Natasha moved slowly, quietly. Her gun was in her hand and close to her chest as she crept around the dark house. Her mission was simple. Do surveillance for a few days then get in and steal as much information on them as possible. When she got it they told her they would be sending in another agent to take them out if it came to it. She had wanted to argue that she could do it herself but decided against it.
She got to the corner in the dimly-lit hallway and paused. She heard no movement in the darkness of the next hallway so she rounded the corner. Her 'spidey-senses'-as a certain assassin teases her about- knew someone was standing there in the shadows before she saw it. She raised her gun, already preparing for her attacker to block it. When they did she got in a high kick to their ribs. He seemed to be well trained because he moved with the impact and got a strong grip on her leg. She couldn't jump up and twist around them like she usually does with risking a dislocated knee or sprang ankle. She was a little put back actually. He pushed forward, slamming her back into the wall where the dull light from down the hall she just came from shown over them. She looked up and froze. She knew him. She could recognize that face anywhere.
"Dammit Barton." Natasha snapped as he laughed when he realized he'd been made. She pushed against him to back him up and he released his hold on her. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I was sent in to watch this house. I was supposed to kill them when they got home but I was warned that another agent was already inside so I went to see who it was."
"Well I can do it myself. Go keep look-out or something."
"Nope." Clint said as she walked past him to keep walking down the hall. "Not my mission."
"It's not like you never disobeyed a mission before," She said with a raised eyebrow as she glanced at him.
"Yeah well you see, the last time I did that I got in some serious trouble. I'm trying to be extra good," He said with a grin.
Natasha scoffed. "Yeah, good luck."
He followed her down the stairs to the main floor. She still crept around with her gun ready. Clint kind of strode behind her. Looking at different things and scuffing his feet on the floor. He started going on about some mission he was on and how Coulson did something and Clint couldn't stop laughing and she 'had to be there' and on, and on, and on.
"Would you shut up?" Natasha snapped in a whisper.
"No one's here." Clint stated, lifting his arms to gesture to the empty rooms. "I already checked."
Natasha sighed. "It doesn't hurt to be safe."
"No but it could if you waste all your time on unnecessary things. We have approximately six minutes before they should be home. You need to get the flash drive and be on your way."
"I know how to do my job." She said as she continued walking. Clint smiled when she stopped stalking around and put the gun away.
"Well it is my job to tell you what to do and how to do it. I'm supposed to look after you."
"Barton, I've been with SHEILD for almost two years now. I don't think it's still your job."
"Just because we've been separated from doing missions together officially doesn't mean I can't look after you." He said causally.
Natasha glanced back at him but he was looking at a broken picture frame hanging on the wall. "Well, the only reason we were separated was because they supposedly trust me now to do missions without a babysitter. But here you are, probably assigned to follow me."
Clint looked at her, standing in the same spot but facing away. He stepped closer. "Hey, I wasn't sent to spy on you or anything. I swear."
"Like that means anything to me." She snapped.
"It should. After you were first brought in and we became a team, we worked together for just over a year. Partners should trust each other."
She would admit they had reached a point of a type of trust. The type that meant she didn't need to keep an eye on him while watching her target. She trusted him enough to not kill her in her sleep or something. She was still a little tense at SHIELD and around the agents but she almost hated to admit Clint was getting to her. It must have been all the times they were stuck together on missions. He even had her getting used to Phil Coulson.
Natasha wondered how Clint really thought of her. Did he think she was a decent person? He seemed to be one of the only people who looked at her like a normal woman now. Everyone else saw the Black Widow. The killer, the spy. Was he just given a mission to learn everything about her? Did he really trust her? Natasha turned around to face him. He was standing in the middle of the hallway watching her with an unreadable expression. She squinted slightly as she looked over him.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes." He answered almost too fast. She bit her lip.
"Why? You were sent to kill me. I tried to kill you."
"But you didn't. That was almost two years ago Natasha." He paused for a moment before putting on a smirk. "Are you saying my awesomeness didn't make you like me just a little bit?" He teased.
She tried not to smile. That was one of the ways he started to get through to her in the very beginning. Making stupid jokes or smart-ass remarks. It helped take the edge off, even if just a little.
She looked away and kept walking. "And if you were wondering, these weird solo missions you've been getting since Fury split us up are just tests." She paused and he walked past her.
"Wait, what?" She questioned and caught up to him.
"Putting you on missions that aren't your forte to make sure you follow directions and don't try anything."
Natasha froze. "Oh," She said and looked away. She was already screwing up. Like just now she was planning on taking down these people herself when it went against her orders. Clint turned to face her.
"So, like I said; you need to get the flash drive and be on your way." He said, lips pulling in a small smile.
"Right." She said and gave a half-smile. Natasha walked past him to get to the computers. "Hey," She said and turned to look at him. He raised his eyebrow. "Thanks."
He gave a half-shrug.
"Not just for this," Natasha added quieter after a moment. She watched him for another second before turning and walking out of sight.
Clint smiled before he turned and starting to walk away. He always knew saving her would be worth it. And he will admit it's been a long road but she was coming around. He made it back outside and to his vantage point to have just enough time to settle in before he spotted Natasha slipping out of the house. She scanned the roof tops of a few surrounding houses and buildings, probably looking for him, but didn't spot him.
He smiled again as he watched her walk away.