing up at the sentiment.
"Alright, I need to go now, or else I'll never leave. Take care everyone!" Desi waved as she walked away, noticing her brother Cole still refused to look at her.
"Here, let me get that." Clint said as he approached her, taking her bag carefully from her.
"Thanks, Barton." She said with a smile.
"Come on, join us in the backseat." Natasha said with a smile as Agent Hill walked over to the front passenger side.
"I know she isn't a soldier, but we will prepare her the best as we can." Fury told the family before he walked back to the car as well.
Desi took a deep breath, wiping her eyes of remaining tears. Clint made his way over to Natasha, smiling as she looked at him curiously.
"May I?" he asked.
She looked at him quizzically before she got out, allowing him to sit beside Desi. She looked over to him as he entered and smiled before she looked back out the window. She covered her mouth as she fought her emotions, watching the open fields of her home one last time. She had just adapted to being back home, only to leave again.
It was really sinking in now.
She wouldn't get to see her brothers in the morning, eat her mother's cooking, go hunting with her father, or help the locals; she was on her own. She took a deep breath, laughing as she shook her head.
"Hey, it's alright." She looked over to Clint, who was smiling at her sympathetically.
"Everyone feels like this when we get the call, it's never easy." Clint said.
Clint opened his palm to her, making her look at him quizzically.
"Come on, give me your hand." He told her, smirking at her.
She chuckled and put her gloved hand in his, watching as he shook hands with her.
"I'm Clint, and I'll be your first friend in SHIELD. Welcome to our family." He told her.
She smiled, chuckling in happiness.
"I'm Destiny, but you can call me Desi." She spoke.
She looked at her hand in question, flexing her hand to make sure everything was alright. Natasha frowned, pushing Clint back, hearing him cough out an 'oof'.
"And I'm Natasha, but you can call me Nat." Natasha said, smiling at Desi. Desi smiled even more, making Natasha and Hill smile; this girl's smile was contagious.
"Thanks, Nat, you can also call me Desi." She spoke.
"Isn't it hot? Why don't you take off the gloves?" Clint couldn't help but ask.
"It was in the file, Barton." Fury stated.
"I didn't read it yet." Clint told him, looking back at Desi.
"I have a few abilities. If I touch you, it's not just healing. I can pick up on your emotions and even your memories." She explained.
"No, shit!" Clint was surprised. "I do spiritual healing mostly, but I've been slowly able to do physical healing, so cuts, bullets, etc." She told him.
"That's really amazing, seriously." Clint said, a little awestruck.
"How does it affect you, personally?" Natasha asked.
"I feel what you feel, with sometimes a glimpse of memory; the best way I can explain in one word is an empath. If you get injured, sometimes I can absorb that pain without injury." She explained.
"And other times?" she asked.
Desi laughed, rubbing her arm subconsciously.
"I will get hurt, but usually it's a cut or a bruise. So, if you get stabbed, I might get a bruise, but I'll absorb the pain of your stab." She explained as best she could.
Clint squeezed her hand, noticing he reached for it again at some point.
"That's got to be tough, sorry." He spoke.
She smiled and shrugged, "It's been like that since I was six years old, I've learned to endure." She spoke.
She didn't touch his skin, but she could almost feel a protective type of emotion.
Why?
She was startled when Agent Hill turned over in her seat, looking at her with soft eyes.
"I'm Agent Hill, you can call me Maria in private though, Desi." She stated, smiling when she saw Desi smile again.
"Thanks Maria, hi." She said happily.
"So, when you got your abilities so young, how did you control it?" Maria asked.
Desi frowned, looking down at her hands.
"I was forced to live with another curandera to teach me. It's been a real journey, let me tell you" Desi spoke, chuckling,
"We go to train until we are 15 but because I work on emotion, and each curandero is different, so I didn't go home until I was 18 years old." She explained.
"So, you only came home a couple of years ago? Any side effects?" Clint asked.
She shrugged, "If I get overwhelmed, I can have pretty bad panic attacks, but I'm like a beacon. If the emotions, the pain, and everything are too much, I can pick up others in the vicinity, but if I can catch it, I can shake it off. It's gotten better slowly but I hope with training, I can have more control over it." Desi told him.
"It's very hush-hush in your community, isn't it?" Natasha asked.
"It is, with this modern age, people aren't as receptive to it as they use to be. But I'm open about it to anyone who wants to listen." Desi said.
"I'm glad you feel that way because we will need all the help we can get." Fury said.
Desi bit her lower lip before she spoke.
"Mr. Fury?"
"Just Fury."
"Why did you pick me?"
Hill looked over at him, curious about what he'd tell her.
"There are other curanderas, some who are way older and even more experienced than me. I'm still learning as I go." She told him.
"You were more receptive and open to us than the others." Fury told her.
"Oh, okay." She said, nodding but it didn't bother her.
"During your training, you will be debriefed on current events and others that are part of this Initiative. Only those close to this will be able to see your information. Did you have any requests or anything you might need that we may have missed?" Hill asked.
"Can I ask two requests?"
"Just two?" Natasha said with a smirk.
Most new recruits had a long list.
"Can I not have a bunkmate? I need a safe place to be emotionally clear." She asked.
"And the second?" Hill asked.
"Can you make sure my family is hidden? Off the records?"
Fury looked at her in the review mirror before looking forward once more. "That's all?"
"Yes, sir."
He smirked. "Consider it done."
"Oh look, you made him smile."
"And it'll never happen again." He said with a firm tone, but it didn't stop Desi from giggling.
She yawned, today was taking a toll on her, but she refused to sleep. She wasn't sure if her body would agree with her though.
"Here" she looked over to see Clint, releasing his hold on her as he tapped his shoulder "you can use me as a pillow." He offered.
"Oh, I couldn't, really. I'm trying not to sleep." She told him.
"You literally did a cleansing before we got there, and the airport is an hour away. I'll wake you up before we get there, promise." He told her.
Natasha smirked as she leaned forward, catching Desi's eyes.
"He will keep insisting, besides, we don't mind." She assured her with a smile.
"Okay, if you're sure...thanks Clint." She said before looking out the window again, resting her elbow on top of the elbow rest as she brought her fisted hand to rest under her chin.
"Stubborn woman..."
"Give her a minute." Natasha whispered to him, smirking at the duo.
Clint watched her reflection in the window and saw her eyes droop, trying to keep herself awake but eventually, her eyes finally slid closed. Her head was slipping and before it could hit the window, Clint caught her, cradling her head in his hand.
He leaned back as he brought her head onto his shoulder, smiling when he felt her arm instinctively hook around his. Natasha looked at him in confusion, he wasn't prone to being so open with a newcomer. He looked over at her and smiled sadly.
"She reminds me of Emily..."