The Proposition

Choosing it: The One For Her(4)

Choosing It: The One For Her-Chapter Four

A week and a half later; Clint had an afternoon off on the basis that SHIELD wouldn't need him and Fury had granted him a leave as of 7pm.

He had said goodbye to Natasha on his way out. Making the excuse that Fury needed him to check out something quickly in downtown Manhattan. She had paperwork to fill in about the detail she'd performed earlier that day, so he had no worries she'd question Fury or ask to go with.

It was now 8.00pm. Clint looked up at the sky, it didn't show any signs of being red tonight. "Shame" he thought out loud as he walked down the high street. People bustling about on the busy Thursday afternoon.

He was dressed in faded dark blue straight leg jeans, a loose black t-shirt Natasha had gotten him a year before, having remembered his birthday and a brown leather bomber jacket. Along with the shades Nat swore he was emotionally attached to and his army boots.

He kept walking down the street and took a turn off into a walkway he'd been down thousands of times before. A hand in his front jean pockets to stop it going into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet to check he had his card with him. The card that SHIELD didn't know about and he had been steadily saving money on for years.

SHIELD still didn't know Natasha and Clint were living together. Only Steve, Tony, Bruce and the two of them knew about it. Tony being the one that only actually knew where the house was. They'd all kept it under the radar so that life outside and inside SHIELD were two different things for them all. As far as Fury was concerned, they have two separate apartments near each other and the base. And if Fury did know about it. He was either not saying anything or didn't care.

Clint turned off the walkway into another street, not quite as busy as the previous one. But it still earn't the name busy.

He then proceeded to cross the street and walk into the store he had come all this way for.

The Jewellers.

He walked into the shop and walked up to the man behind the counter. The man in question wore a tight black suit with a light blue button down shirt underneath and a dark green-black tie with cartoon diamond rings on.

"Can I help you sir?" The man behind the counter asked. Sounding a lot like an etiquette.

"Hi," Clint stated. "A month or so ago, I reserved a ring, I've come to collect it."

"Name please" the man asked him stiffly.

"Michael Caetano." Clint replied.

It was an undercover name he'd used 3 years ago on a mission in Croatia. The reason he managed to get the bank account and card under it was because the passport he used to identify himself had never been used.

"Alright......" The man behind the counter said as he typed it into the touch-screen computer in front of them, searching for it. Clint took a look at the name badge the man was wearing.

It said Ian on it.

Clint drummed his fingers on the counter, trying to do something to calm himself down. 'I'm actually doing it. I'm actually doing it!!' He thought, 'this is actually happening.'

Clint smiled one-sidedly at the thought. He knew he was doing something right and he knew it was the one for her. He thought back to how he'd chosen it.

--

Flashback; 6-7 months ago.

Clint had finished his paperwork sooner than intended and filed it in with Fury. He then asked Agent Hill if he was needed for the rest of the day. She had said no, he wasn't and was permitted stand by. A term the agency used that ment 'on call' or 'will come in if needed'. Your only allowed to be at most 2 miles away from the base at any one time.