It’s Nothing

When the jet lurched to a stop, Clint was jolted out of his thoughts. His hand came out to steady him when he almost fell from the seat. However, he managed to save himself by stumbling into a standing position.

“Woah there, Legolas,” Tony chuckled as Clint passed on the way to the pilot seats. “Got a hot date with the floor?”

“Ha-ha,” Clint responded dryly and lowered himself gently into the co-pilot seat, Natasha not far behind. He buckled himself in as Tony walked away, chuckling to himself.

The three men clambered off the quinjet, first Thor and Tony, then finally Steve after conversing briefly with Bruce.

The doors slid peacefully closed behind them, signaling their departure. Natasha smiled before starting up the jet again.

“You good, Clint?” She asked, after a brief glance in his direction. “You look a little… green...”

Clint cleared his throat and sat a little straighter, while also sliding into a nonchalant pose. “Its Nothing… just… it’s your terrible flying, I’m getting sick thinking about it…”

Natasha frowned and raised an eyebrow, eyes nothing short of condescending.

“Be ... sides,” Clint continued hesitantly when her eyes did not leave his. “I’m not the only green one here.”

“Clint, I’m being serious,” Natasha said, no smile in her voice. “And besides, you just admitted to looking green.”

“And I told you I’m fine,” Clint snapped back. He cleared his throat and shifted away from Natasha when she glared at him. “I-I mean… I’m good. I’m fine. It’s nothing. Just… just tired.”

Natasha raised her brow again as the jet began lifting into the air.

“Are you not feeling well?” Bruce asked, interrupting softly. “Too ‘tired’ to be going on a mission?”

“I feel fine.” Clint lied, a whine not far from his tone. “It’s been a long week and yeah, I’m tired. But, just because I’m tired doesn’t mean I can’t work. Hell, every time I work I’m tired!”

“Clint—!”

“Nat. I’m fine. Just let it go, okay? We need to focus on the mission right now.”

Natasha stared, clearly examining him.

Clint tried to make himself look as truthful and healthy as he possibly could, hoping it was enough to fool her.

“Alright…” she finally agreed hesitantly.

“Don’t come crying to me then…”

After that, much to Clint’s relief, she let it drop. The rest of the brief plane ride was ridden in complete silence.  

God, I wish I was anywhere else right now. Anywhere. Why won’t this headache go away? Why is everything so shaky? Did someone stab me in the stomach? How—?

“Hey.” Natasha’s voice snapped Clint out of his thoughts. “Are you coming or not?”

Clint swallowed and shook his head to clear it. “Uh… y-yeah… yeah…” he pushed himself from the chair shakily, shocked that he had somehow missed the landing.

“Come on,” Natasha’s persistent voice called from the exit. “We don’t have all day, Bird-Brain.”

“I’m comin’, I’m comin’...” Clint grumbledtiredly. Pretty much everything by that point was aching. Not to mention, every jostle seemed to throw more power to his nausea and pain. One false move and something was unwillingly coming back up.

He reached the exit in about 3 times the amount of time he usually would where Natasha was holding up his bow and quiver for him impatiently.

“Seriously?” She asked, half-joking as Clint took his stuff. “Were you sleeping with your eyes open?”

“You know if I had that ability, I’d use it every chance I could get.” Clint replied tiredly and strapped on his equipment. “I’d use the… use the hell out of that power…”

“Anyone would, I think,” Natasha joked back and stepped off the plane.

Meanwhile, Clint had positioned himself against the doorway after a nasty wave of dizziness and nausea slammed into him.

“You guys will call if there’s a Code Green?” Bruce asked and stepped out beside Clint, hands twisted with anxiety.

“Only if we have to,” Natasha confirmed “Just like promised.”

“Good…” Bruce gave a sort of half smil and nodded, then glanced briefly at Clint. “Are you going to go, Agent Barton?” He asked. “Leaning on this door frame isn’t going to help complete the mission…”

Clint frowned and raised an eyebrow as he turned to return the glance, but was cut off by Natasha speaking.

“He’s right, Clint. We don’t have all day.”

Clint swallowed thickly, nodding, before pushing himself unsteadily off the frame. The world spun around him, his stomach twisted painfully,  things blinking in and out of focus, and his feet stumbled with confusion.

“Clint?”

Who just said that?

Suddenly overwhelmed by everything all at once, Clint’s knees buckled. He swallowed once and attempted to straighten himself out, but before he could do much else, he soon found himself falling. The next thing he knew, he was dropping like a stone. There was a sharp pang of pain in his whole body and then, nothing.