Beach babe – Clint Barton

I was out at the beach with my sister and her three year old son, watching him as he sat on the sand near the sea playing with the clumps of seaweed and wet sand while my sister went to get drinks.

"Candy! Look what I found!" he squealed excitedly, making me laugh lightly as I got up and went over to him.

"Aww, that's pretty Connor." I smiled, seeing the shell he had in his sand covered hands.

I squeaked in pain as something a little hard smacked into the back of my head, nearly making me fall forward onto my nephew. I brushed my hair from my eyes and looked behind me to see a football a couple feet away from me as a shirtless man came running over.

"Sorry about that, you okay?" he asked, picking up the ball and looking down at me as I was still crouched by my nephew.

"Yeah, I'm good." I rubbed the back of my head a little before standing up and noticing him quickly glance over me, making me click my fingers in front of his face. "Just because you hit me in the head with a football doesn't mean you can check me out in front of my three year old nephew." I teased, making him smiled bashfully.

"Sorry, I'm Clint by the way." He held his hand out for me to shake which I did.

"Candice." I smiled, looking down at my nephew who had wrapped himself around my legs.

"Where's mummy?" he asked, looking up at me.

"She'll be back soon love, she went to get you a drink." I replied, ruffling his fluffy hair. I bent down and picked him up as I saw he was getting tired, making him bury his face in my neck. "I'll see you around if you live here, I have to take this little man back to my sister; it's been a long day."

"Sorry again, for hitting you."

I smiled at Clint before walking back to the parking lot where my sister was just coming out the shop with bottled water for her son.

"Was that you talking to a man?" I rolled my eyes at the teasing in her tone. "Oh my god, someone should have filmed it!" she said dramatically.

"Shut up Hayley." I smiled, handing her son back to her. "He hit me in the head with a football and came over, I couldn't ignore him."

"Not every man is like Nathan, Candy. You should go have some fun now, he's not coming back to get you. Ever." My sister said, referring to the fact that my ex was now locked up in jail for nearly beating me to death.

"I know, it's just hard." I sighed, climbing into the passenger side of her car while she strapped her son in the back.

"You'll get there eventually." She smiled, kissing my head before driving towards our home.

/

I sipped my coffee frappuccino through a straw as I wandered idly through Central Park as it was a warm summer day. I nearly spit out my mouthful of drink as I spotted Clint a few feet away with his back facing me. I swallowed the drink I had in my mouth and decided to take my sister's advice for once by slowly walking up to him and tapping him on the shoulder, making him turn around and look at me.

"Candice?" A smile tugged at my lips as I nodded and he hugged me, making me blink in shock a little. "How have you been?"

"Good, just been thinking a lot lately and came here to clear my head." I replied truthfully. "If you're not busy, would like to go have lunch with me?" I asked, chewing on my straw slightly.

"Isn't it supposed to be the man that asks the woman out?" He arched an eyebrow as he looked down at me.

"It's the 21st century, I'm pretty sure it can be either way." I remarked, making him smile.

"Then I'd love to go have lunch with you." I felt myself blush lightly as he smiled. I heard someone whistle and both of us looked over to see a man with dark hair and a goatee.

"Whoo, Barton is this the beach babe you were talking about? She's hot!"

"And we'll be leaving now." Clint said, taking my hand and gently pulling me in the opposite direction of the man. "Damn Stark." He muttered, making me giggle. I guess my sister was right, not all men are like Nathan and I'm sort of glad that Clint hit me in the head with a football.