The Los Angeles Operation

Six

Natasha arrived at the Helicarrier the next day at around 10:00. She walked to the training room to work out and found Clint covered in sweat, pounding a punching bag. She watched him for several minutes. She had to admit that he wasn't too bad looking covered in sweat. She thought about the kiss from the night before. It would be a lie to say that she hadn’t enjoyed it and didn’t want another one.

He heard someone behind him and turned around. Seeing Natasha, he smiled. "Like what you see?" he asked in a playful tone.

"I might," Natasha admitted.

Clint walked up and stood about five inches from her. "What would you do if I kissed you?"

"Why don’t you find out?” Natasha said, a slight smile playing on her lips.  

"Natasha Romanoff, are you flirting with me?"

"I wouldn't know how to flirt if I read a manual on it."

Clint smirked. "Oh, wouldn't you? I watched you seduce people for six months before I made the different call. I know that you know how to flirt."

"Flirtation is much different from seduction, Clint."

"I'll take whatever I can get."

He got a laugh out of her. He smiled. God, he loved her laugh. It was really a shame she didn't laugh that often.

"Fury wants to see us at 11:00," Clint said. “Apparently we're taking one of the recruits on a mission."

Natasha sighed. "Lovely. Can't wait."

"You seem excited."

She smirked. "Yeah, I've just about had it with these inexperienced little b-"

"I see you're both talking," Coulson interrupted. He had a smile on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" Natasha asked.

"Oh, God," Clint said, a disgusted and horrified look on his face. "You're not dating my mom, are you?"

Coulson looked at him with a comical expression of confusion and amusement. "No! Why would you think that?" 

"I had a dream last night that you asked my mom to marry you. It was weird. She wore this black dress and Captain America stormed the wedding. Fury started crying and Hill turned into the Hulk. And I wasn't wearing any pants. No idea what made me dream that."

"You need help," Natasha said.

"Yeah, I know."

Coulson cracked a smile and stiffed a chuckle. Natasha smiled as well and choked back laugh.

"It's not funny!" Clint said, holding back a smile as well.

Natasha covered her mouth to keep from laughing, but this was too much for Phil. He cracked up. He bent over, clutching his sides. This in addition to Clint's dream finally forced Natasha to laugh.

Clint stared at them until finally he couldn't take it. He broke out in laughter as well. The three of them laughed for a good three minutes until Natasha finally got herself together.

Panting for breath, she said, "OK, enough acting like children."

Coulson forced himself to stop laughing. "Natasha's right. We are grown adults and we should act like it." The last part of the sentence he could barely say without laughing.

"What's the point in being an adult if you can't act like a kid once in a while?" Clint asked, panting. 

"What's so funny?" Edith Barton asked, walking up.