Author's Note:
Sorry this took so long! Read my profile for the reason! For those of you that have, it didn't work and now I get nothing back I have to restart everything! So for my 'Better Together' or 'Life Changing' fans, I am sorry for the delay in posting the sequels! The next one to 'Life Changing' should be up within the next few days!
It's been two weeks since Clint and Natasha got back from Krakow, India and they haven't said a word to each other.
Natasha was pulled out of the field to let her ankle heal and she guessed they didn't trust her enough to have her alone here without Clint because he hasn't been sent out since.
Natasha sat down in the mess hall for lunch. She sat at the table with her back to a wall and she watched everyone carefully. She really wasn't in the mood to eat her sandwich anyways. She spotted Clint when he walked in with Phil Coulson. He was smiling as he talked and got Phil to actually laugh. She watched them go to their table and sit down but Clint didn't sit. He said something and leaned across the table slightly. Phil lost the smile as he listened and Natasha strained to hear but it was impossible with all the noise. Phil said something back and Clint straightened up with his arms kind of spread out at his sides. He said something and Phil smiled before Clint turned around.
He walked right for her.
"Hey Romanoff." Clint greeted and flashed a smile but Natasha didn't respond.
At least he went back to calling her by her last name. It was better that way. But Natasha would miss the way he said her name those two weeks ago. She pushed the thoughts away and looked up at him. Clint looked around when she didn't respond before he finally just sat.
Natasha looked down at her food and she saw out of the corner of her eye when Clint started to tap his finger on the table a few times as he looked around the room. He stopped and Natasha crossed her arms as she rested on the back of her chair.
Clint knew she wasn't making any progress. She hasn't run off yet which was more than Fury thought she would do but that's it. She doesn't talk to anyone besides Clint and those words weren't always the kindest. She sighed and Clint looked up to meet her eyes.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" She asked, turning her full attention on him.
"Well yeah," Clint shrugged as he leaned back in a more comfortable position in his chair. A smirk played on his lips and Natasha cocked her head to the side a little. "But I'm not going to do it."
Natasha didn't know what it was but for the first time since she has been at SHIELD, a real smile spread on her lips.
Clint stayed with her the rest of the lunch that day. They didn't talk but Natasha felt comforted knowing that she didn't have to be alone.
Then the next day he sat with her again. This time she didn't try and get him to leave but still they didn't talk.
Four days later, Clint beat her to the table but she didn't even hesitate to sit at her spot with him.
It wasn't until the sixth day of this that Clint started to talk. He would tell her about the people here and some memories he had. She didn't talk back but he really hadn't expected her too.
They next day he was telling a story about around when he first came to SHIELD and Phil was trying to talk to him as they walked down a hallway but he didn't think Clint was listening. So Phil was watching him as he talked and he ran into a door that someone was opening. 'Fell back and landed on his ass. It was the first time Clint laughed since joining SHIELD and a long time since before then. He laughed even as he kicked the door shut on who's ever face was trying to walk out.
Natasha looked down as she tried to hide the smile.
Three more days past and Natasha actually nodded along to whatever Clint would tell her. She would ask a question or two but she never told any stories about herself. She also couldn't help but notice Clint never told a story of his time before SHIELD.
That went on for just two more days. He just finished telling her about some agent he didn't like and bent down to take a bite into his hamburger.
"Hey, um, I-I'm sorry about Krakow. And every mission we had before then." She shrugged and looked down at her own tray. She had her own hamburger but never ate that much. She felt his eyes on her and when she looked over he was smiling.
"It's ok. As long as we work together from now on, alright?" He raised an eyebrow. Natasha watched him carefully. She reminded herself that she needed to trust him and moments later she nodded.
Clint smiled.
Three days later they were walking out of the Infirmary. He went with her to get signed off and cleared from her 'medical time-out'.
"We should talk to Fury." Natasha said as they walked down the hallway not really having a destination.
"Ready to get out there so quickly?" He smirked and glanced at her.
She smiled and pushed him lightly. "Yeah, we've been stuck here way to long. I told them my ankle was fine weeks ago."
Clint laughed. "You broke your ankle; I don't think that counts as 'fine'."
"Ha, don't try that on me Barton. I know how much you hate going to the Infirmary. Coulson has to drag you there if he finds out its 'more than just a scratch'." Natasha did air quotes to the last part and Clint laughed again with a shrug.
"Ok, ok. Let's talk to Fury."
"About time." Natasha smiled.
She was more than ready. Maybe she was a little excited. She knew this next mission with Clint would be different.
Maybe they even just pasted as friends. If so then he counted as her only friend. Natasha thought that felt kind of nice. She wondered if he felt the same way. He did spare her after all. A question she was dying to get to ask.
She looked at Clint again and as if he felt her gaze he looked over too. Their eyes met and she smiled as she looked away. Maybe her time at SHIELD wouldn't be so bad after all.