STRATEGIC HOMELAND INTERVENTION ENFORCEMENT

AND LOGISTICS DIVISION

Disclaimer: I certainly don't own those characters, just playing with them.

Summary: ever wondered what a day at S.H.I.E.L.D. looked like? Clint Barton is willing to share the info!

Characters involved: Clint "Hawkeye" Barton / Nick Fury / Phil Coulson / Natasha "Black Widow" Romanoff (plus S.H.I.E.L.D. agents)

S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters - 5 months prior to the Avengers Assemble

On the distant background, Clint Barton could hear the familiar voice of director Nick Fury. The only reason it seemed so far away was because Clint wasn't listening. The room was dark, as Fury was showing the agents a map on a screen. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s finest marksman was utterly bored, wondering if it was possible to be even more bored than he was at the moment. Fury was giving his instructions for the upcoming mission, which would, it seemed, take place in New Mexico. It didn't keep Clint's attention focused one bit. Instead of what, the young man was searching for the simplest way to have a bit of fun. Why the hell not use Fury's hour-long briefings to practice...? Barton sighed loudly and looked at his neighbor and friend, Jimmy Garrett.

"Gimme something I can throw at Martins, man." The said Martins was one of Barton's fellow agents, although he didn't get along with him at all. He was seated a few rows in front of Clint. Martins was slow, stupid and useless. Quite the opposite of Clint "Hawkeye" Barton who was ever watchful, fast, agile and reckless -even though, according to Coulson, Barton's recklessness wasn't really one of his qualities...but it didn't matter, it was the way it was. Barton was one for danger!

"What thing?"

"Anything, Garrett."

Garrett searched his pockets and could only find a pen, which he handed to Barton. Despite the darkness of the room and the distance between the two men, it only took Barton two seconds to adjust his aim and throw the pen at Martins', hitting the back of his ear, just as he had intended.

"Ow!" muffled Martins, turning around.

"Oh, man! You sure as hell didn't miss that!" Garrett whispered, laughing.

"I never miss," was Barton's only retort. Unable to figure out what had just happened to him, the poor Martins turned back around and resumed listening to Nick Fury, who was still talking, absolutely unaware of the situation -or was he?

Both Barton and Garrett were still softly laughing and Clint was already preparing another lethal weapon -lethal to boredom, at least. He grabbed a rubber band and the gum he was chewing since the meeting had started -which seemed like ages, now- and made himself a handmade catapult. He pulled on the rubber band and the gum, aimed at Martins and-

"Agent Barton!" he heard, which startled him and he missed his intended target.

"Ew!" a female voice shouted.

"I missed!" Barton gasped, bewildered.

"Agent Barton!" Fury's voice repeated, apparently annoyed. "Am I disturbing you?"

"Gee, the weasel! How could he even see that in the dark?" Barton wondered.

"And with an eye missing..." Garrett added, as amazed as his friend.

"And I can hear you as well, agents! Barton, once the briefing is over, you'll go see agent Coulson, he'll have a surprise mission for you."

Clint rolled his eyes and sighed. To what stupid task would Fury assign him for his lack of respect to his superiors this time?

"Clint Barton, you...!" Clint instantly recognized the voice. It was the girl who had shouted seconds before. Martins' neighbor, Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow. Oh, right, forgot to mention: part of Martins' many defaults: it seemed he was currently seeing Natasha. That was one thing that did not please Barton... Natasha, she wasn't the kind of woman of whom you wanted to get on the bad side. Fortunately for Clint, he wasn't -most of the time.

The lights went back on and agent Phil Coulson entered the room, a file under the arm. He walked towards Nick Fury. All agents were looking at Natasha who was desperately trying to remove the sticky gum from her hair where it had already formed a knot. She was cursing under her breath, and Barton was thankful her couldn't hear what she was muttering, fearing it might not be pretty.

Once she had finally removed most of it, she turned to face Clint, a few rows behind. "Clint Barton, I'm going to kill you!" Barton had rarely seen such anger in Natasha's eyes and suddenly felt...fear?

"Sorry, 'Tasha, wasn't aiming you..." he tried to innocent himself.

"What's all this about, Sir?" Coulson asked Fury, both standing in the front of the room.

"It's about Barton, Coulson, as usual..." Fury sighed, watching Clint and Natasha arguing.

"What'd he do?"

"He's getting bored. Gotta send him on a mission asap! Before he starts aiming us 'just to practice'..."

Coulson nodded. "What about agent Romanoff? She seems to be on the edge as well."

"Send her with him. On their own, they're powerful, but together, they're invincible. And I'd rather have them both unleashed anywhere but here..." Fury turned back to the agents and called for order. "The briefing is over. You'll receive further informations later on. You're dismissed." Then he lowered his voice again. "And, Coulson, before I forget, give Barton a little reward for his exemplary behavior."

"We'll do, Sir," answered Coulson with that half-smile of his, and Fury exited the room.

"Damn it, Barton!" Natasha was shouting in a corridor, followed by Clint.

"I'm so sorry, 'Tasha! So really sorry...!"

"Well sorry's not good enough! You'll pay for this, you vulture!"

"Told you before, I'm not a vulture, I'm a hawk..."

"No, you're not! Today, you're not!" Natasha's voice was slowly decreasing, and it was all the more harsh on Clint, because it meant she didn't say it out of anger but she really meant it.

"And you're so much better than I am, ain't you? You and your boyfriend, mister Perfect, always thinking things over, never rushing into action, kissing asses and obeying orders without a second thought!"

"Who? Martins? He's not my boyfriend."

"Right!"

"No, he's not, but maybe he ought to be, because he's obviously better than most!" She was shouting again, anger was back.

"Don't kid yourself. Never said I'd want to get back with you." She slapped him hard. He didn't make a sound, but his cheek got bright red. Ever since he had spared her life, back in Russia, Clint and Natasha had shared a complicated relationship, which fluctuated from close friendship to partnership in missions to lovers. And they also happened to have their moments where they simply let out the tension by shouting. It was very seldom, however, and therefore twice as hurtful for the both of them.

Their eyes were now locked deep inside the other's. They didn't say a word, the anger was gone, leaving them speechless. Each was now appreciating the other's ravaging beauty. Her hair, though partly dirtied with gum, was magnificent, his eyes were intense and reassuring, her nose, his mouth... They kissed tenderly and passionately. Their lips had been apart for too long and they enjoyed rediscovering the other's.

Walking down that same corridor was the ever jovial agent Phil Coulson, Nick Fury's number one guy. The sight of the two young agents kissing made him stop walking at once. The scene he was witnessing was both pleasant and regretful. It was obvious that Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff were made for each other. They loved each other and would happily offer their life to save the other. But therein laid the problem. They were agents. Trained assassins and spies. Falling in love with another agent was dangerous. It created a weakness in a spy's heart, making him less able to perform his duty. If S.H.I.E.L.D. was to lose Natasha Romanoff, then what would become of Clint Barton? And if Natasha truly became a Widow, then would she still have the will to fight and kill? Coulson's brand new assignment was clear: to separate those two agents and pretend he hadn't seen anything. Denial was the key. Clint and Natasha had yet to do the same, which would surely prove to be much more difficult and take time. No cooperative missions for those two before a long while, Coulson regretted. S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't work without those two agents, but those two agents could and would live without being more than partners.

Coulson turned back and headed to his office where he sat at his desk. He grabbed his microphone and plugged in the wire, connecting it to the many speakers displayed in the hallways. "Agent Barton, please report to agent Coulson's office," he simply sated and waited for the agent to appear.

Clint knocked on his door a few minutes later. "Sir?" he asked, entering.

"Sit down, Barton," Coulson gestured at a seat. "Director Fury's told me you interrupted his briefing this morning."

Barton sighed. So that's what it was all about...

"Care to defend yourself?" Coulson asked. But Clint simply shook his head, there was no use in denying, there had been witnesses, anyway. "Very well... Then as a punishment, you will have to handle the new guys for a week."

"A week?" Clint let out, standing up. "Isn't that just a bit exaggerated, Sir? I really didn't do anything wrong..."

"Are you trying to bargain for two weeks, Barton?"

Clint instantly closed his mouth, understanding that arguing would only make it worse.

"Good. You start tomorrow. Dismiss," Coulson said, looking back at the many files on his desk. It was Barton's go-sign. "And don't be late!" Coulson added as Clint was exiting.

Walking back to his room, Barton was slightly regretting bothering Martins earlier that day. If he hadn't, then he wouldn't be stuck with the newest recruits for a week. He hated having to train them. Most of them would leave before long, anyways, since an agent's way of life was tough to endure. As was the training, and Clint would make sure it would be twice as hard, so they would all run back home before the end of the week. Then again, he didn't really regretted his previous action, for he surely wouldn't have had the pleasureful opportunity of kissing Natasha if he hadn't.

Smiling, he grabbed his bow and decided he would practice his aim for a while. Very few things could help him relax, and training was one of them. It also allowed him to reflect on things, keeping him focused and alert. He would think about 'Tasha, of course, he often did, and he knew their relationship was troublesome, but he also knew there was a solution to every problem. They would eventually figure this one out, although he was fully aware that the kind of arrow Cupid had shot in his heart wasn't the kind you could easily remove...

To be continued

Phil Coulson's note: Agent, I would appreciate it if you clicked on the "Review" button so I can debrief you on this story.

Author's note: Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it! -could you humor Coulson and review? He's got so much trouble with his Avengers already... spending his time running after them for debriefing...

Anyways, next chapter should be up soon. Wanna see how Clint will handle those S.H.I.E.L.D. rookies!