Australia was lovely that time of year. Tasha had declined our offer of joining us on a night out in Perth, so Clint and I had a night out ourselves – a distinct change from the norm.

We'd left the bars and clubs a while ago and had headed for the beach. I wasn't particularly fond of sand so, upon the mention of the fact, Clint whipped of his shirt and laid it out for me to sit on.

"Aww, how sweet" I teased, curling my legs up on Clint's shirt and pulling off my heeled sandals. I sat there and stared up at him – Christ, Clint had gotten really fit.

He lay down beside me, propping himself up on one elbow, posing like a model with a cheeky grin on his face and muscles on show for everyone to see. Clint took two of the bottles we'd bought out of his rucksack and handed one to me, "Happy twenty first, Gorgeous."

I smiled happily, "It's not until tomorrow"

"I know, this is my early present – you'll get my real present later, but for now you get copious amounts of alcohol, Australian nightlife and my awesome company to enjoy"

"Well thank you very much" I leant over and hugged my friend. Clint wrapped his arm around me and took a drink from his bottle over my shoulder. I laughed, "Get off!"

Clint laughed and leant back, grinning up at me. "You're damn cute when you're happy"

"Cute? Did you just call me cute Barton?"

"I don't know, did I?" he laughed sarcastically.

"I think you did"

Clint laughed. He leant forward a little and ran his hand up my left thigh, "You know, that is an awesome tattoo. Did you get it for any reason? For a special person, maybe? Wow, if that's to represent someone, whoever it is must really mean something to you" as Clint spoke, he traced the hawk on my thigh with a single fingertip.

"Mmm, you think? Maybe it's just something I got on a whim – a random, uninfluenced decision?"

"Mmm, I don't think so" Clint rested his hand on my thigh, looking up from my tattoo into my eyes.

"You don't?" I remarked, feigning shock.

"No – I don't. I think that you got that tattoo because of a very special someone"

"Well, I think special is the right word"

Clint rolled his eyes, "Damn it Manda; that could have been a moment"

"Aww, shucks; that's a shame, ain't it, Little Hawk?"

Clint raised his eyebrows, "Little Hawk, really? Still? Seriously?"

I laughed, looking him up and down before replying "You may be all tall and six-pack now but you're forever going to be my Little Hawk"

"Nuh-uh" Clint shook his head, laughing, he sat up and put down his bottle, "No more of that, Smurfette – you're just jealous 'cause I'm so much taller than you now"

"And you're still Little Hawk to me"

Clint lunged forward, pinning my down before I could escape, one knee either side of my waist, "Take it back"

"No!" I whispered.

Taking both my wrists in one hand and holding them above my head, Clint repeated himself, "Take it back" there was that mischievous smirk across his face.

I shook my head.

"I'll tickle" I froze and bit my lip – there was no way I was giving in, and no way was I 'taking it back'. "Amanda" Clint teased slowly, "Don't force my hand"

"I ain't forcing anything… Little Hawk!" I squealed as Clint began to ruthlessly tickle my side, "CLINT!"

He laughed as I squirmed beneath him. I kicked my legs as I yelped, "Dammit Clinton!" I yelled helplessly.

Clint paused for a second, "Give up yet?"

Quickly I brought my legs back and wrapped them round Clint's torso "No." Easily, I flipped Clint onto his back and held him down, and sitting cross-legged on his stomach, I pinned his arms by his sides. "I win" Clint wriggled for a moment before becoming worryingly still. "Clint?" I said suspiciously.

He shot up, somehow getting to his feet with me over his shoulders. I screamed. "Clint! Put! Me! Down!"

He laughed and began walking towards the ocean, "Nope"

I realised what he was about to do and started kicking and squirming, it wasn't as if I could even grab onto his shirt seeing as he'd discarded it already. "No! No, no, NO! NO!" I managed to slip down off his shoulders and tried to run back up the beach, but he was faster – I was hopeless at running on sand. I curled myself up into a tight ball, hoping it would stop him from getting a hold of me, but I was wrong. Along with a good few handfuls of sand, Clint scooped me up into his arms and walked back down the beach.

"I think," he laughed, "that a certain young agent, is going for a drop in the ocean." He grinned, "What do you think?" I wriggled until I managed to wrap my arms and legs around Clint's torso, I held tight – if I was going down, so was he. "Is that how you want to play it?" Clint teased, "Okay" he kicked off his shoes and socks, got a tight grip of me then ran straight into the sea.

"CLINT!" I fought and squirmed until I was sitting up on Clint's shoulders, desperately trying to stay dry, "TURN BACK RIGHT NOW!"

"Nope!" he called and dived down into the water, me falling in with him. Everything slowed as I floated under the water for a moment before breaking back up for air.

I shook my hair from my face, "Clint!"

He emerged beside me, the same cheeky grin across his face, "Yes Darling?"

I splashed water in his face, "I hate you"

"No you don't"

Under the water, my legs and arms were working frantically to keep me up until my breathing calmed back down to normal. I stuck my tongue out at Clint before swimming closer to him and holding on around his neck.

"Aww, what's wrong Beautiful – to short to touch to stand?"

"Yes" I growled.

"Aww" Clint wrapped his arms gently around my waist and pulled me close to him until we were chest to chest. I could feel my short dress floating out around me, so did Clint. "Do you want me to get that for you?" He slid one hand down over my arse to hold the light fabric down under the water, "Better?" he asked smugly.

"You're a little shit, you know that?"

"Uh-hu"

I sighed, "You're ridiculous"

"Why thank you"

I rolled my eyes then leant my head forward, resting my forehead against Clint's – looking him in the eye, I said, "Come on Hawkeye"

"Ooh, I'm getting 'Hawkeye' now? Cool"

I groaned softly, "There was almost a moment there"

"Oh, sorry – try again"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, go on"

I sighed, looked Clint in the eye and said softly, "Come on Hawkeye"

Clint smiled and leant in for a quick kiss. When I kissed him in return, neither of us pulled away. Clint pressed his tongue against my lip; I opened my mouth and let him in. I moaned into Clint's mouth. When Clint eventually pulled back a little, he kissed my cheek, then kissed again slightly further along, again and again right down my neck to my collar bone.

"Clint" I breathed; letting my head fall forward, I lent my forehead against his shoulder, "Take me back to the hotel"

"Mmm, okay then" Clint lifted me up a little with the hand that was on my arse and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

Clint began walking back towards the beach. "Clint," I whispered.

"Yeah"

"You're an idiot."

He laughed quietly, "okay"

"And guess what?"

"What?"

"I really don't care."