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Lance Hunter was sitting on his coach, a glass of whiskey in front on him. A piece of sheet was on the table. The paper was dainty, the letters fancy and purple. He couldn't stand purple... at least not anymore.
He swallowed the last drop of his glass before pouring himself another. He grabbed the fine sheet and read it again :
“Clint Barton and Barbara Morse are pleased to announce their engagement and invite you to celebrate this great day...”
He threw the announcement through the room. Hunter drank in one go his drink. He crashed on the coach, his empty glass on this chest. He wasn't over her, but she obviously was. And seriously, why wouldn't she fall for him ? This Clint guy was a bloody avenger ! He was just a merc, with hell of skeleton on his closet and a serious problem with alcohol.... They were doomed from the start. They couldn't stop leaving and coming back again to do it all over again... But this time, he honestly thought she would come back to him, even after what he'd said and done. He had seen the way she looked at him when he stepped trough that door. Hunter was sure of his feeling for her, nevertheless, he wanted to trial her, make her feel like he felt so many time... If he had known this would lead them on the road to ruin, he never would have step trough that door, he would have stayed with her, held her tight in his arms... and maybe it would have worked this time.
Hunter closed his eyes. He wanted to feel her naked body against his, hear her whispering his name while he was moving into her...
He needed another drink, and whiskey wasn't enough. He stood up, opened the closet door and grabbed a bottle of tequila. Lance removed the cork and started to drink straight from the bottle. Tonight he was going to get wasted. He would try to forget Bobbi, at last for a couple of hours.
He sat against the wall and drank another swallow. It was already hard for him to see her, work with her... Yet, he was invited to her wedding. That was rubbish, that was torture ! The first time Hunter saw Clint and Bobbi together, he get so wasted that Fitz has to scrape him of the ground.
He rubbed his face and tried to stood up. He felt dizzy. His head was asking him to stop, go to bed and sleep, but his heart needed more tequila. Hunter finally succeeded in standing up, the bottle of tequila in his right hand.
He stumbled to reach the sofa and fell on it, spilling some tequila on him.
“Bloody hell” He snapped.
Hunter laid on the coach and drank one more swallow of tequila before he dropped the bottle on the floor. It broke, spilling all his content on the wooden floor.
He had drunk to much to quickly. His head was spinning and without noticing it, he started to sob. The sobs intensified as he put his head in his hands.
He was drowning in his old way. Drinking, feeling sorry for himself while he was the only responsible. He knew he built this shitty life on his own. And perhaps, if he had stopped blaming everybody for it, he would have felt less alone.
Hunter slid a hand in his pocket. He brought out his bunch of keys and stared at the key-ring. He barely touched the carved letter before resting his head on the coach's arm.
~
He remembered that night like it was yesterday. They've been together for a few mouths then. Bobbi had just came back from mission and she met him at the saloon. He was already there when she appeared. Bobbi walked toward him. It was really hot in there... Yet, not as hot as she was that evening... She was wearing a tight red dress that molded all her curves. She sat next to him at the bar and turned to face him. He smiled as he kissed her.
“I missed you, handsome.” She whispered to his ear.
He kissed her lips.
“So did I”.
He buried his eyes into her. Bobbi smiled while he was fondling her cheek. Hunter took a deep breath and asked :
“What do you want to drink ?”
“Vodka Martini”
She stopped a second.
“Without olives of course, I hate it !” She added.
Hunter laughed.
“Francine, bring a vodka Martini without olives for my lovely guest.”
“You call me Francine again and you won't be able to pour yourself a glass of whiskey anymore” She snapped.
Bobbi put a hand on her mouth to contain her laugh. Fran poured Bobbi's drink and shook her hand.
“I'm Francine, the bartender. But people who cared about their life call me Fran or Franny.”
Bobbi nodded and drank a swallow of her drink. Hunter was looking at her a wide smile on his face. She licked her lips and breathed out.
Hunter cleared throat.
“So, how was your mission ?” He asked acting as he was totally uninterested by the answer.
Bobbi drank one more mouthful.
“This was a simple mission.”
Hunter chuckled.
“You ain't going to tell me more, are you ?”
She shook her head.
“Nope. Anyway, you know it's classified”
He bit her inferior lip before drinking in one go his glass of whiskey.
“You're mysterious...” Hunter said.
He turned to look at her.
“Kinda like that.”
She put a hand on his knee and bent to kiss him. Bobbi gently bit his lips, he moaned.
“I can't wait for tonight, honey.”Hunter murmured.
Her lips reached his ears as she said :
“Don't worry, I got it all planed for you...”
Hunter whined. He ran his hand on her back when her hand stopped him. She chuckled as she moved back. She rejected her hair behind her shoulder.
“What about you ? What did you do while I was in Japan ?”
Hunter opened his mouth but Fran cut him off.
“He spent all the time here talking about you sweetie.”
He looked down. Bobbi smiled and fondled his back.
“That's sweet”. She assumed.
“He couldn't stop praising your beauty... And I can't blame him 'cause that's true !”
Bobbi blushed. She looked for Hunter's eyes.
“So you've been talking a lot about me ?”
“I presumed” He mumbled.
She smiled and added :
“I've been talking about you too, you know...”
Hunter cheered a bit.
“You should ask Mack, he would tell you.” She topped.
He glimpsed at her with a little smile. Hunter and Bobbi finally busted into a huge laugh.
They caught their breath. Hunter put back a strand of her hair behind her ear. He stared at her. She blushed and looked down. She took a glimpse at him.
“The way you look at me is quite disturbing...” She confessed.
Hunter couldn't help him. He buried his look into her blue eyes. He eventually looked away as he asked Fran to bring him another glass of whiskey.
He didn't know if it was the right time to say such thing, so he fixed the bar with an empty look. Bobbi turned toward him and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Hunter you're alright ?” She asked.
He nodded putting a hand on hers.
“I...”He stopped.
It took him a while before he could say something. Hunter was still staring at the bar when he finally said.
“I... What would you say if... If...”
He took a deep breath. Bobbi frowned.
“What would you say if I ask you to marry me ?”
Hunter couldn't even believe what he just said. He glimpsed at Bobbi. She was stunned.
“Wha.... What ?” She stammered.
He didn't say anything.
She chuckled.
“Are you even serious ?” She asked.
Hunter bit his lips.
Bobbi started to play with her hair ; Hunter was still looking down on the bar. They stayed like this for several minutes.
Bobbi eventually opened her mouth.
“Why ?”
He answered in a second.
“Because I believe in us.”
Bobbi looked at him.
“But with our career...”
“I resigned from S.A.S actually.”
She goggled.
“Why did you do that ?”
He buried his eyes in hers.
“Because I settle here. I officially live in United States.”
“Why ?”
He chuckled.
“See point one : Because I believe in us.”
Hunter took one of her hand.
“You know... I'm not a big picture guy. I usually bail before it get serious. But... But with you I want to try. I don't really know why, but, yeah, I think I'm just in love with you actually.”
He stopped to look at her.
“I know it's a little bit premature, but I want to believe in us.”
She shook her head.
“Hunter, we only know each other for three mouth, I think it's a bit early to take an important decision such as wedding !”
“Yeah. That's right. Yet, I want to. I'm not a romantic guy. I don't even have a ring...”
Bobbi closed her eyes.
“Have you even thought about it ?”
“Yes, I have indeed. I don't have much to persuade you because I don't have much to give. But, I love you. And I think it is enough.”
Hunter glimpsed at Bobbi. She was looking at him, a little smile on her lips.
“Are you sure ?” She stuttered.
He looked her deep in the eyes and nodded. Bobbi's smiled get wider. She took his face with her hands and whispered in his ear.
“If it's enough for you, then it's enough for me.”
She bent and kissed him. He ran his hands on her back and in her hair. The kiss lasted several minutes. When their lips finally parted, Fran brought them two glasses of champagne.
“Congratulation !” She said raising her glass. “You could have brought a ring, loser.”
Hunter cursed.
“I'm a spontaneous guy ! I'll get her a ring, cross my heart and hope to die !”
Fran rolled his eyes. Bobbi looked at Hunter with mischievous eyes.
“I know what you're thinking...”
Bobbi turned around.
“You do ?” She teased.
Hunter rand a hand to her thigh. She glimpsed at him and stood up. She picked up her purse.
“You're ready ?”
He drank in one go his glass of champagne. He turned whereas Bobbi was already outside. He smiled at her.
“Franny, I've got a huge night coming... So see you !”.
He put on the bar fifty bucks and winked at Fran.
“Wait a minute handsome.”
She threw something trough the pub. He caught it then opened his hand. There was a key-ring. The saloon key-ring.
“Why did you give me this ?” He asked.
“Give her. She needs something to wear before you find her a ring.”
Hunter put the key-ring on his pocket.
“Thanks Franny !”
“You're welcome sweet boy”
He met Bobbi in front of the bar.
“What took you so long ?”
He grabbed his waist. He kissed her forehead and put a knee on the floor.
“Barbara Morse, do you want to marry me ?”
He took the key-ring in his pocket. She started to laugh.
“Yes, I do.” She said still laughing. Hunter put the key-ring in her hand, stood up and kissed her for a long time.
When the kiss ended, she looked closely at what he gave her. She fondled his cheek.
“This worth all the diamond rings of the world”
He hugged her tight as his hand slid toward her but.
“We should....”
Hunter cut her off.
“Yes, we should.”
He grabbed her hand and led her to his car.
~
Hunter opened his eyes. The sun was coming for the window. He felt woozy, he rubbed his eyes. The key-ring was on his chest. He decided to stand up, not without some difficulties. He took the announcement on the floor. Hunter read it again. He looked for the reply card and the tiny envelope. He picked up a pen, and checked the “no” case for the question “will you be there ?”. He put the card and looked for the last time the key-ring before slipping it in the envelope.
He grabbed a coat and left his flat. Hunter hurtled down the stairs then headed for his car. He drove until he reached her house. In front of Bobbi's (and Clint's) mail box he pulled out the envelope. He slipped it in the box and turned around.
This was it. The end. He had to let her go. Hunter get inside his car and drew away from her house, without looking back.