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“A coffee shop? Are you bloody sure?” Her brother spoke from the other side of the phone, and the planet. “Do you realize that you could be working for something like… I don’t know S.H.I.E.L.D.?”
She laughed and picked her bags from the backseat of the car, saying thanks to the taxi driver and looking around.
“Yeah, I know that. But I also know that I just want to keep my life normal.”
“Normal? Oh darling we both know that that is not gonna happen, you’re a trained field agent. Besides, I know the real reason why you’re in New York.”
She froze and something her mind went lost. Of course, her brother knew the other reason why she was in New York.
“You know nothing Jon” She laughed
“Don’t you dare to quote me Game Of Thrones lady!! But let’s face it. You are chasing the white rabbit.”
“You’re being an idiot Jon. I’m outside of what’s going to be my apartment so I’ll talk to you later.”
“Send me photos! Love you and please, be careful Y/N” His voice was soft.
“Sure thing. Love ya.” She pressed the red button to end the call and let out a sigh.
New York City, indeed it was a hell of a city.
Chicago, he could be living in Chicago. In a little apartment with a dog and a nice view, but no. For the moment, he had to live here, in the hellish New York City in the Avengers Facility. Just for the moment, he repeated himself.
Clint looked in the mirror as he grabbed a purple t-shirt from the desk, he looked tired, almost way too tired. Last night he had that feeling again, that someone was wondering in his mind, daring to speak or not. He knew it was her.
“But you’re too shy apparently,” He said to himself, but he did talk to the voice in his head that rarely appear.
When he was young it was there all the time, but then something weird happened and the voice became quiet. He was afraid that he had said something that turned off the communication. But again, no one knew how that really worked.
Working in a coffee shop wasn’t one of her greatest ideas but ever since her parents were killed and she was left only with her brother she decided that being an Agent for the government wasn’t that good. Of course, she could be doing a desk job, but she needed to get away from all of it.
“Y/N? Are you listening to me?” Her boss said.
“Yes, I’m sorry. You were explaining something.”
After an hour of something of hearing the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ from her new work, she was ready to start the day.
The first day had been a successful one, a bunch of costumes that treated her well and others that were too deep in their business to even looked at her and notice that she wasn’t their regular waitress.
The only thing she wanted after she arrives at her apartment was a nice bath and a good night of sleep.
Once that the bathtub was filled with warm water she took off her clothes and entered, humming at the sensation of the water on her body, washing away her first day of work, the nasty looks, the nice looks, everything. After a moment with her eyes closed, she opened them, looked at her left forearm, and traced with her fingers the tattoo that was there, carefully tracing the lines from the two arrows and the lone feather in the middle of them.
“Why it is so hard to find you?” She asked, never looking away from the drawing on her skin. “Who designed this? And why it’s so weird?”
Y/N laughed at herself and rested her head on the side of the bathtub, trying not to think too much.
“Well, it isn’t that hard to find me actually. You just have to ask, you know?”
The sound of his voice inside of her head made her let out a little scream of surprise, it’s been a while since she heard him. Not really… she could hear him sometimes but without replying.
“It’s nice to know that you’re okay though.”
Something inside her felt happy and she had to say something. Anything.
“Well, I’m okay. Very naked, but okay.” She bit her tongue after thinking that. “That was not what I meant to say” She could feel the red color on her neck, going all the way up to her face. And even more when he laughed.
He laughed at her.
Clint laughed on his bed, it was late and the day had been calm. No bad guys to chase or something like that, so he had been all day training and trying new things with Wanda, they were trying to complement their skills.
But as soon as he touched his bed he realized that he was craving for her, for his soulmate or whatever crap they call that. He wanted to talk to her, to meet her. To hold her in his arms and as he thought of that her voice appeared in his head.
And she just told him that she was naked. It was adorable.
“You’re naked but okay. Okay, I get it.” He laughed
“I didn’t… I’m taking a bath that’s all. Why am I saying this to you?! Oh my God. This is so embarrassing; I bet you will never want to meet me now. WHAT DID I JUST SAY!?”
She was adorable, her voice was adorable. All freaked out.
“Hey, calm down. It’s okay, I say things like that all the time. But returning to the starting point. It’s not that hard to find me, as I said, all you gotta do is ask.”
“I know that.”
But at the moment he heard those words he felt alone. Like something inside of him was lost. Damn this connection, damn this shit of soulmates and why has no one studied well to tell him how to re-connect with her.
“Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.” She said to herself while washing the cup of her morning coffee. Last night she could ask him where he was, or even his name. But no. Nothing like that and now she had to work.
Y/N entered the coffee shop and grabbed the apron with her name and placed herself behind the counter. After a few hours, her forearm was itching but she didn’t pay any attention to it.
“Y/N?”
“Yes, Benny?” She asked her co-worker
“It’s your turn on the tables.” He said and she looked at the clock, it was around lunchtime and she didn’t even notice.
“Sure,” She said and Benny laughed. “What is it?”
“Just in time for our regular famous customers.”
“Who?”
“The Avengers,” He said and pointed out to the group of Earth Mightiest Heroes that were now sitting on one of the private tables. “Go get their order if you want to keep your job”
She nodded but first she took a few plates to the other tables, who greeted her at the moment she left. Y/N’s forearm was still itching so she thought that maybe some mosquito had had a feast of her blood.
Taking a little notebook out from the front pocket of her apron she placed herself in front of the Avengers table, one could think that they may have lunch in the place that they live but here they were.
“Hello, may I take your orders?” She asked but everyone was still looking at the Menus.
But Tony Stark lifted his eyes to her. “You’re not Benny or Stacy, or from here. Who are you?”
Those words were enough to make all of them look at her. Making her nervous.
“We should go out and eat lunch,” Tony said.
“only if we go to that place that has good coffee.”
“Is there another place Clinton?” Natasha said smirking. She knows how much did his friend love the coffee from that tiny coffee shop, which happened to have some great food too.
With that said they made their way to the coffee shop in the center of New York City, they looked out for their favorite table and sat down. Waiting for Benny or Stacy to come and get their orders. Something that they usually do, like three times a month, maybe less. But they liked to come to this place.
Clint’s forearm was itching like crazy and all he had done was scratching it like a kid. Without paying real attention that it started right at the moment he walked to the coffee shop.
“Stop doing that is annoying!” Natasha told him but all he did was gave her a funny look.
Trying to decide what he may order, besides the coffee, he almost missed the accent that the waitress had. Almost.
“You’re not Benny or Stacy, or from here. Who are you?” Said Tony and Clint raised his eyes to the girl.
She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a purple t-shirt under the black apron, her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her eyes were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. A small color of red on her neck and face gave her nervousness away.
“No, and no. I’m new here, Y/N. Nice to meet you all. Are you ready to order?” She said, all business. But there was something in her voice that made Clint glue his eyes to her.
He lowered his eyes while everyone was talking about what their orders were when he saw her left arm. Her left forearm, her tattoo.
His tattoo.
“And you?” She asked him.
“Me coffee.”
She laughed and it was the most beautiful thing to hear. But as soon as her laugh appeared it faded away with her biting her lower lip trying to hide the pain, at the same time that he let out an “ouch” of pain.
She turned around and walked away from them. But not before he could see a glimpse of her tattoo being colored.
“What the hell was that? ‘me coffee, ouch’? Are you having a mental break down Clint?” Pietro made fun of him.
But Natasha was grabbing his arm and smiling like a fool, almost as foolish as him.
“Y/N? Are you okay?” Benny asked after a few moments of silence. “You don’t look well”
“I-I’m fine Benny. Thanks…” She was waiting for the order of The Avengers and another table to come, but the pain on her forearm was being too much. Like needles pocking on her skin nonstop and in that moment she looked at her tattoo it was starting to be colored, the feather was in a deep shade of purple and plate. While the arrows were still colorless.
“Order to table 5” She nodded and took the tray, a small salad was on it.
“Are you okay?”
The tray fell from her hands onto the floor, making a mess of salad and soda. Her hands were shaking and her breathing was heavy. A pair of hands appeared in front of her and started to help her clean the mess.
“Are you okay?” He asked looking right to her eyes, beyond her soul.
He.
He was standing right there, holding a broken glass and her bloody hand.
“You,” She said.
“You” He replied. She saw how the point of the arrows became silver and how it matched with hers.
“Y/N! Oh my God, are you okay?! You’re bleeding! Clint, I’m sorry, she’s new and…”
“Y/N?” He said and she nodded “Benny, Benny it’s okay. Happens, may I help her clean up this wound? We’ll pay for the broken things.”
The guy nodded and Clint helped Y/N to get up the floor. Guided her to the “personal only” bathroom and made her sat down.
The air in the bathroom was weird but normal at the same time. Clint was looking for the first aid kit and she was looking at her hand.
“I can clean this myself. I’m perfectly capable of doing it.”
He turned to face her, grabbed her hand, and carefully took a piece of glass out of her skin.
“I wanted to do it. So… Y/N” He said and started to clean the wound. She was used to wounds so it wasn’t a big deal.
“Clint,” She said
“Does it hurt?”
“No”
“And the tattoo?” He was now placing a bandage while his other hand traced the lines of the tattoo.
“Not anymore. Thank you.” She said and chills went down her spine.
“You’re welcome.”
After a few words with her boss, her shift was over. She knew that he was waiting outside, waiting for her.
“Do you mind if I walk you home?” He said scratching the back of his neck and she nodded.
They both walked through the streets of the city until they reached her apartment.
“So…”
“So”
“Can I get your number? I don’t really know how does it work” Clint admitted.
Y/N smiled and chewed her lip for a second. She was not going to regret it.
“Or you could come up and we can talk?”
“Talk?”
“Talk” She repeated and opened the door. Clint following her steps closely, first the elevator and then her door. “This is it”
She opened the door and he awkwardly entered. He stood there, waiting for some kind of move, she had disappeared into another room.
“You can come in you know?” she said and he quickly followed her voice.
“Okay, can I cut the bullshit and kiss you or?”
“Oh please do.”
Clint made his way to her and holding face he kissed her lips, humming at the touch of them. Making her float and his heart race.
“Yesterday you were saying you were naked? Why aren’t you now?” He asked against her lips
She smiled and kissed his neck “I may consider taking the job on S.H.I.E.L.D. then” She said and he looked at her surprised.
“What are you?”
“A field agent” She laughed at his gesture.
He was smiling and his eyes had gone wild. “Oh damn it,” He said and kissed her deeply.