under a spell

The twins

When you are woken up in the early hours of Saturday morning by a bright light flashing into your bedroom, you clamber out of your warm and cozy bed and stumble over to your window, mumbling a few swear words as you go. Still slightly dazed and half asleep, your eyes narrow against the light until you spot something landing in a field not too far away. And it can only mean one thing. You squeak and bolt for your door, all crankiness, and slight sleep deprivation quickly forgotten.

Bare feet slamming against the carpet covered staircase as you hastily tie your (H/C) hair into a messy bun, you sprint down the stairs and skid into the lounge, rushing over to the window to double check that what you had seen upstairs wasn't a trick of your exhausted eyes.

It wasn't.

With a huge grin, you tear open the front door and charge outside and stop on the bottom step, hopping on the spot in anticipation. In the distance, you see a figure wave overhead and you quickly wave back, squealing happily again. You haven't seen him in nearly five months and you're itching to run up to him. But the last time you did, you slipped before you even reached his arms and managed to completely cover the entire back portion of your body in mud and grass; your mom refused to let you anywhere near the house and hosed you down right there in the field.

So you stay put.

The figure walks closer and when you quickly spot another two just behind him, you know exactly who they are and decide to go for it. If your mom has to hose you down afterward, so be it. You sprint, the muddy grass squelching beneath your feet and it causes you to slip a couple of times but you manage to stay upright this time. The figures get closer and soon you can see your dad with his arms wide open, bracing himself for your upcoming impact. You run a little closer before diving forward into his arms and hugging him tightly.

"Hey, kiddo!" He says as he squeezes you in his arms.

"You're home!" You reply as you nuzzle your face into his neck. Your dad smells different to what he normally does at home. But this is what you and your little sister like to call his 'work smell' and it sticks to him for days after he's returned; no matter how much he showers. It was the times when he came home smelling of the hospital, that was when you and your sister tended to worry most. Smelling of the hospital sterilization meant serious injury and a blatant lie to your face. Smelling of sweat and blood meant minor injury and secrets kept from you.

Another odor hangs on him tonight as he twirls you around. The unmistakable smell of burnt flesh. And to save yourself from the possible nightmares, you don't dare to ask if the burnt skin is an injury caused to him or one he (and more than likely, Natasha) caused.

No matter the outcome, you know your parents wait until you're all in bed to talk about what he has done. They want to keep them, now four, of you as far away from it all as possible. They keep you in the dark and all you really know is that your dad just can't seem to miss. And that his best friend is Natasha.

You were used to seeing Auntie Nat on a regular basis. She practically helped to raise you guys, teaching you and Lila ballet while Cooper was out with your mom and then when you were all together, she would teach you some useful self-defense skills that you would all later use on your dad. Natasha was a really good babysitter and would sort out any issues when your parents were away. The last time she did, Lila came home from school, crying, and you and Cooper heard her telling Auntie Nat that she was being picked on by one of the older kids. The next day, Natasha drove you all to school (your college campus wasn't far away) and after dropping the kids off, she went to talk to the principle while you sat on one of the chairs outside his office. You kept to yourself, tapping away on your phone until you saw the principle hastily leaving his office, a very smug Natasha not far behind.