Searing Jealousy

Wow! 100 people are following this! To me that is HUGE! Thank you so much for all your support! So here's a quick chapter to thank you. I'll try to be good about updating now that school is out!

Clint was trapped in a horrible world in between sleep and reality. Images flashed through his brain. In his minds eye he could remember everything so vividly. He remembered Natasha smiling at him on an undercover mission where they posed as a couple. Her arm laced through his. Her red curls bounced a she turned to grin adoringly at him. Then the image faded and Natasha was so close to Steve. She threw her arms around him.

Then they were in the battle for New York and there was an incoming explosion. Steve shielded Natasha. Then Clint was taking out all his jealousy and anger on Bruce. Natasha slapped him and it stung worse than any injury he had ever been dealt by an enemy. Then the Captain was whispering in his ear "It is your fault that you won't man up and tell the poor girl how you feel instead of being an ass about it to her and everyone else."

Clint had thought it was a friendly push. Now he realized it was a threat. "Get a move on or I will," crooned the dream Steve. Then Clint was in Avengers Tower and Tony was making a remark about how nobody would mind if Natasha didn't wear clothes to their briefing. The others shifted uncomfortably. Clint remembered the look on Steve's face. It warped in his mind to be one of desire.

Then Steve was being assigned to be Natasha's date. Only in the dream Clint voiced his protests.

"I don't like this plan!" Natasha laughed and turned her chair to face him.

"I suppose you think you should go with me? Yeah right! I don't trust you. You tried to kill me! I mean Steve is America's golden boy. Why on Earth wouldn't I chose him over you?"

Clint jolted upright. "Oh yeah…that's why I don't drink."

Clint got up and prepared his weapons in the early hours of light. His head was pounding but the familiarity of his bow snapping in his hands was comforting and he didn't want to return to his horrible dreams. He had sharpened them all and fit everything under his tux twice by the time it could actually be considered morning. He carefully laid everything out and left his room to snag some breakfast before everyone else got up. He turned the corner to find Natasha fixing herself some toast.

Before he could back out of the room she saw him. She smiled, genuinely at him and he tried to smile back. She didn't believe him, and looked at him puzzled.

"Are you okay? Did you sleep okay? Here, have some breakfast." She pushed her toast over to him and turned to pop some down for her. By the time she had turned around he was gone.

Clint spent the rest of the day practicing his shooting in his private shooting range. He would never admit but he was thankful for Stark's thoughtfulness in giving it to him.

It was a plain, sleek metal room kept very cold. It was a long room with one door. The only furniture in the room was a rack of bows, crossbows and arrows. At one end there were three targets painted on the wall. In the center of one was a picture of Tony with a goofy grin, giving him the thumbs up and in a second there was a picture of Loki. Clint tacked up a picture of Captain America on the third target and gave that one a lot of love for the next hours.

At lunchtime Clint wouldn't even leave the room for fear of running into Natasha or Steve. He didn't want to see anybody at the moment. But at some point he had to leave his nest and shower and suit up for that night's mission. He sighed. Watching Natasha dance with Steve was going to be hell.

The boys waited in their tuxes. (A/N: Drool. The Avengers guys in tuxes. Only thing better: no clothes at all) Thor pulled at his collar uncomfortably.

"Well I'm going to go check on the girls!" Tony made a move towards the door but Steve grabbed his collar.

Pepper came out wearing a green dress. Steve let go of Tony and he took Peppers arm and whispered something in her ear. She smiled. Then, Natasha emerged in a tight black dress. It was long with a slit that ran all the way up her thigh and one shoulder with a low cut.

"Natasha you look-" began Steve.

"Absolutely amazing as usual." Said Clint. Natasha looked surprised. She blushed. The Black Widow blushed.

"Um thanks," She looked down at her toes. "Um, Thor! Let me get that!" Natasha said eagerly. Although she had mastered the art of seduction, she had never had to deal with genuine feelings for a man. Natasha had butterflies in her stomach, it made her feel like a foolish little girl.

Clint frowned at Natasha and Thor laughing as she did his tie. Her small body was mere inches from his.

"Well, shall we go?" asked Pepper excitedly. Clint didn't understand why she was so excited. He worried Pepper had not been informed about the severity of their mission…

I said it was quick! Sorry! I'll post more but only if you…

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