Scribbles - Marvel Soulmate AU

Heat Of The Cold

Warmth and the siren song of sleep was what comforted Clint. The violet covers around him engulfed his body like a hug in his little nest of self-pity. His desolation gave him a sick sense of peace.

"Clint, you can't stay like this." The voice was soft. It was softer than Nat's voice has ever been before.

No matter how soft, the sudden voice made the orphan jump.

"Leave me alone, Tasha."

There was no reply, only a shifting as Nat perched herself on the bed. Her hand pressed on his shoulder and it was warmer that any blanket that there was. He wanted to thank his friend but he knew that it wasn't needed. She knew.

"What's wrong, Clint?"

"I don't know."

A sigh escaped Natasha's lips as she looked down at her best friend. Slowly, she slipped to the floor, her back pressing against the bed. Her hand and Clint's wrapped themselves around eachother and both teenagers felt as if it was them against the world.

"I'll be here for when you find out, then."

~~~

Monday morning brought school for Clint, who severely regretted everything that had brought him to that point.

The boy found himself glancing down to his phone, wishing for some sort of distraction from his confusing thoughts. Nat, as always, delivered - in the form of a text message.

Natasha: -•- • --• ••- -•-- •- •-•

A grin crossed Clint's face. Nat was such a dork.

Minutes later, he had ended up at a quiet coffee shop, waiting for his best friend to return with their drinks. (They'd always take it in turns to buy.) "Any reason for today, Nat?"

"Nope," the girl said, inspecting her milkshake to ensure that it had no sprinkles. (Even martial artists can choke to death.)

The drinks had been finished by the time that the pair reached school and Nat had tiredly thrown an arm over Clint's shoulder.

From the corner of his eye, Clint spotted Wade. The boy looked a little irritated but restraining himself from doing something stupid. Probably wise. Wade looked like he could do some pretty moronic stuff.

Clint stifled a laugh at his own thoughts and focused on where he was going. With Nat leaning on him, he didn't want to trip. Everyone knew not to anger the merciless private investigator, especially him.

But that was forgotten when Wade brushed next to him.

His heart rate spiked and he tripped over nothing, not managing to stay on his feet. A laughing Wade had pulled him back up, saying something that Clint didn't quite catch as his eyes scanned the ground.

Where the hell were his hearing aids?

His head shot up again and he looked to Nat. "I can't find my hearing aids." The girl practically dropped and scoured the ground.

Movement caught Clint's attention and he looked to the boy before him. His arms were moving wildly, asking if he understood sign language.

Emotion flowed over Clint. He couldn't identify it but it was beautiful and refreshing. He had two friends, both of which were helping him with something that he hardly accepted himself for. It was overwhelming and all that Clint could do was grin. He grinned as if none of this life has ever happened. There was no death, no running, no abandonment. There was just Nat and Wade. And that, these two people, were truly the light in his fractured life.

"Thank-you," was how he vocalised it all. They understood.

~~~

In his good mood, Clint still had energy when he got back to his house. Usually, he would collapse and get up later for practise and food. But, no.

The teenager's messy scrawl marked his arm. "Hi."

"What got you in such a good mood?"

"I need a reason?"

"Tushe"

"Please mean touche."

"Sure."

Clint's eyes practically rolled out of his skull. "Who are you?"

"Telling you wouldn't be very fun, would it?"

"Fine. I'll tell you. Vaguely. I'm an archer."

"Legolas. How often do people call you Legolas?"

"All the time."

"Hunger games."

"Heard it."

"The girl from Brave."

"Sorry, man. No."

"Fine, Maid Marian."

"Fine, " Before Clint could continue, a scrawl interjected.

"i have to go" The words blended together and were hardly legible, aswell as punctuation being nonexistent.

A frown crossed Clint's features and his heart sank but he decided not to pry. So, reluctantly, he washed away the ink.