October 12th: Pumpkin soup

(Clintasha, rated K+)

The kitchen of the Avengers Tower had been occupied for hours now by two people. Natasha was standing at the counter and cut orange chunks in smaller pieces before putting them into the huge pot. Clint was sitting on the floor with a huge knife cutting the pumpkins they had bought in half and removing everything that wasn't edible. The pieces that were left were gathered next to him and every now and then he gave them to Natasha. Right when he gave her another hand of orange pieces she sighed: „The pot is full… how many do we have left?"

Clint looked down onto the floor briefly: „Still two…"
Natasha put the immersion blender next to the stove: „Okay then… down on your knees again, Barton… we will find something to do with the leftover."
Clint started grinning and sat back down: „Ay ay, boss."

Nat put the cover on the pot and walked over to the fridge looking for things to use for the leftover pumpkins. She sighed and closed it again before searching the drawers as well. She suddenly stopped in the middle of her action and nodded: „Clint… I have a really bad idea."

Clint stopped cutting for a moment and looked up. She was standing in front of the cabinet where Tony was keeping the alcohol and he started shaking his head no: „Hell no… We can't do it. Steve won't like that… and every time we start drinking here in the tower it kind of escalates."
She turned her head in his direction and grinned from ear to ear: „That's why it would be fun… come on! Before we throw two whole pumpkins away…"
Clint started cutting again: „Okay… alright! Let's do it."

Nat quickly filled another pot with water and started heating it. She removed the cover from the other pot and put it on the new one while grabbing the immersion blender. She started mushing the now soft pumpkin pieces and slowly added some cream, salt and cinnamon. She also looked for grated nutmeg and found a little glass in the bottom drawer. Then she switched off the hotplate with the soup
Clint finished cutting the two pumpkins and grabbed all the pieces with both of his arms staining his shirt with the vegetables. Natasha laughed when she saw him: „Enjoying your new look?"
Clint rolled his eyes: „Remove the cover already!"
Natasha smirked: „What do I get in return?"
Clint stepped closer to her: „How about… me where I am right now, not putting the pumpkins on your clothes too?"
Still grinning Nat removed the cover from the pot and let him pour the pumpkin pieces into the now boiling water. When she put the cover on the pot again she turned around only to find herself in his arms: „Hey! You promised not to!"
Clint smirked and stepped back again: „I never promised to not do it anyway."
Nat grabbed his hands with her hands and put them on his cheeks afterward, smearing the pulp everywhere. He grinned and pulled her closer spreading the pulp on her back.
Shuddering because it was cold she made their foreheads connect: „Stop it!"
Clint grinned before kissing her: „Is that better?"
Returning the kiss Nat smiled: „A little… But now…", she pushed him away and walked past him. Picking up a fork she removed the cover again and pierced one of the small pumpkin pieces. Nodding she turned around: „Okay… bring me a colander."

Clint washed his hands briefly before opening a drawer and handed her the colander. Nat took it away from him and put it in the sink. She started pouring the content of the pot into it and put the pot back on the hotplate afterward. She turned the heat down and smiled: „Now give me the vodka." Clint walked over to the cabinet and grabbed two bottles of vodka. He walked back to the stove and put them on the kitchen island. Nat smeared the pumpkin pulp into a dishtowel before grabbing the first bottle and pouring the alcohol into the pot, followed by the second one.
Clint looked over her shoulder and carefully wrapped his hands around her waist. Natasha grinned: „Idiot! I have to be careful that it's getting not too hot. Be of use instead and give me the brown sugar."
Sighing Clint let go of her again and searched for the sugar. He found it in one of the drawers and put it on the kitchen island as well. Natasha slowly poured some of it into the vodka and stirred. When it was all melted she quickly removed the pot from the hotplate and put the pumpkins from the colander into the vodka as well. Nat turned to Clint again and crossed her arms in front of her chest: „You can mush if you want."
Clint smirked: „Not afraid that I ruin it, Romanoff?"
Nat put the immersion blender in his hand and shrugged: „I can still kill you if you do."
Nodding Clint put the tip into the pot: „Okay… sounds like a deal." He started mushing until it was liquid again: „Yep... it looks good. I bet it tastes good when it's cold." He put the immersion blender into the sink again and turned to Nat: „We still have 30 minutes left until the others will come up here for dinner…"
Nat ran a hand through his hair: „Is that a challenge?"
Clint ran his hand down her back: „Kind of…"
She closed the gap between them and whispered: „Accepted…"