Sorry this took me so long! Next week is finals week for me, so I haven't had much free time. :/

Shoutout to my homie GabycatStark13 for her suggestions! I tried to make Clint a little sassier in this one, though it was tough, given the context. DX

Also, I finally read the the Fraction/Aja comic, so I think I've got a little bit better hold on Clint and Kate's characters. :)

"This is awesome. You guys are totally gonna hit it off, and you can thank me," Kate said loftily, adjusting the buttons on Clint's tuxedo. She laughed. "Wow, I'm like, more excited about your date than I am about mine."

"Guess that makes one of us." Clint forced a smile as the butterflies in his stomach did the Harlem Shake.

Kate frowned and looked up at him. "You're not nervous, are you?"

"Me? Nervous?" Clint let out a high-pitched laugh and wiped his sweaty hands on his pants.

Kate slapped him reassuringly on the arm. "Relax, Clint. This is Natasha. You two have known each other for how long now?"

"Yeah, but this is different," Clint pointed out, swallowing. It was. As professional partners, he and Natasha were a prefect team, working in seamless harmony. As friends, they were only slightly less in-sync and still great together. But as romantic partners… it felt much different. Of course, Clint had had a crush on Natasha forever, but he'd never actually acted on his feelings. They would be breaching a new aspect of their relationship that they'd never attempted before.

Kate shrugged. "If you say so. Just – practice smiling before you go. A real smile, not a 'Hi-my-name's-Clint-I'm-about-to-die' smile." She smirked and turned to the mirror, preening.

Clint watched her for a minute. "So are you and Sean going somewhere cool?" he asked, trying to get his mind off his own date.

"Yeah, some restaurant downtown. I forget what it's called, but it's not as fancy as yours. Speaking of which, tell me the address of the restaurant I told you about again."

Clint took a deep breath. "One hundred twelve, Jamestown Boulevard. Brick building, first stop on the left," he recited, as Kate mouthed along with him.

"Perfect," she approved, giving him the thumbs-up.

"And, uh, what's it called again?" Clint asked sheepishly.

"The Silver Goblet. It's a five-star joint, I guarantee it. Been there a couple times. You'll love it."

Clint took another deep breath and blew out through his mouth. "Gee, I haven't taken anyone on a date in a while," he admitted.

"I know," Kate replied, smiling. "You wouldn't be this nervous if you did it more often."

"Well I try, but I always get all awkward," Clint confessed, shuffling his feet a little. "You do this more than me – any tips from the master?"

"Just be yourself," Kate advised. "You'll be great. It's not like this is someone you've never met before. I mean yeah, it'll be different, but not as bad as if this was a stranger. You've totally got this."

"Okay," Clint said, nodding violently as he tried to reassure himself. "Yeah. I've totally got this."

"Darn right you do! Sweep her off her feet!" Kate said happily, pushing him towards the door.

+)(-O-)(+

Clint pulled up in front of Natasha's house at seven-thirty on the dot. He hesitated, looking up at the house as his mind raced.

Should I go in? I should probably go in, she might not know I'm here. Although, it might be creepy if I go in. Yeah, it totally would. Wouldn't it?

Clint went back and forth with himself in this way for several minutes. He had finally decided to just go to the porch and ring the doorbell when Natasha stepped outside and started walking towards the car.

Clint gulped, his heart starting to pound again. She looked fantastic. She was wearing a deep purple dress that highlighted her figure and emphasized her fiery hair, which was loosely secured away from her face so that it cascaded down her shoulders. A white bolero and matching heels completed the look.

Clint lifted his hand, then changed his mind mid-wave and turned it into a hair-ruffle. But Natasha grinned and waved at him, so he waved back.

You look great. That should be the first thing I say when she gets in the car. It's nice, and not awkward. And true. And I don't have to mess it up. Practice. You look great. You look great. You—

The door opened, and Natasha slid into the seat. "Hi!"

"You look – hi. I mean, no, sorry, you don't look high, you look great. Hi. You look great." Clint inwardly kicked himself.

Natasha just smiled. "You don't look too bad yourself, Barton."

"Yeah – I mean, thanks."

Natasha leaned back in her seat. "So, where to?"

Clint frowned. "The, uh… the Silver… Goblet? Yeah, The Silver Goblet. Kate told me about it. Supposed to be really good," he said. He mentally congratulated himself on getting through a sentence with such success.

"Okay. Sounds great," Natasha said.

Clint gave her a 'Hi-my-name's-Clint-I'm-about-to-die' smile and accelerated.

+)(-O-)(+

The ride to the restaurant was very awkward for Clint.

Mainly because he'd accidentally left his 'things-to-talk-about-if-there's-an-awkward-silence' list at home. And there were a lot of awkward silences.

At first, Clint tried to fill them with conversation, until he realized that Natasha didn't seem at all discomfited. She just leaned back calmly and spoke from time to time, not shutting off conversation, but not forcing it either. So, eventually, Clint stopped trying to initiate conversation and just answered whenever she spoke, even though he found the silence uncomfortable.

Finally, they turned onto Jamestown Boulevard.

One hundred twelve, first brick building on the left, Clint reminded himself, scanning the roads carefully with his eyes.

Finally, he saw it; a tall brick building on the left side of the street with the number '112' erected clearly on the side. Relieved, Clint pulled into the parking lot and parked the car. Then he looked up at the building. And froze.

'Howie's Barbershop', the sign announced clearly. Next to the words was a picture of a mustache and a pair of scissors.

"Wait, why are we here?" Natasha frowned in bewilderment.

"This is the address Kate gave me – I mean, I think it is," Clint said, double checking the building number. 112. The car suddenly felt rather close.

"Maybe it closed down," Natasha suggested.

Clint sighed. I bet that's exactly what happened. Shucks.

"Hang on, sorry. I'll text her," he said, getting out his phone. As his thumbs moved quickly across the keypad, Natasha got out her own phone and started swiping intently at it. Probably checking her email.

[8:03 PM, sent] I think you gave me the wrong address

Clint drummed his fingers on the armrest and glanced at Natasha. Kate always texted back right away, this shouldn't take long.

[8:08 PM, sent] Kate? Where are you?

[8:10 PM, sent] Sorry to interrupt what I'm sure is an enthralling date, but I need help. Answer your text

[8:11 PM, sent] Kate!

Nearly ten minutes had passed since they had pulled up. Clint decided to try calling her.

She answered after the fourth ring. "WAZZUP, HAWK BOY," she yelled over the loud music in the background.

Clint said, "Are you sure you gave me the right address?"

"WHAT?" Kate yelled after a minute.

Clint repeated the question.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU, HANG ON A SEC," Kate shouted. The music gradually faded, and Clint heard a door close. "Okay. Sorry, Sean took me to a bar before we go to the restaurant. What were you saying?"

"Give me that address again."

"One-twelve, Jamestown Boulevard. Don't tell me you got lost."

Clint sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Nope, I'm at that address. But either your restaurant is on vacation or you've got seriously screwed up taste in cuisine."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's not here."

"What? It has to be."

"Well, it isn't."

"Come on, I was just at that place – OH CRAP!" Kate yelled.

"What?"

"I just remembered, that place closed down like six months ago! There's some crapjob barbershop there now!"

"Thanks for letting me know ahead of time," Clint grumbled.

Kate exhaled. "I am so sorry."

"It's okay," Clint said. "Just help me out. What's the closest restaurant from here?"

"Umm, I think there's a McDonald's like five minutes away."

Clint groaned and massaged his forehead.

"As far as the closest thing that could be considered classy, that would be an Olive Garden that's like forty-five minutes away from there."

Clint glanced at the clock. "I think that's too far," he groaned. He fell silent, wracking his brain.

"Okay, I got it," Kate announced briskly. "Here's what you're gonna have to do, so listen up. You know that movie theater down on twenty-ninth?"

"Um, yeah…?" Clint said apprehensively.

"Okay, go in there and watch a movie, and buy some popcorn to help tide you over. That can be your date. And then, when it's over, go get fast food."

Clint hesitated.

"I know it's not as nice as a fancy restaurant. But, honestly, what else are you gonna do?"

Clint nodded. She had a point.

"Okay," he agreed slowly. "Hey, good luck on your date by the way."

"You, too. I'm sure you'll need it."

"No kidding," Clint said before hanging up.

"So," he said aloud. Natasha turned to him expectantly, and Clint quailed a little. What if she was unhappy with the new arrangement? Well, there was nothing he could do about it now. Clint braced himself.

"So, um, she said that… we should go to the movies instead. And then stop for fast food after," he said hesitantly. He groaned inwardly at how lame it sounded. "Sorry, I mean, if you don't want to, and you'd rather just go home, then that's fine, I…"

"Hey, no… that sounds great," Natasha said.

Clint relaxed, relieved but a little surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, of course," she replied. "I didn't come because I wanted to go to some fancy restaurant. I came because I wanted to spend time with you." She said it so matter-of-factly that Clint found himself blushing again.

"Oh, um… good," he said awkwardly.

Natasha leaned back again. "Movies it is. Let's do this," she said; and Clint put the car in reverse.