That Which you Love || Clintasha One-Shots

Run Away

Natasha fought her way through the rubble in front of the hangar where the Quinjet had been. T'Challa stood, his cold eyes looking at her, burning in the back of her head as she climbed the top of the rubble. "I won't let you hurt people who are innocent," she said finally as she turned to leave. "Bucky Barnes did not kill your father, Your Highness."

"How do you know that?" he growled, his voice muffled by the black and silver cat-shaped mask over his head. Silver vibranium claws still were visible from his gloved hands and Natasha felt it was best to finish her task than engage in another fight. 

"I've seen enough guilty men to know when someone's innocent," she stated. She swallowed back her past and continued. "The look in Barnes's eyes- that's the look of someone who has seen too much, not a murderer." She turned on the wristbands and they glowed an electric blue as she held them up. "My deepest apologies for this, King T'Challa." With a sharp crack, two discs landed on the black suit and blue arcs of electricity shot up it, knocking the still-recovering Wakandan unconscious as she saw who she was looking for. 

He was knocked out, too, bruises on his face, eyes closed. "Clint!" Natasha said desperately, sprinting over to him. Quickly, she unstrapped the black chest armor he wore and pulled off his quiver. The black bow lay several feet away from him, the string loosened it its staff form, and cleaved in two. 

Worry washed over her and the assassin pressed two fingers to his neck, relieved to feel the pulse steadily beating. She shook his shoulders and said, "Clint, can you hear me?" No movement. With a sigh, she elbowed his stomach and he awoke with a pained yelp. 

"Nat?" he murmured, confused. His eyes slowly blinked open and she helped him sit up. "Are you okay?" he asked. Of course he asked that. She nodded and smiled, remembering their brief fight in the airport minutes earlier. She had only been hurt by Wanda throwing her across the cement runway and smashing into a box. He hadn't hurt her at all. 

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "You were pulling your punches." A small grin crossed Clint's face as she helped him sit up. "Thanks for that," she added as realization swept across the archer's features. He backed away from her, holding his hands out. "What are you doing?"

"Aren't you going to arrest me?" he deadpanned, eyes cold. She was taken aback by the sudden statement. Yes, she was supposed to arrest him, but she wasn't going to do it. Not to him. He flinched back as she gently extended a hand to him, but Natasha managed to grasp on of his hands and squeeze it tightly. 

"In short, yes I am," she replied. She felt him squeeze her own hand reassuringly and her pounding heartbeat slowed to a relaxed pace. "But I should be arrested too. Right now, King T'Challa of Wakanda is passed out from my weapons and Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are flying to Siberia without any of Stark and his people on his tail. So yes, I did break the law I helped make, but I did it willingly."

"Thank you, Tasha," Clint said after digesting the information. "But they'll know about it before long." He shakily stood up, holding a bruise on his side as Natasha looked at one on the side of his head. "You need to go."

"Not without you," she replied instantly. "I won't leave you here." She turned quickly to one side as she heard booted footsteps coming. Secretary Ross's people were coming. "Go now and I'll be okay," she said softly. Instead of following her directions, he pulled her close and kissed her quickly. 

Yes, she loved him, and yes, it was pretty obvious that he returned her feelings, but they had never been able to express it. S.H.I.E.L.D. forbade romances with other agents, or most people in general, and once they became Avengers, there were more important things to do than mull over emotions. Both had been told to never let feelings get in the way. The mission was always first priority.