"No." Clint said stubbornly glaring at Natasha with his arms crossed, refusing to get off the couch like a toddler, his lip sticking out. Natasha crosses her arms the rest of the Avengers watching warily behind her. "Clint…." She says warningly and he sighs looking at the rest of the group the back to Natasha. "What on EARTH makes you think this a good idea?" Natasha raises an eyebrow at that. "Because it's MY idea. Now get your ass off the couch before I MAKE you."
Clint stuck his tongue out at her childishly, but stood. "Beach day? For REAL Natasha?" He uses his very best whiny voice, and just receives a slap over the head. "Quit being a baby." Clint narrows his eyes at her rubbing the back of his head. "Natasha…hey, I promise I'm not downing your idea, but I'm kind of tired today, why don't we go tomorrow? I'll make lunch." Tony speaks up rubbing his head nervously. Clint's eyes go wide at the promise of Stark's food and Natasha just stares at him as if sizing him up before smiling. "Alright, beach tomorrow, movie night tonight." Clint see's Tony begin to protest but shuts up as Natasha gives him a death glare. "Alright, Alright Natasha, movie night. See you in a few hours."
With that the genius runs down the hall and Natasha sighs, looking back and forth to Bruce and Clint, all of them having a silent conversation as Thor and Steve looked at the three confused. Bruce raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly in the direction Tony had gone. Natasha just shakes her head and nods to Clint, who takes off after him. Natasha smiles and pretends not to notice the totally confused expression on the other two teammates faces. "Bruce, walk the beach with me?" Bruce smiles and nods and they take off towards the door.
Steve watches them go suspiciously, angry the team is already keeping things from each other. He isn't STUPID for god's sake. "That was highly strange Captain, was it not?" Thor asks curiously and Steve just nods. "Yeah Thor, it was."
Clint races down the hallway and slips into an air vent quickly, knowing Nat had sent him to listen. Stark was upset, so hopefully, he would be talking to the A.I, and not that he knew it, but Clint as well. He crawls the familiar path to the lab and is completely surprised by what he sees when he reaches the opening, and disturbed. Tony is just sitting on the floor, head in his hands, dry sobs racking the smaller man's body.
"Jarvis…I-I HATE this."
"I know sir, I know. Are you positive the Avengers wouldn't help you?" Clint could have sworn that the A.I. sounded reassuring and concerned.
"J…even if they would, which if I'm being honest instead of prejudice, they'd probably have to- moral duties and all- there is nothing they can do. There is nothing anyone can do, I'm the only one who had any choices, and I've made them."
"You're doing what you have to sir. Do you doubt your decision?" Tony's face hardened and he stiffened, the sobs stopping all together, replaced by a shudder.
"No…. It's for the greater good. I'm saving lives." His voice cracks at the end and Clint's highly trained ears can hear the fear there. Not good.
"Sir while I agree that it is saving lives, perhaps another way…?" Tony sighed burying his head in his hands and taking a deep breath. "No. I've looked at everything. Only one thing I can do Jarvis, I'm doing it. That doesn't make it any easier. I'm just gonna curl up on the couch and take a nap Jarvis; you know the drill, lockdown the lab careful watches on all Avengers. Just because they don't like me doesn't mean I want them blowing themselves up." The genius rose from the floor and made his way across the lab to where a tiny leather couch was sitting and dropped onto it unceremoniously, out like a light the moment his head hit the pillow.
Clint watched him sleep for a moment, lost in his thoughts. This sounded bad. He was lost, he really was, a new feeling for him. He knew for sure whatever Tony was talking about wasn't PTSD, it was something bigger, and apparently so big the Avengers couldn't take it down, at least to Tony, they couldn't.
Natasha felt the warm sun pulsing down on her skin and smiled, closing her eyes and taking the sea breeze. She and Bruce had both decided to go to the big wraparound porch instead, to throw off Steve who was shooting daggers with his eyes when they stepped out the door.
"Natasha, I'm worried." Natasha turned her head to Bruce, who was running a hand through his hair, making it stick up at all angles around his head. She had opted for the sun chair, happily stretched out letting her skin absorb the much needed sun, while Bruce was lying on the floor of the warm deck, his eyes fixed on the rolling waves of the sea. "I am too. Did you see that reaction to the death question? That sits badly with me." Bruce nodded warily. "I'm suspicious alright. I mean how many secrets could trigger that kind of reaction?" Natasha bit her lip nervously. "You think he's dying again?" Bruce just shook his head rolling over to lie on his side and stare straight at Natasha. "No…. at least not from anything like before…I hope. It's just I think if it were the poisoning again or something he'd tell Pepper this time like he promised. If she knew Tony was dying, she'd be here right now. So I don't think it's something like that." Natasha nodded slowly, irritation and worry running across her face. "So what then? Where does that leave us?" Bruce sighed unhappily turning his head back towards the waves again. "I don't know Natasha, I just don't know."