Time Changes People
By NukaCola101
DISCLAIMER: All characters are copyrighted by Disney/Marvel. I own nothing.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I had a desire to pen another Bruce/Natasha story, but wanted to incorporate one of the other Avengers and show how they would handle the relationship. I decided to use Clint, especially if it had a former romance angle to it (to which this particular story does). Read and Review!
Clint leaned against the side of the boat as it headed down the murky, dirty river. He adjusted the volume on his music player to drown out the roar of the engine (no such luck). He was lost in thought. It had been well over two years since his team disbanded after their headquarters was blown to bits. Everyone had gone their separate ways and promised to contact one another when things calmed down…but it never happened. That is, until he received a message from a person only known as "N". It didn't take Clint long to figure out who "N" was. It was easy. But what really took him aback was who she was with.
I'm with Mr. Green. She wrote. I think it's safe to meet.
And thus was the archer's reason for being on this crappy motorboat on what seemed like the hottest day of the year in South America. Despite he was wearing light weight athletic clothing to keep cool; the humidity was stifling and made Clint miserable. From what he figured, the two were smart to be as far from heavily populated areas, given Bruce's alter ego. The village where he and Natasha had chosen to live in was about an hour or so away from the closest city. At least Bruce could go back to doing what he had done before the Avengers form: caring for the sick and injured. But why would Natasha follow the scientist when she had other more reliable sources? Clint had inkling why, but he wasn't sure whether Natasha was willing to admit it. Perhaps she would, given the circumstances now.
The boat pulled into the harbor and docked. Removing his headphones, Clint thanked the captain and grabbed his duffel bag. Upon exiting the vessel, he looked around for any sign of Natasha. She said she would meet him at the docks, but it appeared she hadn't arrived yet. Clint walked up the path and waited. He gazed at the rural village before him. It looked like a dump. The houses where in need of repair and the streets where overcrowded and sloppy from years of people (and animals) using the dirt and concrete paths. Clint really shouldn't be so cruel in his first impressions; he had seen far worse during his time at SHIELD.
"You made it!"
Clint turned his head and smiled. Natasha had called out to him and waved him over. Dressed in brown capri khaki pants and a dark orange muscle t-shirt with sandals on her feet, the Russian smiled at Clint has the two hugged one another.
"It's been too long." Clint told her.
"I know." She replied.
"I should ask where Bruce is, but I think I know why he isn't here."
Natasha nodded. "Believe me when I say he would have loved to come as well…but some things never change."
The two friends then took a rickshaw into town and stopped by a small café to have a light lunch before heading back to the house that Natasha and Bruce shared.
"So. How have you been?" Clint asked as he and Natasha ate.
"I've been good." She told him.
"Is that all? You know your cryptic answers can't fool me."
He was right. "It's been tough, not going to lie about that. I would have never thought of finding myself living in a place like this…but this is where Bruce wanted to settle down and I couldn't say no." Natasha said.
"He always wanted to come back to a place like this. I remember back home at the tower Bruce would be cheerful when he mentioned his time in places like Calcutta." Clint said.
"Despite his wish to be away from people ever since the accident, Bruce always found it hard to stay away from helping those in need." Natasha smiled as she poked at her plate. "I guess that's why I tagged along." She grew reminiscent, but quickly changed her demeanor. "If you're all set, let's head back home and see if we can catch Bruce before he makes another house call."
Clint agreed and the two were on their way. The rickshaw stopped at a beaten path and Natasha explained to Clint that they had to walk the rest of the way.
"Just how far is your house from the village?"
"About a mile."
Clint sighed. "I know Bruce likes his isolation, but you'd think he would, you know…pick someplace closer." He really didn't have the energy to walk in the muggy weather.
"It's good exercise." Natasha said, noticing that he had gotten a little chubby. She playfully pinched the archer's stomach.
"Ouch! Quite touching my flab!" he griped.
"Better lay off the donuts, hun." she jested. "Seriously, you may have gained some weight since I last saw you, but you still look good."
Clint thanked her as they started to walk the path. "I blame work. Free lancing sucks! But I do the occasional side job to make some extra cash on the side. Speaking of work, so you work alongside Bruce or what?"
"Like you and your side jobs, on occasion. I mainly work as an assistant teacher at the local school."
The archer knew that Natasha had a soft spot for children. He imagined her in the one-room school reading and playing games with her pupils. It brought a smile to his face.
"I bet you're a wonderful teacher."
"Thank you, Clint. I try my best."
As they continued their trek, several of Natasha's students happily ran up to the two and shouted cheerful salutations.
"Hello Miss Tasha!" the grade-school children cried.
"Hello. How are you enjoying your vacation so far?" "We're having so much fun!" a little boy told her.
"That's nice to hear." Natasha commented.
Two small girls (who appeared to be sisters, given their similar facial features) handed a small bouquet of flowers to the Russian. "We picked these earlier today. They are like the ones from the story you read to us, Miss Tasha."
"They are beautiful, thank you very much." She gave the group a sincere smile.
"See you later!" the group of youngsters called back as they scampered away.
"I'll be sure to put these in water when we get home." Natasha held up the flowers. "They will look nice on the kitchen table."
Clint and Natasha remained silent for the most part, sometimes making small chatter. They finally arrived at the house. Unlike the housing Clint saw earlier, the home was in better shape, as it had been recently white-washed and the door looked almost brand new. "It's not much, but its home." Natasha said as she opened the door.
Clint entered the dwelling and saw that it was one large living space. An open doorway with a curtain separated the hybrid living room/kitchen area. A small gas stove was next to the sink and refrigerator. The living room had a well-worn light brown couch with an equally worn matching rug. A boxy TV set on a stand and a radio was in the room as well. Not much was decorated on the walls, sans a few faded pictures and maps. Bruce's work space was tucked in the corner. His desk was next to an art deco medicine cabinet that was past its prime, but still worthy of its duty to hold various bottles and boxes of medical supplies.
"The couch pulls out to a bed. The mattress isn't the best, but it's comfortable."
"I don't mind, Nat."
Clint placed his duffel bag on the couch as Natasha went into the kitchenette and placed the flowers in water. She had placed the vase on the table when Bruce entered from the adjacent room.
"Well look who it is!" he said and gave Clint a welcoming smile.
"Long time no see, buddy." Clint said and the two men gave each other a hug.
"Bruce, I'm glad your home. We were afraid we may have missed you."
"One of my patients cancelled, then another made an emergency call just as quick." He explained, rolling up his sleeves. "I shouldn't be too long." He noticed the flowers. "I take it some of your students stopped the two of you as you were coming home."
"They did. Let's just hope your allergies don't act up this time." Natasha said to the scientist and gave him a gentle smile.
Bruce chuckled as he grabbed his medical bag. "I really don't need to be having a sneezing fit when I'm in the middle of an examination. Still, we have so much to talk about when I get back."
"Take your time, Bruce. I understand." Clint told him, making Bruce feel less guilty about leaving so abruptly.
"OK. Well…see you later." Bruce said, yet he hesitated. He looked at Natasha, not sure if he wanted to be more affectionate towards her. She took his hand and gave it a tender, loving squeeze.
"Don't stay out too long. You don't want to make Clint's visit for not."
"I won't. I promise." Bruce gave Natasha the same loving smile she had to him and took his leave.
After Bruce left, Natasha prepared some iced tea as Clint took a seat at the table. She served Clint a glass, then herself and sat at the table next to the archer.
"I guess you figured it out about Bruce and me." Natasha said as she took a sip of her drink.
"I'll be blunt: I already knew about you and Banner for some time."
"Really?!" Natasha was surprised. Clint nodded.
"It was pretty obvious…especially the day the bombing happened."
"Yeah." She hadn't thought about it in so long. That event was over two years ago, yet it still felt fresh in both Clint and Natasha's minds. Clint wondered if Bruce felt the same way too…
The team had just finished a rather difficult mission and where on break when it happened. Apparently, a mole infiltrated SHIELD and tipped off some criminal organization. HYDRA was everyone's first guess, but the real identity was never discovered. Once the mole gave the information to the unknown criminals, several bombs went off at the tower. Clint was lost in a sea of dust, smoke and debris desperate to find Natasha. Steve and Tony where busy finding Thor while the archer went to find not only the spy, but Bruce too. Thankfully, he located the Russian rather quickly. She was trying to remove a heavy piece of broken wood off Bruce, who lay on his stomach. Clint noticed the scientist's skin was starting to turn green.
He sprung to Natasha's side and helped her lift and toss the wood aside. She knelt next to Bruce and helped him sit up.
"Nat! We gotta go!" Clint remembered shouting to her.
"I know! Let me help Bruce!"
"No, leave him! He'll be the Other Guy any second now!"
Natasha shot a disapproving glare at Clint. "Not if I can help. Bruce." The spy turned him. "We got to get out of here. Can you stand?"
"Natasha…" he moaned, his voice becoming the Hulk's simple and deep tone. The Russian could see that the Hulk was starting to take over.
"Come on!" Clint grabbed her arm, but Natasha jerked it away from him.
"You go ahead! Bruce and I will be right behind you."
"Damn it Nat." Clint grumbled. He was growing impatient. The former tower was crumbling all around them and if they waited any longer, the three heroes where going to be buried under the rubble and not survive!
Clint noticed Natasha's soften demeanor as she leaned in closer to Bruce. Her expression on her injured and dirty face was one of loving concern. She whispered something into Bruce's ear. Whatever she had told the scientist made him have a flabbergasted look on his face. Nodding, Natasha took Bruce's hand into hers and helped him up.
"Clint. Go let the others know Bruce and I will meet up with you later at the safe house. If we don't make it…"
"I know." Clint responded. The last thing Clint saw was Natasha leading Bruce to safety, still holding his hand in a secure, affectionate grasp.
"You never did make it to the safe house." Clint told her.
"Bruce didn't want to risk it, especially since the Hulk was still present when we escaped the tower." said Natasha. "He had some emergency passports hidden away so that he could escape the country if things got bad once again. So we took them and left. Within a few days, we arrived here in South America, penniless with nothing more that the clothes on our backs. It took us a year of hard work, but Bruce and I managed to settle down and be comfortable."
She looked up at Clint with a sorrowful expression. "I feel terrible for not contacting everyone, especially you Clint. At the time, Bruce and I just didn't want to risk exposing ourselves for fear whoever bombed the tower would come after us."
"I understand." Clint said and held Natasha's hand in his. "I was worried about you. I honestly thought you were dead! When I received that message from you years after that bombing, alive and well a couple of days ago…I was a mix of emotions. I was shocked, but doubtful the message was really from you. I was pissed when I accepted the truth, but relieved to know that my best friend was OK. But after thinking about all the stuff we went through…I can't stay mad at you."
Clint grasped the former spy's hand a little tighter. Natasha sighed.
"Clint." She started to say when the front door opened.
Bruce entered and saw his two former team mates holding hands. Clint immediately let go of Natasha's hand, hoping Bruce's jealousy wouldn't get the best of him. "Well, that was fast." The archer said in a slightly fidgety voice.
"It was nothing, just a flesh wound." Bruce tried to crack a joke, hoping to ease the uncomfortable air in the room. It didn't work, the awkwardness was still present.
"Uh, say. Why don't I make dinner tonight, Natasha?" Bruce suggested. Bruce wanted something productive to take his mind off what he had witnessed.
"Are you sure? I don't mind. It'll give you a chance to talk to Clint."
"No, I insist." Bruce placed his bag on the table and went into the kitchenette to start dinner.
"Bruce, let me help you." Clint offered, but the glare the scientist gave him was rather harsh. In fact, a glint of green appeared in Bruce's eye, signaling a warning for Clint to back down.
"Alright…" He didn't want to cause any trouble (let alone have the Hulk appear). Clint then looked over at Natasha, who had a worried look on her face. "Where's your bathroom? I need to use it."
"I'll show you." She got up from her seat, welcoming the distraction. After showing Clint where the bathroom was located, Natasha returned to the kitchenette. Bruce was chopping up vegetables for the stir-fry he was cooking. The Russian placed her arms around his waist and held Bruce close to her in a comforting hug; her head gently on his back.
"Please…talk to Clint. He already knows." Natasha said to Bruce.
"You know he still has feelings for you."
"He always will, Bruce. And so will I. But that's in the past; I want to think about the present…and you are a part of it."
Bruce sighed and placed down the knife. He wiped his hands on the towel placed next to the cutting board and turned around to draw Natasha close to him, wrapping her in the same embrace she was giving him.
"OK. For you."
"Thank you." Natasha gave Bruce a small smile. She then gave him a small kiss on the lips, to which he returned the gesture. In a better mood, when Clint reappeared Bruce took up on the archer's previous offer to help with dinner. Natasha had a satisfying smirk on her face as she watched the two prepare dinner.
"Let's hope your cooking skills have improved since the last time we we're together." she said to Clint.
"Trust me, they have." he responded with confidence.
"Uh, Clint. You're burning the rice." Bruce pointed out.
Clint let out a stifled grunt as he quickly pulled the burning pot off the stove. Natasha chuckled and Clint gave her a disapproving glare.
"Gordon Ramsey would have thrown you out of the kitchen in ten seconds flat!" Bruce told him, laughing as well.
Aside from the near-burnt rice, dinner was surprisingly pleasant. The three friends swapped stories as they ate, enjoying the reunion. Later, after the dishes were washed and put away, Bruce and Clint sat on the porch with ice-cold drinks. Natasha had to finish grading papers for her students and was inside. The radio was playing quietly while she worked. The reception wasn't the best, but the two men could hear the music fine. The slow, laid-back beat of "La Mer" by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli complimented the view from the porch as they stared out to the horizon. The village below was lit up softly from the street lights, not hindering the starry sky above.
"I gotta say Bruce, you and Nat have one hell of a view."
"This is one of the reasons why we picked this property. Some nights the two of us just sit out here and watch the sun set and the stars appear…I suppose it reminds us of our childhood homes." Bruce told Clint. He quietly took a sip of his beer.
"Since when do you drink beer? I would've sworn you wouldn't touch the stuff with a ten foot pole."
"Time changes people, Clint." was the only response Bruce gave him as the scientist set his glass down. Clint knew it must have been Natasha who had gotten Bruce to ease up on his once strict aversion to alcohol.
"If time changes people, then it seems that you and Nat have a rather good relationship."
Bruce remained quiet. Perhaps it wasn't the best time to bring up the topic Bruce and Natasha dating one another Clint suspected.
"Look, I understand if you don't want to talk about it, given your knowledge of me and Nat…" Clint started to say but Bruce interrupted him.
"No, it's fine. Better address the elephant in the room before it goes on a rampage." That figure of speech wasn't made to be a pun. Bruce and Clint knew all too well that the Other Guy was a major reason when it came to any type of relationship, being it friendship or otherwise.
"Does the 'elephant' get jealous?" Clint asked.
"For a time, he was. To say that jealousy is a green-eyed monster when talking about the Other Guy is a understatement!" Bruce said.
"How long ago was your last incident, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Last year."
The archer was surprised, but grew concern. He knew Natasha was more than capable of handling herself around the Hulk, but just like the rest of the team, there was always a great risk when working alongside the behemoth. "Was Nat…?"
"No! Good god no! He may be dumb, but he's not that stupid. At least, when he doesn't let his rage become too out of control."
Clint wondered what could have caused Bruce to transform. From his prior relationship with the Russian, the former agent knew Natasha was stubborn and could hold her own in a fight (both on and off the battlefield). He recalled the many quarrels he had with her; Natasha wasn't one to back down. In the end, it was always Natasha who was the first to apologize. Bruce saw the inquiring look on Clint's face.
"It was a fight between Natasha and I." Bruce said. He then shook his head and chuckled. "Looking back on it now, that fight began over some so trivial, I can't even remember was it was!"
"And if I ask Nat about it, it'll be a snowball's chance in hell before she'll tell me about it." The two men laughed softly over Clint's comment. The scientist continued.
"Whatever it was, the last thing I remember was him coming through like a speeding bullet train and pushing me down. Down so deep I was afraid I was never going to come back. Granted, the bits and pieces of memory from that night are all jumbled together, but one thing stood out clearly: Natasha was sitting next to him deep in the woods, looking depressed. She leaned against his arm and held his hand the best she could and told him 'I'm sorry'. If I learned anything about her over the years we've worked together is that it takes a lot of humility for Natasha to say those words. Still, the next thing I remember was me half-naked in the woods, pants barely covering my body and Natasha holding me in a tender embrace, crying quietly. I asked her what was wrong. She said nothing and held me tighter as her tears fell into my messy hair. I guess what was said between her and the Other Guy really affected her deeply."
"You never asked her about it?"
"I tried, but ultimately concluded it was between him and her and it was not my place to know. You know, he does try to come out now and then." Bruce said in an oddly casual tone.
Clint nodded. Even back at the tower, Bruce was in a constant struggle with the Hulk. The scientist practiced various disciplines of yoga, meditation and even martial arts to help keep his emotions in check. Tony had even developed a room for Bruce to use for his practices. It was common to find Bruce isolating himself for hours on end, as the Hulk was buzzing around in his head demanding to be heard.
"What does he say, if anything at all?"
"He…wants to be able to love Natasha as much as I do; to hold her, touch her. But he knows he can't. He knows what will happen and how it will affect us both. And yet…he's content with his place in our relationship with her. He loves her, yes. And it's often not enough. At least the Other Guy knows his limits when it comes to expressing his feelings about Natasha."
"Good." Clint replied. He gazed out at the landscape before him once more as he drank his beer. "I still don't get it."
"What do you mean by that?" Bruce inquired.
"You and Nat. I mean, I would have never even pinned the two of you as a couple, not by a longshot! So how is it that"
"Oh." Bruce looked down at his feet, trying to come up with an explanation. After some thought, he looked up at Clint.
"Do you want to know what she told me all those years ago when the tower was bombed?"
"Do I have a right to know?"
"I think you do." Bruce took a drink of his beer (for courage, he joked to himself) before addressing the archer. "Natasha told me, as well as the Other Guy, that we will never be alone as long as she was with us."
Clint stared at Bruce with disbelief. "I know it sounds crazy…but we both know her better than anyone else." the scientist stated.
What Bruce had said was true. Clint knew that because of her upbringing in the Red Room, Natasha has developed a cold, distant personality. When SHIELD offered her the chance to redeem herself for her past crimes, the Russian accepted and worked hard to make amends. Natasha worked alone and rarely relied on others…until she met Clint. The two became friends and partners, nearly becoming inseparable. It took a long time, but after feeling comfortable with one another, the two former agents decided to try dating. Clint and Natasha's former romance worked for a few years, but then she started to become reserved again. Natasha didn't want to hurt or lose Clint like she had with her previous boyfriends and the two quietly ended it. And yet, they remained close friends. Clint figured Natasha was tired of feeling lonely and wanted someone who felt just as lonesome as she was…
"It seemed that we had a lot in common." Bruce explained to his friend. "The two of us knew what it was like to be withdrawn from others. We had kept to ourselves for so many years and it showed. We didn't think it was possible to have a functional relationship. Yet on that night, that promise Natasha made to me and the Other Guy…it was one filled with hope and love."
Clint placed a hand on Bruce's shoulder as a means of support. "I couldn't have asked for a better person for Nat to be with. I know you'll treat her well and love her."
"Thank you Clint. That means the world to me."
Natasha had been quietly listening in on Clint and Bruce's conversation long after she had finished grading her papers. Upon seeing the friendly exchange between the two men she cared for caused a warm smile to appear on her face.
Several days later, the three where at the docks. Much to his joy, Clint saw Bruce had come to send the archer off on his journey home along with Natasha.
"It was rude of me not to have come to greet you earlier." Bruce apologized.
"Well, I'm glad you came to say good-bye." Clint said in appreciation. Before boarding the boat, he had a question to ask the couple. It had been burning in the back of his mind ever since the start of his visit.
"Bruce, Natasha. Would the tow of you ever reconsider coming back to the States and reform the group?"
During his visit, Clint had given Bruce and Natasha an update on how everyone else was doing. Tony was still dating Pepper, despite his hesitation to propose marriage to her; the feisty CEO was getting annoyed at the billionaire every time he would dodge her attempts to bring up the subject. Thor and Jane had broken up not long after the bombing and now the Asgardian was in a relationship with Lady Sif. Steve had gone and married Sharon Carter (aka Agent 13) and they had recently become proud parents to a newborn baby girl. Now that they were all in better places, Tony had let Clint know that both he and Steve where thinking about reforming the Avengers.
"The world's going to hell and it's time for us to make a comeback." Tony had told Clint.
"It won't be easy, but if Bruce and Natasha are still alive…" Steve had said. The soldier had already come to accept the fact that his former team mates where dead, but he always carried a glimmer of hope that it wasn't true.
"They might not want to come back…if they are alive, that is." Clint told his friends.
Bruce and Natasha where quiet after hearing the former agent's question. Clint didn't want to spoil his visit by making it all about business, but it was topic that ultimately the three knew had to be addressed at some point.
"Tell Tony and Steve we'll keep the invite open." Natasha said. She knew it wasn't a definite yes or no, but the Russian felt she wasn't ready to return to America.
Bruce agreed. "Maybe someday the two of us will come back."
"I know." Clint nodded. What else could have been said? He gave the both of them a hug and then boarded the boat. The boat began to pull out into the river and Clint waved good-bye to the couple. As the boat sped along the river toward the city, Clint had put on his headphones and brought up his playlist. He hit the shuffle button and the first track to play was the song "Get Back" by The Beatles. The opening lyrics made the archer smile. It was the song that he was listening to when he first arrived and it was now the song that was playing as Clint left his former team mates in their new home. The chorus echoed how everyone felt now: the former group of superheroes thought they had found what they considered home via SHIELD. But now after the bombing that had destroyed the tower and caused the group to be split up, Bruce and Natasha had finally found where they belonged: with one another and in a place the couple could finally consider a real home. A home far away from their former lives and the chance to start anew. And Clint was glad that Bruce and Natasha had found the solace that the archer knew they both truly deserved.
THE END