IronWidow fanfiction: Time Bomb

Eleven

Natasha sent the punching bag flying across the room with a well-aimed kick. She didn't bother picking it up as it joined the three bags already on the floor but instead moved to the next one. Just thinking of that arrogant man with his smug smile when he obviously implied that she was dating Clint made her furious!

"He thinks he's so special and funny and that all the girls want him and who cares who gets hurt!" Natasha's fists struck out and the bag swung wildly. "All he cares about is himself and that doomed relationship with Pepper!" Punch. Kick. Left leg. Right leg. Left leg. Right leg. "He's so pretentious and arrogant and-"

"I'm hoping you're talking about Stark and not me," Clint said from the doorway and she spun round, the bag swinging from the ceiling.

"Yeah. Course I am. You're not pretentious or arrogant and you care about my feelings so why-"

"So why can't you just like me instead of him?" Clint finished her sentence with a small smile. "Because you can't choose who you love, Natasha. That's not how it works. You love Tony and he loves Pepper and I love-"

"You love who, Clint?" Natasha asked, knowing this was a bad idea but her heart pounding anyway. She stepped closer to him, smiling. Her hands rested on his muscled chest. "Clint?"

"I-" his face was inches from hers. His arms wrapped around her. She could feel something fluttering in her stomach. It felt like she needed to get rid of the kisses Tony had given her. By kissing Clint, that would take away Tony's kiss. However much she liked kissing the engineer. "Natasha, I love you."

Natasha kissed him before she had to reply with either a lie or telling him the hurtful truth. His grip on her tightened and she pressed her body against him. The kiss was soft and gentle; nothing like Stark.

"Ahem." Someone coughed and Natasha jumped back, wiping her mouth nervously as she looked for the source of the noise.

Tony was stood at the door, a frown appearing on his face. Clint was stood close to her and his hand snaked down to hers and he held her hand. Natasha froze but automatically enclosed her hand around his. She met Tony's cold stare, her eyes searching his. "Fury needs us all in a meeting room," Tony said. Clint walked out of the room and she followed, being dragged along. "Congratulations," Tony said quietly when she passed him.

Natasha felt tears springing to her eyes. Clint had summed it up perfectly. You can't help who you fall in love with. And she'd fallen in love with someone who hadn't fallen in love with her.