Clint's POV
It was late when I heard Tasha scream.
"Clint! No! Clint!" she screamed.
Quickly I sprang from my bed and sprinted down the hall to Tasha's room. I flung the door open and found her bed empty.
"No!" I thought the Red Room had gotten her. Suddenly I saw that her balcony door was open. When I went outside I found Tasha standing on the railing looking as if she was ready to jump. "Tasha!" I screamed grabbing her from the rail and pulling her into my arms.
"Stop! Clint! No!" She screamed flailing. She began to punch and claw at my chest.
"Nat!" I yelled in attempt to wake her up. However, she just continued screaming and I was starting to get scared, I had never seen Natasha like this. "Natasha!" I screamed waking her up.
"Clint," she said her eyes looking curiously into mine. "What happened?"
I wrapped my arms around her tightly, "I heard you screaming, you were having a nightmare." I watched as her face softened and her eyes started to fill with tears.
"How did we end up on the balcony?" She asked standing up and gripping the railing.
"I found you out here, you were going to jump. Nat, what was your dream?" I asked placing my hands on her shoulders.
"It was nothing," she said walking into the room.
"Tasha, we have never kept secrets from each other before, please tell me." I begged fallowing her.
"I'm fine."
"Fine!" I yelled, "You were trying to kill yourself! What in the hell was your dream."
"Clint, I'm fine."
"Alright fine then, I'll just go."
"No please stay," she said, and I saw the emotion in her eyes. "Stay with me, for tonight."
I nodded not saying a word as I climbed into bed. She laid down with me, laying her head on my chest.
"Don't worry Nat, I'll protect you." I whispered and she laughed but under her breath, I heard her say, "I know."
When I woke up, I realized that Natasha was gone, however I was not alone.
"Good morning Legolas," Tony said smiling.
I groaned; let's just say that Mr. Stark was not my favorite person.
"Where is T… Natasha,"
"She went down to the gym," He said. "You and spidy huh, how long has…"
"Tasha and I are not together!" I yelled. Suddenly his eyes widened when I accidently let her nickname slip.
"Oh so you and Tasha are not together," he smiled again.
"Arg!" I groaned leaving.
I headed down to the gym as I was walking down the hall I heard Tony yell, "Say hi to Spidy for me," fallowed by a laugh. I quickened my pace.
When I reached the gym, I saw her. Her red curls bouncing each time she hit the bag. She looked beautiful. I loved her so much, but I never told her. We were partners I couldn't jeopardize that by telling her how I feel. She wasn't the only one having nightmares. Ever since New York, I couldn't sleep. In my nightmares, I killed Tasha over and over again. Ever night I heard her screams in my head and I saw her blood on my hands. She's my everything, so the thought of me hurting her killed me.
"Are you just going to stand there staring, or are you gonna fight," she said knocking my feet out from under me. My shoulder ached as it hit the ground. Quickly I was up wrapping my arms around her, pulling her to the ground. Suddenly a voice came from her phone.
"I'll make him kill you," it said and her face flushed.
Quickly I pulled her phone from her pocket.
"Clint," she whispered trying to grab the phone but I pinned her to the ground. Although Nat was a better hand fighter than me, I was stronger.
There was a video on her phone that was playing; it must have started when she hit the ground. I rewound the video, a surveillance tape from Loki's prison. He was talking to Tasha.
"I'll make him kill you slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear, and then I'll free him, letting him see what he's done, and when he screams in horror, I'll crack his skull!" Loki yelled. Tasha turned around her eyes looking into the camera, they were filled with fear.
I stopped the video, got off Tasha, and handed her the phone back.
"Clint," she whispered.
I just stood there, not moving, all I could see was Loki's voice echoing through my brain.
"Clint," Tasha said again setting her hands on my shoulders.
"Did I hurt you?" I asked turning back towards her.
"No, Clint it was all Loki, don't blame yourself."
"Did I hurt you!"
"No!"
"Did I try?"
She stayed silent.
"Natasha, did I try to hurt you?"
"Clint, I'm fine, see, I'm fine." She said taking my face in her hands.
"I remember Tasha," I said thinking back, "I remember him telling me to kill you, and, and I just agreed, I was going to do it."
"And then I hit you in the head," she laughed but I just stared seriously. "Clint, come on, can we just drop this."
Then it hit me. "That was what your dream was about wasn't it?"
"What?"
"Your nightmare, it was about me killing you wasn't it!"
She stayed silent.
"Wasn't it!"
"Yes, Clint, it was, ok, are you happy, is that what you wanted to hear." She said but I was done, I just walked out.
"Clint, Clint!" Her yells faded.
I walked down the hall, passing Tony who made some snarky comment but I just kept walking, I was heading to the nest; it was the only place I could think. When I reached it, I sat down, breathing deeply trying to contain my anger. "What had I done to Tasha? I should have tried harder." These thoughts ran through my mind. I punched the railing ignoring the pain.
"I bet that hurt hawk." A voice said.
"Tasha, please, tell me what I did."
"To be honest Barton, I hurt you more than you me. All you did was pull my hair and give me a couple bruises. I'm fine Clint really."
I sighed in relief but stayed silent as she came and sat next to me.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
"You, Loki, Phil," I said sadness filling my voice.
She leaned her head onto my shoulder. "I'm sorry Clint; I know you two were close."
"All I keep thinking is, that if I would have been stronger I could have fought back maybe I could have saved him."
"I told you, we were never trained for stuff like this." She said putting her hand around my neck pulling me close.
"Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton to conference room immediately."
Quickly we head down to the conference room. When we got there, there were two folders on the table but the room was empty. Silently we took our seats. I opened the folder and saw where we were going.
"Budapest," Tasha said reading it aloud.
"Yes Agent Romanoff," Fury said appearing out of nowhere, "Budapest."
I saw Tasha smile.
"Your target is this man," a picture came up on the screen. The man looked to be about in his forties and his hairline was reseeding. His eyes stared coldly sending chills down my spine. "Jonathan Marco."
"What's the plan boss," I said before Natasha kicked me in the shin. "I mean Director, sir." Phil was always the one to keep me in check, now it was Natasha's job.
"He needs to be eliminated; however, he has a lot of connections so killing him in broad daylight is out of the question. Therefore, we need to kill him when he is alone. And the only time he is every alone is when he is," Fury coughed, "entertaining. Agent Romanoff you job will be to seduce him and get him alone.
I cringed at the thought of Tasha having to seduce this creep.
"And Agent Barton you will be Romanoff's date and protector. If anything seems fishy, you get her out."
Nat opened her mouth in protest, but Fury shut her down.
"Barton will pull you out if he deems fit, we would not like to relive Taiwan would we."
Under the table I saw Tasha hand fly to a particular spot on her thigh. I remembered Taiwan; it was the mission that I almost lost her. It had been the first mission we were separated. I was in Rio at the time, until I got the call.
