“Oh yeah? Were there specifics? Did you leave him with plenty of caffeine?” Summer glances up from her laptop, grinning. “Or is this him doing that thing where he’s afraid he’ll screw it up if he tries to … make his friends be friends?”
“It’s the wind,” she replies. It is, and the way the towering highrises of downtown New York channel it into cutting edges doesn’t help. No coat she owns proof against that. She takes in a deep breath and holds it for a moment, then breathes it out in a puff of condensation and laughs. “Dragon’s breath.”
“The wind is quite sharp and nearly chilling. Here, let’s hope it protects you at least a little.” the hawk says and places his coat on your shoulders.
You puffing your breath brings a small smile to his face and your words cause a quiet chuckle to emerge. “Come on then my little dragon, let’s get you some hot chocolate to warm you up.”
Summer growls quietly. She doesn’t need to be protected, but she doesn’t jerk the coat off her shoulders. It would destroy the fragile bond they’re crafting here. Clint will come to see her independence soon enough. She grabs his hand, instead, and pulls him at a faster speed toward the park.
Summer squeals at the basket, turning it around and around in her hands before she even starts to unpack it. Each item is laid out to be examined intently and sparkled at, before she puts them all away and flings herself at Clint with a passionate kiss.
“Oh yeah? Were there specifics? Did you leave him with plenty of caffeine?” Summer glances up from her laptop, grinning. “Or is this him doing that thing where he’s afraid he’ll screw it up if he tries to … make his friends be friends?”
“None taken.” he says smiling, it’s not very easy to offend him. “You have a point there. I find it very unlikely that they would really follow me anyway. They don’t have the technology yet.”
“Let’s go to the right, I think I remember a park being a walking distance away there.”
“If we threw a stone hard enough we’d hit Central Park,” she shrugs. “That’s why I moved into this area to begin with, before I ever met Tony properly.” Summer pulls her coat closer around her neck, giving an exaggerated shiver. “There’ll be drink stands by the ice rink, I’m sure.”
Clint nods and starts walking there with you. “I was correct then, good,” he answers and notices you shivering. “Are you cold?” He was thinking if you’d accept his coat and if it would be warm enough. It was not a long way to the stands but would they offer enough protection from the wind and cold is still questionable.
“It’s the wind,” she replies. It is, and the way the towering highrises of downtown New York channel it into cutting edges doesn’t help. No coat she owns proof against that. She takes in a deep breath and holds it for a moment, then breathes it out in a puff of condensation and laughs. “Dragon’s breath.”
Clint thought Summer looked somewhat cute with her cheek puffed out but he didn’t day say it aloud. He wasn’t willing to receive another glare anytime soon.
“You’ll be home soon.” He holds you and brushes your hair as you lean on him. “Are you thirsty, can you drink?” the hawk asks little concerned and reaches for the juice bottle and straw from the back seat afterwards.
Summer took the bottle, but lifted the straw out. She held the little page of care instructions to Clint, sipping carefully. It would be really embarrassing to drool right now. One of the top lines on the page read, “No suction (straws, etc.) for 48 hours”. Putting the juice bottle down, she gingerly prodded at the numb area, feeling for the place where the numbness stopped. The skin tingled under her fingertips. Every swallow felt strange.
Reaching out, she patted the steering wheel, meaning that he should drive, and then patted his hand, trying to smile. She would be fine, but she wanted to be home.
Clint takes the instructions from you and looks through them. He smiles apologetically at you. “Sorry , I didn’t know, just thought you might want to drink something.”
He looks after you for moment longer and turns to start the car when you pat the wheel as a sign to get moving. “Let’s get going now ,so that we actually get you home today. Just tell me if there’s anything I can do when we get there.” After saying that he concentrates on driving safely back home. He’s not speeding but tries to get there fast.
She makes a sound that is supposed to mean assent, and leans her head back against the headrest, trying to keep her hands away from her mouth. It’s hard, because the lack of feeling feels so strange. Of course, the painkiller they gave her before she left might also have something to do with that — it’s hard to tell. She feels drifty.
Clint rose and smiled back at you warmly as you came. “So how did it go? Everything alright?” He kisses your non numb cheek gently before wrapping his arm around you. “Ready to leave or do want to sit for bit ?”
Summer glared vaguely at Clint before shaking her head and pointing at her throat. There wasn’t going to be any talking for her for at least a few hours. She pulled him toward the door, bag of medicines clutched in the other hand.
He meant that you could nod and shake your head to answer or point to the chair if you wanted to sit, vocal answer was not expected.
Clint lifts his arms up a little in surrender. “I wasn’t expecting you to talk, that would be stupid, really.” He opens the door and goes out with you. “Do you want me take you straight home? ”
She nodded vigorously, then clutched a hand to her cheek. It wasn’t so much pain as it just felt really strange, with the gauze making her cheek puff out like a chipmunk’s, and the numbness. She swallowed, carefully, and nodded again, closing her eyes. For a minute she leaned on him, emotional exhaustion sweeping over her.
Clint thought Summer looked somewhat cute with her cheek puffed out but he didn’t day say it aloud. He wasn’t willing to receive another glare anytime soon.
“You’ll be home soon.” He holds you and brushes your hair as you lean on him. “Are you thirsty, can you drink?” the hawk asks little concerned and reaches for the juice bottle and straw from the back seat afterwards.
Summer took the bottle, but lifted the straw out. She held the little page of care instructions to Clint, sipping carefully. It would be really embarrassing to drool right now. One of the top lines on the page read, “No suction (straws, etc.) for 48 hours”. Putting the juice bottle down, she gingerly prodded at the numb area, feeling for the place where the numbness stopped. The skin tingled under her fingertips. Every swallow felt strange.
Reaching out, she patted the steering wheel, meaning that he should drive, and then patted his hand, trying to smile. She would be fine, but she wanted to be home.
“Oh yeah? Were there specifics? Did you leave him with plenty of caffeine?” Summer glances up from her laptop, grinning. “Or is this him doing that thing where he’s afraid he’ll screw it up if he tries to … make his friends be friends?”
Summer leads the way outside, through the private halls, because Stark Tower is still one of the headquarters of Stark Industries, after all, and it’s impolite to interrupt the staff. She casts a bemused glance at Clint. “You’re in hiding, afraid for being hunted, and you come here to hang out? Are you actively trying to get yourself killed?” Her tone makes it clear she’s teasing, but there’s still an element of truth in her words. Sooner or later, he’s bound to be spotted by someone he doesn’t want to be seen by.
“I’m good at making a quick escape if needed but didn’t you say that ‘I’m safe here’ before,” Clint answers teasingly grinning at you. “The other Clint is not in trouble here I believe, so your SHIELD should not be hunting me. Unless my SHIELD runs after me I don’t think I actually have to worry that much but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”
“Very true. And if SHIELD from your universe comes hunting you, we probably have a bigger problem, no offense, than them hunting you. That kind of spillover is very bad.” Summer pushes open the door and goes outside, picking her way down the icy steps. “Which way did you want to go?”
“None taken.” he says smiling, it’s not very easy to offend him. “You have a point there. I find it very unlikely that they would really follow me anyway. They don’t have the technology yet.”
“Let’s go to the right, I think I remember a park being a walking distance away there.”
“If we threw a stone hard enough we’d hit Central Park,” she shrugs. “That’s why I moved into this area to begin with, before I ever met Tony properly.” Summer pulls her coat closer around her neck, giving an exaggerated shiver. “There’ll be drink stands by the ice rink, I’m sure.”
She didn’t say anything during the drive over, too busy twisting her hands together and trying her best not to be afraid. She didn’t like pain, and she didn’t know how she was going to respond to anaesthetic, and in general she was pretty scared.
Turned out there was no need to be; the entire operation went smoothly and simply, with no complications. She came back out to the waiting room, wobbling slightly, and gave Clint a half smile — half because half her face was numb from the local anaesthetic.
Clint rose and smiled back at you warmly as you came. “So how did it go? Everything alright?” He kisses your non numb cheek gently before wrapping his arm around you. “Ready to leave or do want to sit for bit ?”
Summer glared vaguely at Clint before shaking her head and pointing at her throat. There wasn’t going to be any talking for her for at least a few hours. She pulled him toward the door, bag of medicines clutched in the other hand.
He meant that you could nod and shake your head to answer or point to the chair if you wanted to sit, vocal answer was not expected.
Clint lifts his arms up a little in surrender. “I wasn’t expecting you to talk, that would be stupid, really.” He opens the door and goes out with you. “Do you want me take you straight home? ”
She nodded vigorously, then clutched a hand to her cheek. It wasn’t so much pain as it just felt really strange, with the gauze making her cheek puff out like a chipmunk’s, and the numbness. She swallowed, carefully, and nodded again, closing her eyes. For a minute she leaned on him, emotional exhaustion sweeping over her.
“Oh yeah? Were there specifics? Did you leave him with plenty of caffeine?” Summer glances up from her laptop, grinning. “Or is this him doing that thing where he’s afraid he’ll screw it up if he tries to … make his friends be friends?”
“Ghiradelli. It’s expensive, but /so/ worth it.” Summer bypasses Clint’s hand and slips out the door. “Come on,” she shouts back, heading to the elevator. She wonders briefly if he’s living in the Tower, now, and where, and asks him while Jarvis takes them smoothly down.
Clint makes a note of the brand in his head and follows after you. “I don’t think I have tasted that before, maybe I could have a sip next time ?” he mentions as he catches up. “Well I have a small flat of my own but I come here to spend time with you all. Tony did show me the guest room before though and I have bunked there some nights,” he adds and thinks would Tony ever ask him to stay. He was offered the room for a night to clear his head after all.
Summer leads the way outside, through the private halls, because Stark Tower is still one of the headquarters of Stark Industries, after all, and it’s impolite to interrupt the staff. She casts a bemused glance at Clint. “You’re in hiding, afraid for being hunted, and you come here to hang out? Are you actively trying to get yourself killed?” Her tone makes it clear she’s teasing, but there’s still an element of truth in her words. Sooner or later, he’s bound to be spotted by someone he doesn’t want to be seen by.
“I’m good at making a quick escape if needed but didn’t you say that ‘I’m safe here’ before,” Clint answers teasingly grinning at you. “The other Clint is not in trouble here I believe, so your SHIELD should not be hunting me. Unless my SHIELD runs after me I don’t think I actually have to worry that much but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”
“Very true. And if SHIELD from your universe comes hunting you, we probably have a bigger problem, no offense, than them hunting you. That kind of spillover is very bad.” Summer pushes open the door and goes outside, picking her way down the icy steps. “Which way did you want to go?”