Work Text:
"Hey Director Hill, you got a minute?" Clint came jogging up alongside her as she walked the long hallway towards the elevator.
Maria paused to let him catch up. "Yes, Agent Barton, what do you need?"
He seemed a little out of breath and flushed, carrying a large bag in one hand, and as soon as she turned her attention on him, he hesitated.
She waited expectantly, though not impatiently for him to speak.
"Look," his hand came up to the back of his neck and he seemed to be struggling to look at her, "we're, well, what I mean is, you and I, we're not close, like friends close, but you're important to Nat." The color in his cheeks turned brighter. "I didn't realize how important until she told me just recently, about you, I mean, about you and her, and how...much you mean to her."
One of Maria's eyebrows rose, not entirely a conscious gesture, as she tried to remain professional. "Is this a work related topic, Agent Barton?"
His look went from chagrined to deadly serious in an instant. "Yes," he finally made eye contact, "because if you intentionally hurt her, I'll put so many arrows in you people will think you started life as a pincushion."
Maria figured out what was happening. She was getting the best friend shovel speech. She admired Barton for being so direct, and having the guts to do it in the middle of SHIELD headquarters.
"Understood." She met his gaze steadily. "Anything else?"
"This is for you." He thrust the bag at her. "I got it from the research boffins downstairs. Remember you also have to keep yourself safe, to keep from hurting her."
She glanced down into the bag. It was a helmet. It looked like one of the new designs, some ultra light, ultra strong material the research labs were playing around with. It showed promising results in early field trials for protective gear.
She looked up at him, feeling slightly bewildered and trying not to show it. "What--"
He cut her off. "Thighs strong enough to crush a man's skull, Director. Just something to keep in mind. Stay safe out there."
Before she could recover enough to respond, he clapped her on the shoulder and walked away, whistling cheerfully, leaving her holding the bag.
She looked down at it again as he rounded the corner out of sight then sighed and turned to keep heading back towards the elevators, attempting to get her mind back on the track it had been on prior to the interruption.
She nearly plowed into Natasha who had come up silently behind her and who gave the bag a curious look. Maria gave her an exasperated look and thrust the bag at her. "The good news is you were right about Barton taking things well."
Natasha took the bag and looked at the helmet before asking, "and the bad?"
"I now have to go talk with R&D about them letting expensive equipment out of the labs. Also," she glanced around quickly to verify there was no one else within hearing, "I'm a little insulted he'd think about it as anything other than a delight and a privilege to be that close to you."
"A privilege?" Natasha raised an eyebrow daringly at her.
"Trust goes both ways." Maria stated succinctly and while Natasha's expression didn't noticeably change, there was a slight shift in her eyes that expressed her pleasure in that answer clearly to Maria.
Maria nodded in satisfaction. "See you later, Agent Romanoff." She walked past Natasha, hitting the elevator button and recalling her mind to work.
"Director Hill?" She turned towards the voice as she simultaneously stepped into the elevator. "See you later. Bring the helmet. I have some ideas on new ways to test it."
Natasha winked at her as the elevator doors closed, and Maria knew she wouldn't be able to get her mind back on work for quite some time.