MiyukiGainsborough: I'm sorry for the delays in posts. The holidays were pretty busy and I just have not been able to write for awhile. Please enjoy.
XXX
Nothing seemed to really keep Clint busy while Natasha was gone, not even visiting Tony and 'getting into trouble' with him. His mind was always on the red headed assassin and worrying constantly on if she would be caught. Of course, he knew he shouldn't worry about her holding her own but that didn't stop it. The only thing he could do was look forward to the calls from Nat when she had a spare minute. Both of which were simple and almost the same. She would say she's doing alright and tell of how her day was. Nothing more on that. She'd listen to his simplified day, leaving out anything and everything having to do with SHIELD, then they would exchange 'I love yous' and end it there.
After four months of Natasha being on mission, Clint was getting frustrated having to wait for her. No mission Natasha had been on took her so long, even undercover. She was always got things done quickly. He would later ask her on the phone when she would be coming home to him but the answer wasn't exactly what he wanted.
"It's going to be another seven months, Clint."
"Tasha...seven months? Why is this taking so long?" He didn't want to sound aggravated but knew his emotion was slipping into his voice. Still, Natasha chuckled softly and told him that he just had to be patient. There was still plenty of work for her to get done.
However, after seven months, Natasha was over a week late returning home. Clint had been patient up until the week mark hit and she wasn't home. He, of course, was quick to confront Fury about the matter.
"Sir, has there been some kind of extension on Agent Romanoff's mission that I have not been told about?" he asked. While he did not expect the Director to just blurt out the status of an agent's mission to just anyone, he hoped he would be an exception considering his relationship with Natasha.
Fury looked at the archer then turned to a tablet that Agent Hill was handing him. "An unexpected last minute extension, Barton. She has been moved to Moscow for a secondary part. I promise you'll be the first to know when the job is over," he answered, his eye on the information on the screen in his hands.
Clint cocked his eyebrow and took a second to think about what he had been told. "T-Thank you, sir," he replied, nodding his head, before turning on his heel and making his way back into the main hallway. Once he was a good ways down the metal hallway, his pace got faster, new thoughts and ideas in his head. 'Moscow, sir?' he thought to himself. 'Just what the hell are you and Natasha keeping from me?'