A mission-filled year of them being assigned partners and over thirteen missions.
They finally had time off between missions at the SHIELD base and Clint and Phil Coulson were in the gym. Clint shot one of the various punching bags with an arrow the day before and was supposed to be off limits from entering the gym but no one stopped him so that was their own fault.
Clint stopped in the middle of their sparring match when he just knew Natasha walked in. He looked over and sure enough there she was. Her dark red curls hung just past her shoulders and she wore her SHIELD uniform again today even on their 'day-off'. She made her way to a punching bag across the room without so much as a glance in his direction. Other people moved about the gym but stayed a good distance away from her. Everyone at SHIELD was still unsure of her, even Phil but Clint knew she would come around.
Phil saw him tense slightly out of nowhere before he turned his head. Hoping it wasn't a trick Phil looked too and there she was. Natasha Romanoff. Phil watched her walk to the other side of the gym and wondered what Clint saw in her that no one else does.
Phil looked at Clint still looking away and he smiled. He lashed out with a right-hook just as Clint was turning back to him. He barely managed to step back but reflex and years of instinct and training caused him to catch Phil's arm and twist it sharply before throwing a kick to the man's chest and Clint let go of his arm in the same second.
Phil flew back and hit the mat. When he looked up Clint was starring over him with a smirk over his face. Phil smiled and drew in a breath before Clint held out a hand to help him up. He took it and was pulled to his feet.
"Try and do a surprise attack and I still got you." Clint said, the playfulness still in his eyes.
"Ok, ok. You're getting better. I'll give you that." Phil smiled and they moved to a bench where Clint set down his water bottle.
"I think I should pair you two up."
Clint looked up in surprise. "What?"
"You and Romanoff to be sparring partners. I can barely keep up with you anymore and I think you two can learn from each other."
Clint looked up at him with a grimace. "She barley talks to me." He said.
"What's that have to do with anything?" Phil asked and glanced over at her, hard at work.
Clint shrugged. "Fine, I don't like it though."
"Good maybe next time you won't hold back on your kicks with her." Phil shot him a knowing smile. Clint just smirked and gave a shrug.
As they walked out he glanced over at Natasha. She looked over at the same second and their eyes met before he walked out.
A couple of days later Clint walked into the mess hall for breakfast. He got oatmeal he really wasn't hungry for at sat alone at his table with his back to the wall. He sat in silence, scanning the area without worrying about agents trying to sit with him.
His eyes spotted Romanoff, eating alone at a table in the corner with her back to the wall. She took a bite from a spoon without tearing her gaze from the room and crowded people. Clint found himself studying her. There was something about her that interested him that he just couldn't put his finger on.
He shoveled a bite of oatmeal into his mouth and let out a breath as he looked away.
She wasn't making any progress. She hasn't run off yet which was more than Fury thought she would do so that was good. But she wasn't talking to anyone, even him. Missions were awkward and took an argument or two to decide a plan but she would usually just shut up and agree with Clint until they actually got out there then she would do it her way.
They just couldn't win. Clint couldn't figure out if it was because they were too much alike or too different.
It didn't matter though. They were the worse people to have together. But he supposed they did make a good team, even though they each kind of did their own thing.