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Lacy here with a new one shot. I fought this idea for days. DAYS! *pauses* Sorry, stupid story one, I'm not happy. Well, I'm happy but I'm not. *pauses again* You get my point. I hope. So the new Maroon 5 song, Daylight, it screams Clint and Natasha pre him bringing her in, if they'd had an intimate relationship before then. I like to think they did. So, I'm going to use the song but twist the end. Read on and have fun!
Disclaimer: I own neither the characters nor the song.
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It was a simple mission. Track, execute and get out. Sure, fine. He'd done it before, plenty of times. But there was something about this one. This one target. He couldn't release his arrow. He didn't know why and Coulson's voice yammering at him in his ear really wasn't helping matters any. So, going against protocol even further, he pulled his ear wig out and tossed it over his shoulder. Then, after putting his arrow back in his quiver, he slung his bow over his head and started climbing down from the roof he was on, across the street from where she was meeting her newest mark.
Her fiery red hair stood out against the black of the night as she walked down the street, hand in hand with the mark, her eyes sparkling as she laughed, clearly fake. He'd been tracking her for nearly two weeks, he knew her real laugh.
The moment his feet hit the pavement, even as silent as it was, he knew she was aware of his presence. She wasn't the Black Widow for nothing. But he'd already planned on letting her finish her mission. The guy she was planning on killing was a pedophile and like abusing the women in his life. In the archer's book, anything Widow did would be nice compared to what he wanted to do.
Standing casually in the alley outside the building Widow had taken her mark into, Hawkeye waited. He knew Widow would make her way to him after she was finished.
"You have been following me."
Hawkeye smirked. Nailed it. "I have been, yes." he glanced at her. "Get your guy?"
Widow nodded. "I did. You, however, have had two weeks to get yours and have not taken the shot."
Hawkeye nodded slowly. "Very true. And I have my reasons."
"And they are?" Widow asked, arms crossed.
Hawkeye pushed off the wall. "Why don't we talk?"
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That was how it started. A simple conversation in an alley after she'd finished her mission and he'd decided against going through with his. They'd come to a compromise. She'd stay alive but only if she took out people who deserved to be killed. No more innocent deaths. The relief in her eyes had told Hawkeye just how much she agreed with that deal.
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Now, three years later, Clint Barton found himself stuck between a rock and execution. Fury had finally called him on his mysterious behavior. Kill Black Widow or don't come back and become the hunted, again. Coulson felt for Clint but couldn't help him. And the rest of SHIELD was looking at him like he was a traitor. But he didn't care what they thought. He cared what Natalia Romanov thought.
"So kill me." she said once he filled her in. She took in his shocked face. "Look, you're the good guy. I won't let you take a bullet meant for me."
"You're good too." Clint pressed, stepping closer to the Russian beauty. The safe house she had wasn't very big but they never needed big. "You've proven that time and again over the last three years." he grabbed her hands, thankful that they were passed the point where she'd break his arms for that. "I can't kill you. I couldn't then and I won't now."
Natalia sighed. "Then what do we do? You won't kill me and I'll be damned if I let them kill you."
"You run." Clint said simply. "Run away. Leave Natalia behind and become someone else. Someone SHIELD can't find." he framed her face gently. "I'll take whatever punishment they give me as long as I know you're safe."
Natalia shook her head. "I can't let you do that."
Clint smirked a bit. "Well sweetheart, I'm not really giving you a choice. It's you or me and I'm not letting them pick you."
Natalia looked down as she wrapped her hands softly around Clint's wrists. "What have I said about calling me that?"
Clint rested their foreheads together. "Another thing I'm not giving you a choice about." he pressed their lips together in a sweet kiss. "I need you alive."
"And I, you." Natalia whispered.
"Then this is our only option." Clint breathed before sealing their lips together one more time.
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Hours later, cooled from their intimacy and resting peacefully, Clint watched the fading night reflect off Natasha(she'd already chosen her new name). The tiniest imperfections looked silvery in the pale light and her fiery hair was spread across her shoulder and Clint's chest like a red waterfall.
He watched her, refusing to sleep, wanting to imprint this image, this moment, into his mind forever because he knew once the first rays of day started filtering through the window, they'd have to part. Clint back to SHIELD to face his punishment and Natasha off to parts he could never know about. So he refused to sleep, refused to lose even one moment with her.
"Why can't I come with you?" Natasha suddenly spoke, startling Clint. He hadn't heard her breathing change.
"What?" he asked with a frown.
Natasha lifted her head, turning so she could see Clint's face. "What if I came with you to SHIELD? Gave myself up and become what you are? I could continue to do good and they wouldn't have to punish you so severely."
Clint focused on Natasha's words. He hadn't even thought bringing her with him as an option. Hadn't dared to hope they would be able to last.
"Running doesn't have to be our only option." Natasha said quietly.
Clint swallowed. "They could very well shoot you on sight."
"Then at least we tried." Natasha reasoned. "I don't want to run any more, Clint. And if I'm to die, I want you to be the last person I see."
Clint blew out a harsh breath and hugged Natasha close. "Alright, we'll go with your plan."
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Early morning light found Natasha and Clint walking side by side to the SHIELD safe house where Coulson was waiting to take them back to base. The handler already knew what was going on, Clint had called him while Natasha had showered. Coulson hadn't yelled, hadn't gotten angry. He knew Clint. He knew his agent wouldn't risk his job and life unless he was absolutely sure there was something in Natasha worth saving.
So when the two came into view, Coulson greeted them, not with a gun and cuffs like Natasha had expected, but a smile and a polite greeting.
"Let's get you two home." Coulson said.
Clint and Natasha exchanged small smiles. Home sounded very good to them.
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Okay so that was way fluffier then I thought it was going to be but I honestly love how this came out. The small hints of the song fit in perfectly, hell half of them wrote themselves. And the progression of their names in the different parts of the story were on purpose. They showed the progression of their relationship. But I'm sure you figured that out. Alright, let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading!
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