Alright guys, I think this might be the last chapter Clint and Natasha spend in New York City. Not sure yet. I might mention it in like half of the next chapter but that might be it then. Anyways, here's chapter 21!
There wasn't much talk about sex following that night on the couch. Every morning they would wake up next to each other, and Natasha would look up and smile at Clint while he would kiss the top of her head. Then, they would roll out of bed and make their way to the kitchen to eat something for breakfast.
They spent their days sightseeing to keep themselves occupied. Natasha had dragged him all the way up Fifth Avenue to the Met one day just so they could sit on the steps. Another day, they took a trip down to Rockefeller Center to see Radio City Music Hall and the GE Building, which was home to the famed Saturday Night Live.
Every day, it seemed like they brought some sort of junk food back to the apartment with them. Their trip to Rockefeller Center meant that they brought back cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. When they visited Washington Square Park in The Village, they brought back various sweets from Veniero's, a bakery located in the neighborhood.
Each night they would pick a movie from one of the various premium cable channels and watch it until Natasha fell asleep on the couch in Clint's arms. He would then carry her to the bedroom and gently lay her down on the king-sized bed and then crawl in right next to her.
When they woke up on New Year's Eve morning, Natasha realized she had forgotten to mention the party that her father's boss' son was throwing later that night. The week had been eventful, in more ways than one, and she had forgotten to mention the fiesta to Clint.
She wasn't sure he would be up for it. This entire week was supposed to be all about them. Sure she had been ruining every intimate moment because she was scared of what might become of it but they were spending every moment together. Going to this party in Times Square could possibly ruin it.
As they sat at the table in the kitchen that morning – Natasha eating a bowl of cereal and Clint drinking a cup of coffee – she wondered if she should tell him. Part of her wanted to go to the party because hey, why not? The other part of her just wanted to stay in and ring in the New Year with Clint and only Clint.
"So, umm," Natasha said with a mouthful of cereal. "My dad said that his boss' son invited us to his New Year's Eve party tonight in Times Square."
"Times Square?" he asked eagerly. "We haven't been to Times Square yet!"
Natasha couldn't hide the smile that was spreading across her face. "You're such a tourist."
"Well, we should go!" Clint said.
"W-what? We should?" she asked in surprise.
"Yeah, why not? We got invited to a party where there will probably be free food and booze."
Natasha rolled her eyes. "Since when are you such a drunk?"
"If this guy is the son of the owner of OSCORP, he's bound to have alcohol at this party. And we're in New York City. All of the over privileged rich kids get away with everything here so I'm sure we could too."
Natasha stared at him in disbelief.
"Seriously, let's go," he said.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah, seriously."
Natasha looked at him again as if he were crazy. Then she wondered if maybe he was just looking for some excitement since they haven't really done anything remotely interesting. With the exception of their heated make out session on the living room couch a few nights ago, their entire stay in the city had been uneventful. She wondered if he was just looking for something exciting to do since she obviously wasn't making his stay that much fun.
"You're not having fun. That's the problem isn't it? I'm ruining this whole trip - ," Natasha rambled but Clint cut her off.
"Nat, would you stop?" Clint said. "Now, you're going to get ready for this party later. And you're going to put on a really pretty dress that's going to make my heart stop and I'm going to root through my bag and try to find a shirt that isn't a t-shirt."
Natasha giggled and then had a sudden realization. "Wait, you still don't have any dress shirts?"
Clint shook his head no and Natasha smiled. "This gives us an excuse to go to Saks!" she squealed, and then jumped up and ran to the bedroom to get ready for another trip down Fifth Avenue.
Clint didn't need a designer shirt to go to a party, but he knew Natasha really wanted to go just so she could find something to wear for herself. The money her grandparents had left her was slowly decreasing but she still had enough money that could feed an entire family for almost a year.
When they stepped into the vast store, Natasha made her way to the back so they could ride the escalator to the next floor where the clothing was located. Natasha didn't know the first thing about shopping for a guy and she was sure Clint could really care less as to what shirt he wore tonight, but they were going to try their hardest to find something for him to wear.
Every shirt Clint touched felt expensive. Even the price tags seemed to be super fancy. Natasha constantly picked up shirts and showed them off to Clint, to which he would answer with a nonchalant "Sure."
Eventually, Natasha decided on a simple dark blue button down shirt. It was designer, and it was still a costly price, but it was no Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. She chucked the shirt at him then pulled him towards the section for women. He was right; she just wanted to come here to shop for an outfit for herself. Clint didn't care, but he found it to be funny that he was right.
Clint watched as she ran her hands over the various fabrics hanging on the racks. She searched through dresses that she liked to find her size and examine them further. She grabbed armfuls of different colors and fabrics of clothing and made her way to the fitting rooms; Clint stationed himself outside and waited for Natasha to finish.
Every single time she tried on a dress, she insisted on walking outside of the dressing room and asking Clint his opinion. Clint thought every dress she tried on looked fantastic on her. No matter what she put on, he'd still find her to be the most beautiful person on the face of the planet.
She still had one more dress to try on, and Clint was starting to get antsy. He started pacing outside of the dressing room just for something to do. He didn't notice when she stepped out of the room but when he did notice, his breath was taken away. She was outrageously adorable in a burgundy dress that hit just above her knees. There was a lace overlay on the dress and continued up over the chest for a sheer lace neckline. The skirt of the dress was full and when she turned it fanned out. He also noticed that the dress was backless and it made him love it even more.
"Wow," was all he managed to say.
"So, you actually like this one?" she asked.
"I liked the others," he said.
"Liar," she said. "This one's my favorite anyways. I think I'm going with this one."
"Great, let's go," he said impatiently.
"Nope, I still need accessories," she trilled as she walked back into the dressing room, unzipping the back of her dress as she rounded the corner. Clint let out a sigh and slumped against the wall. He knew for sure that he'd be stuck in this store for another hour.
It was several hours later when Clint and Natasha had piled into the back of cab and gave the driver their destination. Given the madness in Times Square on New Year's Eve, the cab driver couldn't get them to the exact address but would be able to drop them off a couple blocks away. Natasha and Clint said that would be fine and relaxed for the ride down Fifth Avenue.
Along with the hour Natasha had spent in Saks Fifth Avenue searching for shoes and accessories to go with her dress, she also spent an additional hour getting ready for the party. When she was finally ready, the party had already started and Clint was starting to get impatient.
When she walked out into the living room, she looked flawless. Her hair was curled to perfection. There was a trace of mascara and eyeliner, but other than that, she was makeup free. She was wearing a pair of black tights which would keep her legs warm on this chilly New Year's Eve night and the heels she bought almost brought her to eyelevel with Clint.
The cab driver dropped them off about four blocks away from Times Square, and Natasha handed the driver the cash and wished him a Happy New Year. The penthouse apartment that Mr. Osborn's son Harry would be hosting his party at was located directly across from where the ball dropped. Since the penthouse was located at the tip top of the building, they would get a perfect view of the ceremony come midnight.
They walked the four blocks to Times Square and turned onto one of the side streets to enter the building. They approached the front desk and informed the man that they had arrived for Harry Osborn's party. The man grabbed the phone and called Harry Osborn to inquire that Natasha and Clint were, in fact, guests invited to his party.
When the man hung up the phone, he flashed Clint and Natasha a smile and directed them towards the private elevator to the penthouse. He informed them that Harry Osborn would be greeting them once they arrived and told them to have a good time. The elevator shot up, and Clint and Natasha rode in silence.
The elevator doors slid open and a young, handsome boy greeted them and introduced himself as Harry Osborn, Norman Osborn's son. Clint and Natasha shook his hand and introduced themselves as well, and then Harry guided them to the bar to get them something to drink.
"Told you there would be alcohol here," Clint whispered in Natasha's ear as they followed Harry to the bar. Natasha giggled and then playfully smacked him in the arm. They reached the bar and Harry introduced them to his best friend Peter Parker. Peter was apparently playing bartender since he was stationed behind the bar. It was strange that a handsome young man such as Harry was friends with someone so nerdy like Peter, but Clint and Natasha assumed that – just like them – they had been friends since childhood.
Peter rattled off the names of a couple drinks so Clint and Natasha could choose a drink; Clint asked for a shot of Jack Daniels while Natasha asked for a glass of vodka. Peter quickly prepared their drinks, along with two for him and Harry, and slid them across the bar to them. Neither Clint nor Natasha had drunk before, so when they felt the alcohol go down their throats, it burned like fire. However, they were both sure that once they got a couple more in their systems, the sensation wouldn't even faze them.
Despite all of his guests, Harry stuck to the bar with Peter, Clint, and Natasha, and struck up a conversation with them. Clint and Natasha found both Peter and Harry to be interesting, and vice versa. Clint and Natasha wanted to know what it was like to always live in the city and Peter and Harry wanted to know what it was like to live out in East Jesus Nowhere.
Over the course of the night, the group of four drank various mixtures of alcohol and conversed on what their lives were like. It was almost as if they were friends catching up after many, many years apart.
Clint and Natasha learned that Harry and Peter were juniors in high school just like Natasha, which made Clint feel like the odd one out. Based on the party that Harry was throwing, they had assumed he was at least a sophomore in college, but Harry was actually very mature for his age, which is why it threw off Clint and Natasha.
The conversation took a turn for the worse – at least in Natasha's eyes – when they began talking about college. The topic had been a sore subject for Natasha when Clint had started applying to schools. Many of the schools he had chosen to apply to, including Penn State and Temple University, were a bearable distance, but some of them, such as Boston University, had scared her. Boston was incredibly far away, which would mean that the opportunity for Natasha to visit Clint and for Clint to come home often was very slim.
"Well Clint, you're a senior. Can you give any advice to us juniors on applying to colleges?" Peter asked as he swirled his drink around in his glass.
"Umm," Clint mumbled. "Don't wait 'til the last minute. I probably jeopardized my chances of getting into Penn State's main campus because I waited too long. I'll probably end up at a satellite campus or something."
"Penn State," Harry nodded in approval. "Anywhere else interesting?"
Clint started to rattle off the various schools he had applied to: Temple, Penn State, Boston, Montclair State University, West Chester University, University of Pittsburgh (just because Barney went there), Drexel University, and Syracuse University. Harry and Peter both nodded in approval.
"Some pretty competitive schools," Harry said. "You'll probably get into all of them though."
"What about you Natasha?" Peter said, turning to Natasha. "Have you given college any thought yet?"
Natasha shook her head no and then downed the rest of her drink. She felt the vodka sting her throat as it slid down, but she brushed it off.
"Haven't really thought about it. I guess I should though," she said.
"You should really look into the scholarships OSCORP offers," Harry suggested and Peter nodded.
"Unlike Von Doom Industries," Harry sneered in disgusted. "OSCORP has a scholarship program in which they offer gigantic scholarships to children of OSCORP employees. I bet you could win a whole bunch of money. From what I hear, you're quite smart."
Natasha was silent and when she didn't reply, Clint answered as if he were a proud parent. He mentioned all of the classes she had been taking and the full schedule she constantly tackled every day since seventh grade. Despite all of her graduation requirements being fulfilled this year, Natasha was still planning on a full course load for her senior year. With a full course load, Natasha still managed to upkeep an extremely high GPA. Clint also mentioned that she was involved with Student Ambassadors in the past and that she was recently crowned MVP of their school's very first Powderpuff football game.
"Wow," Peter said in surprise. "She makes me seem like a dumbass."
"She's too smart for me," Clint praised.
"With a high school transcript like that, you could probably get into an Ivy League school," Harry said.
Natasha shrugged. "I guess so. We'll see," she mumbled.
Clint knew something was wrong. She had been upbeat and lively when they started the conversation, but now she was tense and quiet. He knew it had nothing to do with all of the alcohol that was currently in her system. She'd had quite a lot to drink but was perfectly coherent and alert. Once the conversation had changed to college, her attitude had changed.
Clint knew exactly what the problem was. They had never really talked about college so when it came time for him to apply, he did it without consulting her. It was mostly due to the pressure he was receiving from his parents. They had threatened to kick him out of the house if he didn't go to college and also pointed out that if Barney could do it, so could he.
Natasha stumbled off of her chair, grabbed her coat, and announced that she was going outside for some fresh air. Clint watched as she stumbled across the room and slipped through the glass door to the balcony. Clint excused himself from the bar and made his way over to the glass door that led to the balcony.
When Clint slipped through the door, Natasha was resting her elbows on the edge with her chin in her hands. She was staring off into the distance, most likely not looking at anything in particular. She didn't acknowledge Clint's presence when he stood next to her and leaned against the balcony.
Clint didn't say anything at first. He was hoping she would say something first so he didn't have to accuse her of anything. After a couple minutes, they were still standing in complete silence, the sound of New Year's Eve partygoers below drifting upwards.
"Are you going to tell me why you're so bothered by our little conversation in there?" Clint asked.
Natasha shrugged. "We never really talked about it so I didn't want to talk about it with people we just met."
"Hey," he said, nudging her shoulder with his. "Wherever I go in the fall, I promise I'll try my hardest to see you every weekend. You can't seriously think I'd go a month or two without seeing you. A week is going to be tough enough."
Natasha let out a weak laugh and turned her head to face Clint. "You promise?"
Clint reached over and grabbed her left hand, the one with the promise ring on it, and kissed her ring finger. "I didn't give you this ring for nothing did I?" he asked, and Natasha let out a giggle.
From behind them they heard the glass door open and the sounds from the party flooded out onto the balcony. Clint and Natasha turned around to see Harry poking his head out of the door.
"Hey, you guys all good?" he asked, and they nodded in response.
"Okay, are you going to come back inside? It's like two minutes 'til midnight."
"Yeah, we'll be right there," Clint reassured him, and they watched as he shut the door and rejoined his guests.
"Let's not go back inside," Natasha suggested once Clint turned back to face her.
"What? Why?" Clint asked in confusion.
Natasha rolled her eyes. "Honestly, have you never watched the ball drop at midnight? When it does, glitter practically rains down on Times Square."
"So?" Clint asked, still in the dark as to what she was trying to get at.
"Glitter raining down. Doesn't it remind you of something?" she asked with a sly grin.
That's when it hit him. The first time he had kissed her at the masquerade ball, glitter confetti had been tossed down to the dancers. It was like something straight out of a movie, and now Natasha wanted to recreate it.
Clint heard the partygoers inside start to countdown from thirty. Natasha grabbed part of Clint's coat and pulled him closer with that sly smile still on her face. He looked into her green eyes and rested his hands on her waist.
Ten. He brushed a piece of hair out of her face.
Nine. Her hands snaked around to his back.
Eight. He leaned in closer.
Seven. She stood on her tip toes so their lips would be leveled with one another.
Six. A gust of wind made Natasha shiver and Clint pulled her closer.
Five. Natasha pushed her hair out of her face and focused back on Clint.
Four. A little closer.
Three. Natasha smiled as his lips got closer to hers.
Two. She could feel his breath on hers.
One. Just a little closer now.
Happy New Year! They locked lips as they heard madness erupt from inside the penthouse and from below. They continued to kiss until they noticed the glitter raining down on them. They weren't quite sure where it was coming from and they didn't care. Clint smiled and Natasha giggled, and then they focused back on each other and Clint kissed her once more. This time it was longer and more passionate. It was just the way they wanted to start out the New Year.
I'm not really good at describing dresses so if you would like, you can look up Natasha's dress on Saks Fifth Avenue's website. It's by Alice + Olivia. It's the Ophelia Lace Dress. I'll even give you the product number haha (0489185714511). It's a really cute dress. I'm in love with it haha.
And so we've met Harry Osborn and Peter Parker (New Goblin and Spider-Man respectively in the comic book world). This may or may not be the last time I include them in this story. I haven't decided yet. Let me know if you'd like them to be included again.
As always, thank you for adding this story to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. So, review away! Let me know what you thought of Clint and Natasha's New Year's Eve shenanigans!