So, for those of you who are waiting on me to finish and post other pieces, I promise they will be finished. I can't guarantee when because it's very hard to write something cheerful when you're morning the loss of a friend (may Loki and/or Hel entertain her soul during her stay in Death's lands), but I have several things in my editing folder including part of the rest of the More-Than-She-Seems series. There will be at least one more chapter story in that series and two single shots that go at the beginning and end. Those things will hopefully be finished soon, but in the mean time please enjoy something short as an apology for what will likely be a bit of a wait for anything further.

-Illusinia

Prompt: Warm

From: avengers-tables .livejournal under 50-word prompt (yes, I do intent to use all 50 words)

Pairings: Clint/Darcy

Darcy shivered slightly in the chill of the desert night, the faint breeze crossing her naked skin. Clint had shown up at the lab hours earlier and managed to coerce her into heading into the desert with him for a picnic. She'd been completely surprised when said picnic had been set up near the top of a hill where they could watch the sun set and the moon rise.

And once the sun had set, things had gotten a bit heated between the two of them. Which had ultimately led to their current position: naked, sweaty, and curled against each other in the back of the jeep staring up at the sky. Even so, it made Darcy smile.

Beside her, Clint shifted and drew her closer. "You're shivering."

"It's a little cold," admitted Darcy quietly, letting him pull her close. Normally, she hated this much physical contact with anyone. Clint though, he was completely different. The kind of different she suspected her mother had described when talking about her dad.

Without a word, Clint grabbed a blanket he'd dragged out with them and wrapped it around them. The result was her tucked even closer against the side of his body. Taking a deep breath, she pressed closer against his side and buried her face against his neck.

"Better?" asked Clint quietly, the rumble of his voice moving through her body.

"Much," murmured Darcy, curling closer to him. The warmth coming off his body soaked into her skin almost immediately, chasing away the chill. "Thank you."

"Any time," assured Clint, at touch of a smirk in his voice as his arms shifted to hold her closer. "I never mind sharing body heat with a beautiful woman."

It took a lot of effort on Darcy's part not to make a wise crack about Natasha. She wasn't supposed to know about Agent Romanov as far as Clint knew, and saying something would probably make him suspicious. Or freak him out. Probably both.

Instead, she opted to curl closer into his side so the entire length of her body was pressed against his. Resting her cheek against his chest, she threw one leg over his hips and sighed. "You know, I think this is the nicest date we've had yet."

"Really? 'Cause I thought our second date was pretty fantastic," remarked Clint. One of his hands slid up her back and began to play with her hair. "Sex in the rain is a lot more fun that I thought it would be."

"It's a lot more fun when the rain is warm," replied Darcy as she relaxed into his body. "Don't try it anywhere cold though; it sucks." Glancing up, she smiled a little at the raised eyebrow he was giving her. "What? My roommate tried it once. Almost got pneumonia."

"I'll remember that," muttered Clint, rolling so he was facing her completely rather than allowing her to use him as a pillow. "You know, next time we need to try sex in a bed. I know it sounds boring, but I swear it's worth it."

"Hmm," hummed Darcy a little, as if she needed to consider his suggestion. "But then we won't have to cuddle to stay warm."

Clint smiled, leaning his forehead against hers as the hand that had been toying with her hair rose to slide into the strands. "I promise, we can still cuddle afterward." Pulling her body flush against his, he kissed her slowly before adding: "I always enjoy keeping you warm."