Sneak peak :) No warnings. Happy Halloween!

“How are they shaping up?”

Natasha shrugged, hair falling off her shoulders. She’d started straightening it again. She didn’t know why. She wasn’t a fan of spending time better spent elsewhere on her appearance. But she’d felt inexplicably like she’d needed a change, any kind of variation that might somehow release this strange, pent up pressure that now seemed to permanently reside in her chest. She’d used to work it off by sparring with Clint.

“Alright…I guess. Rhodes and Wilson respond well to Steve, probably because they’re used to taking orders. Maximoff is surprisingly…adaptable. She seems pretty enthusiastic about our cause. Almost manic, in fact. I guess I should watch that.”

“Take her out for coffee for some big sisterly advice,” Clint suggested with red sunlight glinting off his teeth as he smiled. “You know a lot about putting past sins to rest.”

“I shudder to think of someone ever taking my advice,” Natasha snorted and continued, “Vision has had a strangely calming effect on her. Not exactly sure what’s mechanical on him and what isn’t, but Wanda doesn’t seem to mind. As long as the parts that count are human, I guess. Personally, I think she’s just searching for someone to replace her brother.”

“Yeah,” said Clint softly.

For a moment Natasha hesitated on the brink of saying it wasn’t your fault, but she knew both she and Clint had heard it spoken enough that it had lost any at all truth in its words long ago. If, in fact, it had ever held any at all.

“We’re working on trust, currently,” she said instead, turning her head to stare over the lawn, watching the light of the setting sun glint off the hood of Clint’s tractor and the spokes of Cooper’s bicycle lying in the grass near the driveway.

“Ah ha,” said Clint, “the hardest lesson of all.”

“It’s a choice, like anything else,” Natasha answered. “You taught me that, Clint.”

“I’m glad you listened to at least something I said,” Clint answered, resting his elbows on the porch banister and leaning forward, back arched. Above them moths began to circle the porch light, batting their wings futilely against the bulb and casting gigantic, fluttering shadows across the floorboards and over Clint’s hands, folded in front of his chest.

“You should think about coming back,” Natasha said guardedly. “Might be able to teach the new recruits a thing or two, as well.”

Clint breathed through his nose shortly in something that resembled a laugh, and Natasha continued before he could speak. “Come on, Clint, you and I both know you miss it. You’ve got avenging in your blood. There’s nothing you can do about that.”

Clint laughed outright at that. When he answered her he was staring ahead at the end of the driveway where it disappeared into the tangled shadows of the pine trees. “Naw, I’m having too much fun not having people trying to kill me for once to come back.”

Natasha slipped her arm through the crook between Clint’s elbow and chest, leaning her shoulder against his, feeling the warmth of his skin through her sweatshirt. “Yet,” Natasha corrected him.

What a great description of the new recruits! And the Nat/Clint dynamic is just… *heavy sigh*

You have piqued my interest for sure. Looking forward to reading the final product. Thanks for the sneak peek!!