Bartoned

Chapter 18

It took several trips up and down in the elevator to bring all the gifts you had been given at the baby shower inside. After the third trip, Clint insisted that you sit and relax while he grabbed the rest.

Once they were all inside he, flopped down on the couch next to you and put his feet on the coffee table. "That's the last of them," he said. "We are definitely going to need another room. The baby now has more stuff than I do."

"Well, that's not hard. There are homeless people that have more stuff than you do. You only own one pair of jeans, two t-shirts, and your bow," you teased.

Clint snorted. "I have underwear and socks too. Plus loads of arrows. I'm always buying arrows." He patted his lap and you put your feet into them. "How are you doing there? That was a lot, huh? They go overboard."

"Yeah, I am exhausted," you sighed as he began to massage the arches of your feet. "I can't believe you won that diaper-sniffing thing."

"Hey, what can I say? I know my chocolate," he teased. "You hungry yet? Shall we order in?"

"I'm not yet, but probably soon enough that if you wanna order, we can."

"Alright. You do that, I'll keep doing this. I want pizza though," he said.

You grabbed your phone and let out a low moan as he started to release the tension you were holding in your feet. You placed an order at an Italian place for a sausage pizza, al Telefono pasta, a garden salad, and breadsticks.

When the order was placed you let your head fall back and just enjoyed his hands on you, letting yourself relax. "Hey, Clint," you said as his hands moved up your calves.

"Mmm?" he hummed.

"I know we're not together..."

"But you wanna doink?" he teased, cutting you off. "You don't have to say that every time you ask."

You laughed and kicked him playfully. He started laughing too and grabbed your legs, holding them against him. "No kicking or I stop."

"Okay, okay," you relented, relaxing again. "That's not what I was gonna say though. I was just thinking we could maybe have the ex talk?"

Clint tensed a little but went back to rubbing your calves. "Why? Did they say something?"

"No, and I think that's the problem. I just -" you let out a breath and shook your head. "Jessica was hostile..."

"To you?" he asked.

"No. She was fine. Just in general."

"Oh," he said, relaxing a little. "Yeah, I mean, she's kinda just like that. But you know - she's the one I cheated on. So... it's a little more with me."

"Then why would she come?"

He let his hands fall on your legs and shook his head a little. "Don't know. I mean, she works with us and she's friends with everyone. Particularly Carol. Probably Carol told her she had to come and play nice."

"Carol said Jessica brought her," you said.

"Huh," Clint said, staring off into space with his brow furrowed. "Well, I'm guessing Nat invited her. I mean... we're all a family, you know? Jess isn't around as much, but she's friends with everyone. I think she was trying to start something up with Bruce after me. I dunno. Maybe she came to hit on Bruce. I can ask her if you want."

"She's not really who I was talking about though," you said, sitting up and taking his hand. "What happened with you and Bobbi? Why did she look so sad?"