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Steve’s not a chatterer when he’s sitting in the second’s seat in the quintet, which is nice, Clint thinks, because when’s he’s flying, he kind of likes to enjoy it just a little bit. So sue him, he is a bit of a bird at heart. Steve sketches, Clint flies and from what he can figure, everyone else is just trying to keep busy on their way to New Mexico
“I can’t believe they let you fly a plane, Barton.” Darcy says from behind him and it’s all he has not to turn around and look at her. Actually, its really all he wants to do, because looking at Darcy has become a fairly significant hobby for him lately.
“They explained it to me in very small words. Plus, I get to make pew pew pew sounds if I fire on anything.” he answers, waving Darcy in and grinning broadly. Hopefully everyone else thinks it’s that he’s laughing at his own joke. Steve’s polite and asks her how she’s feeling.
You know, it’s not like he’s forgotten that the mugger lifted her up by the throat, held her in place that way. There’s no way to forget that, and fuck, if he’d just waited with her…that way lies madness. If it hadn’t been Darcy, it would have been someone else who didn’t have a goon squad at her disposal.
He doesn’t like seeing this woman in trouble, and it seems that’s a lot of what he gets to see. It unnerves him, how much that pushes him to keep her safe.
Okay, so he cheated a bit to get put on today’s detail. Just a little bit. Against Bruce. It’s not like he can cheat Natasha. He’s pretty sure she let him win.
"…Talking sucks after awhile, but I’ve always bruised easily. My junior year, before the internship, I was with this guy that thought it was just hilarious to pinch patterns on my thighs.” Darcy’s voice is light, talking higher than usual, which is pretty typical of someone who knows how to actually use their voice. It’s better than letting yourself go hoarse.
Wait, rewind. His hands tighten on the quintets controls, because there’s two competing mental images wrecking his brain, because he wants to pummel this idiot, long and satisfying. But he also wants to see what it looks like when it’s his hands causing inadvertent bruises. And maybe his mouth too, little nips before reaching….
Okay, that way really lies madness. Fly the jet, idiot, and don’t get caught up with thoughts of Darcy’s thighs, soft and yielding and…fuck, just fly the jet. Or better your, land the jet so that if he does get lost in his thoughts, he doesn’t kill everyone.
“Ten minutes till landing, kid. Go get into an upright, seated position.” He says a few minutes later.
“You sure know how to make that sound sexy, Barton.” Darcy says back, and from the corner of his eye, he can see her lips curled up in a smile, and he’s only human, he does turn his head to watch her leave.
He groans quietly, and Steve chuckles at him. “Do you," Steve asks, “have this overwhelming urge to head to Culver and shake out this ex of hers?"
"You hold him down and I’ll punch him. " Clint confirms, and returns his focus to landing the damn jet.