LOST SOUL ➸ hawkeye ✔️

iv.

04 | FINDING OUT THE TRUTH

Laura had left early in the morning with Cooper, Nathaniel and Lila in tow. According to Laura, she would drop the kids off at school apart from Nathaniel, who went with her, go to yoga, meet with some friends, pick the kids up, and then return back home.

Wanda, who had never participated in a yoga class before, joined the trip which then left Lana and Pietro in the house with Clint. And of course, Clint couldn't possibly stay in the house all day.

So he'd ventured outside to the old barn. One of the loft's roof supports had snapped again, so he promised Laura he'd fix it. Cooper and Lila loved it up there, playing games in the loft practically every day.

One of their favourites was a game they called SHIELD in which Cooper role-played as Mr. Commander Nick Fury Sir and Lila jumped around beating up invisible ninjas as Auntie Nat when she's scary while Lana would sometimes practice her powers there too.

Clint pulled himself up the wooden ladder, a tool belt around his waist and a collection of wooden planks under one arm. He set them on the loft floor and heaved himself upwards, beginning to reinforce the support beams holding up the barn roof.

Lana usually helped him with stuff like that but she was busy doing other household chores such as the laundry that Clint would really prefer not to do. The task was completed before Clint knew it, and he found himself feeling like no time had passed.

He made his way back to the house to find Pietro snoozing on the couch and Lana in the kitchen, cutting fresh chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and some cheese to make sandwiches for everyone for lunch.

Clint washed his hands before he joined in helping her get lunch ready, the two making small talk before Lana placed a few plates of fresh sandwiches on the dining table and sat down, the older Barton joining her a few moments later.

It was a peaceful quiet for a while. Lana contemplated whether or not to ask a question that had been bugging her for a while before she finally said it, breaking the silence between the two.

"Did Pietro take a bullet for you?"

Clint wasn't expecting that question. Well the older Barton kinda has since he never told her what truly happened, only bits and pieces. He let out a sigh before nodding.

"Bullets, actually," Clint corrected, earning a surprised reaction from Lana. "Pietro took seven bullets to the chest, three to his arms, two to his left and one to right, one to his right hand and five to his legs, three on the left, two on the right."

Lana was in shocked silence while Clint continued.

"But, that brat's got some freakish metabolism going on, and a sorceress for a sister, so he survived. In all honesty, his pulse was so thin I thought he was dead. He died for forty eight seconds, and then Wanda jump-started his heart with her powers, and his metabolism, and, you know, SHIELD intensive care took care of the rest."

Lana stared intently at her sandwich, trying to digest all that information. She opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped, her eyes widening at something over Clint's shoulder, and Clint turned around.

Pietro stood, one hand on the stairway railing, looking up at the two with half-lidded eyes. Clint scratched the back of his neck. He felt kinda guilty, feeling as if it wasn't his place to tell Lana, and had at least asked him first.

"Listen, brat, I-"

"She was going to find out some time," Pietro dismissed with a sigh. "She's your daughter. And besides, she already saw my injuries."

Clint's eyes went wide. What? No. Pietro wasn't with her .... and Lana wouldn't .... No .... He wasn't going to let the speedy brat date his precious daughter at all. It was not going to happen, not under his watch at all.

"Relax, old man," Pietro scoffed with an eye roll. "Not like that."

Lana caught on quickly, her eyebrows shooting upwards in surprise and her face flushed red. "Woah- wait! No, no. Not like that, dad!"

"Oh thank God," the purple archer muttered.

Clint closed his eyes, not seeing as a sly smirk crept onto the Sokovian's face as he winked at Lana. "That's for tomorrow."

Clint choked mid-sigh and Lana let out a startled 'What?!'

Pietro snickered and Clint realised that was the first time he'd heard Pietro actually laugh in a while. Or legitimately smile for that matter. But it still didn't ease him. 

Lana found herself chuckling lightly, a faint blush on her cheeks while Pietro made his way up the stairs at a faster pace than usual, laughing the whole way.

Clint turned to his daughter anxiously. "He was kidding ... right?"