Marvel Women One Shots

Too Little, Too Late (1)

Shit.. I've become one of the people that don't post for so long people forget about the book.. sorry..

Prompt: Love is complicated, ya know?

Fluff/angst

Word count: 1770

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"Ow! Damn, Nat. Really, how much have you been training?"

"Is that you tapping out?"

"Yes. Fuck. Let me go."

"Such a baby," I can't help but smirk as I release his arms and stand up, offering to help him up as well.

Clint rubs his wrist with his hand, "you have a vice grip. What the hell have you been doing here all these hours?"

I roll my eyes, "I don't know why you bother to ask. Clearly you could use more time training. Maybe instead of questioning why I'm in here so often, you should just join me."

He scoffs, "I'm fine. You, however, are not."

I can tell he's about to go on some rambling lecture, so I turn away and walk over to my water bottle and towel, taking their distraction for everything I can.

It doesn't stop him.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you should get out more. Out of this room. Please. Do something else besides training. I know you're -"

"Know I'm what?!" I snap, daring him to finish his sentence.

Which is why he hesitantly continues, "I know you're just here avoiding things.. you're trying to distract yourself from your feelings. You can't run away from them forever, Nat. You-"

"Do you see me on the treadmill?" I mock.

He ignores it, "you shouldn't try to push your feelings away. I really think you should-"

"Should, what, Clint? Tell y/n I have feelings for her? Ask her on a date? Then another and another. Fall deeper and deeper. Spend all my extra time with her until we can't bare to be apart so we move in together. Until we want to keep what we have forever so one of us gets down on a knee asking to spend the rest of our lives together?!" My chest is heaving after that long winded rant where I definitely said too much.

His annoying smirk grows far too much for my liking. "Well, I was just going to suggest talking to her first, but sure. Just dive right into the marriage proposal. She could be into it. She's pretty impulsive."

"Yeah. Like she'd even consider going out with me. I'm not even a spec on her radar," I mumble, hoping he didn't hear me.

He did. His sympathetic look proving it.

"Aw, Nat. Y/n likes you. Any idiot with half a brain can see that. If you'd talk to her, I'm sure you'd see that."

I open my mouth, ready to disclaim his wild accusations.

He cuts me off this time, holding up his hand.

"Nat, she likes you. Back when you actually spent time together and, ya know, talked, the way she looked at you.. the way you were together? We could all see it. That is, before you realized you had feelings, letting the fear take over, opting to instead try to push her out of your life."

I don't say anything. I don't know what to say, nor do I think I could speak without cracking.

His hand on my shoulder forced me to look at him, "if you keep ignoring her, she's going to take the hint. She's been waiting around like a puppy for you to come back to her. She's giving you space because she's too good to try to force you into anything. We all see how much this is breaking her, Nat. A person can only take so much. I have no answers for her. She tries to hide it, but any fool could tell she's in pain. I don't know how long until she lets it go. I can't make you do anything, but I strongly suggest talking to her. Even if you don't confess your desire to marry her," my cheeks heat up at the reminder, "I think it would do you some good. At the very least keep a friend. She thinks she hurt you. Thinks she crossed a line and has lost you. She hasn't come out and said it. But her heart is broken. She needs to hear you, Nat. She needs to know."