under a spell

The One With The Rat

Turns out, Cooper was still asleep and had no idea that your dad was even home. You found this out as your dad snuck past you on the stairs with a childish grin on his face. Rolling your eyes, you walk into the lounge and immediately spot Lila in your seat. She grins cheekily at you.

"I told you your sister was sitting there," Natasha said to Lila as she absentmindedly flicked through a magazine.

You easily lift Lila up and deposit her on the floor before quickly taking your seat. As you get comfortable, Lila joins you on the armchair and leisurely lies on your lap, sticking her tongue out at you as she does. You poke her nose and try your best to ignore the Twins as they sit on the sofa facing you but when you hear a scream from Cooper's room, you all make eye contact. Seconds later, and he sprints downstairs and you immediately point to the kitchen where your mom is. He follows your direction and disappears, eagerly shouting, "Mom!"

"How did you know he wanted your mom?" Pietro asks.

You shrug and pat Lila's head.

"He's my brother, I know him like the back of my hand." Lila pokes you. "I know all of them like the back of my hand."

Your dad comes jogging into the room and Lila eagerly gets up from you and hugs him.

"I still can't believe you're home, daddy!"

He kisses her head and looks at you all.

"Everyone okay in here?"

You all nod.

"Kid, you behaving yourself?" he asks.

Pietro glares at your dad and when Lila isn't looking, he flips him off.

"Mature." Clint snaps.

"As always, old man."

"Stop calling my daddy, old!" Lila defends, scowling at Pietro. The silver haired boy instantly backs off, much to Natasha's amusement.

"Clint?" your mom calls from the kitchen.

"Sounds like I'm needed." He says as he carries Lila away. The room is silent then until you hear a small scurrying sound on the floor. You look down, confused and when you look up, Pietro is doing the same thing as you.

"You heard that too?" you ask. He nods.

You see the tail dashing under the sofa occupied by Natasha and you swear you've never made a noise like the one you make as you jump onto the chair. Natasha, Pietro and Wanda all look at you as you frantically point at the sofa. Your parents come rushing into the room.

"I swear to God, I just saw a tail go under there."

As one, the three of them lift their legs up from the floor and glance down as your mom goes to find Nathaniel.

"As in a rats tail?" you dad asks.

"Maybe? I dunno!"

The rat makes a run for it and Pietro squeals as he jumps up on the sofa too. You make eye contact with him and he shrugs.

"What? I do not like them either."

The rat comes back into view and Natasha and Wanda just watch as the rodent runs around the room, smiling when Clint begins to chase it.

"Get it dad!" Cooper yells.

"Don't kill it! It's an animal!" Lila shouts.

"Natasha, help me out!" Clint barks at the redhead as he chases the rat into the dining room.

It takes the two trained assassins twenty minutes to catch the rat and that's after the two of them collide in the kitchen.

Now trapped in the bucket, Lila and Cooper kneel besides it as Natasha and Clint decide what to do with the rat.

"Can we keep it?" Lila asks. "Because if so, I've called her Minky."

You're the one to answer. "No."

"Aw! But Minky!"

"No." You say again.

It's one thing sharing the house with the two freaks; I am not sharing my house with a rat as well.

"Kids, wanna help me let it out in the yard?" Clint asks and the two excitedly run to the door. As your dad walks past you, you poke his arm.

"And what if it gets back in again?"

"Then we have a new pet."

You shake your head.

"The house is cramped enough as it is. No pets." You hiss.

Your dad smirks.

"Depends if Minky here comes back." Your dad looks up and quickly says, "Kids, shoes on before you go outside!"

A set of aww's come from the porch.