It turned out that Xavier's was about fifteen hours away, which was... Not ideal- for Clint's health, that is.
Of course, Charles did extend an offer to pick Jessica up but retracted it when it clicked in his head that it was Clint and Percy calling. He apologized to Jessica and wished her luck on the drive. He also stressed that she refrained from killing any of the men because, unfortunately, they were part of the Avengers. Separately, through the demigod's mind, Charles reminded Percy that he was always welcome to hideout at the academy so long as he went through the front door and not Logan's window.
Neither Clint nor Jessica looked concerned when Percy randomly blew a raspberry and started muttering in Greek. Jessica had only hung out with them for about two hours and she already knew that it wasn't worth it to question some things. Percy was a category all on his own.
"Do we need to fill up the tank? I'm filling up the tank." Percy said as he slid into the front seat. He jabbed Clint in his side, aiming for the kidneys, when the man tried to claim that he should drive because it was his truck. He ignored the archer when he climbed in the backseat making pitiful noises and just raised an eyebrow at Jessica when she didn't get inside.
"Do you even know how to drive?" Jessica asked, which was only fair.
"Yeah, of course." Percy rolled his eyes. "I just don't like to do it."
She hesitantly got in the front, buckling herself up quickly. "Then why are you driving now?"
The demigod dug through the center console, making a tiny victorious noise when he found a pack of gum. He tossed one behind him at Clint, who made an indignant noise when it hit him in the face, and held one out to Jessica. "I'm bored and Clint's driving bothers me. You're, like, five-"
"Twelve."
"-So you can't drive us," Percy continued like she hadn't interrupted him. "I don't sleep much either so I'll be able to last for a fair amount on the road. Just let me know if you want to switch with That," He gestured to Clint, who was cuddling with the box in the back.
Jessica nodded. "Gotcha, sounds good." She pointed to the radio. "Can you change it to a rock station?"
"My powers don't work like that," Percy said ominously. To demonstrate, he poked the radio again only for it to switch to an aggressive Romanian game show.
"This is so fucked up."
The son of Poseidon sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. "Steve would say something about this," Percy muttered, pulling out of the parking lot they stopped in to talk to Charles. "But fuck that." He glanced at Jessica. "I need a favor."
"Depends."
"Do you want to offend Captain America?"
"I'm listening."
He pulled into the main road, easily slotting himself into the traffic with the grace of a man that lived in New York. Washington had nothing on him. "I need you to aggressively say fuck the second you see him."
Jessica perked up. "Will I see him?"
"Maybe." He shrugged, flipping someone off when they honked at him for following the road signs. "Everyone seemed concerned when I mentioned that you were here. They don't trust me with someone under five feet."
"I'm 5'1."
"Even worse."
"Why do you hate me?"
Clint leaned forward between the seats. "He hates everyone." He poked the demigod's cheek, snatching his finger back before it was bitten in half. "Well, except Tony and Bucky."
Jessica turned to the man, reaching over to turn down the Romanian game show. "Who's Tony and Bucky?"
"My boyfriends," Percy answered before calmly rolling down his window to curse another driver out to their face.
There was a moment of silence before Clint nodded slowly. "Sometimes, I forget you were born in New York."
"Don't do it again."
"Why does everything sound so threatening when you say it?"
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Girl, have you seen him? I'm pretty sure he'd be the type of asshole in movies people fall in love with."
Percy raised a hand, pointing a finger at her as if he was going to say something, before he slowly placed it back on the steering wheel. Was he... Should he be flattered?
"Honestly, I'm surprised anyone would date you," Jessica said, though she didn't look like she had any ill will. "You're kind of... You."
"I'm surprised, too," The son of Poseidon nodded, cruising along the road now that traffic let up. He was an asshole, he was broken and jaded and just a bit past fucked up. Two wars and three years as a SHIELD agent would traumatize anyone. He was still fighting, though, because he was too stubborn to go out in anything but blazing glory.
Bucky and Tony were fucked up too in different ways, so it only made sense that like attracted like. In a way, Tony's relationship with Pepper didn't work out because the woman didn't know how to support the inventor without smothering his need to reflect. Bucky couldn't allow himself to open up to just anyone, preferring to begin a relationship with individuals who knew how to protect themselves- from both enemies and the man himself.
So... Like attracts like.
Percy, Bucky, Tony.
"I'm a catch," Percy added, almost as an afterthought. "Anyone would be lucky to have me."
"Of course," Jessica agreed but the way she patted his arm was patronizing.
"Sister, I will not hesitate to throw you in a ditch right now. Do not test me."
Clint leaned forward between the seats, brave enough to take off his seatbelt while Percy was driving, to attempt to fiddle with the radio. He didn't know enough Romanian to keep up with the game show playing, which was a shame because the bits he didn't understand sounded interesting.
"Use your voodoo magic and fix this," Clint complained, slumping back in his seat with a huff after about a minute messing with the knobs.
Percy pretended not to hear him, checking his mirrors and switching lanes with a faux passive look.
Jessica repeated what the archer said.
Percy changed the radio station.
"This is slander and I will not stand for this."
"Then sit, bisch."
Jessica was not ashamed to admit she cackled at the look on Clint's face in the rear view mirror.
—
Three hours passed before Percy pulled up to a hotel, claiming that they needed to stop before he decided to total the car with everyone in it. The man had admirably not said anything when Jessica and Clint started an aggressive round of I Spy, so they decided to listen to him and climb out of the truck without a word.
Clint grabbed everyone's bags while Jessica and Percy walked to the front counter after the demigod had changed into a blue sweatshirt instead of his black one from the mission. The archer even remembered to grab the bag with Percy's armor in it- unlike last time when the two had to break into a Chick-Fil-A at two a.m to get it back.
The lady at the counter looked just as tired as they all felt but she still mustered up enough energy to give them a tiny smile. "Hello!"
"Oh, honey, no," Percy said, shaking his head. "We're all fucked up right now, it's okay."
The woman deflated, a sigh of relief escaping her at his words. She chuckled. "My name's Janice. How many rooms would you like?"
The demigod looked at the girl next to him before turning back to the woman. "Two joint rooms, please."
"Alright," Janice nodded, typing the information they gave her in her computer before taking out two key cards. "Check out is at ten tomorrow. You'll pay before you leave."
Jessica took the cards, smiling brightly at her. "Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome, sweetheart. Enjoy your stay."
As the two stepped back to wait for Clint, who was on his way after locking the truck, Percy sneered at Jessica. "That was a disgusting smile."
"You wouldn't know a pretty smile if it stood in front of you and introduced itself."
Clint sighed heavily as he walked in. "Can you guys go five minutes without fighting?"
They both looked at him with identical expressions.
"No."
Janice smothered a laugh, ducking her head a bit when giggles escaped as Percy winked at her and Jessica gave her a thumbs up.
"Come on." Percy snatched the bag with his armor from Clint, shooting the man a look of distrust as he did so. "We're on the second floor. Girl, you're in 202. Barton, you and I are in 204."
Jessica looked apprehensive for a minute but quickly forged ahead to the elevator before Clint could question her. She started spamming the 'close doors' button, looking between it and the two men as if willing it to close faster and leave them behind.
Clint was the only one that made it, Percy giving them an unimpressed look as they waved at him.
"You alright?" The archer asked after a minute of silence.
"Yup."
"Okay."
There was a moment of awkward silence before the elevator doors opened. The two sputtered in surprise when they saw Percy leaning against the wall across from them as if he had been waiting there for a long time.
"How?" Jessica demanded, crossing her arms.
"No."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"And?"
The twelve year-old didn't respond after that, taking her bag from Clint with a thanks and entering her room. It was spacious with a queen-sized bed, nightstand, small table and chair, television, and coffeemaker. Overall, it was very nice and she had it all to herself.
Jessica hated it.
When she was with HYDRA (and she shudders at the thought of how many years she spent thinking they were the good guys), she never had a room to herself. Everything was dark and the people spoke harsh Russian and she was always watched with security cameras. They had altered her memories- something she didn't know until she read her own file during her turn in the backseat, and it was sickening to think about.
She was afraid to be on her own. She didn't want to close her eyes only to open them to the dark and dirty rooms at the HYDRA facility and find out the whole trip was just another altered memory. She was hesitant to bring anything up to Jack or Clint, unsure how they would react, but she didn't want to be alone.
Jessica gathered some of her new clothes and hygiene supplies and went into the bathroom, taking a quick shower. After, she turned on the television and lowered the volume, hunkering down into the bed. Nothing on was entertaining enough to contain her attention and she closed her eyes to try and force herself to fall asleep.
Midnight came and she still couldn't sleep. She sat up, tears lining her eyes, and she sighed deeply. She got out of the bed, walking over to the door that connected hers and the agents' rooms. She knocked lightly, biting her lip as she wondered if she should just sit down and wait for the night to be over.
Before she could back away, the door unlocked and Clint peeked out, concern written on his face. He opened it wider when he saw her expression.
"Are you okay?" He asked, looking her over as if searching for injuries. "Can't sleep?"
Jessica couldn't help the build up of tears again, rubbing her face. "No, I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Hey, hey, it's okay," Clint said soothingly, beckoning her forward. "It happens to us all. Come on, you can sleep on the couch here, alright?"
"Okay." She sniffed, going back to her own bed to grab the blankets before making her way over to the agents' room. When she looked inside everything was the same as her's except that there were two queen-sized beds. Jack was curled up in one and his face was hidden by his hair so she couldn't tell if he was awake or not. He didn't stir at their voices, so she was a little hopeful.
Jessica got to the couch and curled up on it, despite how lumpy and uncomfortable it felt. She pulled the blanket around her shoulders and tucked her knees to her chest, trying to hide her trembling despite the fact that Clint had already bid her goodnight.
She had managed to fall asleep for about an hour before she was rudely awakened as the blanket was dragged from under her, causing her to fall to the ground. She blinked her eyes open, drowsy with sleep, and looked up to see Jack staring at her with a frown. She went to say something but he shook his head, putting a finger to his lips.
"Move." When she didn't immediately do as he said, Jack rolled his eyes. "Move, I want to sit on the couch."
"But..." Jessica kept her voice down, mindful of the fact that Clint was sleeping. "I'm sleeping here."
Jack looked up at the ceiling, like he couldn't believe her right then. "So move over there." He gestured to the bed he was previously laying on. "Shoo, go."
"I-Okay?" She gathered her blanket when he handed it to her and went over to the bed, climbing in. It was very comfortable and warm and she found herself snuggled in quickly. Already about to fall asleep, Jessica peeked over at Jack to see him messing with a tablet, something that looked like forms on the screen. He didn't look tired and she wondered if he was serious about not needing much sleep. Maybe he just didn't want to.
"Girl, go to sleep. It's almost two in the morning."
Jessica did as told, allowing herself to drift off to the sound Clint's soft snores and Jack's light humming.
—
"Bro, why'd you sleep on the couch?"
Jessica found herself waking up to Clint and Jack talking near the bathroom, both of them packing up their bags. When she glanced at the clock, it was only eight thirty in the morning.
"Huh?" Jack gave Clint a mean look, raising an eyebrow at him. "The fuck you want to know for?"
She didn't process the rest of what they were saying, realization washing over her. Jack must have been awake when she first entered the room and saw how uncomfortable she was. Him waking her up and telling her to go to the bed was his own way of making sure she got a good night's rest. She found herself thankful not only for that but also not approaching her when she was allowed inside by Clint. If he started talking to her then, she would have felt too overwhelmed and embarrassed to do anything but cry.
"Girl, are you up?"
Jessica looked over at Jack immediately, knowing he was the one that primarily called her that as if her real name was a disease to him. "Yeah, I just got up."
Clint smiled gently at her, a cup of coffee in his hand. "Go ahead and grab your things and freshen up. We're going to get breakfast downstairs before we checkout. Do you drink coffee?"
"I was never allowed to," The twelve year-old said, pushing the blankets off of her. "I heard it's bitter."
"Sometimes," The archer conceded. "But that's only if you don't add anything to it. If you put milk and sugar in it, it ends up a little sweeter."
Jessica brushed a hand through her hair, working out some of the knots. "Can I... Have a cup?"
Clint shrugged. "Sure, I don't see why not."
"I can see a few reasons," Jack spoke up. "But I don't really care. Girl, there's milk and sugar on the counter for you when you get out. Put the blanket back in your room."
"'Kay." Jessica did as told before grabbing her toothbrush and toothpaste and heading to the bathroom.
The road trip with Jack and Clint wasn't as bad as she initially thought it was going to be. Despite the small arguments with Jack and Clint's carefree nature, they were both fairly nice and understanding of her situation. She understood that they could have just left her behind or give her to SHIELD but they took her best interests to heart and decided to help her. It left her with a warm feeling inside.
Once she finished freshening up in the bathroom, she double and triple checked that she had everything in her bag before going back to the other room. On the counter near the door was a steaming cup of coffee with milk and sugar next to it. She stood hesitantly in front of it, slowly setting her bag by her feet, and wondered how she should prepare her first cup of coffee.
"Do you want me to make you one?" Jack approached her, picking up her duffel bag to swing it over his shoulder.
"Yes, please. I don't know what I'm doing."
Jack nodded, moving forward to grab the milk. "You don't seem like a person to like black coffee so I'll sweeten it up for you."
Jessica watched as he added only a little bit of milk, definitely significantly less than what she would have added, and two scoops of sugar. He stirred it around a bit before tilting his head at it and shrugging. When he stepped back and gestured to it, she hesitantly grabbed the cup to sip at it.
"Well?" Jack raised an eyebrow at her. "Good? Bad?"
"I like it," She said after her second sip. "It's kind of weird but a good weird, you know?"
The man laughed and the action was different than ones before because that one now made his eyes crinkle in the corners and his mouth form a pretty smile. "I know exactly what you mean."
Jessica's face lit up red for a minute and she took a sudden sip of her coffee. "Yeah, um, yeah." She wasn't expecting him to laugh like that in front of her, so open and carefree as if she was someone he could trust easily with himself like that. It didn't help that he was unfairly pretty, too.
"Come on, Clint's waiting for us downstairs. Let's go before he starts sending giraffes memes to me again. Here," He handed her a blue sweatshirt when he noticed her shivering, the cold air catching up with her and her waking mind.
"Thanks." She slipped it on, the hoodie reaching mid-thigh and the sleeves swallowing her hands.
The two went down to wear breakfast was, both of their bags slung over Jack's shoulder. When the elevator stopped on the first floor, Jack told her to go where Clint was while he brought their things to the truck.
Jessica grabbed some breakfast, just Lucky Charms and milk, and made her way to Clint, who was eating from a plate stacked high with syrupy pancakes. "So, how long will it be till we get to Xavier's or whatever?"
"Wanna get rid of us already?"
If she was being perfectly honest, she didn't. She was having so much fun with the two and almost dreaded having to say goodbye. She loved singing along to random pop songs with Clint or playing Yellow Car (a game where you call out every yellow car you see) with Jack. She appreciated how Jack and Clint reassured her that she wasn't a bad person just because she was with HYDRA despite the fact that she was sure she was annoying them with her bouts of insecurities. She really, really didn't want to say goodbye to them.
What if she never saw them again?
"Just kidding," Clint laughed, shaking his head. "We should be able to get there in about six or seven hours. That'd be about three o'clock?"
"Are you driving this time?"
"Yeah, I have to. Professor X said under no circumstances was Jack allowed to drive a motor vehicle anywhere near his academy again." He sounded like he was reciting the professor word-for-word.
There was a story behind that. Jessica wasn't sure she wanted to hear it.
Ah, who was she kidding? Of course she did. Unfortunately, no matter how much prodding she did, Clint kept his mouth shut on the matter.
"Blueberries~"
Jessica looked over to see Jack happily using the waffle maker the hotel provided, the man adding blueberries to the mix. He seemed content with himself, humming a song he somehow picked up from the Yiddish news channel, and she found herself smiling.
Clint followed her gaze. "He's too old for you."
Her face reddened and she looked over at him sharply. "No, it's not like that!"
"I know, I know." Clint was practically wheezing with laughter. "But you should have seen your face! Ah, priceless."
"It's just... He doesn't seem happy a lot. He just seems really sad and lonely."
"He's been through a lot and he's healing. A lot of people have hurt him. It's part of the reason why he's mean to you."
She tilted her head. "Part of the reason?"
Clint shrugged. "He's a dick."
"Ah."
"Yeah, so, don't take anything he says too personally. It takes a lot for him to open up."
She nodded. "He's very pretty. He should smile more."
"I'll tell him you said that."
Jessica pointed her spoon at the archer threateningly. "You will not."
"I will."
"I will literally stab you in the neck."
Jack arrived at the table at that moment, shaking his head. "Girl, not near Janice. She doesn't deserve that."
Jessica nodded, lowering the spoon, but she still gave Clint the stink eye. "Outside then."
"What were you two even talking about anyways?"
"None of your business- Clint shut your mouth right now."
Jack looked highly intrigued but mercifully did not pursue the conversation, instead turning to his blueberry waffles. "We'll leave in fifteen minutes. Sound good with you?"
"Works for me," Clint said, stuffing the last of his pancakes in his mouth.
"I wasn't talking to you. Girl?"
Jessica nodded, picking up her spoon to push around her Lucky Charms. "Yeah, that's fine or whatever. I don't care."
Jack looked at her, studying her face. Whatever he saw, he didn't comment on it at that moment. "Alright, cool."
When the three of them were finished, they piled into the truck, Jessica in the back so she could go back to sleep for a bit. Jack, mercifully, kept his hands off the radio, instead letting Clint change it to a station that played mellow jazz, and the archer turned the volume down to give her some peace.
"Think she'll miss us?" Clint asked quietly when he noticed her sleeping.
"Maybe." Percy put his chin in his hand, elbow propped by the window as he looked out. "Not sure why, though. We didn't do much."
"I don't know." He looked back at the twelve year-old through the rear view mirror, taking in how she curled up with her head propped on the box in the back. Her hands clutched the sweatshirt around her and her face was buried in it, though it didn't hide the small smile she was sporting. "I think we did alright."
"If you say so."
Xxxxxxxxxx
words: 3,915
song: Get You the Moon - Kina (slowed)