Chapter 14.

Jemma woke cold and alone, as May banged on her door.

"Look alive, Simmons!"

"Yes, Agent May!" she shouted back, clambering out of bed, letting out a slight hiss of breath as her thighs and hips protested the movement. Gathering her dressing-gown, she headed for the bathroom, knowing May would have woken her because it was her turn. Which meant everyone else was already up.

Clint was just coming out of the bathroom as she got there, towelling off his freshly-shaven chin. He gave her a slow smile, and Jemma suddenly felt deeply boring in her plain blue towelling robe. Clint, on the other hand, bare-chested and freshly showered, wearing only those black cargo pants that clung to his lean hips, was so sexy he should be illegal. She couldn't help but stop and stare, her eyes raking over him.

"You saw it all last night," he said in a low, amused voice, "but I'm happy to give you a show any time you like." And he deliberately flexed his chest and arm muscles, rippling deliciously and making Jemma's mouth go dry. Heaven knows what she might have done then except that she heard footsteps approaching behind her – and the only person on the plane who walked loudly enough to be heard, apart from herself, was Fitz. So she gave Clint one smouldering look and walked past him into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.

When Jemma emerged, pink-cheeked and scrubbed clean, dressed casually again as they had to load the plane this morning, it was to find Clint making breakfast in the small kitchen. Despite the limited space, he had managed to whip up scrambled eggs and bacon, the smell delicious in the confined space.

"He cooks, too," mouth full, Skye nudged Jemma as she sat down. "Man's a keeper."

"Oh, shush," Jemma smiled up at Clint as he put a filled plate in front of her with a warm smile. "Thank you, Clint, this looks delicious."

"Got to keep your strength up," he said blandly. Skye choked. "We've got a lot of work to do this morning, Jemma, you'll need your energy."

Jemma smacked Skye on the back, refusing to meet Clint's eyes. "How very thoughtful. Breathe, Skye. Did a crumb go down the wrong way?"

After eating – and Clint even cleaned up – they headed down to find Fitz and May already working on stowing some of the smaller cases, checking everything off against Darcy's list as they did so. Darcy was apparently helping Jane pack her personal items in the RV, because a little while later they emerged looking harassed and dragging suitcases.

It was a long, difficult, sweaty morning. But Jemma could have cared less, because she got to spend most of it staring at Clint, who stripped his shirt off again casually once he got warm and then did all the heavy lifting apparently without effort. He would call her over regularly to assist him in tying down a crate and checking it off, often surreptitiously touching her, several times snatching a kiss when no-one else was in view. Jemma was utterly flustered by the time they'd finished loading, and she was fairly sure that all the women, at least, knew what she and Clint were up to, although Fitz still seemed oblivious.

At last they were finished and ready to leave. Jane asked to look through the lab, so Jemma and Fitz took her through after takeoff while Skye escorted Darcy upstairs to the lounge. Clint leaned on one of the lab benches, arms folded over his still-bare chest. Jemma couldn't help but sneak looks at him continually, and his slight smile told her that he was well aware of her scrutiny.

"Thank you so much, Jemma and Fitz," Jane said at last. "What a fascinating lab. You're very lucky to have such facilities."

"Nothing to what you'll have at Avengers Tower, I understand, Dr Foster," Fitz said shyly.

"Well, I hope so. And on that note, I understand you have a good communications suite here, Fitz? If you'll escort me there, I'd like to place a video call to Tony Stark. I could introduce you, if you like. I'm sure he'd be interested to hear about that device you're working on…"

Jemma had heard Fitz badmouth Tony Stark and his arrogance more times than she cared to count. But offered the opportunity to actually talk to the genius, his eyes went round and he nodded shyly. Jane cast an indecipherable look at Clint, smiled at Jemma and led Fitz out of the lab.

The glass doors had barely whooshed shut behind them when Clint moved, grabbing Jemma's waist and lifting her to sit on her lab bench, nuzzling into her throat, his hands slipping under her shirt. She grabbed back at him just as eagerly, running her fingers over all that heavy muscle she'd been staring at all morning, wrapping her legs around his hips to pull him closer.

"God, you're sexy, Jemma," Clint panted urgently. "The way you've been looking at me all morning…"

"You've been wandering around flashing all that muscle," she protested breathily as he tugged off her T-shirt and unsnapped her bra. Then they were chest to chest, her nipples hardening eagerly as the scruff of his chest hair scraped over them. "We can't – someone could come in," Jemma gasped, but she wasn't making any move to resist as Clint unbuttoned her shorts and lifted her to ease them off, along with her underwear. She let out a little gasp as he set her back down on the cold steel lab table.

"No one's going to come in," he growled, unfastening his belt and fishing in his pocket for protection. "Skye and Darcy will be stuck into the booze by now, and Cav and Jane will keep Fitz busy. Now come here." A few swift strokes with his fingers and she was sopping wet, ready for him, hooking her ankles behind his back and dragging him close. Perched on the table she was at the perfect height for him to push into her and take her slow and deep, kissing her hungrily.

Jemma kissed him back just as fiercely, her nails scraping at his scalp and the back of his neck as she held him close, making him groan with pleasure. "Oh, God, yeah," he moaned as he slid deep, "what you do to me, Jemma – fuck, that feels amazing."

"Yes," Jemma gasped, "aaahhh!" as he grasped her bottom in massive hands and slammed hard into her. "Again!" she demanded, and Clint obeyed, even harder this time, making her eyes almost roll back in her skull. She took her hands from him and put them behind her, angling her body back and bracing herself on the bench to give him even greater leverage. "Harder."

Clint looked down, at her breasts arched up towards him, at where he could see their bodies joined. "Oh, hell, yes," he groaned. "Tell me if it's too much…" and he slammed against her with everything he had.

Jemma let out one of those little keens he'd come to recognise meant she was approaching orgasm and tightened her legs further, which he correctly interpreted as 'do that again right now' and obeyed with alacrity. Within a minute her eyes rolled back in her head as she came, and Clint, who had been holding off his own orgasm by sheer willpower, let go and cried out her name as he thrust hard one last time, spurting hotly deep inside her as she clamped down on him.

"Well," Jemma blinked the world back into focus, finding that Clint had gathered her to him and was pressing gentle kisses against her neck and shoulder. "That was a first."

"What was?" he eased back from her with a grin, disposing of the condom into her Biohazards bin and pulling his trousers back up.

"A new use for my lab bench." Jemma hopped down and started gathering her clothes. She couldn't find her bra for a few minutes, and then saw it flung all the way across the lab. Clint followed her line of sight and fetched it for her.

"Sorry. Guess I might have gotten a bit too enthusiastic there."

"Don't you dare apologise," she smiled up at him, putting her clothes back on and smoothing her hair. "I don't think I'll ever be able to work in here again without thinking of you, and that's just the way you wanted it, isn't it?"

"You're getting to know me quite well, Jemma," he complimented, putting an arm around her waist and guiding her to the lab doors. "Come on. Let's join the others. I'm starving, let's go have lunch."

Jemma helped Clint prepare sandwiches for everyone, once again impressed with his culinary skills, staring a little wide-eyed as he sliced a tomato into wafer-thin slices with flashing speed. "I suppose that really shouldn't surprise me," she said a bit dryly as he reached for another.

"The knife skills?" Clint grinned at her. "I'm more than just a sniper, you know. There was a guy called Swordsman with the circus. Taught me a lot about knives and blades of all kinds."

"A man of hidden talents," Jemma said, assembling the tomato slices into the sandwiches. Clint flipped the top layers on and used another knife to slice them into beautifully neat triangles.

"Oh, you're only just beginning to discover the depths of my talents, sweetheart," one eyelid dipped in a lazy wink, and then he scooped up the platter of sandwiches and headed into the lounge. "Lunch up, everyone. Skye, would you go and tell May, please? I daresay the plane can fly itself for a while."

They had an enjoyable lunch, and then Fitz suggested to Jemma that they go back down to the lab and work on Clint's ICER arrows for a bit. Skye invited Darcy to go watch a movie and Clint and Jane seemed quite happy to settle down and talk about their mutual Asgardian friend. May scanned them all over with sharp eyes, nodded and retreated to the cockpit.

The afternoon passed quickly for Jemma, and almost before she knew it they were landing at a private airfield in upstate New York – Clint said Stark Industries owned it – and the Bus was being rolled into a huge hangar.

"Don't we need to unload?" Jemma asked as they walked down the ramp and Clint gestured them to a massive limousine.

"Being taken care of," Clint gestured to two Stark Industries trucks reversing up to the plane.

"I'm staying to make sure they don't touch anything they shouldn't," May said. "I'll join you at the Tower later." She gestured towards the motorcycles Clint had strapped onto the cargo ramp. "I've been waiting for a chance to try out one of our new toys."

"Just don't break it," Clint grinned at her, and then ushered the others gently into the car.

Jemma had become used, over the last few years, to S.H.I.E.L.D. levels of equipment; everything top of the line but functional and spare. So the sheer opulent luxury of the limousine's interior boggled her mind. She could see Skye, Fitz and Darcy staring around in awe, though Jane seemed unfazed.

"Evening, Happy," Clint said cheerfully to the uniformed chauffeur.

"Evening, Mr Barton, glad to see you again. Champagne on ice in the back, compliments of Ms. Potts. We should be at the Tower in about an hour, depending on traffic; I believe Ms. Potts has scheduled dinner for seven-thirty."

Jemma gaped as Clint slid into the back and sat down beside her. "Champagne, anyone?" He pressed a button on the walnut and leather console in front of him and a cabinet popped open to reveal several bottles and some chilled glasses.

They all accepted – when would Jemma ever get the chance to drink something this good again? – though she noticed that Clint only sipped sparingly and didn't refill his glass. The hour-long trip passed in an excited babble of voices, largely from Darcy who had never been to New York before, and Jane who was hopeful Thor might be at the Tower when they arrived. Fitz was as wide-eyed and nervous as Jemma herself, and even Skye was a bit more subdued than usual.

Jemma had hoped to see the famous A that was all that remained of the word Stark on top of the Tower, but when Happy drew the car to a stop in an underground garage she realised that she must have missed the sight. She commented as much to Clint as they walked to the elevator.

"It's better seen from the air. I'll take you flying sometime for a good look." He smiled down at her, and stopped in front of the elevator door, placing his hand over a touch panel.

"Good evening, Mr Barton," a disembodied voice said politely, and Jemma couldn't help but jump and share a disconcerted look with Skye. This must be Tony Stark's infamous AI.

"Hey, JARVIS, I'm here with our guests."

"Good evening, sir and ladies. Please would you each in turn place your right hand on the touch panel and state your name for identification purposes," JARVIS requested.

Typically, Darcy stepped forward first. "Darcy Lewis," she said cheerfully. "Nice to meet you, Jarv."

"The pleasure is mine, I assure you, Miss Lewis. Thank you."

Jane was quite happy to go next, greeted by JARVIS with the words "A great honour to serve the beloved of Prince Thor, Dr Foster," which made her blush.

Fitz stepped forward then, putting his hand on the pad and muttering "Leo Fitz."

"I am delighted to meet you, Dr Fitz. Perhaps when you have some free time, we might discuss your work on the Golden Retriever drones? I find them extremely interesting."

"Uh, yes, of course!" Fitz looked astounded. "Um, whenever it's convenient for you, Mr Jarvis."

"Just JARVIS, please, Dr Fitz, and I am at your disposal."

Jemma interrupted the mutual admiration fest by slapping her hand on the panel. "Jemma Simmons."

"A pleasure to meet you, Dr Simmons. You are very welcome to Avengers Tower."

Skye hung back. Clint turned to her with a slight smile. "It's up to you, Skye. JARVIS isn't going to share any data outside the Tower, but without your palmprint in the system you won't be allowed to go anywhere alone."

Skye sighed at last and hesitantly put her hand on the pad. "Agent Skye," she said finally.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Agent Skye. I have followed some of your work and been very impressed. I would appreciate some of your time if you are able to spare any, with some firewalls I have been having difficulty with."

"Sure," the corners of Skye's mouth kicked up finally as the elevator doors slid soundlessly open. "Sharing hacking secrets with an AI. What next?"

"Dinner with the Avengers," Clint said cheerfully. He'd advised them all to change before landing, and Jemma smoothed her hands over her skirt a little nervously, worried she wasn't dressy enough.

Clint had put on one of the classic Men In Black suits male S.H.I.E.L.D. agents customarily wore, and looked disturbingly gorgeous in it. It had obviously been tailored for him, fitting perfectly over his broad shoulders and thick arms and emphasizing his narrow waist, where an ordinary jacket big enough for those shoulders would have hung like a sack around the rest of him. She couldn't take her eyes off him, a fact of which he was well aware, as he caught her staring and subtly slid to stand behind her, placing his hand lightly against the small of her back.

"You look lovely. Stop worrying. They're all very nice."

"It's not so much the fact that they're the Avengers that I'm worrying about," Jemma confessed in a low voice as the elevator doors slid open after a very short and fast whoosh up what Jemma thought was probably a very large number of floors. "It's that they're your friends."

Clint's smile softened, and he pressed lightly on her back, urging her out of the elevator. "They're all more likely to tell you that I'm not good enough for you, rather than the other way around, Jemma. They'll love you. I'll be lucky if Bruce doesn't try to steal you away to be his partner in crime in the bio labs."

"You have bio labs here too? Of course, Dr Banner," Jemma realised, and then they were walking into a magnificent penthouse which was entirely empty of people apart from their newly arrived group. A moment later a tall, stunning strawberry-blonde came clicking in on insanely high designer heels.

"You're here, wonderful!" She was taller even than Clint in those heels, but he didn't seem remotely fazed about it, walking over to kiss her cheek.

"Allow me to present the inestimable Pepper Potts," he said with a bit of a grandiose flourish. "CEO, genius, Stark-tamer and Avengers-wrangler extraordinaire."

"Clint," she reproved gently, laughing. "That will do. Jane, Darcy, it's wonderful to see you both again." She clicked over and kissed them both on the cheek in a very friendly way. Jane and Darcy had earlier admitted to meeting the Avengers, and Pepper, in London just after the Convergence. They all arrived too late to help with the battle but stayed for the cleanup.

"And this is Skye," Clint introduced, "Leo Fitz – just call him Fitz – and Jemma Simmons. Melinda will be here in a bit, she stayed to supervise unloading."

"I am delighted to meet all of you," Pepper shook hands, smiling warmly. "Please, come over to the bar. Let me get you drinks. I sent Steve and Nat to wrangle Bruce and Tony from the labs," she tossed over her shoulder to Clint, "they shouldn't be long. Jane, we're hoping Thor will get here in time for dinner."

Jane nodded, smiling, but her eyes stayed fixed on the doors out to the rooftop. Looking for lightning in the dark sky, Jemma realised.

Clint expertly tended bar for Pepper, supplying them all with more of that delicious champagne. Jemma was just relaxing into a sinfully comfortable white leather couch when the elevator doors pinged softly open.

Next up: meeting the Avengers! I'm gonna write the next chapter from Skye's POV as I want the impact of her meeting Steve for the first time, but we'll get back to Clint and Jemma soon enough.

Please let me know what you're thinking of the story so far, comments are like crack for authors and I can never get enough!