[He hadn't realised how much he'd missed this closeness until she was here and it was like something had slipped back into place.] I didn't think it was possible for a soldier to be that upright and respectable. I know, I'm being stupid, I just... well, I know who I work best with.
[He makes a show of considering that for a moment.] Would it have a pocket for knives?
[Obviously the most important question.
He looks back while she studies him.]
...I still have to get him back for that Christmas present. Have you been giving him ideas?
Me and my bow are purely platonic. It is a pure and selfless love.
[She glanced up at him with a fond smile] Yes. You do. Which is also why you're one of Fury's top Specialists. Despite your frequent disregard for protocol and direct orders. Then again, I'm not really one to talk. [She brushes her lips against his shoulder for a moment, still curled close.] Just remember there's a reason you were tapped for the Initiative. Trust me, I have to remind myself that sometimes as well.
What respectable frilly apron wouldn't?
[The grin she flashes him is quick and amused.] I don't think he needs me for ideas, Clint. He has plenty of his own. I just happen to approve of them wholeheartedly. That was the most useful present, admit it.
[Now she is the one giving a quiet snort of laughter.] Sure it is. You're not helping your case here, Clint.
[She turns a little more serious after that, however, searching his face. She tugs their hands up so she can brush her fingers against his cheek.] I'm happy for you.
[He drops his head to rest his face against the top of her head, lips brushing against her hair.]
Yeah, you're right. Don't get to our clearance level by standing around looking pretty. Although as far as secret alien fighting teams go, the Avengers do look damn good.
I dunno. People tend to be squeamish about knives. I never understood it.
[He rolls his eyes at the teasing and the laughter. See the abuse he has to put up with?] Well, thanks for the moral support there. Don't blame me when he turns his attention to you.
What, you mean I didn't have to stand around and look pretty all that time? [Her tone is appalled as she glances up at him in dismay for a moment before laughing and laying her head back down on his shoulder.]
No, I think I can safely say that he has enough information to keep fully fixated on you for a while. [And her innocent face is back, because he doesn't know the half of it.
Natasha leans up and presses a kiss to his jaw, her gaze warm.] Just be careful, okay? I don't want to see you hurt. And there's fewer places to hide bodies around here.
Oh, you just look pretty anyway. Even covered in blood and ash. [Perhaps especially then. She's beautiful when she's fighting, like it's her natural state.]
Oh god, Natasha what have you told him? [Because no way he believes her innocent face. She only wears her innocent face with him when she's done entirely un-innocent things.
He leans his forehead against hers for a moment.]
I'll do my best. The body hiding situation is pretty grim and it's not like I can ask to be assigned to missions in Guatemala for a few months until it blows over.
[That has her scoffing in skeptical amusement.] Which happens more often than anyone would like to admit. I suppose you would know.
[Her grin flashes quickly, bright and impish as she sidesteps him in a playful ploy of getting some safe distance. Just in case.] Well, he may suspect that we've had a tragic romance like Romeo and Juliet, ruined only by your passionate affections for our Handler. But it's a very big secret. All hush-hush. I made sure to stress that part. [Which, she suspected, would do no good when making deals with an inquisitive and helpful Loki.]
Oh God. I thought we swore never to speak of Guatemala.
I've already done that. Granted, working as Tony Stark's PA is probably not the best intro to a desk job.
[She breaks into laughter at that, because his expression is priceless.] I may have spiked that cup of cocoa a little strong, I admit. It's not my fault you stuck Coulson under the mistletoe all night. You set yourself up, really.
[She pokes him chidingly in the ribs.] Either, really. We just have really bad luck in Guatemala, apparently. Which is a shame. There were some pretty places to see, if we hadn't been busy running for our lives.
You have no idea. [That part had been rather fun, though. Hammer had been asking for it. She'd half expected Pepper to slug him in his smug face first.
Natasha is unimpressed by your unamused face, Clint. In fact, she's currently grinning at him, because it only amuses her more.]
Yes, Clint, please continue. You're just proving my point for me. What else do you like about Coulson?
[She snickers at that, her head tilting against his shoulder once more.] Well. Most of the time. They did spice things up in Ottowa rather nicely. Then again, I was bored to tears in Ottowa.
Poor baby. At least you were with Coulson. And there were explosions. You like those. I got to babysit Stark and then chase down the Hulk. You have no grounds for complaining here.
[Her teasing softened into something else then and she gave him a soft laugh, poking him in the ribs.] We all do. And God only knows where I'd be right now otherwise. You never would have bluffed Fury into keeping me on your own, and we already know no other Handler could take on one of us, let alone the pair.
[She scoffs at that.] I wasn't expecting, actually. Hadn't really thought about it before that, but I'd never been there before either. Guess now I see why.
The explosions were kinda cool. [He admits that grudgingly.] And watching Thor take down half of the Agents we had there. Coulson was pissed off. He nearly had expressions.
[He pokes her back. It's required.] I thought the director was gonna' have an aneurysm when I brought you back. That would probably have been bad. And yeah, no-one else appreciates our unique take on things. They'd probably try to micromanage us.
Yeah, it's not exactly a place anyone thinks about. Even Canadians.
I know! I was as shocked as you are. [He grins at her.] Let it be known that Thor and Jane Foster suck at infiltration and stealth. I mean, I was embarrassed for them. And Selvig is a terrible liar.
[There may be a slightly sour note in his voice when he mentions the scientist.]
You're right. Going off grid, finishing the mission and turning up back at base before they even have time to complain is pretty satisfying.
Thor's a god. I'm not sure he's ever had to be stealthy before. Have you read any of those old Norse myths? Vikings weren't all that interested in sneaking. Unless it was into the bed of some other man's wife. And sometimes not even then.
[She snickers at that memory.] Farris looked like he'd swallowed his tongue. Fury should have known better than to set that up. The man was an ass. I suspect Coulson nearly shot him himself a few times.
Oh come on, you'd think one of Thor's human friends would at least have watched a spy movie at some point. At least enough to know 'don't drive right up to a heavily guarded military base'. It's just common sense.
[He grins at her.]
Farris needed to be taken down a peg or two. Farris always needs to be taken down a peg or two. How the hell he got his clearance, I will never understand.
Why do you keep expecting people to have common sense? [She rolls her eyes, amused.] Besides, we've watched spy movies. I don't think that would have helped them any.
He claims to have slept with Hill.
[Yup. That's totally her I'm-shitting-you-not face right there. Not even she could make something like that up. In which case, she's really surprised Hill hasn't shot him yet.]
Re: [December 31st | Action]
[He makes a show of considering that for a moment.] Would it have a pocket for knives?
[Obviously the most important question.
He looks back while she studies him.]
...I still have to get him back for that Christmas present. Have you been giving him ideas?
Me and my bow are purely platonic. It is a pure and selfless love.
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What respectable frilly apron wouldn't?
[The grin she flashes him is quick and amused.] I don't think he needs me for ideas, Clint. He has plenty of his own. I just happen to approve of them wholeheartedly. That was the most useful present, admit it.
[Now she is the one giving a quiet snort of laughter.] Sure it is. You're not helping your case here, Clint.
[She turns a little more serious after that, however, searching his face. She tugs their hands up so she can brush her fingers against his cheek.] I'm happy for you.
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Yeah, you're right. Don't get to our clearance level by standing around looking pretty. Although as far as secret alien fighting teams go, the Avengers do look damn good.
I dunno. People tend to be squeamish about knives. I never understood it.
[He rolls his eyes at the teasing and the laughter. See the abuse he has to put up with?] Well, thanks for the moral support there. Don't blame me when he turns his attention to you.
[His smile softens and he leans into her touch.]
Thanks, Natasha.
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No, I think I can safely say that he has enough information to keep fully fixated on you for a while. [And her innocent face is back, because he doesn't know the half of it.
Natasha leans up and presses a kiss to his jaw, her gaze warm.] Just be careful, okay? I don't want to see you hurt. And there's fewer places to hide bodies around here.
[December 31st | Action]
Oh god, Natasha what have you told him? [Because no way he believes her innocent face. She only wears her innocent face with him when she's done entirely un-innocent things.
He leans his forehead against hers for a moment.]
I'll do my best. The body hiding situation is pretty grim and it's not like I can ask to be assigned to missions in Guatemala for a few months until it blows over.
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[Her grin flashes quickly, bright and impish as she sidesteps him in a playful ploy of getting some safe distance. Just in case.] Well, he may suspect that we've had a tragic romance like Romeo and Juliet, ruined only by your passionate affections for our Handler. But it's a very big secret. All hush-hush. I made sure to stress that part. [Which, she suspected, would do no good when making deals with an inquisitive and helpful Loki.]
Oh God. I thought we swore never to speak of Guatemala.
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...
[He just stares for a moment because really Tasha? Really?]
I... what? You said I... we... Coulson?!
[He groans softly, rubbing his hand over his face because Loki is gonna have a field day with that.]
Seriously?
The first or the second time?
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[She breaks into laughter at that, because his expression is priceless.] I may have spiked that cup of cocoa a little strong, I admit. It's not my fault you stuck Coulson under the mistletoe all night. You set yourself up, really.
[She pokes him chidingly in the ribs.] Either, really. We just have really bad luck in Guatemala, apparently. Which is a shame. There were some pretty places to see, if we hadn't been busy running for our lives.
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[This is his unamused face, Natasha.]
I was trying to help! He's an attractive man, good job, ruthlessly competent. What more could someone ask for?
[He snorts softly at that.]
Being hunted down by Hydra psychos does tend to put a dampener on the sight seeing.
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Natasha is unimpressed by your unamused face, Clint. In fact, she's currently grinning at him, because it only amuses her more.]
Yes, Clint, please continue. You're just proving my point for me. What else do you like about Coulson?
[She snickers at that, her head tilting against his shoulder once more.] Well. Most of the time. They did spice things up in Ottowa rather nicely. Then again, I was bored to tears in Ottowa.
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[He keeps glaring. Because anything else would force him to think about things too closely.]
He's a good man. That's all. I owe him a lot. I owe him my life.
[He huffs softly but hugs her anyway. See how magnanimous he is?]
It's Ottowa. What do you expect?
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[Her teasing softened into something else then and she gave him a soft laugh, poking him in the ribs.] We all do. And God only knows where I'd be right now otherwise. You never would have bluffed Fury into keeping me on your own, and we already know no other Handler could take on one of us, let alone the pair.
[She scoffs at that.] I wasn't expecting, actually. Hadn't really thought about it before that, but I'd never been there before either. Guess now I see why.
[December 31st | Action]
[He pokes her back. It's required.] I thought the director was gonna' have an aneurysm when I brought you back. That would probably have been bad. And yeah, no-one else appreciates our unique take on things. They'd probably try to micromanage us.
Yeah, it's not exactly a place anyone thinks about. Even Canadians.
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Yeah, that wouldn't work at all. We'd have to resort to Drastic Measures.
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[There may be a slightly sour note in his voice when he mentions the scientist.]
You're right. Going off grid, finishing the mission and turning up back at base before they even have time to complain is pretty satisfying.
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[She snickers at that memory.] Farris looked like he'd swallowed his tongue. Fury should have known better than to set that up. The man was an ass. I suspect Coulson nearly shot him himself a few times.
[December 31st | Action]
[He grins at her.]
Farris needed to be taken down a peg or two. Farris always needs to be taken down a peg or two. How the hell he got his clearance, I will never understand.
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He claims to have slept with Hill.
[Yup. That's totally her I'm-shitting-you-not face right there. Not even she could make something like that up. In which case, she's really surprised Hill hasn't shot him yet.]
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...this is true. They obviously went to the James Bond school of espionage. Although Thor might look pretty good in a Tuxedo actually.
[That news earns her a stare of shock.]
...he what? Hill? Like, Deputy Director Hill? Like Hill who probably considers Coulson a bit too improper?