Owner	Pose
Clint Barton	December 31st - Starling City It had been a good trip to Starling City. A break from New York, from SHIELD and their lives as a whole. They did end up going skiing, which is to say they learned the basics, how to put them on, how to walk in them, how to fall over and how to laugh at and sign ~asshole~ at each other while on their butts in the snow. It had been a good time. Tonight though, they were down at the hotel bar, raiding the New Years party buffet, a prelude to a retreat upstairs to their room for movies and a quiet night together. At least that's the plan. There bar was darkly lit, candles on the table and a piano player was playing a slow tune, (something by John Legend maybe? He couldn't quite place it) with a few couples on the floor. It looked nice. Clint turns to Skye, asking, "Hey, Keyboard, do you dance?"
Skye Johnson	It was... perfect. At first Skye was afraid that the decision to go away for the holidays would be the wrong one. Only, once they'd finally got here, it had been the right choice. It had been fun, and relaxing, and not their usual lives. Just a time to get away from it all and discover one another. Skiing had been a riot, if not the most sucessful endeavour they'd embarked upon. There had been lots of laughing, though... New Year's Eve was going to be quiet. By choice. If they'd wanted the fanfare and fuss, they could have been back in New York. Instead, here they were, raiding the buffet wiht thoughts of what movie to watch back in their rooms. Clint's question coming as a surprise to Skye. "Me? Dance?" She shakes her head. "Not very well, no." But the song was entrancing. As was Clint. All of this was. "What to try anyway?" She held out her hand to him.
Clint Barton	The trip had been very them, full of trepidation at first, then laughs, then discovery before easing into a comfortable sympatico marked with laughter, teasing and passion. Now there would be dancing. Clint looks surprised when she says yes so quickly, surprised but pleased. He smiles warmly, his features softening. "Don't worry, I don't know what I'm doing either, but the song's nice and we can just hold each other and sway," he says taking her hand and leading her out onto the floor. Once he's there, he holds out his hands to her, palms out, as they'd done before, an exchange in one of their innumerable secret languages before their proper dance begun.
Skye Johnson	Skye makes great ceremony of placing her palms to his. Palm to palm as holy palmers kiss.. a prelude to so many things. And in this moment, it marked the moments before her smile turned upon him and she moved closer still, letting Clint mark the pace of the embrace and the dance they'd make.
Clint Barton	Clint takes those kisses palm to palm with the same ceremony, before he is taking Skye in his arms and letting the music guide them. He wasn't any sort of a dancer but he had sure feet and rhythm and tonight that'd be enough. He led them through the dance in silence at first, enjoying the quiet moment with Skye held close in his arms. Though when those quiet moments ended it ended with humour," Looks like we're better dancers than skiers at least," comes his quiet, smiled appraisal of their steps. "That was fun though, but I can't believe you pushed me." Okay fine it was to get him out of the way of an out of control snowboarder but when did Clint ever let facts get in the way of a good tease?.
Skye Johnson	Skye crinkles her nose at Clint. "Fine. Next time I let you become the next hill on the bunny run." She laughs and lifts her face for a kiss. "This is nice." yeah. The pace he was setting was perfect for the two of them to 'dance'. Or sway as the case may be. The music a perfect accompaniment for the two of them. /All of me... loves all of you../
Clint Barton	Clint laughs, the sound a rumble felt through his chest. "Oh sure, bring up how you saved me," he says before he silences himself with a lingering kiss placed upon her lips. "It is," he agrees. "Glad we came?" Clint was and it showed in how he moved and how he talked, he was at ease, and wirth the tension of their lives and work removed there was nothing for them to do but fit. Broken bits to broken bits, somehow working in harmony. He continued to lead them to the music. /Love your curves and all your edges...all your perfect imperfections.../
Skye Johnson	Skye's laughter is soft. "Somebody has to remind you of these things. Showoff. Think I finally found something I'm better than you at, though." Well, for some value of better. They both really kind of sucked at the skiing thing. Ranking right down there with the five year olds - a thing they'd both laughed at later. Skye was relaxed, too. This holiday would mark more than one new beginning for her. A job she finally was connecting with. New friends. A new love. A new home... Everything was coming up Skye. She was almost beginning to trust in the world. /Give your all to me...I'll give my all to you.../
Clint Barton	"Hey what's this finally about?" Clint asks, softly, "You're way better at being bossy than I am," he says, perhaps the predictable line but a favourite. "But you're right, you are a better skier. Also, you did save an Avenger, so, when we get home we'll have to find you a costume, what do you think of the name Captain Keyboard?" he teases grinning widely. Clint had no complaints either. Their life, the one they had built so quickly together was more than he had hoped for. More than he even knew he could hope for and being here without the distractions of home he could realize and appreciate it. As they turn on the floor, he spots the clock, it was a little past nine, after midnight back home. He gestured with his head towards the clock turning them so Skye could see. "Happy new year," he smiles leans in ring in the year with a kiss. /You're my end and my beginning... When I lose I'm winning.../ Their phones begin to buzz.
Skye Johnson	"*Finally* found something," Skye insists. Totally ignoring the bossy, and grinning as she totally lives up to her bossy. "Captain Keyboard, huh?" She pretends to consider. "Man, if people knew how easy it was to join your club.." She shakes her head, smirking. They'd have to head back soon enough, but for now, this was lovely. Spun, Skye reads the time on the clock, and whispers the words back at him. ~Happy New Year~ Returning the kiss with soft promise. /'Cause I give you all of me...And you give me all of you, oh oh.../
Clint Barton	"Fine," Clint sighs through a smile. "You finally found something," he allows shaking his head. "Yeah, we're pretty much one of those pay five bucks and don't misspell your name on your membership form and you're in sort of groups." Though just for fun, he decides to dip her, gently, before pulling her back up for the turn and the kiss. His lips offer the same promises, for tonight and for the year to come. He'd be there, with her. /'Cause I give you all of me...And you give me all of you, oh oh.../ With the last line repeated the song comes to a close. Clint smiles, parting his lips from Skye. "So, movies?" he asks her. Their phones buzz again. Clint makes a face, "God, what's with this thing?" he pulls the phone out of his pocket to check the notification. Two words stand out: Rising Tide. He turns the phone to Skye. "We should go check this," he says quietly. It was a news alert, not SHIELD, but still probably better seen off the dance floor.
Skye Johnson	Skye mouths ~I win~ as he concedes and dips her. "That easy, huh?" For a moment, in the dip, she'd been worried... and then she wasn't. It was Clint. He wasn't going to let anything bad happen to her. She'd come to trust that about him. Sure, there were moments of waver, but deep down? She trusted him. With her life, even. As much as she trusted herself. Of course, the buzzing in her pocket.. "Why didn't we leave them in the room?" Or better yet, buried at the bottom of their suitcases, in the back of the closet. Though, when she sees the notification, her features grow guarded and tight, lips twisting into a tight moue of concern. "I don't like it. You know Fury is going to call us back." But she agrees. Room first to see what it was, and decide second.
Clint Barton	Skye's declaration of victory earns her a smiled, ~I love you~ mouthed her way before he dips her, keeping her firmly in his arms. She'd been right, he'd never let anything happen to her if he could. However the world had other plans. He nods in agreement, "Yeah," he says. "Room." And walking with her they leave the dancefloor, the bar, and make their way up to their room. Once inside, Clint closes the door behind them and moves to sit on the foot of the bed, phone in hand He skips the news story and goes right to the video, beckoning Skye to join him if she's not already watching on her own phone.
Skye Johnson	Skye had pulled her own phone out, but had come to sit with him, a low, groaned, "Fuuuuuuck" coming from her as the whole ugly thing plays out over the small screens of their phones, just seconds out of sync with one another.
Clint Barton	And just like that, relaxed Clint is gone, his shoulders tensing like a man who expects a fight. Not with Skye, but the general sense that danger could be imminent that followed him when he worked. "Fuck is right," Clint says, looking up at Skye. "They're calling out SHIELD and everyone else with badges and guns in a big way," he shakes his head, as if he was unsure if he thought it was ballsy, stupid or both. "Shit, Keyboard, did you know they could do something like this?" he asks.
Skye Johnson	Skye sits back on their bed and pushes the hair from her face with the hand not holding her phone. "Honestly? I don't know. The potential was always there?" She doesn't say it, but she means when she was part of their organization. And more and more she's beginning to suspect she'd only been adopted in because of what she could do, not for any altruistic notions or thoughts of including her as 'family'. Not in the way SHIELD had shown her things could be. "I didn't think they could, no. Not now anyway." Which meant only one thing: they'd got their hands on someone new. She figured she knew where they'd gotten the information, though. "I guess we know who Lotus sold out to. And I guess we're packing huh?"
Clint Barton	Clint perhaps doesn't know the ins and outs of how stuff like this was done, but he did know Skye and could read in her face much of what she was thinking. She'd be able to do it, but no many other people. Their thoughts met at the same point. Lotus. "That makes sense, from what you said, she's in your league, right?" He sighed, at least when he ran into rivals all they could do was shoot well. In Skye's world, the possibilities were both endless and terrifying. Clint gets up and stands in front of Skye. "Yeah, time to pack," he confirms. "Anyhow, before we get caught up in the crazy of this," he nods at their phones. "Wanted to say, this was good, and I love you. We'll have to do it again."
Skye Johnson	Yeah. Their thoughts met in the middle. "Pretty much my league," Skye confirms. "With the right equipment and back." The young woman gives another nod and presses the off button for the screen. It didn't matter when the call came from SHIELD, they knew now, the two of them had to pack and head back. Clint because he was placed as he was between two organizations, and Skye? Well, Skye was in Lotus' league. If they were going to war, she'd be needed. And it wasn't as if their contracts came with any real guarantees of downtime. Not in a crisis like this. "I like it too. It was nice. Just us." Moving, then, to pack up. It wasn't going to take her nearly as long as Clint. Even if he didn't fold anything.
Clint Barton	Clint was surprised that neither of them had been called yet, but it was only a matter of time. He already felt himself slipping into work mode, thinking of angles, scenarios things he'd need to deal with the present threat. He drags all that to a halt for a moment, just long enough to nod, "Yeah. Just us," he says and bends to give her a quick kiss, parting his lips from hers with a wry smile and a "happy new year." Then like Skye he was moving, he had sooo much shit to pack.