Alexis snorted. "One of these days you're going to regret this," she informed him lightly as she sipped at her vodka. "You're going to pester someone too much and they'll latch onto you and grow on you like flesh-eating fungus and then you'll never be rid of them."

Clint snorted.

"Nope," he said. "Hasn't happened yet. Except Tasha, but she's different, she's not a flesh-eating fungus."

Alexis shook her head a bit. "No, Natasha is in a category all her own," she said. And at that reminder, she had been getting a bit close to Clint, stupid couch, time to get up and go for something a little softer than vodka. So she headed over to the cabinet to see what else was in there.

Clint blinked when she got up again.

"Something wrong?" he asked, watching her go to the cabinet again.

"Nope, just time to switch to something a little less like truth serum." Alexis grinned briefly and came back with a different glass and a bottle of Bailey's. "Not my favorite soft alcohol but it'll do."

"Tony doesn't keep much but the hard stuff," Clint said, nodding. "I think he keeps that around for when Pepper's around, maybe."

"I'll buy her a new bottle tomorrow." Alexis settled down on the couch again, drinking her Bailey's slowly. Although she did glance at the nearest camera when she heard Jarvis.

"Sir is requesting your presence upstairs for dinner and movie night," the AI reminded Clint.

"They can do without me for one night," Clint replied, stretching and resettling on the couch. "It's Steve's turn to pick the movie, anyways, it'll probably be some black and white vintage flick."

Alexis raised her eyebrows at him. "It's team bonding," she said. "Tony will bitch you out for missing."

Clint raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," he said. "I'll go if you do."

"Nope, I'm not part of the team, I don't do team bonding things, not my bit," Alexis said, curling up more comfortably on the couch. "I am quite comfortable right here. But you should get up there."

"Nope, handler is considered part of the team, you're coming with," Clint said cheerfully, getting up. "And I can carry you up there, don't think I can't."

Alexis swore. Because she was well aware he could carry her up there, quite easily. And he could pin her to the floor, too. Pouting a bit, she set her alcohol aside and got up to follow him.

"You are evil, Clint Barton. Pure evil."

"I learned from the best," Clint said, grinning. He went upstairs with her, and promptly found a spot of couch to perch on.

Alexis found a chair to settle on instead, glowering at Clint.

"Agent Sabatello," Steve said, blinking. "I didn't realize you were joining us tonight."

"Alexis, please. I'm off the clock at the moment. There were some... unforeseen circumstances." She shrugged. "I got threatened with indignity if I didn't come up under my own willpower."

"Phil told her to take the night off, so I dragged her in," Clint said. "Not quite kicking and screaming, but close."

Steve looked at her for a moment, recognized the look in her eyes, and nodded his acceptance. Just like that.

"Well, it looks like we need another plate, then."

"I got it," Clint said, going and getting the plate. Bruce was starting to bring in food from the kitchen. He always cooked a lot; he had to, to feed Steve and Thor and the others all at the same time.

Steve got up to help Bruce bring in food, grinning a bit when he saw the selection for tonight.

Alexis blinked when no one else protested her being there and settled in a bit more, actually letting herself relax a bit. Yeah, she hadn't expected things to be that easy.

"Alright, dig in," Bruce said once the food was all out. Clint grinned and immediately reached out to grab a few rolls before anyone else.

Alexis snorted and got her food, settling in with everyone else. No one else seemed to care that she was there, apart from Thor offering her a Pop-tart (which she politely declined) and Tony complaining that she was absconding with his alcohol (which she denied).

Natasha mostly just watched and raised an eyebrow at Clint, clearly asking what he thought.

Clint shrugged slightly. Alexis wasn't a bad agent, he'd decided, and a decent handler. And now she'd proven she was a decent human being. That scored her points on his scale, at least.

Natasha snorted quietly and shook her head. Clearly he was too easily swayed; she was still reserving judgment. So far, anyway.

Alexis noticed the silent communication but didn't say anything about it, instead chatting with Steve.

Clint kept her gaze, then glanced at Alexis and back.

"Ontario," he said. He knew Natasha would remember that op; it had been a particularly bad one, and it was the first one since Coulson had taken them in that they'd seen him lose a junior agent.

Realization flashed in her eyes, and Natasha nodded slowly. Then she raised her other eyebrow, just because she could. She knew how Coulson handled losing a junior agent, but contrary to popular belief she didn't know everything; that's why she had Clint. And she was curious to see how Alexis had handled it, since she looked and sounded fine at the moment.