Soulmates

When Natasha came back to the tower later that evening, she was surprised to see it was eerily quiet. She sighed, tossing her keys into her purse and tossing her purse onto the sofa in the common room.

“Hey,” a soft voice said from the small kitchenette.

She whirled around, her eyes wide as she searched the features of the tall, thin woman in front of her.

“Hope Van Dyne,” she said gently. “The Wasp.”

Natasha nodded. “Right, I remember. How are you?”

The other woman smiled a friendly smile. “I’m okay. I came to see you, actually. Wanted to bring you some tea.”

She eagerly returned the smile as she sat down, gesturing for her companion to do the same.

“It’s chamomile. I wasn’t sure what you like….”

Natasha shook her head, accepting the cup. “It’s fine.” She thought for a moment. “Got anything stronger to put in there?”

Hope laughed. “I guess you’ve had a day.”

“I just got back from taking a walk with Steve.”

“Oh,” Hope said quietly, her eyes darting in Natasha’s direction with a small flicker of pity.

“Where is everyone?” Natasha asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

“They all come and go,” she answered with a wave of her hand. “Who knows?”

She took a sip of her tea. “Where’s Clint?” she asked nonchalantly.

“He went to go pick up his kids. The oldest one had a soccer tournament, or something,” Hope said, still studying her carefully.

Natasha sighed, setting her tea cup down on the small coffee table. “How does this work?” she asked, so low that Hope wasn’t sure if she’d realized she’d said it out loud.

“I don’t know,” she said gently. “It just does. If you want it to.”

She reached for her cup again, raising it to her lips to avoid looking the other woman in the eye. She was grateful when Hope kept up some idle chatter as they drank, suddenly eager for the small talk.

Just then, the door to the common area burst open and in bounded a loud group of kids.

“One at a time!” she heard his voice call from the hallway as he came in after them. “Nat,” he said, surprise taking over the expression on his face as he saw them sitting there.

The kids froze in their tracks as they turned their gazes to her.

“Well, go on,” Clint said with a smile as he nudged his youngest. “Go say hello to your Aunt.”

Lila was the first one to run over to her and embrace her, followed by Cooper and then Nate’s happy squeal of “Auntie Nat!” and suddenly she was locked in a group hug, with three pairs of hands eagerly touching her face.

“H-hi,” she nearly choked as Nate crawled into her lap and Cooper and Lila embraced her from either side.

“We missed you. So much,” Cooper told her.

“We’re glad you’re back,” Nathaniel said, planting a wet kiss on her already wet cheek.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Clint said. “You guys better go on and get cleaned up. Your mom’s coming in an hour to pick you up.”

“He was never going to be okay with you gone,” Lila whispered confidently, squeezing her shoulder as she breezed past and followed her brothers up the stairs.

Clint turned his head back to look at her once he made sure they were really headed to his room on the floor above theirs. “Hi,” he said softly.

“Hi,” Natasha managed. She looked at Hope, the other woman nodding encouragingly.

“Um… can we talk?” She asked.

“I’ve got a better idea,” He said with a grin.

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“You’re right,” she said with a satisfied smile as she pinned him to the floor of the gym in the basement of the tower. “This is so much better.”

He grunted loudly. “I’d say don’t hold back, but I don’t think you are.”

“But you are,” she pointed out.

“Not anymore,” he warned as he finally managed to get out from under her.

She ducked as he swung at her, moving gracefully out of his range before leaping forward and sweeping her leg into his shin, but he recovered quickly, easily blocking her next move and retaliating with his foot almost to her chin, a familiar dance routine from long ago.

She must have been distracted, because he got a hold on her from behind and she elbowed him in the gut, a cheap shot, but it bought her some time before his next attack.

“Give up?” He asked, holding her wrists above her head as knocked her into the mat.

“Nope,” she answered cheerfully as she once again got the upper hand.

It was easy to fall back into this, anticipating his next move just as readily as he anticipated hers, and the banter was just as quick as the hand to hand as they each traded the advantage.

She was sweating thoroughly as she leaned over him with her knee in his chest and he was nearly gasping for air.

“I give,” he said breathlessly, holding his hands up in surrender. “You win again.”

She smiled as she stood, reaching out a hand to help him up.

“Now can we talk?” He asked once they were both steady.

She nodded. “I just want to shower first.”

“Yeah. I should do that too. Right after I send the kids off.”

“Right.”

“Yours or mine?” He asked, studying her carefully.

“I’ll come to you.”

“Alright.” He threw a towel at her. “See ya in a bit.”