Search and Find : Chapter One (Clint x Reader)

Chapter One: The Dark

Today was the day. The flowers were far too lovely and the service was so very quick. It was wet and the air was frigid. Hundreds of people came, each shrouded in black. The handshakes were many and the sympathies were in great abundance. A chill slithered down your spine as you noticed the fog from the mix of your heated breath and the chilly, biting autumn air as it floated upwards and away from your lips. You could hear your heart beat thrumming in your ears. Breaths were deep and slow as if you were willing yourself to calm down. Placing a numb hand over your heart you watched as he was lowered and covered bit by bit, second by second, and inch by inch.

You clenched your teeth and your feet in frustration. You should’ve been there…here. You should’ve held his hand until his last breath, but instead you’d been off and about in distant waters. So very distant…you felt…livid. So very livid. Despite the cold air and your frozen limbs, you were warm, burning, from the inside. Ireful.

There was a hand laid upon your shoulder and the slight squeeze made the tears well up. You softy laid your own hand upon his as he wrapped you in his arms.

“I think it’s best we leave.”

You gave him a slow nod before slipping your arms around one of his own as he escorted you to the car. Coulson looked down to you as you rested your head on his shoulder. He lightly knocked his head against yours and you couldn’t help but smile. Helping you into the car, you slid in and waited for Coulson to walk around and enter on the other side. The ride home was silent and uneventful comprised of your resting your head upon Coulson’s shoulder, watching the world fly by.

~~~

The manse had never seemed quite so empty. Despite the few remaining maids and butlers, who were making haste of their leave, the place seemed so barren…lonely. Running your hand lightly against the elegant, hand-carved railing as you wondered up the stairs, trench coat lying loosely over one of your arms. It’d almost been five years since you set foot on these hardwood floors and the feel of it against your stocking clad feet warmed your heart. The coolness swept across the pads of your feet as your wandered closer and closer to that room.

~

You watched the purple liquid bubble, eager eyes glittering behind the protective goggles. You felt his hand pat you softly on the head, and you turned to look at him.

“Papa? How much longer is this going to take?”

“Patience, Fuchs. Patience.”

You puffed out your cheeks in obvious discontentment. Spinning quickly on your heels, you turned your back to the man in pursuit of more immediate means of entertainment. Wandering over to his desk, the oversized lab coat you wore dragging behind, you plopped down in his chair. Noticing the plain wooden box that always sat on the desk, you struggled to your knees, reaching out small hands to grab it and bring it to your lap. You slipped your goggles onto the top of your head to get a cleaner view. The box was locked by series of strange colored symbols (you knew them now to be astrological signs). Running small fingers over it you eyed it with growing interest. You’d always seen the box on his desk, you even noticed Uncle Coulson tinkering with it whenever he came to visit, but not once had you ever actually seen it open and much less what was hidden inside.

“’Tis a secret.”

You swiftly lifted your head to peer up at the elder man now at your side. He gently takes the box from your hands and sets it upon the desk directly in front of you before kneeling down to match his height with yours. He looks at you with a proud smile and you give him a curious grin, silently urging him to say more.

“This entire manor is a secret. A secret only members of our family know.”

“Only our family? That’s me and you, Papa!”

He gives you an eager smile and nods as he past your head. You’re quick to lean into the touch, always eager to bask in your grandfather’s affection.

“And one day, when you grow up to be clever and strong—”

“And pretty!”

He chuckles at your interruption but he plays along as he runs his fingers through your hair.

“Yes. When you grow up to be clever, strong,” he pauses and you eye him expectantly, “and pretty, you’ll have learned all the secrets I have to share.”

“All of them?! How many?”

“Many, Fuchs. Many. You already know a few right now. I bet you didn’t even know that.”

Your breath hitches and your eyes widened with your childlike innocence as you unconsciously leaned closer hoping to be told anything and everything.

“I cannot tell you though. They are things you must discover yourself.”

A disgruntled whine slips past your lips and they twist into a letdown frown. A disappointed huff of breath was released as you took the box back into your lap. You eyed it with burning curiosity, but grandfather had always been like that. So abstract and relative and never specific. Glancing out the corner of your eye, you watched him wander back to the lab table and take the purple-filled beaker off the burner. He gives you a sideway glance that say it all. Thrilled you hurriedly place the box back on the desk and scurry over to him, slipping you goggles back on the entire way over. The box was forgotten for now, after all, you’d get it open sooner or later. You were sure of it.

~

Conjuring and mustering all the bravery you could you made to open the door. You twisted the handle and the knob turned, but the door barely jarred, only moving slightly. You quirked your brows perplexed. You never remembered this door being locked. Papa had always been fond of visitors and always kept his office door open in case one of the help needed him or you simply decided to stop by, even when you were younger and especially now that you were older. Heck, you didn’t even think the door had a lock. Stepping back from the door, you eyed it with confusion and dismay. You noticed something blocking the door, but as to what you couldn’t say. Still, it was clear you weren’t getting through the door. But the you couldn’t possibly get inside...unless!

Making a beeline, you hurried to your old bedroom, leaving your shoes and coat in front of the locked door. Throwing the bedroom door open, you barely noticed the juvenile decorations. Heading straight to your bookshelf, you proceeded to push it over, as close to your old auburn desk as much as possible, incidentally revealing a door. The door was a small square cut into the wall, but it was large enough for you to fit through…at least you still hope you could.

Dropping to your stocking clad knees, you unlatched the latch to the tiny door before slowly opening it. It was pitch black so you quickly hurried over to your old desk, fishing in the drawers for that flashlight you always used. Once the item was found, you urgently took it into hand checking if the batteries still worked. They did…of course they did. Papa always made sure the flashlight had working batteries. Smiling bitterly at the thought you returned to the door before climbing in. You still fit, though you weren’t so sure it was a good thing. The cramped tunnel was shrouded in cobwebs, or at least you really hoped they were just cobwebs. In time you made it to the other side. Praying the other side wasn’t block you pushed at the door…and it opened. Climbing from the bowels of the house, you staggered to your feet as you dusted yourself clean of whatever that may have decided to stick to your person.

The office was in ruins. Papers were scattered all across the floor. The lab table was overturned, crushing the shards of glass from broken beakers and the bookshelves were laid haplessly atop one another. Cautiously stepping forwards, your heart shuddered at the wretched state of his office…his home. You picked up the book in front of you and eyed it. Alice in Wonderland…your favorite. Your throat was unbearably dry. You were angry. You were devastated. So very ready to cry. A chill slithered down your spine and it was only then you noticed that the large windows behind his desk were wide open, curtains fluttering in the biting autumn wind. Holding the book close to your chest, your mind began to race. Someone had been in here! You chewed at your lip to fight back ragged breaths as you wondered over to the window, carefully minding the glass strewn across the wooden floor. You walked up the few steps that led to his desk and over to the window. Peering out you searched for someone. You were on the third floor, but still…

You saw no one and a sigh of relief shuddered out. Hopefully whoever had been here had left. You stepped back preparing to further analyze the room when something snatched you up. The book fell from your hands with a muffled thump and you fought to squirm out of the grasp, struggling to scream.

There was a rag.

The sweetest aroma.

A rugged voice.

“We’ve been expecting you.”

Then nothing.

…