A/N : Hi, guys ! Yes, another one-shot. Yes, I should be working on She's stronger than you know (...). But I got bitten by the plot bunny and I basically wrote this piece instead. Adrienne Palicki is rumored to be in Avengers : Infinity Wars and if that's true, I can't wait to see her character interact with Clint. Until then, here's a little something that came to me while I was trying to sleep.
(I'd like to thank you for the amazing feedback I got on Responsibility for the outcome, you guys are awesome!)
Post AoU. Post Season 2 of AoU (Simmons didn't get swallowed by the rock and May didn't leave.)
DISCLAIMER : I don't own anything.
The shelf is too high for her.
The shelf is too high for her and Bobbi has too much pride to ask for help. Being confined in labs is already bad enough, God forbids people knowing she actually needs help reaching for objects. Fortunately - or unfortunately in this case - a sick, hurt and irritable Bobbi tends to drive people away. There is something with people seeing her as a weak and fragile thing that annoys her. The wheelchair doesn't help with that either. People towering over her - she isn't used to people being taller that her - isn't something she can handle.
And then, there's her team.
While Coulson and May keep their distance, Mack tries to make her life around the compound easier by building ramps and setting up railings. Simmons is always two steps behind her, her medical chart cradled against her chest and a needle in her pocket, wincing each time Bobbi makes a move. Skye comes into her room every day and night, making sure she has everything she needs. Fitz doesn't hover, ignores her wheelchair most of the time and pretends that their former teammate didn't try to kill her a couple of months ago.
Unsurprisingly, Lance turns out to be the worst.
He pushes her chair as if it was a stroller and treats Bobbi like she's his daughter instead of his ex-wife/current girlfriend. He doesn't let her talk a step out of her chair, nor can she go to the bathroom without an escort. Bobbi loves her partner, she really does. It doesn't mean that she doesn't want to smother him with his pillow when he sleeps.
With a groan, Bobbi lets her hand fall onto her lap. She runs her fingers through her hair and, after looking around the lab to make sure she is alone, begins to slid out of her chair. Bobbi winces as she pushes herself up on a elbow, trying to reach for the pitcher she has been eyeing for half a hour. The blonde scientist almost growls when a hand appears over her head to grab the object. She falls back into her chair and grits her teeth.
"I don't need your help, Hunter."
Bobbi doesn't expect him to answer. She's used to him to accommodating each of her wants and needs.
"I'm pretty sure you did, Morse."
The lack of British accent confuses her. The familiarity of the voice makes her look up. Her eyes widen at the sight of the smirking Clint Barton, wearing one of his trademark purple hoodies. His presence is so surreal that Bobbi considers having a talk with Simmons about the pain killers she's given her. The one-eyed golden retriever nudging her hand with its cold nose makes it more real.
Bobbi takes the pitcher out of Clint's expectant hands and puts it down on her work table before looking back up at the smug-lookingArcher.
"What are you doing here? Did Hunter call you?"
"Coulson." Clint rectifies, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
Lucky whines, prompting Bobbi to bury her fingers into his fur. The blonde cocks an eyebrow at Clint.
"You saw Coulson and you didn't deck him?"
With a shrug, Clint leans against the counter.
"Didn't seem right to punch a guy who just lost his arm. Might change my mind later."
With an eyeball, Bobbi shakes her head at her former boyfriend and restrains a smile. While staying friends after the break-up has seemed like a bad idea, Bobbi's glad she has a Clint Barton in her life. Since the latter had become an Avenger and Bobbi had joined Coulson's team, they had spent less time together. And though she'd deny it, Bobbi finds herself missing him.
"Where's Lancelot, by the way? Didn't see him when I arrived."
She gives him a blank look, unamused.
"Lance, " she retorts, emphasizing on the name, "is probably working on a mission with his new partner."
Bobbi cringes at the bitterness of her tone, which Clint seems to ignore. With a sigh, she plasters a smile on her face.
"How are Laura and the kids?"
"Wifey is good. The runts are good. New baby Pietro is no longer alleging to sleep. "
Bobbi stops scratching Lucky's head, much to the dog's irritation and scrunches up her nose, eyebrows both up to her hairline.
"You named your kid Pietro? With Laura's consent?"
Rolling his eyes at the blonde woman, Clint pushes himself off of the counter.
"Long story. Which is not why I'm here. Don't try to deflect."
"Fine." Bobbi crosses her arms and tilts her head to the side, "Why are you here, then?"
His lips pursed, Clint goes to stand behind her chair and grabs the handles. Bobbi doesn't even try to stop, nor protest.
"Come on, Hot Wheels." Clint puts one of his feet on the bar behind the chair and pushes himself with his other foot, "let's go for a ride."
Bobbi frowns at the nickname and turns to stare at him. Feeling her eyes on him, Clint looks down at her and lifts an eyebrow.
"Too soon?"
"A little bit." Bobbi nods, restraining a screech as both of them get out of the labs, followed by Lucky. "Barton, my wheelchair ain't a skateboard, use it normally."
"Normal is boring," Clint whines, not warning the younger woman as he takes an abrupt turn and almost collides into a wall. "Doesn't this place has windows? Feels like we're a burrow," he mutters to himself.
"Well, it's the point of an underground base." Bobbi quips sarcastically. "WATCH OUT!" she screams when they almost collide into a group of people.
Clint uses his left foot as a brake and, with a muttered apology, turns into a different hallway without even flinching. Bobbi lets out a sigh of relief before turning to glare at the archer.
"Do you even know where you're going?"
"Away from those boring white labs that make me feel like I'm in an asylum." Clint retorts, hissing himself on the wheelchair.
"You still didn't tell me what you're doing here." Bobbi insists.
"You mean beside spending time with you?" he says with a blinding smile.
Bobbi narrows her eyes at him before putting both of her feet on the ground, halting the wheelchair. Clint almost falls off of it, losing his balance for half a second. He jumps onto the floor and glares at Bobbi, who can't help but smirk.
"What the hell was that?!"
"Why are you here, Clint? And don't tell me it's because you wanted to spend time with me."
Clint's glare loses some of its heat. He rubs a hand over his face and sighs.
"Coulson's worried about you," he admits.
"Yeah, no shit Sherlock," Bobbi deadpans.
"I'm serious, Bobs! They're all really worried. Big Ben is pretty sure you're having a depression and, somehow, his anxiety passed onto Coulson. Who had to call me because, apparently, you've been spending too much time in your depressing lab, analyzing an alien stone. And to be honest, you look like shit and it worries me."
"Well, looking like shit is what happens when you almost got killed and end up stuck in a wheelchair." Bobbi retorts with a self-deprecating smile before beginning to roll away.
Clint follows her in silence, his hands stuffed back into his pockets, Lucky at his heels. But Clint being Clint, he doesn't keep quiet for long.
"Coulson lost his arm."
"Jesus Christ, are you done stating the obvious yet?" Bobbi frowns at him.
"Coulson lost his arm and he doesn't look depressed."
Bobbi restrains a groan at his logic and stops her wheelchair in front of him, ignoring Clint's annoyed glare.
"Okay, first : Coulson doesn't have the time to be depressed because he's too busy worrying about everything and anyone else. Second, him losing his arm doesn't stop him from doing his job. And third, I am not depressed!"
Clint nods, as if he was only agreeing with her to calm her down and shut her up. Seeing as none of them are moving, Lucky chooses to lay down at Bobbi's feet.
"Me being deaf didn't stop him from becoming an Avenger," Clint states.
"And?" Bobbi snaps. Clint simply shrugs.
"Me losing my hearing doesn't stop me from doing my job. Coulson losing his arm doesn't stop him from directing S.H.I.E.L.D. Why would being stuck in a wheelchair stop you from doing your job?"
"Sure and how could I be taken seriously when I'm rolling after bad guys and Hydra goons?"
"Hey!" Clint holds out a finger and lifts an eyebrow, "Fury wore an eyepatch and people were fucking scared of him."
Bobbi has to bite the inside of her cheek to restrain a smile. She will not indulge his stupid and poor attempts of humor. Clint smirks and lightly punches her shoulder.
"Come on, you're freaking Barbara Morse. You're a fucking badass. You don't let a wheelchair define. No, you own up to the wheelchair and you roll over the toes of assholes who belittle you."
This time, the blonde lets herself smile and shakes her head.
"I can't believe you come all this way to give me a pep talk."
"Actually, I came all that way to kick Coulson in the nuts. But May was there and the poor guy looked like a kicked puppy. I don't hit a man when he's already down. I wait for him to get up so I can knock him down again. I'll punch him when he's feeling better."
Bobbi snorts and rolls her eyes at him. Clint throws a quick look at his watch before puffing his cheeks and running his fingers through his hair.
"It's almost noon. Want to share a pizza with Lucky and I, so we can catch up?" At Bobbi's slight hesitation, Clint rolls his eyes and adds reluctantly "Tea Cup can come too. And I'll let you go back to your depressing lab without protesting."
"You know you love him." Bobbi sing-songs.
Clint rolls his eyes and whistles at Lucky to get up before stepping behind her chair. This time, she doesn't mind.
" 'Love' is a strong word. I'm slowly starting to tolerate his existence."
Bobbi lets out a laugh and doesn't protest when Clint starts using her wheelchair as a skateboard again. Still grinning, she looks up at him.
"I could use some time away from my lab... And from Lance."
Clint doesn't say anything. He simply purses his lips and gives her a nod.
"Pizza for two, then," he announces with a smirk before tilting his head to the side, thoughtful. "And a dog."
Lucky barks, as if he knows Clint's speaking about him, and Bobbi giggles. Clint smiles, slowing the wheelchair so Lucky can keep with them without having to run. Quickly sobering, the archer clears his throat.
"Hey, Morse."
"Yes Barton?"
"Next time I'm hearing that you almost died from a guy who I thought was dead, I'm going to kick your ass."
Bobbi snorts and rolls her eyes.
"I'd like to see you try."
A/N 2 : Thanks for reading and please, don't forget to leave a review !
Until next time,
K.