Love Is For Children ~Hawkeye & Black Widow (Part One & Two)

Sleep Isn't On The Menu

Clint Barton

The battle was over; the waging war was won.

All that was left was to bid our goodbyes to the Tesseract, Thor and that son of a bitch, Loki. The warm sun was comforting on my worn out skin - the lack of sleep was beginning to get to me, but the vacation we were promised from Fury settled me.

I crossed my arms over my  chest after pushing my sunglasses on to my fatigue eyes - holding a smug grin on my face as I stared at the man who manipulated my brain, and turned me into a blood craving monster. My mind started to wander, and I tried to think of how many innocent lives I took, but then I remembered Natasha told me not to do that to myself, so instead, I focused on her. She was standing a step away from me; her intense auburn hair was shining brightly in the reigning sun. This was the first time I'd seen her smile genuinely since our encounter back in the interrogation room.

Ever since I was assigned to assassinate the infamous Black Widow, and decided to take her in instead, we've been to Hell and back together. I saved her, and she's saved me. We told secrets and swapped stories, spending the nights of our assignments together - helping each other through the long and unsettling nights.

Although Natasha was close with me, and only me, she was far from an open book. Although that's not me complaining, because I'm not exactly a 'sharing is caring' person, but I know her. Whereas some people know just Black Widow or Agent Romanoff, I know Natasha; and she knows Clint. The sound of the familiar warm voice shook me from my day dream.

"I'm driving. You look like you're about to pass out" Nat whispered in to my ear. I quirked an eyebrow, smiling down at Natasha. She met my smile with a teeth bearing grin before returning to her self-contained self, shooting cold glares at Loki who waited for his return back to Asgard. The Tesseract opened creating a rift for Thor and Loki to leave; but along with their departure, the memories of monsters and magic didn't seem to vanish from the Avengers minds.

"Enjoy your month off from S.H.I.E.L.D. I'll be in contact if we need the alliance again and hopefully we won't need to take such drastic measures again anytime soon. Stay in control, stay in condition and stay out of trouble; we don't need to lose any more team members". I noticed the uncomfortable twinge in Fury's eye - probably because of Coulson. 

I stifled a yawn as I watched Steve hop aboard his new motorcycle - courtesy of Stark Industries. Agent Hill and Fury were taken back in a S.H.I.E.L.D SUV van, while Tony and Banner entered Tony's flash Ferrari. I shuffled in to the passenger seat knowing Natasha wouldn't give up without a fight - and fighting with Natasha was brutal. 

"What time is the flight"? Natasha asked, igniting the engine.

"3:00pm" I removed my shades from my face before sinking back in the leather seats of the black Audi. 

"Plenty of time. Get some sleep Clint" Natasha ordered, before turning to stare at her partner. 

"Nat, I'd rather keep you company" I sighed softly, connecting eyes with her. I noticed the stressed tied bags under her emerald eyes that still managed to shine. 

"We're spending a month together, Barton. You'll drive me insane" Natasha let a giggle slip through her peach coloured lips – I noticed the small cut on her bottom lip. 

"Suit yourself" I shuffled in my seat before turning the car radio on. "That cut on your lip looks pretty nasty...you want me to kiss it better"? I teased, watching her intently. Natasha scowled at me, before flipping the finger - although I could see the tint of red that had made it's way in to her cheeks.

And with that, we began to drive through what was the remaining of New York's streets. Despite the fact that I wanted to catch up with Nat, I knew sleep would be for the best. Natasha and I were spending a month together in Morocco, and for once, we weren't on assignment, it was just a relaxing vacation. Tony owns a cabana house, and he just handed me the opportunity. Of course I'd be taking Natasha with or without her will; she needed to escape the city for the time being.

The airport was packed with tourists and New Yorkers who were looking to leave the dismantled city for a little while, just like us. Most people seemed to remember Nat and I, and some of the New Yorkers were thanking the magnificent Hawkeye and Black Widow for saving their lives. I watched Natasha taking a few photos with a couple of kids, sharing a few chuckles with them as she picked one of the little girls up, everything about her was just wonderful. 

Natasha Romonoff

As Clint and I took our seats on the plane, I did my best to conceal my weariness. I hadn't slept a wink since the battle with the Chitauri and Loki. Oh and believe me, I tried, but my mind is clogged with horrific images and thoughts. Every time I close my eyes I'm either faced with my past or thoughts of Loki - I could have slit his throat, but Thor wouldn't think too kind of me. 

The seat belt light switched on followed by the sound of one of the air hostesses asking the passengers to turn off their cell phones. Although her voice was calm and sweet, it rang though my head. I sank back in my seat while watching another hostess pack our hand held bags into the compartments above us. 

"Nat"? Clint's soft voice caught my attention. As I looked at him I noticed the some-what mark of a bruise forming on his cheek - most likely from when I punched him. 

"Yeah"? I murmur back, tapping my knees gently to try and distract myself from the throbbing in my head. 

"Get some sleep, you look like you're about to keel over" Clint smirked before taking a giant gulp from his bottle of water. I shot him a sour look.

"You may be sharp with a bow and arrow, but your flirting is way off" I chuckled, before ruffling his mousse brown hair - making it stick out in all different directions. 

"You wish I was flirting with you" Clint winked before passing me the bottle of water. I punched him playfully in the arm and laughed it off before taking a swig of the cool water.

"I'm fine anyway. We can play 'I spy' for a while" I suggested, knowing I'd get my way soon enough. Clint rolled his eyes before letting a lopsided smile light up his face - the smile I'd missed so much while he was under Loki's control. 

"The flight is seven hours Nat" Clint cocked an eyebrow. "I really don't think we can play 'I Spy' for seven hours".

I knew he was right, and so did he. "We can play it for a little while, then we can eat and watch one of the terrible movies they decide to show" I noticed Barton's face light up when I mentioned eating, I suppressed a giggle before finishing off the bottle of water knowing Clint wouldn't bat an eyelash. 

After the enthralling game of 'I Spy' where Clint used the word 'Peanuts' and 'Pilot' profusely, we chowed down on as much couscous and chicken as we could get our hands on, and I made sure to keep my coffee cup topped up. As night fell in the sky around us, people drew down their window blinds and covered their eyes with sleeping masks, clearly craving sleep.

"Please Nat, go to sleep" Clint whispered in to my ear, hoping not to disturb any of the fellow passengers; his tranquil voice sending a slight chill down my spine.

"Only if you do" The lights on the plan dimmed around us, only giving off enough light to make out the concerned expression on Clint's face. Clint stared at me for a minute, I could tell he was trying to gauge my thoughts, and even though he was so good at figuring me out, I put on my best poker face and hoped he wouldn't bring it up. 

"Fine" Clint sighed before taking off his leather jacket. I cast my eyes slyly over his biceps before moving my eyes to his face. Clint placed the jacket over my lap before settling in to his seat. "Sweet dreams Nat" Clint said under his breath, I smiled to myself as I pulled his jacket up over my body. The scent of Clint was earthy yet sweet; like a wild forest with a dash of sugar.  - I knew sleep wasn't on the menu for me tonight, so I instead delved in to a book.