It had been nearly a month since the final stand between Loki and the Avengers in New York City and the team was doing their best to put back what remained of their shattered norms. Steve had gone out on a cross country journey, and Thor had returned home with Loki; only Bruce, Tony, Natasha and Clint had stayed behind. The bonds between them had proved thicker than blood and together they worked to repair the Stark Tower. Process was slow but it was at the choice of Tony who decided the return of his company would be bigger and better than any before it.
As the days passed Clint noticed that Natasha kept a distance from him; one that she never had before and as his patience wore out to confusion he sought out the advice of the two others. "Something happened to Tash while I was… gone. Do you know what it was?"
His eyes begged for an answer as he searched the faces of the two scientists. Tony only smirked. "Have you ever thought that maybe she's PMSing?" He questioned as Bruce sent a disapproving frown his way.
"Actually Clint, I had been meaning to talk to you about this. Something she said while questioning Loki for us has been bothering me. Are you and Miss. Romanoff in a relationship?"
Clint reddened as he responded, "Of sorts yes. I didn't think it was a secret though, so why do you ask?"
The doctor's frown only deepened as he replied. "Perhaps we should show you the tapes."
Hours later Clint climbed the stairs towards the room that he and Natasha shared. He rubbed his face out of frustration as he pondered how to ask her the questions that were dancing in his mind, threatening to slip out before he knew how to word them. Natasha sat and watched him enter their living quarters without saying a word just as she had every night they had spent in the tall tower and the sight of this new routine pushed him over the edge. "Natasha" he began, his voice barely above a whisper, "What have I done to you that is so horrible that it caused me to lose your love?"
A look of shock passed her face as she responded. "You? You've done nothing Barton."
"That can't be true. I've seen the tapes Tasha. 'I owe him a debt'? You owe me nothing. You never have. I love you for who you are, not for some unreturned favor."
"But you can't love me Clint." And her voice broke, "I'm so sick."
"Tash." The archer reached out and brushed one of her red curls behind her ear. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Didn't you just say that they showed you the tapes? Didn't you see me there Clint; all that selfishness? It wasn't acting! I would have given him anything to get you back safe, even if it meant betraying them. Our friends, our family, they weren't enough to stop me. I'd have given it all up and I'm worthless for that." The disgust that she felt sliced through her eyes as she pushed the words out from wherever she had kept them guarded.
Clint pulled her into an embrace as he said "Natasha you aren't sick. Not in the slightest; I'd question that sanity of anyone who says otherwise. Well let's be honest, I'd most likely shoot first and question later but that's because I love you! And I know you Tasha, had it truly come down to that, you wouldn't have done it; you'd have stayed true to the team. And the beauty of it all Tash is that you did. And you saved me. If anyone owes a debt, it's me."
She pulled back and nodded briskly while blinking away her remaining tears. Clint Barton grinned knowing that their moment of sentiment was over, but that he was triumphant and his Natasha had returned. He reached out and ruffled her hair in exactly the way he knew she hated, "Let's go to the gym. We need to work on our hand to hand; I think you're getting soft on me here."
Natasha punched his arm in retaliation and with a laugh in her voice she looked back him, working her way out the door "As if Barton, as if."
"Sounds like a challenge" and he followed.