It's time for a Tony chapter!


Tony hummed softly as he took a sip of his coffee, a thermos of it tucked under his arm. He hated the medical bay, absolutely detested it. He hated the antiseptic smell, the bright overhead lights, the deafening silence of the place. It just made him want to run out and start blasting music. Since he couldn't quite do that, he would settle for humming as he walked through the halls. 'Only for Pepper or an Avenger would I willingly walk into the medical bay,' Tony thought, shaking his head slightly. He wasn't as worried about Natasha as everyone else was, at least that's what he told himself. Tony didn't miss her sarcastic comments when he made a smart remark. He didn't miss listening to Pepper and Natasha chat in the living room, Pepper's voice taking on a special happy tone that could only be brought on by female companionship. He didn't miss making jokes about Natasha and Clint's secret relationship. He definitely didn't miss her threatening to kill him in painful yet creative ways. He didn't miss stocking up on the special Russian vodka Clint insisted he order for Natasha. 'Nope,' Tony thought. 'I don't miss the Russian at all; she'll be up and terrorizing us in no time.'

Though Tony had to admit he was holding Pepper a bit tighter at night as his mind would inevitably wander to the land of what-ifs, wondering what he would do if Pepper was in Natasha's position. Just the thought of it made Tony's heart clench, made him want to call Pepper and find out what she's doing even thought he knew exactly where she was; she was at Stark Industries, rescheduling the meeting he skipped to come to S.H.I.E.L.D. Prying himself away from his worrisome thoughts, he opened the door to Natasha's room. "Yo Legolas, how goes guard duty?" Tony asked as he closed the door behind him.

"I knew you would be the only person who didn't knock," Clint replied, shaking his head.

"Why should I knock?" Tony said innocently. "Natasha's unconscious so I don't think she'd mind me being here-"

"She'd probably mind very much."

"And you're supposed to be a master assassin. You should have known I was coming from the minute I stepped foot on base. Don't tell me you're getting rusty, Robin Hood."

"Exactly how am I supposed to tell when you enter S.H.I.E.L.D, Stark? I don't have the place wired with camera like you have the Tower," Clint replied.

"Excuses, excuses," Tony said dismissively. "If you don't play nice, I wont give you the present I brought you."

"And what exactly have you brought me?" Clint said, raising an eyebrow.

"The sweet nectar from the gods," Tony replied, handing him the thermos. "The salvation of tireless brilliant billionaire playboy philanthropist geniuses and super assassins watching over their sick assassin girlfriend."

"Nat's not my girlfriend," Clint said as he opened the thermos. He sniffed the coffee, the aroma making his mouth water, before taking a sip. 'Oh man, this is good,' Clint thought as he swallowed a generous gulp.

"You know you keep saying that over and over again, but I find myself not believing you. Why do you think that is?"

"Because you're insane?" Clint offered, drinking more of the coffee. "Where do you get this coffee? It's great."

"Pepper special orders it from a little farm in South America; it's incredible. But that's not the point right now," Tony said, refusing to be distracted. "The reason you keep denying that you guys are together is because you haven't told you love her yet; you don't want us to blow your cover. Though how she doesn't know you love her yet is beyond me; it's painfully obvious."

"Nothing is painfully obvious," Clint replied, slightly annoyed. "There's no feelings for me to tell her about, there's no relationship for us to have. Tasha and I are just Tasha and I. We're partners, we're best friends, but that's it."

"Oh Clint," Tony said, shaking his head in mock sadness. "Clint, Clint, Clint, Clint, Clint. You're in denial more than Coulson was when he thought he could cover up the fact that I'm Iron Man."

"How exactly did he think you could cover it up? Didn't you blow up one of your factories?" Clint asked.

"Thank you!" Tony shouted, raising his arms in exasperation. "Finally someone gets it. Pepper nearly murdered me after the "I am Iron Man" incident. But that's not the point either. You love Natasha-"

"I don't love Tasha," Clint said, taking another sip of coffee.

"You screamed bloody murder when her heart failed in the helicarrier. You've spent the past few days sitting by her bedside, refusing to move. Pepper had to threaten you to get you to leave for a few minutes and eat something. You're the only person who can get Natasha to calm down from her sickness induced flip out. And you're the only one who can call her Nat or Tasha or any other nickname without getting a limb removed. You love her and you're just too dense to see that she loves you just as much," Tony said, slightly frustrated. "Why don't you just tell her?"

"Why do you think it's so easy to do?" Clint replied quickly, mentally smacking himself as the words left his lips. 'Shit.'

"HA! You didn't deny it! You love her, Robin Hood. I knew it!"

"Stark, if you don't shut up I will remove you ability to speak," Clint said, annoyed with Tony and himself.

"You have no idea how long I've been saying you and Natasha loved each other," Tony said happily. "So why haven't you told your Maid Marian yet? Widow got your tongue?"

"We're partners, Tony. The last thing we need is to throw feelings into the mix," Clint replied. Clint couldn't believe he was talking to Tony Stark out of all people about his feelings. 'Now I've seen everything,' he thought dryly. "I tell her I love her and she doesn't feel the same or we get together and things don't work out, it's not gonna end well for us. She's my best friend, Stark; I can't lose her."

Tony sat quietly for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to explain things to Clint. "You know I loved Pepper for a long time," Tony said softly. "I don't even know when it started. I mean, I always thought she was beautiful and she was smart as hell too, major turn-on. But I was so wrapped up in myself, I didn't see it as anything besides liking a hot girl. Then everything happened in Afghanistan." Clint was shocked; Tony never spoke about Afghanistan ever. "You know I thought about her every day. That's what kept me going. Knowing that she was at home, it gave me something to fight for. Natasha…she's what you fight for. She's your drive, your push to do your best on a mission, to make it out alive all the time. I can guarantee you she loves you as much as you love her. You guys fit together, just like me and Pepper do. There will never be anyone else for you but Natasha, just like there will never be anyone for me but Pepper. Might as well tell each other and get to be together than just wait around with all these emotions there."

"Tony…" Clint said, unsure of what to say.

"Anyway, I'll leave you with your lady, Legolas. I'm gonna go home and start a betting pool on how long it'll take you to man up and tell Red you love her," Tony laughed. "I'll see you later, Robin."

"Later, Tony," Clint said as Tony walked out of the room. Clint turned toward Natasha, taking her hand in his. "Just you and me now, Tasha."


What will happen next? Thoughts on Tony? Reviews please