Chapter 12: *Notes:Mature content!! This chapter is rated M. This doesn't affect the plot at all, so if you want to skip you can!
Chapter Text** MATURE ** (Please don't read unless you're happy to read Mature content, this chapter doesn't affect the plot!)
Nat's hand gripped her bare thigh, as the kiss deepened, heat burning under Daisy's skin as she realised she still wasn't wearing pants. Her fingers explored her hips lightly, nudging under the shirt and causing goose flesh to break out across Daisy's arms at the light sensations of her fingers ghosting over skin.
Daisy broke the kiss, breaths definitely getting shorter as Nat's hands settled on the bare skin at her waist beneath her shirt. Not wanting to be one-upped, Daisy loosened the ties of Natasha's robe at her waist. The sides fell apart to reveal Nat's bra underneath – an elegant black number that was so Natasha. Lacy, but absolutely practical. Daisy realised she was staring, admiring really, the way it framed her breasts so well.
"You can touch," Natasha said, voice teasing but Daisy was grateful for the consent anyway. She didn't touch – not yet – but brought her mouth to just above the swell of her breast. Sucking a mark into the skin, where she knew it wouldn't show. Natasha moaned a little and Daisy smiled, placing a kiss against the little mark there. Daisy moved back up to tease her neck with little kisses, the angle easier for Nat to reach for her own shirt.
Nat's fingers deftly plucked apart each button until Daisy could feel the cool air against her chest. Nat frowned and Daisy pulled back, suddenly concerned, but Nat's eyes were on her right shoulder – where the giant purple and green bruise was still covering her skin.
"I'm fine," Daisy reassured, answering the question Natasha was bound to ask, "Really," she added, at Nat's raised eyebrow. She moved her hands to palm Nat's breasts and distract her from further questions with a kiss, grinding her hips down slightly as she pressed closer, tongue exploring Nat's mouth.
She succeeded, Nat's hands were back on her skin, moving to her back before the pressure of her bra-strap was released. She pulled back from the kiss, shrugging off the garment and pressing closer, but this time Nat didn't let her take over, instead pushing back, demanding more. Her fingers exploring every inch of Daisy's chest, knowing exactly what pressure, where to touch, to make Daisy moan into the kiss.
Daisy's heart thrummed in her chest, she was sure Nat could feel it, just as she could feel the pulse at her neck under her fingers. It was exhilarating and terrifying, Daisy was no stranger to intimacy but with the Black Widow it had a flare of danger to it that set her nerves on fire. Didn't help that she was just so damn sexy.
Before Daisy could make another move, Nat flipped them over, just enough space on the bed for her to twist and trap Daisy beneath her. Daisy legs dangled off the edge of the bed as Nat began her own assault of her lips on her neck, leading a trail of hot open-mouth kisses before sucking lightly in the same space Daisy had made a mark on her. Daisy let herself melt into the feeling, allowing Nat to take the lead as she shucked off her robe.
Three marks later, Daisy was finally able to get Nat's bra off, the buzzing need under her skin getting more urgent under her ministrations. Nat chuckled at her desperate kisses and thankfully knew exactly what she needed. Daisy had never thought of herself as unskilled in this department, but oh boy did Nat know how to get her heart racing, how to get her toes to curl and fingers grip hard at the sheets. It was absolute bliss, Daisy cresting over a waterfall until she was swept over the edge, melting under Nat's fingers, lips and tongue.
Daisy flipped them over, determined to find her way in the dance between them, giving and taking in equal measure. She could sense it, the vibrations in the room buzzing and dancing as they found a harmony together. Something exciting, dangerous and liberating existing between them as finally, finally she could make good on the tension coiled tightly between them. This wasn't the time, nor the place, but there was never going to be. One was an Avenger, the other an inhuman at the new SHIELD, but it still felt right and that was all that mattered.
Chapter 13: Pillow TalkSummary:Nat and Daisy have a needed conversation when they can keep their hands off each other!
Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextNatasha awoke to a light tickling sensation on her neck, she was briefly startled, but a quick assessment of the situation had her relaxing back into the soft mattress underneath her. Daisy was simply curled up against her, soft hair tickling her neck as she buried her face into the crook of her neck.
She looked serene, eyes closed and face without the worry lines of her waking life. Natasha tugged up the sheets around them, her bare arms bristling with goose flesh as the cold air hit. Daisy mumbled something, fingers twitching at where they rested near her heart, and Nat wrapped an arm around her waist, snuggling her closer.
She could hear the faint murmur of male voices outside and the dull thud of an axe chopping wood. Downstairs she could hear a quiet kid show on TV and the clattering sounds of Laura making lunch. The sunlight was streaming through the clouds in full blast, indicating it was by now well into mid-day, illuminating dust motes prettily as the twirled about in the air.
It was moments like this that Nat wished she could freeze time. As if there were no world-ending threats or traumatic pasts and a crumbling team of superheroes. When the world faded away and nothing mattered but holding a pretty girl in her arms. A snow globe in a warzone.
Daisy shifted and Nat drifted her attention back to her as she peeled her eyes open.
"Morning," Nat whispered, taking delight in the way she could read every emotion that passed over Daisy's face.
"Is it even morning?" Daisy grumbled, rubbing her eyes tiredly, "When did we fall asleep?"
"I don't know," Natasha mused, "Sometime after you did that very impressive trick with your powers,Pchelka, and…"
And she said something highly inappropriate that made Daisy's ears turn pink in the most adorable way. She indulged herself, pressing her lips gently to Daisy's, who responded in kind. Tender, exploring, almost familiar by now.
Daisy broke away first, propping herself up on her elbow.
"Do you think the others are wondering where we are?" she asked, her finger idling tracing a scar on Natasha's collarbone. Her body was covered in them, little cuts and scrapes on her fingers, a bullet scar on her shoulder, a serious bullet scar by her belly button that almost matched Daisy's own two…
Part of Daisy wanted to ask about each of them, part of Daisy didn't want to know at all.
"I don't suppose they've even noticed," Nat replied, "and I don't know if you've noticed, but the Avengers are pretty self-absorbed."
Daisy hummed in reply, "Could never be me."
Nat rolled her eyes, but a smile was still on her face, trying to bask in the little cocoon of white sheets they'd made. The world couldn't exist if they didn't let it.
"Urgh," Daisy groaned, as if a thought had suddenly struck her and she burrowed her head into the pillow by Nat's shoulder, "We're gonna have to go out there and save the world from an evil robot."
"Mm," Natasha almost purred, propping herself up on her arms over Daisy's sprawled form, tracing a finger lightly down her side, ghosting along the smooth skin of her hip, "There's something else I have to do first."
"What's that?" Daisy asked, noise scrunching in confusion, even as Nat rolled on top of her with a wicked grin.
"You."
*
"S'cold," Daisy grumbled, burrowing closer into Nat's chest as she adjusted the sheets over the top of them.
"It's really not that bad," Natasha teased, but plucked her discarded robe and threw it on top of the sheets over Daisy's form anyway.
"Not all of us were raised in freaking Russia," Daisy protested, closing her eyes as she melted into the feeling of Nat's hands running through her scalp. She was warmer now, and content, even if they both knew there were simply borrowing stolen time.
Natasha went silent for a bit before saying, "We should probably talk."
Dread settled in Daisy's stomach, but she peaked an eye open, reading Nat's carefully blank expression, even as her fingers continued to run through her hair.
"About what?" Daisy deflected.
"Exactly," Natasha pointed out, and her fingers did stop running through her hair - much to Daisy's disappointment. Daisy sighed. She didn't want to talk, but she supposed it was the adult thing to do.
"Okay let's talk," Daisy announced, propping her head upon her folded elbow, "That was very nice. I would like to do it again. With you."
"Agreed," Natasha said, and Daisy smiled.
"Perfect, that's settled then," Daisy announced, moving in to press a kiss on Natasha's lips.
Natasha rolled her eyes and caught Daisy by the jaw before their lips met, stopping the potential distraction.
"This isn't the right time to start a relationship, I think we both know that. I just don't want anyone to get hurt." Natasha stated, stroking lightly over Daisy's jaw, a gesture suggesting almost the exact opposite of her words.
Daisy raised an eyebrow.
"You're a superhero, I'm a spy. We could die any minute. So, what the hell? You know."
She shrugged. Nat couldn't resist moving her thumb down to trace that quirk on her lips. She made it sound so simple.
Natasha let out a resigned sigh, moving her hands and turned over onto her back, staring at the ceiling.
"I can't tempt you to quit SHIELD?" Nat asked, "Join the Avengers full time?"
"My place is with my team," Daisy replied, "I'll only stay to fix the problem I helped create. I need to go back and help the new Inhumans. The ATCU are doing something bad with them, I just know they are."
"I don't trust them either," Natasha said.
"You could help, maybe?" Daisy offered, a hopeful look in her eyes.
"Maybe," Natasha acknowledged and sought out Daisy's hand to intertwine them. She brought their joined hands up to her lips, pressing a tender kiss to the back of Daisy's hand. Daisy just stared at her, marvelling out how domestic it felt. How soft underneath Nat could be when she wasn't worried about danger.
"Are you okay, really?" Daisy asked, seriously studying her face, "Because you looked really out if it back there."
"I'm better," Natasha confirmed vaguely.
Daisy opened her mouth to reply. A knock of the door startled them, Nat instinctively shot up, sheets falling from her chest as she reached for the knife she'd left on the nightstand. She held it out protectively, shielding Daisy with her body as she faced to the door. She made quite the striking image.
"Everything alright in there?" Laura's soft voice called through the door, "I made lunch. Might want to come down and grab some before Steve eats it all."
Natasha lowered the knife and slid out of the bed with panther-like grace, stretching out her back lithely as she did so.
"We'll be right out," she called, plucking her clothes off the pile of the floor. Daisy heard the retreat of Laura's footsteps down the hall.
She caught the shirt Natasha flung in her direction, and left it in her lap, sitting back on her hands to watch Nat get dressed. She slid a knife into a hidden thigh holster, another tiny one around an ankle, garrot wire around another.
"You heard the woman," Nat urged, "Get dressed, soldier."
"Yes ma'am," Daisy replied sarcastically, but slid to her feet anyway, greeting the cold air with regret. She didn't miss the little dirty smirk that flittered across Nat's face, before it morphed into a contemplative expression, brows furrowing in thought as she tugged on the spare jeans Laura had brought her.
"What did you see? In your vision?" Natasha asked, checking the knife was still in her boot before tugging them onto her feet.
"Nothing that made much sense," Daisy confessed shrugging the shirt on, "My Hydra ex in a weird coat, he said something about us 'sharing a connection'. I was hurting the people I love and there was this cross necklace, it felt important, but I don't know why. The whole thing was more like some fucked up nightmare than a vision. Not memories either, just bits and pieces from my past that don't add up."
"Maybe your fears are more about what couldhappen, rather than what has already," Nat theorised. As Daisy shimmied into her jeans and found one sock.
"Yours was about the past?" Daisy asked, scrambling to find her missing sock.
"The Red Room," Nat clarified, throwing the sock to Daisy, "The Maximoff kid dug up some painful things to be reminded of."
Daisy paused, halfway through putting the sock on, "I'm sorry."
"Shit happens," Natasha declared, "Not your fault."
Daisy nodded, pulling on the spare white sneakers Laura had found for her, as Nat rolled up the sleeves of her black cardigan. It was cute, paired with a purple shirt and dark blue jeans. Although, it made her look like anyone's auntie, and not the deadly trained spy. Daisy preferred the tactical suit or the leather jacket…
Daisy finished tying her laces and clambered to her feet. After a quick survey of the room, checking for anything missing. She'd quite like to tuck a gun into her waistband, but she figured the feeling of safety wasn't worth the risk around the children.
She was almost to the door when Nat placed a hand of her hip and spun her around. She kissed her one more time, soft and fervent, noses rubbing together tenderly. When she pulled away Daisy chased her with one more quick peck, the smile still on her face even as their lips met.
Going downstairs meant breaking their moment of rest. Natasha seemed to feel the same way and she rested her forehead gently against hers, but Laura was waiting, and they couldn't ignore the future forever.
Nat pulled back, "Now go," Nat ordered, slapping her butt hard enough to make her squeak and move toward the door.
*
Laura carefully manoeuvred the steaming pan of scrambled egg around Nat who was crouched in front of the freezer, rummaging through the drawers. Daisy watched the commotion, sat at the breakfast bar at Laura's insistence. She swung her legs in her chair, unknowingly copying Lila who was doing the exact same next to her.
Lunch seemed to be a casual affair, Laura was setting up an impressive spread on the counter as the rest of the group filtered in and out. She had set Stark and Rogers to work on chopping wood for the coming winter, and they had apparently made it a silent competition.
Nat plonked a bag of frozen peas on the counter in front of Daisy, turning away to find a dish towel and wrap it up neatly. Daisy watched curiously, even as she grabbed Daisy's knees to swivel her around on the chair to face her. Daisy had left the top few buttons of the shirt open, so Nat easily moved the shirt aside, exposing her bruised shoulder and carefully placing the make-shift icepack on the area.
"Keep it iced," she ordered sternly, fixing Daisy's shirt back over the bag. Daisy brought her hand up to it, the pressure a little uncomfortable on the bruise.
"I told you, it's fine," Daisy protested but kept the bag there when Natasha shot her a signature death glare.
Laura bit back a smile, setting a bowl of salad down next to the eggs.
"Thank you, this looks amazing," Daisy thanked Laura, grinning as she grabbed a spoon to serve herself a bit of everything. Salad, some fancy couscous, eggs, sandwiches…the whole works.
"You're most welcome," Laura said graciously, sliding a simple pb+j on a pink plate in front of Lila.
Nat took a seat next to Daisy, digging into her own meal as she started a pleasant conversation with Laura and occasionally Lila who chimed in when she had something to say.
The normalcy of the moment struck her for the millionth time that day, sat at a breakfast bar with Nat, Barton's wife and Nat's niece having lunch. Laura's presence was solid, she was very welcoming, and she had the kind of face you could trust. Someone who didn't tense every time a sound appeared behind them like Nat and Daisy did when Clint strode in from outside.
Lila hopped off her chair, abandoning her crusts as she bounded up to her dad.
"Daddy!" Lila cried out excitedly, literally bouncing on her feet, "Can we show Auntie Nat the new bike I got for my birthday?"
Clint shared a questioning look with Nat, before Nat shot her a smile, "Sure kiddo."
"Only when Auntie Nat is done with lunch," Laura reprimanded Lila, but Nat raised a hand to deflect the comment.
"I can walk and eat," she pointed out, grabbing her sandwich as she slid off the chair.
"Keep the ice on," Nat reminded Daisy, again. If Lila were not present Daisy would have totally flipped her off. Nat simply ignored her glare, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before taking Lila's outstretched hand.
Clint narrowed his eyes at Daisy, studying her before Lila grabbed his hand and forced him away.
"Do you still have your training wheels?" Nat asked Lila as they disappeared around the corner, and Daisy heard Lila's indignant, "No! Don't need them!", as their footsteps receded. Daisy realised she was smiling as she turned back to the counter. They were a very sweet family.
The icepack slipped a little as she swivelled, and she adjusted it with a wince.
"That looks nasty," Laura commented with a sympathetic grimace, "I have some bruise cream that might help. You wouldn't believe the bruises Clint comes home with sometimes."
"I'm okay," Daisy replied, "Really. Just a surface bruise but thank you."
Daisy pushed away the thought that she'd definitely had worse. Laura didn't need to know that.
Laura raised an eyebrow, "It's certainly made Nat go all mama-bear on you."
Daisy blushed and picked at a piece of lettuce, "She's just exaggerating."
Laura snorted, "Oh honey, I've seen that woman fix a dislocated shoulder without a wince. She's not the type to exaggerate," she said, picking up Lila's plate to put in the dishwasher, "How'd you get it, anyway?"
"Evil robot blindsided me," Daisy said lightly, "Typical workday."
"It would seem so with those guys," Laura answered easily, taking it into her stride, "How did you end up fighting with the Avengers? You look pretty young to me."
"I used to be an Agent of SHIELD," Daisy answered, "Actually met Agent Barton once, on a mission."
"Aha," Laura exclaimed, as if finding a piece of a puzzle, "So that's where you met Nat."
The sparkle in her eyes told Daisy that there was no hiding the new relationship from her. She didn't seem judgmental though.
"I guess it's pretty new?" Laura inquired, "Your relationship?"
Daisy shrugged, a little helplessly, "I guess."
"She's a tough one," Laura advised, setting down a plate to lean on the counter, "But I'm sure you know that. She likes to hold people at a distance, she refused to get to know me at first. She said it was to protect me, but when I was first pregnant with Cooper, she allowed herself to get close to me. She needs it. A friend. A family. A sense of normalcy in her life. She seems to like you."
Daisy took a sip from her mug of coffee, "I'm glad she's got this," she said carefully, "You seem to have a good thing going here."
Laura rubbed her baby belly absentmindedly, a content smile on her face, "It took a while to build, but we're happy here."
"How do you cope? With Clint being away all the time?" Daisy asked curiously.
"It's tough without him sometimes, but I love him, and the Avengers need someone to reign them in. Saving the world is pretty important."
Daisy couldn't help but agree. She slid out of her seat, taking her plate over to the dishwasher and beginning to help Laura clean.
"You're very good with Lila," Laura pointed out, as she passed Daisy a dish to dry, "Did you have siblings growing up?"
Daisy tried not to grimace, but the expression slipped onto her face before she could wipe it away, "Not exactly," she answered, "Foster siblings, mainly. I grew up mostly in an orphanage, though. So, there were always kids around. I never got adopted so…"
"That must have been tough, growing up," Laura empathised, "Clint was the same."
"He was?" Daisy exclaimed, legitimately shocked by the news.
"He was," Laura affirmed, "Foster care. Dropped out of school to join the circus if you can believe it. I think it's why he bonded so well with Natasha and refused to give up on her," her face became fond, "He has a good heart."
Daisy nodded in agreement, putting some cutlery away into a drawer. She turned around too quickly, bumping into Laura who dropped the glass she was holding. Daisy didn't even think about it, just instinctively cushioned the glass as it fell with a small quake, suspending it in mid-air before catching it. She was vaguely surprised she hadn't just shattered the glass.
She looked up, handing it back to Laura, cringing at her shocked expression, "Uh, yeah," Daisy said eloquently, "I can do that."
"I see why you're on the team now," Laura chuckled, already shirking off the moment and trying to put an anxious Daisy at ease, "I'm glad Clint has powerful people on his side."
Daisy nodded, face serious, "If you ever need help with anything, you can ask," Daisy offered, "It's the least I can do after you let us into your home."
"You don't have to do anything," Laura shooed her, "Just look after yourself and keep them both safe for me, please?"
"I will," Daisy promised, and she meant it.
They settled into a new silence, as they began to clear up, Stark wandered in to get some lemonade once, face sweaty from chopping wood. Daisy wondered if it would be quicker to just quake apart a log or whether that would go horribly wrong.
Probably best not to try.
Notes:Thank you for all the lovely comments and kudos! Hope you enjoyed this little calm before the storm chapter!
Chapter 14: Wendy's and Vibrator GirlSummary:An afternoon at the Bartons, with an ex-director of SHIELD, an inhuman and a russian assassin.
Notes:Sorry this took an unbelievably long time to write!! It was tricky to know what to write, especially since the film has a weird time jump between Fury appearing and Fury actually being useful lol.
Hope you enjoy!
Chapter TextNat perched on the rickety wooden fence, deeply inhaling the country air as it refreshed her lungs. It was nice to be outside, after hours cooped up in a dirty city in a tower that barely touched the earth. She'd be here every day if she could. Here she could breathe deep, loosen her muscles, and relax a little.
She absently twisted daisies around in her hand, weaving them effortlessly into a complex patterned flower crown. It had started out as mindless task for her restless fingers, but the more daisies she added, the more elaborate it became.
Lila squealed as she fearlessly zipped around the dirt road, flying over little stumps of grass and pebbles. Natasha smiled indulgently at her sweet little niece as she rode around on little pink bike and the little pink helmet Clint had insisted that she should wear.
"So," Clint began, leaning on the fence next to her. Natasha could guess what this was about, Clint had been skirting around the topic for a while, "What's all this about Daisy?"
"She's cute," Nat shrugged.
That's all there really was to it, for now – all she could allow them to be. Daisy was cute and determined to fight for the greater good and would likely match her in combat within the next few years which was…kinda hot, actually. Not to mention the way she could make fitful butterflies' flurry in her chest, which for Nat was about as unusual as carrot in a cornfield…Pretty damn unusual.
"Moving a bit fast don't you think?" Clint asked, brow furrowed.
"Why?" Nat scoffed, playfully nudging his shoulder, "You gonna give me the talk about the birds and the bees?"
Clint rolled his eyes and knocked her shoulder back harder, almost dislodging her but that was hard to do when she had a superhuman sense of balance.
"Do you trust her?" he asked, his serious and concerned expression on as his frown deepened.
"She almost lifted Thor's hammer," Nat reminded him, twisting and weaving another flower into the set, "I don't think you get much more trustworthy than that."
"She has superpowers," Clint protested, crossing his arms defensively, "That's got to be classed as cheating."
"You're jealous," Nat accused lightly, "I seem to recall you couldn't move it an inch."
"Yeah, I am jealous," Clint admitted, unashamed, "I'd like to be able to bring down buildings with my bare hands too, but that's beside the point. Just because the kid can lift a hammer, doesn't make her the holy grail. Thor has flaws."
"So do I," Nat reminded him with a shrug. A bird chirped in a tree; Lila skidded on a patch of gravel. It was easy to ignore her tumultuous past and stay in the present when the future seemed worlds away.
Clint huffed.
"She did help make the death robot," Clint pointed out, with a grumble, "That's how we all ended up in this mess."
"She didn't mean to," Nat defended, "She's seems to feel plenty guilty to me."
"She's hiding something," he accused.
Nat sighed, he wasn't exactly wrong, but she could handle herself, even if Daisy turned out to be untrustworthy or whatever else he was thinking.
"Your concern is sweet, Clint," she said, "But I don't need it." Her face fell into a smirk, "Unless you have any tips on-"
"No. No," Clint interrupted, putting his hands over his ears, "Do not need to know."
Lila stumbled on the bike but righted herself before they needed to intervene. Nat finished the last daisy in the flower crown, twirling the little woven creation around in her hand. Silence settled between them as they watched Lila slowly begin to grow bored of the circles she was riding in.
"I am happy for you," Clint finally said, "This is a good thing."
Nat smiled, grateful to have his approval and really, his concern made her feel warm inside. (Not that she would ever admit that to anyone, she was a Black Widow for god's sake). It was nice to know he had her back, even in the most mundane situations. Not that Daisy was a normal girlfriend by any means…not that she was her girlfriend yet. They had a lot of discussions ahead of them, but still, she thought she'd quite like to make her a girlfriend. If it works out.
"Mm," Natasha hummed in reply, "Once this blows over, we might have to double date."
"If this ever blows over," Clint muttered. Nat reached for his hand, squeezing it once in reassurance.
"It will."
Lila finally grew bored and dumped the bike like it was yesterday's trash, especially when she spotted the flower crown in Nat's hands. She came running over, excitement wide on her face.
"A flower crown?" she gasped, "Can you teach me how to make one? Please!"
She looked to her dad who simply shrugged.
"Sure I can, bug," Nat assuaged, planting the one she made on Lila's head, smiling at the way Lila reached up to touch it with wonder.
**
Daisy had been sent out by Laura to provide the guys with refreshments. She found Rogers alone, diligently chopping wood – the stumps splitting apart like butter.
Woah, Daisy thought as she approached from the farmhouse, definitely a superhuman.
Daisy set a tray of Laura's homemade lemonade down on a nearby picnic table, drawing Steve's attention to her. She hopped up onto the top of the bench next to the tray, legs resting on the seat as she watched him.
He wiped his brow, sweat from the sun soaking his skin and his tight shirt. Did he not own a shirt that fit him?
"Lemonade," Daisy announced, gesturing the glass in her hands, "It's fresh."
"Thank you, Daisy," he thanked her formally, setting aside the axe to join her at the table and practically inhaled an entire glass in one gulp.
She smiled around her cup, taking a more measured sip. Steve sighed in relief and put the empty cup down on the bench.
"More?" She offered, picking up the jug with a raised eyebrow.
"Please," Steve said, with an enthusiastic nod, "It's very good."
Daisy obliged, pouring him out a second glass and handing it to him with a smile. She sipped hers slowly, the refreshing bittersweet taste pleasant against the warmth of the day. It had been ages since she'd been out in the countryside, not cooped up in an underground base with artificial oxygen and a dodgy aircon.
The vibrations here were much calmer, soothing even. There was none of the rumbling of engines and suffocating movement of people and things. It was just the natural hum of the trees, the earth, and the birds. Daisy wondered if this was how her power was supposed to be enjoyed.
"When you attacked me, in Sovokia," Steve began and Daisy bit her lip in worry, turning her attention back to Steve from the grass, "Wanda gave you a vision, didn't she?"
"She did," Daisy confirmed, swirling the dregs of the lemonade to avoid making eye contact.
"I'm sorry," Steve apologised, to Daisy's surprise, "If I had known…"
"I quaked you into a wall," Daisy said with a shrug, although she allowed herself a smug smile, "You responded in proportion."
"Even so," Steve said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand, "It was brash of me."
"Well, I appreciate the apology, Captain," Daisy replied, throwing him a mock salute, "All is forgiven."
He nodded. Daisy leant back on her hands, feeling the sun warm her face pleasantly as a cool breeze passed over them. She patted the space beside him, and Steve took up the offer, taking a seat next to her – albeit more stiffly.
The silence was comfortable, and she felt emboldened to ask, "Do you miss it?"
"Miss what?" he asked, turning to his body toward her with questioning eyes, but he didn't have his usual tight jaw or furrowed brow.
"Being a civilian," Daisy said, "Having the opportunity for a life like this, you know…white picket fence, a dog, a few kids."
Steve considered the question seriously, and Daisy was about to apologise for overstepping when he spoke.
"Sometimes, yes," Steve replied honestly, "I knew when I signed up for the war that my life would not be the same. I never imagined this, of course…but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. I don't think I can ever go back. As nice as this all is, there's still a war to fight."
Daisy hummed, understanding, "Why?" Steve asked, turning it around on her, "Do you?"
Daisy shrugged, "Not much to miss," she said, and gestured to the house behind them, "Never had one of those."
Steve raised an eyebrow, but he didn't pry.
"Fresh air would be nice sometimes though," Daisy continued, changing the topic from her less-than-ideal childhood, "Maybe I should take an extended vacation. Somewhere earthy."
Even the rough feel of the worn picnic bench under the palms of her hands was a nice change. She felt like a teenager again, sat on a park bench on a sunny day with a friend and the strong desire to never break the spell that summer brought. Her childhood hadn't been all bad.
"They got you all cooped up at the ATCU?" Steve asked genuinely.
Daisy squinted at him, past the strong rays of the sun.
"Something like that."
Steve nodded; a hand wiping sweat from the back of his neck and on his combat trousers.
"Got any idea what Ultron's planning?" he asked.
"No," Daisy responded, "He wants to end the Avengers and maybe the world, but that's all I got. Can't do much research without my laptop and Clint's WiFi is dodgy as it is. Any activity from here might alert Ultron and that would endanger all of us."
The fact that she didn't have any leads was troubling. She hated sitting around and twiddling her thumbs – no matter how pleasant the day or the company.
Steve looked like he was about to reply when their attention was drawn by movement from the barn. Stark appeared, looking a little sheepish alongside Nicholas Fury – ex-director of SHIELD. His entire being still commanded respect as he strode up toward them, nodding his greeting to Steve.
Fury looked much the same as when she had last seen him, after they stormed Cybertek and he showed them the Playground. Same black hat and jarring civilian clothing. This time it was a grey shirt underneath his black coat.
"Did you know he was here?" Daisy asked, as Fury continued his approach.
Steve shook his head.
"No more than you," Steve replied evenly, although he unfolded himself to stand.
Fury stopped a few feet away. She sat up straighter but refused to stand from her position lounged on the table
"Rogers."
"Fury."
Daisy picked at a chunk of wood on the rough bench awkwardly, trying her best to not betray her nerves.
Fury slid his gaze over to her, his expression not betraying a hint of surprise to see her sat so casually next to Captain America. Daisy figured either not much passed by him, or Coulson had tipped him off. It was likely both.
"Daisy Johnson," Fury said, almost reverently, "The Risk. I've been keeping my eye on you."
"Should've been watching your side projects," Daisy replied easily, steel underlying her tone, "Then maybe we wouldn't have an alien pandemic on our hands."
A hint of a smile twitched at his lips.
"Walk with me," he said, more of an order than a suggestion.
Daisy looked to Rogers, he indicated for her to go. They continued around the dirt path, the voice of Steve and Tony bickering (already) disappearing as they rounded the corner. Fury walked with his hands behind his back, emanating control but Daisy crossed her arms defensively, almost anticipating his interrogating.
They had never exactly had a conversation. Certainly not one-to-one. She knew Fury had been reluctant to allow her on Coulson's team, and she had been around him during his brief stint at the Playground, but Skye had never been a person of interest to the man. Now that she had powers, it seemed that had changed, which was almost insulting.
"I read your file," Fury started, "Very impressive. Intelligence gathering, expert marksmanship, excellent hand-to-hand. Even Melinda May has given you the stamp of approval. Not to mention the ability to create a Force 9 earthquake with the flick of your wrist. If Rogers hadn't beat me to it, I'd have recruited you to the Avengers in a heartbeat."
"I'm not an Avenger," Daisy argued, for the millionth time since falling out of the sky in Sokovia.
A knowing look crossed Fury's face, "The Avengers Initiative was designed to bring together a group of extraordinary people. See if they could work together when SHIELD, and the world, needed them to fight the battles us ordinary folk never could."
Daisy frowned, unsure where he was going with this.
Fury continued, "You seem to be doing a good job of fighting those battles already."
"I stepped up because I had to," Daisy shot back, "When your organisation fell to pieces and you left Coulson to pick them up."
"He's handling it," Fury said confidently.
"Because he has to," Daisy argued, "And now we're handling far more because you experimented with aliens that you shouldn't have even touched."
"It saved your life, did it not?" Fury replied calmly.
"It wasn't right."
"Whether it was right or not is not the question," Fury said, infuriatingly, "Decisions. Actions. Consequences. You decided to hack SHIELD, I decided to let Coulson recruit you. I decided to bring Coulson back with a miracle drug and he decided to give to you. It is my understanding that his decisions following the effects of the drug, and your actions, led to the discovery of your powers. Which, correct me if I'm wrong, have come in very handy."
Daisy narrowed her eyes but didn't know what to say.
"There are tides in the universe beyond all our control," Fury stated, "You are as good example of that, as any."
"So you're just going to decide to give up?" Daisy accused, "Let what will happen, happen? Let SHIELD – my team - deal with your consequences whilst you sip margaritas on a beach?"
"If you're trying to imply that I'll happily let an 8-foot-tall robot terrorise the world, then no," Fury said, "But SHIELD is Coulson's now. I can only help from the side-lines."
Daisy snorted, unconvinced, "So what? You bring Coulson back to life just to say, 'good luck with Hydra even though they're still out there and oh, by the way, you might go crazy because of the alien blood in your veins, but I'll just go help the Avengers now and leave you on your own?'"
"I do have some regrets, Agent Johnson," he said, "but bringing back Coulson is not one of them."
She kicked out a stone from the path, an accidental release of vibrations sending it soaring far further than intended. Fury watched it fly and let out an admiring whistle.
"I believe it is in all of our interests to work together now," Fury continued, all but ignoring her outburst. He reached into a jacket of his long coat, pulling out a burner phone. She took it with questioning eyebrow, "Contact your team. Coulson will have my head if you don't assure him that you're okay. Best not to leave daddy waiting."
Daisy scrunched up her face, "He's – he's not…"
Fury shot her a look, "I may not be in charge of a spy organisation anymore, but I can still read between the lines, Johnson."
Daisy had been left speechless more times in her short conversation with Fury than in the year put together.
"Call him," Fury reiterated, "I'll go give Lauren my thanks for holing up you bunch of animals."
He walked off without a backwards glance. Daisy waited a second, staring after him, before she pressed call on the only number on the phone.
**
Coulson was fine, a little worried about her run-ins with Ultron and Hulk's attack on the city. He ordered her to keep his alive status a secret, not wanting it to distract the Avengers from their mission. Daisy disagreed but would follow the order anyway. He seemed to be implying that he would tell them eventually. Apparently, there was still this 'Theta Protocol' being prepped for a world-ending situation. The general agreement was that they were heading for a disaster requiring SHIELD intervention unlessthe Avengers could figure out a way to intercept Ultron before he got access to anything big. Like nuclear codes.
Saving the world aside, Daisy missed them dearly. Perhaps that was a concerning fact, since she'd only been away for a few days, but it didn't change the ache in her chest.
It was hard not to look as morose as she felt as she trudged back to the house, but one look at Natasha colouring with Lila with a flower crown on her head, was enough to remind her that the Avengers weren't all bad. Daisy had been trying to ignore the very real feeling gnawing at her that she'd be leaving something behind no matter which team she chose.
Nat beckoned her in with a beaming smile, and Daisy just wanted to kiss that cute little button nose and capture those soft lips again. Daisy walked over, Lila giggling at a joke Natasha made. Daisy raised an eyebrow at the elaborate daisy crown on Lila's head, one evidently made by Natasha if the messy one still looped around Natasha's hair was anything to go by.
"What's all this?" Daisy accused, "You've been making flower crowns without me?"
Nat touched the messy crown on her head, as if forgetting it was even there. It was surprisingly endearing.
"Auntie Nat?" came a different voice from the door. Daisy whirled around, and Clint's other child was standing in the doorway to the living area. It was the older boy, Cooper, who didn't have quite the same unbridled enthusiasm as Lila, but he was still bouncing on his heels with excitement.
"I've been practicing my shooting," he said, "Can you come see?"
Nat smiled indulgently. Daisy saw the pure love in her eyes and had no doubt Nat would murder for them. Although that wasn't a good analogy, since Nat would murder for Stark if he pointed her in the right direction.
"You're in high demand," Daisy observed. Cooper looked down sheepishly, as if afraid to bother them and Nat slid up from her spot with elegant grace. Daisy tried her best to give him an encouraging smile.
"Of course, Coop," Nat replied, reassuring him, "Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute."
Daisy watched as he scampered away. Nat slid a hand around her waist, and she jumped at the sudden contact, before relaxing into it. Nat nudged her forward into the little alcove by the door, likely as it was out of direct eyesight from Lila.
Nat extracted the messy flower crown from her hair, depositing it gently on Daisy' head, "A daisy chain for Daisy," Nat declared softly.
Daisy snickered and rolled her eyes, but left the crown there, "Is there anything you're not good at?"
"Absolutely nothing," Natasha quipped confidently, drawing Daisy in closer. Eyes searching hers for permission. Daisy nodded slightly, and Nat closed the gap between them.
Daisy hummed happily into the kiss, bringing her hand up to Nat's neck, sliding underneath the short hair there. Nat snaked her other arm around her waist, tugging her in closer and anchoring her by the hips. Her thumbs gently massaging at her hips in time with the gentle caress of their lips. Nat pulled away first, pressing her forehead to Daisy's.
"Wish we could go back to bed," Nat murmured quietly. Daisy pressed another kiss to Nat's lips in response, surprised when Nat deepened it and pulled her hips flush against her. Daisy tugged gently on Nat's hair, rewarded with a gentle nip on her bottom lip.
Daisy pulled away to respond – and catch her breath - when a disgruntled noise from the front doorway drew their attention.
Stark stood in the doorway, a confused look contorting his face as he crossed his arms.
"Since when did Wendy's hook up with Vibrator Girl?" he demanded, eyes questioning as he gestured to the pair, as if them not telling him about their sex lives was a great personal offence.
Nat shot Stark a cold glare as Daisy shuffled back a step. She moved her hand to Daisy's lower back instead, disappointed that the shirt she borrowed from Clint was too large for her to slip a hand below the hem of the shirt.
"Get your own girlfriend, Stark," Nat grumbled. Stark just shook his head and pushed past them into the kitchen with a mutter about inter-team relationships.
"Vibrator girl, huh?" Nat teased, drawing Daisy's attention from Stark. Daisy whacked Nat's shoulder lightly in retaliation, but Nat still had a mischievous glint in her eyes, "We'll have to make that your call sign," she suggested with a shrug.
"Over my dead body," Daisy scoffed, pretending to cross her arms in annoyance with a highly offended look on her face.
"That can be arranged if you'd like," Natasha quipped back, "Not sure it'll go down too well with the old folks."
"It's horrible," Daisy argued, even as she leant into Nat's hand, "Like actually the worst thing I've ever heard."
"But…" Nat teased into the shell of Daisy's ear, making her shiver, "Surprisingly accurate."
"I heard that!" Stark called from the kitchen, smug tone in his voice.
"Shut up Stark!" Daisy yelled back.
"Whatever you say, Hitachi!" he hollered, voice far too loud. Daisy cringed immediately.
Nat's eyes lit up in delight, "Now that's a good call sign."
Daisy gasped in betrayal and poked her in the chest with an accusing finger, "I will murder you in your sleep."
"I'd like to see you try," Nat replied challengingly, moving her mouth down to Daisy's neck to graze her lips lightly along the skin there.
"Mommy?" Came a curious voice of a little girl from the kitchen, "What's a hitachi mean?"
Daisy couldn't contain her embarrassment and she felt Nat's barely restrained laughter tickling her neck. Laura, emerging from the adjoining living room, shot them a very disapproving look, that had Nat sobering up quickly. That expression definitely said, 'you'll pay for this'.
They slipped away as Laura fumbled through an explanation and Daisy was more than happy to follow Nat's lead to the back of the barn, where there was an impressive archery range.
Daisy shouldn't have been surprised that 'practicing shooting' meant archery. She had been imagining the kids with a gun, which had left a bad taste in her mouth, although she supposed Nat wouldn't have allowed that any more than she would have.
Cooper was a pretty good shot, for being a little kid. Clint watched on from the side-lines with pride, giving him pointers every now and then.
"You ever shot an arrow?" Nat asked, handing a confused Daisy a heavy weighted bow. Daisy examined it in her hands, fingers trailing over the well-crafted but deadly bit of wood. It was more heavier than she had expected a bow to be.
"Archery was never on my SO's curriculum," Daisy replied honestly, "Can't imagine it's very practical. Less ammo. Less control. Harder to conceal."
Nat snorted, "Don't tell Barton that. Now come," she guided Daisy to stand on the homemade standing-line.
She gently guided Daisy into the correct position, hands moving her arms upwards, rotating her hips into the best position. Daisy smiled, it felt like years ago when Nat had shown her how to fire a gun properly. Even if that had been a bit of a disaster.
"Don't just fire at anything this time, rookie," Nat smirked, clearly thinking of the same incident. She gently showed Daisy the correct way to pull back the string.
"You draw the string to your cheek. Breathe in, release on the exhale," Nat explained.
Daisy nodded, drawing the string back. It was harder than she expected to pull it all the way back, the tension tight on the bow and pressure hard against her fingers. She angled the bow at the target, compensating for wind direction just like May had taught her – slightly up a bit, then to the further right than expected – wind's coming from the right.
She could feel the vibrations running up the string as the tension grew, her finger twitched, before she released on an exhale.
The arrow struck the target in the centre ring – not a bullseye but pretty close to it.
Nat clapped her on the back.
"That's my girl," she praised, and handed her another arrow to notch, "Soon you'll be better than Clint."
Clint scoffed, "Dream on, kid."
**
The sun was beginning to set by the time they could all gather together to discuss a plan. Rogers had been waiting for Thor to return, but it was highly unlikely, and time was ticking. Daisy and Banner had been trying to draw up some potential Ultron moves, but there were an endless number of possibilities. Daisy's intel from Coulson (through Fitz) was that Ultron had been in their servers but hadn't touched anything. He was after much bigger fish, like nuclear codes. At least on that front there was a success.
Laura had insisted they eat before discussing their action plans further, shooing them away from the table and removing their sheets of notes. Dinner had been a quiet but familiar affair. It reminded Daisy of the quiet banter the SHIELD team shared whenever they ate meals together. More often than not they ate alone due to conflicting schedules, but every now and then Coulson announced team bonding time.
It was the closest Daisy ever got to a family dinner – well, except the actual family dinner she had last year…She suddenly lost her appetite, putting down her fork with a sigh. Nat noticed – so did Rogers, shooting her a concerned frown. Daisy smiled; everything was fine.
They'd cleared the table and broken into Clint's alcohol cupboard by the time Fury called the meeting. Daisy sat on the table, legs on the chair next to Nat, as she sipped from a bottle of cider May had banned her from drinking due to E-numbers or something. Stark was playing darts against himself. Banner had retreated into the nearest dark corner.
"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time," Fury surmised, "My contacts," he caught eyes with Daisy, the subtle nod of his head letting her know exactly who those contacts were, "all say he's building something. The amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing."
"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asked.
"He's easy to track, he's everywhere." Fury answered with a shrug, "Guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though."
"He still going after launch codes?" Tony asked, picking up another dart from the board.
"Yes, he is, but he's not making any headway."
"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare," Tony scoffed.
"And I hacked the CIA from a public library - drunk," Daisy countered, taking a swig of cider.
"The NSA on a bender," Tony retaliated.
"SHIELD on a laptop I won in a bet," Daisy retorted.
"We get it," Fury interrupted, "You're both too much damn trouble, which is why your murder bot is giving me such a headache." He put his hands on his hips, "As I was saying, I contacted our friends at the NEXUS about the nuclear codes."
"NEXUS?" Steve asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"It's the world internet hub in Oslo, every byte of data flows through there, fastest access on earth," Daisy explained, "Ultron would head there first."
"So, what'd NEXUS say?" Barton asked.
"He's fixated on the missiles," Fury explained, "But the codes are constantly being changed."
"By who?" Tony asked.
"Parties Unknown."
"An ally?" Daisy asked, knowing it can't have been SHIELD, "It could be someone I know. Rising Tide, maybe?"
"I doubt it," Fury said, "Your cyberpunks don't have access to that kind of information, no matter how good you think you are. The motive isn't there either. It's gotta be someone governmental. I'd pay folding money to know who it is."
"I might need to visit Oslo, find our 'unknown'." Stark suggested.
Nat sighed, holding her head in her hands. "Well, this is good times, boss," she spoke up for the first time, "but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that. That's not a plan, that's a lucky coincidence."
"I do have a plan," Fury defended, "I have you. Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else."
Daisy scoffed, barely restraining herself from muttering something under her breath. Nat knocked her shin lightly.
"Here we all are," Fury continued, "back on earth, with nothing but our wit, and our will to save the world. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard."
That wasn't quite true though, was it? Daisy knew Coulson's reasoning not to reveal SHIELD, but it stung to hear their very capable team be reduced to 'nothing'. She barely contained the scowl.
"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk." Nat teased Steve.
"You know what, Romanoff?"
Nat shot him a mischievous smile. Daisy rolled her eyes, hiding her little spike of jealousy at the little smile Rogers sent her back. She'd have thought they were couple if she didn't know better, it was what all the tabloids theorised at least.
"So, what does he want?" Fury asked, redirecting the conversation.
"To become better. Better than us. He keeps building bodies," Rogers offered.
"Robot bodies," Daisy cut in, "Don't think that counts as bodies."
"No, he wants person bodies," Stark argued, "The human form is inefficient, biologically speaking, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it."
"Almost like he is a human," Daisy added, "He has some weird resentments."
"When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed," Nat gibed, but there was no real malice in her voice. She knew Daisy felt guilty enough about it.
"They don't need to be protected, they need to evolve," Banner said, "He kept saying that, especially to Daisy. Ultron's going to evolve."
"Yes, but evolve how?" Daisy countered, "He can't be an inhuman. Or even human. It's not possible unless-"
Banner was staring at Lila's drawing of a butterfly, ashen faced.
"Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?" Banner asked, face struck with the realisation.
**
"I'll take Natasha, Clint and Daisy," Rogers announced as he swung his shield up onto his back.
"But I could help with NEXUS." Daisy protested, even as she slid on her new gauntlets, flexing her fingers to feel the familiar thrum in her forearms, "Find our inside guy."
"We'll need your firepower if things go south," Rogers disagreed, "Stark can handle NEXUS."
Stark raised a self-satisfied eyebrow at Daisy but nodded seriously, "I'll join you as soon as I can."
"If Ultron is really building a body..." Steve muttered.
"He'll be more powerful than any of us. Maybe all of us," Stark continued, "An android designed by a robot."
"He's made himself out of vibranium too," Daisy added, worrying her bottom lip, "My powers aren't so good against that."
"You know I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me," Steve sighed.
"Trust me, there's weirder," Daisy blurted out, and immediately regretted it when Steve narrowed his eyes and titled his head in suspicion.
"I'll drop Banner off at the tower," Fury cut in, and Daisy wondered if he'd planned that, "Do you mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?
"She's all yours, apparently," Tony allowed, "What are you gonna do?"
"I don't know. Something dramatic, I hope." Fury said, twinkle in his eye, he winked at Daisy. She nodded. Coulson had indeed promised something dramatic if it came to it, those two were definitely cut from the same cloth.
Tony frowned, "You two in cahoots too?"
Daisy didn't reply, she didn't need to, as a little hand tugged at her sleeve. She looked down to find Lila, dressed in her pyjamas and evidently ready for bed.
"Are you leaving?" Lila asked, pouting.
"I'm sorry kiddo," Daisy said, kneeling down to give her a hug, "I loved your drawings. Thank you for letting us stay."
"You gonna come back?" Lila asked, "Bring Auntie Nat?"
"Maybe," Daisy answered, non-committedly. Behind her the others had already trudged off back up the hill towards the Quinjet.
Laura placed a hand on Lila's shoulder, "Alright, time for bed," Laura urged, nudging Lila back up the staircase. Daisy stood up, watching the kid disappear.
Laura pulled her into a hug, Daisy let herself be enveloped in the suspiciously motherly embrace. She allowed herself to close her eyes, relax into the warm arms. Laura rubbed a gently hand against her back before pulling away and holding her at arm's length.
"Look after them," Laura said.
"I will," Daisy promised.
Laura dropped her arms and turned to embrace her husband in goodbye. Nat met her eyes with a knowing smile, "Time to go."
She followed Nat out the door. It was dark out, the wind blowing gently, so gently it was almost tranquil. The air smelt like woodsmoke and the birds were eerily quiet, only the gentle sound of rustling trees.
She caught Nat's sad smile in the faint warm light cast from the farmhouse, the light fading away into the distance. It felt like leaving a life behind, a piece of the small sanctuary they had made, before they were thrown back into the mission. For a second she worried that their new, gentle…whatever it was they had…had just been reserved for that house. She worried that maybe Natasha had only been with her to get the vision out of her mind, or maybe it was only a soft side of her brought out by Barton's family.
She was the one to reach out for Nat's hand this time, her fears calmed when Nat threaded their fingers together and squeezed once in reassurance.
Tomorrow was unpredictable, but she could savour today.