Author's Note: I have never been to Coney Island. Nor do I have a clue about the general scenery and driving distance. So, like me, use your imagination and we can pretend this is completely accurate :D Thanks!
Screaming kids, huge crowds, and no exit strategy. How was this Nat's idea of a good time? They weren't even in the amusement park and Clint was already wishing he was back in the car. Unlike Natasha, his childhood memories were still crystal clear. Raised in the circus, his deadly accuracy with a bow used as sideshow entertainment, Clint had no desire to relive that portion of his life. He had never told his partner about his time in the circus, so he couldn't blame her for something she wasn't aware of. Still, Coney Island?
"What exactly led to your decision to come here?" He asked her as she paid for their tickets with the cash SHIELD had provided. She didn't answer right away; instead, she walked ahead into the maze of booths, rides, and food stalls, turning to take it all in.
"When I first came to this country as a young intelligence agent, I was stationed on a boat just off the harbor. I could see the rides and hear the sounds from the park during sentry duty. Once I even watched a fireworks display, but we didn't exactly get a day off to see the sights. I think it was one of those things that I wanted even more because I couldn't have it. I'm not sure why it came to my mind today after all this time, but I figured this was my only chance."
Wanting something he couldn't have; now that was a situation Clint knew all about. In the spirit of wishes finally fulfilled, the agent decided to put aside his misgivings and just have a good time, for Natasha's sake. Slinging an arm around her shoulders, Clint put on a smile and guided her through the streams of people moving in every direction.
"Well then, where should we start? Fried dough? Games? Actually, we may want to save the games for last. Carnies don't exactly like people who can win at everything, and I plan to rob them blind. There won't be a single stuffed bear left when we're done. Or we can get the rides over with. I don't care how much I owe you, Nat, you won't be getting me on that Ferris Wheel. Or the teacups- I can't handle all that spinning."
Their good natured argument lasted all the way to the ticked booth, where SHIELD once again covered the cost of an arm-length of tickets. Trying to play fair, Natasha let Clint pick the first ride. She'd be damned if she wasn't getting him on that Ferris Wheel, but she could wait until the moment was right before she twisted his arm. Rather than tell her, Clint took her hand and practically dragged her to a nearby line. She was getting used to this simple gesture, even enjoyed the dependance she felt when her small hand was enveloped in his. Especially here, playing at normal- to anyone looking on, they were on a date. Natasha Romanoff, Russian Spy, on a date. Fake or not, she was mildly amused that Clint was involved in so many 'firsts' in her career.
"Hold on," Natasha said, taking note of their surroundings, "the Fun House? Isn't this a little kid thing?" She looked skeptically at the slide, the mirrors, the rotating tunnel that doubled as an entrance. Sometimes Clint worried her.
"No! The Fun House is... well... fun. I want to see if this little house of tricks can trip up the Black Wi-" Clint was stopped by a finger on his lips and a less than subtle glare from the woman in front of him. Right; secret identity. Luckily, there was so much noise and distraction that no one seemed to be paying them any attention at all. They reached the front of the line after a few minutes and made their way into the Fun House.
As they reemerged, Natasha couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much. The image of Clint tripping over the spring loaded floor tile played over and over in her head. Clint, too, seemed incapable of stopping himself from chuckling, though it hurt his ribs to do so.
"Oh man, Nat, your face was priceless when the mirrors started to move. I honestly thought you'd just start smashing them if you couldn't figure it out."
"Me? You tripped. You! Taken to the floor by a carnival ride. Even the 5 year olds behind us were laughing!"
After several more rides, a little fried food, and even more laughter, Clint was just about ready to win some games and hit the road. His hand had practically been glued to Nat's all afternoon, so when she stopped walking he felt the tug on his arm and turned to see what had slowed her down. It was the Ferris Wheel.
"Oh, come on Clint. You're really trying to tell me that you think this ride is any more dangerous than that giant swinging Viking ship? I don't buy it. Either tell me why you hate the Ferris Wheel or man up and get in line."
Neither of those choices seemed all that appealing to Clint. He didn't like the Ferris Wheel because it meant something to him. It was a romantic symbol of the life he had once led- the place he went with his former lover to get away from the drama and danger of the circus and simply be together. To go on it with Natasha... he simply didn't trust himself to respect the boundaries he had set for himself. But he couldn't exactly tell her that, so he sighed deeply and stepped up to stand in the line with her.
"You're a good man, Clint."
Her tone suggested she was messing with him again, but her eyes were nothing but honest. He loved that about her, about their connection. Everything they said or did had layers to it- degrees of understanding that made it impossible for someone observing them to detect. As he helped her into their swinging compartment and lowered the bar across their laps, she once again reached for his hand.
As the wheel began to turn they rose up slowly, stopping periodically as people below got on and off. They remained silent, enjoying the cool air of early evening as it swept through their hair. When Natasha spoke it was barely above a whisper, but Clint had no trouble hearing her. He never had trouble catching her voice on the wind.
"Loki got into my head. Not like he did to you, not completely and totally. But he said things to me; things about you. We only spoke for a few minutes, but it was as if he knew exactly how to shake me up. He used you against me and for the first time, I realized that I had a weakness. It's you, Clint. You're more important to me than the mission."
He tried to catch her eye, but she was resolutely looking in the other direction. He knew how incredibly difficult it was to come to terms with the idea that years of training were rendered helpless in the face of true emotion.
"Why are you telling me this?" He needed to know where she stood, assuming she herself knew.
Finally, she turned to meet his gaze. "You deserve to know. You're my partner, Clint, and the only person in the world I can trust completely. If anyone should know that I'm compromised, it's you. Red in my ledger or not, you're stuck with me." Tears made her eyes shimmer, threatening to spill down her cheeks at any moment.
Boundaries, Clint reminded himself as he wrapped Natasha in his arms. Stroking her hair and placing a kiss on the crown of her head, he held her for the remainder of the ride, trying to wrap his head around her confession. As they got off the Ferris Wheel and made their way back to the parking lot, Clint did his best to keep the grin from his face.
The sun was setting as they drove along the shoreline, taking the long way back into the city. Suddenly, Clint pulled the car off the road and parked in a scenic rest stop. Natasha was genuinely confused, even more so when her partner pulled a pair of pistols from the glove compartment.
"Coulson."
She understood. Her life had been taking so many twists and turns throughout the day, but that hadn't stopped the grief from tugging at the back of her mind. Coulson, one of the few agents willing to work with her when she came to SHIELD. Coulson, who knew exactly what to say and when to say it. She had been concerned with how Clint would respond to her confession about Loki's interrogation while her friend and handler was forever lost to this world. If he had loved ones, she didn't know it. But he had them and he had his duty. For those things, he was willing to die.
At the edge of the lot was a steel rail, beyond that a short stretch of grass ending in a rocky cliff above the water. It was beautiful and somehow sad. It was perfect.
Clint stood at attention, always the soldier. Natasha stood by his side, still and poised. As one, they lifted their weapons to the East.
"To Agent Coulson," Clint said.
"May he rest in peace," Natasha replied.
Their shots rang out over the water, startling the birds below. After a moment of silence, they returned to their car and continued their journey back into the city, hands once again linked together between their seats.
Did I get you? All that Ferris Wheel romance, and still no kiss? Not to worry, I have big plans for that first kiss. Clint couldn't waste it on the Ferris Wheel.
In other news, there was an overwhelming 'Huzzah' for the long version of the story, which is fine by me- more plotting and planning about Clint and Nat is time well spent in my book! We'll see what kind of dust we can kick up in the next few chapters. Until then, your reviews make me oh so happy! Just adds fuel to the fire that is my imagination!