XXIV. LOSING GAME

"Wait, what? Why?" Clint asks. Amara was in the bedroom, tears in her eyes, trying to explain it to the police.

"Um," Natasha says, her breath caught. "Someone broke into our apartment."

"What?!" Clint sounded pissed, and there was a shuffling from the other side of the room "I'm gonna kick some-"

"As much as we'd all like to see that," Natasha says. "We just need you to come to pick us up." Amara walked in as she said that, the phone at her hip, tears in her eyes.

"Alright, I'm leaving now," Clint says. "Call the police, please," He says.

"Already done," Nat says. "Bye Clint."

"Bye, I love you two."

"We love you too clint," Natasha says, hanging up the phone. She dropped the phone to her side and tossed it onto the couch. She wrapped her arms around Amara.

"They hung up on me," Amara whispers, causing Natasha to pull her closer. 

A few moments of this embrace pass, before Natasha's phone rings again.

"Hello?" She says.

"Is this agent Romanoff?" The voice asks.

"Fury?"

"Romanoff, Barton Just called me," He says. "We're gonna send over a few agents to clean up the place. You'll be staying with Barton until SHIELD can find you two a new apartment." 

"Thank you, Fury," Natasha says. She laces her fingers with Amara's. 

"We can't have people know where you live. It won't be good for SHIELD." He pauses for a second. "You two okay?" 

"We will be, Thank you, Fury," Natasha says. "Clint's on his way." 

"Good. You two are very important to m- SHIELD," Fury says. "Stay safe okay?" 

"Doing our best, thank you. Talk to you later," Nat says, hanging up the phone

☾☼☽

At the Farm, Clint opened the door for the girls who he drove. Laura was standing outside, holding Cooper. Amara was a mess, she was exhausted and hungry. She and Natasha'd fallen asleep together in the backseat of Clint's car as he jammed out to music. 

"Hey, girls," Laura says. They exchange hugs, and Amara walked in with Cooper in her arms. Natasha laces her fingers with Amara's as they walk inside quietly. 

Laura made dinner, though Amara and Natasha could hardly enjoy it. The food would've tasted amazing under different circumstances. Amara ate a small amount, Natasha ate even less. They headed upstairs after dinner to shower and not sleep. 

"I love you," Natasha says. They were seated on the bed, Nat's head on Amara's chest. "No matter what." Amara brushes her fingers through Nat's hair. 

"I love you too," Amara says. 

"I want a future with you," Natasha says. "There's nobody I'd rather spend it with." Amara laced her fingers with Natasha's. 

"I wish we could get married, and be accepted as moms, but I do want a life with you," Amara says. "I wouldn't want anyone else." She paused. "Ever," She says. 

"I don't care what they think. I just want to be able to marry you," Natasha says. 

"The day that gay marriage is legalized in New York, we'll do it," Amara says. "and that's a promise." 

"Wait," Natasha says, sitting up. "Did you just propose?" 

"Not officially," Amara says. "I will," she says. "After all of this gets fixed."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Amara leaned forward and kissed Natasha. "mon âme, We're in for a long night," 

"is that another promise?" 

☾☼☽

Amara was sitting outside next to Laura, drinking coffee. Natasha was wearing a flannel wrapped around her waist and was chopping wood. Clint was trying to teach Cooper the parts of a bow and arrow. Amara was laughing at all of this. 

"Amara! Come over and let me show you how to shoot," Clint says, bringing Cooper over to Laura. 

"I have little expertise in that area," She says. 

"Come get more," Clint says. 

"Okay," She says, getting up and walking over. She stopped for a kiss from Natasha on her way, moving towards Clint. 

"Okay," Clint says, handing her a bow. "So you draw back the string," He helps her do this, as he stands behind her. He hadn't given her an arrow. "Then you would let go, but there's no dry fire, it's not good for the bow and we need to adjust your stance." He moves her foot and adjusts her posture. 

"Like that?" Amara asks, looking at him. 

"Like that," He says. "Now slowly release it, don't let go." He turns and grabs an arrow and loads the bow. "Try it." 

They attempt to shoot some arrows. She doesn't get that good, but she does actually hit the target eventually. 

"Nice job!" Clint says, giving her a high five. "You'll get better with practice." This elicits an eye roll from Amara. 

"Pistols are more my forte," She says. 

"A woman after my own heart," Natasha says walking over and coming to give her a hug from behind. 

"Bows are better," Clint says. 

"Have you ever held a gun?" Amara asks. 

"No," He says. 

"One second," Amara jogs up to the house and runs inside. A few moments later she comes back inside with a pistol and some goggles. Laura had put Cooper down for a nap. 

Okay, you are gonna hold it like this," Amara says, holding it out in front of her with two hands. 

"How come you get two?" Clint asks as she hands it to him.

"You can get two when you become a master assassin," She says. 

"I was a master assassin," He says. 

"Only girls can get two," Natasha says. "Just admit it, we're more badass than you." 

"Oh, I already knew that," Clint says. 

"We love an honest man," Amara says, looking at Natasha. Clint sticks his tongue out at them. Natasha smiles and wraps her arm around Amara's waist. 

"Okay, now you pull the trigger, but aim it at the bullseye please," Amara says. "Wait," She runs over and turns off the safety. "Okay now go." He shoots it and hits the tree above the target. 

"Yeah I don't like this," He says, handing it back to Amara. 

"Well, watch how it's done," She says.