Clint slept in Natasha's room that night.
But even after she drifted off in his arms he couldn't fall asleep. He would have to leave Stark towers at 5:30am, be on the jet at 6 and would arrive in Germany sometime that afternoon. He was ordered to do this as fast as possible and get his ass out of there before anyone even knows SHEILD was there.
He started stroking Natasha's hair as he thought. He wondered where she would be sent and what she would have to do.
He didn't get much sleep after that.
Natasha started to have a nightmare. She dreamt of the people she killed and started to toss and turn. That's when she heard Clint's voice, pulling her out of the darkness again.
"Nat, wake up." Clint called from above her. Natasha's eyes flashed open and she sat upright, breathing hard. She looked around and settled on Clint. He was dressed and looked wide awake in the dim lighting.
She realized that the nightmare probably started when he left her to get ready. She wondered how she was going to get through the next couple of days without him.
"Are you okay?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her. She nodded, not wanting to worry him as he was about to leave.
She looked at the time. It was 5:15. "You have to go," Natasha sighed, backing away slightly to look at him.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," He kissed her lightly. "Be careful on your mission." Clint said, meeting her eyes.
"You too." She said strongly and kissed him again.
When he started to leave she called out to him and he turned to face her already at the door. "Clint, I-I-" Natasha was cut off by JARVIS.
"Agent Barton, Director Fury wants to make sure you left by now."
"I'm going, I'm going." Clint muttered and gave Natasha a last look before he left.
Natasha couldn't go back to sleep after Clint left. Around six she got up and took a long shower before leaving her room and seeing if anyone was up. No one was as far as she could tell and she wasn't sure what she should do. So Natasha sat, curled in her spot on the loveseat until the rest of the team woke up.
"Good morning Natasha." Pepper said happily and started moving around in the kitchen, making breakfast. When Natasha didn't respond, Pepper looked up, only seeing the back of her head. "Natasha?" She asked. Natasha blinked out of her thoughts and turned when she realized Pepper was talking to her.
"I'm sorry," Natasha said and stood to walk towards her.
"Is everything ok?" Pepper asked. That's when she remembered. "Oh, Clint left today, right?" She asked and was answered by a nod.
Steve walked in the kitchen suddenly and was followed by Bruce just moments later. "'Morning." Bruce greeted and sat at the table while Steve leaned on the counter. "What's for breakfast?" Was Steve's greeting.
Pepper smiled. "Well I was going to make scrambled eggs and bacon," Pepper said while finishing getting everything ready.
Natasha sat at the kitchen table and rested her chin in her hand.
"Did Barton leave already?" Bruce asked for anyone to answer.
"Yeah, a few hours ago." Pepper answered. Natasha saw Bruce nod and felt Steve's eyes on her.
She wondered if he knew something about the two of them.
"Good morning Avengers!" Tony suddenly said as he walked into the room. "Did our feathery friend leave us already?" He asked as he walked farther into the room.
He got various yes's from everyone but Natasha and he noticed that. Tony sat directly across from her at the table.
"What happened? Wake up on the wrong side of the web today?" Tony smirked.
"Tony." Steve warned and Pepper gave him a look making him stop talking for once. Natasha looked around. They were all looking at her. She just sighed when Jarvis announced that Fury was coming up.
Director Fury walked out of the elevator and to the kitchen with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Avengers," He greeted with a nod. "Agent Romanoff, may I speak with you?" He asked and walked out without an answer. She stood quickly and followed him.
When she caught up to him he stopped and handed over a file. "I know I said it would be a few days after Barton left but we need an agent down there now. Your mission is to receive Intel. We have knowledge that unauthorized weapons are being sold out in New Mexico, your job is to figure out what's being sold, to whom and who's the source. You will have a limit of five days once you get there to get the information. Stay hidden, this is a no kill job, understood?" Fury raised an eyebrow.
"Understood." Natasha repeated. She was a little confused. This wasn't the kind of missions she usually got assigned.
"You fly out today at 1300, be ready." Fury added as he walked off.
When time came around to take off, Natasha sat back on the private jet. A SHEILD pilot was flying the jet but other than that, she was alone. She used the time to go over her mission. She studied the information and maps of where we thought the weapons were being sold along with some grainy pictures of a few suspects.
She was glad her mission came sooner than she thought because now there was a better chance that she and Clint would get back closer to the same time.