Chapter 5

They pulled through the small town drawing attention, as strangers do when they come to a small town in the Midwest. They drove just above the speed limit of twenty five, enough to where several old ladies, who seemed to think Daisy was dating Clint, who was way too old, flashed several harsh judgmental glares at them. Clint didn't seem to mind, just pulled down his aviators and winked at the old hags, with a cocky smirk, and turned his eyes back to the road. Asshole.

He pulled in front of a bar, the only one in the entire town and parked the car with a flourish. He smiled over at her with glee and she in turn rolled her eyes. She heard him mutter something about "Natasha 2.0" but ignored him and stepped out.

From the noise coming from inside, the bar was packed, yet the parking lot was rather empty. She saw him step out as well, his faded T-shit making him look at home here in the Midwest. While she had elected for a similar ensemble, to fit in, he made this look way more natural than she did. She might even guess he grew up in one of the surrounding states.

He gazed through the windows of the bar with some amount of scrutiny, the first tiny thing he had done today that reminded her that he was an actual spy. Not only was he a spy, but also he was an assassin and an Avenger. One who, somehow, managed to keep pace with gods and super-soldiers with only a bow and some cool trick arrows. She furrowed her brow.

"Where is your bow?" She winced. That had slipped out without any restraint on her part, and sounded harsher and more critical than she meant it to. He took his aviators off his head and hung them on his shirt before answering her with the cocky smirk she was beginning to find endearing. Damn him.

"It's in the trunk. Lots of quivers too. Don't worry I'm prepared… this time." He winked at her and began to stroll in to the bar, not waiting for her to follow. She jogged to catch up with him. Stupid long-legged people.

"So what are we doing here? You never told me the plan." She glanced at him with some semblance of May's death glare. It usually worked on people. And by working, that meant that they cringed and spilled their guts, and while it didn't make him cringe, he did end up answering her.

"It's a small town, if there is a base nearby, people will talk about it. They will more more so if they are tipsy. We get more rumors and such; it could give us an edge when we head over there. And plus, this is the closest town for miles, this is probably where the Hydra goons come to grab a beer after work." He glanced down at her, almost as if looking for her approval of his method. She mulled it over. It did make sense. Though it was tough for her to imagine humanity's douchebags coming to get a beer after work like normal people.

"It's a smart plan," she admitted grudgingly. The smirk on his face grew and she wanted to hit him. "But we are also new here, we will be the talk of the bar as soon as we set foot in there. Did you happen to have a plan for that?" She felt a small sense of satisfaction when his smirk dropped.

"Damn, you're right…. Nat and I usually do the whole marriage thing," he glanced at her with some semblance of apology, "We can do that if you want to shoot for it." Well at least he was asking like a decent human being.

She pulled him to a stop before the hit the entryway. "If we did that, we would attract more unwanted attention. You're like ancient," she had to pause when he let out an indigent squawk of protest, but continued after that, "and we've already gotten those looks once today." He muttered about being young at heart for a second in self-pity but pulled it together after a few seconds.

"I suppose you have a point. Want to go with brother and sister, or sister-in-law?" It surprised Daisy again how much input he was asking of her this early. She expected him to tell her what to do, but he was actually treating her as a partner. She decided she would at least keep the banter going; that seemed to work well with them.

"Looks like it's brother and sister. No way anyone believes someone has the patience to marry you, Barton." He gave her a weird look that faded into amusement, but said nothing to counter her. He just pushed open the door and held it for her to enter.

"After you sister dearest," he said, head bowed. Did she mention that Clint Barton was an asshole?