-This chapter is now beta'ed (which is SO a verb) yay-
After learning each other's secrets the two became closer to one another, which was a natural response to the issue, Clint supposed.
Bruce opened up more to him, told him about his research, his past and his relatively happy time with Betty Ross. Bruce in no way blamed her for the reaction and the scientist hoped he could become friends with her again someday. Clint, personally, thought Bruce was way too nice.
Even with the pleasant change in his relationship with Bruce, Clint was anxiously awaiting the Black Widow that at any moment could come barging in. He supposed it felt a little easier with Bruce knowing about S.H.I.E.L.D and all, but the fact that Natasha knew about the rift that had appeared between him and Tony made Clint twitchy, not to mention a little angry. So when the knock on the door finally came, the door was thrown open within seconds.
"Clint." Natasha greeted shortly.
Clint just scowled at her. "You let Tony into the network, didn't you?" He stressed.
"For your own good." Natasha brushed past him, carrying a small bag.
"I've told you a million times that the super-secret agent life isn't for me!" Clint more slammed the door shut than closed it.
"Yes, the live feed we have on you from missions totally agrees with you." Natasha deadpanned in her usual way.
"This isn't about that, it's about what I want-"
"You have a god damned job, agent Barton, and that's keeping the world safe, no matter how ridiculously cheesy that sounds!"
When the Widow raised her voice, yours usually died. Clint wasn't usual and he probably had tendencies towards suicide.
"I'm just one guy! I can't do shit for the world!" Clint's volume matched Natasha's.
"What, you think you can run around playing normal guy? Normal guy doesn't fit you, dumbass." oh great, they had reached this level already.
"Fuck you Natasha, if I want to play normal guy I sure as hell am gonna play normal guy!"
"You couldn't be normal even if normal hit you straight in the face, asshole!"
"Bitch!"
"Petty mortals." The new voice made both Clint and Natasha startle, spin around and face the amused looking Loki.
"Loki…!" Clint almost yelped
"Sorry, Clint, I can't really hold him back when he gets curious..." Bruce appeared next to the tall, lean and somewhat regal looking man. Clint knew Loki was smaller than his brother, but he still dwarfed Clint with his outrageous height. He glanced at Natasha who kept her eyes stiffly locked on Loki, S.H.I.E.L.D kept an eye on both Loki and Thor, but the younger of the two was considered the bigger threat. Clint knew this because he had actually been at HQ when Loki arrived to make it clear to everyone that he knew he was being watched, he didn't like it, and he could do what he wanted if he wanted to. Then he went and made a fool of S.H.I.E.L.D by acting completely normal and ignoring all their extra security enhancements. Clint got an evil glint in his eyes.
"Geeze man, you startled me. Hey, why don't you stay over tonight? We'll order take-out and maybe watch a movie." he could feel Natasha almost losing her cool. Almost.
Loki arched an eyebrow, blue eyes moving between the two of them. Bruce looked confused, then again the scientist often did as a cover to hide what he really felt and used it as a means to draw out more information.
"Very well." Was all Loki said before turning around and walking back into Bruce's lab. Clint's grin grew.
"What do you want, pizza or Chinese?" Clint was still grinning when he asked Bruce.
"Um… I'm fine with either, you know what I like." Bruce hurriedly said before vanishing, the daggers Natasha was glaring didn't seem healthy to be around.
"You are so doing this on purpose, Clint!" She hissed once they were alone in the hallway again.
"Payback, Natasha, payback is a real and cruel bitch."
The evening was surprisingly uneventful, Natasha occupied Clint's bedroom and refused to come out for a long period of time, she was probably sending encrypted messages or the like to the director; at least Clint hoped it was the director or else he risked getting Coulson at his door. Coulson was a force of nature.
So the stubborn agent ordered some big pizzas and went to pick them up himself as he had to hit the mart anyway. When he returned Natasha had emerged from the bedroom dressed in very normal and un-agent-like clothes, sweatpants and a band shirt. He dumped the pizzas and the plastic bag filled with soda and snacks in the kitchen before he walked over to the lab. Knowing he had permission, Clint simply opened the door, he was greeted by an unusual sight. Bruce was looking into his microscope as per usual, but Loki was in the stress-less chair Bruce had in one of the corners and had fallen asleep. Clint stared for so long that even Bruce had the time to notice he was there.
"Uh…well dinner's here and, how the hell did he end up sleeping there?"
"He says the same as you, "comfy chair", and then just zones out." Bruce smiled slightly while Clint flushed somewhat. That was exactly what he did whenever he came into the lab just for the sake of company, it usually ended with Clint snoring away in that heavenly chair while Bruce worked.
"I'll wake him." Clint nodded and retreated.
