Well after after accidentally posting chapter 8 twice last time i fixed it. many thanks to the people who pointed it out. and many thanks to the reviews/favs and follows. I love hearing from people! This is the long awaited Clint and Natasha! I know it's short but the next chapter is them again and it's much longer I just really wanted to write this one. I hope you all like it!

Natasha had been distant since Clint's transformation and she was angry with herself for it. She was angry that she did not know how to interact with a child and angry that she felt useless when she was around him. Of course it wasn't either of their fault, she had no experience with children, but then she thought, neither did any of the others and they seemed to be doing okay. All except for Bruce who had spent the least time around Clint and who tended to avoid him when he was on his own.

But, she thought, that was Bruce's problem. And she had to solve her's herself. It pained her that she didn't know what to say to the boy. It pained her also because she felt that she should know and a piece of her was missing. She felt as though that a piece of her had been taken out. Perhaps the Red Room had removed it to make room for new ways to kill people. Maybe they thought that a woman like her wold never need to be around children and didn't need to know how to treat them or talk to them. It pained her most because she desperately wanted to care for him but didn't know how.

Almost every single night she found herself rising to check on Clint. She would open his door and watch him sleep. But only for a few moments. She would allow herself only a small glimpse of his rising and falling chest and of the dim shape of his forehead, smooth against his pillow. Then she would close the door and return to her room with no one ever knowing.

Twice she had thought that he was awake. Once she had thought his breathing too erratic, another time she had seen his open eyes close but she never approached him. Never asked why he was awake at two in the morning. Yet still she feared that he was having nightmares or bad dreams. She was no stranger to those herself but it seemed an entirely different world to comfort a child. And she was afraid. Afraid that if the task fell on her she would not be able to do it and she would fail.

Still that night after she had taken him to bed she crept out of her room to check on Clint's sleep and found him lying on his back with his eyes wide open. This time he did not close them and he looked at her silently and in the darkness she gazed back, waiting.

When he did nothing she finally took it upon herself and crossed to the bed. He stayed very still but his eyes were locked on her and she brushed the hair off of his forehead. "Did you have a bad dream, little one?" She asked.

He nodded solemnly. Eyes wide.

She petted his head and he relaxed. "Can I get you anything?"

He shook his head, eyes never leaving hers.

"Then what can I do?" She asked.

With a sad look he shrugged and his eyes finally drifted away. Perhaps, she thought in disappointment. She watched him and then pulled herself under the covers. "May I stay with you?"

He nodded quickly and then blushed as she reached out a hand and touched his cheek. A muscle in his face twitched but that was it and she stroked his cheek with the back of her knuckle, marveling at how soft it was. "Sleep well." She said and then she closed her eyes.

Even with her eyes closed it was a long time before she drifted off and before that happened she felt a warm heat against her side, Clint had curled up against her, his back fitted into the curve of her waist. She smiled briefly, feeling the swell of his ribcage as he inhaled and the collapse of it as he exhaled. Maybe it had not been taken from her. Maybe she had to learn instead. She was happy when she finally drifted off to sleep. Happy that violence had not replaced love in her heart.

I wrote this a little deeper i think. I kinda toyed with the idea that her whole life Natasha has been fighting and killing and keeping secrets and that maybe she doubted that she would be any good with kids. I dunno, it was just an idea like. Also, Bruce will have his own chapter sometime later too but the next is Clint and Natasha having a day to themselves.

Hope you all liked it. I may post the next chapter early like between Thursday and Saturday because this one was short.

Thanks for reading!