The sky over the city was turning and orangey shade of pink. Natasha had seen the sun set from this spot many times, but almost always with Clint at her side. She didn't know where he was at that moment and she didn't want to. If he was coming back, he'd come here. This was the fourth night she'd stood there, just waiting, not allowing any hope.

The sun was no more than a dim glow beneath the skyline when she heard his voice from behind her.

"Hail Hydra." He said in his usual wry way.

"It isn't funny." She told him, still looking out at the city.

"Sure it is. ...In a pathetic, might-as-well-kill-yourself kind of way."

She turned around to see his forced smile as it faded.

"Is that what you've considered?"

He gave barely a nod. "If you were Hydra."

"I was going to kill you if you were."

"I know." He couldn't quite hold back a small smirk.

"Where were you?" She asked, looking him in the eyes.

He turned to look out over the city as it continued to light up. "Oh you know," he said, trying to sound casual. "Between blown covers and trying not to die, I guess I needed some time." The casual tone disappeared suddenly even though he preferred it stayed. "Had to decide if I really wanted to find out about you."

Nat said nothing. She knew the feeling and nothing had ever felt worse. Nothing.

"So," he said and shoved his hands in his pockets, once again attempting to sound unaffected. "This was an interesting choice for laying low."

She just looked at him some more. His flippant attitude originally had annoyed her, but then she grew to appreciate that about him. But when he forced it out, when he was in pain, that was when she couldn't understand it. It was juvenile and angered her somewhat.

"But," he continued. "You're right. If I was hydra I wouldn't have come and if you were hydra, you wouldn't be here. So thanks for working it out for us both."

"You're welcome. ...Would you really have killed yourself?"

Clint just looked over at her. "What do you want me to say?"

She didn't know.

"Really," he said, "We should just do ourselves the favor right now. We've both been working for Hydra for years. I don't see how that doesn't make us Hydra."

"You don't really think that?"

"I don't know what I think, Nat."

Natasha stepped up onto the ledge. Clint's eyes followed her movements. She turned and looked at him, offering her hand. His face was stone, but his eyes were pooling with pain. He took her hand and stepped up beside her, not knowing what he'd expected in that moment. She still had his hand in hers when she guided him down to sit on the ledge beside her.

Clint took a sharp intake of breath and released it shakily. As he often did, he began to rub his calloused fingers into his palm.

"I've always been somebody's tool, Tasha."

"So have I, Clint."

"What do we do?"

"Not kill ourselves."

He laughed slightly.

"Ok."

"We work for Tony. For real this time."

"For?"

"With."

"Ok."