Endgame

“Will you find out where he is going next?” The peanut butter sandwich tasted as bland as it looked, the white bread was a few days older than expected and added a slight crunch to the bite. If one was to look into the meal closely, they would say that it was a meal made from loneliness and they would be correct.

Natasha Romanoff was lonely. That was an understatement. For five years, Natasha has done nothing but search and search and search…for him. He was family. As fucked up as her family has been the past few years, he was family and she would never abandon a brother. Clint Barton lost everything, they all did, but he took it the hardest. He left behind what he knew, what he had left and hunted and slaughtered cartel gang members in Mexico. Natasha had an idea as to why he turned, why he became a killer. She understood. But, it wasn’t him. And he had left her.

It wast the fact that he left her alone, Natasha could deal with being alone for days or months on end, but it was the fact that he left her because he had nothing left. She thought she was his family too. He abandoned her like she was just some passing figure he met at a coffee shop. That was far from the truth. Still…it felt like it.

“Nat…” James Rhodes softly started. He knew it was futile to get natasha to give up. He didn’t want to either, but Barton was getting more dangerous and more frenzied. Eventually he would forget who he was before the snap, before he lost everything.

“Please.” She whispered. He chose to ignore the tears sliding down Natasha’s cheeks, knowing that consoling her would do nothing but bring annoyance to the woman. She was too strong to accept comfort from another.
With a nod of his head, Rhodey disappeared from view, his holographic image shutting off with the click of a button.

Natasha watched as Tony Stark’s best friend disappeared from sight before she took a deep breath and let the tears escape, covering her face with shaking hands and closing her tired eyes. She broke down with uncontrollable sobs. She wasn’t crying just for him, she was crying for the situation that they have all been put through. She was crying because they had lost. They had been defeated and that never happens. They won. They always won and to lose was something tremendously big. It was devastating.

She let her lips tilt upwards at the sound of footsteps entering the room, knowing exactly who it would be and knowing exactly what he would do.

“I’d offer to cook you dinner, but you seem sad enough already. We both know my cooking is still boiled…well, everything.” Natasha slid her hands down her face, wiping away the tears before connecting her green eyes with Captain America’s blue irises. She smiled a small smile of appreciation for his attempt at humouring her and she can tell that he knew he failed.

“Come by to do your laundry?”

“And to see a friend.”

Natasha sighed, exasperated. It was the same old conversation every time with Steve. One that circles them weekly. “Clearly, your friend is fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest and kept her posture straight, trying not to relax to much for she may break down for a second time that day.

“I beg to differ.” Steve replied, setting his coat down on a chair opposite her. He stayed standing and glanced over Natasha’s face, her tired eyes losing their bright light, her cheeks losing their rosy tinge. “Have you been sleeping?” He already knew the answer.

“What do you think?” Steve sighed and walked around the table to stand in front of her. He perched himself on the edge of the table, looking down on his friend.