A/N: Inspiration for the first chapter came from the song Fall into me by Brantley Gilbert and the second chapter came from Bound to you by Chistina Aguilera.
I know they are probably out of character but it's my world so deal with it! :P=
I do not own the Avengers or the songs...if I did I would be rich.
I make no money from these stories!
Fall Into Me
Clint's POV
I was sitting on the roof of Avengers Tower. I had my guitar and was playing a song I didn't remember the lyrics to. It's didn't matter anyway because I was too busy thinking about my partner. I've been thinking about her a lot lately. Every time she goes on a solo mission or even missions with me, I get caught up worrying about her.
She has already berated me for taking a bullet for her. No, I don't get a thank you, I get a lecture as to how stupid I am. She always says emotions get us killed in our line of work, and that may be true, but I can't help it.
I love her. And I know she loves me too. Call it a hunch, but I see it in her eyes. Even when she is yelling at me and scolding me for getting hurt, I can see the worry she has for me. I see the pain in her eyes when I am hurt. She is worried, and yes, it is natural for her to be worried about me. I am her partner, but it's more than that.
She has worked with plenty of other people since she joined S.H.I.E.L.D and when any of them got her on a mission, she doesn't even bat an eye. But when I get hurt, she will do whatever it takes to make sure I am okay before she even thinks about herself.
I also think about how beautiful she is, whether she is seducing a mark or practicing in the gym or just hanging around the Tower in sweatpants and a T-shirt. I love how she is always comfortable in how she looks no matter what. She is confident in her beauty and it makes her deadly.
"What are you thinking about?" Natasha comes up on my side.
I jumped because I hadn't noticed her come up.
"God, Nat! Could you make a noise or something to let me know you're there!"
"Jeez, what's your problem? You usually know when I'm within thirty feet of you." She smirks.
"Yeah, well, I guess I was just thinking too hard." I smirk back.
"Well, be careful, your head my explode. So what are you thinking about?" She asks. She looks genuinely curious. She tilts her head to the side when I just keep staring at her.
"Oh, uh, nothing important. Just kinda got lost in my own little world I guess." I lie.
She calls my bluff, "Liar. You had that face. The one you only make when something is seriously weighing on your mind. And you were playing but not singing. So, spill. What's going on?" she jabs my arm with her finger.
"Ow, hey, cut it out!" I swat at her hand. I look at her for a long moment.
She isn't ready to know, at least not in words because I'm pretty sure she's known for a while.
"I'm sorry, Nat. I can't tell you. Not yet."
She sees right through me and figures out exactly what I had just been thinking about. She knows how I feel and suddenly she looks like spooked horse. She looks back at the door, ready to escape.
"Clint, I-" she stutters.
"No, it's okay. Like I said, not yet."
She nods, but still looks weary.
"Hey, just because I'm not ready for that, doesn't mean we can't have some fun," she offers with a smirk.
I grin back, "Bring it on, Baby."
She slaps my shoulder for the 'baby' comment and gets up, sauntering over to the door.
"You coming or what?" she lifts an eyebrow when I just sit and watch her walk. I get up and chase after her. She squeals in surprise- a noise I have never heard her-Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow- make. She runs to the door and opens it, slamming it in my face.
I chase her through the tower and finally catch her in the gym. I tackle her to the mat and we start sparring. It isn't in the interest of training, though. Each of us is trying to beat the other and be the winner. Neither of us willing to yield to the other.
After 20 minutes of fighting, I finally get my arms around her and pin her to the mat. She is looking at me with a fire in her eyes. I lean down and kiss her. It's a battle for dominance and just like before, neither of us will yield.
When we come apart for breath, I get off of her. She looks disappointed.
"Not hear," I smile at her. She stands and immediately launches herself into my arms, kissing me once again. I laugh as I walk over the elevator with her securely against me.
When we get off at my floor, because it was before hers, we end up on the couch. We are still kissing fiercely and she hasn't let go of me. When she does she looks a little shy- not an emotion I thought she had. She pulls back and looks down, a bit of fear in hear gaze as well.
"What?" I ask. A little confused at this change in direction.
She shakes her head and the emotion drops. "It's nothing," but she doesn't move closer.
"Nat, what's wrong?" I get a little concerned.
"I don't think I'm ready to do this." she stands up and walks towards the elevator. She seems spooked again.
"Nat, please. Don't go, we don't have too. I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to rush you. I thought you were okay with this."
She stopped in front of the elevator. She was tensed and just let it go in a sigh. That's when I noticed her hands were shaking. I walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Slowly I turned her around, not wanting to force her into something she wasn't comfortable with.
"It's okay," I whisper. I wrap her in my arms and she collapses against me. "Shh, it's okay. We don't have to do anything you're not ready for."
She was still shaking, but a little less so. She nodded against my chest. I held her, for what seemed like forever. It could have been for all I cared, as long as I was with her. She had finally stopped shaking.
"Sing to me," she whispered so low I almost missed it. I was a little taken aback. She had never asked to hear me sing, although I know she's heard me sing before.
"Okay," I kiss her hair and lead her to the couch. I go to my room to get my spare guitar. Just like my bows, I have a favorite and a spare. The one on the roof is my spare. My favorite never leaves my apartment in the Tower.
"What do you want to hear?" I ask her when I come back in the room. She is curled up on the loveseat where I left her.
She shrugs, looking at the floor.
"Okay," I sit next to her and quickly come up with a song. It's a little dangerous to sing to her. Especially given the topic, but it's what she needs to hear.
I start to play the song.
"A whisper away from changin' everything. But is it say such dangerous things. When your hands are tremblin', girl I'm weak in the knees. It's times like these when silence means everything, more than anything." I look at her and her eyes are closed.
"So fall when you're ready babe, let our kiss count the moments and hearts set the pace. And I'll be your love song, and I'll love you right off your feet, until you fall into me."
She opens her eyes and stares at me. In those beautiful green eyes I see such raw emotion. Fear is most evident and I wonder briefly if I should stop. Then I see another emotion buried behind the fear. I see hope.
"Love ain't a race, there's no finish line. And I love a chase," I smirk at the thought of our early games, "but don't leave me behind. 'Cause girl we're both gamblin', but I'm playin' for keeps. It's times like these when patience means everything, more than anything," I can be patient. My work thrives on my ability to wait for hours, even days, for the perfect shot. If I can do that, I can certainly wait for Natasha.
"So fall when you're ready baby, let our kiss count the moments, and hearts set the pace. And I'll be your love song and I'll love you right off your feet. And I'll fall for you everyday, I'll cherish the moments that time can't erase and We'll be the love song, I promise you we're gonna sing. Girl when you fall into, girl when you fall into me. C'mon baby fall into me, I'm waiting, fall into to me, fall into me, fall into me." I hold her gaze I as I sing the last line. "A whisper away from changing everything."
She looks at me for a long time, trying to hide her emotions. Keeping her mask in place. But I can tell it's crumbling down. I can clearly see her fear and frustration and hope. Her eyes become glassy and I can tell she is holding back tears.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. I lift my hand to cup her cheek.
She closes her eyes at my touch and a tear fall down her face. I wipe it away with my thumb. She opens her and and I no longer see the fear. All I see is hope. For what I don;t know, but it is there all the same.
"Thank you," she whispers. "Thank you." and I know that I won't get an 'I love you' tonight or maybe anytime soon. I've given her time to think about how she feels. She knows how I feel and she feels the same way, but she needs time to come to terms with those feelings. What she needed was for me to say I'd wait for her. To say I'd still be here no matter what. To say that I love her, even if she can't do the same.
A/N- okay so that was the first chapter. Hopefully the second will be up really soon, cause I'm writing it now. Review please! I like to know what you think!