~51~
The next morning, Clara shifted awake in her bed with Steve's arm still around her waist. Though it was already nine in the morning, the sun still hadn't decided to shine. It felt like ever since the snap, even the sky was grieving. She gently got up, placing Steve's arm on the bed as softly as she could so she wouldn't wake him. Before leaving her room, she slipped on an old sweatshirt. She waked silently down the halls of the compound, her bare feet tapping on the wooden floor as she entered the kitchen. She yawned as she reached for a coffee cup and filled it. As she turned around, she was met by Natasha. Clara almost dropped her cup due to shock. "Where'd you come from?" Clara asked, trying to calm herself from her little scare.
"The living room. I was trying to find Steve, but he wasn't in his room." She said with a smirk as she raised her eyebrow. Clara looked down as the color in her cheeks flushed, knowing Nat knew where Steve was. Clara poured her friend a cup of coffee before sitting across from her. "Spending nights with Rogers again are we?" Natasha smirked before taking a sip of her coffee and making Clara blush.
"It's not like we haven't done it before," Clara chuckled. "And we don't do anything."
"That's what you want us to believe," Natasha mumbled, making Clara playfully kick her under the table. They both giggled silently before the room filled with its usual sorrow. "How are you holding up?" She asked, gently resting her hand over her friend's.
"I'm fine." She answer, but Natasha knew she was lying. "It's worse not knowing what happened to him than waiting for an answer."
Natasha nodded her head. "He'll come back."
"I hope you're right." Clara sighed. She met Nat's eyes and saw the same pain she had seen in her own reflection. "Have you heard anything about Clint? Was he..."
"I want to say I hope he's still out there," Natasha said. "But I've seen the monitors."
"You don't mean..." Clara started and Natasha nodded.
"All of them," she said solemnly. Natasha had loved Clint's family like her own. She couldn't imagine what she was going through. It was Clara's turn to comfort her friend.
"What about Carol? Have you heard from her?" Clara asked. She had been too consumed in her grief that she hadn't paid much attention to anything else going on around the compound.
"Not yet. All I know is that she's tracking down a ship the raccoon described to her." Natasha replied. She was about to say something else before a familiar fur ball walked into the kitchen. He jumped up on the counter and pulled out a coffee mug before filling it up. Natasha and Clara gave each other a look before Clara cleared her throat.
"Sleep well?"
"Like a baby." Rocket answered sarcastically as he took a sip of his coffee. "I don't really like this earth place, but this stuff is freaking delicious." Rocket took his coffee and left, the two women looking at each other in confusion.
"I've seen aliens, robots, gods, and an angry green scientist, but that is still the craziest thing I have ever seen." Clara said, taking a sip of the warm liquid.
"At least I'm not the only one." Natasha said before sipping on her coffee as well.
"Every time the world seems to get a little less crazy, something even crazier shows up." Clara said.
"We'd be out of a job without crazy." Natasha added. The floor creaked, causing the two to turn to see who it was now. Clara smiled softly as she saw Steve's hair sticking out everywhere as he rubbed his beard. He wore a white t-shirt along with a pair of navy blue sweatpants. He looked...normal, something the Avengers never looked as they were usually in their Avenging super suits.
"Good morning." Steve said before kissing the top of Clara's head and sitting down beside her.
"Did you sleep well?" Natasha asked, lifting her cup over her mouth to hide her grin. She was enjoying her time in catching them together.
"Oh knock it off." Clara playfully kicked her leg under the table. Natasha smiled before finishing her coffee and getting up to leave.
"I've got to finish up some business, but I'll be back by dinner. Have fun while I'm out." Natasha smirked as she left the kitchen. Clara chuckled softly as Steve grabbed her hand. Their fingers danced together as they melted in the others presence.
"How're you feeling?" He asked.
"Better." Clara answered. "Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me." He smiled.
"No really," she stated. "Thank you. I didn't know how much I needed that last night."
"You know I'd do anything for you." He said. Clara nodded before wrapping her arms around his neck. The two couldn't seem to get enough of the other in the last few hours.
***
The day went by, everyone dropping by to see if there were any changes. Clara sat in her usual seat as she watched the confirmed deaths fill the monitors. She didn't realize how late it was until Steve had joined her on the loveseat. The sudden movement brought Clara out of her daze and she noticed it was dark. "Can I ask for your help?" He asked. Clara raised her eyebrow and before she knew it she was standing in the bathroom with a pair of scissors in her hand.
"Are you sure about this?" She asked and Steve nodded.
"It's time to move on." He answered. "It was here to try and get rid of the past. I don't want to remember that." Clara nodded before gently grabbing some of the hair on his chin. She breathed in before cutting off the first piece. From there on, she cut off as much of his facial hair as possible before grabbing the razor off the countertop. She boosted herself up and sat on the counter as Steve leaned down, his arms holding him up as he placed them beside her hips on the counter. She rubbed the shaving cream onto the stubble before jokingly putting some on his nose. It made Steve smile, a real smile that still hid his grief.
"I'm sorry in advance, I've never done this before." She said, nervous she'd cut him. He let out a soft laugh before she began to gently shave the first area just above his jaw. A good ten minutes had passed until she was completely finished and there was no more hair. Steve grabbed a towel and rubbed off the remaining shaving cream as Clara washed off the razor.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Steve asked, his back turned to the mirror as Clara smiled like a child at him. "Did you shave my eyebrows?"
"Only one," she teased. Though Steve knew she was joking, he still looked to the mirror to make sure it wasn't true. She chuckled as she handed him a towel and he wiped the remaining shaving cream off his chin.
"Just don't go asking me to do it again." Clara smirked, crossing her legs on the counter. All of a sudden, the mirror on the counter started to shake. It was slow at first, but then it started to get out of hand as the rattling increased. "What the hell is that?" Clara asked. Steve didn't answer, only took her hand as she leapt off the countertop. They ran outside, Clara gripping her thin jacket tighter to her body as the remaining Avengers followed closely behind. They looked up into the night sky to see a glowing figure carrying what looked like a spaceship. The ship landed and the glowing figure faded to reveal Carol. Clara's heart raced as the doors opened. As soon as she saw the figure in the doorway, she bolted towards the ship.
"Oh my god." Clara gasped before running up to him. She hesitated at first, seeing her brother's thin frame.
"Oh god," Tony said weakly, his voice only above a whisper as his voice got caught in his throat. "Clar..." he started, but Clara interrupted him by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. If he wasn't dehydrated, Tony would have sobbed with joy knowing she was safe. Tony winced as she bumped into his injury, making his sister draw back from him. "I'm sorry." She whispered, but Tony looked at her with relief in his drained and tired eyes. "You're alive," he whispered, placing his hand on the side of her face to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He was devastated when he lost Peter, but he didn't know if he'd be able to function if he lost Pepper and Clara. "You're alive," He said again.
"I'm alive," Clara repeated with a smile of relief. Tears stained her cheeks and blurred her vision as she slowly helped him down the stairs. Clara noticed how light he felt in her grasp and how he stumbled slowly down the stairs. Steve made his way over to them and took on most of Tony's weight as he helped him down the steps.
"I couldn't stop him." Tony gasped as he looked to Steve.
"Neither could we," Steve replied.
"That doesn't matter now." Clara said, her hand on Tony's chest to prevent him from falling forward. He stopped moving forward and looked at his sister with sad eyes.
"I lost the kid." He said. It wasn't until now that she noticed neither Peter or Strange were on the ship. Tony was the only one of the three to have been spared.
"Tony, we lost." Clara's voice came out as a whisper.
He rested his hand on his sister's shoulder, both for comfort and support, before looking at her with sad eyes. "Is umm...is Pep..." Tony started, his voice barely audible as he couldn't even think about loosing the love of his life. As if on cue, Pepper ran up to them and let out a gasp of relief.
"Oh my god!" Pepper gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"It's okay." Tony said, kissing her forehead. Pepper helped Tony get inside as Clara stood frozen. Her held her hands over her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She watched as the other Avengers follow Tony back.
"Clara?" Steve asked, slowly approaching her.
"He's alive," she gasped. "I can't believe he's alive." Steve pulled her into a hug as Clara cried her tears of joy and relief into his flannel shirt. They pulled apart and Clara looked back at the ship. Rocket say hand in hand with someone new, a blue skinned girl Clara believe to be one of his friends. Before she could say anything, Steve had wrapped his arm around her shoulder and lead her back to the building.