The Superheroes' Soulmate

Chapter 11 - Falling for You

Clint was not ashamed to admit that after hearing Loki insist that to prove that he was wrong about Lexi being his soulmate Clint would have to touch her, he fled. The whole scene was so completely crazy that fleeing was the right thing to do. He was ashamed to admit that he was now hiding. Not just from the god but from Nat as well. Because Nat, for some insane reason had seemed to be in agreement with Loki.

Clint shook his head, hunkering down deeper into his nest on the roof of the building near Lexi's place. Despite his emphatic denial of being drawn to her, of desiring her, Clint found himself unable to do anything but end up here after taking flight from that whole situation in Loki's apartment.

Lexi couldn't be his soulmate. Clint was sure of it. He was sure he didn't have that kind of soulmate. Not because he didn't want or have romantic and sexual relationships, but because his soulmate bond with Natasha was enough of a bond. That bond completed him just fine. Any other relationships he sought out was merely for fun. He had those kinds of needs, sure, but he didn't need a soulmate to fulfill them. Or even a long term non-soulmate relationship to do it.

Clint shook the thoughts away, focusing in on the door to Lexi's apartment building as he saw her come out. Interested now, he saw that she was wearing a pair of leggings and a racer back tank top in a shade of deep purple. Huh, that was his favorite color and Clint couldn't help the thought that she looked really good in it as it flit through his mind, before she put in a pair of ear buds and scrolled through her phone until presumably she found what she wanted to listen to. Then she slipped her phone into one of those phone harnesses you strap to your bicep as she started to stretch out.

Coming to a decision, Clint stood, hastily climbing out of the nest and down the building. Once on the ground, he ducked around the corner of the building just in time to watch her jog off at a steady pace. Sighing just the slightest bit, Clint hated running, he took off in the same direction, but across the street. He made sure to keep at least a half of block distance between her and himself. He also made sure to stay on the opposite side of the street. He didn't want her to catch on to the fact that he was following her. In his haste to do so though, Clint forgot the very crucial fact that Lexi could sense other people's minds.

She had been jogging for three miles when Clint suddenly lost sight of her. Surprised, he slowed and came to a stop as his eyes scanned the sidewalk across the street. He was trying to figure out where she could have possibly gone when he caught a flash of purple turning into an alley a block up and on his side of the street.

Of their own volition, Clint's feet pulled him forward until he was standing in the mouth of the alley. Automatically, he registered every detail of it. The potential dangers. The potential escape routes. As he walked further in, his eyes darted everywhere, trying to figure out not only where she was but why she was in this alley. As he reached the end, which dead ended—causing Clint to swear under his breath he sensed more than heard the movement behind him.

Clint whirled and there she was, standing right behind him. Less than two feet away. The sudden and close proximity of her caused him to jerk back in surprise. And because he was a complete klutz at times, he somehow managed to trip over a piece of cardboard and found himself falling backwards. His arms pinwheeled comically and he gasped at the same time she did. He landed hard, his wind being shoved completely out of his body and leaving him breathless.

He heard her swear loudly as she scrambled forward to help him. He would have protested if he had any air left to form words but instead she dropped to her knees by his side and reached her hands out to him to check if he was hurt.

As she made contact with him, Clint's eyes snapped wide and he literally felt as the bond snapped into place around his heart like a rubber band. His last thought before the world faded to black was, "Damn it, he was right."