HOW NATASHA MET SQUISHY.
Well Squishy came in to Natasha's life one fine morning when the said assassin was down with the flu. Yes she whined about her stuffed nose and yes she was stubborn enough to ignore her medications until Clint threatened to shove it down her throat using a funnel. It was a fine morning but it wasn't a good day.
"Damn this stuffy nose, damn the stupid medicines and damn it ALL." She whined from her bed just as she finished coughing her lung out.
"Okay then! I am going out to get you some chicken soup and more medicines." Clint said as he got up from his spot on the bed beside her. Frankly the medicine excuse was fake, he in reality just wanted to take a break from his sick, sick partner who was just a tad bit annoying when down with the flu. Hey, don't blame him for his uncharacteristic crankiness but he hasn't slept all night, keeping vigil for her.
"You are leaving me alone?" she asks just as he was out.
'Damn so close.' He was going to turn around and tell her that it was only for a little while but the sight of those gorgeous green eyes full of pain and hazy with medicine made all his intentions take a trip out the window.
"No, you should go. I am kind of being a pain."
Did anyone mention that she was completely an emotional wreck too when she was sick. Well if no one did, you should know.
The small pout on her lips and the sight her little red nose proved too much for Clint Barton and he reluctantly plopped down right next to her.
"How about we watch a movie?" he tells, trying to cheer her up.
She sniffs a few times before lifting her eyes hopefully "Finding Nemo." She whispers, trying to avoid straining her scratchy throat and he can't help but chuckle at her childishness. It's very rare and he kind of enjoys it-a lot.
Natasha falls asleep nearly halfway through the movie and Clint takes this as an opportunity to make a dash for the world outside. Previously, yes he agrees, it was selfish for him to leave her when she is in a state like that but this time around he has the honest intention of purchasing a few cans of soup and a few more antibiotics.
He walks down to the nearest shop which is two blocks down their apartment and then stops by the drugstore. Finding what he needs, he quickly pays up and makes his way back home. The walk wasn't much but it was filled with thoughts of Natasha. He really liked taking care of her on the rare occasion when she was suffering with the flu.
'I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine. He shall be my Squishy' Clint could help but laugh in the middle of the road as the thought of Natasha reciting Dory's line along with her through the movie, though that kind of made him look like a psycho.
And just like that an idea popped into his mind. He made a dash to the pet store and barged in breathless (due to the excitement) running up to the nearest fish tank and calling the owner over.
"I would like to purchase this goldfish, please." He tells the owner and pointed out the exact one he wanted.
Soon he is back on his home, carrying a bag containing soup and medicines in one hand while the other hand gingerly clutches a round fish tank with a single goldfish in it. And if he was smiling like a psychotic maniac, then blame it on his partner.
"Natasha?" he calls out as he enters the apartment. He sets the bags down on the kitchen counter and walks into the bedroom with the fish bowl.
"Natasha. Natasha wake up, I bought something for you." He coons
"I don't want those stupid medicines." She huffs and coughs and finally buries herself underneath the blankets.
"Not medicines Natasha. But okay I think I will just return it back to the store."
And that does the trick because sick Natasha is a curious Natasha. She slowly pokes her head out of the blanket and lets her eyes adjust to the sudden brightness for a while before turning her vision is filled with a goldfish gaping at her with its little mouth open.
"What is this?"
"Well it's a cheer up present." He replies nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as Natasha takes over the fish bowl. "It's a pet for you." He mumbles and she promptly squeals the best she can with her throat.
"I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine. He shall be my Squishy" she says excitedly earning a full blown laugh from Clint.
And that's how Natasha met Squishy, her first ever pet.
Over the next few days, Natasha made her recovery from the awful cold and gave Squishy her complete undivided attention, much to a certain archer's dismay.
"It is always Squishy this and Squishy that. Ugh I am sick of it." Clint complained over the phone to Tony.
"If I didn't know any better Katniss, I would think that you are jealous over a fish."
"I am not JEALOUS! It's just that Squishy is a damn goldfish. And it probably remembers its owner for three seconds before losing its memory all over again."
"Yup, yup you are jealous Katniss." Tony stifles a laugh.
"I am not jealous!" Clint yells and hangs up. "Thanks for the reassurance Tony" he mocks as he prepare dinner.
"Clint, I am back." Natasha says once she enters the kitchen, giving Clint a quick peck on the cheek. It made Clint relax a bit, knowing he had her attention today. "Mmm, smells amazing in here. She takes a look at the dish on the stove and knows it's her favorite dish tonight. "Chicken Florentine, my favorite" she says and pulls Clint down for a passionate kiss.
Once they pull apart, Natasha turns around and picks up the bag she bought in with her. "Look I bought this for Squishy" and Clint barely stifles a grunt. She hold up a small little ship that can be placed inside Squish's bowl and would make up his new home.
'Great, another thing for Squishy.' Once Natasha had introduced Squishy his new Home, the pair of assassins had settled in for dinner.
Natasha's leg innocently brushed against Clint's and he was a little surprised. He looked up to meet her eyes and she gave him an innocent smile. He decides that the brush was an accident but then it happened again. Only this time her legs made her way up the length of his legs and there was no mistaking that.
Dinner was difficult to finish after that. Once Natasha had cleared her plate she sashayed her way to the kitchen and put her plate in to the sink. Clint was right at her back. She turned around to him and found herself trapped between the sink and Clint's strong broad chest.
Her fingers walked up his chiseled chest and all too soon her lips captured his. It was a slow intimate kiss at first before her hands fisted his hair and then it turned aggressive and dominant.
"Bedroom." They both say together, not bothering to break away from each other. The clothes left a trail behind them as they moved into the bedroom. Clint impatiently pushed Natasha onto he bed. And he began kissing her all over again.
Her head lolled off to the side in unbelievable pleasure as Clint kissed her neck and suddenly her hands that trailed his back stopped and she froze.
"Clint wait." And he did "We can't" and then he splutters.
"What? Why? What's wrong?"
She bites her lips and he knows he is going to regret the answer. She opens her mouth to answer and closes it again. Clint merely raises an eyebrow.
"Well-it's-Squishy is here and he is watching us. I can't-we shouldn't do it in front of him."
At that Clint's jaw just drops. In Clint's mind that fish just died 15 times over before Clint pushed its dead gold body in to a tankful of Piranhas.
"Natasha it is a GOLDFISH. It's not even going to remember anything in another 3 seconds."
"Yeah but it's like he is staring at us"
Clint's angry right now, oh he is so angry. He quickly pushes himself from Natasha and towards her nightstand were Squishy swims. He bends down so as to be eye to eye with the little fish. "Damn you little fish. Damn you to hell." He says menacingly and stomps out the bedroom.
"Wait, Clint!" Natasha tries to stop him, pulling on a pair of shorts before running after her partner. "Clint"
"That goldfish is evil." Clint yells as he stops in the living room. "I can feel it. Ever since I bought him in, he is being trying to push us apart."
"What? Squishy is not evil. Clint you are just overreacting."
"Yeah? I am overreacting? Look at what he just did. I am telling you that fish is Evil."
He runs back to the fish and bent down to face it again. "I know what you are trying to do, you little gold bodied menace. Oh just you wait –you little devil-you"
"Clint stop-you don't have to be jealous over a fish."
"Oh for the love of god, I am not jealous. But he is Evil.
And really he looks like a petulant child, with his hair messed up like that and arms crossed over his chest. So it's not Natasha's fault that she chuckles.
"Don't laugh. I want this fish out of our house now."
"Clint relax, I'll just put Squishy in the living room." She brushed past Clint and grabs the tank. She smiles down at the fish that is completely oblivious to the insults hurled towards it and moves out to the living room. She hears Clint scream 'Evil' again and places Squishy on the table by the window before making her way back to the bedroom.
"Come Mr. 'I am not jealous', let's go to sleep."
"I am not jealous." He mumbles as she pulls the blanket over them.
"I love you too.' She says sarcastically and both doze off for the night.
It's well past 10 am when Clint's arm darts across to bed to wrap around Natasha. When he finds an empty bed, he blinks on eye open and confirms the empty bedroom.
"Natasha?" he calls out groggily. When he receives no answer, he tries again. He walks over to the bathroom and finds it empty. And then he hears the sniffles.
He shakes the fog in his mind and call out to her again, once again receiving a sniffle in response. He finally manages to locate the noise and walks into the living room and spots his red haired beauty.
"Natasha, what's wrong?" he asks because even though her back is towards him, the quiver in her body is hard to ignore. He stands his grounds and asks again.
"Clint." She says and tries to act strong but once she catches the sight of her partner, the dams in her eyes flood over and down her cheeks. "Oh Clint! Squishy-he-Squishy died!"
And then it kind of feels a tad bit guilty for yelling at the little gold thing. He was halfway assessing his jealousy issue when another sob broke out from Natasha and she closed the gap between them to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her shaking form and hushed her cry. But really it's easier said than done.
"Squishy-"
"Shh, it's okay Natasha. Maybe it was his time."
"No! He was-he was just so young-why did he have to go." Okay so maybe now Clint feels guiltier for calling Squishy an evil soul. And on the side note Natasha's sob haven't reduced. "My first pet and he died in a week."
He heavily considers the words that he is going to say next but says it anyway-anything for Natasha. "It's okay we'll get you another Squishy."
And in his mind the scenario ended with a smiling Russian but reality came as a surprise. The said Russian wrenched herself out of his grasp, sadness evident in her eyes. "There will never be another Squishy. I want my squishy back."
She turns back to face the upside unmoving fish and the sobs that had reduced down to occasional whimpers were back with vengeance.
It took Clint more time than then usual to cheer Natasha up. This task of familiarizing her with death of a pet was hard. It was also way too cute-sad but cute. They spend the afternoon watching anything but Nemo or anything else that involved fishes or the sea.
"How about we give him a good old fashioned fishy funeral?" Clint brings up the idea as a compensation for his hostility towards the late Squishy.
She looks up at him with her red rimmed eyes and gives a single nod of approval. "Yeah. Squishy would like that."
And the animosity in Clint's mind has not been completely erased but merely ignored under such circumstances. 'Squishy doesn't even know what he likes.' He thinks bitterly and if it was possible Clint hated Squishy more now that he made his Natasha cry.
So later that evening Clint and Natasha had gathered themselves in their bathroom, holding the bowl of the deceased, dressed in black. Which Clint honestly thought was a bit over the top.
However seeing how torn his partner was over this, he decided to go over the plan.
"Uh, I would like to say something." Clint begins unsure of where this would lead. "Squishy was the goldest of all the goldfishes I had ever seen. He was good fish and despite our differences I wish he could stay with us for a bit longer. May your soul rest in peace, buddy." And out of the corner of his eye he sees Natasha wipe a tear from her eyes.
After Natasha had given a rater long and drastic eulogy for a goldfish she hardly knew for a week, they dropped the dead fish into the toilet.
"I'll miss you Squishy. There will never be another, I promise." She says before Clint flushes the toilet and drops the lid down.
They stand in the bathroom, looking down at the toilet for a little while longer and finally move towards the bedroom.
They have dinner (anything but seafood) and settle down for bed earlier than they usually are.
"I saw you doing your happy dance when you thought I wasn't looking. I can't believe Squishy annoyed you so much."
"Natasha that fish annoyed me more than the time Fury made us watch a 4 hour protocol documentary."
"That's rude Clint, Squishy just died today. At least coat your jealousy to the deceased in kind words."
"And you making me go through the whole funeral crap for a fish weren't? For God's sake you made me wear a suit."
"Okay so I admit we are both at fault. Can we accept that and go to sleep?" she asks and Clint agrees.
Clint reaches over the night stand and promptly kills the light. For a while nothing happens and they are bathed in silence and darkness. Natasha rolls over, her back towards Clint and mumbles a quick goodnight.
"You know, I know, you killed Squishy, right?" he says before rolling over so that his back is against hers.
"I know but you jealousy was kind of a pain-in a good way."
"I wasn't jealous WOMAN!"
"Good night, Clint."
And there truly was never another Squishy again.
AN: Thanks for reading…now time for reviewing.