p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px auto 1.286em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Ta Da! Last bit of the surprise! I know it sucks but that's how I wanted it to be. 'Cause the whole "Holiday Cheer Kind of Sucks" ya' know? /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Anyways, I hope you can enjoy it!/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"- Casper/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"—/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" Stepping out of the elevator Clint absentmindedly scratched at a bandaged cut while looking around confused. He was asked by Stark to get Natasha to go to the Holiday party since he apparently lied about it to Maria in order to get her to go. Rolling his eyes and getting a few more scratches in he sets off to the workout room. He had checked everywhere Natasha would be even braving Maria's irritated state to ask if she's seen her. Of course, as always Maria had glared at him and questioned why he needed to know where Natasha was. It was a terrifying situation and now he needs to rent a few movies. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Clint takes his last strides towards the workout room faintly hearing music playing even though he had this 'small' listening problem. It was rare for Natasha to play music loudly while passing the time exercising but not completely unheard of. br /Pushing the door open Clint makes sure to knock on the wall hard avoiding any bodily harm even if he had noticed her facing away from /"Hey, Nat, you got a moment?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Natasha's head moves slightly towards his direction indicating she had indeed heard his arrival. Waiting patiently Clint watched her finish up a set on the punching bag. The music lowers in volume as she turns around to face him giving a small /"Yeah, sure, why?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Making a begrudging face and letting out a huff of air Clint cautiously moves towards Natasha. Tapping his left hand on his pants made it a tad easier to face the 2nd person in the whole 'No-Stark-Parties-Or-Death-Will-Come' /"Well, Stark's having a party-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Immediately Natasha shakes her head and cuts Clint off in his sentence. Irritation appears on her face along with a cocked /"No."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Clint briefly thought it was a loosing battle to even try to convince her but now being involved with Starks stupid plan he figured trying was his only safe way to get out of trouble or, well, the only way out with little /"Oh c'mon, Nat! It's a holiday party for all of us!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Natasha's jaw twitches as she bits her tongue. Taking a deep breath in she evenly keeps her voice smooth and void of /"No."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Closely watching Natasha's action Clint steps back a little for safety reasons. He could only muster up a pitied smile knowing she's going to be really tired of Stark's shit. He thought the supposed 'genius' should do the rest of his own dirty work after this /"Not even if I said Maria got convinced to go?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"As predicted she tensed up then relaxed moving her shoulders in a faint circle. Eyes turning stone cold. Her posture reminds him of all the times she was worried about Maria. Natasha's facial expression remained nurtural nonetheless hiding what her actions couldn't Clint noticed. A soft spot for Natasha will always be Maria especially after a huge fiasco that involved Maria being shot twice, a Hulk sized hole through two metal walls, and a broken window. br /"Maria got looped into the party?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Nodding his head Clint shuffled around slightly becoming uncomfortable at Natasha's inner battle. He should sell tickets to the beating Stark is most likely going to get after /"Yep."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Off handedly Natasha mumbles /"I'll have to keep her company then. I thought you were going home to your family?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Sadness washes over Clint. As much as he misses them he was told to stay to stop the deadly 'power couple' from murdering Stark. A funny but serious conversation with his wife. It also bothered him that, even after all these years, Natasha couldn't refer to his family as her own as well. br /"You're family too, Natasha. I was going to but when I told my wife about Stark having a party she said I had to be here to stop both you and Maria from killing him besides I'll be heading home the next day after the party."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The music that was playing in the background stopped just in time to hear Natasha give an annoyed hum. She walked over to one of the benches and grabbed what looked like a phone from it's metal surface. br /"How nice."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Giving off a wide grin Clint followed her over to the bench and quickly sat down happily stretching /"Are you and Maria coming over as well for the Holidays? The kids keep asking for "Auntie Nat" and "Aunt Mia" every time I call them."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Natasha's eyebrows rise in /"Aunt Mia?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Leaning back Clint presses onto the wall which thankfully the bench was pushed against and laughs. For a while he had been teaching his children to call Maria 'Mia' just because she hates it. At every chance he would immediately correct them but now isn't the time to admit to that little /"I may have called her that once or twice in front of them."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"She simply stares at Clint while nodding slowly. Not even on her death bed would she believe he 'may have once or twice' called Maria /"Right. She'll kill you, you know."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Clint laughs full heartedly as he gets up from the bench. A relaxed shrug was all he gave Natasha once the laughing died /"The kids love calling her that so I'll take my chances. I'm gonna let you finish beating the crap out of that punching bag."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Before he could step away Natasha grabbed his arm. She gave him a wicked smile as she let his arm /"You can't get out of sparring with me at least once Barton."/p