the half of us

Okay so while this wasn't what he had intended, Thor didn't protest. He was now living in that crappy apartment with Clint and Bruce. It was nowhere near small, with 3 bedrooms, but it was empty and unused, almost as if it had been abandoned. But it was just to hide them from public eye while they all remained in New York.

It made keeping the Avengers a unit a lot easier. Last time they didn't communicate, they lost. They didn't want to lose again. Not like that, not ever.

"Clint, I never really asked, why exactly did you come to New York in the first place?"

The three sat comfortably in the living room, huddled in the sofas and keeping up conversation easily.

"To keep an eye on the black market." Clint said coolly, shrugging and laying back. The other men watched him confusedly, eyebrows raised, "The black market got their hands on junk they scavenged from the Avengers Compound wreckage."

Bruce almost choked on his breath, and Thor let out an irritated groan, facepalming.

"What did they get their hands on, specifically?" Bruce asked, stretching his arms above his hand and cracking his fingers.
"The Roman suit. Some tracking devices... Among other things, I would guess, but I haven't seen anything else. That's why I'm keeping my eye out."

"Makes sense." Thor said with a firm nod.

"That reminds me actually, I need to see if Kate's got those arrows." Clint thought aloud, getting to his feet and reaching for his mobile. He pressed the call button and left the room.

Bruce and Thor could vaguely hear a muffled version of Clint's words.
"Kate?.. Yeah. It's me. Uh, do you have those arrowheads?... Are you in New York?... I'm nearby, just a couple blocks away, could you bring them here?... That apartment block across from the Mural. Mhm. ... Yeah, you know the place. Room 73.... Okay. Yep."

He quickly finished his phone call and returned to the living room.
"I need to go find the tools and equipment, can one of you go wait in the lobby? She's a fucking idiot and I have no faith she'll find our apartment."

Bruce snickered.
"You told me she was a good kid and was decently skilled. Don't take back your words now."

Clint rolled his eyes back in reply and shook his head.
"She is, she is. But she's also stupid."

"I've got to wait on this call back from Barnes. He's got a mission to report but apparently there's some delay to our call because something went "ever so slightly wrong."" Bruce grumbled, casting a pleading glance at Thor, who raised his eyebrows back at his boyfriend.
"You think I'm the best option to send down there? I'm sure she'll be fine.."

"If she asks what apartment we're in they have to tell her she's not allowed to that apartment. We have to keep our apartment away from the public. You gotta go fetch her."

Thor groaned and got up from the couch.
"Alright. I'll go fetch your child, Barton." He sighed.
"She is not my child."
"Yes she is."
"She is not."

Thor closed the door silently behind him, slipping off along the corridor and down the staircase. He reached the lobby and he propped himself against a wall, placing his mask over his mouth and nose. This is an advised precaution in public. It doesn't do much but in the dark you'd be surprised.

Eventually, a dark haired girl stumbled through the complex doors, looking around anxiously at the lobby. She caught Thor's attention because of her demeanour. He locked eyes with her and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you Kate Bishop?" He asked slowly, his voice almost raspy to keep it down in case he was talking to the wrong person.
"Um... Do I- know you?"

Thor sighed deeply and pulled his mask down.
"I hope so. Clint Barton sent for you, did he not?"

Kate froze to the ground, gaping at the Asgardian who was now stood in front of her, barely illuminated by the apartment's shoddy lighting, but his sharp features and piercing eyes stood out against the shadow. She tried to register words in her brain but alas, she failed.
"Oh my god. What the fu-...Um. Yes! I'm Kate Bishop!"

He smiled slightly, his mouth turning up in a way that was almost intimidating, but his eyes gleamed with such humour that she appeared more like he was enjoying her clear shock, now that she was completely immobilised by surprise and near fear.
"Well, would you follow me? I reckon he's wondering what's taking his adopted child so long." The man snickered and gesturing for her to follow.

She flushed in embarrassment and scurried after him. This was an entirely strange scenario and she absolutely could not get it through her skull.
"What're you doing in New York?" She finally said, regaining her ability to form words.
"Multiple things. But I'm mostly surviving. I think that's what I'm doing best at."

Something about his smooth voice, which seemed to pronounce even the most strange things and concepts in such a way that they sounded like a beautiful truth, something wistful and inspiring, like a blessing. But there was a darker, more cruel undertone to his voice, the way he clicked his tongue against his teeth and the slight roughness that came through on certain words of a particular connotation, such as survival. Does he not want to survive, or is it the opposite? Is it determination to achieve survival? The toughness to keep going, to hold himself up and survive.

Kate had never heard his voice up close. He was rarely in the public eye, rarely caught in interview or press conferences. And even so, he has a mysterious silence to him that shows perhaps a distrust towards what the humans should do with his words.

It's quite interesting when you see somebody you've heard so much of from the rest of the world up close. Because they are so much stranger, more complex than anybody has ever made them out to be. She would like to find out why.

"Oh my... I'm sorry, it appears somebody has locked the fucking door."

Did he just swear? What on Earth?

She gawked at him.

"BANNER!" He yelled through the letterbox, knocking loudly on the door.

"WHAT!"

Bruce Banner was here too?

"Did you lock the door."

"Ah yeah I did, sorry, that's on me. Hold on a sec."

The door swung open and Bruce stood on the other side, and dipped his head as an apology and allowed the other two to enter the apartment.

Bruce flashed her a wary smile and then turned to the hallway.
"Clint! Your daughter's arrived!"

Clint swung around the door furiously, glaring at everybody else in the living room.
"She is not my child. I do not take any responsibility for her."
"That's not what it sounds like."
"Oh shut up." Clint snapped back irritably, and then entered the room and peered at the bag Kate brought, "Ya got them all?"

The girl nodded quickly and handed him the bag.
"Come on then, help me attach these."
"Uh... okay." She obliged, dipping her head ever so slightly to the other two (very amused) Avengers before swiftly following Clint into one of the rooms at the back of the apartment.

Once the door closed, Bruce sighed and relaxed.
"She seems alright." He laughed, collapsing onto the couch and getting comfortable.
"Albeit a little awkward." Thor remarked, placing himself beside his boyfriend and pressing himself into Bruce's side.

———

"I think we're nearly finished." Clint mumbled, screwing one arrowhead on. This one was a Pym Tech one.

"Oh good, I'm so tired I'm starting to forget my name."

"Oh wouldn't that be such a shame." Clint huffed, smiling weakly. Kate mocked offense and shook her head.

"I don't like your sarcasm."

"Boo-hoo. 2 left, hurry up."

"Geez.." The girl whined, handing another finished arrow to Clint, who placed it securely in its place.

"And we're done."

"Oh good, I need to fit a walk in for Lucky before it gets too dark." The girl sighed in relief, readjusting her bag around her shoulder and getting to her feet.

"Ya sure you know your way home?" The older man teased, passing Kate her phone and laughing slightly as she pouted.

"Yes, I am sure." She grumbled, turning and walking away. Clint followed close behind her, but as they got to the living room, Kate paused.

Thor and Bruce completely passed out from exhaustion on the sofa, leaning completely into eachother's touch and lying right next to eachother.
"Is that... uh... platonic, or-?"

"Best not to ask. I thought so for a while, but then I caught them making out. It's best not to think about it." He explained, guiding her out of the door hurriedly.

"You caught them what?" She choked out.

"Hurry up. The dog's waiting for you."

He yelled, closing the door immediately and turning away.

"Can you two stop sleeping like that? It's annoying, get a room." He said loudly, relishing in Bruce's irritated face as he stirred awake.

"Go to bed, Clint. You're an old man, you need it."

"I don't want to wake up to you two sleeping like that on our couch." Clint said with a shrug.

"I honestly don't care. Go to sleep."

———

Clint did eventually go to bed.

An  arm snaked around Bruce's torso, squeezing him suddenly and gripping his shirt tightly.
"Please..." A voice slurred, slow, drawn out and croaky.

"Mm... Thor? You awake?"

"Please." The voice repeated, firmer and more desperate this time. It grew in volume and intensity. It sounded like a plea this time.

"Hey... you okay? What's going on? You alright?" Bruce whispered softly, shifting Thor so he could get a good view of his face. His mouth hung agape a little, quiet murmurs slipping between his gritted teeth.

"I can't see anything. Why can't I see?" He muttered, grabbing Bruce's hand and gripping it.

"Oh... you're asleep, hm? Wake up, come on, it's okay. I've got you, just open your eyes for me. It's okay."

Thor's eyes fluttered open and landed on Bruce's face.
"I can see you. I see you." The god whispered.
"I see you too. Come on, let's get you to bed. I think you were having some weird dream."

"I dreamt I went blind. I lost both eyes, not just one."

...

"Was it still her?"

"Mhm. She stabbed both of them out. Not just one. And I just wanted to see again. Wanted to see you."

Heat crept up Bruce's face and he sighed.
"You're too much. C'mon, you can see now, just go to your room and sleep properly for once."

Thor hummed.
"..uh, 'scuse me, but I always sleep properly, thank you."

"Thor you slept last night for 1 hour and then got up at 4am to drink coffee with one scoop of sugar to keep yourself awake. That is not sleeping properly."

Thor grumbled something incoherent and he turned away.
"That almost felt like a violation."

"I'm glad it did."

"Oh for fucks sake."

———

The morning rose in a beautiful orange light that swept through the city, pooling and flooding the apartment.

Thor finally emerged from his room and stumbled into the living room, where two amused faces watched him from the couch, smug smiled playing on their lips.
"What are you two so proud of?" The Asgardian huffed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he leant against the wall and yawned.
"You know when you told us you use magic to hide all the scars and shit on your face and you always remember to do your magic in the morning to keep them hidden all day."

"Yes? I-... Oh my god."

Thor froze to the ground, reaching a hand to his face and tracing a scar that ran down his jawline.

"Did I forget." He breathed out slowly.

"Yes. Yes you did."

Thor groaned and turned around.
"I'll be back in a minute."

Bruce got to his feet too and followed him, mouthing the words "Gonna check on him". Clint gave him a quick nod and then turned his attention back to the window, gazing upon the skyline.

The bathroom door was shut by the time he got there.
"Thor?" He whispered. He drummed his knuckles against the door.

"You can come in. I don't mind. You've already seen them."

Bruce chuckled and entered the room. His eyes trailed even further along each scar, and he smiled.
"They look nice. You shouldn't always keep them hidden."

"But they're a little annoying to look at. Because I can't focus. I remember everything I see."

"I like looking at them. They're pretty." Bruce laughed.

"They're so annoying. I hate them I might chop them off."

"You can't chop off skin, love."

"I-..." Thor swallowed nervously, before clearing his throat and turning away, "I can find a way."

"I'd love to see you try." Bruce said with a humoured expression, placing a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder and smiling.

"Come on. Don't worry about the magic. Doesn't matter."

"But-!" Thor began to protest, but Bruce shut him up with a gentle squeeze as he dragged him out of the bathroom.