Things Almost Remembered [Clintasha]

Chapter Two

Natasha burst through the doors, her face set in her usual mask of complete calm. The only hint that anything was wrong was her quick pace as she walked through the halls of SHIELD headquarters, a determined look on her face. Anyone who saw her would most likely assume that she was on a mission or trying to inform SHIELD of a potential threat, it wouldn't be anything new, they were used to Natasha coming into headquarters with a similar expression. No one could possibly know what was running through her mind, hell, she could barely figure out what was going through her mind. She was experiencing too many emotions at once to know what to focus on. There was the hope and relief of knowing that Clint was alive, of knowing that he was back now, that Natasha was moments away from seeing her fiance for the first time in over a year. Part of that relief was overshadowed by the suffocating fear, the fear that Clint would be hurt and broken and that Natasha wouldn't be able to handle seeing him like that. He'd been held by HYDRA for a year, it would be foolish to think that he would come back unscathed. He would probably be scared and traumatised, he might not want to be touched, he almost definitely wouldn't want to talk about what he'd been through. Natasha was so frightened that she wouldn't be able to handle it, that she wouldn't be able to help put Clint back together after this. That insecurity was eating away at her even as she walked directly towards the infirmary, Bucky trailing behind her.

Natasha wouldn't let anyone stand in her way, weaving through various agents to get to her destination. She couldn't even process that Bucky was calling after her, getting further and further behind her as she walked with only one thought in mind. Clint. She had to get to Clint, she had to see him. Her emotions didn't matter, not right now. All that mattered was Clint and getting to him, not Natasha's fear of breaking down when she saw him, not her anger at HYDRA, nothing but Clint. She stormed into the waiting room of the infirmary, coming face-to-face with none other than Nick Fury, standing with his arms behind his back, as if he had been waiting for Natasha to arrive, which he most-likely was. He fixed his gaze on Natasha and when she moved to enter the infirmary, he stepped in her path, blocking her when she tried to go around him.

Natasha's eyes narrowed and she growled. "Get out of my way, Fury." She spat, her voice laced with venom.

"Romanoff." Fury's voice was calm and steady, but held the same no-nonsense tone that it always did. "Sit down." His voice made it clear that it was not a request.

Natasha wanted to scream, she wanted to punch Fury in his stupid face. How dare he ask her to sit down, to wait even another second before running to Clint? She wanted to scream and punch and cry, but she did none of those things. Her face remained stoic, fixing Fury with an icy glare before slowly sitting down in one of the chairs. "Is there a reason for this?" She asked, her voice cold and emotionless.

Fury sighed, standing in front of Natasha as she stared up at him. He cleared his throat, very clearly trying to think of how to word the information he was about to give the agent before him. "I understand that you are eager to see Barton." He started, being cut off by Natasha's scoff. He fixed her with a glare before continuing. "I didn't intend on you being informed of Barton's retrieval this soon." He admitted and Natasha balled her hands into fists. Retrieval. Like Clint was nothing more than a tool. "Captain Rogers clearly had other ideas." His face changed into a grimace, clearly unhappy with Steve's decision to tell Natasha. "There's no changing that now." He said resolutely. "But I need you to handle this with the highest degree of professionalism. I understand that this is rather personal to you, but-"

Natasha couldn't hold back anymore. "Of fucking course it's personal." She snapped. "He's my fiance." She crossed her arms, glaring at Fury with fire in her eyes. "And I have the right to know-"

"But if you want to continue being informed on his condition, I need you to remain professional and unbiased." Fury continued as if he hadn't heard Natasha's interruption. "If you think that you can't handle that, it would be best for you to leave now." He made it sound like it was an offer, but they both knew exactly what it was. It was a threat, a threat that he was holding over Natasha's head. If she didn't listen, if she didn't obey, she wouldn't be able to see Clint. She would be cut off, her clearance denied, and she wouldn't be able to see Clint until he was released. Fury stared directly into Natasha's eyes. "Is that understood?"