Owner	Pose
Clint Barton	This is the time of the year that the two SHIELD agents take for themselves, since their respective birthdays happen about the same time, by the end of June and early July. Part of the celebration is obviously of a private nature, but the rest of the day is usually dedicated to having fun. For a time, Clint and Skye were thinking of an exotic trip to some weird location. But with their line of work, it's difficult to be sure they would be available at specific dates. So instead of climbing the Kilimanjaro or feeding the emperor penguins in Antarctica - which were Clint's ideas - they ended up playing tourists at Coney Island. As they enter the park, Clint grabs his cellphone to check on the local attractions, more specifically, the Thunderbolt. "Right," he says, walking in Luna Park with Skye by this quiet weekday afternoon, "Thunderbolt, 90 degrees drop, inversions. Hrm. You want to try it first, or after eating?" He grins at that, sure that he could hold his food, but that it might be different for her.
Skye Johnson	Skye was excited. After all, if they'd gone somewhere else, they would have been up for grabs to do their duty - witness what had happened during their trips to Hong Kong and mainland China. Sure there was a part of Skye that still wanted to do SHIELD things even when on vacation. But.. Coney Island!! What could go wrong with Coney Island?? Nothing. That's what! Looking around at the amusement park, Skye grins. "Both?"
Clint Barton	Clint laughs at Skye's answer, both. "Sorry, Keyboard," he says, "No eating in attractions. You might be able to keep your food, but I doubt dropping fries or else on someone else would lead to fun times." And on that, the archer leads them on their left, towards the Thunderbolt. From the distance, and despite if being a quiet day, they can ear people screaming as the rollercoaster spins its load of fun goers. "Let's do this first, then we'll eat." Not that he doubts his own ability - after all, being in a Quinjet piloted by Stark is way more scary - he's just not that hungry yet. The waiting line isn't long, so they should be able to board the Thunderbolt quickly enough.
Skye Johnson	Skye just rolls her eyes. "Not during!" They had rules about things like that. Not that she had any problems eating during. SHIELD had done many things for her, including that. She didn't have any fears left. Well, not that she knew of - there were always new things! "Well, we would be almost first in line now. Pick of the cars for ridin. "First or last?" To tell the truth, she was still hoping to ride the Comet more than once throughout the day. At night especially!! "And are we going to do it in order.. kinda.. or pick and choose as we want to." Each method had good things and bad things about them. Which to choose! Not to mention the food! All the food!
Clint Barton	And soon it's their turn. As Skye predicted, they got to pick their car. Without hesitation, Clint opts for the last car. Yes, there are risks of receiving unpredictable items or worse from the cars in front. But on the other end, the last car is the most exciting, as you feel the g-force even more. As he sits down and buckles up, Clint grins like a kid. "This will be fun," he says, "Then, if you're still alive, we can try the Comet."
Skye Johnson	"Alive? Ha!" Skye had walked off of tall buildings as part of her training for Quake. This ride came with safety harnesses. How bad could it be? To tell the truth, she was looking forward to this. Not because she wasn't afraid, and might be afraid -- no, it was the company. With Clint she would have gone on the kiddie roller coaster. Even if they were too big! Especially Clint who was on the tall side. "Ready?"
Clint Barton	Once they are all seated and secured in the cars, the whole is pushed over the rollercoaster rails. At first the speed is relatively slow -again, in the eyes of SHIELD agents - but even to them, the 90 degrees drop is interesting. Gaining more speed now, the cars enter a loop which inverses the cars upside down while turning at an increased speed. Clint is laughing like a kid, observing the passengers of the other cars, some screaming from fright. "This is fun!" he yells to compensate for the sound of the cars and the wind in their face, "This should be part of training." The archer seems quite relaxed in his seat, not grabbing the bars for support. And soon enough, the 90 degrees drop is in view.
Skye Johnson	Admittedly, when Skye had /first/ joined SHIELD this would have scared the crap out of her. But now? "You've got a point!" Skye grinned. "Would be better if it corkscrewed around during the drop." She demonstrated with the fingers of one hand. "See that man.. no.. not him.. HIM! bet he won't be able to stand the ride and clasp his supports before.. say.. halfway through the first drop?" Actually, halfway was generous. Skye leaned out as far as her seat allowed and looked straight down behind.
Clint Barton	Clint laughs even louder, the combined thrill of the ride and Skye's comment about the man being so funny. "Just watch out, in case he loses his lunch!" Yes, this would be a fun breaker. Just as the cars exit again from the 90 degrees drop, the man is actually clasping at the supports. "Too bad you didn't bet on it," Clint laughs. There is another two rounds, and soon - way to soon to his taste - the cars come to a stop and people start to disembark. It's amusing how the man Skye pointed at, takes his sweet time to get up. "Bet he wet his pants," Clint comments, trying not to stare too much at the man.
Skye Johnson	Skye elbows Clint as she laughs. "That's mean!" But oh so true. "You do know, everything else will be tamer after that?" Not that she minded. "Next time we take the first cars." Then again, from the first car they wouldn't be able to watch the other vict.. er.. passengers as they went around. "Swings next?" Apparently she's decided: Willy nilly it is!
Clint Barton	A quick look at the park's map, and the swings are easily located. "Everything you want," Clint says, holding her hand in his, and stealing a quick kiss before leading the way to the famous Sky Swings. Again, this will test most people - not them - still, the archer isn't sure if Skye meant to do these swings, that go way up above the ground. She has a chance to rethink her suggestion, as they approach the swings. "Cool, two seaters. If anything happens, we'll die together." Ah, some encouragement.
Skye Johnson	All the way to the swings Skye laughed. "No way! If we're going to fall, I'm landing on you." She turned about for the kiss. "Actually, I think ..could save us?" She's never really thought of that before. Mind you, if they were falling, probably the whole thing was falling and there was no way to save everyone. //Don't think such awful thoughts, Skye// she reminded herself. //You're here to have fun with Clint!// "The next one is yours! Better think on it!"
Clint Barton	And here again, the waiting time is short. Obviously, looking up at this swing, Skye didn't change her mind. Clint is also up for it. The swings can accommodate two people, which is perfect. Once seated and secured, the archer wraps his arm around Skye's waist, stealing yet another kiss. "I dunno," he says, "Maybe we'll eat something after that one, there's no rush. We've got the whole day to ourselves. And then the swings start to raise, up, up, very high indeed, slowly revolving around the central shaft. Soon the speed increases, and the swings are slowly lifted by the centrifuge effect.
Skye Johnson	Skye put her head against Clint's chest. "When I was younger I always wanted to play on the swings. At the orphanage they took them down. Leaving the bars empty. And when I was a little bit older at the group home for girls the only ones who could play on them were the in crowd of the older girls. And to keep us off they would wrap them around the bars when they would get off." It's not very often that Skye talks about her past. up.. Up.. UP they went, and Skye closed her eyes and felt the wind in her hair.
Clint Barton	Smiling as he enjoys the ride, Clint listens to Skye as she remembers her youth. Albeit for different reasons, they both had a crappy youth. Well, one thing in common is that at least one, if not both, of their respective parents was an asshole, with a capital A. As she closed her eyes, Clint takes a moment to admire her features, reflecting on how lucky he is. This leads him to a different train of thoughts, and, chuckling, he chases them away. For now. This is, after all, a public venue. Instead, his arm gently pulls her closer as his lips meet hers. This, at least, is acceptable in public. And it will have to do for now. "Enjoy the ride," he says in a low voice, "I won't let the past ruin your day."
Skye Johnson	"You won't." Skye smiles up at him. "It's not so sad anymore. I mean, yes some things still hurt a little. But I don't feel so angry or hurt these days. C'mon, I forgave SHIELD for it's part in it." It was the perfect ride - other than the ferris wheel to take in the whole park. "You know? We haven't been here before. Strange huh?"
Clint Barton	Clint laughs lightly at the mention of not visiting the park before. The archer is visibly enjoying the ride, but it soon seems to be slowing, and to end soon. "I know, right?" he says, grinning, "Hong Kong, China, MidWest? and all the other places we went to. But never here." He looks around for a moment. Luna Park is far from being the largest fair in the world. It does have a long history, and it's so close to Manhattan. "I have no idea why we never thought of coming here before. Sometimes, the treasure we look for far away, is just at our feet." He pauses, adding, "You can even find one at the local restaurant. Gino's is well known for treasures waiting there. I know, I've found one." And before he gets any more mushy, Clint quickly tickles Skye, jumping off the chair that came to a stop, before she can retaliate.
Skye Johnson	"You forgot Canada!" ?Skye grinned. Between missions, and her getting a hold of her powers, Canada was one of the places she was intimately familiar with. She had lived there, in the Rockies, for many months. Mind you, Clint might be just as happy to forget that little incident of their lives! She was getting her lap belt off when Clint surprise kissed her. Sure, she should have been prepared for that, but she wasn't. "Huh? Oh!.. OH! Clint!" Being as short as she didn't catch him as he jumped away. Laughing, "See what you get in return!" Really she hadn't a clue, but it sounded good anyway. Jumping from the swing, finally, she put her hand in his. "This.. is good. And the best part is,no SHIELD business!"
Clint Barton	Happy to hold her hand, Clint leads the way toward the food court - where the tourists can find the greasy joints. If they are going to be tourists for a day, they might as well eat as such. "I could never forget Canada," Clint says, gently squeezing her hand in his, "But I will for today." Once they near the food court, they can see what is available. "You'll be happy," he says, grinning, "Chance of finding healthy food is nil." Hrm, what to eat? "What'll be for you? Corndog, pretzels, beer?"
Skye Johnson	"Damn straight!" Skye mock shudders. "A fair where they serve salad?? Ewww! At least thay can serve vegetables deep fried with batter and a sauce!" Like beer battered mushrooms - those she could get behind! "D'uh." She makes a scrunchy face (probably for fun). "All of them. It's the fair. Your supposed to feel slightly icky on the way home!" Or she had read - she'd never been to one before. "Do you think they have a rifle shooting game? We could clean up on that!"
Clint Barton	It's not the chat about food that brings that Cheshire cat grin on Clint's face, but the mention of a rifle shooting range. For now, he'd eat whatever, his mind focused on the idea of being mean, very mean and winning the biggest plus available at the shooting range. Skye, knowing him, knows perfectly well that she planted this idea in her man's brain. Looking around, Clint quickly finds the greasiest joint, where everything you should not eat is available. The line is short, thankfully, and soon the archer finds himself with a plate full of unhealthy crap, namely, fries, corndog, onion rings and pretzel. Oh, and a bottle of water, just to feel less guilty with all that grease. "Riiiiight," Clint says, waiting for Skye to receive her portion of greasy grub, "Let' eat, I'll check if there's a shooting game."
Skye Johnson	"All according to my plans! Bwahahaha!" Oh yes, Skye knew full well what she had planted in Clint's brain. She was a good shooter, but Clint was an /excellent/ shooter. What she would do with with the plushie, she had no idea. Heck, they could give it away. the important part was winning it! And going on a few rides with it, of course! Unlike Clint, Skye had pop. There were no concessions to healthy on her tray!
Clint Barton	With their trays in hand, they soon find a quiet corner - yes, there are more people now, but somehow, Clint and Skye seem to be ahead of them, to the attractions and to lunch. Which none of them would complain about. Once seated on a flimsy metal chair in sore need of antirust paint, the archer looks down at his tray. Geez Louise, the grease. But hey, he'll do extra workout tomorrow, would it only be to feel better about eating this. He might not love the food offer, but his features show that he's enjoying their day. "Next time, remind me to bring Pepto," he says between bites of the mustard-covered corndog. And as he eats, the archer checks the list of game stands, "Ah ah! There! What decent fair does NOT have one."
Skye Johnson	Skye scoffs. "It's only one day!" Sure, she didn't eat like this either, but her regular fare, without a keeper, isn't that much better! "So, shall we do some more rides /and/ then sweep up the prizes? Or do it in reverse?" If you asked her, she would sweep up first. But it was Clint's turn to pick. "I promise not to call you Hotshot in front of the carnival dude." She crosses her heart (with the wrong hand) to make it official.
Clint Barton	Done with the extra mustard corndog, Clint finishes his plate, gulping down the cold water to drain it all down. "Well, with all that fried crap, I'd give a break to my stomach." Yes, good excuse - not that he needs any. Skye knows very well that the archer has only one thing in mind - aside from the regular that implies her - and it's to shoot and win! Even if it's unfair and at the fair. "When you're done eating, and if you survive it, then we'll go to the shooting game. I didn't practice much today." Yeah, like he needs an additional excuse.
Skye Johnson	"Blan blah blah! I can't hear you. I'm eating french fries and onion rings!" As if they would prevent her from listening! "You know," Skye teases him as she drinks her pop. "We could both do it. Wouldn't that make him be nervous.. or.. or.. if I stopped your bullet in midair!" Of course she was pulling Clint's leg. The whole thing depended on the crux of it being something they could not figure out until the last shots were fired. And that meant Skye had to be 'good' (for some amount of good). She would be the girlfriend wanting her boyfriend to win a prize - even if she was probably able to get it for herself. This way was better!
Clint Barton	And yes, there are many games played at the game stands. Having your boyfriend win the prize for you, is probably the funniest game of all of them. As on many other things, they cue in to each other naturally, and the archer is all for playing the game. "Remember," Clint says, smiling, "We are just the average joes here, not trying to get the attention on us. It's our day off." Of course, being the best marksman in the world is not what he would qualify for a special gift. It's just him being the best at what he does. Trying his best to not look impatient, Clint steals a couple onion rings from Skye's tray. "Once I'm done winning the biggest plush, you'll get to choose what we'll do next." Beat. "And don't forget, it's a public venue here." Like yeah, it ever stopped them from a quick one-on-one.
Skye Johnson	"Technically.." Skye snapped up the last of her onion rings before Clint could. "I suggested this, so you get two turns in a row. But before we go home, the last ride, we should do the ferris wheel. Deal?" This day was turning out so well, she would have been happy to sit on a bench by the seaside. Heck, just in the park beside the Trisk. For once everything was going completely, and normally, according to plan. One more drink, and then.. "Done! Let's go. We got a plushie to win!"
Clint Barton	She doesn't need to push Clint, he's already on his feet, taking her empty tray and their trash, to discard by the first bin along their way. "Deal," he says, taking her hand in his, "Plush, then ferris wheel." Once the trash was disposed of, they quickly found the shooting game stand. There's only an old man, a kid, and a woman trying their luck. And they aren't lucky. Up on the back wall behind the stand manager, is an array of prize plush toys, from the smallest possible - like a keychain - to the four feet tall. The game itself is way classic: ducks in a row! Rolling along the rail, they go faster as the time elapses, and at some point, they even lift quickly, rendering the game practically impossible to beat for the average joe. But when it comes to shooting, Clint and even Skye aren't the average joe. The rifles, equipped with an electronic targeting system, keep track of who shot which target. After paying the entry fees for himself and for Skye - yes, she can have fun too - Clint takes position at his allotted rifle. "Dang, I hate firearms, even fake ones. Ah well." The grin on his face proves that he's enjoying himself no matter what.
Skye Johnson	Skye actually was surprised! "Oooo me too!" Not that she was going to attempt the bigs prize! That would be too unfair of them! "You say that you hate them, but you're still the best. Be careful, make sure you adjust for the guns being set to make it hard." Hard, but for Clint, he can compensate for that. Even the fact they are crappy guns! Clint was going for the biggest prize; Skye was just seeing what she could do. Which shouldn't be half bad! Better than the average Joe for certain.
Clint Barton	At the stand, there are the two of them, and the old man who is still shooting. The kid and woman stepped back, their game finished. It seems the kid had a lot of fun, and not an once of luck as he is empty handed. As they get ready, the manager restart to game, the ducks rolling along the rail. Of course, and despite the game setting being on /hard/, the ducks are hit as they appear. At this point, they are evenly hit by Clint and Skye and it doesn't take long for the third competitor to stop even trying. Frowning, the game manager decides to raise the odds, and increases the speed, the ducks already starting to lift somewhat randomly. Again, they don't pass even the middle line of the rail. All down. "I'll get the flying ones," Clint says to Skye, "You get my back." Meaning for her, to hit them as they appear to the left of the rail. Of course, he could hit them all himself, but that wouldn't be as fun.
Skye Johnson	"You got it. You go right." Which means she depended on his to protect her on the right - something they had done hundreds of times before. At first they were coming out relatively slowly for this level. Skye drifted into SHIELD mode picking them off one by one. Damn, this was.. alright. She'd not realised how much this was a part of her life until she was shooting. *ping* *ping* *ping* She grinned. That round was easy.
Clint Barton	"You've got it," Clint replies, also in SHIELD mode. This is fun, and less demanding than Winter Soldier's training! The next round sees the speed increasing still and the ducks jumping up and down along the rail as if they were grasshoppers. No matter what, not a single one is missed. After a while, the speed stops increasing, as it most likely reached its limit: this is a fair, not a SHIELD training facility, so it has /human/ limits. At this point, the manager is not impressed anymore, having decided that these players weren't human. They'll get what plush they want, added to a permanent ban from the shooting game. Simple enough. Soon, the rail stops moving, and the last ducks are down. Clint places the fake gun back in its rack. "That was too easy," he comments, smiling at Skye.
Skye Johnson	Oh, don't bring up Bucky's training! He was insane! Even though they had passed it.. barely. Shooting at her targets, there were two things she noticed: They didn't shoot back (making it easier); and the were all in a row. Easier still for her. This was more like archery shooting - zen for her. Not to mention, anything she might miss, Clint got it. But Clint had the right of it: this was fun. "That's it?" Skye looked, and sure enough everything was shot, and the rails were off. "I mean.. that's it!" Too late. Their secret is out. If they could only play it once and then be kicked out? They played the fuck out of it!
Clint Barton	Sadly, the manager's face is set with a frown. There will be NO repeat for this couple. "Well done," the manager says, not thrilled. "The gent here," he points at Clint with a total lack of enthusiasm, got 229 of them. "Ma'am, you've got the 221 remaining. You both broke the record. Pick one prize, then go away." This isn't really an invitation to return. Oh well. Grinning, Clint turns to Skye. Doing so, he notices the young kid looking at them, his eyes wide open. At least someone got impressed! "Wow," the kid says, excited. "You're good! Someday I'll be good, and win a plush for my baby sister! A big, huge, teddy bear!" His mother, standing behind him, remains silent, a sad look on her face. "It's ok, kid," Clint replies, smiling, "With practice, you'll be good too." And turning to Skye, "You pick the prize, babe." But the smile is gone from Clint's face, as he quickly sign in ASL - //Check. The kid has a Children Miracle wristband.//
Skye Johnson	Sure enough, the kid *did* have a Children's Miracle wristband on. //Should we?// After all, the fun was shooting the targets, and having the manager scold them! Without waiting, she pretends to have trouble picking a prize. Turning to the kid. "I can't decide. Can you?" Knowing what she was going to do next. Over the kid's head, while he decides, Skye signs at Clint, //He needs it more than we do. Besides, where would we put it at home?//
Clint Barton	"Pink!" the young boy exclaims, "You're a girl! Like my sister! Girls like pink! Look," he points at a 4 feet tall pink teddy bear. "This one!" All ideas about gendered colors or notion of sexism are totally ignored at this time, as it is a /kid/ talking. Clint nods at Skye, as again he realizes how often they are of the same mind. //The cats would shred it overnight// The game manager has other players lining up, "Ma'am? Which one do you want?"
Skye Johnson	//He does not know about some girls don't like pink!// Skye looks over at Clint, then back to the boy. "The pink one. Like he says." Surely the game manager knows what will happen next?? As the manager reaches for the bear, and begins to hand it over, she puts her hands up, and points to the boy. "It's his." //Grant would do it in a heartbeat.//
Clint Barton	But the boy, in the other hand, didn't get it. Not realizing what Skye's intention is, he doesn't reach for what it not his. Why would the lady give him the prize? Nonetheless, his eyes widen as the coveted plush is handed over. "You don't have to," the mother says in a whisper, as she did get it. "It's your prize." Clint shakes his head, "We don't have to," he says, smiling, "Which makes it even better." Since he's the taller one, the archer grabs the pink teddy bear and pushes it into Skye's arms. "Make a little boy happy," he says to her.
Skye Johnson	"It's really yours!' Skye hands the pink bear over to the boy, who still doesn't get it, but grabs the bear just as well and clutches it to his chest. Skye was wrong. /This/ was the most fun, not beating the game. Looking over the boy's head, she signed, ~Skye/Keyboard loves Hotshot/Clint~
Clint Barton	"Oh!" the little boy /does/ clutch it, he won't let go of it forever it seems, or until he can give it to his sister. "Oh! Thank you! Wow, look mom!" Well, it would be difficult for his mother to /not/ see it. At least, she didn't need to remind him to say thank you, which he already did. Looking at Skye and Clint, almost in tears, the mother nods at them, "Thank you," she says softly, "You've made a whole family happy." The smiles returned to Clint's face, he nods back at her, taking Skye's hand in his, "Don't worry, ma'am," the archer says, "We can easily win another one." Beat. Glance at the game manager. "In another stand, that is."
Skye Johnson	"Don't you mean, in Bucky's training?" Skye laughs, asking Clint. To the mother, she shrugs, with a grin. "Our cats would have shredded it by tomorrow, I'm sure. Besides, look at that smile!" Nodding with her chin. "We're seeing things which we don't get to see at our job. Definitely worth it!"
Clint Barton	This is a grown-up's discussion now, and the boy visibly wants to go. Go home to his sister. "Thank you again, bye!" And he's tugging at his mother's arm. "Let's go, mom!" Maybe he's afraid the nice couple will change their mind! The mother nods again and soon follows her happy son. He might not have been this happy for a long time. Who knows. Clint turns to Skye, his arms around her waist, and kisses her. Enough that people start raising eyebrows. This is still a public venue. "I'm proud of you," he says in a low voice.
Skye Johnson	"I'm proud of us." When the kiss was over.. they wandered around some more. The haunted house. The tilt-a-whirls. The bumper cars. The works! ..until it was getting dark and there was only one ride to conquer! The ferris wheel. "This should be easy! We've got cotton candy to munch on when we go up. It will be the ultimate finish to a wonderful day!" Skye leaned on his arm as they walked towards the lineup.
Clint Barton	The cotton candy was her idea, and since it goes with everything else, Clint had one in hand. Not that he's eating any of it, but hey, it's no biggie. At one point, she might end up having his. Aside from a few kids, the lineup seems to be mostly made of couples, which means that even if the seats can accommodate four people, most will try to have their own seat without sharing with another couple. And as luck will have it - Skye and Clint end up alone in theirs. The archer is tempted to be worried at this point, since everything went well, without any fight, not one drop of blood, nothing. Just a normal day. Which is kind of strange. Shrugging, Clint sits down, pulling Skye closer to him. "Alright," he says, "Worse that can happen, is the wheel snapping and getting unhinged. Literally." Did he just jinxed them?
Skye Johnson	Skye gets herself in the seat, and mock glares at him. "You hush! We bought ourselves the whole day without problems with that boy! This is our last ride. Besides, if the wheel snapped, how long would it take us to notice that it wasn't the real ride?" She laughs, and gives him a quick kiss. Really, Skye didn't need - or want - the candy floss either. Throughout the day she's nibbled on enough junk that she's had enough. But somewhere she had read that everybody took candy floss onto the ferris wheel.. so.. Cotton candy it was!
Clint Barton	Then the wheel slowly starts to revolve, and they soon reach the apex of its circumference. The night is beautiful, not a single cloud in the starry sky. Soft music fills the air, covering the sound of the powerful engine. If it wasn't for the fact that there are other people around - literally around - Clint might get some ideas. If it wasn't for the fact that this is a public venue, the archer would already be working on said ideas. So instead of risking to ruin a perfect day, Clint enjoys the ride with Skye by his side - plotting to /forget/ the candy floss when they leave their seat.
Skye Johnson	Ah, old age. There used to be a time when they would have caught a quick one behind the ferris wheel booth! Instead, they caught a kiss and a promise instead. And nobody actually touched the candy floss. It remained in the bag. Around they went, catching a glimpse of the fair that they had been through the whole day. "It's so different this way!" Skye remarked, pointing out the various things. Until, the ride slowly came to an end. "Rats, huh?" They almost would have gone another time, but the fair was closing up. "I give you a whole ten minutes, seeing as you guys were the last ride of the evening. Sorry miss." Double rats! At least they were able to pawn off the candy floss to a teenage couple. Heading to the gates, "This was nice." Skye held his hand, and leaned her head to his arm as they went.
Clint Barton	Call it being older, or wiser, but for some reason, it didn't seem like a good idea to end the day being arrested for indecent exposure in public. There are many more ways, even more pleasant ones, to end the day. So off they go, hand in hand, walking for a while before catching a taxi. And no, don't think about the taxi trick either, since they didn't call their /special/ taxi driver. So this ends a very perfect day, no blood, no drama, no nothing. Just, plain, fun at the fair. Soon the taxi drops them at Skye's - which is, in reality, their /main/ home. From a distance, Clint quickly notices something on the door and, as they approach, a frown appears on his face as he realizes that it's a small white envelope, taped to the door. On the doorstep, is a small bouquet of flowers. As if to deny the reality that maybe the day won't end as well as it started, the archer stops in his tracks, staring at the offending - unexpected - envelop. "Wait," he says, sighing, "Let's take bets. Did we pay all the bills?" Yeah, like bill collectors would leave an envelope taped on the door and flowers to boot. "Most importantly, do you have a secret lover?"
Skye Johnson	Really they should have gotten the special driver! Then again, Skye was just as happy getting a ride home, and /then/, with nobody around them, have their entire evening to themselves. When they were left off at their home, Skye frowned. "You know, this is becoming old hat - leaving packages on the doorstop, without setting off the security alarms." In the Trisk they wouldn't need them. And nobody remembers Clint's apartment since Kate had lived there. Only Skye's needed the alarms because of the security risks of the types of files she worked on at home. And after Clint was abducted from their bedroom, SHIELD had been convinced. "Everything is paid with prepay monthly." Because neither Skye, nor Clint, would remember. "And you wish I had another lover, because *this* is getting old. Let me see." She reached out for the envelope.
Clint Barton	There's a faked hurt feeling appearing on Clint's face as Skye mentions /this getting old/. "Gee, babe, wait a few minutes and I'll show you how /old/ can be good." That said, the archer leans forward to look at the envelope as Skye retrieves it, and opens it. There isn't any white powder in the envelop. It only contains one piece of paper. Actually, it's a photo. A photo of them kissing on the Ferris wheel. Which must have been taken less than an hour ago. Flipping the photo, there is a note on the back that read: //Chuju, I hope you had a nice day at the fair with circus-boy. I thought that you would like a souvenir. Love, Mom// Not overly surprised, Clint shrugs, "Talking of things getting old." Beat. "What do you want to do with the flowers? BBQ them?"
Skye Johnson	Skye laughs. "Not you getting old. /This/ is getting old!" She waves the envelope to make her point. Then she read, and frowned. "Fuck!" She passed the whole thing to Clint. "Is she spying on us.. me.. all the time? To what end?" It was a nice photo. As were the flowers. But the source was tainted. "Burn them." She almost said 'burn the picture, too' but decided against it. It might be important in the future.
Clint Barton	With a critical eye, Clint can't but agree that this is indeed a nice photo of them. He quickly takes the photo and envelope, pocketing it. As for the flowers, they are picked up unceremoniously, headed directly for the backyard BBQ. Once the door is unlocked - yes, it was locked - the archer steps in, glancing around for any sign of an unexpected guess. Even if Skye's mother is a world-class bitch, so far, she never dropped by uninvited. So, it's no surprise that she isn't around. Nor anyone else. Good. "All clear," Clint says over his shoulder as he heads for the backyard door, flowers in hand. "Gimme a sec to cremate these."
Skye Johnson	"Great, and I'm going to take a shower." Skye pauses for a second. "You can join me if you want. Make sure the front door is locked." Kissing him, she disappeared upstair to have a shower and wash the memory of her mother off. She still wanted this to be a good day in her memories.
Clint Barton	"If I want," Clint repeats as he kisses her back. "I hope you don't doubt it?" Not waiting for an answer, and with such incitive as the expectation of a shower in good company, the archer dispatches the flower in record time. This proved to be the only speedy action for the next hour or so when, as for some reason, the shower lasted an incredible long time. Until the hot-water tank gave up on providing any warm water. All good things have an end. As he grabs a towel to hand it over to Skye, Clint laughs, "Hrm. We need a bigger tank. I'm sure the boss will agree once we explain why."