An explosion shuddered through the warehouse throwing ash and debris over the two S.H.I.E.L.D agents as they sped away on the Ducati motorcycle. A search of the premises had failed to reveal Red Pole. He had made his escape and so Natasha and Clint set explosives around the metal army rendering them harmless. It was apparent that the Triad had reached his helicopter and was currently on the move out of the city. The agents were now in hot pursuit of the tracking device.

Natasha leant against Clint, her head resting against his shoulder one arm around his waist, the other holding her damaged ribs, as he accelerated. As the city streets disappeared behind them and were replaced by fields, the sky took on a black hue. Storm clouds were brewing. Before long the first spots of rain began to fall as thunder rumbled in the distance. The shower soon turned into a deluge as huge drops hammered from the sky. Visibility and road conditions were becoming impossible not to mention the two were completely soaked. Clint decided to pull over. There was a hayloft a little way from the road which would give them some shelter until the storm subsided.

As the Ducati slowed Clint turned his head. 'No point going on in this. The signal is static anyway; he's not going any further might as well wait it out.'

Natasha nodded, grateful for the break to ease her injury.

As the bike stopped Natasha suddenly asked. 'What happened with Foster?'

Clint tensed under her grip; it was not a reaction she was hoping for.

'She's with Coulson being debriefed.' He said far too quickly for the widow's liking.

The truth was Clint wasn't going to admit he had simply believed what Hannah had said. It was not the Widow's way and she'd never trusted the girl. Clint was more prepared to follow his gut instinct while his partner dealt in cold hard facts. It was easier for her to believe he had played the seducer to get the real story.

'You found out the truth?' She badgered.

'Yes I did.'

The question 'How' remained unspoken between them. Stopping the bike, Clint turned off the ignition and dismounted. It began to dawn on him that she was pissed and it made him suddenly very angry.

'You don't get to do this!' He raged. 'Don't you dare!'

'What?' She asked feining innocence

'What?' He leant across the handle bars facing her. 'Admit you're jealous.' He challenged.

Folding her arms, Natasha retreated into stubbornness. 'I am not jealous.'

'Do you know how many times I have watched you make love to other men?'

Silence seemed the best option so she simply remained so.

'I do not have a number there are so many... and yet... one girl... who, I hasten to add you told me to seduce, and you're a mess.'

'I am not a mess!' She snapped, but with wet hair plastered to her face it was hard to be convincing.

'Did you imagine us naked together?'

Her look of absolute fury confirmed what he already knew. 'You can't handle it!' He exclaimed.

Natasha looked away.

'The great unfeeling Black Widow genuinely cannot abide the idea of me with another woman.' the idea seemed completely alien to Clint he paced away before turning back to face her. 'You really can't?'

Natasha retreated behind her facade but Clint was not about to let her get away so easily.

'So what's the problem Romanoff?'

Natasha glared.

'You don't think I can compartmentalise the way you can? You think I won't be able to control my feelings and I'd fall in love with a girl because she actually showed she was human? Dear god woman, I spend the majority of my time with one of the most desirable and infuriating women on the planet... we even sleep in the same bed... I am damned world master at controlling myself! Or do you think I am actually stupid enough to fall for the trick when a woman pretends to show affection to get what she wants after I've seen how the expert does it! I know how you feel about the targets, I see you scrubbing your skin to get rid of the stain of them...'

The look in her eyes was if she had actually been slapped. Instantly Clint felt guilty.

Stepping off the motorcycle painfully the black widow turned away, trying to hide that his words hurt more than her physical pain.

'Natasha...'He said softly stepping towards her.

Keeping her back turned, she tried to rein in her emotions.

'I don't understand.' There was such real care in his words. 'You really think I'm that weak?'

She shook her head, grateful that the rain would hide the tears streaming down her cheeks.

'Then what is it? Please...' There was such tenderness it broke her heart.

Facing him suddenly she had no other escape. She raised her voice above the relentless rain. 'It's not you who's weak, it's me... I love you.'

Clint stopped, completely floored by her words. 'What?' His voice was hoarse.

Having gotten the initial statement out, Natasha became bolder. 'I love you.' She stated again. 'You're an idiot, an impulse fool, you're irrational, a show off, a clown and one day you're going to get us both killed. I don't want to and I've tried to pretend otherwise, but I can't help it, I love you... and it's terrible!'

'You're shivering.' The silence had been unbearable. They had both stepped under the shelter as the bombshell of her admission sunk in. Clint could stand it no more. Stepping towards her he extended his arms to wrap her up in them.

'Don't.' She said, shaking her head. Confused Barton stopped where he was.

'You know I feel the same way don't you?' He said.

Natasha nodded miserably.

At a loss, Clint sat on a hay bale. He was relieved when she sat next to him, their arms resting against each other.

'It's not really terrible.' He said as they both stared ahead.

'I've been compromised.'

'Things are no different today than they were last week. It'll be fine.'

'Last week I wouldn't have been jealous.'

Clint suppressed a grin at her involuntary admission and the denial he knew just wasn't true. 'There was no need to be.' He bumped her shoulder. 'She told me what happened without any need for...'

'And you believed her!' Natasha exclaimed automatically.

'Which is why I didn't want to tell you?' He continued as he rolled his eyes.

They lapsed into silence again.

'It could be a positive thing?' He began.

She arched an eyebrow.

'We can take care of ourselves so we'd never have to worry and as for seduction that's really your thing anyway...?'

'But doesn't it drive you crazy?' She asked, turning to face him.

Clint shrugged. 'It's what you do, it gets results... plus I occasionally get to kill one of them... it takes the edge off.'

Natasha couldn't help but smile at the matter of fact way he put it.

'I can handle it.' He added seriously returning her gaze.

She nodded.

'If I am going to have someone watching my back I would rather it was someone who gave a damn.' Clint said before a mischievous glint appeared in his eye. 'Plus think of the fun we could have to liven up really long stake outs.'

Natasha really smiled at that. Leaning forward she pressed her lips against his enjoying their warmth.

'You realise I will probably never say it again?' She said.

Clint shrugged as she leaned in for another kiss. This time she was insistent as she opened her mouth against his, her tongue exploring.

Taking her shoulders in his hands Clint pulled her closer as they blended in to one another.

Suddenly the communication system burst into life.

'Barton!' Coulson snapped in his ear.

Breaking the kiss. Clint wrapped his arms around Natasha and pulled her close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder.

'Coulson. Impeccable timing.' Barton responded. 'What's up?'

'Where are you?' Coulson asked.

'Barn on the road out of the city, why?'

'We've just had a message from someone calling themselves Red pole. Apparently he is going to blow up a random building in the city every hour until to turn yourself over to him.'