Sometimes, no matter how "perfect" a relationship may seem, harsh words are still spoken.
It's no different for Agents Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff.
But then, we're talking about two people under high amounts of stress.
Sometimes, the words... angry words.. just seem to take off on their own.
Natasha.. She's still bewildered, and confused by the feelings she has for him at times. She still has to fight that this emotion.. that love.. is not just something for the weak, for children. She just feels like maybe this new step they're trying to take is one that's taking off too fast.
Clint, for all his patience, and trying to understand the feelings that she has, becomes frustrated at times himself... He's loved her these last three years, from a distance, waiting for her to feel ready to love him back; Yes, he's scared too, but he knows that in this life, anything can happen. And he'd rather take the risks knowing that he loved Natasha, and that she loved him back. Really, to him, it seems so simple.
And so, it becomes a shouting match. Lately, it seems to be happening more frequently. Today, it's happened in Natasha's rooms on the SHIELD base. Both of them are thankful for the soundproof walls the rooms are equipped with; Other agents would be in shock if they ever saw the two of them this way.
Before their "match" ends, she has tears in her eyes, he takes an angry flush to his cheeks, and both of them are left feeling deflated; neither are willing to spat out "one final comeback". These shouting matches always seem to leave them feeling drained of feeling afterwards.
It's in that moment of silence that Clint's phone starts beeping. He fumbles it from his pocket, flips it open and reads a text hurriedly, Natasha watching blankly.
He snaps his phone shut. "I forgot... I'm on call today. I have to report on a situation downstairs right now," he says. His throat sounds dry, probably from the shouting just moments ago. Natasha nods.
"Oh... OK, then, " she says in a quiet voice.
Clint nods, tries to give her the smallest of smiles. He then turns to leave, grabbing his jacket from a chair as he does. He starts for the door, but stops halfway.
"I'll... see you later. Probably sometime tonight, Tasha."
He takes another step towards the door, thinking that they're done here, when her voice stops him.
"Why?"
He turns to face her. "Why, what?" he inquires carefully.
Her tear filled eyes burn into his, a question behind the blurred tears.
"Why... Why do you always come back? We.. I.. I say terrible things... awful, things.. to you.. And yet you still come back afterwards." She says softly. "Why??"
He steps toward her then, all the anger and frustrations from just moments before fading into nothing.
"Because, I love you," he whispers.
"Why?" she asks again, tears glistening, ready to spill from her eyes. He takes another step.
"Because I love you," he whispers again.
So close to her now, that their bodies touch. She looks up into his face, his crystal blue eyes a blur through the tears.
"Why?" One last time.
He cups her head in both hands, looking with certainty into her eyes.
"Because, I LOVE YOU," he whispers in a firm voice this time.
Their lips come together as tears start to roll down her cheeks. He pulls her close as she swallows down choked - in sobs.
"I'm sorry, Tasha..." he begins, when she cuts in.
"Will you stay? Stay with me? No matter... No matter how awful I am to you..." She looks up, eyes pleading, truly afraid that he might leave and never come back to her. "Will you stay, Clint... Please?"
He smiles down at her, and it's a smile she knows well, one that's full of assurance.
"I'll always stay, Tasha." he whispers in promise before kissing her again.
~The End~
