Clintasha- The beginning

Coulson pays a visit

After about half an hour I am back at our Apartment. No his apartment. I am just a guest. I took my time in the shower so he is already there preparing something that looks like pancakes.
"Made us dinner." He says as I enter the living room. Much to my pleasure we eat in silence. I enjoy that. It is a comfortable kind of silence and not awkward or something like that.
We both don't want to speak right now. gives me time to think about the last few days. Maybe I should try to fit in here. At least I'll have to stay here some time or the Red Room will get me.
There is no way I am going back there.

There is a nock on the door and I automatically tense up, wondering who it might be and if they are already throwing me out. "It's open!" Barton shouts and Coulson enters the room. He looks exhausted (which is normal for an agent I suppose) but friendly, a warm smile resting on his face.
"Ms. Romanoff?" he asks "I am here to give you your ID card and do the paperwork we still need."
"Hey Phil you want something to eat?" Barton gestures towards the rest of the pancakes.
"Sure thanks Clint!" he exclaims happily and gets himself a plate (I really don't know how he managed to find a clean one). They seem pretty close. That's unusual for agents with such different ranks I assume. At least it is unusual in the spy agencies I know.
Coulson is practically his boss and yet they behave like old friends. I wonder if they might work together a lot.

Coulson finished his pancakes and opened the brown folder he brought with him.
"So here is your ID card Miss Romanoff." He hands me a white and grey plastic card with my picture, name and Rank (a 1 so I will have to start at the bottom) Coulson seems to understand my thoughts "Everybody starts at Level one but you can move up quickly. Agent Barton here moved from one to five in a year and to seven in another one." I nod. That makes sense. So I will have to prove myself.
"Furthermore we have some rules here that you'll have to follow." Great Rules. I hate rules. "You are allowed to enter every room you can open with your ID card and those that are openly accessible. Here is the key for your locker at the gym on this floor."
He hands me a key with my name tag on it. "The training rooms are open from 5am to 22pm and please don't go there at night some people have their quarters next to the gym and they are supposed to sleep." With that he glares at Barton who retunes a look of pure innocence obviously mocking him.
Coulson signs. "Fine one more thing don't unnerve director fury. You'll be kicked out before you can even blink. The rest of the house rules are in this folder. Please read them and try not to break them on a daily basis ok? Oh, and don't touch Lola."
With that he hands me the folder and leaves.
"Who's Lola?" I ask. Barton chuckles "His car. It's vintage."
God I hope he is joking but there is no trace of a lie on his face. Great now I am stuck here with a lunatic who eats like a whole football team and a car fanatic. Absolutely awesome. Why didn't I just let him kill me before it was too late?

I get up and start to clean my plate and the mug I used. Barton waits until I am finished and does the same. Then, he enters the bedroom and seems to take a nap.
I don't follow him. I need some time to think so I get myself a glass of water and sit on the couch.
Do I really want to stay here? Actually I don't have a choice. It's either S.H.I.E.L.D or being hunted by the Red Room what automatically means a certain death sooner or later. I know I can avoid them for some time but they are many and I'm alone.
I don't have any friends and at some point I will get tired of running. I am now. I don't want to run anymore.
Not from the Red Room not from my past and also not from my nightmares. I am going to stay at S.H.I.E.L.D. at least I have a future here. An uncertain one but still a future that does not lead to being tortured by my old mentor Ivan. Here I have protection. I doubt that Fury would sell me to Ivan he is not that kind of person. And he wouldn't try to break into S.H.I.E.L.D too many guards no save escape route as far as I can tell.
I checked because I wanted to be prepared in case Barton failed to convince Fury. So at the moment I am save here as long as I don't go on missions. But I doubt that they will let me anyway. Not in the first few weeks at least.

A quick glance at my watch tells me its almost eleven o'clock. Time to sleep. There is still a lot of lost hours I lack.
I change into a plain black shirt with shorts and enter the bedroom where I can see Barton sleeping. He wakes up when I get under the sheets and looks at me. Then he turns and continues to sleep. So he has a light sleep like me. Like everyone who has been hunted for a long time.
I turn my back to him facing the grey wall and close my eyes. After about ten minutes I am awaken by a nightmare. I curse under my breath praying that he didn't notice and try to sleep again. Somehow I'm not tired anymore.
Fine then I'll just wait until the next morning. I think when I hear him move. Barton exits the room again and, like last night, takes a duffle bag with him.
I wonder where he is going all night and why he does not even try to sleep. Before I can think of the consequences I am up and on the move swiftly following him down the hallway.
After a couple of seconds I realise he's going to the gym or in the same direction. We have been here earlier this morning to spar. When I see him enter the training room I wait. I don't want to get caught just yet.
I stand there for about 10 minutes before moving towards the door.