Disclaimer: Do not own Marvel or The 100

Warnings for mentions of pedophilia, rape, injury, trauma.

I need you safe

"Dammit, Natasha, I need you safe!" Clarke snapped, a pained look crossing her face, at the level of her sharp voice.

Natasha Romanoff looked up from where she was sitting, watching her romantic partner soulmate, Clarke Griffin. She sighed, shaking her head, putting her dark brown glass bottle of beer onto the table. "I know you're upset." She began to reason.

Clarke Griffin, a godlike being, Wanheda, the Commander of Death-so called by all of the tribes, because of what she had done to the people of the Mountain-the Mountain Men, rejected by the people of Clarke's adoptive father, Jake Griffin, the champion of the Azgeda-the Ice Nation and the torturer and killer of all rapists, all pedophiles and all abusers, including the torturer and killer of many prey, and torturer and murderer of the infamous pedophile and rapist who had been a guard on the Ark, by the name of Bellamy Blake, hissed, "Upset doesn't even come close to describing how I feel, Nat."

Natasha looked at Clarke, her face unreadable and her green eyes calm, but focused.

"You're angry," She established, "Fine. But we had a job to do. You know that."

"Yeah," Clarke growled, "And this job ended with you getting your arm cut!"

Natasha restrained a second sigh.

Her arm had been cut, alright. But not badly, though she imagined if she said that, it would just infuriate the younger woman in front of her more.

During a run in Wisconsin, where a bunch of Ark people were planning to bomb a tribe, basically terrorists, the Avengers had gone in and had dispatched the would-be mass murderers.

They had stopped the attempted bombers, but Stark's suit had been heavily damaged by several bombs, Sam had been grazed several times while flying overhead, Steve had been shot in the arm and Natasha had been hit in left leg with a thrown knife.

Granted, the knife had landed right at the edge of the meat of her left calf, so, not much damage, but it was enough to infuriate Natasha's lover.

Clarke then said something that startled Natasha.

"I know I should have been there," Clarke said, shaking her head, "I think…I think I'm angriest at myself."

At Natasha's surprised expression, Clarke grumbled, elaborating, "I know that I keep insisting on not joining you guys on the ground, but…," She then looked at Natasha with visage of fear that broke Natasha's heart, "I can't lose you, Nat."

Natasha lifted herself up off the chair she was sitting in and with some strain, as her leg had only recently begun to heal, and the leg bandaged up heavily, she moved towards Clarke with strength and more effect than any human being without the super soldier serum would have been able to move with a knife wound in one of their legs, and came over to Clarke, softly taking the younger woman into her arms.

Natasha pressed her forehead against Clarke's, green eyes staring into Clarke's sky-blue ones.

"You are not going to lose me, moya lyubov',"Natasha promised, "I'm not going to leave you, and I can take care of myself."

Clarke nodded against the redhead, wincing. "I know, I know." She said quietly, "It's just, I get so fucking worried."

That wasn't the word that Clarke meant, and Natasha knew it.

Clarke hadn't been worried. She had been scared.

Scared for Natasha.

"I'm sorry," Clarke said at last, "I'm being unreasonable."

Natasha smiled.

"You're not," She admitted, "I know that you're afraid," She felt Clarke tense up at her lover telling her that she knew of the blonde's fear, "But you won't lose me. Not as long as I can help it."

Clarke whimpered and Natasha's smile turned sad. She wished she could promise that she would always stay by Clarke's side-and she would as long as she could, she had no intention of dying. But she wouldn't give Clarke a false promise and say she would never leave her. Because things happened. And Clarke was almost unkillable and Natasha, while filled with the super soldier serum, like her sister, Yelena and her mama, Melina, and the other Avenger, Steve Rogers-Captain America, she was still very much human. And as this knife wound had proven to both Natasha and to Clarke? Natasha wasn't unkillable.

Natasha knew that there was a chance that she could be killed in a fight. It was unlikely, but there was always a chance.

And Natasha, regardless of having the super soldier serum in her veins, was one of the more vulnerable of the Avengers.

"I swear I'll stay by your side," Natasha whispered, "As long as I can. I will do everything, everything to stay by your side."

Clarke nodded and her eyes closed in pain and Natasha could tell that the younger woman heard more in that statement than she wanted to.

What Natasha hadn't said, but what Clarke heard nonetheless was, "I'll stay by your side as long as I can, unless I'm killed."

Unyielding devotion to her lover or not, the super soldier serum in her blood or not, Natasha was still human and still mortal.

And both women knew it.

"I love you." Clarke whispered, voice anguished.

Natasha cooed gently into Clarke's left ear, pain gripping her heart as she held Clarke closer somehow, "I love you too, Clarke. I always will."

Clarke wrapped her arms, which had been stiffly at Clarke's sides till now, around Natasha's middle as she hugged Natasha back hard.

Clarke whispered to Natasha, "Can I sleep in your room tonight?"

Clarke felt Natasha smile slightly. "Of course, malen'kiy," Natasha assured her young lover.

Clarke added quickly, "No sex, though. I don't want you to strain your injury."

She heard Natasha snort. "Alright," The redhead submitted, "If you insist. No sex. You can just lie next to me, make sure I'm safe."

Even with the amusement in Natasha's voice, it truly meant a lot that Clarke always watched her, wanting to make sure Natasha was safe.

Clarke had stopped trying to hide that she always watched Natasha, always wanted to make sure that the redhead was protected.

Clarke had gotten into the habit, since being brought to SHIELD, of always keeping her eyes on Natasha, when she thought Natasha didn't know, always trying to keep the Black Widow in her line of sight.

Always trying to protect Natasha.

Natasha always knew. And it pleased her to no end.

Clarke and Natasha laid down next to each other on the bed. Natasha kicked off her shoes and Clarke did the same.

They laid down next to each other, Natasha laying down in such a way that her injury wouldn't be aggravated as the two of them faced each other.

Clarke stared at Natasha's eyes, softening as she looked into the older woman's intense green eyes, "I'm sorry I get so worked up." She said.

Natasha nodded, smiling. "It's alright, milaya devushka," She said, "You've done nothing wrong. You're just being protective. I understand."

Clarke smiled sadly. "I love you," she said, "I love you so much, Nat."

Natasha's smile widened, her heart warming up at the words-not that it had needed much more warming up anyway.

"I love you too, malen'kiy," Natasha answered, "I appreciate you looking out for me. I do. Now, we should just get some rest."

Clarke nodded into the mattress and quieted, though she never stopped looking at Natasha protectively.

And Natasha smiled, watching her Clarke watch her.

(My love,) Natasha thought to herself, (I'm so glad that you're protective of me like this. But you know, this protection doesn't go only one way. But…I suppose we'll talk about that later, another day.)

Yes, Natasha was protective of Clarke too. But she knew that that wasn't the subject that Clarke was going to talk about right now. She knew Clarke wouldn't hear of it at the moment. And that was fine.

Natasha was patient. She could wait till Clarke was ready to talk about it.