It was Budapest. All of SHIELD's finest agents were engaged in bloody hand-to-hand, sniper-to-civilian combat. She was there with her partner, Clint Barton code named Hawkeye. Their mission was simple. Destroy a hydra weapon testing facility. Get in, get out. It was supposed to be easy.
He went down like a stone, a bullet in his side, the force causing him to flip off the building, a trick he had done to others before. She could only watch in horror as his limp body fell from his "roost" on the building to a spot 50 yards away.
Pain racked Clint's body, each breath a ragged heave. " I guess I got a taste of my own medicine" he thought, recalling all the times he had done the same trick that now left him laying there.
She ran, dodging bullets and shooting anyone who got in her way. Friend or foe, she didn't care. She could only think of her partner and how he had saved her countless times. "I can't be too late" she thought "Not now. I owe him a debt." Reaching his broken body, she felt her pulse quicken. His body was covered in blood and grime, hes breaths were few and far between. Yelling into her ear piece, she begged for some one, any one to come. She knelt by his side, gently cleaning his wound, and reliving the battles where they had fought together, but focusing on when she first met him. And where his had first saved her life.
She had appeared like a fiery angel, soaked with sweat and blood, a sight for sore eyes. At that moment Clint knew he would be safe. The warrior, the spy, his partner, his friend, and... his love, had arrived, and she would only let him die over her own dead body.
"...'Tasha? Is that you?" His voice brought agent Romanoff back abruptly. She hadnt realized that he was still conscious, or that silent tears were falling from her cheeks onto him. His voice was a murmur, as if he didn't have the strength for anything else, which was probably true. "Shhhh..." she whispered. "SHIELD paramedics are on their way. Just stay with me Clint. I can't go losing the best partner I've ever had." Clint smiled. "I'm your only partner 'Tasha. You've been with me since day one." His expression turned to one of concern. "You're hurt, 'Tasha!" She glanced down. Sure enough, there was a bullet in her leg, it was a wonder she could even kneel there, with all the blood she had lost. She had been too worried about him to notice. She collapsed next to agent Barton, the once surging adrenaline all gone from her system. To her surprise, he kept talking, near fatal wound and all. "...'Tasha, I've been meaning to tell you this for years, and I guess if I'm dying, now's as good a time as any. I love you Natasha Romanoff. Always have, always will. I've always know that if Fury knew, he'd have both our heads on a platter, but I love you none the less. I love... I love..." his eyes closed. She panicked, and protesting leg and all she got up and rushed to him. No, no, there was still a pulse, he was still alive, he had just used the last of his energy to confess to her. Smiling she kissed him on the forhead and wispered. "And I love you Clint Barton." She lay there with him, blood pouring out of their bodies untill finally the spy sucumbed and she too fell unconsious. She never knew if he heard her that day, but she knew that they would both always remember Budapest a little differently.