Duyên || Clint Barton

010 || sceptres

•••

"What do you mean?"
"I meant, I'm going to have to leave for a while. Thor lost something and we need to help him find it" Clint explained, leaning back in his seat.
"When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow, 9am"
I pouted, crawling across the sofa to rest my head on his shoulder.
"How long for this time?"
"I don't know"
I huffed, not liking the vagueness of his answer. Clint realised this and pressed a gentle kiss to my temple.
"I can try and get more time off for you?"
"Grace, I've had more time off in this last year than in my whole time at SHIELD" he laughed, stroking the top of my head.
"Then you haven't had much time off at all"
"Fury -" he paused sadly, "he liked to keep us busy, especially now that I'm an Avenger. I guess Maria is keeping up that idea"
"How is that all going?"
"The majority of them now live in Stark Towers. I have a room there that I guess I'll be using between missions if I can't come back here"
"Does it include a nest?"
Clint rolled his eyes at me, "I don't have nests"
"Oh really? I've seen your 'lookout spot' on the roof, I'm not blind" I snorted, "it's actually quite comfy"
"How did you get up there?" He asked shocked.
"I climbed the front of the house" I shrugged, a proud grin on my face, "it was quite easy"
"With that bump?" He asked, poking my stomach
"no. I noticed it the first week we got here"
"You will never stop surprising me"
"Can't let you get too bored" I winked.
"With you? Never"

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, letting the evening breeze coming in from the window brush over our skin.
"What's the mission for?"
Clint tensed slightly, and I could feel him trying to use my techniques to calm himself.
"Is it the -?"
"Yes the sceptre"
"Are you comfortable doing this?"
"I'll be fine. I just - I just need to put myself into the situation like you said. To... what did you say it was again?"
"Desensitise?"
"Yeah. That" he nodded, running his fingers up and down my arm, "I'll handle it, and if I don't I know Nat knows a few of the calming techniques you taught her"
I nodded along, knowing he was reassuring himself by saying it out loud.
"I don't doubt you for a second" I smiled.

•••

"How's it going sailor?"
"We're wiping out a lot of HYDRA bases but still no sceptre. Thor's getting stressed"
"No wonder, I can't imagine what they'd do with power like that" I shuddered, "put that in the wrong hands and it could be a disaster"
"Well it already is in the wrong hands. Hopefully we get to it before they can figure it out too much"
"I'm sure you will. Are they all treating you right?"
"Yes ma'am, no bullying going on here - except some teasing from Tony but he does that to everyone" Clint chuckled
"And Tasha?"
"She's all good - you could talk to her if you want?"
"Yes please!"
I heard some scuffling, before Nat finally answered the phone.
"Hey bitch" I greeted
"How are you doing?"
"Fine. Missing both of you though. Lila wouldn't shut up about seeing you yesterday, took me ages to get her to calm down"
"Well I am the best godmother, Dalia can fight me on that"
"I'm sure she would" I laughed, "how's sceptre hunting going?"
"So boring" Nat groaned "I don't know how may more Shakespearean-esque Thor rants I can listen to before I shank him"
"Or shag him, who knows. I bet a god would fuck you into the ground"
"Grace!"
"What?! I'm just saying, if I wasn't married to Clint and a god came up to me wanting to bang ... I would not say no"
"And this is reason 976 that Clint won't introduce you to the team"
"Booooo"

I heard some disturbance on Nat's side of the line.
"Piss off Tony - no you can't know who I'm talking to - I will fight you"
"You alright there Tasha?"
"I'm fine Tony's just being his normal self - yeah I said it. Fight me"
The phone was grabbed out of her hand and Clint came back on the line.
"She's attacking him now, we'll call you later - Nat! You're going to break his neck -"
"I CAN HANDLE ONE GINGER"
"Oh you did not just say that Stark" Natasha growled, and I heard her pounce on him
"Clint help-"

The line went flat, leaving me laughing at the situation. Tony would be lucky to walk away with severe bruising.