Worth (Sequel to Games of Deception)

Chapter 10 - Trust

-Clint-

Rain battered the windows and tapped on the roof. The sky was coated with a dark shade of grey, and didn't look like it had any intention of making way for the sunlight again anytime soon. How appropriate.

I glanced to my left, but accidentally let my eyes linger on the figure curled up in the armchair next to me. The song Jacqueline played on her guitar didn't do anything to lighten the mood...slow, quiet, sullen. But I didn't interrupt her focus. The music was distracting her, both of us really, from the fact that I was leaving.

...A million hooks around a million ways to die,

darling, it's cold outside.

I wasn't naive to Jacqueline's intention to catch up. One way or another, she'd be there. I'm sure Fury and the others, somewhere in the back of their minds, expected that. But I just had to keep her at the house for as long as possible.

That part would take convincing, but I thought it might have just been crazy enough to work. SHIELD wouldn't be exactly happy with the plan; there'd be no way to keep them out of the know forever. But then again, would anyone expect anything less from a few Avengers?

Not at all.

I finished putting the few things I'd brought with me into a black backpack, and saw Jacqueline's eyes drift upward as I zipped it shut.

"Got everything?" she asked simply, still strumming.

"Think so." I answered. She only uttered a "hm" in reply, but I could practically see the wheels turning inside her head. It seemed we were playing the game again, both of us hiding things for our own personal gain. Except this time, that gain included protecting the very person we were competing against.

A much heavier gamble this time around.

Fury's call came earlier that day, a week later as promised. I was told I'd have to leave within the same day. Not surprising to either of us, but still not as emotionless as we would have liked it to be. Yet, still very quiet. Strangely quiet.

The days we had spent together at the house up until that day had mostly been for, as much as possible, taking a mental and physical break from the situation. From SHIELD itself, really...a very rare opportunity. We'd attempted training together for a few hours one day, but it ended quite similar to what I will call...dammit, the Hoodie Incident. Tell no one.

Besides, there wasn't exactly anything safe or practical for Jacqueline to blow up, so most of our time was instead spent doing the mundane things that people with actual time on their hands do. Whatever that really means.

As if she read my thoughts, Jacqueline tilted her head up to face me after I'd sat down on the couch next to her to slide on my boots. "Lucky you, getting an easy out of this 'normal life' stuff we've been in."

"Huh. Yeah, it's kind of boring." I handed the bullshit right back to her. We both really knew what the other was thinking. We'd be seeing each other again sooner than we were leading each other on.I only had to keep her there a bit longer.

We fell into silence aside from the new song Jacqueline had switched to, this time only quietly humming along as I finished lacing up my shoes. I was standing again, tossing the backpack over a shoulder when I asked the question.

"Do you trust me?"

The music came to a loud, abrupt halt, and when I faced her she was already on her feet. Her eyes narrowed and flickered across my own neutral expression for a sign of my true intention of the question. "Do I what?"