3884/Tidepool: Don't Give up on Me

Tidepool: Don't Give up on Me
Date of Scene:	16 February 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Clint to his old place, gets pizza and something he didn't expect.
Cast of Characters:	Hawkeye (Barton), Quake
Tinyplot:	Rising Tide

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Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
January 20th 2026

Clint was still turning over Fury's words when the cab dropped him off outside his old apartment in Brooklyn. He was tired and the painkillers that kept his sore leg in check were wearing off. He paid the cabby then fished out the bottle of painkillers he'd been given and dry swallowed a couple before heading out to the curb.

Gino's was right in front of him. He doesn't even remember deciding to go in, one moment he's standing on the curb the next he's surrounded by the warmth and smells of the hole in the wall pizzaria. "Hey Gino, how about a pie?" he says leaning on the warmer case. "And a sixer of the beer," he doesn't need to name it. The beer was just the beer.

Quake has posed:
It was between dinner rush and bar rush at Gino's, Gino himself bussing the few tables that needed attention, and wiping them down. He looks up to give Clint a broad smile.

"Hey, Hawkguy. That is you, isn't it," the swarthy Italian teases Clint as he makes his way to behind the counter to send his order back to the kitchens. "It's been so long I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about us."

"So, the usual and a six-pack, huh? Having a quiet night with your lady?" He busies himself with putting a few things away while he waits for an answer. "She's still too good for you, you know."

It's the usual comment he's given since meeting Skye.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint smiles tiredly and shakes his head at Gino, "Hey, I was in here last week for take out. Sure you're just not getting forgetful in your old age?" he shoots back half-heartedly. "And just a quiet night in for myself, Gino. So do up my usual and a six tonight."

He leans more fully on the warmer, fighting the urge to just lay his head down on top of his arms and fall asleep. He resists it though, snorting at the usual remark, "Yeah, she is. Might not see her around for a bit. She had to go out of town." He says the lie easily. "So, how long for that pie?"

Quake has posed:
"A quiet night, huh? She going to be out of town long? Maybe I should stock up on pizza and beer until she comes back, huh?

Gino chuckles to himself as he checks with the back on the pizza order, before heading to the cooler to grab the six-pack, especially as he's reminded of the note Skye has left with him for just such an occasion. To cheer him up and remind him he's loved, she'd told Gino as she'd handed him the folded napkin.

"About seven more minutes, now."

The beer is put on the counter, and Gino takes a good look at Clint. "Are you okay, Hawkguy? You look terrible. Like you've not been sleeping or taking care of yourself."

He notes the dark circles smudging beneath Clint's eyes, and the unshaven stubble of the man's jaw.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint opens his mouth to say 'something like that' but those sort of answers just bred more questions. "Not a bad idea. I might be around a whole lot more often." At this point he couldn't remember if he had real food at his old place or not.

"Seven, good stuff," he says about the time and is almost ready to put his head down again when Gino asks him how he's doing.

"Me? Nah, never better. Got shot yesterday. That was fun. Dangers of being Hawkguy I guess, didn't catch in on the news? I heard it was all over."

Quake has posed:
"Ah, you know me, always with the work here. Try to keep my nose clean and out of the garbage they show on that idiot box, huh?"

Gino jerks his chin towards the television which seems to be perpetually stuck on The Sportz Network.

"Shot, though, huh?" Gino considers, remembering Skye as she was the day she'd left the note for Hawkeye. How she'd looked strained herself. Worn, and stretched just a bit too thin. Something about her suggesting he not ask too many questions of her.

His thoughts are interrupted by the pizza order coming up, Joe in the back setting the box on the ledge and dinging the little bell that was there for when the place was busy.

Gino takes Skye's note, and fusses over the box, putting the note inside, calling back to Joe, "Don't think I don't know you did that on purpose, huh?"

He puts the box on the counter and waves off Clint's paying. "No, no, the pie is on me. Something of a present seeing as you got shot and your girl is away. The rest I'll put on tab until she's back. You can settle up then."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Guess, it wasn't big enough to interrupt the game," Clint says with a smile that was at once relieved and tired. "But yeah, just piece of a stray round. No big deal. Hurts like hell though."

While Gino gets the pizza sorted out Clint does put his head on his hands and closes his eyes briefly. When he did his thoughts came rushing back in a tumble, how Fury had all but told him Skye was on an op, that she hadn't betrayed them or been kidnapped. He should be happy but he wasn't, perhaps because he was too tired, or perhaps because that answer birthed so many questions of its own. Still, one piece of his advice stuck out, to trust Skye was who she was, which he took to meant what she did she did for good reasons

Gino's remarks to Joe have Clint lifting his head, pulled from his thoughts and tugged for a moment or two from the cusp of sleep. Seeing the food's ready he reaches for his wallet.

"What? Are you sure Gino? I mean I can pay," he says in protest of the offer of the free pizza. "Just put it on my tab with the rest, I can settle it when she's back, like you said."

Quake has posed:
Clint is waves off by Gino, without any actual commitment to whether or not hes going to charge for the pizza. You go. Eat. Get some sleep. Tell your girl not so long next time before I see her.

And with that, Gino goes back into the kitchens to yell at Joe in Italian, the ritual obviously old and grounded in mutual friendship, even if it does sound very loud and quite possibly heated.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Will do," Clint says as he grabs the pizza and beer making his exit amidst the two Italians squabbling.

He heads on to his building and makes the long, painful, three story trek to his old apartment. Once inside, he kicks of his boots and nudges the door closed behind him. He leans against it for a second, taking stock of things. He was almost too exhausted to eat, but figured he'd give it a shot anyway. If he did get to sleep at all, he was likely to sleep right through the next day. Food would be a good idea.

He makes his way to the couch and sinks down onto it. He would have turned on the TV or something but that and his game system were at the Greenwich house. He smiled as he thought that, 'the Greenwich House', fuck things had changed from his days as system kid.

He lifts the lid of the box and takes a look inside hoping the sight of food might encourage him to actually eat.

Though it wasn't the pizza that drew his eye, it was the folded up napkin inside. Gino was a perfectionist, he wouldn't let that sort of thing slide, so he picks up the napkin and unfolds it. He blinks when he sees writing on it and not in Gino's blocky writing, it read:

~I'll explain later. Love you. Miss you. Don't give up on me. - Keyboard~

Clint just stares for awhile. The printing was Skye's, no doubt of that, but he had no idea how she'd gotten it to Gino. Though, to be honest, he didn't care. He read the words over and over until his stunned expression gave way to a smile. This was the sort of answer he had gone to Fury for proof that somehow despite everything, things would be okay, that Skye was still the Skye he knew and loved.

He let out a sigh leaning back on the couch clutching the napkin loosely in his hand. Relieved and exhausted, sleep crept up on him swiftly. When he woke, morning light coming through the window, the napkin was still his hand and the pizza was stone cold.

He got up, picked up an arrow and stuck the note to the wall on the way to the kitchen as he dug around for a pen and paper. When he found them he set the paper down on the kitchen island and paused a moment while he thought what to write. It didn't take long for it to come.

~Took you long enough. Got your other message too. Love and miss you too. And I'd never. Stay safe. I'll take care of Merida for you. - Hotshot ~

He put down the pen, folded up the note taking it downstairs to Gino's hoping that Skye would return again.