I'm sorry for the strong amount of sap in this piece. This comes after the prompt 'Conversation', probably in the morning after. It turned out different from what I thought it would be. Again, my apologies.

-Illusinia

Prompt: Early Morning

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

Pairings: Clint/Darcy

Sunlight was the first thing Clint noticed as he woke: it's warm and kind of painful light striking him in the face. Huh, well that was different. It was rare for Clint to sleep past five, his body usually dragging him up long before the sun rose. If he was seeing sunlight, it meant he'd slept way in.

Rubbing his eyes, Clint started to sit up only to freeze when he felt an arm splayed across his chest tighten in objection. He didn't have to look to know who his bed partner was- he remembered the previous night perfectly. A grin curled over his lips as he settled back again and turned his attention on the woman beside him.

Darcy's hair tumbled around her face, eyes squeezed shut against the morning light. Those soft, red lips of hers were slightly parted as she slept, leaving her face lax as she burrowed further into her pillow. Without thinking about it, Clint shifted to block the intrusive light. Almost immediately, Darcy relaxed a little more back into sleep, though she shifted closer to him almost automatically and pressed her face against his chest.

One of his hands crept out to stroke her hair, fingers tangling in the soft strands as he just watched her sleep against his chest. It was soothing, having Darcy so close. She was like a bright spot of light in his life; she was the sun and he would have been perfectly content to just orbit her endlessly. Sadly, their time was rapidly diminishing. But damn if he didn't want to stay with her, watching her sleep in the early morning light.

If he had it his way, he'd wake up next to her every morning to see her bathed in light.

Groaning, Darcy shifted in her sleep until she was smashed so close to Clint's body it was hard to tell where he ended and she began. Her leg went over his hip and her fingers curled under and around his torso, seeking as much contact as possible. "Stop thinking so loud, it's too early for that."

"Who said I was thinking?" teased Clint, one hand remaining in her hair while the other slid under her body. Darcy just groaned and popped open an eye to glare at him.

Laughing, he rolled them over so she was on top; she let out a little yelp as he shifted them around. When they settled again, they were face to face with Darcy's forehead resting against his. Their eyes met in familiar reassurance, a smile tugging at the corner of Clint's lips. A matching smile slid over Darcy's lips, her thumb sliding up to rub at Clint's stubbled chin.

Clint didn't think about it as he leaned up to kiss her, fingers sliding down her spine as he cradled her against his body. Having her so warm and pliable in his arms was something he would sorely miss when she was at school. Visits were definitely going to be a must. He could do without the sex (he didn't want to, but it was possible), but giving up moments like this would be extremely hard.

When Darcy pulled back a moment later, she gave Clint a look that made him wonder if she could read his mind. It was soft, reassuring, and possibly, just maybe, loving. Then a soft grin broke across her face as she pushed to sit upright, straddling his hips and stretching her arms over her head. "Ugh, you get up way too early."

"Later than usual," dismissed Clint, his hands sliding down to her waist. With her now sitting up, the early morning light bathed her skin like a halo. It made her look like an angel. His angel. Yeah, he was definitely going to miss these moments.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," teased Darcy with a yawn, one of her hands pushing her hair out of her face while her other hand reached for the glasses on his nightstand. Settling the frames on her face, she blinked down at Clint. "You're being cuddly."

"Is that bad?" asked Clint, unease sliding up his spine. Had he made her uncomfortable? They'd laid around like this at least a dozen mornings by now and she'd never seemed uncomfortable before.

"Nope," murmured Darcy, leaning forward and kissing him quickly. Her eyes met his when she leaned back a little, staring at him over the rims of her glasses. "Stop looking like the world is about to fall out from under you. We've got the rest of the week."

Clint nodded slowly, his hands reaching out to curl around her own. He interwove their fingers, bringing both her hands to his lips so he could press kisses to her knuckles. "It goes without saying I'm going to visit, right? As much as possible."

"I know," assured Darcy, leaning down to kiss him again. "I know you're gonna visit, and I'm already looking forward to it. But for now, can we just enjoy the morning and not worry about it?"

"Yeah," murmured Clint, forcing the thoughts out of his head as he pushed to sit up. She moved up with him, their chests ending up pressed together as he shifted so his legs were thrown over the edge of the bed. He kissed her again, taking a moment to memorize the feel of her body, lips, everything about her that was uniquely Darcy. When they broke away a moment later, he had to catch his breath. Still, he offered her a playful grin before standing up with her in his arms. "Shower then coffee?"

Laughing softly, Darcy wrapped her arms around his shoulders and snuggled close. "Sounds like a plan, Cupid."

Oh yeah, he was definitely going to miss these early mornings. This wouldn't be the last though, not by a long shot. He would make sure of that.