It wasn't long after Steve had excused himself that the rest of the group finished their dinner. Pietro and I are the last two to finish since we keep pausing to talk. It's the first time I've really had the nerve to speak with him. Most of its sarcasm and the two of us picking on Carter, but it was the two of us conversing. That's all that matters. 

However, the previous silence between us these last few days was totally my fault in the first place. Thankfully that seemed to be behind us now. Pietro just seems glad that I'm talking with him again. I find myself feeling the same way. "Iris, you'll feed Apollo dinner tonight. Wanda and Scott will harvest the crops today. Sam and Clint will feed the chickens and check for more eggs." Carter assigns us our evening chores. Usually, we rotate who does which chore while the same pairings stay the same. Our pairs are based off how efficient we are, according to Carter anyways. However, since Steve's still out, Pietro is left without a job and partner tonight.

I offer to take my boyfriend's dinner plate from him as I stand. The speedster smiles before handing the dish to me. I take the plates to the sink before striding over to the back door. My hand hovers over the handle before I turn on my heel. "Hey, Sonic, wanna come help me out tonight? I'm sure Apollo won't mind." I lift a questioning brow at him. His eyes grow wide as he looks to Wanda for a moment, I'm sure silently questioning her about our talk this afternoon. His sister just grins at him and waves him off. 

The older twin stands up and walks over to me. I smile at him once he reaches arm's length of me before I pull open the door. I'm thankful he held himself back from speeding to my position. Even though thinking about my own powers don't trigger a panic attack anymore, seeing the other's enhancements still sets me on edge. I suppose it's due to the many bad memories combined with the fact that I may lose my capacity to manipulate energy. I feel like he senses it...my unnerved state when faced with fantastic gifts I once had control of and am now losing touch with. 

Pietro shuts the door behind us before joining my side as we travel down the gravel trail. I smile sideways at him and he mirrors me. We walk quietly, with the only the sound in the air being that of our boots crunching against the small stones. It's not an awkward or odd silence in which one of us feels like we need to say anything. We're both just content being in each other's presence. 

Only a few more moments pass before the two of us come upon the towering, flaky red barn. The birds have long since retired from serenading the Earth as I slide the barn door wide open. The door creaks on its hinges while sunlight pours into the barn, illuminating the dirt drifting in the air like transparent clouds. The air smells like hay and fresh earth. I suck in a long, deep breath. It smells like safety to me.

I reach over and pat my partner's shoulder before brushing past him in my quest to retrieve Apollo's dinner. Speaking of the devil, his head hangs over his stall door while his nostrils flutter. The Friesian releases a hearty knicker as I pass him. I can hear the speedster's footsteps carry him towards the equine while I make a b-line to the feed room. 

I slide the door open before stepping inside. A new smell originates from this point. It's the rich smell of horse feed, alfalfa, and fresh hay. I pause a moment in the threshold to admire the photos of Carter and Alissa standing with various horses they've owned together at younger ages. I faintly smile as I begin to wonder what the future may hold for me and if it will include a certain sarcastic speedster or not. After all, people can change just like the seasons. 

My smile drops and I move further into the feed room to prepare the large equine's dinner. I move swiftly with refined actions, smoother than some of my other motor skills. I'm quick to put the thought out of my mind. There is no way for me to change the past. Therefore there is no reason to dwell on it. So I don't. I keep moving. I keep working. I begin to realize why people with PTSD or other severe trauma lock on an activity and work themselves into a grave -- because it takes their mind off the pain. It gives them a means to escape facing other difficulties. 

It takes one to know one, right?

Once I have the proper amount of feed, I place the scoop and bin lid back into their places before moving to exit the feed room. I step out and halt. Pietro is in front of Apollo's stall, stroking the horse's face with a smile on his lips. He looks relaxed and my Friesian friend looks content to have his nose stroked. It's a sight that I just can't help but smile at. It's one of those times you wished you had a camera to capture the moment so you could relive it whenever you desired to. "I think he enjoys your company." I comment as I flash the Maximoff twin a toothy grin once he whips. Apollo's ears perch forward upon noticing me carrying a bucket of feed towards him.

"He's not so bad himself, for a horse." Pietro tells me before gently stroking Apollo's face once more. As I approach, a plan begins to form within my mind just as a sly smirk develops. "I'm not sure if we like that look, Iris." Pietro jokes and sticks his thumb over his shoulder at Apollo while he leans on the stall door.

"I'm not sure if you're gonna like what comes next then." I tease and hold the bucket handle in both hands in front of me. I flutter my eyelashes at him innocently, although my smirk gives away my true feelings. "Here." I hold the bucket out to Pietro suddenly. My Friesian pal knickers more prominently this time and begins to stamp his feet impatiently while my blonde, stubble-faced speedster looks at me in shock.

"Me? Him? Food?" He stutters out in horror as he looks from me to the stall and back again. I laugh at his frightened expression and take his hand before placing the bucket handle in his grip. I guess whenever he and Steve were out here to feed Apollo, Steve did the dirty work.

"Yes. It's not that scary, I swear." I can't stop myself from laughing. His shock is just too good. Once I finally get my laughter under control, more or less, I lift my hand and place it over my heart. I give him a serious nod before I crumble into laughing again. "I swear, I swear. Besides, I'm right here." I shoo the equine away from the stall door before I unlatch it. I wave Apollo off to the corner where his food bin is. Then I turn towards Pietro with a bright grin. He offers me a weary look in response. "Oh come on, don't be a chicken. It's unbecoming." I joke and pull the stall door open. "Come in." I step into the stall and hold my arm out invitingly. Speedy narrows his eyes at me skeptically before entering the stall at snail-speed. "His food bin is right there hanging in the corner. Just dump the grain into it and once you move away he'll calmly step forward to eat. He's very well-mannered, don't worry about it, Pie." I encourage him. My boyfriend sighs, rolls his eyes, and then follows my instructions. He gently places his free hand on Apollo's shoulder and pats him while he moves towards the bucket. I quietly close the stall door and watch Pietro pat the Friesian's neck after he empties the bucket. Apollo moves forward and munches away at his grain. 

"See, he's not that bad." I chide the speedster from where I stand at Apollo's stall door, leaning on it.

"He's not that bad, I suppose." He grumbles under his breath, trying to hide a small smile from me. He may be quick, but he's not quick enough. He exits the stall and I latch it behind him. The twin sets the feed bucket down on a hay bale next to Apollo's stall. His glacier eyes peer around the large barn as I lean my back against the stall door. I watch him carefully. "You know," He turns to look at me with one of those wide grins which can only indicate mischief is about to ensue. "this reminds me of a movie I saw." I lift a brow at him.

"A movie, huh?" I watch him with suspicion.

"You know, Iris, I wasn't completely sheltered as a child." He rolls his eyes teasingly at me while crossing his arms in mock offense. "Yes, a movie." His next action off puts me. Totally unexpected. He extends his hand out to me while standing at an angle, a matching smile on his lips. Very theatrical. "Barns always seem to be the best place for a dance." He announces in response to my half-confused half-startled look.

"Pietro, babe, I can't dance. If you couldn't already tell, I'm pretty clumsy on my feet." Still, I step forward and take his hand. If anything will do me good right about now, it's time spent with the man I feel most connected to.

"Well, then I will teach you." He confidently declares and draws me closer to him. I skeptically look at him, unsure. "Come now, Iris. Wanda forced me to take dance lessons with her when we were children. I know what I'm doing." My lips tremble together before I burst into a laugh. Pietro grins.

"How old were you, speedy, when you took dancing lessons?" I inquire as he guides my other hand to his shoulder.

"Probably six." He lifts one shoulder in a shrug as he adopts an undeterred look.

"Oh no. Your toes are going to be black and blue when this is over." I warn him seriously.

"It would be my honor to have my toes crushed by your feet, m'lady." He winks at me and carefully places his hand above my hip. "Is this alright?" He loses his confident edge in a brief moment of sensitivity to ensure I'm comfortable with this situation.

"I'm fine, Pie." I offer a timid smile. "I promise. Don't let me break your toes though, alright?" It may be posed as a question, my tone relays that it's more a demand than anything. He nods his head slowly and begins to gently guide me in a slow circle so I can gauge where to move my feet.

"Your nicknames are cute." He tells me with a gleam of admiration shining in his piercing eyes. I shake my head to avoid blushing, to no avail.

"I'm glad they amuse you." I say while consciously trying to avoid stepping on his toes.

"Don't think so much, just enjoy it. I promise I'll guide." The platinum blonde tells me. We begin to move in a slightly larger radius at a quicker pace. I give a quiet exhale and follow his instructions, finding myself appreciating the quiet sway as we rotate around the floor of the barn. "See?" He smiles broadly at me and I can't help but mirror the action. It's so strangely natural to just be with him. It doesn't even matter we're being so cliche dancing around in a barn like a lovesick couple. "I thought you said you couldn't dance." Pietro teases.

"I guess I have a great teacher. Or I'm a fast learner." I hum with a proud smile. Pietro chuckles as he guides me into a smaller, slower circle. "You know, I thought this was going to end in a horrible disaster where we end up burning the barn to the ground." I state matter-of-factly. Pietro sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Glad to see you trust me." He says with false offense. I chuckle and shake my head at him. We come to a slow halt and I move my hands to his chest while we stare into each other's eyes, a sense of gladness to just be within proximity of each other. I close my eyes and lean forward as Pietro does so our foreheads touch. His arms loosely encircle me as we stand in a calm silence.

However, even a quiet silence can go to hell just as quickly as it settles. The ground rumbles as an explosion absorbs the calmness. I lurch forward, grasping Pietro's shirt while his arms tighten around my back. Both our heads snap to the barn door, where a bright red-orange glow is illuminating. I pull away from Pietro and run to the door, pulling it open before the two of us peer out. 

Hell has arrived here on earth.

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AN;

During one of my streaming sessions, it was requested I leave my prompts at the end of the chapter because apparently, they're hilarious so there you go, guys. 

Prompts;

iris and pietro rekindle their relationship and have a sweet moment in the barn then everything goes to hell

cute fluff???

pietro and apollo bein iris' lil cutie pies aw yea

iris doesnt know how to daNCe silly speedster

pietro knows, that sly lil nerd

hope yaint wearing steel-toe shoeS PIETRO

BUT WAIT IRIS IS AN ONION WITH LAYERS OF FORGOTTEN TALENT ???

pEW PEW [oh no someone call the church]

Satan what r u doin back here weren't u in the cage caLL SAM AND DEAN