the wedding - open rp post

[wereokay]

The big day is finally here and Betty shifts between being extremely nervous one minute, and completely calm the next. Guests are arriving already, and after the short ceremony there is going to be a comfortable reception.

Even though the approach to this wedding has been somewhat casual, there is no mistaking the investment in time and effort. It's an outdoor wedding, and the gazebo couldn't be decorated any further, flowers and ribbons are basically everywhere.

If you hurry, you can catch the bride to wish her luck!

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[broken_arrow]

Another relative wedding crasher, Clint blended in with the crowd well, chatting easily with people here and there as he moved about the yard, his watchful eyes scanning every guest and the surrounding area. So far, no show, but he had a gut feeling that wasn’t going to hold up for long.

Spotting Natasha alone among the guest, he approached her casually. Really, everything about his look, from his clothes to his stance, screamed casual; it was only his eyes that gave him away.

“Agent Romanoff, looking good. You know you’re not supposed to show up the bride on her wedding day, right?” he teased. In all honesty, she did look gorgeous, but then when didn’t she?

[ledgerinred]

"I'm pretty sure the rule is, you're not supposed to wear white." And Natasha had no trouble following that social custom. She enjoyed the opportunity to wear red and not actually be actively trying to court someone's attention.

If she just so happened to get a few glances anyway, well, that was her life story.

"Barton." She raised a glass to her occasional partner. Natasha was curious to find out if his presence had been prompted by Fury, or if, like her, Clint was only here on a rare off duty event.

"You're looking for someone."

[broken_arrow]

“Oh, well, close enough,” Clint said with a shrug. He certainly wasn’t going to argue, but with Natasha dressed in red from head to toe she certainly did pose a very eye-catching and distracting sight. He was sure there were plenty of eyes pointed in their direction right now and he was also sure that none of them were looking at him.

“Aren’t I always?” he replied with a lopsided grin. “Fury’s got a bit of a vested interest in this wedding, or, well... let’s just say he keeps tabs on all his ‘assets’ at all times. Though I’m guessing he didn’t know that you would already be here?”

As far as Clint knew Natasha wasn’t here on assignment, so either she got wind of the same information, that Banner was in town, or she had gotten friendly enough with his ex to warrant an invitation of her own. He was better on the former.

[ledgerinred]

If she has any sort of objection to Fury's decision to keep eyes on the wedding, she doesn't mention it. It's the smart move, really.

"No, this was.. a personal interest." That is a pretty large admission on Natasha's part, but she's trying to give Clint a little more these days.

"You really think he's going to show?"

She would have bet money on not. Then again, Natasha didn't exactly understand romance the same way that others did. She cut her losses and didn't look back, but maybe it wasn't possible for Banner to do the same? "So, you're the official Hulk wrangler today then?"

At least it wasn't Hill. She could be thankful for that much.

[broken_arrow]

Clint cocked his head at her reply, his curiosity definitely peaked. “I didn’t know you knew the happy couple that well,” he replied, clearly fishing but not asking outright. If she didn’t want to elaborate he wouldn’t push her but he did make it clear that he was curious. It was just how they worked, speaking in riddles only they understood.

“I dunno, but going with my gut? I’d say yeah,” he said. “I mean, it’s not like they even really broke up. It’s just... complicated.” Shrugging his shoulders he glanced quickly at Natasha before scanning their surroundings again.

Chuckling at her question he nodded slowly. “Well, long distance to Asgard threatened to break the budget so they settled for me."

[ledgerinred]

"I don't."

She gives him a moment to ponder whether or not he'll get anything else from her. Just because it's fun to tease Clint when she can, and get away with it. But she continues because it's technically her day off and the only other options for conversation are with a bunch of people she doesn't know, who's highlights seem to be the weather, sports, or shrink talk. There were a lot of Samsons here.

"Fury sent me here a few years ago." Right about the time that General Ross and his wonder crew tore up the campus. "I'm here to see how it all pans out."

His observations about Ross and Banner are interesting, she's tempted to push it further. Though that would seem to be an impolite topic, considering the occasion. "Don't worry, I've got your back, but I really doubt he'll show. I mean- would you?"

[broken_arrow]

For a long moment Clint thought that that was all he was going to get out of her, no explanation whatsoever, and while it just made him want to know even more he was determined not to give her the satisfaction of asking. Luckily he didn’t have to as she decided to continue after all.

“Oh, right. That was about the same time I got sent off to New Mexico, yeah?” he replied. And right in the middle of their long stretch of being sent on separate missions. Not really a time Clint was fond of, to be honest. New Mexico had been more than a little boring until... it wasn’t anymore.

He grinned when Natasha claimed to have his back. When she was around she always did, just like he would always have hers. Her question gave him pause, though, and he took a moment to actually think about it. “I dunno... would be kinda hard to stay away, you know?”

It was difficult to try to put himself in Bruce’s shoes, or maybe merely something he wasn’t prepared to do. Rubbing the back of his neck, Clint gave a shrug. “I would probably go somewhere and drink until I passed out,” he said. “I don’t think I’d show at the wedding unless I intended to crash and make off with the bride.”

It was said in a joking tone, though it was probably true. He didn’t think he’d have the strength to stand back and watch the woman he loved marry someone else, even if it meant her happiness. There was a big difference between letting it happen and actually watching it happen.

[ledgerinred]

"Now there's an idea."

Natasha looked around as if contemplating the Hulk showing up to make off with Dr. Ross. For some reason, in the middle of all the nicely dressed people, and the white decorations, she thought of how easily this could all turn into a horror story.

Not that Banner hadn't proven that he could exert some kind of direction with his inner demons, but Natasha knew better than most, just exactly what it was like to be facing that out of control nightmare.

"Let's hope he's staying true to his zen side then." Her eyes linger along the tree line for a moment, but other than instinct, there's nothing there to catch her attention.

[broken_arrow]

Clint would be lying if he said that wasn’t half what he was expecting. He wasn’t able to walk in, armed, but his bow and arrows were stowed in his car and he had a tracking bug on him that he just had to slip onto the bride as soon as he got the chance. If everything went to hell he was prepared, and he got enough fancy arrows to try that he was confident that at least one of them would work to take down the Hulk if need be.

“Here’s hoping,” Clint replied, following Natasha’s line of sight as she seemed to fix her gaze on the trees. “Or that he’s too heartbroken to get angry.”

Scanning the trees again he suddenly froze when he saw a distinct flash of white. Taking a few steps away from Natasha without a word he got a slightly better view and positively identified the bride. She was still partially hidden by a tree along with whomever she was talking to. Clint had a feeling he knew who it was.

“Or maybe we’re gonna get a runaway bride all on her own...”

[ledgerinred]

Leave it to 'Hawkeye' to find the smallest hint in the distance. Natasha took an instinctive step towards the trees, but stopped on second thought.

"Well. Maybe we should let them get away."

So long as the Hulk was kept away, she really didn't see how it was any of their business what happened. A smaller part of Natasha actually wanted to see them run off together. No offense to Dr Samson, but the happy ending she preferred was Banner's own.

It was like a fairy tale, of a kind. Natasha surprised herself at the sentimentalism that came from working with the 'Avengers' as Tony was so fond of labeling them.

[broken_arrow]

Clint raised an eyebrow in surprised at Natasha’s comment. It could be that she was just looking to stay out of all of it, but then why was she really here at all? No, he was pretty sure there was more to it than just letting what would happen happen.

“Why Nat, I do believe you might be a hopeless romantic at heart,” Clint teased her, but there was obvious affection in his words, like he had just discovered something wonderful about her. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna interfere if I don’t have to. I’m not here for Bruce, I’m only here in case he let’s the other guy out.”

Turning his attention back to the trees, he kept a close eye on the bride. “Maybe we should let Tony know he’s here, though. The two have a kind of rapport. Might not be bad to have him on Bruce duty depending on how things go here.”