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The normally boisterous and plentiful Barton household sat still and quiet, save for the lone figure that slumbered on the couch. A thin blanket covered half his body while the other half hang haphazardly off the couch and dangled over the nearby dog bed, a bed that normally contained an excited ball of energy but as of now remained empty where the only item that remained of the aforementioned ball of energy was strands of leftover golden fur.
Clint’s nostrils flared as he lightly snored and the sound echoed through the lower level of the home. His eyelids fluttered as he dreamt while his defenses stayed down, safe and secure in the comfort of his own home. A snort was heard from him as he started and cracked an eye open while he waited and determined what had tripped his own internal alarm. His question was answered moments later as gravel crunched outside and the sound of a familiar engine reached his hearing aid.
The blanket dropped fully onto the dog bed as Clint moved into an upright position and rubbed the sleep from his eyes before he glanced at the coffee table in front of him and more specifically at the stack of papers that were perched directly in front of him. He reached out for the Starkphone that sat nearby but placed it back down again almost immediately as a quick glance at the lock screen showed nobody had reached out to him. His hands ruffled through his mussed hair as he attempted to bring it back to a presentable state, once he found himself satisfied with how it should look he sat on the edge of the cushion and clasped his hands on his knees.
His attention is caught at the sound of car doors being slammed and specifically at how one sounded louder than the other. He waited patiently as the door of the house opened and Laura stepped through the threshold. His interest is piqued as the door closed behind her and he finds himself concerned as her shoes landed with a thud on the nearby mat before she made a beeline for the couch and more specifically him.
“Hey mama,” He murmured as she pressed herself against his body and drew her legs up on the furniture. She responded with silence and he softly rubbed his hand up and down her arm as she laid her head against his chest and he pressed against the back of the couch.
“Was it that bad?” His lips moved against the crown of her head as he placed a light kiss.
He received a noncommittal hum in return and he prepared himself for the emotional rollercoaster that would find itself joining them shortly. Clint had hoped today would be a good day for Kate, she’d found herself having more good than bad as of late after all but the bad still found a way to make an appearance. It was just bad luck, or perhaps fate, that today ended up being a bad one.
“Did she say anything?” Clint asked and Laura tilted her head up from it’s resting place on his chest and looked up at him. His free hand reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes as she shook her head.
“I tried but she was a brick wall. She went straight to the barn as soon as we got back.” Laura explained and Clint pursed his lips together and let out a long breath out through his nose.
If Kate went right to the barn, that was never a good sign. When she’d first started with them, Clint and Laura had set aside a small area in the barn for her and her alone for whenever she had a particularly bad session. The space contained a few archery targets along with a small punching bag, nothing extravagant but sometimes the physical acts themselves helped to center her and regain some control. As the months had gone by, she had used it less and less, something that both Clint and Laura had noticed with an element of pride for the girl.
Laura shifted her head against him and he heard a sharp intake of breath moments before she asked, “Is that what I think it is?”
Clint looked down to see what she was looking at and followed her gaze to the stack of papers on the table alongside a pen and he nodded, even though Laura couldn’t see it. “As soon as everyone signs, it’s official. Jen already got the judge’s, it just needs yours and Kate’s.” Clint neglected to add on the unsaid if she wants to even though the thought had rattled around in his mind every so often.
Clint finds himself wholly unsurprised as Laura pushed herself away from him and picked up the pen with a telltale click before she swiftly scribbled her signature in all the spots marked in the documents for her attention before the pen clicked shut and dropped back onto the table with a clatter and the documents are placed back as neatly as they were found.
“Now we just wait for her,” Clint motioned with his head towards the direction of the barn as Laura settled back against him.
“Do you..” Laura hesitated and Clint gave her his undivided attention, “Do you think she’ll say no?”
Clint thought on it for a moment and made a gesture with his hands, “The only one who can answer that is her, no one else can make that decision for her.”
The minutes ticked by and just as Clint considered checking in on her, the door slammed open and Kate stomped inside. She roughly shucked off her shoes and tossed them forcefully on the mat. Clint winced as he watched, Laura had mentioned it was a bad day but he hadn’t seen this in a long time. Kate hadn’t even glanced in their direction yet either but Clint needed to get her attention.
“Katie?” Clint softly called out which caused her head to whip towards the two of them on the couch and just stared at them, like a deer in the headlights.
“It’s ok sweetheart,” Laura told her comfortingly. She pushed herself away from Clint and patted the chair near the couch, “Come and sit with us for a few minutes?”
Kate still continuted to stare at them but eventually made her way over to the chair where she hesitantly sat down and brought her knees up to her chin. As Kate got closer, the more Clint was able to make out the redness in her eyes and the dried tear tracks that still remained on her face.
“How was your day?” Clint asked as he hoped that the time in the barn had been enough to get her to open up on what happened today.
Kate shrugged and rested her face against her knees but otherwise made no comment as her eyes continued to look anywhere but the two of them.
Clint shared a look with Laura who merely raised an eyebrow as if to say told you. Her eyes flicked to the papers on the table and back to him, the meaning loud and clear.
Clint cleared his throat and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. His hands clasped neatly as he looked at Kate and called her name out. It took a couple tries before her eyes finally shifted towards them and he knew he had her attention.
“Katie” he began, “You remember what Laura and I told you six months ago when you first came here?”
Kate slowly nodded as a small smile appeared, “That if you had your way I’d never have to go anywhere.” She paused and the smile slowly disappared as her eyes narrowed, “Was that just a lie?”
“No sweetheart,” Laura cooed as she reached out for Kate’s hand, a hand that was swiftly pulled away from the armrest it had resided on while the owner glared at the two in suspicion.
“We meant every word of it,” Clint attempted to assauge her although his voice held a hint of panic within. “And we’d like to prove it.” He pushed the papers towards Kate in an attempt to do so. The younger girl merely shifted her glare towards them and her brow furrowed in puzzlement.
“What’s that?” Kate questioned skeptically.
“Our promise to you,” Clint told her as he took Laura’s hand within his and the two waited for Kate to make the first move.
Kate stared at the papers for a period before she slowly brought her knees down and her feet touched the floor as she leaned forward and her fingers rested above the pages before she tentatively grabbed them. Clint waited with bated breath as her eyes skimmed over the words on the page before she slowly looked at them over the edge of the papers, an unspoken question in her eyes.
“It’s up to you kiddo,” Clint said and sent a soft smile her way.
Kate’s eyes grew glossy and she looked back at the papers and back at Laura and Clint before she gave a single solitary nod.
Laura let out a soft sob at that and Clint was finally able to let out the shaky breath he’d been holding in. With a speed that surprised the two of them, Kate dived across the short space where she was quickly embraced in their arms and the sound of her shuddery breaths grew louder in their arms as she buried her head into their shoulders. Clint could feel as a few tears made their way down his face but he didn’t dare move, worried that would break the embrace. He could see that Laura was in a similar state even as she sent a wet smile his way.
It was Kate that eventually broke the embrace and pulled herself away as she sniffled. Clint quickly used his thumbs to wipe away the few tears that still remained on her face and is pleasantly surprised as she almost seemed to lean into it.
“Happy tears,” she wetly laughed, “I promise.”
This drew a laugh from Clint as he pressed a kiss to her forehead which Laura repeated moments later.
“Can.. Can I have another hug?”
Clint managed to hide his surprise but not the eleation he felt at that request as a smile split his face.
“You can have as many as you want sweetheart,” Laura told her as she wrapped her in arms again and Clint continued to grin as he watched his girls before Kate turned to him and without a word he swept her up in his arms just as Laura had. He caught Laura’s eye over the head in front of him and he instantly knew that the two had made the right choice, not that there was much of a choice in the matter for either of them.
From the moment Kate had entered their lives, he knew this is where it would go and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He didn’t know what the future would bring for any of them but they had each other and for their family, that would be more than enough.