Rumor has it
A/N: BET THIS UPDATE EMAIL WAS A SHOCK! Well ahh hasn't it been a long time? Haha…nervous laughter. I WAS DISTRACTED BY MY OTHER CLINTASHA STORIES! I APOLOGIZE!
Righteously jealous Tasha anyone?
.
.
.
.
.
.
Chapter 10
Natasha took a deep breath as her whole world narrowed in on the targets she was focused on burying an entire case of bullets into. In the small private session shooting range tucked into the corner of the SHIELD base Natasha could forget everything that was happening in her life, ignore everything that was pissing her off and simply put all here intense focus into burning her target to the ground with her angry glares – if that didn't do the job her bullets would surely doing the rest.
She was angry.
She was unbelievably angry.
If she wasn't shooting the life out of something here right now she knew she would definitely be hunting a very real target and burying her bullets in someone she is not supposed to assassinate no matter how much she wanted to. Natasha gritted her teeth and acutely saw red flash across her vision. She could feel her dormant assassin instincts flaring up after years of being locked away ever since she accepted an offer from an archer to only kill when absolutely necessary.
He taught her there were better ways to disengaging an opponent other then outright murdering them. He taught her she could work to clear a ledger she didn't think she had any hope of getting rid of for the rest of her life. They worked through all the garbage the red room had screwed her mind with and for a while she felt like she could finally breathe easily without her dark past coming back to haunt her.
But now she could barely keep those dark instincts from pulsing through her thick red blooded Russian veins.
Because Barbara fucking Morse was on base and Natasha despised that devil woman with a passion. 5 years ago that bitch nearly ended her longstanding partnership with the only man she would ever even considering watching her back in a fight. The Avengers came later. Steve Rogers came later. Everyone on her new team came after Clint Barton.
And now she was back and Natasha was so close to losing it that she didn't even care to acknowledge the familiar presence behind her. She has never needed to exchange unnecessary words with him before and she wasn't going to start now just because she might be 'banging' America's favorite soldier. She still can't believe no one at SHIELD has figured out their scam. Frankly she still can't believe the man watching her with razor sharp sniper eyes has yet to connect the dots.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
She heard the deeply unsatisfying gunfire from her pistol and she clenched her jaw because it wasn't helping in burning out her anger like it usually does. To hell with everything. She might be Steve Rogers' girlfriend – but everyone knew she was Clint Barton's partner long before that. Why had everything suddenly changed just because she chose to make everyone believe she wasn't involved with the best marksman in the world? Where was the world for the past 7 years of their very platonic partnership? Why did everyone care so damn much that she just confirmed that she was never in a relationship with her partner?
"You only spend this much time in the shooting range when something has gone very wrong and you're on the verge of snapping Tasha," he finally said quietly from behind her after several minutes of gunfire being the only sound the room. She didn't stop firing bullets at a frightening pace because they've been through this too many times over the years. He would come find her when she was barely holding her shit together and she would deny everything until he effectively broke down all her walls.
"Nothing is wrong," she said carefully keeping her voice deceitfully neutral – it stopped working on him years ago. She heard him shift behind her and moved away from the doorway as he walked deeper into the dimly lit practice room.
"Then why are you still shooting your target board even if there is practically nothing left?" he asked calmly coming to a stop inches to her right. Natasha's eyes steeled.
"Leave me the fuck alone Barton!" she grounded out. She didn't care about any stupid feelings she had for him. She didn't care that she really needed to figure out how to deal with this situation where she wanted him to be here but didn't want him here at the same time. Is this how he felt for all these years?
The man was patience as a saint if he had to go through this turmoil while she was in denial for 7 years.
A god damn saint.
"Did you have a fight with Rogers or something?" he asked slowly. She finally stopped shooting and whipped her eyes to lock with his careful blue gaze. She promptly locked away the part of her that wanted him to look at her with more than just guarded concern swirling in his eyes. The part that wanted him to look at her the same way he used to at the beginning of their partnership. He used to look at her like he wanted to hold her, like he wanted to run his hand through her hair, like he wanted to kiss her breath away. He used to be a flirty asshole and tell her the dirty things he wanted to do to her and she used to point her gun at his face and tell him to shut the hell up. He used to laugh at her threats and forced them into an annoying number of compromising situations that messed with her head and clouded her sharp mind. The part of her that finally wanted him to do those things was currently slapping her stubborn side back and forth across the face.
"That's none of your business," she growled harshly. Frankly she fought with Rogers every single day – but it was never lovers' spats. If she was ever honest with herself she had more of those with her own partner then Steve and she ever did. Clint was never one to be intimidated – not even by a volatile Russian who looked like she might just shoot him instead of her target – they both know she's nearly done that before. No one said their partnership was perfect.
"My partner is my business regardless of who she is dating. So you going to drop your damn walls and tell me what's wrong because you have been on edge since the day in medical Tasha and we both know Steve Rogers has no idea how to deal with you when you get like this," Clint said carefully watching her clench and unclench her hand around her gun.
Sometimes people forgot they were assassins before unofficial superheroes. Natasha could go gallivanting with superhero boyfriends all she wants but at the end of the day he is the only one who can calm her down. He is the one who grounds her. He is the one who understands the true depth of her ledger. He is the one she can't throw away like she has with all her past love interests - because Natasha Romanoff needed him. That was the only reason Clint hasn't flipped his shit after initially giving into his desire to sock his team leader in the face. Eventually Steve would end up on the curb like every other boytoy in her past. He might be the first man she actually declared as her boyfriend – but he was certainly not the first man she has taken to her bed of deceit and lies.
Clint was glad he's never slept with his partner – he didn't want to end up as another notch on her bedpost. No matter what he felt he would never let her do that to them. He'd rather spend another 7 years alone then let her throw him away after one night – he didn't think his heart could handle that. He glanced back up at her face and saw her sharp green eyes flash in a familiar way. He knew he was going to be roughly shoved up against the cold grey wall before she even shot forward at nearly inhuman speeds and trapped him between the cold cement and her burning body.
"You want to know what's wrong? You want to know that my life is so messed up I don't even know what I am doing anymore? You want to know why I can't even sleep properly? You want to know why I can barely keep my act together right now?" she growled dangerously close to his face. Clint felt the telling shake in her tense frame and kept his expression neutral.
"Yes. Yes I want to know all of those things Tasha – but first, put your gun down," he said steadily staring at her dead in the eye. He saw the darkness clear slightly as she realized exactly what she was doing.
Her safety was off on the gun she had dangerously digging into his stomach. It was not a comforting way he wanted to have an important conversation with his partner. They really didn't need Sao Paulo to happen again. Not all his bullet wounds came from the enemy while they were still the enemy. Natasha stiffly lowered her gun and looked away without apologizing – she never does. The day in medical was a fluke.
"Now tell me what's wrong Tasha," he said carefully. She stared at a blank spot on the wall beside his ear. She was actively avoiding his piercing gaze even though she still had him shoved up against the wall. He could clearly feel the tension vibrating up and down his partner's body and he needed to know why damn it.
"A lot of things are wrong in our world Barton," she said evasively hiding her eyes behind her short red bangs. Clint narrowed his eyes.
"Cut the crap and get to the reason you're pissed at the moment Romanoff," he said while getting just a little frustrated by her natural reaction at always evading the truth. Natasha took a deep breath and he watched her eyes darken until green turned to practically black. Whatever it was it was bad.
"Mockingbird is here," she said darkly. She didn't feel him tense like she expected him to – that made her extremely suspicious – to the point where she had a burning feeling she knew why. There was a tense silence for several heart beats until he finally responded.
"I know," he said steadily staring at the ruined target board over her shoulder. Natasha froze and promptly ripped herself away from him. They both ignored how they felt the loss of the warmth of the other's body pressed up against their own.
"Tell me you didn't already see her Barton," Natasha said dangerously. Clint gave her a careful look as he took a step away from the wall.
"Tasha you are overreact-" he started to protest but she angrily cut him off.
"Shut up! Do you know what she did to you last time? Do you know what type of shit I had to deal with for weeks from you? Do you even remember the state you were in after she fucked with your head Clint?" Natasha shouted breathing in harsh ragged breaths. She wouldn't go through that again. She wasn't going to deal with that again. She refused to see that happen again. Clint took a sharp breath through his nose and kept his own anger in check. One angry assassin was already one too many.
"Natasha that was 5 years ago. I'm not a young hotheaded assassin anymore. I grew up. I can fight my own ghosts," he said tightly. He didn't appreciate his partner underestimating his ability to deal with his own shit. Natasha narrowed her eyes.
"She's not a ghost Barton," Natasha said warningly shaking her head. Bobbi was definitely not a ghost. Clint resisted the intense urge to clench his jaw – he wasn't going to get wound up like his partner.
"I know she's not – but you're not my babysitter either Natasha," he said tensely. He didn't need her to fight his battles for him. Natasha felt his more than a little sharp words were like a slap in the face.
Silence.
They both looked ready to kill each other right when both their SHIELD phones started to ring in a familiar tune. They both flipped their respective communicators open and held it to their ears.
"Hawkeye and Black Widow here sir," they both said at the same time instantly switching to their professional tones. It was just like old times.
"Both of you get your asses down in my office right this minute. There is an impending crisis that we have to deal with at the upcoming United Nations world peace conference happening in Turkey in 3 days. Round up the other Avengers – we're going to need them. Every single one of you are going to go – understood Barton?" Fury said warningly. He needed his best sniper for this job and no drama between teammates was going to allow him from saying no to this mission. Barton knew he had reached the end of his leeway rope and didn't even bother to refuse. It was time to get his act together and work with his partner no matter the shit they had going on between them and their teammates.
"Understood Sir," he said carefully. They both heard Fury pause for a second as he absorbed the fact that agent Barton was not arguing him on this job.
"Good. Get ready for the biggest assassination of your careers because someone from the black lotus terrorist group has impersonated the Chinese UN representative Li Baodong and we need to stop them from bombing this conference full of some of the most important diplomats in the world and practically starting world war 3," Fury said gruffly while rubbing his forehead in frustration. Why must these criminals always be such a big pain in his ass?
Natasha and Clint both shared a blank look. As if villains are not always trying to cause world war 3 every few months.
"Sounds like just another day on this crazy team you put us on Director. We'll see you in 20 minutes Sir," Natasha said steadily before she promptly ended the call and snapped her phone shut. Clint followed her motion and let his arm dropped to his side. They both stared at each other as a million unsaid words simmered in the air between the two partners.
Say something. Say something. Say something. She chanted in her head. Just say something because I can't do it. Tell me you know what I'm doing. Tell me you know it's all one big fat lie. Tell me you still want me after all the shit I've put you through. I can't do this confession crap. Clint clenched his hand around his communicator and took a deep breath.
"When this mission is over we're going to have a serious talk about whatever you've been trying to do over the last 2 weeks Tasha. I know something is up and I know it's eating you up inside because it's eating at me Tasha and I don't even know what it is. I know you Tasha. I know you make batshit insane plans that you don't always think through instead of outright saying what's on your mind, but right now I don't know what you are trying to say and I don't have time to figure it out. Go find Steve while I get Tony and Bruce," he said firmly before he took a step away from her and turned to walk out of the room. They were definitely going to deal with whatever her problem is later. Natasha promptly wiped all the emotion off her face and followed him out the door.
He didn't say what she wanted him to say.
"See you in the director's office," she said quietly turning to walk the oppose direction down the familiar SHIELD hall. She had a super serum pumped boyfriend to find who was likely punching the crap out of his favorite punching bag of the week in the SHIELD underground gym. She felt her partner's eyes burning into her back – but she didn't stop walking.
"Tasha?" he called out from behind her when she was a few seconds away from rounding the corner. She paused in her step and waited to hear what he would say.
"Don't kill her Tasha– she's useful for SHIELD and I don't feel like busting my partner out of prison with a world crisis on the horizon," Clint said carefully. Natasha closed her eyes and resisted the urge to punch a hole in the wall beside her.
"I don't make promises I can't keep Clint," she said darkly before she disappeared from his sight.
.
.
.
.
A/N: INTENSE! This chapter was meant to highlight some of reasons why Natasha and Steve may never romantically work even if Clint wasn't around to completely dominant her interest. Natasha has a darker side she doesn't really show Steve or frankly anyone beside her partner. Maybe he could do it in an alternate universe that exist on fanfiction – but probably not in 'rumor has it' world. haha.
Now time to go on an Avengers mission in the middle of all this drama! WOO! And who knows maybe Steve can help the clintasha stalemate if he gets any interesting ideas? He might surprise you.
Tony Stark and the Avengers at an important UN conference? Oh dear god ;)
Round 10
Natasha is slowly losing it from all the lies – Natasha 0 : Evil 1
Clint is definitely catching on though – Natasha 1 : evil 0
Bobbi Morse the damn ex-wife is going screw them over Natasha 0: evil 1
Total: WHY EVIL? YOU MAY WILL THIS BATTLE BUT YOU WILL NOT WIN THE WAR!
1st - Evil – 14
2nd - Natasha - 8
3rd - Steve – 7
A/N: Anyone still interested in finally out how this story is going to end? I know it's been a few months but I do have a nice idea of how this is all going to go down. Between Steve, Bobbi, Natasha, Clint and all the other Avengers it's going to be one insane disaster.
Review and let me know! Time for some action.