A Couple of Master Assassins (Clintasha)

Chapter 27

It was a long journey, but worth it in Natasha's opinion, purely because of the look on Clint's face when he saw home. His eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning and he pulled her in close to him.

"Back with my two favourite girls," he said. "The city of NY, and you." Natasha smiled and blushed. He was so cheesy it was unbelievable, but she couldn't not fall for it every time. Honestly, it was sort of frustrating, but any negative emotions were washed away whenever he kissed her, held her or even just entwined his fingers with her own.

"It's good to be back," she said.

"It is."

They made their way up to their apartment and both flopped on the sofa as soon as they arrived.

"Do me a favour?" Natasha asked.

"Hmm?"

"Don't ever do that again," she said, trying not to laugh.

"Funnily enough, I wasn't planning on it," he replied sarcastically. "Turns out getting shot isn't fun."

"Neither is watching you in the aftermath," she said.

"Low blow, Romanoff," he said with a fake offended look on his face. "Low blow." Natasha smiled.

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Several days had passed since Clint and Natasha had arrived back home, but Clint had only just noticed the new tower under construction outside his window.

"What the hell is that?" he asked one morning while opening the curtains. He was following his usual tradition of not wearing a shirt, which revealed the fresh scars on his stomach. Scars did not really bother him anymore- he had so many from previous missions that any more were only normal for him. The one that stood out most was a long line that ran from his right shoulder, all down his back and ended just above his left side.

"The new tower that Stark's building to be the first self-sufficient energy consuming place in the world," Natasha answered, hugging him from behind. "I just wish it wasn't so close; Tony's one hell of a narcissistic bastard," she continued.

"I believe that," he commented. Natasha started to trace the long scar on Clint's back with her finger out of curiosity. She ran her hand gently down the entirety of the length of the mark, then back up again, taking in the warmth of his skin despite the damage done to it.

"How did you get this one?" she asked, resting her head into his back. She could feel his chest rise and fall as he sighed.

"Have I ever told you how Fury found me?" he said, still staring out the window.

"I don't think so," she said. When Clint hesitated, she added "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"You told me your story- I think it's only fair I finally tell you mine," he said. He turned around and pulled her close to his body, almost like a comfort for him while he recounted these... these...

Nightmares, Clint thought.

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A four-year-old Clint sat on the edge of a stream with his eight-year-old brother, back before he was an evil bastard.

"When will they come, Barney?" Clint asked his brother.

"They'll come, you just have to be quiet," Barney replied. They sat for a while longer when suddenly Clint saw it- a small green frog.

"There!" He leapt in the stream to get it splashing his brother, then came back up with the creature in his hands. "I got him, Barney!"

"God job, Clint," his brother said. "Now come on, we still have to mow the lawn before he gets back," he continued. The two brothers had recently been put into the foster care system after their parents died in a car crash. Not that Clint cared too much for them anyway- all they ever did was fight each other, then take it out on their children.

When they arrived back at the house they were staying at, a car was already parked outside, and they could hear shouting.

"Clint, stay here. He's already back."

"No, he's going to hit you again!"

"If it means you stay safe, I'm willing to take it," Barney said. Clint reluctantly stayed where his brother told him to stay, but soon heard a crash and couldn't stay still any longer. He poked his head up above the bushes and saw Barney running towards him with a busted lip.

"Barney?"

"We're leaving, Clint."

"But-"

"No. No buts. We're leaving, and we're leaving now. You understand?" Clint nodded. "Follow me and try to keep up."

It felt like the two brothers had run for miles when they finally saw somewhere they could hide; a circus tent, its peak so high in the sky that it looked like you could touch a cloud if you were to climb to the top. At least, that's how it looked to the two children.

"Wow," Clint said in awe.

"Let's go, he'll never find us in there," Barney agreed, leading his brother to the magnificent structure. As they entered the shelter of the tent, they saw dozens of people who must be part of the performance. There were lions, trapeze artists, clowns (which secretly freaked Clint out, but nobody knew about that); but what was most striking was a man with a thin moustache who was holding knives.

Suddenly, he threw the knives with immense precision at a target towards the other end of the tent. When he was finished, he turned to the boys as if he knew they were there the whole time.

"And who might you be?" he asked them. Clint felt uneasy- there was something off about the man.

"It doesn't matter who they are, they belong to me," the brother's foster father said, having finally found them.

"Actually, they're on our turf now, sir. And on our turf, it's our rules. Now leave them alone, or you'll see what happens to people like you when you cross with people like us," the man growled. He had pulled out a sword and was holding it to his throat. Like the coward he was, the Barton's "father" left, and that was the last time Clint ever saw him.

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Chapter 27 brought to you by being an eighteen-year-old and still unable to resist the urge to jump in the biggest rain puddles on the way home from college.

Anyone else?

Just me?

I don't care. I'm doing it anyway.

I still have the mentality of a 6 year old, and that's okay. Remember to release your inner child every so often- the small things make us smile the most :)