Chapter 7
Clint was bored out of his mind. Not because he didn't have anything to do, no, he could find plenty of things he could be doing right now. He had the massive pile of laundry he could be washing, he could be changing the sheets or he could be making lunch.
Clint knew he could be doing a lot of different things but his mind wouldn't let him focus.
Instead he was playing, well actually failing, videogames in Marie's apartment and had been for the last couple of hours while trying to ignore the unease he'd been feeling the last couple of days.
Clint sighed angrily.
He looked around the apartment hoping the source of his unease would suddenly appear and bring his mind to rest but she didn't… And it bothered him. A lot.
"Where the hell are you Marie?" He thought concerned and gave up on the videogame, throwing the controller on the couch.
The lack of contact with Marie was freaking him out. As much as Clint didn't want to admit, he'd grown used to sleeping next to Marie every night. He didn't know how but she had a calming effect on him; his nightmares were a minimum next to her and when they did rear their ugly heads a simple hug or touch was enough to drown them out.
Marie not being there for an entire week meant if fucked up his sleep. A lot. Clint's nightmares became more frequent, like they used to, and there was no one there to drown them.
Before Marie he could always go to Tasha for a talk and before Tasha there was (as hard as it was for him to think of them) Laura. But neither his partner nor his wife, no matter how hard they tried, had been able to do what Marie did unknowingly.
Heal him.
Clint ran his hands through his hear in despair before pacing the through the apartment. He felt so sappy thinking like that but it was true nonetheless. Clint shook his head. Here he was a thirty something man head over heals over a girl… no woman so very much younger than him.
Some days she made him feel like a pervert.
Other day she made him feel like the happiest man on earth.
He stopped when he felt a figure behind him and he turned around expecting, well hoping, it was Marie.
"Who the hell are you?" Clint asked the tall and black haired man. Just what he needed, someone else breaking into this cursed apartment. He'd have to talk to Marie about selling it finding somewhere else.
Clearly it wasn't worth shit when anybody could come and go without asking; something else that bothered Clint.
"I am Loki of Asgard. Your beloved Marie may have mentioned me?" He questioned.
Clint frowned, yeah Marie had mentioned him – he was apparently a good guy but him being here meant something was wrong.
"Where is she? Why haven't I heard from her in more than a week?" He demanded to know and Loki sighed.
"My brother and Marie are being kept prisoners or at least that is what we believe."
"What?" Clint asked feeling a surge of anger. "Christ…."
Loki looked at him with exasperated expression, like Clint was too stupid to comprehend what he'd been told and that made Clint want to break his nose.
"Asgard was attacked by a small group of people called the Vanir a week ago." Clint nodded, "In that attack I was stabbed and hurt. Marie did not leave my side until she knew that I was well enough and would not die on her watch."
Clint nodded again. "Not again…" He thought annoyed and impressed at the same time. Only Marie was able to get caught up in so much shit over such a small time period.
"Because she absorbed the knowledge from the Vanir who led the attack, my father found it wise to send Marie alongside my brother to Vanaheim home of the Vanir. "
Clint felt his hands clench but didn't even register it. He could feel the fury inside powering through his body.
"Why the hell would he think it would be a good idea to send my untrained girlfriend, who barely has any control over her powers, with your brother to the land that just attacked you?" Clint asked trying to hold in his rage. "What kind of idiot is he!"
Loki shook his head like he heard Clint's thought and weirded him out.
"The Vanir claimed that my father stole the flame of life, the force of magic that keeps their realm alive and protected. Without it the Vanir will die. Marie saw, what they all believed to be a shape shifter in Odin's form, who stole it.
Sending more people than Thor and Marie would be a war declaration on an already exiled and wary realm, something my father wishes to avoid. Seeing as two day have passed and we have had no contact with them we believe they have been imprisoned." Loki finished gravely.
"When do we leave?" Clint asked angrily. He was ready get out and bash some faces in if it meant returning Marie to him. Maybe he'd finally get a good night's sleep again.
"As soon as you are ready."
Clint nodded. "Let me grab my weapons." He stated as he walked into the closet to prepare.
When he walked out in his battle suit he frowned at Loki. "Is it just you and me?" Clint had hoped they'd be a few more going considering an entire population was going to be against them.
Loki nodded. "Yes. War declaration remember? Besides, I tried to convince my brother's friends to go with us but they did not believe that my brother would ever be in need of saving." He said as he rolled his eyes.
Loki held out his arm and Clint grabbed it instantly.
They found themselves on the roof of the apartment building and Loki looked to the sky.
"Heimdal, open the bifrost!" He called out.
The two men were pulled into a rainbow vortex.
Clint felt nauseated and his head hurt from the bright lights.
They landed in the middle of a forest, Clint on his ass. He felt dizzy as he got to his feet and took a couple of deep breaths.
Loki raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you going to vomit?" he asked condescendingly.
If they weren't on a mission to save both Thor and Marie Clint would have shoved an explosive arrow up Loki's ass.
Clint glared at him. "No. Now lead the way." He stated greatly annoyed.
Loki held up his hands and then did a series of hand gestures.
A green fog started emitting from his hands and created a long line through the trees for them to follow.
"It would seem," Loki stated with a frown on his face, "That magic has taken residence in this realm."
"Isn't that normal and aren't we looking for a magical fire too?" Clint asked confused. He thought the whole point of Marie's mission was to help locate a magical person.
"Magic has not been a part of this realm for many millennia, it is also the reason as to why the Vanir are very protective of the flame of life. It is their last magic. Their people have not been born with magic in quite a while." Loki explained.
"So this is coming from someone else, like the shape shifter." Clint stated and Loki nodded. "Fucking shape shifters…" Clint thought as cursed Mystique and every other shape shifter out there too.
"Exactly."
Loki started following the green line of fog through the trees and Clint kept up with him.
Thankfully the terrain wasn't all that hard to walk through and Clint was oddly reminded by his camping trip with… "No don't go there… Now's not the time to think of them…" he thought sadly.
They walked until the sun started to set and figured it would be best to stop for the night and rest.
"How long do you figure we have to follow the line?" Clint asked him perched from a tree.
"Probably half a day? I have never been in Vanaheim before, so I wouldn't know with certainty."
Clint nodded. "I'll take first watch, get some sleep." He stated and Loki nodded before conjuring a bed in the middle of the forest.
Clint raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief. "What a pretentious asshole."
Loki rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to sleep on the ground like some peasant." He stated annoyed before turning over and covering himself with a large blanket.
Clint shook his head and muttered, "Rich people."
Loki spelling the bed away woke Clint from his sleep already crappy sleep, as he landed on the ground with a thud.
Clint glared at the asgardian angrily but got up and strapped his bow and arrows on his back again. He promised he'd find a way to get back at him.
The sun was barely starting to rise over the forest as they began their hike again. An hour passed in silence until they heard voices coming along.
"You know the queen doesn't like waiting! We must hurry with the food." One voice spoke out.
Loki and Clint hid behind a tree watching as two young boys, around eleven years of age, carried a large barrel of fish together.
"I can't go any faster! My legs and arms are hurting!" the smaller of the two, a red head, complained.
Clint grinned.
Loki stepped out surprising the boys who dropped the barrel with a yell. "I'd be scared shitless too if I had to watch that face."
"Fear not children, I am not here to harm you." Loki tried to calm them.
The red head and the blonde looked at each other before screaming out in fear and running for their lives.
"Well that went well." Clint commented with a shake of his head. Clearly Loki had never interacted with children before he thought wryly.
Loki glared at Clint before sending a spell out in the direction the boys ran. Like an elastic band springing back, the boys found themselves before the two men again.
"Stop behaving like lunatics." Loki complained, "Did your mothers not teach you any manners?" He questioned angrily.
Clint stared at Loki amused. "You're the one to talk Prince Dickhead."
The boys froze and looked down in shame. "Sorry." They said in unison.
"Now, I am prince Loki of Asgard," Loki said and immediately the boys froze in fear, "And I know my brother and his shield-sister are being kept prisoners here."
Clint intervened sensing the boys' fear. Leave it to Loki to scare them out of helping them.
"Look my… beloved is being kept prisoner here," He said using the old fashioned word he knew the kids would understand. They were all using some kind of Victorian aged-inspired language here and it was freaking weird, "And I would really like to know that she's okay and bring her home." He explained gently to the boys.
The redheaded boy nodded eagerly. "The queen has put them under a spell. They are to do anything she orders them too." He admitted and the other boy elbowed him and shushed him.
"Fuck… That can't be good." He thought angrily.
"I did not know Vanaheim had a queen and one with magic at that." Loki stated curiously.
The redheaded boy nodded again. "Tis' true, she came out of nowhere and made the king fall in love with her. He killed anyone who stood against her! Please! We must bring the food back to the village or she'll kill us too!" The boy pleaded desperately.
"How about this," Clint offered trying to calm him, "We carry the barrel and you take us back to the village with you?"
The boys looked at each other before nodding happily. "Deal!" They exclaimed.
Clint took the barrel, lifted it and was happy to note it wasn't heavy at all. The boys led them through the forest expertly and soon they came to a large village.
Loki turned to Clint. "This new magic queen of theirs is making me uneasy."
Clint nodded. "Sounds like she's the shape shifter but why would she steal the magic that keeps this realm alive?" he wondered out loud.
Loki shrugged. "Magic corrupts people when used for the wrong reasons and it would seem that this witch is using it for the most selfish reasons."
Clint frowned and stopped the boys. "I have to hand over the barrel to you guys now." The boys nodded understandingly though they looked disappointed.
"Thank you for carrying it for us." The red head said and Clint shuffled his hair fondly.
"No problem kid."
The boys took off with the barrel as quickly as they could towards a small stone castle that overlooked the village.
"So what's the plan?" Clint asked Loki. Right now he was ready to go in guns blazing until he found Marie.
"We deal with the witch first. If she really has Thor, Marie and the king under her control than we need to sever the magic keeping them bound lest she use them to attack us." Loki stated a small glare directed at the castle.
"And the flame?" Clint asked. What was the point of going against a witch if they didn't get a hold of the thing she was trying to steal?
Loki sighed. "We will enter the castle and I will do a magic search to see where she has hidden it. We will then return it to the king and find Thor and Marie."
Clint nodded. "Let's go."
Loki grabbed a hold of him and teleported them to the castle.
A surprised guard attacked them and Clint knocked him unconscious with a hard straight kick to his face.
Loki looked impressed. "Not bad." He stated.
Clint rolled his eyes. "Move it." He said ignoring what he knew was a compliment from the other man.
They entered the castle and several guards spotted them. The guards ran to attack them.
A large bell was heard through out the village.
"Guess we've been made." Clint stated as he fired several explosive arrows taking out the guards.
Loki fired spell after spell at the masses of soldiers coming at them while Clint shot his arrows at the attackers.
When he had one arrow left, Clint was about to fire the gun he had strapped to his thigh but Loki grabbed him and teleported them in to a hallway away from the attacking of soldiers.
They ran through the castle as Loki did a spell to search for magic and stopped abruptly when a golden string led in two different directions.
"What the?" Clint stated.
"One must be the witch and the other the flame." Loki stated annoyed.
"Great so we split up and hope I don't get the powerful witch."
Loki stopped him before he could run off.
"Wait," he said and did a spell on Clint's quiver, "Now you wont run out." He smirked and Clint had a look of surprise on his face.
"Thank you." He said with a nod before running off. That would definitely come in handy if it was permanent.
Clint followed the golden string as quickly as he could, as it had already begun to dissolve.
He tried controlling his heartbeat and taking deep breaths. The golden string stopped in front of a door and Clint steeled him self for what would await him inside.
"Please don't be a crazy powerful witch!" Clint prayed desperately and opened the door with his bow and arrow strung.
When there was no yelling, spell casting or attack on him Clint entered the room relieved.
"There's no one here." He noted surprised.
Clint observed the room, a large bedroom and noticed the empty fireplace.
"Okay, if I kept had to keep a magical flame hidden from the castle where would I do it?" He thought as he walked through the room.
He opened the closets and checked under the bed but still found nothing.
"It's magically hidden… I can't see it but maybe I can feel it…" Clint wondered.
He started from one corner of the room; hands stretched in front of him, carefully feeling the room as if he was a blind man.
It wasn't until he made it to the bookcase he felt unusual warmth emitting from behind it.
"Of course there's a secret room in an old castle…" He thought feeling stupid. Marie would have laughed at him.
Clint pulled the surprisingly light bookcase away from the wall revealing a hidden staircase. He walked downstairs slowly, not wanting to be taken by surprise if there were any occupants.
The warmth became unbearably hot the closer he came to the end of the staircase and Clint could see the orange light illuminating the walls.
There was nobody there and he released a breath of relief before entering the room completely.
The small fire in the middle of the room was enclosed in a large glass case and Clint wondered how the hell he was going to manage to carry the large and very hot glass upstairs, as sweat dripped from his forehead.
He looked around the room and found some discarded thick gloves and realised someone else had the same problem when they carried it down.
Clint quickly grabbed the gloves and carried the heavy glass case upstairs; breathing heavily from the heat he was exposed to. He was sure he was going to pass out halfway up and his hands shook lightly.
When he finally stepped into the room Clint nearly fell to his knees as the cold air hit his overheated body. The sweat was starting to run into the corner of his eyes, burning and stinging them while blurring his sight.
He took a deep breath before making his way out of the room and running in the direction of Loki. He'd know what to do with flame.
Clint ran down the hallways before he stopped and groaned. He was lost and hadn't found any sign of Loki anywhere.
"You! Hold!" a voice called.
Clint turned and cursed. "Look, I'm returning this to its rightful owner get out of my way." He told the old man. He didn't feel like shooting the old man with an arrow was good idea.
The man radiated anger and looked like he was ready to kill Clint. "Shit…"
"That would be me you fool! I am the king of these lands!" King Villas stated angrily.
Clint's eyes widened. "Oh… Sorry. Didn't know." He said and offered the flame to the king.
Clint felt like slapping him self across the head when he remembered that there was a shape shifter in the castle.
King Villas took the flame, grinned and Clint felt his gut clench uncomfortably.
"I'm an idiot!"
The King's body changed, grin remaining and suddenly a pretty blonde stood before him.
She smirked and cast a blast of energy that hit Clint directly in the stomach sending him flying back several feet.
"I'm a giant idiot."
Clint groaned.
"You're a fool, midgardian!" She stated laughing manically, "However did you get here?"
Clint quickly jumped to his feet and fired an arrow at her. The psycho wasn't going to get the better of him.
Amora opened a portal and the arrow flew through it.
Clint screamed as it pierced his own shoulder.
A spell hit Amora sending her flying in to the wall next to her. The glass case with the flame fell to the floor and everyone froze in fear.
When it didn't brake they released a collective breath of relief before Amora fired a spell at Loki who'd finally shown up.
Loki countered every spell masterfully before Amora screamed in rage and opened a portal. She ran through it leaving them observing their surroundings in paranoia.
When Amora didn't reappear Loki helped Clint to his feet. "You're hurt." He stated and Clint refrained from replying "No shit Sherlock."
"I'll live. Can you pull it out?" Clint asked him.
Loki spelled the arrow out of his shoulder with out warning and Clint grunted in pain. He wasn't going to let Loki see him weak.
"I've spelled the wound shut but it won't hold forever. You need to see a healer."
"I need to find Marie first." He stated firmly and Loki nodded. She was the reason he was here in the first place.
"You must hand over the flame to us first." King Villas said observing them from where he'd appeared.
"Could you check?" Clint asked Loki in annoyance. He really didn't want to deal with the witch again.
Loki sent a blue spell towards the King who frowned. When the king remained the same Loki nodded.
"It's him."
Clint felt relieved at comment. Loki levitated the glass case with the flames over to the Soldiers.
The king bowed to Loki. "You have saved my people and broken the hold the witch held on us. The Vanir are indebted to you Prince Loki."
Loki bowed in return. "Thank you your highness."
The king and his soldiers left the hallway in a hurry to return the flame to its home.
Loki sent a green spell out and once again they were pulled in two different directions.
"I'll go left and you go right." Loki stated and Clint nodded.
Clint hurried down ignoring the searing pain his shoulder that followed his every movement.
He entered the room the spell had guided him to. He hesitated at the door afraid of what he'd find behind but knew that Marie needed him.
Clint opened the door and carefully walked in. His heart was beating crazily.
Marie smiled at him before it quickly changed into a frown. Clint wanted to avert his eyes really bad but he couldn't.
Not when she was standing in front of him with eyes wide and naked as the day she was born.
"If I wasn't a better man…"
"You are not the king. Where's my love. We're supposed bind our bodies together tonight."
Clint stared at her in horror and anger. Why did she always get herself into messes like these?
He'd never felt more grateful for her powers being uncontrollable.
"Marie…" Clint said gently. He hoped she'd recognize him if she stared at him.
She didn't.
"Who are you? Tell me where the king is before I call the guards." She demanded angrily.
Clint stepped forward and when she didn't move back he took it as a good sign.
He was close to her, closer than he'd ever been to so much of her exposed skin. Clint had to admit, despite the seriousness of the situation, he was still a man and he was still slightly turned on.
Her eyes widened and Clint could tell she was frozen in her place. She looked like a deer caught in headlights.
Clint took another step towards her and kissed her on the lips. It was sweet and short. Just enough to kick-start her memories he hoped.
When he felt the familiar pull of her skin absorbing him, he heard Marie curse and felt her jump back breaking the connection, as her mind broke free of the spell's hold.
"Clint!" She yelled surprised and covered her body. Her face flushed red from embarrassment and Clint could have sworn he'd never seen a prettier thing in his life.
Marie grabbed the sheets from the bed and wrapped herself in it. "Damn… Here I was enjoying the view." He thought with a grin. Marie would kill him if she absorbed him again but it wouldn't change the truth.
Clint nodded amused. "Thank god you remember me. For a second there I thought I'd have to fight you in your nakedness and as fun as it sounds I think you'd have the upper hand." He joked lightly.
She looked around the room in confusion. "What happened? Thor and I… Shit, Thor!" She exclaimed concerned and Clint tried to calm her. He could see in her eyes that her mind was going a mile a minute.
"Your friend Loki is getting him but I don't think he's going to kiss him." Clint joked hoping to lighten her worried spirit.
Marie's gathered her clothes and armour from the floor and dressed as Clint's eyes stayed on her backside.
"Loki brought you here?" She asked him.
Clint nodded, "Yup. He didn't really have much faith in Thor's friends or something and he didn't want take any chances."
Marie turned and hugged him as hard as she could, surprising him. Not that he'd ever have anything against Marie's hugs.
Clint hid a wince of pain as he was reminded by the injury in his shoulder, though he returned the hug fiercely.
He hadn't felt so concerned and relieved at the same time in a long time.
"Thank god for your timing." She mumbled against him, and Clint noticed her voice shook lightly.
He tightened his hold on her but said nothing. He didn't trust his voice.
"Let's find the others and get out of here." She said after a while.
Clint nodded and pulled her out of the room. Marie led him along the corridor and he let her, as she knew the layout better than him. They ran hand in hand down the hall and stopped outside a room.
They heard smashing and ducked when a table flew out the doorway nearly colliding with them.
Clint's shoulder burned in pain but he gritted his teeth.
"I think Loki managed to wake him up." he commented hoping it would distract Marie from his pain and she nodded.
They entered carefully and took in the state of the room. Whatever had been furniture before was rubble.
Loki was staring at his brother a disinterested expression on his face but his eyes couldn't hide his concern.
"Thor?" Marie asked gently and the God of Thunder ceased his smashing.
Clint wanted to curse her or shake her. Didn't she have any brain cells? Couldn't she see the sheer anger this massive guy was emitting?
Thor turned towards Marie eyes filled with guilt and shame and Clint frowned. He wondered what had happened between the two that would make him look at Marie like that. Clint didn't like it.
He pushed those thoughts into the back of his mind. He trusted Marie, even if she had been put under a spell, he trusted her completely.
"Don't." He heard Marie say sternly. "This is Amora's doing. We'll make her pay."
Thor nodded and said nothing his rage still too great.
Clint's shoulder was really starting to bug him and Loki noticed his painful wince.
"We need to find Amora and the flame. It's the only way to stop the insanity." Marie stated angrily and Clint wanted to roll his eyes. "Doesn't she have any faith in me?"
Loki frowned. "Clint and I have already located and returned the flame." He said surprising Thor and Marie, "It would seem that the king and his son was also under Amora's mind spells. She is of Asgard not Vanaheim."
Thor growled and outside storm and lightning and thunder mixed in a dangerous cocktail.
Clint pulled Marie back lightly though he didn't think she even noticed.
"I will find her and I will end her!" Thor screamed as lightning ran across his body fuelled by his rage.
They all did the smart thing and took a step back.
"Thor it would be best to return to Asgard now. She is gone, we do not know where and peace has been restored." Loki argued. For once Clint agreed with him.
"I agree with Loki." Marie said softly and Thor calmed and looked at her sadly. Clint wanted to voice his agreement too but his sight was starting blur and his shoulder burned.
"Very well." Thor told and Marie exhaled a sigh of relief.
"Thank god!"
The four of them left the castle in silence while Clint clung to Marie's gloved hand.
"Heimdal, open the bifrost." Loki called. Clint barely noticed the rainbow colours and flying through the vortex.
Clint's eyes closed of their own will and he barely heard Marie call out his name when they landed.
Clint blacked out still holding on to Marie's hand.
Marie felt Clint's hand tighten in her own as they were pulled through the vortex before it slackened.
"Clint!" She called out worried when they landed and he fell to the floor still holding her hand.
"He's been injured. He needs a healer." Loki stated before grabbing a hold of them all and teleporting them the halls of healing inside the castle.
The asgardian healers there jumped in surprise before noticing Clint. They pulled his unconscious body onto a table and Marie could feel the guilt clench her gut.
This was her fault. He was injured trying to save her and now he was hurt.
Thor placed a comforting hand on her clothed shoulder. "Do not blame yourself. Any man in love is willing to risk injury and give his life to protect the one he loves." He tried comforting her.
Marie clenched his hand and nodded. She felt like yelling but she was pulled away. The healers wanted to check her over and Marie cursed them when a young healer blocked her sight of Clint.
She squirmed and moved around trying to see him and in the end the healers decided to give up on her check-up when she wouldn't sit still.
"That'll teach ya!" She thought successfully.
Marie rushed to his side as a healer finished pressing a white cloth to his skin. She took his hand in her gloved on and squeezed.
She felt an uncomfortable pain in her stomach seeing him like this. It brought back the memory of her absorbing him and it made her feel like shit.
"Please be okay." Marie begged of him.
Frigga came up behind her and smiled gently. "He will be well. The healers mended the wound completely. It will not even scar." She told Marie who released a breath of relief.
"Thank you." Marie stated never moving her eyes off the sleeping Clint. She found a chair nearby, pushed it to his bedside and sat next to him.
"Odin will want to know of your mission." Frigga stated.
Marie sighed. "Thor will tell him. I'm needed here." She said calmly. "If he asks tell him that if Loki and Clint hadn't come for us it would have been bad."
Frigga nodded a sad look in her eyes though Marie didn't see it. "I will inform him, you just stay here and take care of your beloved."
Marie rubbed Clint's hand lovingly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got you hurt." She whispered. "I didn't know things would go south so fast. If I'd known I never would have gone. Please be alright Clint, I love you."
Marie froze when Clint groaned. "Shit! Did he hear me?" she wondered scared.
"What… what happened? I feel like I was hit by a truck." Clint groaned and Marie felt both relief and sadness at the same time. "He didn't hear me…"
She smiled miserably. "You got hurt and you didn't even tell me you idiot." Marie complained angrily. She couldn't believe him! He'd had every opportunity to tell her and he didn't.
Clint looked at her with half-open eyes. "You worried?" he grinned.
Marie would have punched him if it weren't for the fact that he was already injured. "Of course I'm worried! You scared the shit out of me!" She exclaimed.
What did he think? That she wouldn't care that he was injured.
Clint sighed but clenched her hand. "Worth it." He grinned and Marie rolled her eyes. She leaned down and kissed his head.
"Don't scare me like that again. Please." She begged. It was bad enough that she always got hurt, but Clint? He was her tough guy she thought amused.
Clint sighed. "Don't get kidnapped again. Please." He replied cheekily.
Marie shook her head in despair. "Fine." She finally exclaimed. She knew she wouldn't get anywhere with him if he was in this teasing mood.
Clint smiled tiredly. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Same to you." She replied softly. "Thank you for coming for me."
Clint sighed tiredly. "I'll always come for you. Even if you're a freaking universe away."
Marie nodded smiled wryly. "I think that goes both ways."
She watched as Clint's eyes closed again. His heavy breathing indicated he'd fallen asleep.
Marie looked around and noticed that both Loki and Thor had left the hall. There were no healers either. It was just herself, the sleeping Clint and her thoughts.
She sighed heavily. "I love him, I really do…" Marie ran her gloved fingers through his hair lovingly and small smile made itself known on Clint's sleeping face.
"There's no going back now…" She thought feeling bittersweet in the moment. "Please don't break my heart Clint… I couldn't bare it if you did… I need you in my life too much… You're the only thing that keeps me grounded right now and with everything going on I need grounding…"
Marie felt the guilt and shame hit her like a tsunami at once. She bit her lip trying to hold back her sobs as the tears fell freely from her eyes.
She placed her hand on her mouth trying to keep silent as her body shook. She forced herself to stop before she woke up Clint.
Marie rubbed her eyes harshly. "Get it together Marie." She told herself. "It wasn't like anything bad happened to you. Thor was worse off."
Her thoughts didn't help ease her shame when a memory of Thor, on his knees and pulling Amora's hair as he grunted violently and finished inside Amora flashed across her mind.
Marie felt disgusted and nauseated. She wanted to vomit when she remembered that she'd wanted him to do the same to her and how her body had grown hot watching them and…
Clint's hand clenched hers in his sleep; a small frown on his face and it pulled her out of her train of thought.
"Thank you for being you… You're my guardian angel." She whispered to Clint.
Marie wasn't anywhere near all right.
She wouldn't be for a long time and she knew that.
But she was just happy to have Clint by her side; he was already helping her pull through just by being there.
...
