Author's note: I somehow managed to get the chapters out of order! I apologise if it caused any confusion- this chapter should have been after Natasha, and Rebecca should have been later. I think she just got excited and jumped in too soon! Thanks for reading. Also… everyone knows sea otters are cool.

Clint and the Shy Girl

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm just about over small talk," Clint said pleasantly as he settled in with Sylvie.

"I agree. Small talk and being stared at," Sylvie said.

"I can face away from you, if you like. Kind of a blind date?" Clint said, pivoting on the chair away from Sylvie.

She laughed lightly, "It's okay."

"Oh, good" Clint said, turning back around. "So how about I make this easy on both of us, and instead of interrogating each other, I ask you a bunch of questions that you can answer with just one word?"

"Sounds refreshing," Sylvie stated.

"Okay" Clint rubbed his hands together and thought for a moment. "What kind of job do you do?"

"Vet" Sylvie said.

"Cool. What sort of animals do you see?"

Sylvie frowned, and then held up two fingers.

'Oh, we're playing charades now?" Clint teased. "Okay… two words?"

Sylvie rolled her eyes and nodded, "Sea otters."

"No way, that is too cool. Sea otters are beautiful."

Sylvie smiled happily and nodded.

"I bet they're naughty, too, sometimes. Do you ever get bit?"

"Yep." Sylvie said, grinning.

Clint chuckled. "Still. It could be worse. You could be cleaning lion's teeth…"

Sylvie laughed.

"All right. What else? Do you like cotton candy?"

Sylvie looked at Clint for a moment like he was crazy, and then she shrugged. "Sure."

"Do you like clowns?"

Sylvie shuddered. "No!"

"That's right. No one likes clowns, they're creepy" Clint agreed. "Chocolate or vanilla?"

"Ice cream?"

Clint nodded.

"Chocolate."

"Mexican food or Italian food?"

"Both!"

Clint grinned. "Here's a tricky one- and this is a test, so be warned. Star Trek or Star Wars?"

Sylvie frowned thoughtfully. "Star Trek."

Clint stared at her. "Really? Really?"

Sylvie nodded. "Spock," she added matter-of-factly.

"Yoda!" Clint cried. "C'mon!"

Sylvie laughed. "Did I fail the test?" She asked.

"A little, yeah" Clint said sadly.

"Okay, well, my turn on the questions, then."

Clint chuckled lightly. "Knock yourself out."

"Okay," Sylvie said thoughtfully. "What kind of work do you do?"

"Government."

"Do you get to travel for your job?"

"Yes," Clint answered.

"Do you like it? Your job?"

Clint thought for a moment. "Sometimes."

"Are you good at what you do?"

"Yes."

Sylvie smiled at the decisiveness of his response.

"Do you have any pets?"

"No," Clint sighed.

"Do you always ask people really short questions?"

Clint thought for a moment, and shook his head, amused and frustrated. "I can't answer that with one word."

"Expand." Sylvie instructed.

"My colleagues think I'm the strong, silent type... but there's more to me than that. And I think there's more to you..."

"Well. Maybe you can find out sometime?" Sylvie said shyly.

"I'd really like that," Clint said with a smile.