There is this song called "between" by Courrier that I felt kind of fit the Natasha/Clint dynamic, any way, see it through, read then review and tell me what you think.
Cause you never said Good bye
They were so broken, so hurt and so insecure; however he couldn't be but infatuated and smitten with her.
He has to admit he is helplessly, hopelessly in love with Natasha Romanoff, despite he knows she may never grow to love him, Despite he knows such feelings were long forgotten and buried deep down her ledger.
He always felt she deliberately looked him over, that she deliberately stranded him.
He felt that he was just stupid to get himself too attached to Widow.
He kind of decided to try and move on, give up all of it except for that one time when felt this glitch of hope
"What did Hill want?" she asks him casually
"Nothing, it is about the next job"
"It has to be a tough one you know" hinting at the length of the conversation.
For anyone who didn't know Natasha, he'd assume it to be a perfectly designated conversation between partners and co-workers, except he knows Natasha; he knows she minds her business and only her business and never asks about others
She really cares.
Tony stark had this incisive need to snoop and dig in other people's business, especially when he had a 'hunch' as he calls it, so of course they were both on his to do list.
They'd both ignore him and he'd eventually shut up, yet, not after the Shawarma restaurant incident when he shot Bruce the 'that girl is mine' glare.
He grew annoying, very on their nerves and no amount of double shoves off or double punches to the nose would stop him.
Slowly, it became the team's new gummy, everyone smiling slyly at them, giving them those 'you are busted' looks, even Fury was making innuendos.
Yet, she firmly denied it and he followed her suit.
Still, they didn't buy it.
Their voices were drowning Stark's tower,
"Heck, you needn't do that, Clint, I was fine"
"Oh, really you were" he said whilst he was trying to block one of her attacks.
"You" he dodges a punch "were cornered, I had your back" he now says as he tries to restrain her under his grip.
"He was the only Info asset left" she says as she tries to break from his grip.
"To the hell with info if it will cost your life" he retorts, she manages to break free and one shot, man down with a bleeding nose.
She walks away from him, what she does when she loses the debate.
"Here is a hand, Comrade"
"Thanks, how did you know I am here?"
"You were loud enough to alert a whole camp"
"Sorry about that"
"Never mind, anyway, you should have seen the look on Ms Romanoff's face"
"I know...smug and victory"
"No, pleased and happy" replied Steve.
"Maybe one day she'd notice, Clint" now joined by Bruce.
"When pepper forgets an appointment, which is damn near impossible" replied Tony.
Great, he was officially pathetic.
Natasha goes on mission alone,
Natasha comes back victoriously.
A mole has been discovered in the S.H.I.E.L.D.,
A high probability it is Black widow.
Everyone suspects, except him.
He is clad that she'd never do that.
He argues, he pushes, and he even fights to prove it.
He turns himself in for her.
"Go get him" he tells her.
The culprit is found.
He is set free.
"Seriously, if you can't see it, you are totally retarded" says Tony as they train.
"See what?"
"Self denial, then boom he's snatched" and down goes Tony.
"He has a point, you know" mutters pepper as she helps him up and back to his quarters in the tower.
"Dammit Tony, I forgot to tell that appointment with…" Pepper keeps scolding him all the way out.
At night, she gets in and wakes him up
"Yeah, Tasha?" he doesn't even open his eyes to see.
"You didn't have any doubt I'd bail on you and flee?"
"Can we discuss it in the morning, please?"
"Come on, Clint"
He sits up and adjusts himself
"Not a single one, Romanoff"
"Sometimes, I wonder what you see in me, Clint that made you do that different call"
"Nothing that isn't worth fighting for, partner"
They cease talking for a second
"They followed me, you know, tried to lure me in and brainwash me again, I would have yielded hadn't the team been there"
"Still, you came back, you didn't just say goodbye and bail out"
"What if I did, Clint?"
"I would follow you to the ends of earth and bring you back" he reflexively replies
"And if I don't come back"
"Then, I would hunt black widow down to the ends of earth and end her as I was supposed to do"
"That simple"
"Yeah, that simple, because Natasha would want that"
She smiles a small smile before getting up
"You are the best person I have ever met Clint"
"What a progress" he sarcastly mutters
"Get back to sleep, Barton"
He is so elated, that he couldn't sleep for it is moments like that that reignites the spark of hope, that maybe some day as long as she is still with him she might heal enough to return his call.
Until then he'd wait, as long as she never says goodbye.