Magic & Desire (Clint Barton Fan Fiction)

Chapter 4

I stood out on the balcony, watching people walk in and out of stores. The evening air was warm and comforting. My nerves were still a little haywire from the mission earlier that day. 

"You've been out here for a few hours, Shyla." Natasha said from the doorway of the room. I hadn't heard her approach me. "Stark's paying for drinks in his room. Levi's enjoying himself. You should too."

"He drinks to hide his emotions, Natasha." I briefly glanced over my shoulder to her. "You know that."

"I do. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go join him. You did just as much as the rest of us."

I stayed quiet, not really wanting to talk about this. I didn't want to celebrate something that wasn't finished.

"Barton said you made some type of symbols glow."

"I should just erase that memory from him." I muttered. 

"But it wouldn't be right and you know that." Natasha came to stand beside me. "I promised you I'd take you shopping. We can start here and make our way to New York. You know you can't resist a shopping spree around the world." She leaned in closer and slipped me a credit card. "I borrowed it from Stark. Just don't tell him."

"I'm not feeling it right now, Nat." I sighed out, using the railing for support as I leaned against it. "I.... I didn't like going back in there. And I'm glad that place is ashes.... but it took a lot from me today."

"We could've manually lit the fire, Ms. I-Like-To-Do-Things-The-Hard-Way."

"But it felt better for me to do it myself."

Natasha put her hand on my shoulder.

"Go get some sleep then. We're all staying here until tomorrow morning. You and Levi should stick around."

"We probably will. Just for a while at least."

Natasha nodded her head for a moment before she spoke, her hand dropping from my shoulder.

"Come on over if you can't sleep."

I gave her a light nod, then listened as her footsteps faded from the balcony.

•*•*•

Not long after Natasha left, Levi joined me out on the balcony. He stayed silent for the first seven or so minutes, sitting in one of the comfortable chairs and just watching the sky.

"We're free from them, Shy." Levi spoke quietly. "You can't let them control you for the rest of your life."

"I'm not."

"But you are." He stood up and moved to stand closer to me, his hand resting on my arm on the railing. "By staying up here and isolating yourself, that's letting them win. It's what they wanted–to destroy who you are."

"Then what do you want me to do?" I asked him, looking up into his deep brown eyes.

"Come drink with me."

"That's not a good way to solve problems."

"But it's a start." He grinned. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Please come with me."

"I'm not going to help encourage you to drink, Levi."

"Then try to stop me."

"I hate you."

"I love you." He grinned, knowing he had won the conversation.

•*•*•

As we entered the room, everyone's eyes settled on us, with the exception of Natasha. She kind of sat with her back towards the door and her eyes out the large windows. She wasn't happy with something.