Soulmates

There was a soft knock at her door, and she would’ve been ready to chastise Clint for coming to hang out with her when he had his kids in the tower, but the knock was coming from a much lighter fist.

She frowned as she rose from where she’d been reading a book in her favorite chair.

“Lila!” She said in genuine surprise as she opened the door. “Hi.”

“Can I come in?” The girl asked hopefully.

“Of course, baby girl,” she said, pushing the door open. She immediately cringed inwardly, figuring that a fourteen year old wouldn’t want to be called ‘baby girl’ anymore, but Lila didn’t seem to mind.

“What’s going on?” She asked cautiously.

“Nothing.” The girl plopped down on the couch. “Just gets tiring with all the boys around, all the time and no other girls.”

Natasha smiled as she sat down next to her. “I can totally understand that. Does your dad know you’re here?”

“Yes. He said it’s fine with him as long as it’s okay with you.”

“It’s okay with me.”

“Great! I’ll text him and let him know I’m staying here for awhile.” Lila turned down to her phone, and something about the way her best friend’s only daughter had sought her out when she needed a comfortable space tugged at her heartstrings.

“So what’s new? How’s it at school?” She asked, once the girl had looked up at her again.

“It was kind of weird at first, after the blip and everything. Some of my friends were suddenly five years older than me, and there were some teachers who retired without notice, so we had to get used to our new biology teacher. But it’s okay now. Oh, and there’s this boy at school!”

“A boy?” Natasha said, quirking an eyebrow. “As in, a boy you like?”

Lila grinned, her cheeks turning a little pink. “Yeah. And he likes me too. His name’s Chris. He’s my friend in my biology class’s older brother. It’s weird, cause he used to be in the elementary school, but now he’s older.”

“How much older?” Natasha asked, dreading the answer.

“Sixteen. He's actually in some of Cooper's classes.”

She breathed out a sigh of relief. “Sixteen, huh? What does your dad say about this?”

“Nothing!” Lila squealed. “ I can’t tell him, he’d freak out!”

“Yeah, he definitely would,” she agreed with a laugh.

“So you won’t tell him either? Please, Auntie Nat?” The girl held out her pinky.

Natasha linked her pinky through Lila’s. “I won’t say anything. Girls have to have some secrets between them, right?”

“Right,” Lila said, obviously relieved.

“But your mom, she knows?”

Lila nodded. “She knows.”

“And what does she say?”

Lila grinned again. “She thinks he’s cute. Wanna see a picture?”

“Absolutely.” She craned her neck to see the photo Lila was holding up on her phone. “Ooh, he is a cutie,” Natasha agreed.

“And you can’t tell the boys either. I don’t want them knowing my personal stuff.”

“Cross my heart,” she promised.

“So, what’s up with you? What’s it like for you being back?” Lila leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and her hands clasped together in a gesture that was so like her father’s, it almost made Natasha gasp.

She leaned forward conspiratorially, matching Lila’s stance and marveling at how the girl had always been perceptive beyond her years. “Oh, you know. Strange, like you said.”

Lila nodded. “I bet you miss Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers, huh?”

“Very much.”

“Like we all missed you.” She threw her arms around Natasha’s neck without warning. “I missed you so much, Auntie Nat.”

“I missed you too, baby,” Natasha said, hugging her just as fiercely.

“And I’m really, really glad you’re back.”

“Me too.”

“You’re probably glad to be back with my dad, right?”

Natasha tensed.

“I mean, he’s your best friend, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m glad to be back with your dad. But how are you doing, really? And how are the boys?”

Lila’s face scrunched up. “You mean since the divorce?”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want. I was just wondering how you, and your brothers, and your mom are doing?”

“We’re all okay. Actually, to tell you the truth, sometimes it’s like nothing’s changed.”

Natasha frowned. “Because your father was always away a lot?”

“No. I mean because my dad is just as attentive as he’s always been. And he still tries really hard, just like he always did. Sometimes we get to see him even more than before. It’s fun, having these weekends with Dad all to ourselves every now and then.”

“Really?” Natasha asked. “And your mom’s okay too?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. Mom’s a tough cookie.”

“I know she is.”

“Auntie Nat… can I ask you something personal?” Lila asked, self- consciously pushing a long strand of brown hair behind her ear.

“Sure, sweetie.”

“You like him, right? Like.. like-like? Sort of how I like Chris?”

Natasha’s eyes widened and she looked away.

“It’s okay that you do. You know that, right?”

“Let’s talk about something else please,” she whispered.

“Mom says that’s how you were able to save the world. Because you and Dad love each other.”

Natasha closed her eyes, placed both her hands over her face.

“It makes sense.”

She peered at the girl from between her fingers. “It does?” she asked carefully.

“Yeah. And I think I've always known. All those years, watching the two of you while I was growing up. I always thought you were his soulmate. Do you think he’s your soulmate?”

“Um… yeah. But listen, honey-“

“It’s okay,” Lila interrupted her. “Whatever excuse you’re going to make, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you’re back, and my father is whole again.”

Natasha straightened up. “And you’re just okay with this?”

“You know my friend Angela? Her parents are divorced. And her dad recently got remarried. To this horrendous lady that she can’t stand. At least if my dad was going to get remarried, he'd be marrying you. And we’d all still be a family. Because you’re already family.”

Natasha swallowed hard. “Something else, please. Let’s talk about something else. Anything else.”

“Can I braid your hair?”

She nodded, her hands slowly massaging her temples as she leaned forward again.

Lila scooted over on the couch so she could get behind her, her fingers combing through Natasha’s hair. “I like the red and blonde. It reminds me of fire. And it suits you really well.”

“Thank you.”

“Think my parents would let me dye my hair to match yours?”

“No.”

XXXXX

“Laura wants you to come with me when I drop off the kids later today.”

She turned her gaze from where Lila, Cooper, and Nate were running around the front lawn taking turns chasing each other to where Clint was sitting next to her in a lounge chair, sipping iced tea.

“What? Why?”

“She wants to see you. Make sure you’re okay.”

“Clint, no. I- I can’t.”

“Come on. You’re going to have to see her sometime. And this weekend with the kids turned out okay, right?”

“Well, yeah, but Clint..”

“It’s going to be just fine. I promise.”

She sighed. “Okay. But I don’t want to stay over at that house.”

Clint nodded. “Okay. That’s fair. Maybe we’ll go back to my place after and finish that movie we started.”

“Sure.” She shook her head, bracing for the impact as three young bodies made a beeline for where she was sitting.

“Tag, you’re it! Tag, you’re it! Tag, you’re it!” Nate shouted over and over while Cooper laughed and Lila rolled her eyes.

“It’s gonna be fun.”

XXXXX

Three hours later, she was landing a Quinjet in the Barton’s front yard, something she’d done a million times before, but this time was different.

The kids raced off the second the door opened and she gulped loudly.

“Come on,” Clint said, nudging his shoulder into hers and taking her hand.

She hesitated, her fingers loose in his grip.

“Just like always,” he whispered, squeezing her hand.

“Clint, I don’t know…”

“It’s going to be fine, I promise.”

“Mommy, Mommy!” Nathaniel was shouting as he bounded through the door. “Come quick! We brought Auntie Nat!”

Cooper and Lila followed their brother into the house, where Natasha could already see through the window that Laura was coming to meet them at the door.

He squeezed her hand one more time as they got to the front stoop. “I promise,” he whispered again as he nudged the door open with his foot.

“Hey, Mama! Look who’s here.”

Natasha looked down as she stepped over the threshold and suddenly everyone was quiet. She looked up to find Laura standing in the middle of the room, eyes watery and hands covering her mouth as she gazed upon her.

“Um… hi…” she started awkwardly, head hung low, her voice catching, and Laura started sobbing.

Her head snapped up at attention, her eyes wide and shoulders tense. “I’m sorry… “ she started as the other woman took a few giant steps towards her. “So sorry…I- I didn’t mean to…”

Laura shook her head. “It’s not that , it’s just… you’re here. You’re really here.” She embraced her fiercely, pulling her close. “Thank God you’re alright, Nat.”

She blinked in confused as the other woman stopped hugging her long enough to take her face in both her hands and look her over.“You are okay, right, Nat?”

“Um, yeah…I.. I’m fine, but….”

“Sssh,” Laura hugged her again. “It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you’re here with us, and you’re safe, and you’re alright.”

Natasha hugged the woman back, looking over Laura’s shoulder to find Clint standing with the three kids, Cooper and Lila with their arms wrapped around his waist from either side and Nate’s hands clasped around one of his legs, Clint’s arms somehow wrapped around all three of them. All of their faces were beaming as they watched the reunion.

Natasha’s gaze met Clint’s and he winked. “I promise,” he mouthed.