Lost in the seas of forgotten memories
A/N: I don't really like giving really long author notes…but there are a few things I need to clear up. I know a lot of you are asking why Clint hasn't told Natasha their married yet – and he has a really good reason. Trust me. She is going to find out really, really soon. Another note – I'm sorry if Clint and Natasha didn't spend a lot of time together in recent chapters – I was using her conversations with the other avengers to set up some plot lines and kind of let the clintasha moments slide for a bit. I apologize and will correct that immediately. Also Steve is not in love with Natasha and will never be in love with her. Neither was Clint flirting with Hill. Period. I don't like love triangles and there will be no love triangle in my story. There is just stubborn as a stick and stubborn as a metal rod! Sorry for the confusion! Clintasha forever!
Tiny shout out to Sargerogue for being the only person to see all 3 100 days of tony stark madness references – without hints (sorry friends)!
Chapter 10
Natasha stared at her hands at she suited up for the mission. This was going to be the first mission she would be undertaking since her accident. It didn't matter if it was a simple distract and acquire operation - her worth as an agent was banking on the success of this assignment.
"Hey I bet I could stuff more of those peanuts they give us on the plane in my pockets then you can!" She heard a familiar annoying voice say from outside her door. Her eye twitched.
"I accept your challenge Man of Iron! Where is this plane where we may find these peanuts?" Another voice boomed. Her eye twitched again.
She wasn't going to let a couple of idiots ruin her shot at getting back into the field just because they couldn't control their idiocy.
The door beside the two avengers slammed open to reveal a livid looking Russian agent. They gulped.
"Hello Natasha." Thor squeaked. Her glare intensified tenfold - if that was even possible.
"You will listen to me and you will listen to me carefully." She said dangerously. "If either of you does anything, anything to jeopardize this mission I will tearyou limb from limb and then sew you back together so that I can do it again." She said darkly. Thor looked like he was ready to faint from fear and Stark was practically shaking in his boots.
"But we didn't do anything!" They both whined.
"I can feel your stupidity infecting the air as we speak." She said blankly. "One single toe out of line and I will come after you." She said threateningly before she turned away and stalked down the hall. Tony and Thor stood there side by side and stared after her in horror. She whipped her head around to give them one last icy glare. They cowered in fear like a pair of severely frightened puppies.
She sighed as she walked into the Common room - she didn't think her intensive warning would be enough to actually deter the hooligans. They were truly a lost cause.
She saw Clint pouring over a large pile of papers at a table and went over to see what he was doing.
"Seems like operating a mission is a lot of paperwork." She said quietly from behind him. He glanced up at her as he continued to read through his notes.
"Well...you're not wrong. There is a ton of logistics to go through to make sure everything runs smoothly like our transport, getting into the invite only party and by passing all the security features in the building so that I can map out how to bug the meeting room." H explained as he pulled out his laptop and scanned through some more documents. Natasha leaned against the table beside him and watched him work diligently and with an uncharacteristic focus. He was trying too hard.
"You are taking this mission very seriously for an agent who personally despises espionage operations. I've only ever known you to lead infiltration and capture missions. Messy and open gunfire is your style - not dancing around the enemy and deceit." She said questioningly. He shrugged.
"Maybe I fancied a change of scenery." He said noncommittally. She snorted.
"Or maybe you're trying to do someone a favour that they don't need." She said crossing her arms. He sighed - he really didn't want to go through this conversation again. A few dozen times in the past was more than enough.
"If you don't want to know don't ask Tasha." He said simply. She scowled at him.
"You're heading this mission because of me aren't you?"
"Are you asking or accusing?" He asked dryly.
"I don't know - maybe a little of both." She said cautiously. He sighed again and stopped typing to turn and give Natasha his full attention.
"Yes part of the reason I'm doing this mission is because of you - is it a crime to try and look out for your partner? But before you start ranting about how you can look after yourself think about why you were specifically chosen for this mission. It's not a test - they want you in the field for a reason Tasha." He said turned the computer screen to face her. She looked closely at the profile he had linked to their mission file and froze.
"Our target messenger is one of the Russian handlers from the Red Room program Tasha. I just got the details an hour ago. You're the only person in SHIELD who has any experience encountering these people." He said carefully. She sat down on the seat beside him and stared at the picture of a hardened man who had the ruthless eyes of a killer. He held no remorse for his victim - he was a certified psychopath. She vaguely remembered seeing his face around the training compound she used to hone her skills back in her darker days. She shook her head and look up at her partner who was watching her patiently.
"They would never send me on a crucial mission like this right after my accident Barton. These people...you know they don't play around. They don't leave loose ends hanging." She said with a faraway look. He nodded and typed in a few lines before he brought up another screen with a list of agents. Deceased agents.
"I know Tasha. I was wrong. They're not sending you because you are their best agent. Their sending you because you are their last resort." He said gravely. The apprehension on her face only deepened as she scrolled through the list of agents who were formerly assigned to this mission.
"What are these documents Barton? Why are they so important?" She asked blankly. How do they expect her to succeed when so many agents have failed?
"SHIELD won't tell us because it's not crucial to the success of the mission - but we're working on figuring that out anyway." He said frankly. She continued to stare at the faces of her fellow agents. This wasn't normal mission Intel.
"How did you get these flies? SHIELD keeps their undercover agent lists under the highest security." She said suspiciously. He smiled guiltily.
"Stark is more usefully than you think." He said dryly. She rolled her eyes.
"Well at least he's good for something. Does this mean the entire team knows what their getting into?" She asked carefully. He shut the laptop screen and nodded.
"We're all in this together Tasha. Whatever this is." He said firmly. She leaned her chin against the table and sighed.
"It's times like these I wish I could remember the moments that bonded us to the point where you would go to the ends of the earth for each other." She said regretfully. He smiled weakly at her.
"Me too Tasha, me too."
"Medical said the longer I don't remember the more likely it becomes that I never will." She said quietly. He sighed and turned his chair towards her.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Even if you don't ever remember…we can always create new memories together. The past can stay in the past - it's not the end of the world." He said sincerely placing a comforting hand on her knee. She watched him warily but didn't move away – that was progress right?
"Sometimes you look at me like it's the end of the world." She said hesitantly. He stared at her intensely as a war of emotions raging behind his eyes. It was in this moment he wanted to tell her so badly what she really meant to him – what they meant to each other. But they were about to leave for an important mission and she needed to be focused one hundred percent on her target. No distractions. One wrong move could cost them her life – and that will always be his highest priority. No, he couldn't tell her today.
"And yet the world hasn't ended yet Tasha. We're all still here - fighting for every last breath."
Memories memories memories memories memories memories memories
The paparazzi were sitting behind the ropes waiting for some notable people to walk down the red carpet and into the Jade summer gala. They were hoping to see Brad Pitt or Angelina Joliebut instead they got an even bigger surprise. A pair of sleek white limousines pulled up to the mansion and they all curiously leaned forward to see who the late arrivals were.
They watched as a large handsome blond haired man came out of the front door and skillfully opened the back door for the actual guest. As they got their first peek of the beauty inside the limo they gasped. From the killer legs, to the drop dead gorgeous red dress to the stunning figure - no wonder it took them forever to actually get to her face.
But when they did they all sweat dropped. Her face was stony. So she was that type of rich girl. She scanned the crowd and when she noticed everyone was holding their breaths waiting to see what she would do she flashed them a brilliant smile that completely transformed her face.
Honestly...they think some of the men swooned.
Some of the reporters frantically flipped through their guest lists to see who this unknown beauty was. She was totally stealing the show.
"Sylvia Cross heiress of Cross insured corporations." Someone said aloud as the rest of the reporters huddled around him. The all gave him a give-us-what-we-really-want look. He rolled his eyes. Vultures.
"She's worth 75 million dollars." He clarified. Suddenly they were all frantically pushing each other aside trying to capture a photo of the high profile figure. She gracefully accepted all the attention as she walked down the carpet with the blond man hovering around her protectively – literally guarding her body.
"Hey big guy! Lighten up on the guarding business – at this rate no one will approach her let alone our target." Clint buzzed into the team com link. Thor blushed and took a couple steps back from the fake heiress. When they finally got passed the mobs and entered the parlor she gave him the stink eye.
"There is a subtle way of being a bodyguard – guard without being seen." She whispered. They turned around and watched the rest of the avengers walk down the red carpet – poor Clint and Steve literally got pushed to the side as the paparazzi mobbed the only celebrity superhero in the world. Natasha rolled her eyes – once a narcissistic bastard always a narcissistic bastard.
"Yes it is I – Tony Stark!" Tony shouted soaking up all the attention – like a leech. Steve and Clint painful crawled through the mob and collapsed in front of Natasha and Thor. Poor suckers.
"They're freaking monsters!" Clint whined.
"I can't breathe!" Steve gasped.
"Stark's vanity knows no bounds fellas." Bruce buzzed through their link.
"DO IT! DO IT DO IT!" The mob chanted. Tony smirked and raised his hand – he had his Iron Man glove on. Clint groaned.
"Does he know what the definition of undercover means?" Steve asked warily. Tony shot a beam out of his glove and the all watched – to their horror - as the light flash through the sky and erupted into a shower of sparks in the shape of Iron Man. The crowd cheered.
"Nope." They all replied in unison.
"This is why Stark is on standby for distraction – it's the only thing he's good at." Clint said dryly. No one argued with that. "Let's set up team." He said and they all dispersed in different directions.
"Steve – vents. Natasha locate target and Thor…don't break anything." Clint ordered quietly into his link. They all snickered across the communicator.
"I do not appreciate this implicating laughter my friends." Thor mumbled miserably. Natasha rolled her eyes and scanned the room for the only other Russian in attendance. She paused when she noticed the lurking figure in the corner of the hall - you could smell fishy from a mile away on that guy. He was practically vibrating with nervous energy.
"I see Rafael – Thor go get me a drink or something." She said giving Thor a don't-you-dare-get-in-my-way look. He gulped and scurried away. She circled the room and caught Rafael's eye a few times – she gave him a flirtatious smile. He gave her a mildly interested look – she could work with that. She shut Natasha away deep inside her mind and let the black widow take over – it was time to set the trap for her prey.
"Steve how far are you with the vents?" Clint asked as he watched Natasha transform into the deadly agent he knew her to be. He was also watching all the hungry and appreciative looks the other men in the room were giving her. He clenched his jaw - he was going to hate every second of this.
"Um...I got the vent open and everything, but the pocket map isn't cooperating." Steve replied irritably trying make the device work. Why doesn't that button work when he pressed it?
"Capsicle...you got to hold down the power button to turn the darn thing on." Tony suddenly chimed into their shared com link. Steve went bright red - thank god no one could see him. He turned the screen around and pressed the aforementioned button. Ding. He banged his against the floor of the vent – sometimes it was beyond embarrassing to be from a different time period.
"10 minutes until I'll reach the vent above the meeting room." Steve replied as he continued to crawl through the small shaft.
"Well we have 20 minutes until the meetings starts – Natasha you're on a time limit." Clint said as he leaned against the bar and scanned to room for any suspicious looking people – it was hard to decipher who was a serious threat and who was a just everyday criminal – they all had some form or dirt on them.
"I'm aware of that fact." She said quietly as she looked at her watch – it was 20 to 9 o'clock. Let's get this party started. She turned around and caught the target's eye once more. He held more than a little interest now. She walked over to him and leaned against the bar not too far away from where Clint was sitting as he sipped a cocktail. Natasha snorted internally. Barton hates cocktails – she would bet her favourite pistol that hasn't change in the last 3 years.
"Why are you the only handsome man not dancing with some of the beautiful ladies in the room?" She asked curiously. She heard several scoffs and some sputtering in her ear but promptly ignored them of course. He gave a half-hearted shrug.
"No one has asked." His voice rumbled quietly. That was not the answer she was expecting.
"I thought it was the man's responsibility to ask the lady to dance?" She asked airily.
"Maybe I'm not so old fashion as some of the other patrons of this beautiful ball." He replied dryly.
"I thought you said he was a womanizer Clint?" Bruce buzzed through the com link worriedly. Clint watched the conversation carry on between the two Russians carefully.
"SHIELD did…but obviously he's a perfect gentleman when he's about to go through an important business transaction." He said slowly.
"So what do we do?" Tony asked as he walked up to where Clint was sitting.
"We improvise."
"Maybe I'm asking." Natasha said shyly tilting her head to the side. He looked tempted but ultimately sighed.
"Sorry Krasivaya – not here for fun tonight. I have business to attend shortly." He said regretfully. She sighed prettily and perched her head on her arm.
"Maybe you'll change your mind. A quick dance is all I ask." She said giving him a small wink before she spun around and gracefully walked away. The longing on his face could be seen from a mile away. Clint swore - what the hell was she doing?
"Shit he turned her down." Tony said in shock. Even he thought you had to be crazy to turn a woman like Red down - and they barely got along on the best of days.
"Did she just give up?" Bruce asked incredulously. They all watched her walked past Clint and Stark while giving them a pointed look.
"Ask me to dance." She said quietly into the communicator. They both gave her a confused look. She sat down next to Thor who had her drink ready in his hand. She sighed as she took a sip feigning boredom.
"Did she just say what I think she just did?" Tony asked beyond confused.
"Get your lazy ass over here Barton and help me make the target jealous." She whispered impatiently. He stumbled over himself as he rushed to get up. He fixed his suit and confidently walked over to the lonely looking Russian. He stood in front of her and cleared his throat. She raised an eyebrow at his show of gentlemanly manner. He gave her an impish grin.
"Would the lovely lady like a dance?" He asked formally offering her his hand. She laughed - he nearly stumbled over himself in shock. He hasn't heard her laugh so genuinely in a long time. Wasn't that a shame? Her laugh was musical.
"Why yes of course - that would be lovely." She said taking his hand and allowing him to lead her on to the dance floor. He twirled her through the fast paced song and nearly missed a step when he caught the full blown effect of the blinding smile on her face. He smiled back like a fool - a happy fool.
"Did you forget how to dance Barton?" She asked teasingly. He blushed and promptly dropped her into a dip. She scowled lightly at the abrupt move.
"Not at all Tasha. Your eyes are just so deep I momentarily got lost in them." He said cheekily as he smoothly pulled her back into a standing position. She snorted - how unladylike.
"That's almost just as bad as your pathetic pickup lines." She said bluntly. He pouted as he twirled them across the dance floor.
"Oh Tasha your love is so strong it burns my soul." He continued dramatically pulling their hands to his chest. She wrinkles her nose.
"Are you being extra cheesy on purpose or is this your normal dancing conversation?" She asked warily. He wagged his eyebrows at her.
"Why don't you take a guess?" He said as he twirled her away from him.
"Normal conversation it is." She said dryly. He scowled and tugged her back towards him hard enough that she lost her balance and fell against him.
"Are you falling for me Natasha?" He asked with a smirk. She scowled at him and suddenly their roles were reversed and he found himself being led through the dance. In his confusion she managed to coax him into a dip himself.
"I could ask you the same thing." She said smirking above him. He rapidly turned a deep shade of red as heads starting turning in their direction - this was practically scandalous!
"This is so wrong - especially considering where we are." He whispered frantically. She shrugged and pulled him up and let him lead once more.
"Never was one to follow the crowd." She said simply. He rolled his eyes and pulled her close as a slower song came on.
"No you always did move to the beat of your own drum." He said giving her a meaningful look. She stared back at him with guarded eyes.
"11 minutes lover boy." Tony's voice suddenly broke the spell. He frowned - he had completely forgotten why they were dancing in the first place. Shit he was getting soft. But the good news was that she seemed to be startled out of their little bubble as well - progress was progress no matter how small.
"Is he watching from the bar?" She asked quietly. He turned them slightly and looked over her shoulder. He scanned the bar - Rafael wasn't there.
"Shit he's gone - we're screwed." He said, angry at himself for getting carried away.
"No - he's right where we want him to be." She said staring over his shoulder. He tensed at her words, but schooled his face right before he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and came face to face with Rafael, the target himself.
"May I cut in?" He asked politely but the heat in his eyes ruined the gentlemanly effects he was going for. Clint glowered on the inside but obediently handed Natasha over to the slimy Russian. Not that was anything really wrong with Russians - he was in love with one obviously. He just had a problem with this Russian – and any other Russians who wanted to hit on their resident badass spy.
She turned to give him a fake apologetic look for Rafael's benefit.
"Sorry Hun - but you were just some eye candy to pass the time. No hard feelings?" She asked hopefully. For a second he wanted to lash out and say he did have some serious hard feelings about this injustice and the emotional rollercoaster he had been on since she woke up in the SHIELD medical room all those weeks ago. Instead he just nodded and walked away. He might jeopardize the mission if he said anything to the bastard or looked at him for too long.
"Bah! Eye candy my ass! You fully enjoyed that you vicious ice queen." Tony said accusingly across the com link. Obviously she couldn't respond – her left eye twitched though.
"Was that whole little show for me?" Rafael asked haughtily. She gave him a sly smile as she slid back into black widow mode. It was a bad move letting Natasha out at all in the first place. Now she would be comparing her two dancing partners the entire time.
"Whatever gave you that idea handsome?" She asked innocently. He pulled her flush against his body and smirked. His smirk made Clint's skin crawl in all the wrong ways.
"You young lady are a tease." He said completely ogling her assets. Clint's hand was itching to wipe that leer right off his face.
"Grip that glass any harder and it might just shatter legolas." Tony said sliding into the seat beside the archer. Clint glanced at his white knuckles and quickly eased his tight grasp – he didn't need a scratched up hand on top of the ulcer he is about to get from watching the sickening scene play out on the dance floor in front of them.
She laughed and lightly brushed her hand against the side of Rafael's chest. He tensed but continued to twirl her around the room.
"You have 7 minutes Natasha." Bruce said watching the clock in front of him.
"She's having a difficult time with the Russian – he gets jumpy every time she brushes past his inner pocket – it's definitely on him." Tony replied as they watched the dance between the two Russians become more provocative by the second. Clint was starting to see a little red at the corner of his vision – he really shouldn't have taken this mission – it was absolute torture.
"I'm in position above the meeting room – I'm setting up the mikes right now." Steve buzzed into the com link.
"Good – hold on standby while we wait for Natasha to make the switch." Clint said not taking his eyes off the dance floor for even a second. Tony rolled his eyes – whipped boy. He muted his com link and motioned Barton to do that same.
"I'll give you props - she doesn't look like she's having half as much of fun with him as she did with you. Not even she could fake that smile she gave you on the dance floor. You looked like you were going to burst with happy sparks back there." Tony said calmly taking a sip of his martini – he was taking this James Bond thing to a whole new level.
"Stark if Pepper suddenly woke one day and forget all about you what would you do?" Clint asked blankly. Tony actually considered his question for a moment instead of throwing out a halfass answer like he normally does – which means he actually cared enough to give Clint a real answer.
"I would stalk her until she either remembers me or do everything in my power to make her fall in love with me again." Tony said seriously. Clint considered his answer and nodded slowly.
"Natasha might be beyond remembering now." He said quietly. Tony winced.
"You never know – there's always a chance she might. I could even run a few experimental memory triggers when we get back home if you like." Tony offered.
"And if another couple months go by and nothing works?" Clint asked warily.
"I guess that's when you got to court her all over again Barton." He said simply.
"God knows it was like pulling teeth the first time. It might just kill me the second time around." Clint said dryly. Tony laughed.
"You're a certified masochist Clint – you couldn't be married to that insane woman otherwise." Tony said seriously. Clint scowled at him but didn't argue – he really did feel like a masochist right now.
"Thank you for not telling her yet." Clint said quietly.
"Not my secret to tell – though I do not agree with it being a secret to being with." Tony said with a shrug. Clint shook his head.
"She's not ready to know yet."
"Will she ever be?" Tony asked warily.
"Guys…we have 2 minutes." Bruce buzzed through the link cautiously. Barton unmuted his communicator.
"Steve what's it look like in there?" Clint asked carefully.
"It's filling up really fast – we have minutes before they settle down and start the meeting." Steve replied. Clint clenched his jaw tighter.
"She can't find an opening, the guy is too cautious this close to the meeting time." Clint said frustrated by their window of action rapidly closing in front of them. If they don't act now all this planning would be for nothing.
"What do we do – do we wait?" Tony asked worriedly. Clint shook his head – his patience quota for the day was met. Fuck SHIELD espionage protocols – he was going to finish this mission with his style.
"No this is freaking taking too long." Clint fumed as he watched the bastard drag his hands all over his damn wife. When his hand went below her lower back it was the last straw. He was going to explode if he didn't end this mission soon - as in right now.
"Brace yourself Stark." He said slowly still not taking his eyes off the pair of Russians on the dance floor. Tony gave him a wary look.
"For what?" He asked cautiously. Clint finally tore his eyes away from the disgusting scene and grimaced.
"For this." He said simply.
And he socked the poor genius in the face.
"YOU'RE SUCH A DICK!" Clint shouted over all the chatter in the ballroom. Everyone quieted down suddenly to see the scene that was about to unfold in the center of the room.
"WHAT THE HELL?" Tony shouted holding his face clearly in pain.
"YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN TO SHUT UP DO YOU?" Clint continued to yell at the poor confused billionaire until a look of realization crossed his face.
"What can't take a joke you uptight wuss?" Tony said playing along.
"What are they doing?" Steve asked as he heard the commotion through their group link as he waited in the vents.
"Causing a distraction." Bruce said plainly.
"I'll show you who's a wuss!" Clint said angrily before he threw himself at Stark and knocked the self-proclaimed playboy to the ground.
"Is that guy pummeling Tony Stark?" A random guy asked in disbelief as they stood around and watched the brawl continue.
"It was bound to happen someday." Another man said with a shrug.
"Yeah – just never thought anyone would have the guts to do it."
"Throw Stark in the direction of Natasha and the target. Give her a window of attack while he's off balance." Bruce instructed as Tony rolled on the floor holding his nose as if it was broken – he didn't need a real broken one. He glanced up at the huffing archer and winced – here we go again.
Clint gave Stark a quick apologetic look before he threw him into the crowded dance floor.
"Oh!" Natasha cried out as she skillfully fell against the target and he stumbled trying to support both their weight. Bingo. She swaps the matching envelopes in the confusion around them. People were shoving past them and trying to see the fight between the world renowned superhero and his unknown antagonist.
"Get her out of there Thor." Bruce said hurriedly. Natasha and Thor shared a look – they couldn't just leave the boys here for security to drag them off to jail.
"Hey you two! What the hell do you think you're doing causing a ruckus in a place like this?" Natasha shouted turning to the huffing and glaring pair of ruffled men. "Michael - please escort these hooligans off the premises." She said giving Thor a pointed look. He nodded and promptly picked up both men by the scruff of their suits and dragged them out the door. She glanced back at the shocked faces of the crowd and her target and blew him a kiss.
"Sorry handsome - maybe we can finish what we started another time." She said with a flirty smile before she gracefully floated out of the room behind her 'bodyguard'. She clutched her hand-purse that held the important documents tightly as they made their way through the back of the building. They reached a locked exit that Bruce promptly unlocked and allowed the team to successfully disappear from prying eyes.
When the door swung shut behind them they all sighed in relief and look at each other. Natasha's face suddenly darkened and she spun around to glare at Clint.
SMACK!
"OW! What the heck Tasha!" He cried out as he held his bruised cheek already wounded by a few well-placed punches by Tony. He may be weaker without his suit - but he obvious had enough bar fighting experience to take a hit and still manage to dish them out as well.
"WHAT KIND OF DUMBASS MOVE WAS THAT?" She shouted furiously.
"What do you mean? It gave you the opening you needed to do the swap!" He said incredulously. She growled at him.
"It was too reckless! The whole point was NOT to draw attention to each other!" She said angrily.
"It was taking too long!" He shot back.
"Barton your emotional response nearly compromised the mission!" She said curling her hands into tight fists. His mouth fell open in shock.
"What emotional response? That was a just a strategic decision that got the job done faster!" He said defensively.
"You're so full of shit Barton! You couldn't wait one more minute could you?" She said harshly.
"You don't understand Natasha!"
"Make me understand damn it!"
His stony silence only pissed her off even more.
"Who do you think you are Barton? We're specialized agents- you can't cushion me from the world! There are going to be sleaze-balls out there - as part of my work I have to deal with them!" she shouted. She watched as his eyes clouded over with pain - she wished beyond hope that she could figure out what exactly she said was the cause, but more importantly why.
"You're right. Who am I anymore?" He asked himself quietly. Nobody knew how to respond to that.
"Um...guys? Sorry to interrupt but the meeting is starting." Steve's apologetic voice buzzed in all their ears. A tense silence followed his words as Clint and Natasha continued to stare at each other fiercely.
There was crackling noise on Steve's end as a low murmur of voices started flowing through their communicators.
"Rafael welcome. Come in, sit down and tell us why the hell you are late." A deep voice boomed across the com link. The team held their breath as they listened for Rafael's reply.
"There was a slight commotion that held me back for a few minutes." Rafael said hesitantly.
"You mean you were with one of your bimbos and lost track of time yes?" A new voice said with a snort. Several snickers were heard following that comment. Clint clenched his jaw angrily.
"No – someone finally decided to pick a fight with Stark and then they proceeded to beat the shit out of each other in the ballroom downstairs." He said calmly. The entire team froze as they waited to hear what the room thought about Stark's appearance at the party. Natasha shot Clint an accusing look.
"He's always causing trouble – nothing new there. Let's get this meeting started." The deep voice said uninterestedly. They all sighed in relief.
"Thank you for low expectations." Clint said in relief. Tony gave him an offended look.
"Hey!"
"Do you have the papers Rafael?" The voice continued. They heard some shuffling and waited in nervous silence to see if they successfully fooled the content receiver with the fake duplicate SHIELD had given them.
"Yes – they're right here." Rafael replied as they heard papers being passed across the room.
They all held their breath for several heart beats.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
"You are sure this is the right location?" The voice asked carefully.
"Yes I personally made sure it was verified SHIELD papers." He said firmly.
"It's your lucky day Rafael – you're 1 million pounds richer. But you know what we do with liars right?" The voice asked ominously. There was silence in the room for a few seconds.
"Yes."
"Good. Let us continue with the meeting then."
The team practically collapsed with relief. The mission was an overall success. Now they just had to get out of here without getting caught.
"He's so dead." Tony said frankly. People like him don't have long life expectancies anyway.
"Yup." They all replied. No doubt about that.
"Steve?" Bruce said cautiously.
"Yeah I'm getting the hell out of here – see you all back at the rendezvous point." Steve said and they all heard him buzz out.
"Don't sit around too long you guys – I'll see you in all in an hour as well." Bruce said before he also disconnected from the group link.
Now there were 4 awkward avengers left standing alone in an alley.
"Hey Thor wanna go try some of those dumplings I was telling you about on the plane ride here? I think they have some of those down that street over there." Tony said breaking the awkward silence. Thor latched onto that free ticket out of here like it was water and he was a man dying from thirst.
"Yes Tony that is a brilliant suggestion – let us embark on this journey immediately." Thor said as he quickly turned around and promptly picked up the battered and bruised billionaire before he started stomping down the alley.
"Hey Tarzan I'm not your Jane! Put me down! I have legs I can walk!" Tony shouted defiantly as he struggled to get free Thor's death grip. He failed miserably.
"This is faster my friend – you are hurt. And you know my name is Thor not Tarzan. Besides Jane is still in New Mexico – she's not coming to visit until the end of the month." Thor said as he threw the complaining genius over his shoulder and started walking even faster. The two warring spies watched their fellow avengers practically flee from their presence. Scratch that – that was definitely fleeing – without style.
"Does Thor realize what it looks like when a grown man is carrying another grown man over his shoulder into a restaurant?" Natasha asked in disbelief. Clint shook his as he watched the two idiots skirt around the corner.
"Nope. He probably has no clue." He replied. They were suddenly the only ones left in the alley. Nice going team – leave the two volatile agents alone together. Brilliant self-preservation skills.
"Let's not be those dramatic couples that storm off in opposite directions after a huge argument Tasha." Clint said earnestly. She watched him warily and crossed her arms.
"But I feel like storming off so we're at a disagreement right now too." She said plainly.
"The mission was an all-around success though Tasha!" Clint insisted.
"Yeah – but I still want to shoot you in the head." She said simply. He winced. Violent thoughts – not a good sign.
"You need an undead monkey – I heard they are perfect for that very purpose." Clint said dryly. She didn't laugh.
"Aww come on. Tasha you can't-" They both froze when they heard voices and several footsteps coming towards them from around the corner. They looked in the opposite direction – dead end.
"What do we do?" She hissed. He glanced around trying to see how they could hide or not get on these people's radar – they were right behind a high profile party for crying out loud. How is this not suspicious?
"I don't know! Sylvia Cross just stormed out of a party with Tony Stark and a badass businessman in tow – what would she do?" Clint asked looking back at her. She scowled at him when a mischievous smile suddenly spread across his face.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked wagging his eyebrows. Her scowl deepened.
"No I'm not!" She whispered heatedly.
"Got a better idea?" He asked as the footsteps drew closer. She huffed and looked away.
"Thought so. Just don't kill me." He said before he pushed her into the wall and slammed his lips down on hers just as a group of guards rounded the corner. He heard cat whistles somewhere in the distance but it was through a hazy euphoric feeling of finally kissing the only girl he never wanted to let go but at the same time the only girl he wanted to shake furiously for being so damn stubborn.
She was as stiff as a board for the few moments until she finally caved and melted into the kiss. She grabbed his hair and pulled him down closer to level out their height difference – he still had a few inches on her even with her killer heels. He's kissed her so many times in the past he's lost count – but he could tell when she was acting and when she was genuinely enjoying it. And right now Natasha was in the house and the black widow was nowhere in sight. He smiled against her lips – yeah he still got it.
"Hey isn't that the guy who socked Tony Stark 10 minutes ago?" One of the guards whispered. They all gaped at the couple seriously make out against the wall.
"Oh damn Charlie you're right! It's not fair. He got away with punching the annoying bastard and got the hottest girl in the room! Why can't I have that kind of luck?" Another guard whined. One of the more modest guards punched the whiny guard in the shoulder and pushed the rest of his group past the entrance of the alleyway.
"Keep moving guys – there's nothing to see here you peeping toms!" He said with a shake of his head. The guards pouted but continued down the path. He turned around to see the whiny guard still pouting at the couple. He rolled his eyes and dragged the poor bastard down the street behind him.
Clint pulled back slowly and they both tried to catch their breath for a few seconds. He suddenly got an idea.
"Go on that date with me." He whispered.
"No." She said stubbornly. He groaned and banged his head against the wall beside her shoulder. Oh my god it really was like courting her all over again. He braced his arms on either side of her face and firmly pinned her to the wall with his body weight. She glared at him but didn't struggle – she was smart enough to know in a fight between sheer arm strength his archery enhanced limbs would always win.
"I won't let you go until you reconsider." He said flashing her a cheeky grin. She shot fire through her eyes – but he could take the heat.
"Threats are the worst way to win a lady's heart Barton." She said dryly. He snorted.
"You never considered yourself one of those candies and roses type ladies anyway." He said frankly. She rolled her eyes. Spies don't need strength to get out of a sticky situation – they just need leverage – and at this distance she has very good leverage. She jabbed him in the stomach, stepped on his toe and gracefully ducked out from underneath him as he fell forward in pain.
"That was a dirty move." He wheezed. She spun around with her dress flowing around her like a wave. She gave a quick bow.
"Intelligence over strength wins the war. See you at the rendezvous point Barton." She said simply before she stalked down the alley with a triumph smile on her face.
"You know you liked it!" He shouted after her. Woosh.
He found a knife embedded in the wall 2 centimeter from his ear. Ah womanly affection had so many forms.
Badass Badass Badass Badass Badass Badass Badass Badass Badass Badass
Was I the only one who giggled at the last scene? hehe ^.^ I hope that was a nice change for clintasha fans! There are 133 people following this fic – let me know what you think please! Just drop me a hello :D I gave you clintasha goodness! ^.^ 7,000 WORDS PEOPLE! School is starting tomorrow so I thought I would leave you guys with something really long and sweet :D I don't know if I'll survive grade 12…O.O
Food for thought – this mission isn't random – there's a point to all this secrecy. Anyone know what the papers were all about? Any guesses?
1 Krasivaya – Russian for beautiful