A/N: 2012 winner of NaNoWriMo contest and exclusively Beta'd by the wonderful ladygris.

Thanks,

~Sandy

Avengers

From Time to Time

Chapter 6

Before Fury could question him about his "intentions", Clint stepped into the hall and kept going until he reached the conning tower, leaving Fury to work out this new complication on his own. Clint had enough to think about himself. He hadn't been sitting in the moonlight very long when a voice came over his comm.

"Rivera to Barton."

The crackle of interference made him wince. "Barton."

"Did you forget our appointment?"

With a wry grin, he got to his feet. "No. I'm avoiding you."

She chuckled. "Just get you're a** down here before I send an armed escort."

By now, he was on the catwalk and headed for the ladder that would take him back down to the lower levels of the ship. "Hope you're ready to receive casualties then, doc." He enjoyed teasing Dr. Rivera, and she gave as good as she got. They flirted with each other outrageously, but nothing ever came of it. Nothing ever would. Mostly because he didn't want her husband, a virologist, to try to kill him. And he could do it. Slip something into his food or water, and Hawkeye comes down with some mystery disease. Infidelity was so not worth getting his a** kicked over. So they flirted and bantered, even in her husband's presence. And all Orlando did was chuckle, shake his head and go back to playing with his germs.

"Make it quick, Hawkeye. I have a date with my husband in an hour."

"Roger that. Barton out." Clint picked up the pace, arriving in the Med Bay in under two minutes. "Sorry, doc. I really did forget."

Rivera, a brunette with a plain face and a lean body, gestured him to the exam table. "I would say don't let it happen again, but we both know it will."

"Why're we doing this, doc? I had blood work done when I got back from Canada." The needle pierced his skin, and he flinched, but it was his conscience. He still regretted tricking Naomi into signing his return to work. Even he knew he wasn't ready to resume missions, but he was tired of sitting around being bored.

"Just routine, Agent Barton." She removed the tourniquet, labeled the tubes of blood and quickly bandaged the area. "Now get out of here before I decide to do exploratory surgery."

He jumped off the table, fingering the bandage on his inner arm before pulling his sleeve down over it. "You're a peach, doc. Bye."

Five minutes later, he returned to the Mess Hall, grabbed a sandwich and ate it on the way back to his room. The night before, he'd been at the community center and had spent all that time with the kids surprised at how much he'd enjoyed the time. He never thought he would ever be this comfortable teaching kids and learning from them as well, but he was.

His teen years had been spent entertaining adults and children, so when he left the circus he wanted nothing more to do with the amusing the masses. And while roaming from town to town, finding work where he could, he hadn't the time to get to know anyone let alone the kids. Now here he was doing just that, and it made him feel not just good, but content in a way hadn't been for a very long time.

He also realized that the night he and the community center kids had made the human pyramid, he'd slept without the pills. Not only that, he'd slept soundly and without the dreams that had plagued him since Loki had came to Earth, and he was smart enough to see a connection.

Sharing this insight with Naomi was his first thought, but it was late and he didn't want to disturb her. Tomorrow would be soon enough. Maybe instead of telling her, he could show her. That settled, he lay down on the bed, closed his eyes and was soon asleep. Morning came around and with it Clint had another idea. He dressed, hurried through breakfast and went to Naomi's office where he was admitted right away.

Naomi didn't hide her surprise. "I thought we'd canceled our appointment."

"We did." Coming around the desk, he took her hand resting on the keyboard. "Come on."

"Where're we going?"

He smiled, his blue-gray eyes twinkling with humor. "New York. The center needs a room painted, a couple walls that need to be knocked down, and some plumbing work done."

"But, I can't just leave, Clint!" He ignored her protests by shutting down her computer and lifting her out of her seat. "I have patients, reports…"

"It's been cleared. You're good to go." In the hall, he kept dragging her until she stopped fighting him though she wasn't done objecting to the interference.

"Clint! Please, you're hurting my hand."

Releasing her, he kept a wary eye out in case she tried to bolt. "After our talk last night, I realized that you need something that I can give you now. It may not be what you want, but it's something you need, and I think you'll enjoy it. So please, come with me."

He knew the moment she gave in by the glimmer of annoyance in her brown eyes. "Fine. I just need to pack a few things." Naomi opened her door and before she could say or do anything to keep him out, he followed her inside. "Clint!"

Crossing his arms, he gave her a stubborn stare. "Not leaving. And it's not like I haven't been in your bedroom before."

"That's not the point. We're not…we don't have that relationship anymore and anyone seeing us coming in or going out together will assume…"

"That I'm sleeping with you and Natasha?" He shrugged. "As long as we know the truth who cares what others think?"

She huffed at him, hands on her hips, suddenly very serious. "I can't afford not to care, Clint. Right now, I'm your therapist. If there were any question of an inappropriate relationship between us, I could lose my license."

"I see your point. You have five minutes." And before she could say another word, he left the room going to lean on the opposite wall, hands in his pockets.

~~O~~

Standing at parade rest, Fury stared out the window watching the crew working on the external equipment. A squad ran in formation and off to the left two lone figures climbed into a helijet. Behind him, he heard Kripke give clearance to Clint. The airship took off, banked and headed north. "Agent Kripke, who authorized Dr. Marks to leave with Agent Barton?"

"Agent Barton was already scheduled to depart. At the last minute he added Dr. Marks' name to his itinerary. I assumed…"

"Well, you assumed wrong." After a moment's thought, Fury mused out loud, "It's not your fault. Agent Barton believes it's easier to seek forgiveness than to get permission, though I doubt he regrets his actions."

Kripke looked uncertain. "Yes, sir."

~~O~~

There was room enough for six in the helijet, but there was only Naomi and Clint, their bags sitting on the floor in the back. What had surprised her was that Clint had talked to her more on this trip than he had since she'd arrived on the ship, not counting their therapy sessions. She found this Clint very enthusiastic about his work at the community center and with the kids. He even planned on teaching them archery as soon as the center was up and running again. Until then, he seemed to get great enjoyment out of the time spent not working.

He landed at a small private airport that had somehow escaped with only minor damage. They got out and walked to the hangar where Clint checked in then led her over to a motorcycle stored in the far corner. She hadn't been on one since she broke up with her boyfriend Ben in high school.

"You expect me to ride on that all the way to The Bronx?"

"Yeah. Why not? Makes it easier to get around the areas that still have debris in the streets."

Not seeing any good reason not to take the bike, Naomi agreed. "Okay, but if I get blisters on my fanny, I'm blaming you."

"You'll be fine." He handed her a helmet, but didn't wear one himself. Swinging his leg over, he started the bike then waited for her to get on behind him. Their bags had been stashed in the compartment under the passenger seat. Briefly, she glimpsed a pair of handguns lying in the bottom.

"If you say so. Mind if I ask a question?"

He raised the kickstand and revved the engine. "Anything."

She hesitated, not sure why then thought, what the hell. "Do you still carry concealed weapons when you're out in public?"

With a grin, he said, "What do you think?"

And before she could respond, he'd taken off. Naomi barely had a chance to wrap her arms around his waist to keep from falling off. And because she was pressed up against his back, the one in his waistband was evident. "I think you do. What this one? A Glock? Berretta? SigSauer? It's too big to be a Ruger."

"Sounds like you know a lot more about weapons than you used to."

She shrugged though he couldn't see it. "Had to in order to be approved for employment with SHIELD. I can even fire one now and manage to hit the target most of the time."

"I can help with that, if you like."

"That'd be great. Barely passed my quals. Had to take them three times."

A few minutes later they were on the highway. Pre-invasion, this road would've been bumper to bumper at this time of day. There was still a lot of traffic, but not nearly as much. And the city was taking the opportunity to upgrade some of the more traveled roads and highways, this one included.

Getting off the highway, they rode down one side street after another until they reached an enormous building with basketball and tennis courts, and a huge playground that needed major repairs. Clint pulled up beside the main building, shut off the engine and waited for Naomi to get off before dropping the kickstand. "It's designated as a FEMA shelter, but the kitchen isn't ready yet so it's just the two of us staying there. The rest of the crew will be around soon and we'll get started."

"So you sleep here and not at Stark Tower?"

"Yeah. The roads between here and there still suck. It's easier to just hang out."

Shouldering her bag, she followed Clint inside to the sports equipment room he had apparently been sleeping in. Stacks of jumpsuits that needed washing, a bedroll, an overflowing trash can and another with recyclables cluttered the open area. Setting her bag on the floor, she waited for him to tell her what happened next. "Do I get one of those cool jumpsuits?"

"You do." With a grin, he tossed her the cleanest one. "Might be too big. Can't be helped."

Going into the locker room, she removed her jacket and her sneakers before getting into her work clothes. As he'd said, it was too big so she rolled the sleeves and legs up so her hands and feet were exposed. Out in the main room again, she took a pair of steel-toed work boots from her bag and put them on. While she'd been in the locker room, Clint had pulled a jumpsuit on over his clothes and was tying the laces of his boots. He looked up at her and she gave him a sloppy salute. "Reporting for duty, chief."

"Hope you're ready for this. We need to knock down the play area. It's gotta be completely rebuilt from the ground up."

"I'm ready."

Clint went to the back of the equipment room and returned carrying hardhats, tool belts, safety goggles, noise reduction gear, and work gloves, two sets of each. Naomi adjusted her tool belt to fit and strapped it on leaving it resting low on her hips just like she'd seen the construction workers and contractors do. While his back was turned, she allowed herself to admire the way he looked.

The jumpsuit was just loose enough that it only hinted at the firm biceps, well-muscled chest and washboard abs she knew it hid making her libido skyrocket. There was just something so incredibly sexy about a man dressed for a hard day's work. Especially this man.

She just couldn't help herself. While his back was to her, she crossed the space between them. He turned toward her, thumbs tucked into the belt on either side of the buckle, his hardhat cocked to the side. His eyes widened in shock as she grabbed handfuls of the loose material and pulled him to her for a hot kiss.

~~O~~

Clint hadn't heard Naomi move, but sudden there she was kissing him. No tongue, no demands, just their lips pressed together. His shock was such that by the time he thought to respond she'd released him and headed for the door obviously expecting him to follow. Unfortunately, he could barely walk now because her kiss, however it was meant, had sent most of his blood heading south of the border. And while he was trying to figure out what to do about his current condition, Naomi called out to him, her voice echoing from the vast indoor court.

"You coming, Clint?"

"Be right out!" With a loud groan, he sat down in the chair he'd appropriated from somewhere he couldn't remember at the moment, planted his elbows on his thighs and dropped his head into his hands.

"What did you say?"

With a loud huff of frustration, he got to his feet again. The babble of voices told him that the rest of the crew had arrived. "Nothing! Go on ahead. Manuel will give you something to do until I get there."

"Okay." In her tone, he heard a shrug then her footsteps faded away.

When he was certain he was alone, he groaned again. "Sonofa*****! I'm a dead man!"

Clint got up and headed for the bathroom to relieve his pain. A loud crash that sounded nothing like the usual workday noises caused him to change directions. He took off running, his boots pounding on the hardwood floor, tiled floor, concrete sidewalk then the grass as he raced to the playground.

He arrived just in time to see Naomi swing the sledgehammer at the last support of the nearest end of the playground and send a thirty foot section crashing to the ground accompanied by cheers from the rest of the workers. His relief that no one had been injured was great enough that his not-so-little problem had gone away on its own.

As Clint came near, he was greeted by members of the group. Newcomers merely smiled and nodded. As soon as Manuel deemed it safe, they started dragging the loose boards away to be stacked near the dumpster for pick up by the city.

Manuel wandered over to stand next to Clint, his arms crossed and a satisfied smile on his face. "That Naomi has a lot of rage inside her. She swung that sledgehammer like a pro."

Again hooking his thumbs into the tool belt, Clint grinned. "That she does, Manny."

The big Hispanic man slapped him on the back. "That's some girl you got there."

"She's not my…"

"We been workin' together for a couple o' months now, Clint. How come you never mentioned you had a girl? If I had a hottie like that waitin' for me at home, I sure wouldn't be spendin' my nights in the shelter with those monkeys." He pointed his chin at them, watching as they fell all over themselves and argued over which of them would help Naomi.

Clint rolled his eyes at the term of endearment Manuel used for the young men he'd been supervising since the clean-up began. Most were just boys, teenagers to early twenties, and needing something to keep them out of trouble until their lives got back to normal. Instead of answering Manuel's question, Clint shrugged and gave him an enigmatic smile. "If she was your girl, would you want her around your monkeys?"

Manuel grinned conceding the point. "So you keep her on a short leash?"

Chuckling out loud, Clint punched the other man on the shoulder. "More like she keeps me on a short leash."

Naomi noticed him then, and flashed him a bright smile as she and another woman picked up a chunk of wood and carried it to the dumpster. He waved and reiterated his previous prediction. I'm a dead man!

~~O~~

Never having been so tired, Naomi had to force herself to put one foot in front of the other as she and Clint returned to the center's equipment room for the night. She started to sit down, stopped by Clint's hand on her upper arm. "No you don't. You sit down and you won't wanna get back up again."

She couldn't help whining. "But, Clint. I'm tired. Just lemme go to sleep."

"Shower then eat. You expended a lot of energy today and need to refuel."

Taking a towel and sleepwear from her bag, she did as she was told. The bathroom was mostly finished except for some fixtures that were missing leaving the only the stall at the far end working.

Peeling off her jumpsuit and the clothes she'd worn underneath, she let them fall to the floor hoping she'd never see them again. Inside the stall she found some generic soap and a bottle of shampoo, both donated by a chain discount store. Not caring either way, she turned on the water, groaning as she stepped under the hot spray.

A few minutes later, she actually felt nearly human again. She dressed in a pink tank top and shorts, drying her hair as she made her way back to where they'd be sleeping. Her steps faltered as she realized the implications of their sleeping arrangements. They were the only two people in this huge building. No matter what went on, no one else would ever know. Not that she was thinking of doing anything special. She was too tired for anything more strenuous than chewing. But now that the thought was in her mind that she and Clint were all alone, it wouldn't leave her be.

Naomi found Clint sitting in the lone chair, swiveling back and forth.

"Sorry I took so long. Once I got under the hot water, I didn't want to get out again."

He rose gracefully to his feet reminding her of the fantastic abilities he'd displayed one cold winter afternoon. "No problem. Dinner's in the mini 'fridge in the corner. Water, maybe juice too. The restaurants take turns providing meals so we never know what we'll get."

"Can I take it intravenously? I really think I'm too tired to chew."

Clint chuckled as he took his turn in the shower, Naomi watching him walk away with a small bounce to his step. How could he not be more tired than she was? The answer was just out of reach of her tired mind. Going to the fridge, she took out two to-go containers and two bottles of water. In a dark corner she found a microwave. Reserving the garlic bread, she popped the first one in and set the timer for the deep dish manicotti.

By the time she'd nuked the second container, Clint had come back. He too wore shorts and a black T-shirt, and Naomi did her best not to stare at his bare feet and lightly haired legs. She passed him a plate and plastic silverware. He took it and sat down on the blanket he used as his bed, leaning against the wire cage that held the basketballs leaving the chair for her.

They ate in silence, and Naomi was glad because she didn't want him to bring up their kiss this morning. It had been an impulsive gesture and she'd regretted it almost immediately, yet she didn't. And she was certain he would bring it up at some point. She didn't have to see the occasional glances he cast her way to know he was wondering about her reasons for doing it.

They finished eating, tossed their trash out then Clint took the full bag from the can and tied the built-in drawstrings. "I'm gonna take this to the dumpster and do a perimeter check."

She smiled and shook her head. If he'd said something like that twelve years ago, she'd have known more about his job because she wouldn't have settled for less than knowing everything, classified or not.

When Clint returned, he moved his bedroll so he would be sleeping between her and the door. A moment of awkwardness crept in to keep them company and when Naomi tried to kick it out, it scuttled into a corner and glared at her. Dropping down onto the folded blanket, she covered herself with a sheet, turned on her right side and listened to Clint getting comfortable just five feet away. She closed her eyes hoping that being so close to him wouldn't keep her awake…

And the next thing Naomi knew it was morning. The beginnings of sunrise were peeking over the horizon giving just enough glow through the frosted windows for her to be able to see her way to the bathroom. She started to roll onto her back, but was prevent from doing so by Clint. At some point during the night, he'd moved and now they were spooning, his arm a tight band across her stomach and his breath feathering over the skin of her neck.

Very carefully, Naomi lifted Clint's hand so she could scoot away before he woke up and the moment got awkward again. However, in his sleep, he wasn't having any of that. He tightened his hold pulling her even closer, murmuring in her ear, "Just five more minutes, babe."

The husky, warm, sleep-filled tone of his voice brought back the memories of their time together once more. She reached over and touched his face feeling the fuzziness of his beard tickling her palm. He hadn't shaved in several days and his beard came in thick. "Clint? Wake up."

"Mmm." He rubbed the side of his cheek against hers. "Don't wanna. Can't we sleep a little longer?" Rolling her eyes, she stretched a little farther and down to his waist digging her fingers into the flesh there. That got his attention. He came instantly awake, rolled away and was on his feet so fast Naomi hadn't time to react. "What the-Oh, crap!"

"It's okay." Grinning, she turned onto her back and extended her hands to be helped up. On her feet in front of Clint, she looked up into his blue-gray eyes and smiled. That smile turned to-she wasn't sure, but suddenly she was in his arms and being kissed in a way she hadn't since their last night together so long ago. Her nails dug into his shoulders as his lips were torn from hers to make their way down and around to the base of her throat.

A door slammed somewhere and that brought them to their senses. His arms still around her, he kept his eyes locked on hers, asking for her forgiveness. With a gentle smile, her hands came up to his arms to push him away just as someone knocked on the door. Putting her behind him, he took the Glock from its hiding place under the chair, holding it out of sight. "Yeah?"

"Clint? It's Manny. We gettin' started soon? The monkeys're gettin' restless."

"Overslept. I'll be right out." Manuel's footsteps faded followed by the exit opening and closing again. "I'm…"

The passion he'd stirred in her was gone as quickly as it came and she raised her hand. "Don't!" Gathering up her jumpsuit and boots, she went into the locker room to change.

TBC