Chapter one
'Damn you', Clint says softly as he holds on to her arm. The grip on her arm is strong. There's no way he would let her fall. But she knows that she will. And looking up at him, at her best friend, she's trying not to panic and break down.
'Let me go', Natasha whispers, her voice calm.
'No', his voice starting to break, realising there's no way he can save her, 'please no'. She almost breaks at seeing the tears and horror in his eyes. She can't break, for him she has to stay strong.
'Let me go', she breaths.
'Please…', he begs her but knows it's to no avail.
'I love you', she says softly. At this her voice breaks and she can feel the tears building in her eyes. Every ounce of willpower is needed to make her next move. She puts her feet against the cliff, pushes and then she's falling.
'No!' Clint screams and almost immediately looks up. He doesn't want to be the last image of her to be falling to her death. She keeps looking at him as she falls. In the short moments before her death memories flash across her mind. Memories that are so precious for her, all of them with Clint. Natasha wishes she had the courage before to tell him she loves him. The regret is the last thing she thinks of before she stops falling suddenly and the world fades into black.
'Nat, please, please wake up', Clint says softly to her as he cups her face in his hand. He's softly crying as he's trying to shake her awake. After a few moments her eyes finally open. That's when he starts to sob. His head on her chest is the first thing she registers and she's confused. She wraps one arm around his shaking form, the other going to his hair. Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Did they fail?
'Clint?' Natasha says as she's starting to sit up, he lifts his head automatically.
'Tasha', he whispers and gathers her in his arms. The feeling of his strong hold on her is enough to get her to tears as well. They sit in the water for a while, holding on to each other and softly crying.
'What happened?' she croaks against his neck. He just shakes his head as he takes ragged breaths against her hair.
'I don't know', he cries, 'I don't care. As long as you're with me'.
'You!' they break apart like lightning, both of them reaching for the weapons they no longer have, 'nobody ever defeated me!'. Red Skull keeps floating towards them, his face furious.
'Yeah, about that', Natasha deadpans, 'how did I not die?'
'True love, liebchen. The sacrifice you made for him was made of the strongest kind of magic', he hisses. Clint and Natasha are dumbfounded, 'your love for him is stronger than the love for the stone'. Red Skull keeps floating towards them and is getting closer and closer, Clint automatically standing a bit in front of Natasha to protect her.
'Get away from here', he whispers angrily, 'and never return. Or I'll make sure you both die'. With those last words he floats away.
'Let's get the hell outta here', Clint says.
'Wait', she stops him, 'did we do it?' Clint opens his hand to her and it's there; the soul stone. Finally they manage to smile at each other.
'Sync up. Let's go home', Natasha whispers. They hold out their arms, touch the little screen and when their suites are on, they fly. During the flight home they never break apart, holding hands to make sure the other is still there.