Duckling

Part 5

Clint could hear the commotion inside. He remembered Nat mentioned all her family was flying in from New York for Thanksgiving, and figured some, if not all, had already arrived.

A car pulled up into the driveway as he rang the doorbell, and he watched curiously as an impeccably dressed couple and young girl emerged. They smiled at him, approaching the door just as it opened.

"Captain Rogers?"

The man behind him chortled. "Hear that, Rhodey? You've just been demoted."

The man rolled his eyes and offered Clint his hand. "Colonel Rhodes. Come in."

He greeted the couple and their daughter warmly, and began to lead them all into the kitchen.

"Clint?" Nat looked up from her lunch, drawing all eyes to him.

It was lucky he wasn't the shy type. He grinned and lifted the clean container in his hands. "Wanted to return this and thank you again for the cookies. They were so good, I had to wrestle Barney for the last one."

"Thanks." Natasha blushed, embarrassed at everyone's teasing glances, but smiled nonetheless. "Wanna get out of here for a bit?"

"Hold on, now," Tony interrupted, earning himself a glare from Natasha. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?"

"Tony..."

"This is my wife, Pepper," he smiled, ignoring her plea to leave the poor boy alone, "and I'm Tony Stark. We're old friends of the Rogers'."

"Clint Barton." He took the offered hand and firmly shook it, never breaking eye contact. "I go to school with Nat."

"Please excuse him. He's been looking forward to the day he could go mama bear on these kids for ages," Pepper teased, causing the others in the room to snicker.

"Ok then, let's go!" Nat grabbed his arm and dragged him to the door, her stomach fluttering at the sound of Clint's laughter meshing with her family's. "Sorry about that," she murmured shyly as she closed the door behind them.

"It's alright. They seem great."

"No, they're embarrassing, and intrusive, and drive me completely insane."

Clint's laughter roared, needing a moment to calm before he started the car. "I'd be worried if they were the opposite. At least it means they care." As he pulled away from the curb, he asked where she wanted to go, and she responded for him to surprise her. "Anyway, it's not like you'll be home much longer. Where are you applying to?"

Just like that, her mood soured. "I don't know." Clint cast her a short glance, keeping quiet, waiting for her to elaborate. "I just... I don't even know what I want to do. Everyone's bugging me to pick a good school, and I don't even think I can get into one at this point."

"Why not?" She didn't respond, so he changed the subject. "You been to the big lake yet?"

She said no, and decided that's where they'd spend the afternoon.

They stopped at a gas station, and by the time the snacks were sliding off their filled basket, Natasha was smiling again. She settled in the car as Clint filled up, her eyes zeroing in on a familiar figure pulling up to the pump across from them.

As usual, he seemed to pay no mind to anything around him. She watched as he strode into the small store, and emerged soon after to fill his own car, drumming his fingers on the top as he waited for the pump to finish.

"Does he ever smile?" she asked when Clint climbed back inside.

"Derek? Yeah," he said, trying to recall another time he'd witnessed a genuine smile from the man. "Once that I've seen anyway. Last year when they beat us in the championship game."