Coming Home- Scarlett Johansson

Part 9

Archer's POV

It's been two weeks since my moment of weakness in Scarlett's trailer.

I don't know why I let myself be so vulnerable with her. I mean, before yesterday, I hadn't cried since I got back from Afghanistan. I cried for what felt like days when Daddy first got me out, but then I stopped, and I promised I would never do it again. I mean, crying had changed absolutely nothing. The things that had made me sad still made me sad, and the things that made me angry still made me angry. 

The only thing that had changed was that I had wasted a bunch of time crying for nothing. So, I promised myself that I wouldn't waste any more time or effort crying over things I couldn't fix. It seems like a waste of time to me. Plus, I have never seen any of the squad cry or Daddy, so why should I cry? I want to be just like them, so that includes not crying, at least not publicly.

Yet when Scarlett opened the door of her trailer, it just kind of happened. The day had been so long and so exhausting everything just overwhelmed me, and I couldn't stop myself. The world just felt like it was ending, and there she was, being so kind and so lovely and so safe, the opposite of everything I had gone through that day. I just couldn't help myself as I flung myself into her body. 

So I cried, and I sobbed, and I sniffled and cried some more while letting it all out. And you know what? For a moment, when I cuddled with Scarlett and she played with my hair, everything did feel better. The things that had made me mad didn't seem so important, and the things that made me sad seemed so insignificant I almost forgot all about how awful my day had been. Nothing else seemed to matter as I hid in her chest from the rest of the world.

So just like Scarlett asked, the next day, when Xanthi turned up at breakfast, I apologised, although I straight up refused to look at her. If she didn't know who I was before, I am reasonably sure after my display, she did.

 Flinging someone over his shoulder is Daddy's signature move, after all. She has yet to make any comments, but I have refused to be near her alone. True to her work, Scarlett spends as much time as she can with me, and when she isn't, Flo or Lizzie always are. 

This means Xanthi never has a chance to speak with me. I flat up refuse to let Xanthi in my trailer, so on the very rare occasions one of the others can't be with me, which was once, I just run and hide in my trailer until they are free and can accompany me. If any of the others noticed my distaste for Xanthi, they haven't commented. Heck, Scarlett hasn't even asked for the full story, taking her lack of respecting my boundaries as more than enough of an answer.

I am currently standing in the gym waiting for the others. They have decided today is as good as any to try my workout. It's half-five, and I am just stretching as I wait for everyone. I told them all five thirty, but it seems everyone is going to be late. If I was Tiger, I would make them run a lap per minute they are late, but I think that might kill Robert, so I guess I am going to be forced to just deal with their tardiness.

 By the time everyone is here, it's six o'clock, and I am practically jumping off the walls at the change in my routine. This is going to bite me in the arse later.

"You are all half an hour late," I yell when Robert finally makes his appearance. "Normally, the punishment for that would be thirty laps, but since I am already worried my workout may kill you old folks, cough Robert cough, I won't be that mean. I will make you all do an extra set, though, so instead of doing everything four times, we are going to do it five," I yell, my voice echoing around the room while the others all start to grumble. 

"What was that? You want six reps?" I teased, all of them instantly going quiet, which had me smiling. "That's what I thought," I teased them all. "Alright, just copy me and try not to fall behind. If you don't think you can do it, try harder. If you are going to have a heart attack, as Captain America over here says, walk it off," I instruct before starting our workout.