Clintasha Shorts

Truth But Not Heartbreak

Natasha was in Clint's apartment. It has been 6 months since he saved her and brought her back to SHIELD. This was her first time at his apartment and two were growing extremely close. He had offered her a room since he had a spare one at his apartment. She was walking around, looking at the different pictures he had around his living room. There were ones when he was a kid, ones from SHIELD but one photo caught her eye.

It was a picture of him and a girl. They seemed so happy, holding cupcakes, laughing.

"That was Laura," Clint says, coming behind her.

"Who was Laura?" Natasha asked, still looking at the photo. That girl seems so familiar.

"She was my girlfriend. She was gonna be my fiancé, but I never got to propose. I was 20 in that photo." he says, a small smile forming on his face.

"She was killed the night I was gonna propose. I went to pick her up to go out to dinner but when I got to her apartment, I found her shot dead."

"I'm sorry," Natasha says, the familiarity of the woman still on her mind. Where have I seen her before? "How did you guys meet?"

"She was a nurse at SHIELD."

When he left the room to go to the bathroom. Realization washed over her. I can't believe it. I killed his to-be wife. His to-be fiancé. I am truly a monster. But do I tell him? I mean, he might not trust me. He might kick me out. He might never want to be my friend anymore. Oh, I don't know what to do.

"Hey, you good?" Clint asks, popping his head into the room.

"Yeah, just a bit tired," Natasha says, clearly lying but Clint didn't pick it up.

"Alright. Follow me and I'll show you to your room."

Natasha decided it was for the best that he didn't know that she was the one that killed the woman of his dreams. For years Natasha kept that. Eventually, she forgot about it, but the photo in their shared apartment still sat there, constantly giving her reminders of what she did.

(5 years later)

"Hey Tasha, can I talk to you?" Clint asked, knocking on the open bedroom door.

Natasha looked up from what she was doing and nodded. He walked in, took her hand, and led her into the living room of their apartment. The Avengers knew that they were dating and helped them keep their relationship on the down low. All their friends (who were really the Avengers) we in the living room, full of smiles.

"What's going on?" Natasha asked, confused as to why everyone was at their apartment looking a little too happy for her liking.

Clint moved in front of the confused spy and knelt on one knee. He pulled out a red ring box and opened it. "Natasha, you are the light in my darkness. We have known each other for so long and we know everything about each other. So, it would make me the happiest person on the planet if you would be my wife. Natasha Romanoff, will you marry me?"

Natasha had lost total control of her normally in check emotions. The Avengers were taken back a little by the teary assassin.

"Yes. Yes, Clint." Natasha manages to choke out.

He slips the ring on her finger but what he says to Natasha, really rocks her to her core. Guilt washed over her. "This was gonna be for Laura. I think she would be glad that I have found someone just as special as her."

Natasha ran out of the room. She ran to the bedroom and sobbed on her pillow. "Tasha? You ok?" Clint asks, getting on the bed next to her.

"Oh Clint, you don't want to marry me," she says, sitting up a little on the bed.

"Of course, I do. What is wrong?" Clint pulls her close, sticking his arm around her.

"What I am about to tell you, will change your mind about how you feel about me. But you deserve to know."

"Nat, what do you mean?"

"Do you remember the first day I moved in, I was looking at that photo of you and Laura you keep in the living room. How you told me she was killed the night you were gonna propose. How you found her in her apartment?"

"Yeah, but what has that got to do with you or anything?" Clint was so confused.

"I killed her Clint. The Red Room sent me to kill a nurse that worked for SHIELD. I have no idea why. I didn't ask why they wanted her dead." Natasha was now, sobbing into Clint's chest. "I'm sorry. If you don't want to marry me, I completely understand. I'll stay at the tower until I find an apartment."

Clint didn't say anything. He was silent. She took that he didn't want to see her anymore. She got up off the bed and left the apartment. Leaving Clint in the room, by himself, processing what Natasha told him.

Back at the tower, Natasha had locked herself in her room, fiddling with the simple engagement right around her finger. I have just destroyed my relationship with Clint. I shouldn't have kept it in that long. I should have told him straight away. There were tears streaming down her face. She got into bed and turned off the light. Her bed felt empty without him. The pair hadn't talked in 3 days. Natasha locked herself in her room at the tower and Clint locked himself in his apartment.

Natasha groans and turns over in her bed. She rubs her hands over her tired face and opens her eyes, sitting up. She looks around the room, trying to fully wake up. She gets out of bed and walks to the bathroom. She hears her bedroom door open. She was the only one in the tower and this made her panic. She grabbed her gun and slowly, crept out of the bathroom. She jumped from her hiding place and pointed the gun at the person who had their back to her.

He turns around and tears started rushing down her face. She dropped her gun and runs to the now known stranger in her room.

"Clint!" she cried, jumping into him. A constant flow of tears, flowed from her eyes, as she gripped his shirt, afraid to let go. "I missed you! "she muffled into his shoulder.

"Hey...Tasha, it's ok. I missed you too." his voice was soothing to her and she eventually calmed down.

"You're not mad at me?" she asked, looking up into his stormy grey eyes.

He let go of her and cupped her face in his warm hands. "I would never Natasha."

"But I killed her." Natasha had tears flowing down her face again.

"You were forced to. That wasn't you. It was the Red Room."

"I should have told you when I first realized but I was scared that I would lose my one and only friend."

"It's ok Natasha. Now I have an important question to ask you."

"Ok," she says, wiping her eyes, with the back of her hand.

"Will you still marry me?"

"Of course. I love you, Clint."

"I love you too Natasha."

6 months later, Natasha was walking down the aisle in a beautifully simple white gown. Tears in her eyes. All the Avengers were there, and the two assassins finally got their happy ending. Dedicating the day also to Laura. 

(Natasha's Dress)