Chapter 3
"What time is it?" I ask, smoothing down my black denim jacket and fiddling with my black-banded gold watch.
"Five minutes past the last time you asked, Taylor. Calm down, vorobey, this isn't even a date." Natasha sooths as she straightens by black fedora.
"Not for him, maybe!" I whine as I glance down at my watch to see I still have ten minutes until Clint joins me in the lobby.
Natasha sighs as she adjusts the strap of my little black leather handbag and makes sure all the necessary weapons – a dagger, pistol, and pepper spray - are inside. "Did he specifically say it was a date?"
"No…"
"Then shut up and stop worrying. I'll cover for you here, just make sure to have a good time. Or else I'll have to hurt you."
I roll my eyes and allow a slight smirk to appear on my face. "You'll make sure my dad thinks I'm with you?"
She pats down the back and hem of my flowing, olive green tank top as she replies. "Yes. However, I'll give you a call if it all goes south."
I lightly smack her on the shoulder. "Don't jinx it. Please!"
She chuckles slightly and her eyes widen slightly as she looks at something over my shoulder. She shoves my shoulder and spins me around before disappearing into the shadows.
I'm left stumbling, both from the sudden turn and what I'm looking at.
Clint looks stunning, wearing black jeans, new-looking black and purple tennis shoes, and a plain purple t-shirt under an unbuttoned black sports coat, and his hair looks freshly spiked.
He smiles once he sees me, raising an eyebrow as he takes in my appearance. "What has you so dressed up?"
I shrug a gesture back towards him. "What has you so dressed up?"
His laugh is music to my ears as he copies my shrug before cutting in front of me and holding the door open. "Shall we?"
"We shall."
A~A~A
The drive to the pizza parlor, Pagolo's Pizza Parlor, is awkward and uneventful, filled with an even mix of banter and tense silence.
Pagalo's is nice, Italian jazz quietly flowing out of speakers placed in fake plants. Clint and I are seated in a booth for two, perusing the menu as I absently clink the ice in my glass around.
"Hello, my name is Mark, I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you, sweetheart?" the waiter, Mark, completely ignores Clint and he spit-slicks his hair and winks at me.
"Clint," I throw a pointed glance at the archer, "how about you order for us?"
"Okay, Taylor." Clint is glaring metaphorical daggers at Mark. "We'll have the classic pepperoni, but can you make half without pepperoni, just cheese?"
"Of course I can." Mark's unrelenting eyes are making me twitch. "Anything for someone as beautiful as you." Mark does a weird slide/sashay movement as he walks back towards the kitchen, blowing a kiss over his shoulder.
I roll my eyes and shudder slightly. Clint's gaze is flicking between me and where Mark disappeared into the kitchen. He leans towards me, lowering his voice and keeping his lips still as possible. "Do we need to leave?"
I give a tiny shake of my head. "No, Clint, just enjoy the pizza. I've dealt with worse. And I've come prepared." I finger my purse gently.
Clint nods but still keeps the frown on his face as he leans back against the booth and fiddles with his napkin.
We both plaster fake smiles on our faces as Mark comes back with our pizza, still doing that weird sashay.
"One pizza, hot out of the oven. Still cooler than you, though, gorgeous." Mark's smile is creepily blinding as he winks once more.
I simply keep my fake, pearly smile on my face as I blink emotionlessly and wait until he walks away after depositing more napkins on the table.
I accept a plate with two slices of cheese pizza and pick up a napkin from the newly deposited stack,
As I unfold the napkin to put it on my lap, writing catches my eye. I flip it around and turn it right side up, and rolls my eyes again and sigh as I read the message.
3 playing hard 2 get? I will catch u eventually, u can't hide 4 long.
555-246-3382 call me! 3
I roll my eyes at the misspelled and slightly obsessed message. Clint sees this and raises and eyebrow, putting his slice down mid-bite.
I hand the napkin across the table. Clint wipes his hands on his jeans and accepts the napkin. His spectacular eyes take about five seconds to read the message before he looks at me, back at the napkin, and towards me again.
"Are you sure-"
"Yes, Clint," I cut him off. "Just eat your pizza so we can leave."
Clint nods and crumples the napkin and offers me a small, beautiful grin before picking up his pizza again.
About half an hour later, Mark sashays away after giving us the bill. I pull out my wallet to pick up the bill, or at least split it, but Clint stops me with a soft hand on my wrist and a lighthearted glare. "I got the bill, Taylor. You had to deal with that sleazebag."
"So did you, Clint, let me at least split it?"
"No, Taylor, leave it please."
I nod hesitantly and slip my wallet back into my purse as Clint looks at the bill and frowns, shaking his head.
"What is it? What did they get wrong?"
"Nothing, besides choice of staff." Clint turns the bill to show me Mark has scrawled his number again, below another poorly spelled, gushy, obsessive message.
I huff as I gather my purse, Clint joining me after he crumples the receipt, 'dropping' it, and subtly stepping on it.
We share a fist pump and a laugh as soon as we're outside.
"That guy was a douchebag." Clint pipes up after a few seconds with absolute certainty.
I nod my agreement with a smile. "No, you don't say!"
Clint laughs as he opens the passenger door of the car for me and then goes around to get in the driver's side, getting in and starting the car.
We follow Jarvis' direction to a local movie theater, where Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is playing. Given that the movie has been out for some time, lines are short, and we're seated in the back of a theater with a bucket of popcorn a drinks in no time.
The movie is interesting, if not my type of movie. I enjoy sci-fi robot films, but Clint enjoyed movies like this, so I was happy. Our hands brush every other time we reach for popcorn, our elbows brush as we lean to be able to see better, and he lets me bury my face in his jacket when the movie gets gory.
After the end credits roll, we toss our empty cups and popcorn bucket as we head back towards the car. I laugh as Clint teases me about being able to slay aliens but cowering during a movie. I playfully defend myself with the level of gore in the movie, and the fact that apes should never be able to wield machine guns and torches.
Once we return to the Tower, Clint opens the door for me once again, and I head inside, fully ready to tell Natasha all about my night.
Clint stops me with a hand on my arm, and I look back to see him looking up at the Tower with an unreadable expression.
"Clint?"
"Can we get to the roof without going inside?"
"Um…yeah, I think. If you brought your grappling arrows, which I didn't, there's a section of wall we can use. If not, there should be a fire escape around back."
Clint nods and takes off towards the back of the tower, wordlessly motioning for me to follow him.
Luckily, there is a fire escape back there, and two hundred and seven steps later, we're on the roof.
"Okay, Clint," I pant, "you better…explain why…you made me…climb those stairs."
Clint just gives me a blinding smile and points upwards. I lift my eyes-
-and have my newly regained breath stolen again.
The sky is lit up with stars, constellations as common as taxis in a city. Stars glitter like diamonds against the rich, dark, nighttime sky. The air is cool and a slight breeze ruffles my hair as I gaze upwards.
"Wow, Clint. This is-"
"Amazing? That's my point." Clint calls over his shoulder as he walks towards a small boom box near the edge of the roof. I watch as he presses a few buttons and a slow song – one I recognize as Lady Antebellum's Dancing Away with My Heart- flows softly from the speakers.
Clint walks back to me, straightens his jacket, and bows as he offers me a hand. "May I have this dance?"
I can feel myself blushing as I give a mock curtsy and take the offered hand. "You may."
Clint pulls me towards him and gently puts one hand on my waist as I put one on his shoulder, two of our hands lightly gripping each other as we begin to sway and step to the beat.
"I finally asked you to dance
On the last slow song
Beneath that moon that was really a disco ball
I can still feel my head on your shoulder
And hoping that song would never be over."
Clint whirls me around and twirls me under his arm, and we're both laughing as I return to my position in front of him.
"I haven't seen you in ages
Sometimes I find myself
Wondering where you are
For me you'll always be 18
And beautiful and dancin' away with my heart."
Clint begins softly humming and then singing along, and I know I'm blushing but I don't care much at this point.
"I brushed your curls back so I could see your eyes
And the way you moved me was like you were reading my mind
I can still feel you lean into kiss me
I can't help but wonder if you ever miss me."
My mind is shoved back to my dream the night before, and I find myself really hoping I'm at least somewhat psychic.
"I haven't seen you in ages
Sometimes I find myself
Wondering where you are
For me you'll always be 18
And beautiful and dancin' away with my heart."
Clint's beautiful eyes are shining as he suddenly dips me, and he laughs at my stunned expression.
"You headed off to college
At the end of that summer and we lost touch
I guess I didn't realize even at that moment we lost so much."
I pray silently to whatever deity is listening that, even if we do find Loki, he doesn't mess this – whatever it is – up.
"I haven't seen you in ages
Sometimes I find myself
Wondering where you are
For me you'll always be 18
And beautiful and dancin' away with my heart."
Clint's fingers lightly brush my back, sending shivers up my spine, making the red already on my cheeks darken. Clint, of course, sees this and smirks.
"Nah nah nah,
Nah nah nah,
Nah nah nah,
Away with My Heart
Nah nah nah
Nah nah nah
Nah nah nah…"
We sway in place gently as the music fades out, staying in each other's arms for a brief moment before backing away, Clint's fingers brushing against the underside of my own.
Clint gives me a blinding grin as he shoves his hands back into his pockets. "I hope you enjoyed tonight, Taylor."
I blush and nod as I brush a stray hair strand behind my ear. "I did, definitely. Thank you so much, Clint."
He nods and he might have blushed slightly. He turns towards the stairs, pauses and quickly turns back to me. He quickly take two steps towards me, darts in, pecks my cheek – whispering a 'you're welcome' – before backing up and jogging towards and then down the stairs without another word.
Leaving me wide-eyed, shocked, and stunned into silence, one hand brushing where his lips fleetingly met my skin.
A/N
Awwwwww….
See? Told you. I have an even bigger Claylor scene next chapter, so hold your horses.
But that – that was heart-meltingly adorable, if I do say so myself.
Mark was a sleazy douchebag. Thanks to Currahee506 – again – for suggesting him.
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