His vision was blurred. His head was reeling. He couldn't believe that he missed. He never misses. Why today? Why this very day? He cried out in pain as he grasped his chest. Natasha...
Clint was was out on a solo mission, on the other side of New York City.
Shit. The target got away.
Clint had chased the man all around New York, trying to sneak up on him, but he was too quick.
Pull yourself together, Clint.
He pulled out his bow as he sprinted down the streets of New York, and into a dark alley. He couldn't see the man anymore. He couldn't really see in general. The alley was very dimly lit.
He cautiously walked down the dark alley, carefully listening to any hint of movement. He was sure that his target was there, somewhere, just watching him. Waiting for him to get close enough.
It began to lightly rain.
Clint's thoughts went directly to Natasha.
All of a sudden he was thinking about Natasha, and the things they have shared in the rain. All of the memories they have made together. Clint loved everything about Natasha. But he has never told her.
The next few moments were a blur.
His arrow grazed the target's shoulder.
When the tall man jumped from around the corner, it startled him. For a second, he forgot where he was. His mind was too busy. He got distracted in his memories.
Before Clint had time to react, the man had already gotten away. It was at that moment when he felt the pain.
He looked down, and saw that he had been shot, square in the chest. He cried out in pain, wincing as he slid down the brick wall, grasping his chest. He breathed heavily. He could he have missed? Clint never misses his shots. Yet this time was different.
He tried to stand up, but his legs just buckled each time. He leaned against the wall, trying to get his thoughts together.
Natasha..
Clint leaned back against the brick wall in the alley, and looked down at his hand, which was covering his gunshot wound. He watched as the blood seeped through his fingers. He fumbled for his phone and dialed her number. She was the only one he wanted to talk to right now.
Natasha had been in the main common room, where everyone sat and talked about pointless things. Natasha didn't like it all that much, since the men talked about meaningless things, that are boring to her, anyway.
So she just sat in a chair, her mind wandering. She usually spaced out in times like this. It was quite boring without Clint here. She would always worry a bit when Clint went out on solo missions like this. She had wanted to go with, but she wasn't allowed.
Natasha had been in her own little world, hearing the faint sounds of everyone else talking, when she heard her phone buzz in her pocket. She had gotten up from her chair and pulled out her phone. Seeing that it was Clint made her heart jump.
She didn't know what to expect.
Natasha flipped open her phone, and held it to her ear. "Clint. Talk to me."
"N-Nat?" He coughed. "Listen, I-I've been shot.." He knew that he wasn't going to make it, so he had to tell her what has been on his mind.
Immediately, her heart skipped a beat. Maybe even two beats. Clint had been shot before, but this sounded worse than usual. "Where are you? I'll send some paramedics down."
Clint protested. "No, Nat. Don't come for me. Don't waste your time. Just listen to me.
Fat chance.
"Clint. Tell me where you are right now." Natasha's voice lowered. She needed to go to him.
"Natasha, please. J-Just listen to me, okay?" Clint took a deep breath before speaking again. "Natasha, I-" Clint was interrupted by another violent cough. He knew that he was dyeing. "Natasha, I love you. And I have loved you for a while. And I'm not going to make it, Nat. And I had to tell you. By the time y-you would have gotten here, you would have been too late."
Clint wiped the blood that was dripping from his mouth, and looked down at the pool of blood that he was practically drowning in.
Natasha was speechless. Her heart just completely sank. She could feel her throat tightening. She could feel the tears threatening in her eyes. "Clint.." She managed to choke out. "Please. No. Don't do this." She swallowed hard. She felt the volume in the room drop down to silence. All the sets of confused eyes were planted on her. She didn't care.
Her voice rose. "Clint? Don't you dare die on me okay? Tell me where you are right now. You can't do this, Clint!" Her voice got softer. "I..I love you too."
Clint slightly smiled, even thought she couldn't see him. He didn't think that he was going to die tonight. Not like this. He always thought that he was going to die of old age, or of something else. But never on a mission. In fact, Clint was going to ask Natasha out to dinner when he was to return from his mission the next day.
Clint was starting to feel weaker, and weaker. "Natasha, listen to me. I want you to go on, okay? Live life without me." It pained him to say those words. He wasn't sure if they were true.
Natasha completely broke down.
"Clint, stop. Please don't say that! You can't go. Not now.." Natasha didn't even bother to wipe her tears anymore.
Clint was trying to hold on. But death was taking him. There is no way back, now. "I'm sorry, Nat..."
Clint took his last breath. One last exhale. Nothing more after that. The hand that was holding the phone to his ear dropped, causing a loud thud. His body completely deflated. He lay there against the brick wall in the dark alley. Death had defeated him.
Natasha's lips trembled. She almost shrieked when she heard the thud. She knew what had just happened.
"Clint? Clint come back, please.." She said through her sobs. Steve finally got up from the couch and cautiously walked over to Natasha, trying to comfort her. He knew exactly what had happened.
"Natasha..?" Steve spoke in a calm voice, trying to calm Natasha. She turned around and looked at Steve with her puffy red eyes. "He's gone." Natasha let herself break down. That was the end of her.
A few moments later, after Natasha had calmed down a bit, they were able to track Clint's phone. Everyone decided that it would be best for Natasha to go alone. She quickly walked to the elevator, and tried to keep herself together.
She hailed a Taxi cab, and sat in silence for the ride.
Clint's gonna be home tomorrow. Yeah, he's gonna be back tomorrow.
Denial had struck her hard. Within a few moments, she arrived just a block away from the dark alley. Natasha got out of the cab, and kept her phone handy and followed wherever her phone took her.
She had arrived at the dark alley and was puzzled for a moment. But she cautiously walked down the alley, prepared for anything that may suddenly attack her.
Then she saw him. His body lay up against the brick wall. As soon as she saw him in the distance, she had to call out his name. "Clint!" She sprinted as fast as she could to the body that was once Clint. She collapsed.
Her knees hit hard against the concrete as she knelt next to the archer's body. Her tears came flooding down her cheeks. She looked at Clint for a few moments, brushing his hair back with her hand. She let her hand slide down to cup his cheek. She couldn't believe he was gone.
Natasha lay next to Clint's body, resting her head on his chest, not caring if any blood stained her. She started talking. "Alright Clint, I'm gonna do what you said." Her voice was shaky. "I'll move on with my life, just for you, okay?" Her eyes closed tightly as she sobbed.
Natasha really did love Clint. From the moment they were partners, she always felt a bit of a connection, but always thought nothing of it. She always pushed it aside. Now she regrets not telling him sooner.
She didn't remember how long she was there for. Minutes? Hours? Days? Steve had to come down and get her.
Steve quietly walked down the alley, spotting Natasha's red hair. He made sure to keep his distance. "Natasha." He spoke quietly. "We have to go now. The paramedics are here."
Natasha looked up at Steve with her puffy red eyes, and then over to the paramedics, who were going to take Clint away. "No. No, I won't let you."
Steve eventually had to pull Natasha away from Clint. She watched as the paramedics took Clint and put him on the stretcher and into the ambulance. She watched him be taken away.
"Always and forever, Clint."