Senses [Clint/Natasha]

Stars

They had finished the mission, and now they were lying in the grass, staring at the dark sky and the stars that were sprinkled in it. 

"Back in the Red Room," she said. "The Winter Soldier— no, James— would lie outside with me at night. They would always tell us things were impossible. They said it was impossible to count all the stars. So, nights with James, I would count and count them, counting until I fell asleep. I would wake up in my bed. I never counted them all, but I never stopped trying. Every night with him I would do it. I've matured now, I was just a hopeful little girl back then."

She looked up at the bright stars. With the speckled sky and Clint by her side, she started to hope, and she started to count.

He watched her count the stars. He chastised himself for taking her lover's place. He chastised himself for loving her, just as James had. He hated living in James' shadow, and he hated that she did the same things with him that she had done with James. And he hated himself for thinking like that, instead of enjoying the moment.

Author's note: This one is kind of all over the place. Wow, 1.3k reads! That's so cool, I'm amazed so many people see this! Thank you all! ^^