As soon as Natasha realised that Coulson was revaluating his opinion on Clint, Natasha set her plan to work.

It was just after Coulson had recovered enough to be released from hospital, and after Clint had calmed down enough so that Fury would allow him back in the country without fearing an arrow in his face. She'd been waiting for this for years, the plan had been set up ever since she realised she was standing as third wheel to a couple who had no idea they were so (read: four minutes after she met them).

It had been put on hold once she realised that Phil was unwilling to chance anything and risk his job for someone who didn't even like him, not in that or any way. It wasn't destroyed completely as Natasha knew that Clint liked him very much, and in that way also.

So here they were: years of sexual tension later, with Phil coming to the conclusion over breakfast one morning (because he'd been practically forced into the tower once Stark had seen his apartment, and Clint's pancakes were the best things ever) that perhaps Clint was more than worth the risk.

Then we see Clint grinning at Coulson's thinking face, and Coulson deciding that there was no way anyone so perfect could ever like him.

And so Natasha locked them both in a closet. Literally.

Clint had never been particularly fond of enclosed spaces, so was a little preoccupied with not having a panic attack to break the sexual tension or even pay attention to a concerned Coulson breaking the closet down to cart him out.

And then Clint was so mortified at someone knowing his secret that he avoided the tower and everyone in it for three weeks, until Coulson tracked him down and brought him back. And even then, it took their car breaking down in the middle of nowhere for them to get their acts together.

Oh, Natasha, don't fret. These two are just incredibly difficult to get together. It would take a fairy godmother equivalent to make them run smoothly.

And that's where Pepper Potts comes in.


Apologies that this one is so short. The next one will be longer, I promise! R&R!