A Fool's Dance

Chapter Four

"That was uncalled for, Clint, and you know it," Natasha told him as he walked out of his bathroom.

"Jesus! Nat," Clint yelped, grabbing a towel off his sink.

Natasha rolled her eyes and turned around to give Clint time to secure his towel. When she turned back around, Clint was glaring at her. She studied him in silence for a minute and sat down on his bed, moving his knife out of the way.

"No, what's uncalled for is you bringing him here, Natasha! He nearly killed you. And Steve!"

"I get that you are protective, but James isn't going to turn on us, Clint," Natasha argued.

"Everyone always thinks that, Natasha. And it always happens," Clint snapped.

Natasha remained silent for a few minutes, waiting for the glassy look in Clint's eye to disappear. He shook his head slightly and turned around.

"Steve trusts him," she pointed out.

"Of course Steve trusts him. It's his best friend. He'd be blind to anything Bucky Barnes did, Natasha," Clint replied, rifling through his dresser to find some clothes.

Natasha snorted when Clint gave her a pointed look, but she turned around to allow him to put on clothes in private.

"Don't tell me this is because your jealous?" She teased.

"I am not jealous."

"Sounds like it," Natasha replied.

Her smile faded when a pair of Clint's jeans hit her in the back of her head. She turned around and Clint smirked at her before retreating into the bathroom and locking the door. They both knew she wasn't really mad enough to pick the lock and hit him, but she made sure to be cleaning her fingernails with his knife when he came back out of the bathroom.

"Give him a chance, Clint."

"Why should I?"

"Well, one, he's Steve's childhood friend. Two, he's also my friend. Well, one of my exes. Three, he passed all of the tests that were given to him. And four, he was brainwashed. You remember how that feels, right? When Loki took control of you for three days?"

Clint immediatley went still and Natasha winced internally at the blank look on his face. She could hear him breathing too quickly from across the room. Natasha stood slowly and started walking forward.

"Clint? Clint, it's okay. It's just the two of us. I didn't mean to-"

"Get out," Clint gasped, leaning against the wall before letting himself sink to the floor.

"Clint-"

"Get out."

"I'm going to get Steve. Okay?"

He didn't respond other than screwing his eyes shut. Natasha shot him a worried glance over her shoulder as she walked quickly onto the elevator. The elevator stopped on the common floor, and Natasha stepped off quickly as she called Steve's name.

"Natasha?"

"I accidentally set Clint off. He's on his floor freaking out."

Natasha barely had time to move aside before Steve was running for the elevator.