Through all the joking, Clint had kind of felt it the whole time that they wouldn't get off so easy with their plans. That e-mail had been pretty clear on the subject. He should have answered one of these incoming calls maybe before Natasha had cut him off very efficiently from headquarters. That hope had been nice, that they would have one fucking whole weekend without any trouble from above.

Still he wasn't surprised at all when he tried to pay for his purchase with his credit card and the salesgirl told him - visibly embarrassed - there seemed to be a problem.

Always having enough cash on him for emergencies, saved him from an even more embarrassing situation, but now he was pissed. Really pissed.

He somehow made it to keep it together until they had left the store and reached a quiet bench in one of the small resting islands for shoppers on the way. He just dropped the bag somewhere and rested his face heavily in his trembling hands, trying to breathe through that thick hot mist that had clustered in his chest.

Focus. Something, anything to get his mind away from a rage he had thought to be long over. Something to anchor his mind to until they would have a chance to figure this bullshit out tomorrow. Or he would be fucking sending Fury his badge right away, along with a very colorful note.