Clintasha One-shots

Boxing AU- Part 3

A/N: so this is going to be a long one but after that there will only be one more chap to this one. Enjoy;)

[Sunday 8:00am, Romanoff's Apartment]
Natasha turned to face her Alarm clock and supressed the urge to press the snooze button one last time. Eventually, she escaped he warmth of her covers and dressed for her morning run. Putting her earbuds in place, Natasha left her Apartment building already running. When she came back half an hour later, she started the coffee machine before slipping under the shower. Her morning routine was simple but cathartic to her. Upon re-entering the kitchenette in her Loft, she could already smell the fresh coffee. Taking a look on her clock, the reporter decided she had time for a proper breakfast. The fight was scheduled for six thirty in the evening and she wouldn't have to be at Coulson's before 12 o' clock, giving her plenty of time to get ready.

[Sunday 8:00am, Coulson's Apartment on the first floor]
Coulson had been awake since six thirty, he had packed everything they would need in three duffle bags, made his morning run, had breakfast and was still very very restless. He could never understand how Clint slept in on competition days. That kid had a kind of calm to him he both admired and feared because he knew it was mostly just a façade for a hell ton of insecurities. When he found him two years back in an underground fight club, he never thought they would bring it that far together. Back then, Clint had been impatient, angsty and portrayed an unhealthy lack of self-preservation. Phil was glad he could help him. The younger man had become like a brother to him and showed more loyalty than anyone he had met. He knew Barton was grateful he pulled him out of that hell-hole when he was half beaten to dead after a specifically rough night, but he wasn't sure if he deserved the devotion Clint showed to him.
When Phil knocked on the door of the other Apartment in the building one floor up, two mugs of coffee in hand, he was not surprised that nobody answered and pushed the unlocked door open. His pupil was still sleeping, curled up in the middle of his bed, only halfway covered by the sheets. Coulson waited a moment before walking over to the bed. He always found it soothing how calm Barton looked when he was sleeping. Minus the times he had nightmares of course, but they had gotten rarer over the two years the blonde was living with him.
Carefully, he approached the bed and was about to call out his name when he saw the pair of hearing aids laying on the night stand. Phil placed the mugs on the ground and crouched next to the bed to tap Clint carefully in the shoulder. He was prepared for the fist flying his way and catched it with ease. 'Good Morning' he signed to him with his free hand and waited until the younger man nodded before releasing his grip on the others hand.
Patiently, Coulson stood next to his student while he placed the hearing aids in his ear before handing over one of the mugs. "Time for a little warmup" Phil announced, "You can have breakfast after and sleep until Miss Romanoff gets here." Barton just nodded and followed his mentor down to the gym. There was no point in changing since he always slept in his athletic shorts.
They did basic rehearsals of the new moves they had leaned for the fight. Nothing too hard though, Barton would need all his energy in the evening. Like always, Phil offered to make breakfast while Clint would shower, dress and pack some essentials. Coulson always got ready while the blonde took a nap. The routine had been established after their first fight together and since everybody seemed content, Phil made no move to change anything.

[Sunday 11:10am, Garage under Romanoff's Apartment]
She shoved her backpack and a bag with backup clothes (just in case) on the passenger seat of her Mustang and triple checked everything before getting in herself. It took her half an hour to reach the parking place and another four minutes to the gym. The door was open so she didn't really bother with knocking. Once inside, Natasha saw four duffle bags neatly stacked next to the door, to not be forgotten. Coulson approached her the moment she left the hallway, smiling with a cup of coffee in hand. "Good Morning Miss Romanoff." She gladly accepted the mug "Please call me Natasha."
"Sure" the old Boxer gestured her to follow him to the leather sofas. He wore a dark grey suit as always. She found it amusing to see someone who was mostly seen in public while shirtless, sweating and bleeding portray such a formal clothing style.
Natasha stopped for a second when she saw Barton laying on the larger of the couches, sleeping peacefully. He had his headphones and a pair of sunglasses on. Otherwise he was clad in black jeans and a figure hugging grey shirt under a black leather jacket. He looked so ordinary compared to the last time she had seen him. Coulson had noticed her hesitation and patted the place next to him. "We won't wake him. Come on, we can discuss the general plan until we depart. I called a transport for 12:20." He was right, they didn't wake him even though they discussed her questions at a normal volume right next to him. 'Probably the headphones' the red head thought and dotted down some more notes for later.
Coulson woke the younger man at 12.10, carefully tapping his leg until Barton's eyes snapped open. He immediately stood up, ready to go, when his mentor handed him a coffee. "We still have ten minutes." The blonde jut nodded and dropped back on the couch. After spotting the reporter, he also took off the headphones and inclined his head. "Morning Miss Romanoff" She nodded in return "Call me Natasha. Do you mind me asking how you manage to sleep so easily before a fight?"
He smiled into his coffee before answering "Alright call me Clint. I can sleep almost everywhere at any time. Actually, I am far less tense when I am sleeping because once I am awake, I will think about the fight." She nodded and placed her notepad back in her bag.
When Coulson announced their driver was waiting outside, Clint stood, downing his coffee and placed the headphones around his neck. On their way out, each of the fighters took two bags and placed them in the trunk of the nondescript minibus that was picking them up. Natasha remembered something about never seeing them arrive at the front entrance where the press waited and expected to be dropped of at one of the side entrances reserved for the staff.
The drive would take more than an hour since the stadium was pretty much on the opposite side of town from Coulson's gym, so she took her backpack with her, only leaving the bag of clothes in the trunk. Inside, Barton moved to sit on one side of the small table that was installed between four seats while Coulson took the other side.  Natasha decided to sit next to Clint. This way, she could talk easier with his mentor and wasn't an object of his piercing gaze for the whole ride.
The blonde however didn't seem to plan on interacting at all. He just put the headphones back on pressing a button on their side and leaned back in his seat. "What are you listening to?" she asked, sitting down next to him.  Clint removed the sunglasses to look at her. "do you have earbuds?" she nodded, handing him her in-ears she always carried around. After plugging them into the right side of his headphones, he handed them back to her with a small smile. 
Classic Rock music began to fill her ears and after a few songs,  she found herself slightly nodding to the beat while rereading her notes. Coulson just smiled at the two young people sitting in front of him. They were perfect for each other, they just had to realise it, he was sure.
[Sunday 13:30, Stadium side entrance]
Their van arrived unnoticed at a small staff entrance on the back of the building. Barton took out a baseball cap and pulled it deep over his face. Together with the sunglasses and bulky headphones, she was sure nobody would recognize them. And really, their way towards the registration desk was an undisturbed one. Not one of the employees gave them a second glance.
Coulson was again in business mode and got them their passes and info in a matter of minutes. He handed Natasha an all-excess press badge and Barton the one with 'Hawkeye' printed under the description 'fighter'. For himself, he got one with 'Team' and his name on it. It was kind of funny to her since he was indeed the whole 'team' in one person. Usually fighters had at least 10 people with them but Phil Coulson was everything at once.
She liked the anonymity. It was a pleasant change to the other fights she had been a correspondent for. Nobody came running at them, but no one tried to stop them as well. Though Natasha con concluded it was more the determination of her two companions than the badges around their neck. They both practically looked like they owned the place.
The backstage area assigned to them was large and included even a small medbay. Barton immediately flopped down on a sofa and opened one of the bags he was carrying to fish out a protein bar. "So" Natasha began "What is your plan until the fight? Do you have a routine?"
Coulson closed the door behind him and gestured her to sit with them in the lounge area "We rehearse some of the strategies and Clint changes. If we happen to have time in between, you are welcomed to ask questions or take a look around if you want to. You don't have to stay with us the whole time." She nodded, placing her bag on the floor next to her. "I will take a look around while you talk about strategies. Would you mind me filming a little? Of course, not when you discuss the fight but otherwise."
The trainer was the first to answer, "I'm ok with that, you?" he asked the blonde next to him "Huh? Ah no of course I don't mind."
She took her camcorder and slipped out the door, heading for the arena. The red-head wanted some pre-footage that she could post on her blog before the fight. Maria would be more than happy to have someone that did the pre-talk for the magazine and it would increase her viewers if she could give them some footage before the actual fight. Also, she owed Tony a little advertising. After installing her camcorder and taking the microphone in hand, she positioned herself so that the viewers could still see the empty ring in the background.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am now at the New York stadium where tonight's middle weight championship will take place. After the first interview on Friday, I will be the press correspondent to Clint 'Hawkeye' Barton for tonight's fight. I arrived 20 minutes ago with him and his trainer Mr. Coulson. As I am speaking, the two are discussing tonight's strategies and prepare for the fight. You can expect exclusive behind the scenes after the fight here on my site.
Concerning the fight, I would like to talk about a few past milestones in both fighter's career ....
Celebrities that are expected to come today include Anthony Stark and his C.O Pepper Potts from Stark industries such as the Pop singer Kate Bishop and heavy weight champions Steve 'Captain Amerika' Rogers and Nick 'the Fury' Fury. I will update you through my blog and be sure to grab the newest Issue of our Sports illustrated on Monday to get exclusive Information about our mysterious uprising star Barton."
Satisfied with her little talk, she made some more photos and videos of the setting in the Arena to write a little background on her blog while Coulson and Barton were still busy. She had the feeling this could get her a promotion. With a quick text message, she informed Maria to check her blog later and tell he what else she wanted to get. On her way back, she also interviewed a few people of the staff and the medics she passed. Jemma Simmons, the head of the medical staff for today's fight was happy to answer her questions. Regarding her prognosis, the doctors had prepped the little infirmary for all eventualities. Doctor Simmons also told her that Rumlow was known to break a ot of ribs and other bones during his fights. "Seeing that Mr. Barton is so much smaller and lighter, we have prepared for the worst, even though it could very well be Mr. Rumlow who we have to aid this evening. I heard Mr. Barton often goes for knockouts if he is able to." The doctor explained while Natasha filmed her next to one of the gurneys. The reporter thanked her for her time and continued to where she knew the tech department was set.
The lead technician Leo Fitz had been one of her colleagues before he changed jobs a year back and was therefore eager to help her out. She was sure his thing for the Doctor a few rooms back was the real reason he chose the tech department over his former job at the newspaper. They talked for a few minutes and he told her about the preparations that had been made and what kind of light show would appear later to match the fighter's entrances. If Natasha was lucky, she would be able to make a whole reportage of this fight. Maria would kiss her feet.
Back in Barton's Backstage area, she quickly opened her little netbook and uploaded her first video together with a small text, reflecting what she had learned during her short talks. Coulson and Clint were still talking about the fight, currently discussing entrance strategies. Once they seemed content in their solutions, Coulson stood to make coffee for everybody.
Natasha used the chance to sit next to Clint "What opening song will you use today?" she asked, notepad in hand. He looked confused, apparently not expected that question. "Why do you want to know?"
"Well" she said "I re-watched your fights yesterday and it occurred to me that your choice of entrance songs is very interesting. They always seem to hit a nerve with the audience o your opponent." Coulson smiled handing each of them a cup before going back to get one himself. "Yeah it's a gift." The older man stated, taking a seat on the other couch. "I wish I had someone like him to pick them for me back then." He chuckled. Barton looked kind of embarrassed and absently scratched the back of his head "Uh, usually I look into the interviews my rivals took and decide on something that I like but will unnerve them. If I don't find anything, I just go with something for the audience." He explained "Tonight's going to be the refrain of 'Can't be touched' since that is kinda my whole strategy."
Natasha nodded, taking some notes before continuing "Do you have a favourite entrance of yours until now?" While Clint thought, his mentor took the chance to pipe up "I have one; It's that time you took 'Pain' by three days grace against this guy that told everyone in an interview that he would, and I quote here, 'Fuck you through the ring'." he said with a chuckle. She faintly remembered the fight where Barton had blown a kiss in the direction of his rival. The story behind it made it a little hilarious. Maybe she could somehow include it in her report.
"I think mine was 'Sexy and I know it'. The red hulk's reaction was priceless. But I also like my first entrance ever." Barton finally decided followed by Coulson's sigh "Of course it was." The old boxer shook his head, "I still don't know how you managed to persuade Bobbie and Jess into carrying you."
The blonde just shrugged, sipping on his coffee.
The hours passed faster than she had originally thought. While Coulson went to make some last arrangements with the tech crew, Natasha watched Barton sleep on one of the sofas. They also filmed some short sequences of the two for her report later. When it was time to change, Barton vanished in the enclosed bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later in dark purple shorts with silver-black accents on the sides and hem.
Coulson and he did some basic warm up exercises before Barton began to stretch. It was actually very entertaining to watch. They were nothing like the usual stretching exercises she had seen other Boxers do. Instead, it looked more like he was preparing to do gymnastics or ballet even. They partly resembled her own routine when she prepared for her ballet sessions. After he had touched the floor with his forehead while sitting cross-legged, Barton stood and continued his basic shadow boxing, swiftly dodging the light punches his mentor threw him. They did nothing too fancy to not wear him out before the fight and kept it playful and reassuring.
Natasha took her pocket notepad and camcorder to place them on the couch table, so she wouldn't forget them later. When the pair was done with their warm up, Barton sat on one of the chairs and held his right out to his mentor. Coulson had meanwhile taken a new set of handwraps from one of the duffle bags and carefully began to wrap the blondes hand. Once his right was finished, they repeated the same procedure with the other hand, every layer was placed carefully by Coulson's practised hands. By now, Clint's hair was completely spiked up due to him changing and absently rubbing the back of his head from time to time. It suited him Natasha found and smiled.
There was still half an hour left before they would make an entrance and she could see Barton getting twitchy. Had he slept like a baby just an hour ago, he was now almost vibrating in his seat. Coulson stepped behind him and massaged his shoulders to distract him. His student lost a little bit of his tension but still seemed like he would dart from his position every second.
A stagehand came knocking on the door, announcing it would be ten minutes until they had to leave, and Coulson went over to one of the bags taking out the dark purple robe and a pair of boxing gloves in black.  He tossed the robe to Barton who shrugged it on, running a little on the spot.
Before Coulson helped him to slip into the gloves, he took a small metal box from his suit pocket. "Don't forget them like last time." And handed it to the blonde. The younger man reached carefully to his ears and took a little device out of each one, placing them into the box and handing it back. It vanished in the same pocket it had come from and Natasha didn't have the guts to ask what exactly just happened.
When the gloves were in place and Clint had his hood halfway up his head, Coulson looked at him one last time before asking "Ready?".
Barton nodded and fist-bumped once with his mentor before the door was opened and they walked through the hallway leading to their assigned entrance of the arena in complete silence.