Chapter: 5

The next day greeted the agents with warmth and sunlight as Natasha had no curtains to block out the rays of light that poured into the apartment freely. Coulson met them not long after they had packed up their makeshift beds. Upon opening the door, Clint almost cried at the sight of doughnuts and coffee in Phil's arms.

The rest of the day passed in a rush as they got things settled around the rooms. Slowly but surely the apartment was coming together. By the time the movers took the tip that Clint provided, the sun was sinking low again and the three of them were exhausted. Coulson left them alone after the last of the furniture was moved in. He told them that he needed to return back to headquarters and took off shortly after Natasha thanked him for his help. Therefore, the task of helping to arrange the items went to Clint, but he didn't mind.

When Natasha was satisfied with the arrangement, Clint suggested that they go out and get other things that she would need such as a bedsheets, a trashcan, and all of the other random things that came with moving into your first home. Again, Natasha was reluctant but she followed obediently all the same. Clint was noticing that her apprehension was growing the more and more she got settled into the apartment. This was not shocking to Clint because he knew exactly how she was feeling. He had been through those same feelings when he was allowed to get his first apartment. It was exciting but came along with a fear that something bad was going to happen to take it all away. It's kind of like that feeling you get when you've had too much good luck lately and just know that something terrible must be around the corner to balance it all out.

Clint gave her his upmost support and patience. It was saying something that she fought him very little when he suggested going out to the local department store. It didn't matter that she flinched, ever so slightly, at the openness of the area and the large crowd that immediately surrounded them upon entering the building. She took it like a champ and continued listening to Clint listing off the things that they needed while pointing out customers that were inappropriately dressed as they passed. Clint was very much enjoying the fact that Natasha was becoming more and more comfortable with him. Enough so, that she was allowing him to see that she was uncomfortable and allowing him to help her through it.

They grabbed random household objects while Clint rambled on about topics from past missions that he found amusing, to what they wanted to eat for dinner; not that Natasha had remembered him asking to stay over again that night. It was fine though because as he continued to let her pick things out she couldn't help a smile or two from listening to her partner's gleeful talking.

"So, I had to escort this guy back to the chopper while he was trying to finish his sandwich. He didn't care that he had no pants on as long as he could take the damn sandwich with him." Clint shook his head at the memory.

"Why was the sandwich so important to him?" Natasha asked.

"Well we interrupted him while he was eating lunch," Clint explained "he said that it was rude of us to interrupt his meal and would not be going anywhere with us if he wasn't allowed to finish eating. He refused to get dressed and everything."

"Maybe you should've let him finish eating first."

"I was under strict orders to get him back within a certain time frame. Besides, his apartment building mysteriously blew up like a minute after we left." Natasha shrugged and picked out a black set of non-stick cookware. She then went about grabbing different cooking utensils and a set of matching plates, cups, and whatnot. "He was so shocked that he dropped the damn sandwich and it fell out the side of the chopper."

"I'm assuming he didn't thank you."

"No he didn't. Do you cook?" He asked nodding to the items that she had placed into the cart.

"I can learn," she replied as she placed a set of silverware into the cart.

"Ok," he shrugged "That takes care of the bathroom and the kitchen. Do you want to look at bed sets?" She shrugged and they made their way over to the appropriate section where Natasha looked a bit overwhelmed by the amount of options. Clint went straight up to one of the sets that had a pink and flowery design that was overly girly and just plain ugly. "I think you should get this one to be honest." Natasha shot him a look that made him chuckle.

"I think it would be more suitable for you." She shot back at him and he gasped.

"Oh! You got jokes now," he said throwing the set at her.

"You're a child," she placed the set back on the shelf were it belonged and went down the aisle looking at different options. "This one." She held up a set that came with a beige comforter that had dark brown and white layered stripes across it.

"Alright then," he said and pointed towards the fitted sheets. She grabbed a beige colored one that would go with the rest of the set and the pair of them headed towards the checkouts. The lady behind the register made small talk that Clint responded minimally to and Natasha not at all. The woman seemed to get the idea and rang them up quickly in silence. She thanked them and wished them a good day and the pair responded in kind before leaving the store and heading towards a fast food place that Clint had noticed earlier.

"You need the American experience that comes with getting a greasy burger and some fries. If they….yup they have milkshakes too." He said as they pulled up to the order box in the drive-thru. Clint proceeded to order them exactly that, getting Natasha and himself chocolate shakes to go with their meals.

"Why get both the sodas and the milkshakes?" Natasha asked while looking at the drink tray, which held two sodas along with the shakes.

"I swear having just a milkshake just makes you thirstier while you're trying to eat something along with it. You'll thank me, trust me."

"We have water at the apartment," she replied and Clint made a look of disgust.

"You don't have to drink water all the time Nat." He replied. "There is nothing like a good soda to go with a good dinner."

"It's healthier," she countered and he scoffed.

"With the work that we do we could die tomorrow." He replied, "I'm not going to waste my time being unhappy with my food choices."

"As you wish," she replied with a shrug. They arrived at the apartment a little later and opted to leave the stuff for the apartment in the car that Natasha was borrowing from SHEILD while they enjoyed their meal.

"Ah, the greatness that is a fully loaded cheeseburger," Clint said as he sat down on the new couch. He put his carryout bag on the coffee table in front of him then got out the containers containing the hamburger and French fries placing both items on top of his bag that he had flattened out.

"Maybe we should have gotten the plates out at least." She remarked as she watched him.

"No, no, Romanoff the point of fast food is to get your food fast and to not have a bunch of cleaning to do after you eat." He said and patted the seat next to her.

"There's a kitchen table you know," she said but sat beside him as she did so making Clint smirk at her.

"Allow me to teach you how we do things here," he said. "Now, you open up the container." He did so. "The fries are already in the handy container on top of the bag so there is no problem there. Now, you just pour the dipping sauce into the other side of the container." He opened up the multiple ketchup packets that he required and squeezed them each into the top half of the hamburger container. He placed the milkshake to his right and the soda to his left. "See, now you have your meal all out and you can just throw everything away when you're done. This is why I always request that they bag meals separately."

"Because you're too lazy to use a plate?" Natasha replied.

"Pretty much," he said with a shrug then motioned for her to get going. She rolled her eyes and copied what he had done. He nodded approvingly then picked up his sandwich. "Now we eat."

"That looks revolting," she said eyeing the chili and slaw that was oozing out of the hamburger.

"This is beautiful. It is a work of art." Clint replied with a mockingly shocked expression on his face. "Live a little Romanoff, you're gonna love it." She let out a breath but gave in to his commands. She picked up the hamburger, which was exactly like his, and immediately got chili on her hands. She put it back down to grab a napkin and Clint shook his head. "If you keep doing that you'll never get finished eating," he said with his mouth partially full. "The mess is half the fun."

"If you stain this brand new couch I will be angry with you." She said and he smiled at her before grabbing some fries to put into his mouth. She shook her head at him and picked up the sandwich again. She ignored the fact that the chili-slaw mixture was oozing out and that Clint was watching her. She took a bite and decided that never in her life would she admit to her partner that it was the best thing she had enjoyed so far.