I Can Keep You Safe.

Just A Dream.

Chapter 1:

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"People who don't have nightmares don't have dreams." -Robert Paul Smith

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Her screams could be heard from down the hall. Hell, her screams could be heard from down two flights of stairs.

Clint sat straight up in bed rubbing the grogginess from his eyes, which were full of not enough sleep. He sat straight up.

Another deafening screech. And he knew exactly where it was coming from. Realization hit him like a punch from the hulk.

Stumbling helplessly to the door, he turned the knob and broke into a full out sprint next door. Fumbling with the knob, knowing it was open, he rushed in to exactly what he was expecting. Her hair red as blood in knots around her head, One hand gripping the sheets that hung over her body, one gripping something underneath her pillow rather fiercely, most likely her handgun she always slept with.

Sighing, Clint walked over and lay himself across from Natasha. He reached a hand down and brushed her tousled locks aside revealing a cold sweat beginning to streak down her forehead.

"Nat.." He whispered and slowly cradled her in his arms, laying her on top of him and caressing her arm just above her elbow.

With this Natasha instantly awoke, clinging on to Clint, grasping onto the only thing she could reach.

"I've been compromised... I've been compromised..." She whispered repeatedly.

"Nat... I'm here. You're fine. Its okay" he whispered into her ear. "You're not compromised. You're safe with me."

Natasha opened her gleaming green eyes and peered into Clint's. with relief she buried her face into Clint's chest. Shed been having nightmares almost every day since their fight with Loki. they always reminded her of her state of helplessness, and when she thought she lost the one thing she cared about most in the world. Clint. Clint held her close and patted down her hair.

"You're safe. I can keep you safe. Just try to sleep I'm here now Nat it's alright." Natasha sighed and loosened her grip on his shirt. "Thank you... But it's fine you should really just get some sleep too ill be okay."

Any other guy would've kept pushing at Natasha but Clint knew to back off. Pushing her over the edge would have caused her to put her walls up again. It's rare that she even accepted Clint to go this far. Maybe it had to do with their amazing friendship, but he had to admit it did cross his mind about what it would be like to push past that friendship sometimes.

"No Tasha I'll stay." he stated.

Natasha looked up into his blue eyes, those blue eyes that were her one weakness in the world. those blue eyes that showed every emotion that Clint was feeling. Every emotion he was hiding. while training to be a killer assassin, you learn to hide your emotions but just by looking into his eyes Natasha could tell every emotion he was feeling. and right now he looked calm, comforting.

"Are you sure?" she whispered already knowing the answer.

"I'm sure Nat. ill stay and when you sleep ill go too. no more nightmares okay? I'm here now."

But when Clint looked down expecting to see Natasha's eyes, he instead saw her thin eyelids covering them. She had been so exhausted she fell asleep. With a quick yawn and deep thought, Clint leaned down slowly and hesitated, before leaving a lingering kiss on Tasha's forehead.

"Don't you realize it Nat? I can keep you safe..." He whispered before drifting off to sleep.

Natasha listened to his breathing slow and even out and let out a sigh of relief she didn't realize she was holding in. Had she been waiting for him to do that? She didn't even know the answer. It's true a part of her wanted for him to... Need her. Not in the partnering friendship way, but in the actual way. The loving way. That thought takes her aback. She turns upward and kisses just below Clint's chin before finally, falling asleep in his protective arms.