Increasingly Painful and Incredibly Close

2.5

Clint was going to visit his ex-wife and kids, trying to persuade Pietro to come with.

"I will just put damper on thing. You should go, enjoy time with your family." He mumbled into his lover's chest.

"What'll put a damper on it is you not being there, love. The kids miss you, and so does Laura." The archer rolled Pietro off of him, despite his whines. "They wanna spend time with you before you go. You're part of our family."

"Da, fine. But you do not spend time worrying about me. I won't allow it."

Clint nodded, throwing on clothes from the floor after sniffing them to be sure they weren't too dirty. He then started the task of dressing his partner.

Pietro was limp as the archer changed his clothing. He barely lifted his arms in an attempt to assist, his fingers flickering in spasm. The older finished pulling on his shirt when he cupped the other's cheek. "Don't waste your energy on this. Let me take care of you, save it for the kids."

The younger just sighed, rolling his eyes. Clint tugged pants over his boxers, finishing with some fuzzy socks. He picked him up, setting him in the wheelchair he was just beginning to feel desperate enough to use. Desperate for independence, desperate to unburden his family as much as possible.

He was weakly lifting an arm to his archer, who took it happily and completed the thin man's action by bringing it to his cheek. Pietro stroked a finger across his face. "I love you. So much." His voice was a faint slur by this point, but Clint kissed him anyway.

"I love you too, roadrunner."

●●●

Arriving at the farm had Pietro terribly nervous. He was so scared for the reactions of Laura and the kids to the state he was in. The last time he was here he could walk, albeit with Clint supporting him fully. Now he could hardly move, his words hard to understand between his accent and disease.

Laura had built a ramp over the steps, obviously anticipating the visit. She waited on the porch, waving excitedly and running out to meet them.

She first hugged Clint, then bending over to hug Pietro with twice as much feeling. He heard her sniffle as he crookedly wraped his arms around her. When she pulled away her eyes were watering.

"I'm really happy you're here. We've missed you so much." Her voice cracked.

"I've missed you too, Laura. It is good to see you." He worked hard to enunciate as much as he could. In the window he saw Cooper, a hand over his mouth.

"Let's get you two inside, don't want ya'll catching a chill." Pietro knew she meant him. He was cold, but wasn't going to say anything lest he be embarrassed by Clint's fretting.

The three entered, greeted by three kids peering over the couch. Cooper, the oldest, approached first. He hugged his dad, then looking to Pietro. The sokovian smiled, loosely holding out a fist for their usual fist bump, when Cooper suddenly threw himself at the man. He sobbed into his shoulder, hugging him tightly.

"I thought," the kid sniffled "that you would be gone before i could see you again."

"I had to... see my favorite... kids again." Pietro focused all of his concentration on ensuring the kid could understand him, taking his time to speak as clear as possible. "I missed you all."

The other two kids rushed forward, crying into him as well. Clint toyed with Pietros hair.

Before long, his pain flared. Clint recruited the kids to find pillows, setting up a cozy spot for his lover on the couch. As he lifted him he groaned, head falling back and leg spasming in a blue blur. He set the light man down as gently as he could, Pietro biting back a whimper. Nate, the youngest, sat beside the couch to draw.