It was late. The team was tired and had eaten more than their fair share of food at the restaurant and was ready to go to sleep.
"You guys are more than welcome to come stay at the tower." Tony offered. "There's more than enough room, though we might have to do a bit of searching for rooms that aren't beat up." Bruce and Thor gratefully accepted and Steve reluctantly agreed, just to keep an eye on them. Natasha and Clint declined, much to the surprise of their teammates.
"We have an apartment not too far from here that we use when we aren't on a mission. It makes it easier on us financially to share." Clint explained at their confused expressions. "As long as the building didn't get destroyed, we should be fine."
"Besides, Lucky needs checking in on. Just because the neighbors say that they look after him doesn't mean that they actually do." Natasha added.
"Who's Lucky?" Steve asked.
"Our dog. Well, Clint's dog. I just happen to be Lucky's favorite."
"You are not." Clint said in a slightly outraged tone, but his eyes showed amusement. Natasha stuck her tongue out at her partner, showing a childish side of her that the others had never seen before.
Natasha stepped over to the sidewalk and let out a sharp whistle. Immediately a cab pulled up to the curb. "Come on Barton. Let's go."
"She was always better at that than me." Clint commented as he stepped over to her. He waved at the the others. "Bye guys. If the apartment is destroyed, we'll see you later. If not, we'll see you tomorrow sometime."
It turns out that the building was barely standing. They managed to rescue Lucky, a large but very friendly golden retriever, from the collapsed apartment, as well as some clothes and a few personal possessions, but that was it. They had to take a cab all the way back to Stark Tower.
They stepped into the elevator and was greeted by the voice of JARVIS. "Welcome Master Clint and Lady Natasha. Master Tony has asked for me to take you up to the penthouse and inform you that you have room prepared for you and your canine friend."
"Thank you JARVIS." Natasha said. The ride was a short one to the top of the tower. Inside, the damage had already been cleaned up and a tarp had been put over the broken windows to keep out the draft. It was rough looking, but at least it was standing. The same couldn't be said about their apartment.
"Welcome." Tony greeted as the two assassins stepped off the elevator. Lucky sniffed the man curiously, but deemed him worthy with a friendly lick of the hand. Natasha said something in Russian and the dog laid down where he was. "Impressive training."
"Nat decided that if she was going to live with a dog that it would at least be obedient." Clint said off-handed. "Where are the others?"
"In their rooms, showering or sleeping. Or both." Tony added on an amused note. "Your rooms are down the hall and the third door down. Legolas, you're on the left and you Spidey, are across the hall."
"Thanks Tony." Clint said. "Will you feed Lucky? I don't think he's eaten in a bit."
Tony huffed, but nodded and waved the two spies off. They walked down the hall and separated, but soon Natasha was across the hall with a first-aid kit and a bundle of clothes in her arms.
"Clint?" She asked as she entered the room.
"In here," he called from the bathroom. He was standing in just his pants and examining the bruises and cuts that littered his arms and chest and back. There were a surprisingly few in number, but Natasha still treated them with care and precision that came from lots of practice.
Clint was doing the same to Natasha when there was a knock on the door and Steve walked in. He was expecting to see Clint taking care of his bow, not with a Natasha who was in nothing but her bra and pants.
"Oh my gosh!" Steve exclaimed, turning around and putting a hand over his eyes. "I'm so sorry! I just heard that you were here and came to see if you were settled in!"
"Relax Cap." Natasha said as she stood and pulled a shirt over her head. "Clint was just checking to see of any of my injuries were in need of stitches. You can turn around now, I have a shirt on."
Steve relaxed and turned. "Sorry."
"It's fine." Clint assured.
"I'll just go now. Good night."
Natasha laughed once Steve had left. "He really is clueless."
Clint chuckled as well and packed up the medical supplies. "He's just old-fashioned."
The next morning, the men were sitting around the breakfast table with large cups of coffee while Pepper and Bruce made breakfast. Tony was already counting heads when he entered the room. "Where's Natasha?"
"Sleeping." Clint answered amusedly as he took a sip of coffee. "She always sleeps late after a big mission. I'll go wake her up in a few minutes."
"No need Bird Brain," the red headed assassin said as she groggily stepped into the kitchen. She was dressed in a big shirt that reached her knees and a pair of slippers with her hair in disarray. She walked over to Clint and took his coffee from him. She took a sip and sighed happily. "Mmm, coffee. The only thing I like more than vodka."
"Did you really have to take mine?" Clint asked as he stood to make another cup.
"Yes. At least I know that it isn't poisoned."
"I see how it is Nat. You're just using me." Clint winked at his partner.
Natasha laughed. "Always." Clint sat back down with his fresh cup and took a gulp, followed by a couple of painkillers. Natasha frowned at the sight. "What do you need painkillers for? I checked you over last night, no scrapes."
Clint avoided looking at her. "It's nothing."
"Nothing my ass. Clint Barton, tell me what's wrong." Natasha gently but firmly forced Clint to look at her.
He sighed. "I just fell on my bow yesterday and my back is telling me off for it today."
"Shirt. Off. Now."
"Easy Nat, don't want to seem eager." Clint teased lightly, but complied. He peeled his shirt off and turned in his chair to show his partner his back. She frowned even more at the bruise that was painted over his spine. She placed a small, gentle hand over the bruise and moved it over the muscles, feeling them tense and relax at her cool touch.
"Well, it won't leave any lasting damage, but you'll be moving around like an old man for a couple of days. I'm surprised that you didn't throw your back out again."
"Again?" Tony asked, bringing the partners back to reality.
Natasha nodded. "This idiot fell off a ladder at his farm and threw his back out last year. I spent a week making sure he didn't do anything stupid, like try to go on a mission. He was a pathetic sight."
"I can just feel the love." Clint said dryly.
"I didn't know you had a farm." Pepper started as she set the dishes of food on the table. "It must be nice."
"It is. I've got about three hundred acres upstate where I raise some chickens and cows. I bought it after I left the circus."
"You were in the circus?" Tony asked in surprise and disbelief.
Natasha nodded. "He was raised in one but left when he was eighteen. He became a mercenary, then joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and was sent to kill me. He made a different call and now he's my partner and best friend. Has been for ten years."
"So he was sent to kill you but ended up saving your life?" Steve asked to clarify. At the partners' affirmations, he simply nodded. "Well okay then. Anything else we need to know about you?"
"Nothing that isn't classified." The redhead smirked.
Clint rolled his eyes at his partner and tilted his chin out in a silent question. She shook her head, but was met by Clint's blue eyes firmly telling her otherwise. The others watched the wordless conversation in confusion and awe at the two's intimate understanding of each other.
Sighing, Natasha nodded and lifted the shirt she was wearing up and over her head, revealing short black, skintight running shorts and a black sports bra that showed quite a bit of skin. On the side of her ribcage was a simple tattooed silhouette of a black bird. It had its wings outstretched and an arrow in its beak.
Clint was next. He tugged the waistband of his sweatpants down just enough show the team his tattoo of the hourglass shape on a black widow spider on his hip. When the two assassins stood next to each other, the tattoos lined up perfectly.
"So your tattoos symbolize your partner and line up. What does that mean?" Tony asked obtusely.
Natasha looked at Pepper and they both rolled their eyes. "It means, you stupid genius, that Clint and I are married. We have been for five years."
Tony had never been so speechless in his life. "You're what now?"