Laurie & Clint | Tuesday Morning (backdated)

[x-hawkeye.livejournal.com]

Laurie and Clint have coffee in the city. They discuss a variety of topics.


The coffee shop and bookstore stood just outside the streets know as District X, or Mutant Town. Kyle had told Laurie about it a few weeks ago, and she'd been fairly intrigued considering the place was named 'Coffee Shop AU'.' Kyle had noted that Dori had dragged him there on opening day considering the proprietors had to be what she referred to as 'fellow geeks'.

Mostly Laurie liked it because they made an excellent pot of Chai tea with a smaller pot of honey for adding. Their Eggs Benedict was also to die for, and she'd been pondering how well she'd have to know the cook before she could ask for the recipe to their hollandaise sauce.

"I like it," Clint said, sliding into the seat across from Laurie. He had a satchel that he sat gently at his feet, his laptop held under one arm with his large black coffee in the other hand. "Internet meme, you think, or just a play on the alternate universe thing? I'm leaning toward meme, personally."

"Not entirely sure yet, I do know that it's a husband and wife team and he appears to have possibly swallowed a bear, or maybe just belonged to some sort of Norse pagan group," Laurie responded, nodding to the giant of a man currently manning the front counter.

He had a luxurious red beard and tattoos liberally festooned across every visible area, including his shaved head.

Tilting his head a little, Clint considered the man before grinning. "I could definitely see him fitting in with a Norse pagan group, yeah. You have to admit, though, the place is kind of full of hipsters. New fad that'll fade or are we gonna be run out by everyone who found it before it was popular?" He raised his eyebrows a little even as he set up his laptop a little to the side.

"Food is good, and their tea and coffee selection is wonderful. I think they'll survive as long as the place doesn't get burnt down by the 'moral minority'," Laurie mused thoughtfully as she took a sip of her chai. She'd noted the few visible mutants sticking together in one of the corner booths but so far they appeared to be unmolested by the other patrons. "Hipsters will possibly fade - although there is the bookshop, so maybe a war ala Westside story for who gets to keep the place?"

Clint laughed a little and took a sip of his coffee. Laurie was right, it was good. "I don't know about a war, though I guess it could depend on what sorts of books they sell. If it's all geared toward a certain thing - science or something. That might suit the hipsters more than just a regular bookstore. And it's a little small to have a huge selection of things not on the bestseller list unless it's all a particular genre. We'll definitely need to check it out before we leave."

He'd noticed the visible mutants toward the back as well, though his attention had wavered between them and the owners. There had to be some expectation from these people that they'd get mutants in, given the location they'd chosen for their shop. Seemed like they didn't mind at all. Which probably meant they'd get themselves put on some kind of watch list as a place of interest where mutants tended to gather. The thought made him sigh, but he suppressed it. "Did you actually want to ask me about the ethics of my sexual escapades in college or was that just a clever ploy to get me to come out to coffee with you?"

"That depends entirely on whether you have interesting stories or not," Laurie replied with a grin, opening a menu and pushing it toward Clint. "Also, you need to eat more, so order something."

Laurie knew her feeding people thing was viewed with amusement by her friends and family but she truly did enjoy seeing people enjoying food and if it meant they also got enough nutrients for their various biology then all the better.

Clint took the menu and read a couple of the breakfast options even as he shrugged. "Dunno, ask a question and I'll tell you if I've got an interesting answer." He glanced up and offered her a grin before going back to reading through the available dishes.

"Dangerous ground, Mr Barton. I could ask any number of things," Laurie teased with her own answering grin. "Tell me something about what you did before you arrived at the mansion."

"I worked for SHIELD before I worked for SWORD," Clint offered, quirking a smile. "But then I met Doctor Foster and found out about her work on the Einstein-Rosen bridge and requested a transfer."

"I've heard of her, she's doing great work on theoretical psychics, years ahead of anything we've seen before - although I suppose less theoretical now. Why SWORD? I would have thought SHIELD field work would suit you better."

Laurie waved over a waiter and gestured for Clint to order first.

"One of my bachelors is Physics and my masters is in Nuclear Science & Engineering with a focus in applied plasma physics, so I like the sciences, not just hitting people," Clint said, laughing a little. "Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being active, I like going on missions and accomplishing things. But seriously - working with Jane, not to mention Thor. That's a once in a lifetime opportunity. And SWORD was where they had her, so that's where I went."

"I can see how that would have been a draw," Laurie said, a merry light in her eyes. "What was Thor like? I've seen the TV reports but not much else."

Grinning now, Clint shrugged a little. "He's fun. Can drink pretty much anybody under the table. But considerate. Like, everything's good until things get serious and then he can just... it's like this switch flips or something. I've only seen him training a couple times, but it's impressive. He's good, though. I heard there was some kind of thing with the mansion." Lowering his voice, Clint raised his eyebrows a little and shrugged. "But I also heard Thor's the one who stopped the teams from going head to head."

"I read about that in the mission review - I'm glad he was there. It could have ended badly for all involved, especially with the fear of mutants that's so prevalent these days," Laurie responded, taking a sip of her drink. "So what's Jane Foster like?"

"In a word?" Clint asked, grinning. "Brilliant. She's got the theoretical part of theoretical physics down pat - I mean, even before she had any kind of confirmation, her work was cutting edge. She's enthusiastic but also down to earth. Forgets to eat when she's in the middle of something, but we all do that when we've gone down the rabbit hole and that's what her assistant's for."

"Sounds like you were in your element," Laurie opinioned, taking another sip. "You couldn't have stayed and worked things out?"

"It wasn't all just science and research, theoretical work," Clint said. "I was still an agent. Had a partner and everything. We'd go out on calls to check out reports of weird things - SWORD's focus was... like, witches and magical items, Asgardian things. Me and my partner... we didn't really see eye to eye on everything. Made it... less than enjoyable."

"I hear a story, care to share?" Laurie asked, intrigued. She didn't know this Clint but she wanted to, even if he was clearly different from the young man she'd considered a friend. "I promise to share something in return."

Fingertips tapping against the menu, Clint considered that for a moment as he took a sip of his coffee. "I was following a hunch a few months back. Hendrickson came along for the ride. After M-Day..." He paused and frowned slightly, then cleared his expression and let an easy smile slide into place. "Anyway, we wound up heading for a disturbance. Found a guy there toying with some people who'd been picking on a visible mutant. Hendrickson pulled his sidearm. I elbowed him in the face."

"It can't have been easy working for a government organization after M-Day - especially if they knew you were a mutant." Laurie replied, having seen the moment of hesitation. "Were you and your partner close friends before that?"

"'They' didn't," Clint said. "No, I mean. My original Supervisory Special Agent did... a couple others. I'm pretty sure Director Brand knew, maybe just guessed." He shrugged. "But generally speaking, no one knew. Hendrickson didn't. Anyway, it wasn't something to talk about, either way. I'd only been with SWORD for a year and some change. Hendrickson and I weren't friends, I don't think. But we didn't start out disliking each other."

"So was it after the incident with the mutant or before that you started disliking each other?" Laurie asked, going quiet as her meal was brought to the table. She'd order a stack of pancakes with rhubarb compote and ricotta. It looked delicious, especially they honey they'd put down with it for drizzling. "You may have guessed but I'm a little bit nosy. I do it with all my friends."

"Before, after - both," Clint said, shrugging. He still hadn't decided what he actually wanted to eat. "We never really gelled. Your turn. Tell me something interesting about yourself."

"You should try the French Toast," Laurie suggested, taking a bite of her own food as she mused on his question. "I didn't always want to be a doctor, you know. I decided on it as a career after a friend of mine almost drowned."

"Which friend?" Clint asked, eyes back on the menu. "And what'd you want to be before?"

"Haller, it was a rafting accident and we were lucky a doctor was nearby," Laurie replied, trying to remember what she'd wanted to be. "I think at the time I wanted to be something that didn't require I ever speak to anyone. I was a shy child, as surprising as that may seem. I used to hide in the coat closet when mother had friends around so I wouldn't need to talk to anyone."

"Something big must've happened to make you shift your goals," Clint said. "I don't guess you had a whole personality makeover because of that accident, but you definitely don't strike me as shy now."

"No, not just that accident," Laurie replied with a wry smile. "Friends had a little to do with it to, and lived experience. I dated a mercenary for awhile as well, and that sort of thing makes you a little more aware of your strengths. For that matter, I'm dating spies now as well."

Now that she's been asked, Laurie couldn't really say for sure when they shy girl had turned into the confident woman - dinosaurs might have played a part, as had numerous kidnappings and crises. That Earthquake in Japan and the trip with Crystal around the world.

So much of her current self she owed to the people around her, and to herself. How to say all that and not break the universe in two?

"A merc, huh?" Clint asked, quirking a smile. "Yeah, I'll bet that can make you reevaluate what's important in your life." Taking another long sip if his coffee, he let the menu sit in front of him and settled back in his seat. "I've been thinking a lot about what I did when to wind up where I am now. Kind of one of those things that just... nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, y'know?"

"I seem to be attracted to dangerous men who turn out to have a kind side," Laurie admitted with a smile that made her eyes glow with good humor. "And I know exactly what you mean. Have you come to many conclusions yet?"

"Not one," Clint said, shaking his head with a laugh. "Not a single one. But I'm mostly okay with that. Just - you know that question people ask, what would you tell your sixteen year old self? My answer changes daily."

"I believe mine would be 'shut up about the alcohol already' and possibly something about investing in vine," Laurie said, grinning at him. "I find it's easier to simply concentrate on what comes next. The past has a way of looking after itself. Unless you have any lovers who might turn out to be super villains? That can be somewhat awkward."

Laughing again, Clint's eyes crinkled at the corner and he asked, "Lovers who might be super villains? No, not that I'm aware of. Today, I think it'd probably tell sixteen year old me to party a little more, not worry so much about his AP classes cause he's gonna be able to test out of half of the stuff he needs to take for his first bachelor's as a freshman. Definitely take the job at SHIELD. Maybe don't go gallivanting about the city so much. Definitely stop eating at that shady Chinese place."

"Assassins or food poisoning?" Laurie asked, curious.

Given her regular company, either was likely.

"Both," Clint answered, smile going just a little sly.

"At the same time or separately?" Laurie replied with her own grin, eyebrows raising slightly in surprise.

She took another bite of her food and then followed up with a sip from her drink. She really did need to recommend this place to Doug.

"Yup," Clint said, moving to hold his cup of coffee with both hands. "Got food poisoning, felt like dying, found out the place got shut down by the feds while I was out of it. Found out years after that that it had something to do with the Triad."

"That's some definite bad luck," Laurie noted, unable to hide the amusement. It wasn't that it was funny in the way that he could have been hurt but in the way that it was so Clint Barton in aspect that she couldn't help but laugh. Either that or pack him in bubble wrap for the rest of his life. "You normally choose dining establishments run by mob bosses?"

"Not on purpose," Clint offered, still smiling a bit. "But it does seem to happen to me more often than to other people. A few months back, it was a bar run by a bunch of Russians."

"Really? What happened?"

Laurie took another sip and then poured some more honey on her pancakes.

"Met a girl, conned the Russians, left with her, went our separate ways," Clint answered, quirking a smile at the memory. "She threw a drink in my face to sell the whole 'I'm her boyfriend and I'm always late' schtick. Pretty convincing."

"Are you often assaulted by dates, or is it just something you enjoy?" Laurie asked, sincerely amused by his story. From what she was learning about this new Clint Barton it would seem his relationships were often volatile. "Should we be worried about exes showing up at the mansion with firearms?"

"Nah," Clint said, shaking his head. The he paused and frowned a little, freeing one hand from his coffee cup to splay his fingers wide and waggle them in a 'maybe' kind of gesture. "Probably not. Mostly because none of them know about the mansion." Then he grinned again. "What about you? Any stories worth sharing? And did you say you were dating spies - plural?"

"Well, more malfunctioning technology that led to a few embarrassing moments when I was younger," Laurie admitted with a smile. She could joke about it now given distance and far more serious things having happened in between. "Poor Marius had to jump out a window, it was...interesting."

She took another bite of her pancake to give herself time to answer the second question - it wasn't something that everybody yet understood and while she had no problem at all, Doug could still be somewhat gun-shy about the whole subject.

"Yes, plural. Doug, Wade and Marie-Ange to be precise."

"Nice," Clint said, totally sincere. "I have to admit, it's nice to see some... I dunno, non-traditional or alternative lifestyle things going on. That probably sounded weird - I just mean, going into a place like the mansion, it can be kind of intimidating when you've got things that set you apart from others. Seeing that differences are accepted is reassuring."

"Besides the fact that we're all x-gene positive? It's still new, to be honest and we're working it out but I think we'll all do okay. I think you'll find there's a lot of people at the mansion who have things that set them apart - most of the time I find that people's differences are what makes our little club of misfits work so well. It seems to build at least some empathy, and we're fairly zero tolerance on any sort of bullying. I often feel a little sorry for the human kids, they don't have the same place as we do to grow up."

Clint considered that for a long moment, mulling it over as he drank the last of his coffee. He'd have to make up his mind about what he wanted to eat soon, since he'd want a refill shortly. "It's different, though. You put a group of people together - they're outcasts from the larger society for whatever reason, right? But they're all outcasts for the same reason. So you wind up with... social norms and things within that group that make coming in from the outside difficult. So someone coming in who's an outcast for the same reason automatically makes them part of your group, your club, as you put it. But adding in other differences complicates things even more.

"I'm not saying that the mansion is a bad place to be - far from it. It's just not the easiest place to fit in, either, sometimes. Admittedly, that could be the fact that I worked for government agencies and so people just don't trust me." He waggled his hand again. "Just that I'm looking forward to doing some research elsewhere for a little while."

"Are you going somewhere?" Laurie asked, curious and slightly alarmed that Clint would feel unwelcome enough to want to move away. "I'm sorry if we've seemed unwelcoming - M-day hit people hard, and a lot of us lost people who were close to us. It doesn't make for very good social situations unfortunately."

Of course, it didn't help that the people they'd lost were the very people who seemed to keep turning up, or that the only people they were able to talk to about things happened to be the people who were there at the close of the old universe. She would need to speak to the others - see if there was a way to make sure they weren't unwittingly excluding people due to comfort levels. The only way they were going to live in this world was to start forgetting the old one, whatever that process took.

"Mini vacay," Clint said with an easy smile. "The angry Atlantean wants to know what happened to his city. We're gonna go exploring. Probably not gonna turn up much of anything, but I promised. He'll give me some history lessons and maybe talk me through some of their tech in exchange for my help. I'm pretty content with that. And I think, really, that my personal things are... more a result of being off-balance, myself. Not necessarily a reflection of the mansion's localized society in and of itself. New people coming in, even if they have something in common with others, are always going to find it a little difficult to sort out their social group or whatever. Find their peers." He trailed off and then quirked a half-smile. "Required sociology and anthropology class at MIT, sorry."

"I'd wondered when our Atlantean friend might get around to convincing someone to do something like that, good to know it was you he came to," Laurie mused, laughing at Clint's mention of anthropology. "Have you ever seen two anthropologists arguing about a shared field of study when they've decided on different conclusions? I thought medical science was cutthroat - we've got nothing on anthropologists. I honestly hope you come back to us feeling more balanced, but keep in touch while you're gone? I'll miss our archery tournaments at the very least."

"Sure," Clint said, nodding. "I figured I'd put you in touch with the guy I've got who's working on customizing that bow for you, see what we can come up with for a smoother release, easier draw maybe." He tipped his head back and forth a little, obviously working through various schematics in his head before his eyes refocused on her. "That way I won't leave you hanging while I'm globetrotting with his highness."

"I'd like that," Laurie replied, taking a last sip of her drink and placing it down. "Doug and Emma have been telling me that my new arm is almost ready as well, perhaps by the time you come back I'll be ready to go into surgery for it.,"

She was itching for it, if she was honest with herself. The idea of a fully integrated cybernetic arm that she could control much as she did her real arm was a dream she hadn't quite been sure was real. It had taken myriad tests and a lot of work on both her own part and that of Emma's business to get her something that would function to the specifications she would need as both a doctor and as an X-man. But the surgery to integrate it, and the work to bring the prototype into a fully functioning arm was arduous and her physical therapist had wanted to make sure she was ready both physically and mentally for what was required.

"How's your prep for that going?" Clint asked, sitting his empty cup on the table in front of him as he leaned forward to check the menu again, see if anything appealed.

"Slower then I'd like at times," Laurie admitted with a sigh as she reached back with her good hand and rubbed at the tension in her neck. She definitely needed to get more sleep then she was currently getting if she wanted to continue working at the clinic. "We've been working on building my upper body strength so I can handle using the arm. They've made it as light as they can but it's still going to be heavier then a biological one. We had to figure out a series of exercises that worked and then make sure I did them regularly enough. I'm not the greatest patient in the world when it comes to remembering to do things for myself. The fact that I'm an archer has actually helped, funnily enough - it uses a lot of the same muscles we've been having to work on."

"Archery for the win," Clint said, grinning as he held out one fist over the table for Laurie to bump. "Go go Paleolithic weaponry. I'm thinking I'll get this thing with Gouda and a refill - you want anything while I'm up?"

"Whatever their pie of the day is, please and an extra slice to go," Laurie replied with a smile. If she didn't bring back pie for Wade she was sure he'd never forgive her. "And a refill for me as well."

"Can do," Clint said, grabbing her cup once she'd finished off the last of her coffee. "I'll just be a minute."