A/N: Now that we know Clint has a whole secret family, I've given up on my original Clintasha pairing :(. Decided to rework this story with that in mind.
The apocalypse is over. They won. They're sitting at the shawarma restaurant, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Nobody wants to make eye contact. Nobody wants to break the peace and quiet that they are experiencing.
She takes a bite of her shawarma and chews slowly.
Her gaze lands on Clint and she recalls Loki's words to her, "Is this love Agent Romanoff?"
Her reply was the truth, love is for children. What she and Clint have is far beyond love. When she thinks about Clint what comes to mind is anchor. She doesn't know how it happened or when it started, what she does know is that she is completely attached to him. He is her family…knows her better than anybody on this earth. In the lulls during stake-outs, waiting for the bad guys to come out and play, she has whispered things to him…shined a light inside her very soul to illuminate the dark places only she knows about.
He has told her all his secrets and she has held them safe from even Fury. She has met the wife and kids he hides so well from everyone else. Has been to countless birthday parties, baseball games, and ballet recitals.
She's not sure if he knows exactly how important he is to her. She's not good at saying these things. At saying that, without him anchoring her, she would have double-crossed SHIELD a long time ago. That, he keeps her honest…well, as honest as she can be. That his family keeps her fighting for the right side. The thought of his family causes her heart to beat faster. What would she have told Laura if anything had happened to him? What would she have told the kids?
As if sensing her thoughts, he looks up from his meal and catches her eye for a fraction of a second. That's all it takes to calm her down. To anchor her back from her wayward thoughts. She wouldn't have to tell Laura and the kids anything because she would never let anything happen to him.