Games of Deception (Hawkeye/Avengers)

Chapter 15 - War, in More Ways Than One

-Jacqueline's P.O.V-

 "So what's the point of them, exactly?"

"Eh I dunno, self expression? I just thought they were cool."

"I still think it's creepy."

I crossed my legs that were now propped up on the chair next to me and shrugged. Clint and I sat across from each other in the far corner of the cafe while I was on my lunch break. He had stopped by for a few minutes, and we were discussing the topic of my gauges. They were small, but large enough to be noticeable. Apparently they had been a source of curiosity, which I found a bit amusing. I toyed with one of the tiny silver plugs in my ear as we talked.

"And I still think you're creepy, so..."

He scoffed, leaning back into his chair. "Is that the best you can do?"

"Well considering I've been convinced that I've met my match in the smartass department, I'd say yes. At least for now." I took another bite into my sandwich and returned his chuckle.

"What can I say?" he replied. I eyed the half-eaten bag of chips on his side on the table and then lazily drew my eyes up to meet his own, waiting for me to answer.

"You can say that you're done with those, because I'm hungry as f--"

"Jacqueline, language!" A voice chimed in.

Both of our heads whipped to the side to find Mariah walking over to the table we'd claimed, a greasy brown paper bag in her hand and without invitation pulling up another chair to sit with Clint and I. And here we go. I gave Clint a sideways glance, but he didn't respond. At least not in a way that I could read.

"Whatever. We're all smartasses, case closed." I nudged Mariah as she stabbed a straw into her paper cup. "Who invited you over here?"

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know this was a date--"

"It's not!" Clint and I both interjected at the same time. We both immediately faced each other, his expression just as surprised as my own, and I cursed myself for blushing at the fact. That was awkward..

"Oh, give it up already. We all know the truth here. I'm not gonna go out telling everyone, if that makes a difference. Mostly because I don't actually care, but.."

"Mariah!" I glared at her, but she had already began to pull her lunch out of her bag as if nothing were amiss, not even bothering to look up at me as a sly grin stuck to her face.

"Alright, then."

Both Mariah and I turned our heads to Clint, a bit taken back that he'd spoken up. He glanced at Mariah, then me again, stating, "It is a date."

Wait, what? I hadn't expected him to say anything. But there he sat, searching me for any sign of response, which I only reacted to with bewilderment. Like an idiot.

No one had said anything else, and I assumed that Mariah was almost as surprised as I was, so Clint continued. "I mean, it's been some time now. I think your friend here already knows all there is to know, anyways." Oh, but she doesn't know a thing, Clint, and neither do you. Or...do you? Ugh, dammit.

Had he just confessed that we were...together? God, my thoughts made me seem as if I were some sort of love-stricken teenager. Which I wasn't, but that definitely was something that I hadn't expected from him. After all, I wasn't sure of what we were. We'd been seeing each other quite a bit, yes, but it was more complicated than it should have probably been. But I was just afraid, much too afraid to let anyone else in, knowing that every time I'd ever gotten close to someone, they were always taken away from me somehow. It had always been that way, why would my fate change for one person? I felt like he seemed to know how I felt, why I had put up these walls around myself to prevent us from getting any closer, yet he went and pulled that stunt. What kind of mind-screwing game were we playing here? Still, I wanted to believe that we just might...