I love you (Clintasha)✔️

✬♧12♧✬ Stranger

The next day when Clint stepped into the ward, Natasha was sitting facing the window.

He had been called back for a briefing the previous day and thereafter went home to gather some essentials for Natasha.

When Natasha heard footsteps, she turned around and looked at Clint, her eyes betraying no emotion as they followed his movements.

But when Clint approached her bed, she shifted, moving away to the far corner.

Clint felt his heart wrench, he was confused as to what to feel. On one hand, he was relieved she was okay. But the way she looked at him and reacted around him as if he was a complete stranger, worse still, someone hostile, hurt him and caused him much sorrow.

"Sweetheart..." It was barely a whisper, as he extended his hand towards her, yearning to caress her face, but stopped himself midway and let his hand fall back by his side. He didn't want to frighten her.

Just as the silence was threatening to erupt into a tense internal war, the door opened.

"Natasha, how're you feeling?" Phil walked in with Fury trailing behind.

"I'm okay. Thanks Phil, and good morning Nick." Natasha greeted as the two men smiled.

Clint looked between them in disbelief. He quickly pulled Coulson aside.

"She doesn't remember me."

Coulson looked at him in shock. It was hard to believe that of all the people, Natasha couldn't remember the one she spent the most time with, the one she shared a bed with.

"Have you spoken to a doctor?"

"No, they've all been too busy."

"I'll see what I can arrange. Don't worry, Clint, we'll fix this." Coulson assured with a hand to Clint's shoulder, then turned around and whispered to Fury, who also seemed shocked.

"Natasha, we'll leave you in Clint's care for now. I know you may not remember him now, but we'll give you all the help we can. He's your husband." Fury explained, placing a hand atop hers.

Natasha bit her lip and looked up at Clint, but looked back down at her hands moments later.

Coulson sighed and turned to Clint, eyes filled with sympathy.

When the couple were left alone, Clint walked over to the bed and sat down cautiously next to Natasha.

"Sweetheart, we'll get through this. I promise to help you remember. But if you still can't, that's okay, we can start all over again." Clint said hopefully, a trace of tears in his eyes.

Natasha only stared at him, not knowing how to respond to a stranger that showed her so much affection. She swallowed, it seemed heartless if she wouldn't even give him a chance. By the way he spoke and his teary eyes, Natasha could tell he must really love her a lot, but she just couldn't find that mutual feeling in her heart.

Just then, the door burst open a second time, and in came running a brunette.

"Natasha, are you okay? I heard what happened to HQ and rushed over immediately."

"Maria?!" Clint and Natasha exclaimed simultaneously.

"It's a long story." Maria sighed.

"Do tell." Clint replied, standing up.

"Okay, long story short, I've been working for S.H.I.E.L.D since I was 15, Fury's my godfather."

Clint and Natasha stared at her with wide eyes.

"Then how come we've never seen you around?" Clint went on.

"Fury put me in charge of another base. I don't visit HQ unless absolutely necessary, I have a lot to oversee."

"You're..."

"Level 9."

"Maria...how did we not know this...all the way through high school and college..." Natasha trailed on, struggling to accept.

"You should have told us when I joined." Clint answered.

"I have my reasons. Okay, why did I come here? I came for Natasha, not for you guys to interrogate me." Maria retorted, crossing her arms.

"I'm fine, Maria, thank you for your concern." Natasha smiled as Maria sat down on the bed and patted her hand.

"Clint, I heard you defied orders of the evac team and ran ahead into the disaster site. Do you know how dangerous that was?" Maria spoke with her Level 9 authority.

"I had to get to Tasha."

The nickname struck Natasha. Had she heard it before? If so, where?

With this new information, Natasha had a newfound respect for the man that was supposed to be her husband. His bravery and loyalty couldn't be denied.

Soon after, Maria left, and Natasha didn't seem very keen on having Clint stay the night.

"I'll...come back tomorrow. Rest well, Sw-" Clint stopped himself. If she wasn't ready, all this affection he was showing her was only going to backfire. He decided to take it slow, maybe start from just being friends.

But alas, he couldn't resist the urge to stroke her hair before he left. Clint could feel Natasha tense under his touch and gradually shying away.

Friends don't do that, Clint reminded himself, pulling his hand away.

After Clint reluctantly left, Natasha turned over in the bed and hid herself under the blanket.

She felt so pressured, she didn't know what to do.

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