Because, embarrassing as it had been to be waiting on the floor of a rooftop, rain pouring as she bled away, well... Screw it. Things were turning around. The public was starting to side with them, remembering all about Fisk's true colors. Clint was coming.
And Matt... It was nice to be held like that. To have someone she feels so close to. She might not have Matt's refined nose, and that is probably Luke's cologne that he is wearing. But there's something so soothing about resting her head on his chest, being held, catching that scent that was particularly his. Being warm, knowing someone was taking care of dinner. That tonight they would actually sleep.
Knowing her partner was crossing town just to come check on her.
"I remember. You guys saved the bodega kid that turned to be an artist." The one they once thought might have a clue to find Muse. Goddamn. That felt like something that had happened a lifetime ago.
"It's fine. For the better, probably." Kate had to admit. "He'll probably give me less shit if he's not surprised." Kate looked up, staring at Matt for a moment. That stubble was short of becoming a full beard. He was bruised, looked so tired. Probably too tired to understand how truly big it is to have Clint there with them.
"How was court? I know you didn't win, but it was what you expected, right?"
Matt grimaced at the mention of court. "Yeah. It was what I expected. Well, the outcome was, at least." He should have but hadn't fully anticipated the large greeting he'd gotten at court. He hadn't expected making a last ditch effort to repair things with Heather and for her to issue the ultimatum she had. Every time he tried to step off one trap it felt like he was falling into another. It made him feel even less secure about handling being the face of his current revolution.
How could he be, when he was living with a woman who aligned herself with Fisk? What if he was fooling himself in thinking he could sway Heather to his side?
"I just, um. Dinner. I should make dinner." This was absolutely peak Matt having no clue what to do, so he was going to cook. He was going to do something. Matt slid out of bed and steadied himself on the bed with one hand. He counted until his blood pressure evened out and he wouldn't faint. "It's the least I can do for Claire. And you. I should check in with the others, too."
There was a sound in the other room. A warm greeting. Matt shuffled to the door, but there was a knock before he reached it and Claire opened it. Clint was standing beside him. He was dressed down for now, but there was a bag with him. Minor scuffles, signs that he had indeed fought some on his way there, but nothing that looked alarming. "Murdock. You look like shit." His gaze moved past Matt and he moved to Kate without preamble. "What happened?"
Surely he sensed her disappointment the moment she slipped off her side and got out of bed. The bubble bursted. The moment was lost.
But before she could protest, reminding him that they can order dinner, Kate herself heard the door. Soon enough Clint was there, in the flesh. A couple of bruises decorating his own face, that gruff but yet welcoming tone in his voice. Kate beamed, already making an effort to get out of bed.
"No! No, no, no, get back to bed! You're gonna mess those stitches," Claire called out, her hand held at arm's lenght as if that could stop Kate. The nurse turned her attention to Matt, as if his sole presence was a bad influence. "A little help?"
Kate in the meantime, she was happy to weakly put her arms around Clint this time. "What happened? A bunch of Fisk's guys will say a bus run them over, but it was actually me."
Matt shuffled past Claire, muttering, "I'm making dinner." He paused in the doorway and turned. As usual his head just tilted in the general direction as he addressed Clint. His tone was a little tight, but genuinely appreciative. "It's good to have you here, Barton. I'm glad you got here safe." He touched Claire's arm then, nodding for her to follow him out. To give Kate and Clint some privacy. He made his way to her kitchen and needed her help, as a lot had changed since he'd last been there to know his way around it.
Inside the room, Clint gave Kate a large hug in return. "Yeah, I believe that. Glad to hear you gave them hell." He just wished she hadn't gotten it in return, too. After a long embrace he tried to ease her back onto the bed. This operation was rickety at best, but who was he to talk. Some of the missions he'd been on with Nat in his day, they shouldn't have had a prayer, either. He sat on the edge of the bed, his bag resting on the floor. "Laura was half out the door herself. You gotta call her tonight or else she will come. The kids wanna hear from you, too."
A beat, then in a voice that was slightly chiding, "You could have called me sooner, Kate. With that shitshow out there? I would have come."
Edited (My turn to apologize for all the edits. I suck at writing on my phone, sob.) 2025-04-27 21:16 (UTC)
The thing about Clint is that he had always been there for her. Back when he was nothing but a symbol, a parasocial relationship. He had been her lighthouse in her darkest days, had shaped who she grew up to be. And so, seeing him brought nothing but absolute unadulterated joy in her heart.
Clint had filled a void in Kate. Almost fitted the shape her dad had left after dying. A shape that became more painfully bigger since she felt her mom betray everything Kate stood for.
But Clint would always be there. Reminding her to be brave, to have hope. If he could face a bunch of aliens with a string and sticks, then she could beat the shit out of some corrupt cops.
"I swear they look worse than this," Kate pointed out proudly, cocking her head as she smiled goofily. She allowed Clint to gently get her back in bed. But not for a second did she lose the spark of joy in the way she looked at him.
"I'm tempted to facetime them just to see their faces, but that's probably going to backfire with Laura." Oh, she would so go back to mom mode. "I'll call in a bit, I promise." After dinner. If she doesn't pass out. Thank god she took those naps...
Something softened in her. It wasn't guilt, but awareness. Hope that she wouldn't disappoint him with the choice she made. "I didn't want to worry you, not over this. It's not your mess to clean, Clint. You deserve your time with the kids."
There was a look on Clint's face at her response, on that said she was both utterly dumb and utterly his with her response. A look that said You are one of my kids. In case it needed to be said, he gruffly put into words what Laura would have said much better. "Family shows up." Kate was that to him, in whatever form she'd accept. Daughter, little sister. Friend. Mentee. He'd somehow acquired a rich street urchin with something to prove and he was glad she hadn't let him shake her. She'd done the Hawkeye name proud. He wasn't so retired he couldn't have her back one more time.
As many times as it took.
"Besides. Laura has gotten into home remodeling. I'm useless if I don't have an opinion, and I'm in the way when I have the wrong opinion on bathroom cabinets." He said it with the much beleaguered pain of a man who was absolutely smitten with a wife who could precisely smash through dry wall and install plumbing. There was literally nothing his wife couldn't do, and he would humble brag about her every chance he got. "So I figured I'd get out of the city while she redid our home."
He stood and got her some water, offering it over before sitting again. She was looking hurt and tired, but resolved. She'd grown a lot while he'd been gone. Grown further into the person he knew she'd become. She reminded him so much of Nat in some ways. That quiet resolve, even if the exterior covering it was different.
The look on Kate's face said it all. The thin lipped but wide smile, the joy that now reached those watery eyes, that slight blush blooming on her cheeks and that mixed up with the purples and yellows and the black on her bruises. Kate reached for his hand, holding tightly onto it.
For how many years had she tried to be strong and independent and only depend on herself to get back on her two feet? Following her mom's steps too, in a way. But when Kate met Clint, she had not wasted any time in showing him she could do things like a pro. Wearing Ronin's mask, protecting her identity like a professional. Rescuing him. Taking care of everything.
She had half-failed most of the time. But Clint had been there, pushing her to excell. Reminding her to trust on her partner. The same partner that, after her mother had been taken to prison, had taken her to his home and family for the holidays.
Clint would never leave her on her own devices.
"Sounds like a fair plan. What's she remodelling? Is she making that crafts room she wanted?" Honestly, the woman deserved it. And Clint was such a doting dad that her finding time to practice her hobbies wouldn't be a problem if she had the space and supplies.
It was such a perfect family.
"Oh, he's with one of Matt's friends, at this bar. Matt's apartment exploded and we had to jump out of the balcony." She explianed. "But I told Lucky that we were going for a walk and pizza and he went straght downstairs before that happened!"
Clint held her hand. He'd gotten better at this over the years. Had taught how to be compassionate and kind to other people, how to show it in ways that were easy to accept. He had lost his way a time or two, but he'd been lucky to have loved ones who always ended up anchoring him to those principles. That it was strong to be kind, that it was wise to show compassion. That nothing was ever so far lost that nothing was left for which to fight.
"She first remodeled Lila's room because she wanted a unicorn star scape on her walls and ceiling, whatever the hell that is. I've seen it and I'm still confused but I've had to come up with unicorn constellation stories ever since. Then she decided that the master bathroom needed to be reworked because I have 'old man hips' and we both needed a better tub situation. I should tell her to work on the crafts room for herself. You know that didn't cross her radar. It's all the kids and us as a couple." He made a mental note to use Kate's suggestion as a gentle encouragement. "Thanks for that."
He absolutely had no qualms about taking the kids and giving their mother a day or two a week to herself. He greedily wanted the time after he'd lost so much with work.
"Matt's apartment exploded?" Well hell. That was for later, when he talked to Matt. For now he was focused on Kate. "You have that dog wrapped around your finger, of course he listened to you. And you're doing right by him. I know Josie's. Matt and I used to go there when... we were younger, and I'll stop there." Nope, no stories of twenties Matt and Clint being dumb. He was a married, respectable man. "I wanna see the mutt, but later. Tomorrow or when you're up to it, you can show me around. Give me the lay of the land only a Hawkeye can."
A beat.
"Fisk is just a petty, small tyrant. The world's had plenty of them. Not diminishing the hurt he's caused, but at the end of the day? That's all they ever are. Small, petty. Weak. Your city has this, Kate. You've got this. Me? I'm just here for the show."
He wasn't here to take over. He wasn't here to lead, or wear a certain mantel. He was here for her. For them. For the city. To support those who now stood tall, and let them know they would win this fight.
Kate bounced their joined hands lightly, as if setting a beat. As if the sheer excitement of having him back in New York brought up this renewed energy in her, no matter how badly wounded she was.
It was simply exciting. Touching, even. Because even though Lila was pretty much a teen, she still was only a girl. One that got to enjoy her dad. Nate, the early bird, didn't have to call and wander around the house on his own just because it was an unholy hour even for someone like Laura. Cooper was a sweet boy, one which Kate (and Matt) suspected had a crush on her. Kate gave him room not to make things weird, but found it adorable.
"No problem, Hawk Guy." Kate expression took a smug little shift. "See? This is why I always tell you that communication is important. You always need my feedback and ideas."
And she needed his. His plans. His experience.
But Clint had other ideas. She knew that he had brought his equipment. Hell, he had already given Fisk men a taste of what was to come. But Clint was also making a big statement by showing her so much trust.
"I'm sure Josie will be happy to see you. And Lucky. Lucky's gonna be all over the moon." Clint could claim the dog's heart belonged to Kate, but he had also a slice of his own he had taken back home.
"We're building an army." She suddenly begun, her tone much quieter, almost unsure if it was her place to explain it on her own. "Not just heroes. We want to change the way people see Fisk. Open their eyes. You..." Clint could help Matt reach them. "People believe in you. I've been there. I'm still there."
In the kitchen, as much as Matt tried to drown out the conversation between Clint and Kate, he couldn't help but hear parts of it. He heard her telling Clint that the people of the city believed in him. She believed in him. They needed the former Avenger. He wasn't enough. Matt paused in the meal he was making, stilling so much that Claire asked if he was all right.
He brushed her off, he finished making the quick stir fry and let it in her hands to keep warm. He moved to her fire escape and left the building for the roof. Yes, it was getting past curfew. No he didn't care. He did move a rooftop or two away, to protect Claire's space. If anyone wanted to find him up here, well. Let them come. He needed some air.
Inside the room, Clint remained stalwart with Kate, understanding the history behind her words. He didn't diminish them, nor the responsibility he still felt for the city.
"I might need your ideas but I'm not gonna suggest you give color scheme ideas for our bedroom." A beat, then more seriously, "People believe in you. I'm here, Kate. For as long as needed. I'll stand up and say that Fisk is wrong. But I think it matters more for the people who live here now to say it. To live it. To fight for it. Everyone might remember me fondly, but they also know this isn't my home anymore. They want to see you. And Matt. And Josie, and everyone who this matters to most.
I'm here for you to believe in, but this city needs for you to be the person they believe in now.
Tempted as she was to describe the positive things about having a glow in the dark galaxy in your bedroom ceiling, the conversation took another turn. An unexpected one. Because Clint had not come with all the solutions they needed, but with support.
"But..."
Kate tried to argue, to point out that Matt, Peter and Luke and everyone else, they needed all the help they could get. Hell, all the talk they had about the importance of brands? Kate should have made a powerpoint. She could have pulled that out right now to remind him of every important point in there.
Until she understood what Clint meant.
"It's just..." Her tone faltered, unsure. "Everyone in the world knows who you are. It's the kind of endorsment we need. Because..." It felt wrong, comparing her friends to her hero. She had always put Clint on a pedestal. But Matt, Pete... They were the people that were the true heart of this city. People admired the Avengers and what they did for the world. They respected the sacrifice. Their monument always had fresh flowers for Natasha.
But people loved Daredevil for taking the fear away from them. For proving that the rich and untouchable could meet justic. Matt would prove it again, in time. She's sure. People loved Spider-Man for being one of them, a guy next door that worried about the problems of the people next door.
She hoped to one day do enough meaningful things to earn that same sort of trust and love.
At least Clint believed in her.
"You have more experience than us leading up big teams. I know--" She glanced at the door, clearly worried. "Matt pushes himself too much. He needs all the support he can get and I don't know how to help him."
A part of Clint wished that he had Nat there right now. Nat, or Steve. Maybe not Fury. Someone to help him navigate mentoring this next generation of street vigilantes. Matt wasn't really the next generation, he'd been around nearly as long as Clint had, but this was new territory for him. Leading an army. Matt had always been the loose canon even Fury didn't want to touch, because Matt played by his own playbook too much for the spy's taste. Matt was content to defend the hell out of ten blocks of Manhattan because that was his home. It was very different in some ways than Clint, but he understood and respected it.
Now though Matt and Peter and Luke and Jessica couldn't just run around doing their own thing and manage to save the day. They would have to work together in ways they never had in the past. Kate had come into this with a partnership foundation, but in juxtaposition, she then doubted her worth outside of the duo partnership.
If Clint stepped in and took over, he was just inviting the locals to rely on a system that wasn't part of their whole. Not really. They needed to know they could manage on their own. As much as Clint wanted to hold Kate close, to reassure it was fine, to stand alongside her and save the day for her. He wanted to take away all her pain and all her doubt and be her hero. He loved her, so he wanted that for her.
He loved her, so he knew that he had to show her she could save not only herself, but so much more.
He wanted Lila to one day walk along the streets at night, secure not because he was her dad, but because knowing women like Kate and Laura she was sure she could save herself. Empower a person, and they moved mountains. Even one as big as Fisk.
Trust one person, and they would save the world.
"Sounds like you need better marketing, then." His tone was gruff and playful, teasing her to huff rather than be uncertain. "You can help him by doing what Nat and I did for one another. What you and I do for each other. Call him out on his shit. Trust him when he tells you he needs it. Trust yourself to know the difference. Matt can take away their fear, Peter can let them know they're not alone, and you? You can show them that everyone can make a difference. All it takes it making a choice.
I'll talk to Matt. If he'll listen. What I would do though as a SHIELD Agent and Avenger isn't what you and Matt will do, and that's okay. Trust yourself. Trust one another. I'll go on record and say I'm following Daredevil's army. I'll throw my weight into this fight. But it will be fought and won on your terms. I believe in you. So the question is, you gonna let some petty tyrant prove me wrong?"
It was every doubt, every fear that Kate and Matt and anyone who had attended those secret meetings at Josie's shared. All unspoken. But like the elephant in the room, everyone was well aware thay they were there, like a dark shadow that threatened to grow larger.
They knew they were going to make it, that they had no other option. But honestly? Kate had no idea of how. How long it would take, how to appraoch it. Sure, they had talked right away, brainstormed. Everything seemed to simple and logical.
But then Fisk had spoken in the morning. They went into martial law, the curfew. They found the old commissioner dead, they had blamed vigilantes on a murder that later had proven to be extremely gruesome. People were shocked that somehow pictures were leaked online. Nobody at Josie's seemed so surprised.
It was taking it's toll. Frank had disappeared, they feared he was dead. Karen had grown quiet for a few days. She was doing her own investigation, trying to find any vigilante who had ever stood up for this city.
They decided to keep living their normal lives, even though they were on the move, not staying in the same place for long. Kate had not discussed it with Matt, but he kept her on the move instead of sending her back home. He had nowhere to go back to, so it worked. It was a good arrangement. There were nice people like Claire that helped them, willing to offer a couch or an inflatable bed. They wouldn't be targets if they didn't stay too long in one place.
But Clint was right. They had discussed doing this in their own termns instead of just fighting Fisk only with violence. Clint had opened her eyes. They needed to connect with their people by showing exactly how they did things. By understanding why they meant something to that people and by being earnest to each other.
Kate squeezed Clint's hand and didn't let go,
"Please talk to him. He -- I think Matt really needs it. We have been working so hard but it feels like we haven't had the chance to actually sit down and regroup, you know? Like we've been going through the motions. And he always carries all the pressure on his shoulders."
He could see the steel in her spine as her thoughts turned. That was the thing about Kate that so many overlooked. She was bluster and bravado, but it masked a thoughtfulness. She was insecure but not as green as even she thought. She had trained her whole life for this by her own design. How many could say they dedicated their life to helping others when Kate first had done it? Not many. Not even him.
She impressed the hell out of him.
"I'll talk to him." He had a few things to say to Matt for sure. A harsh, but not unforgiving, few things. Clint intended to give him something of a verbal smackdown. Then he'd offer a hand back up. Whether Matt took the hand or not would say everything Clint needed to know on if Matt could not just be the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, but the Leader of a City. He hoped Matt rose to the challenge.
For now though, he just said to Kate, "Give me a few minutes? I'll be back." He rose to head to the door. Paused in the frame. He looked back and said to Kate the single offering that both hurt and healed his heart. "When I heard about what you've done... well. I have a story to tell you later about Nat."
He left the room. Claire entered instead, as Clint went to find Matt. Claire closed the door, leaning against it with a plate of stir fry and a smile on her face. A knowing smile.
"I'll eat with you. Trust me, there's plenty, but the boys will be awhile."
Out three rooftops away, Clint found Matt. Head tilted, listening like he was Daredevil while in Luke's clothing that was pajamas on him.
"Barton."
"Murdock."
"Been awhile."
"And the weather's shit. Now that that's out of the way, are we talking or fighting? Because either way, I have some questions that need answering."
Her body ached. Earlier, while her mind was still fuzzy, while Matt was still in court and surrounded by people who wanted his skin, while the gunshot made her skin burn, Kate thought it was all a delirious dream. It felt as if they were trapped in a loop of the worst days of their lives.
But now, she found herself in a warm comfortable bed, with soft pillows and a feather-filled duvet with flower patterns. Her body was weary, achey but, in a way? Kate felt proud. Proud because she had survived, because she could carry the scars like badges. Lessons.
Strangers welcomed them in their homes. Loved ones crossed the country to bring encouraging words. They were not alone. It was as if color had come back to a dark city. It was the hope Matt had been talking about. She had believed in it like a legend, like an oasis lost in the desert. Kate could finally, genuinelly see it.
"I'm a little old for bedtime stories," she pointed out. Her tone was playful. "But I can't ever turn down a story about Nat, old man."
It was surprising, to see Claire joining her instead as Clint walked away. Kate quietly thanked her as she handed her over the plate, only now realizing just how hungry she was. She had completely slept through lunch and it was the first bite she'd have since last night. Her stomach grumbled, suddely awake and demanding.
"I couldn't thank you properly about last night," she offered as she sat properly against her headboard. Matt would give her so much shit if he saw her eating in bed, harrassing her with stories about bedbugs.
"It's not exactly the best introduction, bleeding over someone's carpet in the middle of the night." She arched her brows, emphasizing a point. "I swear it's not an habit of mine. But you were so kind and I really owe you one, Claire."
Matt turned, a confused expression on his face. "Why would I want to fight?"
Clint nodded at Matt's clenched fists. "Your hands."
"Oh." Matt hadn't even realized they'd been balled up into fists. He unfurled his fingers, one hand rubbing over the other's bruised and cut knuckles. "No. I don't want to fight." A beat. "Not you, at least."
"Yeah. I get that." Clint went and stood next to Matt. "So. Seems you've got a real mess on your hands. Even worse, the people following you know it, too. Taking one look at you, they know it."
Matt grimaced, rubbing his knuckles and still facing out towards the city. He said nothing.
Clint sighed. "You have to be bigger than this, you know. Not just fighting in the streets. In meetings, in every talk you have. When people look at you, they have to see a chance of winning."
"You think I don't know that? You think I'm not trying to do that?"
"I'm sure you are. I'm saying, you have to try something different, because it's not working." Clint's voice was frank, and he saw the hurt on Matt's face. The hurt wouldn't be there though if Matt didn't already think what Clint said was true. "For what it's worth, I do think you can do it. I've seen people do it." Steve came to mind. Now Sam. "It might mean that you can't always be yourself, or the person you want to be. You have to be the person they need. And if anyone can figure out what people need, it's the guy who can read everyone like a book."
Clint gave him a pat on the shoulder, then turned to walk away. He paused to only add, "And you find the one person you can be yourself with no matter what, so you don't go crazy in the process."
"And if you don't find that person?"
"Well. You were already pretty crazy to start. You might be fine."
Both men smiled at one another.
"C'mon. Let's eat dinner." They went back to Claire's.
~*~
Inside the bedroom, Claire settled into a chair and took a bite of the chicken with garlic and ginger stir fry Matt had just thrown together in less than a half-hour. The man did know how to cook. It was one of his many charms, to live alongside his flaws. Looking at the injured young woman in front of her, Claire shook her head to wave off any concerns.
"Someone bleeding on my carpet in the middle of the night is usually how I meet people these days," she said wryly. She'd known many of the vigilantes in the city before they even met one another because of it. "It's all right. It's my job. Just like I know getting hurt is usually part of your job." It was a dangerous one, but she knew the necessity for it. "You're one of my better patients, so thank you for that. It's really annoying when someone comes to you bleeding then doesn't listen to a word you say about how to keep it from happening again immediately."
She heard Matt's voice coming in through the window.
The mood had definitely shifted. At least for Kate, who had no idea of the emotional turmoil Matt was facing, nor that he had abandoned the apartment as he felt overwhelmed by everything going on within its walls.
Instead, she held the plate that she and Claire shared, beaming as they chatted and glad that Matt had introduced her to what she believed would be a great ally. Most important, a friend. Because, in all honesty, she wasn't looking forward to bleed on anyone's carpet if she could help it. But right now, a friendly face they can speak freely to? Nurse or not, that was welcomed. Cherished.
"Matt says you and Luke are together," she pointed out, little by little truly digging into the stir fry. God, she had been starving. "I know Matt already did it for me, but I really need to thank your boyfriend. He..." Did Claire know the specific details behind that favor? "My mom's in Ryker, because of Fisk. She-- " Kate shook her head, it was a long story. "She could be a target and Luke probably saved her life being in there."
Kate looked up sharply at Claire's comment, noticing they were not on their own anymore.
"Luke and I are together," Claire confirmed with a nod. They'd been dating for quite awhile now. No talk yet of making things more permanent, but she was content with what they had. She took another bite, listening to Kate explain her own connection to what happened that night Luke went to Riker's. "Matt didn't tell me why he sent Luke to Riker's. Just that things were getting out of hand and he needed help there for a friend." Matt was secretive, but that also meant he was pretty good at keeping other people's secrets, too. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I'll make sure Luke stops by sometime so you can thank him in person." She smiled, a knowing smile. Luke couldn't resist someone in trouble. It was how vigilantes were built. "It'll mean a lot to him, I'm sure. He always says he just wants to help."
"Hey." Entering with a plate of his own, Clint went and sat on the edge of Kate's bed to eat. Matt entered afterwards with a plate in hand, sitting on the floor against the wall as Claire was in the chair.
Claire gave him a look she was certain he could sense. "You can take the chair, you know." Matt of course brushed her off.
"So." Clint speared a piece of chicken, studied it for a moment before shrugging and eating it. "What did Matt and I miss, or do we not want to know?"
"It was super kind of him to leave everything and head there without thinking." At least, that's how Kate had figured that things went down. It had all happened so fast that Luke probably hadn't had much time before he made that decision. One that might have meant her mother's safety right now. Kate couldn't be more grateful towards him. Towards Matt, for thinking of Eleanor straight away. For Claire, being so understanding.
"Yeah, I know the kind," she pointed out with a warm laugh. Matt was the same. "They honestly give it everything for other people. But they also deserve to be thanked properly from time to time." She might not know him yet, but Kate was sure that she'd adore Luke.
As the guys joined them, Kate couldn't help but notice the shift in Matt's mood. He was much more quieter now, withdrawn. Hell, he was being broody. What exactly had Clint said to him?
"We were mostly talking shit about you two. You probably don't want the details."
Jokes or not, she wanted to offer Matt something. Get him out of his shell.
"This is so stupidly good, Matt," she pointed out as she stabbed a piece of chicken of her own. "Had you tried his food before, Clint? He is a pain in the ass about processed stuff, but his cooking is incredible."
"All compliments you don't want to share so we won't blush. That's what I'm hearing," Clint replied in a joking manner back.
Claire just snorted and shook her head. "I'll get us all some drinks, what do you want? Water? Tea? Coffee? Soda?"
Matt gave a small smile in Kate's direction at the compliment. "I'm glad you like it. And tea for me."
"It's bags of Lipton."
"Water, then."
Clint shook his head. "No, he never cooked for me. The most he ever did was order bar snacks when we went drinking." Which was how Clint knew where Josie's was. He and Matt hadn't been close friends, but they had shared the occasional beer after a night of fighting or when needing to trade tips on what was going on with the streets. "And I'll take a soda. Let's not be too healthy here tonight."
"It's a soda for me too if my doctor is okay with it?" Kate kept digging in, watching both men she so cared about finally in the same room. Kate couldn't help herself, shoving a foot under the covers to playfully tease Clint with it.
"So, how's the kids? I was telling Matt all about them." About how sweet Lila was, what an adorable gremlin Nate turned out to be and even about Cooper's awkwardness. "Bet Nate must be huge now." She'd seen a few pictures and the youngest Barton had gained some inches of height these last months for sure.
This was nice. The thing about going through such a rough time was that these things happened. They were building a community. Getting to introduce people they trusted, to connect with them, finding companionship with old friends or even strangers. Kate had found herself sleeping on the couch of people she had never met before, or enjoying stir fry in the guest's bedroom of a nurse she had never heard about.
Claire gave a little sigh, but she said with a smile, "One soda. Then lots of hydrating liquids." She had offered it, after all. Plus one wouldn't hurt that much. She headed to her kitchen to get the sodas and water.
Clint gave her foot a light flick at the nudging. "The kids are great. Nate is definitely going to be taller than me someday. Lila's still into writing stories, and Cooper's doing well in school. He's been helping his mother redecorate, too." He sounded very proud of all of them, which he was. It was truly amazing getting to see the babies he'd helped create grow and become their own people. "When this is all over you'll have to come visit again. The duck is doing well, too," he added over at Matt.
Matt gave a nod of appreciation. "Yeah? Good. Not surprised farm life suits him." Quietly to his phone he said, "Text Heather: Made it back. Sleep well." He pocketed his phone again afterwards and poked at his plate. The food was good, he just felt almost too tired to eat.
Claire came back in a minute or two later to pass out the drinks.
"So, Kate. What else do you like to do, besides shooting arrow?"
"So, Nate's not gonna be super tall after all?" Kate teased him, her grin a toothy one as she slid back into her hobbie for bantering with the people she loved. It was good to hear about the family too, even more so to get an update on little Marshall Firequacker. Kate couldn't share with Matt the pictures Clint sent, so stories about him had to do. "Lucky definitely misses running through the fields, so we better visit soon."
She missed the sensation of being in a household full of love like the one Clint proudly owned. Looking back on those memories, it all felt like a dream she'd enjoyed a long time ago.
Matt's voice caught her by surprise. Or rather, his words. It had been days since he had last brought up Heather. Kate had started to suspect that maybe the couple had broken up. Her heart betrayed her because, even though she kept telling herself she just wants Matt to be happy with whoever he is with, there's a painful realization as she is reminded that he is a man with a life of his own. That he doesn't share everything with her just because they're working - surviving together.
It's Claire who pulls her out of that dark, painful sensation.
"Huh - Well, not much these days. I'm supposed to be working at the family company, but these days it's mostly like showing my face and hearing about the stuff I need to sign."
"Funny woman," Clint mock growled back at her teasing. "He's gonna be as tall as anyone needs to be. Don't have to be a giant to get things done." He punctuated that with another bite from his plate. "The dog is missed probably even more than I am right now. You'd think with all the animals already on the farm that it wouldn't be the case, but nobody can surpass Lucky." The dog had easily won over the hearts of all the Bartons and when he was at the farm he never lacked for a playmate.
Claire sat down on the chair again and sipped at her water. Since she hadn't had fancy looseleaf tea, of course Matt had opted for water as well. "That sounds like important work, but still work, not hobbies. It's important to still take time for yourself. Maybe especially now." It was a marathon what they were dealing with, and it wouldn't do for anyone to burn out already. "So what would you like to spend your time doing, if you gave yourself a half an hour here or there?"
"I'm not shocked. Lucky steals everyone's hearts." Kate pointed out proudly. "You should have seen Frank Castle with him. Getting doggie kisses and giving him treats." Sneaked some bacon at him while Karen and Matt had not been watching.
Frank, who they still worried about since they had not heard a thing from him since the last time they saw each other. It was a thorn in the heart that they all got used to, but that at the mention of Frank stung again.
Claire's words drew her out of her thoughts, surprising Kate as she made her point. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. So many of the things Kate had grown up doing... It all had a goal. Every sport, everything she practiced. Had she ever taken them as hobbies?
"I guess... Well, I kinda miss hanging with my friends from college. You know, chilling like this. Maybe going to a bar or even dancing." Maybe she had never been too crazy about clubbing, but she missed a night of going out and having fun. "A concert."
She smiled, a little flustered. "And I haven't read a book in what feels like ages."
Lately, it felt like they had always been in the run. Like they had always been on edge. There was no time for distractions.
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streetlevel) wrote2024-12-23 08:39 pm
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Because, embarrassing as it had been to be waiting on the floor of a rooftop, rain pouring as she bled away, well... Screw it. Things were turning around. The public was starting to side with them, remembering all about Fisk's true colors. Clint was coming.
And Matt... It was nice to be held like that. To have someone she feels so close to. She might not have Matt's refined nose, and that is probably Luke's cologne that he is wearing. But there's something so soothing about resting her head on his chest, being held, catching that scent that was particularly his. Being warm, knowing someone was taking care of dinner. That tonight they would actually sleep.
Knowing her partner was crossing town just to come check on her.
"I remember. You guys saved the bodega kid that turned to be an artist." The one they once thought might have a clue to find Muse. Goddamn. That felt like something that had happened a lifetime ago.
"It's fine. For the better, probably." Kate had to admit. "He'll probably give me less shit if he's not surprised." Kate looked up, staring at Matt for a moment. That stubble was short of becoming a full beard. He was bruised, looked so tired. Probably too tired to understand how truly big it is to have Clint there with them.
"How was court? I know you didn't win, but it was what you expected, right?"
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How could he be, when he was living with a woman who aligned herself with Fisk? What if he was fooling himself in thinking he could sway Heather to his side?
"I just, um. Dinner. I should make dinner." This was absolutely peak Matt having no clue what to do, so he was going to cook. He was going to do something. Matt slid out of bed and steadied himself on the bed with one hand. He counted until his blood pressure evened out and he wouldn't faint. "It's the least I can do for Claire. And you. I should check in with the others, too."
There was a sound in the other room. A warm greeting. Matt shuffled to the door, but there was a knock before he reached it and Claire opened it. Clint was standing beside him. He was dressed down for now, but there was a bag with him. Minor scuffles, signs that he had indeed fought some on his way there, but nothing that looked alarming. "Murdock. You look like shit." His gaze moved past Matt and he moved to Kate without preamble. "What happened?"
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But before she could protest, reminding him that they can order dinner, Kate herself heard the door. Soon enough Clint was there, in the flesh. A couple of bruises decorating his own face, that gruff but yet welcoming tone in his voice. Kate beamed, already making an effort to get out of bed.
"No! No, no, no, get back to bed! You're gonna mess those stitches," Claire called out, her hand held at arm's lenght as if that could stop Kate. The nurse turned her attention to Matt, as if his sole presence was a bad influence. "A little help?"
Kate in the meantime, she was happy to weakly put her arms around Clint this time. "What happened? A bunch of Fisk's guys will say a bus run them over, but it was actually me."
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Inside the room, Clint gave Kate a large hug in return. "Yeah, I believe that. Glad to hear you gave them hell." He just wished she hadn't gotten it in return, too. After a long embrace he tried to ease her back onto the bed. This operation was rickety at best, but who was he to talk. Some of the missions he'd been on with Nat in his day, they shouldn't have had a prayer, either. He sat on the edge of the bed, his bag resting on the floor. "Laura was half out the door herself. You gotta call her tonight or else she will come. The kids wanna hear from you, too."
A beat, then in a voice that was slightly chiding, "You could have called me sooner, Kate. With that shitshow out there? I would have come."
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Clint had filled a void in Kate. Almost fitted the shape her dad had left after dying. A shape that became more painfully bigger since she felt her mom betray everything Kate stood for.
But Clint would always be there. Reminding her to be brave, to have hope. If he could face a bunch of aliens with a string and sticks, then she could beat the shit out of some corrupt cops.
"I swear they look worse than this," Kate pointed out proudly, cocking her head as she smiled goofily. She allowed Clint to gently get her back in bed. But not for a second did she lose the spark of joy in the way she looked at him.
"I'm tempted to facetime them just to see their faces, but that's probably going to backfire with Laura." Oh, she would so go back to mom mode. "I'll call in a bit, I promise." After dinner. If she doesn't pass out. Thank god she took those naps...
Something softened in her. It wasn't guilt, but awareness. Hope that she wouldn't disappoint him with the choice she made. "I didn't want to worry you, not over this. It's not your mess to clean, Clint. You deserve your time with the kids."
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As many times as it took.
"Besides. Laura has gotten into home remodeling. I'm useless if I don't have an opinion, and I'm in the way when I have the wrong opinion on bathroom cabinets." He said it with the much beleaguered pain of a man who was absolutely smitten with a wife who could precisely smash through dry wall and install plumbing. There was literally nothing his wife couldn't do, and he would humble brag about her every chance he got. "So I figured I'd get out of the city while she redid our home."
He stood and got her some water, offering it over before sitting again. She was looking hurt and tired, but resolved. She'd grown a lot while he'd been gone. Grown further into the person he knew she'd become. She reminded him so much of Nat in some ways. That quiet resolve, even if the exterior covering it was different.
"Where's the mutt?"
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For how many years had she tried to be strong and independent and only depend on herself to get back on her two feet? Following her mom's steps too, in a way. But when Kate met Clint, she had not wasted any time in showing him she could do things like a pro. Wearing Ronin's mask, protecting her identity like a professional. Rescuing him. Taking care of everything.
She had half-failed most of the time. But Clint had been there, pushing her to excell. Reminding her to trust on her partner. The same partner that, after her mother had been taken to prison, had taken her to his home and family for the holidays.
Clint would never leave her on her own devices.
"Sounds like a fair plan. What's she remodelling? Is she making that crafts room she wanted?" Honestly, the woman deserved it. And Clint was such a doting dad that her finding time to practice her hobbies wouldn't be a problem if she had the space and supplies.
It was such a perfect family.
"Oh, he's with one of Matt's friends, at this bar. Matt's apartment exploded and we had to jump out of the balcony." She explianed. "But I told Lucky that we were going for a walk and pizza and he went straght downstairs before that happened!"
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"She first remodeled Lila's room because she wanted a unicorn star scape on her walls and ceiling, whatever the hell that is. I've seen it and I'm still confused but I've had to come up with unicorn constellation stories ever since. Then she decided that the master bathroom needed to be reworked because I have 'old man hips' and we both needed a better tub situation. I should tell her to work on the crafts room for herself. You know that didn't cross her radar. It's all the kids and us as a couple." He made a mental note to use Kate's suggestion as a gentle encouragement. "Thanks for that."
He absolutely had no qualms about taking the kids and giving their mother a day or two a week to herself. He greedily wanted the time after he'd lost so much with work.
"Matt's apartment exploded?" Well hell. That was for later, when he talked to Matt. For now he was focused on Kate. "You have that dog wrapped around your finger, of course he listened to you. And you're doing right by him. I know Josie's. Matt and I used to go there when... we were younger, and I'll stop there." Nope, no stories of twenties Matt and Clint being dumb. He was a married, respectable man. "I wanna see the mutt, but later. Tomorrow or when you're up to it, you can show me around. Give me the lay of the land only a Hawkeye can."
A beat.
"Fisk is just a petty, small tyrant. The world's had plenty of them. Not diminishing the hurt he's caused, but at the end of the day? That's all they ever are. Small, petty. Weak. Your city has this, Kate. You've got this. Me? I'm just here for the show."
He wasn't here to take over. He wasn't here to lead, or wear a certain mantel. He was here for her. For them. For the city. To support those who now stood tall, and let them know they would win this fight.
That he believed in her always.
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It was simply exciting. Touching, even. Because even though Lila was pretty much a teen, she still was only a girl. One that got to enjoy her dad. Nate, the early bird, didn't have to call and wander around the house on his own just because it was an unholy hour even for someone like Laura. Cooper was a sweet boy, one which Kate (and Matt) suspected had a crush on her. Kate gave him room not to make things weird, but found it adorable.
"No problem, Hawk Guy." Kate expression took a smug little shift. "See? This is why I always tell you that communication is important. You always need my feedback and ideas."
And she needed his. His plans. His experience.
But Clint had other ideas. She knew that he had brought his equipment. Hell, he had already given Fisk men a taste of what was to come. But Clint was also making a big statement by showing her so much trust.
"I'm sure Josie will be happy to see you. And Lucky. Lucky's gonna be all over the moon." Clint could claim the dog's heart belonged to Kate, but he had also a slice of his own he had taken back home.
"We're building an army." She suddenly begun, her tone much quieter, almost unsure if it was her place to explain it on her own. "Not just heroes. We want to change the way people see Fisk. Open their eyes. You..." Clint could help Matt reach them. "People believe in you. I've been there. I'm still there."
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He brushed her off, he finished making the quick stir fry and let it in her hands to keep warm. He moved to her fire escape and left the building for the roof. Yes, it was getting past curfew. No he didn't care. He did move a rooftop or two away, to protect Claire's space. If anyone wanted to find him up here, well. Let them come. He needed some air.
Inside the room, Clint remained stalwart with Kate, understanding the history behind her words. He didn't diminish them, nor the responsibility he still felt for the city.
"I might need your ideas but I'm not gonna suggest you give color scheme ideas for our bedroom." A beat, then more seriously, "People believe in you. I'm here, Kate. For as long as needed. I'll stand up and say that Fisk is wrong. But I think it matters more for the people who live here now to say it. To live it. To fight for it. Everyone might remember me fondly, but they also know this isn't my home anymore. They want to see you. And Matt. And Josie, and everyone who this matters to most.
I'm here for you to believe in, but this city needs for you to be the person they believe in now.
And you will. I've no doubt."
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"But..."
Kate tried to argue, to point out that Matt, Peter and Luke and everyone else, they needed all the help they could get. Hell, all the talk they had about the importance of brands? Kate should have made a powerpoint. She could have pulled that out right now to remind him of every important point in there.
Until she understood what Clint meant.
"It's just..." Her tone faltered, unsure. "Everyone in the world knows who you are. It's the kind of endorsment we need. Because..." It felt wrong, comparing her friends to her hero. She had always put Clint on a pedestal. But Matt, Pete... They were the people that were the true heart of this city. People admired the Avengers and what they did for the world. They respected the sacrifice. Their monument always had fresh flowers for Natasha.
But people loved Daredevil for taking the fear away from them. For proving that the rich and untouchable could meet justic. Matt would prove it again, in time. She's sure. People loved Spider-Man for being one of them, a guy next door that worried about the problems of the people next door.
She hoped to one day do enough meaningful things to earn that same sort of trust and love.
At least Clint believed in her.
"You have more experience than us leading up big teams. I know--" She glanced at the door, clearly worried. "Matt pushes himself too much. He needs all the support he can get and I don't know how to help him."
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Now though Matt and Peter and Luke and Jessica couldn't just run around doing their own thing and manage to save the day. They would have to work together in ways they never had in the past. Kate had come into this with a partnership foundation, but in juxtaposition, she then doubted her worth outside of the duo partnership.
If Clint stepped in and took over, he was just inviting the locals to rely on a system that wasn't part of their whole. Not really. They needed to know they could manage on their own. As much as Clint wanted to hold Kate close, to reassure it was fine, to stand alongside her and save the day for her. He wanted to take away all her pain and all her doubt and be her hero. He loved her, so he wanted that for her.
He loved her, so he knew that he had to show her she could save not only herself, but so much more.
He wanted Lila to one day walk along the streets at night, secure not because he was her dad, but because knowing women like Kate and Laura she was sure she could save herself. Empower a person, and they moved mountains. Even one as big as Fisk.
Trust one person, and they would save the world.
"Sounds like you need better marketing, then." His tone was gruff and playful, teasing her to huff rather than be uncertain. "You can help him by doing what Nat and I did for one another. What you and I do for each other. Call him out on his shit. Trust him when he tells you he needs it. Trust yourself to know the difference. Matt can take away their fear, Peter can let them know they're not alone, and you? You can show them that everyone can make a difference. All it takes it making a choice.
I'll talk to Matt. If he'll listen. What I would do though as a SHIELD Agent and Avenger isn't what you and Matt will do, and that's okay. Trust yourself. Trust one another. I'll go on record and say I'm following Daredevil's army. I'll throw my weight into this fight. But it will be fought and won on your terms. I believe in you. So the question is, you gonna let some petty tyrant prove me wrong?"
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It was every doubt, every fear that Kate and Matt and anyone who had attended those secret meetings at Josie's shared. All unspoken. But like the elephant in the room, everyone was well aware thay they were there, like a dark shadow that threatened to grow larger.
They knew they were going to make it, that they had no other option. But honestly? Kate had no idea of how. How long it would take, how to appraoch it. Sure, they had talked right away, brainstormed. Everything seemed to simple and logical.
But then Fisk had spoken in the morning. They went into martial law, the curfew. They found the old commissioner dead, they had blamed vigilantes on a murder that later had proven to be extremely gruesome. People were shocked that somehow pictures were leaked online. Nobody at Josie's seemed so surprised.
It was taking it's toll. Frank had disappeared, they feared he was dead. Karen had grown quiet for a few days. She was doing her own investigation, trying to find any vigilante who had ever stood up for this city.
They decided to keep living their normal lives, even though they were on the move, not staying in the same place for long. Kate had not discussed it with Matt, but he kept her on the move instead of sending her back home. He had nowhere to go back to, so it worked. It was a good arrangement. There were nice people like Claire that helped them, willing to offer a couch or an inflatable bed. They wouldn't be targets if they didn't stay too long in one place.
But Clint was right. They had discussed doing this in their own termns instead of just fighting Fisk only with violence. Clint had opened her eyes. They needed to connect with their people by showing exactly how they did things. By understanding why they meant something to that people and by being earnest to each other.
Kate squeezed Clint's hand and didn't let go,
"Please talk to him. He -- I think Matt really needs it. We have been working so hard but it feels like we haven't had the chance to actually sit down and regroup, you know? Like we've been going through the motions. And he always carries all the pressure on his shoulders."
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She impressed the hell out of him.
"I'll talk to him." He had a few things to say to Matt for sure. A harsh, but not unforgiving, few things. Clint intended to give him something of a verbal smackdown. Then he'd offer a hand back up. Whether Matt took the hand or not would say everything Clint needed to know on if Matt could not just be the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, but the Leader of a City. He hoped Matt rose to the challenge.
For now though, he just said to Kate, "Give me a few minutes? I'll be back." He rose to head to the door. Paused in the frame. He looked back and said to Kate the single offering that both hurt and healed his heart. "When I heard about what you've done... well. I have a story to tell you later about Nat."
He left the room. Claire entered instead, as Clint went to find Matt. Claire closed the door, leaning against it with a plate of stir fry and a smile on her face. A knowing smile.
"I'll eat with you. Trust me, there's plenty, but the boys will be awhile."
Out three rooftops away, Clint found Matt. Head tilted, listening like he was Daredevil while in Luke's clothing that was pajamas on him.
"Barton."
"Murdock."
"Been awhile."
"And the weather's shit. Now that that's out of the way, are we talking or fighting? Because either way, I have some questions that need answering."
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But now, she found herself in a warm comfortable bed, with soft pillows and a feather-filled duvet with flower patterns. Her body was weary, achey but, in a way? Kate felt proud. Proud because she had survived, because she could carry the scars like badges. Lessons.
Strangers welcomed them in their homes. Loved ones crossed the country to bring encouraging words. They were not alone. It was as if color had come back to a dark city. It was the hope Matt had been talking about. She had believed in it like a legend, like an oasis lost in the desert. Kate could finally, genuinelly see it.
"I'm a little old for bedtime stories," she pointed out. Her tone was playful. "But I can't ever turn down a story about Nat, old man."
It was surprising, to see Claire joining her instead as Clint walked away. Kate quietly thanked her as she handed her over the plate, only now realizing just how hungry she was. She had completely slept through lunch and it was the first bite she'd have since last night. Her stomach grumbled, suddely awake and demanding.
"I couldn't thank you properly about last night," she offered as she sat properly against her headboard. Matt would give her so much shit if he saw her eating in bed, harrassing her with stories about bedbugs.
"It's not exactly the best introduction, bleeding over someone's carpet in the middle of the night." She arched her brows, emphasizing a point. "I swear it's not an habit of mine. But you were so kind and I really owe you one, Claire."
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Clint nodded at Matt's clenched fists. "Your hands."
"Oh." Matt hadn't even realized they'd been balled up into fists. He unfurled his fingers, one hand rubbing over the other's bruised and cut knuckles. "No. I don't want to fight." A beat. "Not you, at least."
"Yeah. I get that." Clint went and stood next to Matt. "So. Seems you've got a real mess on your hands. Even worse, the people following you know it, too. Taking one look at you, they know it."
Matt grimaced, rubbing his knuckles and still facing out towards the city. He said nothing.
Clint sighed. "You have to be bigger than this, you know. Not just fighting in the streets. In meetings, in every talk you have. When people look at you, they have to see a chance of winning."
"You think I don't know that? You think I'm not trying to do that?"
"I'm sure you are. I'm saying, you have to try something different, because it's not working." Clint's voice was frank, and he saw the hurt on Matt's face. The hurt wouldn't be there though if Matt didn't already think what Clint said was true. "For what it's worth, I do think you can do it. I've seen people do it." Steve came to mind. Now Sam. "It might mean that you can't always be yourself, or the person you want to be. You have to be the person they need. And if anyone can figure out what people need, it's the guy who can read everyone like a book."
Clint gave him a pat on the shoulder, then turned to walk away. He paused to only add, "And you find the one person you can be yourself with no matter what, so you don't go crazy in the process."
"And if you don't find that person?"
"Well. You were already pretty crazy to start. You might be fine."
Both men smiled at one another.
"C'mon. Let's eat dinner." They went back to Claire's.
~*~
Inside the bedroom, Claire settled into a chair and took a bite of the chicken with garlic and ginger stir fry Matt had just thrown together in less than a half-hour. The man did know how to cook. It was one of his many charms, to live alongside his flaws. Looking at the injured young woman in front of her, Claire shook her head to wave off any concerns.
"Someone bleeding on my carpet in the middle of the night is usually how I meet people these days," she said wryly. She'd known many of the vigilantes in the city before they even met one another because of it. "It's all right. It's my job. Just like I know getting hurt is usually part of your job." It was a dangerous one, but she knew the necessity for it. "You're one of my better patients, so thank you for that. It's really annoying when someone comes to you bleeding then doesn't listen to a word you say about how to keep it from happening again immediately."
She heard Matt's voice coming in through the window.
"Speaking of the devil."
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Instead, she held the plate that she and Claire shared, beaming as they chatted and glad that Matt had introduced her to what she believed would be a great ally. Most important, a friend. Because, in all honesty, she wasn't looking forward to bleed on anyone's carpet if she could help it. But right now, a friendly face they can speak freely to? Nurse or not, that was welcomed. Cherished.
"Matt says you and Luke are together," she pointed out, little by little truly digging into the stir fry. God, she had been starving. "I know Matt already did it for me, but I really need to thank your boyfriend. He..." Did Claire know the specific details behind that favor? "My mom's in Ryker, because of Fisk. She-- " Kate shook her head, it was a long story. "She could be a target and Luke probably saved her life being in there."
Kate looked up sharply at Claire's comment, noticing they were not on their own anymore.
"Hey."
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"Hey." Entering with a plate of his own, Clint went and sat on the edge of Kate's bed to eat. Matt entered afterwards with a plate in hand, sitting on the floor against the wall as Claire was in the chair.
Claire gave him a look she was certain he could sense. "You can take the chair, you know." Matt of course brushed her off.
"So." Clint speared a piece of chicken, studied it for a moment before shrugging and eating it. "What did Matt and I miss, or do we not want to know?"
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"Yeah, I know the kind," she pointed out with a warm laugh. Matt was the same. "They honestly give it everything for other people. But they also deserve to be thanked properly from time to time." She might not know him yet, but Kate was sure that she'd adore Luke.
As the guys joined them, Kate couldn't help but notice the shift in Matt's mood. He was much more quieter now, withdrawn. Hell, he was being broody. What exactly had Clint said to him?
"We were mostly talking shit about you two. You probably don't want the details."
Jokes or not, she wanted to offer Matt something. Get him out of his shell.
"This is so stupidly good, Matt," she pointed out as she stabbed a piece of chicken of her own. "Had you tried his food before, Clint? He is a pain in the ass about processed stuff, but his cooking is incredible."
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Claire just snorted and shook her head. "I'll get us all some drinks, what do you want? Water? Tea? Coffee? Soda?"
Matt gave a small smile in Kate's direction at the compliment. "I'm glad you like it. And tea for me."
"It's bags of Lipton."
"Water, then."
Clint shook his head. "No, he never cooked for me. The most he ever did was order bar snacks when we went drinking." Which was how Clint knew where Josie's was. He and Matt hadn't been close friends, but they had shared the occasional beer after a night of fighting or when needing to trade tips on what was going on with the streets. "And I'll take a soda. Let's not be too healthy here tonight."
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"So, how's the kids? I was telling Matt all about them." About how sweet Lila was, what an adorable gremlin Nate turned out to be and even about Cooper's awkwardness. "Bet Nate must be huge now." She'd seen a few pictures and the youngest Barton had gained some inches of height these last months for sure.
This was nice. The thing about going through such a rough time was that these things happened. They were building a community. Getting to introduce people they trusted, to connect with them, finding companionship with old friends or even strangers. Kate had found herself sleeping on the couch of people she had never met before, or enjoying stir fry in the guest's bedroom of a nurse she had never heard about.
As horrible as things seemed, this was nice.
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Clint gave her foot a light flick at the nudging. "The kids are great. Nate is definitely going to be taller than me someday. Lila's still into writing stories, and Cooper's doing well in school. He's been helping his mother redecorate, too." He sounded very proud of all of them, which he was. It was truly amazing getting to see the babies he'd helped create grow and become their own people. "When this is all over you'll have to come visit again. The duck is doing well, too," he added over at Matt.
Matt gave a nod of appreciation. "Yeah? Good. Not surprised farm life suits him." Quietly to his phone he said, "Text Heather: Made it back. Sleep well." He pocketed his phone again afterwards and poked at his plate. The food was good, he just felt almost too tired to eat.
Claire came back in a minute or two later to pass out the drinks.
"So, Kate. What else do you like to do, besides shooting arrow?"
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She missed the sensation of being in a household full of love like the one Clint proudly owned. Looking back on those memories, it all felt like a dream she'd enjoyed a long time ago.
Matt's voice caught her by surprise. Or rather, his words. It had been days since he had last brought up Heather. Kate had started to suspect that maybe the couple had broken up. Her heart betrayed her because, even though she kept telling herself she just wants Matt to be happy with whoever he is with, there's a painful realization as she is reminded that he is a man with a life of his own. That he doesn't share everything with her just because they're working - surviving together.
It's Claire who pulls her out of that dark, painful sensation.
"Huh - Well, not much these days. I'm supposed to be working at the family company, but these days it's mostly like showing my face and hearing about the stuff I need to sign."
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Claire sat down on the chair again and sipped at her water. Since she hadn't had fancy looseleaf tea, of course Matt had opted for water as well. "That sounds like important work, but still work, not hobbies. It's important to still take time for yourself. Maybe especially now." It was a marathon what they were dealing with, and it wouldn't do for anyone to burn out already. "So what would you like to spend your time doing, if you gave yourself a half an hour here or there?"
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Frank, who they still worried about since they had not heard a thing from him since the last time they saw each other. It was a thorn in the heart that they all got used to, but that at the mention of Frank stung again.
Claire's words drew her out of her thoughts, surprising Kate as she made her point. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. So many of the things Kate had grown up doing... It all had a goal. Every sport, everything she practiced. Had she ever taken them as hobbies?
"I guess... Well, I kinda miss hanging with my friends from college. You know, chilling like this. Maybe going to a bar or even dancing." Maybe she had never been too crazy about clubbing, but she missed a night of going out and having fun. "A concert."
She smiled, a little flustered. "And I haven't read a book in what feels like ages."
Lately, it felt like they had always been in the run. Like they had always been on edge. There was no time for distractions.
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