"Does this look alright?" I stepped out of my bedroom into the living room, where Clint was struggling to do up his bow tie. He turned to look at me, and his jaw dropped.

"You look..." His eyebrows shot up. "Wow."

"Thanks." I grinned at him, and nodded to the bow tie. "Need some help with that?"

"Love some." He sighed and lowered his hands, and I walked over, reaching up to do it for him.

"Hang on," He glanced down at me. "How come you know how to do a bow tie?"

I grinned, and finished tying it. "My Grandpa used to love wearing these things, and so every time I went to visit him, I'd have to do his bow tie for him. He told me it'd come in handy one day." I glanced up at Clint, who was smiling gently. "Never thought I'd end up doing a spy's bow tie for him."

Clint shrugged. "Guess I'm just not as cool as James Bond. Got everything?"

"Yup."

"Then let's go." He grinned and led me out of the apartment, shutting off the light after himself.

---

"So what exactly is the plan here?" I asked quietly as the two of us walked through the foyer and into an enormous living room. This place could hold about twenty of the Hulk...

Clint's hand rested on my lower back as we walked, and he gave a quick shrug. "Just feel things out, keep an eye on the target."

"I'm guessing I'm here more as decoration than an Agent?"

He laughed, "Yeah, unless you've hidden a pistol underneath that."

Admittedly, that would have been incredibly hard. That didn't mean that I wasn't prepared in the event of an attack on the building, however. With Clint's hand on my back, the two of us descended into the throng of people, and my ears were filled with chatter. Everywhere I looked, I could see men and women laughing and drinking from champagne flutes. I could smell heavy amounts of expensive perfume, and whenever the women turned, their jewellery caught the lights and glinted.

"So what exactly do we do at one of these things?" I asked, as a waiter walked past with a try of flutes. Clint grabbed two, and handed me one, with the same swift grace he'd shown me only a week earlier in the SHIELD training room. He smiled, and clinked my glass.

"Enjoy ourselves. Of course, at some point a guy is gonna get up on that stage, and the music'll start, and then you and I," he took a sip of his champagne, "are going to dance."

"Oh is that so?"

"Mmh..." His eyes scanned the room around us. "I realise I haven't actually technically apologised for being a dick to you."

"A complete dick."

"Mmh..." He took another sip.

"Although that proposal was very nice."

"So maybe this'll be a way of making it up to you."

"A dance?"

"I've been told I'm a very good dancer." He winked at me, as a man climbed to the stage at the far end of the room. I recognised him immediately as he cleared his throat.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." Tuscane called over the microphone. "I'd like to welcome you all to the evening. Dinner will be severed at nine thirty in the main hall, but until then, I invite you all to enjoy the evening's entertainment."

Applause started, and then as the music started, several people began to group together and strike up conversations. Around us, couples began to dance. Clint and I eyed each other up nervously.

"Dance?" He suggested, finished his champagne and passing it to a nearby waiter. I did the same, and then nodded, smiling up at him. I suddenly felt incredibly shy around him. I didn't know why - after all, this was the guy who pretty much told me I wasn't good enough to be in his league. He was the guy who ignored me and argued with me and humiliated me, but when his right hand went to my waist, and his left hand caught mine, I felt the same butterflies in my stomach as I had just before walking into that first meeting with the Avengers.

As the music continued, the two of us got a little closed together, and soon enough, I was practically dancing against his chest.

"You didn't lie, you're actually pretty good." I admitted, and he laughed, shrugging.

"Yeah, being an Archer makes you pretty graceful I guess."

My right hand slid up from his bicep to his shoulder unintentionally, and when I realised what I'd done, I blushed.

"Hey," he whispered, leaning in closer, "you're supposed to be my wife. That shouldn't b embarrassing you. Just relax. Do whatever feels natural."

"This doesn't feel natural." I replied, but allowed my hand to slid up a little further, and rest on his neck. Slowly and gently, I began to move my fingers so they curled up into the bottom of his hair. He smiled, and cocked his head.

"See? This is fun."

"This is a mission." I reminded him playfully.

He glanced over my head, and straightened up a little, all the humour in his eyes washing away. "There he is."

I followed his gaze, and clocked on to Tuscane, who was walking with a woman who couldn't have been much older than me. Clint nudged me gently, and we stopped dancing. As Tuscane came out way, he smiled at the two of us.

"Enjoying the party?" He asked, beaming. He looked between the two of us, but I could have sworn that his eyes lasted on me for longer than they did on Clint.

"Very much, it's wonderful." Clint said, slipping his arm around my waist and pulling me a little closer. Perhaps he'd noticed Tuscane getting an eyeful too.

"I don't think I've met you yet." Tuscane looked back at Clint, who nodded.

"No, you probably haven't. We just moved to New York a couple of weeks ago. I work in the clean energy business myself you see, and I hoped I could work alongside your business. My name's Emmett Brown."

Tuscane's eyes lit up. "Ah yes! I remember you. Your name was dropped on my desk a few days ago. I spoke with your director. A Mr. Collinson?"

"Coulson." Clint corrected.

Tuscane glanced back down at me, nodding. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" He asked, grinning.

"Oh of course. Mr Tuscane, this is my wife, Lucy. Honey, this is the reason we came to New York."

"Pleasure." I smiled at him, moving a little closer to Clint, who tightened his grip on my waist just a little.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lucy. This is my date for the evening. Lucy, Shannon. Shannon, Lucy."

The red-head curled up with Tuscane gave me a cat-like smile. "Charmed."

I inclined my head, and was about to speak to Clint, when Tuscane cut in.

"Mr Brown, I'd love to hear about what your business is doing in the renewable energy area. Would you ladies mind if we took the time to have a quick conversation? Shannon, I'm sure you could show Lucy around."

"Of course." Shannon detatched herself from Tuscane and glided over to me, linking her arm in mine. "Come on Lucy, I'll show you the terrace."

I glanced apprehensively back at Clint, who nodded, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek, and a waist squeeze, before letting go of me. I watched him follow Tuscane to a seat, and then allowed myself to be dragged out to the terrace by Lucy.

Notes