study_in_scarlet | Dancing in the Dark (for farmboyhawk)

"I have no objections."

Clint was more than happy to just relax this time around and took his seat behind Natasha without complaint. His hands were on her waist immediately, more gentle than anything. He knew better than to distract her on a foreign, slightly dangerous road.

For a few minutes he just enjoyed the draft of the fast ride cooling his skin and the view down on the ocean from the serpentines, where the sun was slowly beginning to fall. He couldn't remember when last he had experienced such a perfect day. Certainly not something he had expected just a few weeks ago.

He folded his hands in front of Natasha's belly, caressed her softly, feather light enough to not disturb her, and murmured something close to her ear. She probably wouldn't hear with the wind blowing around them, but he was pretty certain, she knew already.

At least he didn't feel like falling asleep anymore when they arrived. And of course they were awaited impatiently.

"I thought I told you not to get too used to it", he grumbled when they passed their little visitor by to get into the house. But it sounded kind of amused, friendly this time. There was no escaping from this story anyway, he could as well stop pretending.

He needed to get to the kitchen first thing anyway, to get a good cold bottle of water from the fridge. That was a good excuse to break in these bowls he had bought for some reason in the morning. The kitten looked still a little small for full time meals, so he stayed with the milk thing for now and only snatched a few of the small chicken meat pieces he meant to use for cooking in the next days.

"I think it's your turn, honey", he grinned at Natasha when he was done, holding up the bowls.

The ride back to the house was pleasant and relaxing. The wind on her face was refreshing, Clint’s gentle touch soothing, and the scooter was just damn fun to drive. Despite the rough night and morning, the day had turned out better than Natasha could have ever expected or hoped for.

Parking the scooter behind the house, she grinned at the little furball that waited for them on the doorstep. “You just wait right here,” she said to it as she slipped inside after Clint, carefully closing the door behind her. She knew he wasn’t keen on having the kitten in the house, and she certainly wasn’t going to try to press the issue, at least not until they got the little thing checked out and properly bathed. The last thing she wanted to do was infest Clint’s home away from home with fleas.

Giving him a look for his comment, one that didn’t quite hide the smile in her eyes, Natasha took the two bowls and balanced them on one arm. Quickly grabbing the little toy she had bought at the market from her partially unpacked back, she slipped back outside. “Let’s go back to your little spot,” she said, rounding the house to where Clint had set up the blanket for it. Setting the bowls down, she crouched beside them and scratched the kitten on the top of the head before leaning back to let it eat. “You are a hungry little one, aren’t you? The others don’t play nice, hmm?” She could see the tear in one ear, could tell it had it rough. “Such misfortune for one so small.”

Clint had decided that since he was already busy in the kitchen he could as well start on diner. There was still the pasta Angelina had prepared waiting for them, so it wouldn't be much work. He got the big kettle out of the fridge and left it on the counter for defrosting. While he searched through the supplies he had bought in the morning to scramble a half decent salad, he could hear Natasha talk to the kitten through the open window and smiled to himself. As long as the little one was eating, she was doing okay and would hopefully grow and get stronger soon.

It was too early to get the dressing done yet, so he left his preparations for the moment and joined Natasha with a fresh water bottle for her, munching on a tomato slice.

"You two comfortable, I hope?"

By the time Clint joined her outside the kitten had finished its food and was batting playfully at the crochet mouse that Natasha dangled before it. She was not the type to be easily taken in by things that others found ‘adorable’, but it was definitely a different smile she wore as she played with the kitten, one not easily brushed away.

Looking up at Clint as he approached, she let the little one catch the mouse and released the little yarn tail before straightening back up. Gratefully taking the water she uncapped it and took a few gulps, closing her eyes as the cool liquid soothed her parched throat.

“She’s a hungry little one,” she said, twisting the cap back on her water. “I was thinking... perhaps tomorrow we could look into a veterinarian...” Besides being dirty, under nourished and a little roughed up, the kitten looked healthy enough, but she wanted to be sure.

"Absolutely."

Clint was actually glad, Natasha came back to that thought so soon herself. He probably would have brought it up tomorrow anyway. If they were doing this, he was planning on doing a good job.

"I've got a notebook in my suitcase and that prepaid stick from the airport."

He had never bothered installing a network access in a house he so seldom used, and he had been hesitant to even buy that damn Internet stick. He didn't want to get tempted to do anything even remotely smelling off work. But now he was glad, he had brought it. They didn't even have a newspaper in the house.

"You can take a look if you like, while I'm trying to not blow up the kitchen. Might be, there's actually one or two vets in the village up here. It's grown a little since last I was here."

He watched the little one while he was talking, amused by the picture of that small creature fighting a brave battle against the big mouse monster. So, Natasha had brought her own little souvenirs from the market... Carefully, to not startle the kitten, he reached inside the box and held the toy up by its tail, just a little too high, so their little guest had to stretch and try getting it back between its tiny paws.

"Now, now", he chuckled when the kitten gave something between a whine and a very small, very harmless sounding hiss. "You've got to earn your stay here, furball. Workout every evening, got it? Gotta learn how to catch yourself some prey without us."

Natasha had resolved at the market after her minor meltdown that she couldn’t continue on as she had been, and when she had told Clint to buy all the cat stuff that had only been the beginning. For years she had closed herself off, never letting anyone or anything into her heart, until Clint had somehow managed to worm his way in. She hadn’t even realised it was happening at first, and had denied it for even longer, but now that she had opened herself up to him, now that she had admitted that she loved him and wanted to be with him... it was amazing. Love didn’t have to be a weakness, nor something reserved only for the innocent. She felt stronger with it, stronger with him.

In the end, this little creature needed them, and no matter what the future held she couldn’t deny it just because she was afraid of the hurt that would come later. Once she had accepted that it was a little easier to move forward.

“I could give it a try,” she said, though she was a little reluctant to use anything that might be make it easy for anyone to track them to this location. It wasn’t just paranoia, they had Fury’s permission; it was more the thought of risking sullying this place. It was like a treasure hidden so well she didn’t want anyone to find it, or maybe she was just deluding herself. If Clint had been here on a mission before then it couldn’t be as much of a secret as she liked to think. “Or I might ask around. Even if there are none in the village someone might know of something close.”

Watching Clint take over playing with the kitten, she felt herself warm even more to the whole idea. Even though he was toying with the little one, it was very clear he was already fond of it. “She will grow up very strong, you will see,” she said. It was tempting to coddle it, but she knew Clint was right. They had to make sure it could still fend for itself.

"Good idea. Actually I'm pretty sure Angelina is somewhere around the house. She always is. She'll know every vet from here to Catania, I suppose."

Clint looked up from his little game with the mouse for a rueful grin.

"Also, I bet she can't wait to ask you all kind of embarrassing questions."

He had put the toy back and rather started caressing the kitty's head and back while he talked, without really realizing. Only when that warm softness right under his fingertips suddenly began to purr contently, he looked down, surprised. Damn, that little devil was getting cute again. It was really hard not to smile too widely.

"Well, at least that you can already do like a big girl, huh?"

He dipped his fingertip into a small rest of milk on the edge of the bowl and held it out to their little guest. Now he was grinning like an idiot when the kitten licked it off immediately.

"Yep, I think you're right. She'll be fine. She'll probably hold an iron reign over all the tomcats in the neighborhood one day."

Natasha liked that option much better, especially when Clint revealed that the person that he trusted with his house might have just the information that Natasha needed. His follow up line made her a little nervous, though. It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle personal questions; she was an expert at spinning a tale, after all, but these were good people, and she always hated being too false with the genuinely nice ones.

“If that’s the case you better fill me in on what she already knows about you so I can answer appropriately,” Natasha replied. She would hate to blow his cover if he did indeed have one of any sort going on here. “Though I suppose I can always distract her from questioning by simply gushing about how wonderful you are in every way.”

She grinned at him when she spoke, a grin that only grew wider at his surprised expression, as if he was surprised that the kitten could be so cute.

The grin he wore when the kitten licked his finger was an absolutely beautiful sight to see, and one she had seen far too seldom the past few months. “She seems to already have you wrapped around her little claw, at least.”

"Told you, I'm a big sap at heart."

Clint gave the kitten a last friendly pat with a fingertip and straightened up then to do the same to Natasha with the other hand. Though admittedly it was a longer and more extended touch down her hip while he pressed a short kiss to her shoulder.

"I'll see what I can get us done for diner then, hm? If you want to take a walk... There's not much cover to be blown here. When Angelina and me talk, it's mostly about the house, the kittens or cooking. I'm just the grumpy guy from the government organization, who tips her for keeping all this together when I'm gone."

He nodded shortly at the house, an affectionate, melancholic expression wrinkling his forehead. For a long time he hadn't even been sure why he kept this place or if he would come back here at all... And here they were, on the best leave he could have imagined. He would have always have a soft spot for the people around here who made him feel so welcome, even though they never communicated much.

That didn't mean he didn't see certain smiles or overheard certain implications in smalltalk. Especially Angelina was the kind of woman holding the institution of a family very high. Probably because she wasn't lucky enough to have her own, save for her little furry friends.

"She'll be more curious about the two of us, I imagine. Just let me know before you set up a wedding date, okay?", he added with a chuckle.

He really was, and Natasha wouldn’t have him any other way. He was ruthless and efficient when he needed to be, but he couldn’t turn off the guilt like she could. That compassion, that softness, was one of the things she loved most about him, and something she felt rubbed off on her in a good way. Some days she thought that he was her humanity; she was certainly much more alive, much more human, with him than she ever had been before.

Wrapping one arm loosely around his shoulders for a moment, she placed a soft kiss to the hollow of his throat before leaning back to look up at him. Angelina sort of knew where he worked, so if asked Natasha could say that she worked with him without having to elaborate, hopefully. Everything else she could probably roll with.

“You keep saying things like that and I’m going to expect to wake up one morning to a surprise wedding thrown by all your neighbours,” Natasha chuckled. It was easy to joke about it as it was something they had never really discussed, something she never really considered doing again. “Now get back in the kitchen.” Pulling away from him, she gave his ass a playful slap.

She doubted she would have to go far to get the information she wanted, then back to the house for some food, a shower, and some more relaxation.

"Well, you would look ravishing in a white dress..."

Clint quickly ducked his head before Natasha could decide to cut it off. A wedding would go a little far in terms of a harmless cover, admittedly. Still the idea made him grin.

"Aye, Ma'am. Clothes on or off?", he shot back, swaying his hips tentatively on the way back to the house. Fortunately Natasha couldn't see his stupid giggle or the way, his cheeks flushed.

He thought to hear Angelina's warm deep voice somewhere down the street, so that issue would be solved soon. He could just hope, his housekeeper wouldn't tell any embarrassing stories... He had had one or the other night of excessive drinking back then, when he had come here for a few days, to relax from that mission he still couldn't quite remember. He was pretty sure he hadn't done anything too stupid, since he hadn't ended up in the hospital with too much Grappa grog in his blood but...

Warming their pasta carefully on low heat and getting the salad ready distracted him from these worries quickly. He had the radio on again - he was firmly convinced that food tasted so much better with a pinch of his favorite bands in it - and soon found himself singing along again. A local station this time, playing mostly classic rock, and that was just about perfect. Def Leppard and him just sang passionately to love and hate colliding when he thought to hear the door, but he didn't stop, neither preparing his dressing nor his soulful performance. Natasha could always throw a book at his head if it was too bad.

When Clint ducked his head Natasha poked him in the ribs instead before letting him go. He was in a playful mood, something she was very happy to see, and one that had definitely rubbed off on her. Or maybe it was the other way around; she didn’t know and it didn’t matter. It was about time they had a couple of carefree hours with nothing ruining it. “Up to you, since you’re cooking alone,” she called after him, shaking her head slightly. Turning back to the kitten she gave it a parting scratch on the head. “I am going to go subject myself to embarrassing questions for you, little one. I hope you appreciate it.” The kitten purred and twitched its tail.

Walking away from the house, Natasha didn’t have to go far before coming across Angelina. Natasha started out all politeness, introducing herself and thanking the woman for the food and everything she had done to prepare the house for them. It had led into a conversation about how pleased she had been to learn that Clint was not alone this time followed by praising of his character and Natasha’s beauty. Clint had talked about her, so it was nice to finally meet her, and then the questions came. How long had they known each other? Was she aware of his drinking habits? No ring on her finger yet? Tsk tsk. It was the knowing look that went along with that statement that got to Natasha, the way Angelina seemed to be studying her as if she knew some secret they were keeping.

Eventually Natasha was able to steer the conversation away and get the information she needed. Thanking Angelina and inviting the woman over for lunch some day, Natasha retreated back to the house where Clint was in full on concert mode. Her smile instantly returned and she approached him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. “Mmm, my very own rock star. All the other girls will be so jealous,” she said at a break in the lyrics, standing on her tiptoes to peer over his shoulder.

"Yep, they'll be horribly disappointed. I don't do groupies. I'm already firmly committed."

Clint didn't look up from his finishing touch on the dressing for his answer, but he was sure, Natasha would see his grin anyway. If she really liked it, one of these days he actually might sing a little longer for her.

"So, your hunt was successful I hope? And well, since you came back I guess you haven't heard the worst about me yet."

Still grinning, he got out dishes, placemats and napkins from the kitchen cabinets.

“Good. Because while I’m not above pulling hair and scratching, I’d prefer to just flaunt you instead.” She could indeed see his grin and she couldn’t resist giving his ear a quick nip before backing off and letting him finish his work.

“Quite successful. There’s a place not far from here. She gave me a name, but we will have to find the number and give him a call to make an appointment,” she said. Snatching a piece of tomato from the bowl she moved toward the fridge, getting them both something to drink while he took care of setting the table. “And she seemed a little more interested in grilling me than talking about you. I think she was trying to determine if I’m good enough for you.”

"We'll do it the old fashioned way then and call the directory assistance to get the number."

Clint nodded at the outdated phone on the wall in the living room.

"I knew your spy skills would be of good use someday."

The mood was just too good to not keep on teasing each other. Natasha's last remark made him go at least half serious again, though. He stopped by her on the way back to the kitchen to wrap his arms around her waist and kiss the hell out of her, a passionate, affectionate promise for much more of that later.

"You're not good, you're perfect for me."

For a moment he just held her, softly caressing her cheek, her lips with his fingertips before he pulled away reluctantly to serve diner. He wisely waited until he was out of reach before calling back another teasing remark.

"If someone needs proof for that, maybe we should think about that wedding after all..."

Natasha was pleased with this plan. Technology certainly made things easier, but it didn’t always make things better, and she was glad that they wouldn’t have to connect to anything any time soon. It wouldn’t be long before she was expected to send a status update to Fury, but she preferred to stay completely undetected until then, to live in this fantasy world just a little longer.

“Oh yes, it was very touchy business asking for someone’s name. Years of training, and I will be using it to call and operator and get the right number and address,” she replied in a completely monotone voice, purely teasing of course. A moment later she found herself in Clint’s arms and she gave herself over willingly to the sudden passion. It didn’t last long, but when he broke the kiss she was already feeling breathless. His words made her smile softly, her fingertips tracing gentle circles on the back of his neck. “She’s just being protective. It’s sweet,” she said. It was nice to know that there were others out there that cared for Clint and wanted to make certain that he was happy.

Reluctantly letting him go, she was surveying the table to see if they were missing anything when his last comment reached her. Turning back around to face him, she raised both eyebrows in his direction. “If that is your idea of a proposal, Barton, then it definitely needs some work,” she shot back, managing to perfectly conceal her amusement.

"I'll give it a thought and try again as soon as I get the perfect idea, okay?"

Clint was still grinning to himself when finished his work and carried both the pasta pot and the salad bowl to the small table in the living room. Only now he realized he hadn't actually asked Natasha if this was okay for diner. Sometimes that certain mission routine still stuck, it seemed, where there was no time and resources to think much about when and what to eat.

"I hope you like it. If your stomach is still giving you a hard time or something..."

He stopped his mouth quickly before he could start coddling her again and rather got himself a helping of salad from the bowl.

“You do that,” Natasha replied, expecting nothing of the sort but content to play along.

Following after Clint with the drinks, she set the glasses on the table and took her seat, giving him a look for his comment. After the afternoon they had spent together she had thought he had forgotten about her sickness, or could at least see that she was clearly feeling better, but apparently he still had lingering worries. Of course so did she, she was just doing a very good job of ignoring them. She was feeling much better today, after all.

“I’m sure it will be very good,” she assured him, dipping out some pasta for herself.

"One of these days you'll kill me with that look."

Clint pretended to be unimpressed but again made a note to keep it more to himself that he just couldn't stop worrying about Natasha. The last thing he wanted was her feeling uncomfortable.

The food made him forget the subject for a while. Even warmed up, it lost nearly nothing of its charm, and he remembered quite vividly one of the reasons why he always came back here in the end. No one made pasta like these people. He had to stop himself from finishing that whole pot. Natasha shouldn't have to roll him to the bedroom later.

"I need a shower or we wake up in a salt lake tomorrow", he finally sighed when he pushed his plate away. Standing up to go to the bathroom would be quite a task feeling so full, though, so he preferred to half lean on the table for the moment, with his chin resting on his arms, and watch Natasha on the other side with a soft smile. "You know, I could get used to this whole domestic stuff."

“Why would I ever want to do that?” she asked sweetly. “Trying to train another man to wait on me hand and foot as well as just how exactly to make me come so hard I blackout just sounds like far too much work.” She said the words in a conversational tone, like there was nothing raunchy about them at all, before shoveling a forkful of pasta into her mouth.

The food was excellent, and Natasha was starting to understand Clint’s worry about eating too much while he was here and getting out of shape. Fury would not be very impressed if two of his best agents returned from vacation and had to be put on a bootcamp type exercise regiment to get back to their former glory. She might have to start joining Clint on his morning runs.

Assuming her stomach didn’t decide to revolt in the morning again.

Ignoring that thought, they ate in comfortable silence until Clint pushed away his plate, signaling he was done. “I could use one myself,” she said around a mouthful of food. She definitely wanted to wash all the salt and sunscreen off of her skin before crawling into their clean bed.

Chewing thoughtfully for a moment, she considered his further statement. Even after they went back home and back to work, why couldn’t they take a part of this with them? Just because they put their lives at risk almost on a daily basis didn’t mean they couldn’t have some normalcy at him, did it? In fact, it was probably exactly the opposite. Maybe they needed a little normalcy, maybe that was what had been missing from their lives. Evenings when they weren’t on shift, time between missions... why couldn’t they spend it together, just like this? Not all of it, of course; they were still their own people and needed time to themselves, but just having meals together when they could, or more time spent relaxing... she quite liked the sound of it. “I think I could to,” she replied, swallowing the mouthful and looking over at him.

"I'll have to ask Angelina how to do this, then we can have an Italian evening once in a while. You know, before we do all that fulfil-every-wish and orgasm all time record stuff."

Clint's smile deepened when he saw Natasha ponder about his remark and how she didn't seem averse to it at all. Balance, finding a new, healthier way of living for both of them, that suddenly seemed so close. Here was to hoping, it would last.

When he wasn't close to falling into a food coma anymore, he started bringing the dishes back to the kitchen to fill the dishwasher. Long year trained senses and paranoia had him startle for a moment when he saw a silhouette moving behind the mosquito net, but of course it was only their little visitor who seemed to enjoy the last of evening sun, sitting on the window sill. When Clint pushed the net aside to look down on the kitten, it got to its little feet immediately and lifted its head, obviously smelling the remains of the food.

"You've had your diner, fur ball. Gotta hunt a mouse if you need more."

But because he could be nice sometimes, Clint reached through the tilted window down and shook his head, grinning, when the kitten started to lick a few drops of tomato sauce of his fingertips immediately.

"Maybe we should just let you clean the dishes, huh?"

“Mm, I like the sound of that,” Natasha replied, returning his smile before continuing with her dinner. Balance, that’s what they needed. It didn’t have to be all or nothing, they didn’t have to devote their ever waking moment to S.H.I.E.L.D. nor did they have to leave it completely. They could do this, they could work it out and find a medium that they could both be happy with.

While Clint started clearing away their mess, Natasha finished off her plate and sat back a moment, her eyes moving to the kitchen when she heard him talking to someone. Smiling when she heard what he was saying, she collected what was left for dishes and carried them to the kitchen as well. “Keep this up and she’ll be sleeping on your pillow by the end of the week,” she teased him as she set the dishes on the counter.

"As long as I get to sleep on your side of the bed with you then, no objections."

Clint said goodbye to their little friend for the night with a short caress over its head and put the net where it belonged then. Insects in his bedroom were guests he definitely didn't need.

He reached past Natasha to put the rest of the dishes in the dishwasher quickly and efficiently and set it to run then. Spontaneously he pulled Natasha in his arms, lifted her up and sat her on the kitchen counter, standing between her legs.

"Haven't kissed you properly for much too long", he murmured for explanation, close to her lips but not close enough yet, as if waiting for her permission.

“Oh, I don’t know... I’ll have to think about it,” she replied coyly.

Standing back while Clint said his good night and finished loading and started the dishwasher, Natasha let out a laugh when he suddenly lifted her into his arms and sat her on the counter. Her arms unconsciously winding around his shoulders, she ran on fingertip down his spine right at the base of his skull to where it disappeared beneath his shirt collar.

“Then what are you waiting for?” she replied, just barely brushing his lips with hers before leaning back to look at him with a smile and raised eyebrows.

"Your invitation. Living to fulfill all your wishes, remember?"

Before they could start another round of teasing, Clint gave in to his most urgent desire right now and pulled Natasha close, with his hand gently buried in her hair. Her touch had him sigh against her lips, his arm slipping around her waist to press her against him. The last of tomato and spice was on her tongue, her hair was stiff from salt and sand, and touching her had never felt better.

He took his time exploring her lips with his, dragging his lower lip over hers tenderly, teasing her soft skin with the stubble on his chin before his tongue slipped back in her mouth, thoroughly marking every possible spot as his very own territory.

"Better."

He pulled back just a little but kept her lower lip playfully between his teeth, looking up to meet her gaze. God, she was beautiful. The sun had left just the faintest shadow of color on her cheeks, and he would never ever get tired of seeing her so relaxed, so free from all the heaviness that usually dictated their life. She was very young, very innocent looking this evening. He felt a little like eating her alive again.

"Shower. Right", he murmured finally with another sigh but made no move to pull away but instead buried his face against her chest with a satisfied purr.

Dancing in the Dark (for farmboyhawk)

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