So Close (It's Like We're Staring at It)
F: The Avengers / Medium: Movie / Type/Genre: Romance/AU / Pairings/C: Clint/Natasha, Maria Hill / WC: 1,507 / Rating: PG
He first saw her at ten minutes to midnight at the edge of the dance floor. Wearing a flowing blue dress, her red hair in an elegant bun with curly tendrils framing her face, a mask of white and blue lace covering what he was sure was the most beautiful face he'd ever seen (if he ever saw it that was). One thing he was sure of: he'd certainly damn well try. She made her way slowly to the door that led to the balcony, making heads turn all around her. Clint stepped slightly to the left to get a better view, ignoring his dates annoyed exclamation. She paused and turned slightly then, turning that face towards him as a lock of red hair fell over her mask. She pushed the hair back behind her ear, as she made eye contact with Clint. A small smile played on her lips as she turned and continued out the door and out of Clint's sight.
...........
She first saw him five months earlier, at a crowed airport. Wearing a brown leather jacket and blue jeans with what Natasha supposed were cool sunglasses stuffed up in his unruly hair that desperately needed a comb (something it painfully and obviously never received). A black bag hung over his shoulder as he passed Natasha by, never giving his blond check-out clerk so much as a glance. "Enjoy your flight sir." Natasha said smiling as he kept on walking past. He slowed slightly and smiled in her general direction as he kept on walking, never really looking back and never, ever making eye contact.
"Now that's what I call a man." Natasha's fellow worker said, sighing as she watched Clint disappear around the corner. Natasha smiled slightly as she continued her work. That's what she called a target.
.............
The next time he saw her was in the park, a week after New Year’s. Clint never had been a park kind of guy. Too many old people hobbling about on rickety walking sticks that looked older then they did, kids that screamed way louder than what should be humanly possible and women in tight jogging suits that looked far less than practical exercise clothes. But man, was he glad that day. She was sitting on a bench watching a little boy play in the nearby playground. Damn, a kid. Single mom? One could only hope. Clint casually made his way over to the bench, watching the woman as she stared with amusement at the boy as he picked a flower and gave it to a nearby girl, only to get frowned at before she poked her tongue out and stomped away.
"This seat taken?" Clint asked looking down at the woman. She looked up and smiled with the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.
"No help yourself." She answered, moving her bag over slightly to give Clint more room, or to put more distance between them. Clint hoped it was the former.
"I'm Clint."
"Nat." She replied glancing at him and smiling before looking back at the boy.
"He yours?" Clint asked, nodding with his head at the boy who was now playing ball with another boy.
"In a way." She replied. "Which one's yours?
"None." She looked at Clint with suspicious eyes and he could have sworn she moved the bag a little closer. Like he was going to steal a pink handbag. "Just out for a walk." He added quickly, smiling at Nat. She nodded slowly.
"Nice day for one." She finally answered.
"You look very familiar. Have we met?" She looked at him for a while, those beautiful eyes piercing him.
"I guess I just have one of those faces."
"Don't think that's possible." She smiled as she stood up, still looking at him like she could see into his very soul, making him squirm slightly.
"It was nice to meet you, Clint." she said, swinging that ridiculous pink bag over her shoulder. Clint nodded slightly, still looking into her eyes. He really had seen her before.
"Yeah, you too." she smiled one last time then turned and found the boy who was in the middle of a heated ball game, then she was gone.
...........
The next time she saw him was on a security footage video, dressed all in black as he made his way from a podium as a state of panic went on behind him. His face was turned away from the camera almost like he knew it was there. Of course he did. He was Hawkeye. Unfortunately he didn't see the brunette worker nearby. But then that was the plan. Natasha sighed as the image flicked to a full on picture of the infamous Hawk, looking slightly behind him at the chaos that had begun after the brutal shooting of some local leader.
"Doing some research?" Natasha glanced up slightly as Maria came to stand behind her, standing straight and rigid, hands folded behind her back.
"Fury send you?" Natasha asked as she continued studying the pictures before her.
"Maybe." Maria answered, "You need checking on?" Natasha smiled.
"Have I ever?"
"I won't answer that?" Maria answered a smile in her voice. "Why this one? I mean, apart from the obvious reasons."
"I don't know," Natasha replied squinting as the pictures became more and more blurry at the target got further and further away. "He's..."
"He's what?" Maria prompted, "Slightly hot?" Natasha turned to her friend with raised eyebrows.
"You calling someone hot? Why Agent Hill, I never thought I'd see the day." Maria smiled.
"Really? Stick around." Natasha laughed softly as Maria turned and walked away. She turned back to the screen, rubbing the back of her neck, hoping to work the imaginary kinks out with her fingers. Maria's retreating figure in the screen stopped as she turned back slightly, looking at Natasha.
"You know you have to make the call." Natasha stared at the screen with the faraway figure of Clint Barton and the nearer figure of Maria staring back at her.
"I know."
..........
The next time they both saw each other was on a windy roof of a New York skyscraper. Clint knelt down near the edge of the building, his bow and arrow facing the nearby office building where a prominent politician sat at his desk. All his senses were trained on the target, all but one...
"Come out; come out, wherever you are." He called, never taking his eyes off his target, "Now or never, buddy."
"For both of us." Clint swung around, his target forgotten as he faced his shadow. Natasha stood before him, dressed in her blue SHEILD uniform, a small gun pointed at Clint.
"Nat..." He said, slowly standing up and raising his arrow at the redheaded Cinderella before him.
"Hello Clint." He swallowed hard as he stood to his full height, pulling his arrow back as far as it would go. She stared into his eyes, never wavering once. Her gun was steady as it aimed at Clint's heart. How fitting...
"You don't really have a son do you?" She smiled softly.
"Never said I did."
"Now what?" He asked, staring back into her eyes, his own arrow pointed at her heart. Quick, quiet and no mess. If only he could bring himself to let it go.
"You tell me, Hawkeye." He cocked his head slightly to the side as he studied the woman before him. No Cinderella, no mother, no blonde or brunette either.
"Who are you Nat?" She shrugged slightly.
"Whoever I need to be." Clint narrowed his eyes.
"And who are you now?" If he didn't know better, he'd swear her gun shook slightly...just slightly.
"The good guy. Who are you, Clint?"
"Not the good guy, apparently."
"You could be." She replied softly, her voice just above a whisper and just below a shout as she took a baby step towards him.
"What?" He repeated smiling slowly, "And what fun would that be?" She smiled as she took another step towards him, her gun still level with his heart.
"It could be."
"Really, Nat?" Clint asked, "Is that the best you can do? You'd better just kill me now and get it over with." Natasha stopped approaching Clint, her gun shaking fully now in her tiny little hands. She smiled again and slowly lowered her gun.
"Not this time, Hawkeye." She replied, smiling at him. Clint narrowed his eyes.
"What are you doing?" He asked, stretching the bow back further, pulling it to its limits and beyond, "I'll kill you."
"Maybe," She said shrugging, "But I had a call to make, and I made it. Just a different one." Clint lowered his bow slightly, never taking his eyes off hers.
"Come with me, Hawk," She said, "We'd make one heck of a team."
"What, you and me?"
"And Budapest." she replied smiling fully, all appearances of shaking and fear long gone.
"Budapest," he repeated, lowering his bow further, "What's there?"
"Nothing yet." Clint smiled and lowered his bow and arrow fully.
"Yet."
He first saw her at ten minutes to midnight at the edge of the dance floor. Wearing a flowing blue dress, her red hair in an elegant bun with curly tendrils framing her face, a mask of white and blue lace covering what he was sure was the most beautiful face he'd ever seen (if he ever saw it that was). One thing he was sure of: he'd certainly damn well try. She made her way slowly to the door that led to the balcony, making heads turn all around her. Clint stepped slightly to the left to get a better view, ignoring his dates annoyed exclamation. She paused and turned slightly then, turning that face towards him as a lock of red hair fell over her mask. She pushed the hair back behind her ear, as she made eye contact with Clint. A small smile played on her lips as she turned and continued out the door and out of Clint's sight.
...........
She first saw him five months earlier, at a crowed airport. Wearing a brown leather jacket and blue jeans with what Natasha supposed were cool sunglasses stuffed up in his unruly hair that desperately needed a comb (something it painfully and obviously never received). A black bag hung over his shoulder as he passed Natasha by, never giving his blond check-out clerk so much as a glance. "Enjoy your flight sir." Natasha said smiling as he kept on walking past. He slowed slightly and smiled in her general direction as he kept on walking, never really looking back and never, ever making eye contact.
"Now that's what I call a man." Natasha's fellow worker said, sighing as she watched Clint disappear around the corner. Natasha smiled slightly as she continued her work. That's what she called a target.
.............
The next time he saw her was in the park, a week after New Year’s. Clint never had been a park kind of guy. Too many old people hobbling about on rickety walking sticks that looked older then they did, kids that screamed way louder than what should be humanly possible and women in tight jogging suits that looked far less than practical exercise clothes. But man, was he glad that day. She was sitting on a bench watching a little boy play in the nearby playground. Damn, a kid. Single mom? One could only hope. Clint casually made his way over to the bench, watching the woman as she stared with amusement at the boy as he picked a flower and gave it to a nearby girl, only to get frowned at before she poked her tongue out and stomped away.
"This seat taken?" Clint asked looking down at the woman. She looked up and smiled with the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.
"No help yourself." She answered, moving her bag over slightly to give Clint more room, or to put more distance between them. Clint hoped it was the former.
"I'm Clint."
"Nat." She replied glancing at him and smiling before looking back at the boy.
"He yours?" Clint asked, nodding with his head at the boy who was now playing ball with another boy.
"In a way." She replied. "Which one's yours?
"None." She looked at Clint with suspicious eyes and he could have sworn she moved the bag a little closer. Like he was going to steal a pink handbag. "Just out for a walk." He added quickly, smiling at Nat. She nodded slowly.
"Nice day for one." She finally answered.
"You look very familiar. Have we met?" She looked at him for a while, those beautiful eyes piercing him.
"I guess I just have one of those faces."
"Don't think that's possible." She smiled as she stood up, still looking at him like she could see into his very soul, making him squirm slightly.
"It was nice to meet you, Clint." she said, swinging that ridiculous pink bag over her shoulder. Clint nodded slightly, still looking into her eyes. He really had seen her before.
"Yeah, you too." she smiled one last time then turned and found the boy who was in the middle of a heated ball game, then she was gone.
...........
The next time she saw him was on a security footage video, dressed all in black as he made his way from a podium as a state of panic went on behind him. His face was turned away from the camera almost like he knew it was there. Of course he did. He was Hawkeye. Unfortunately he didn't see the brunette worker nearby. But then that was the plan. Natasha sighed as the image flicked to a full on picture of the infamous Hawk, looking slightly behind him at the chaos that had begun after the brutal shooting of some local leader.
"Doing some research?" Natasha glanced up slightly as Maria came to stand behind her, standing straight and rigid, hands folded behind her back.
"Fury send you?" Natasha asked as she continued studying the pictures before her.
"Maybe." Maria answered, "You need checking on?" Natasha smiled.
"Have I ever?"
"I won't answer that?" Maria answered a smile in her voice. "Why this one? I mean, apart from the obvious reasons."
"I don't know," Natasha replied squinting as the pictures became more and more blurry at the target got further and further away. "He's..."
"He's what?" Maria prompted, "Slightly hot?" Natasha turned to her friend with raised eyebrows.
"You calling someone hot? Why Agent Hill, I never thought I'd see the day." Maria smiled.
"Really? Stick around." Natasha laughed softly as Maria turned and walked away. She turned back to the screen, rubbing the back of her neck, hoping to work the imaginary kinks out with her fingers. Maria's retreating figure in the screen stopped as she turned back slightly, looking at Natasha.
"You know you have to make the call." Natasha stared at the screen with the faraway figure of Clint Barton and the nearer figure of Maria staring back at her.
"I know."
..........
The next time they both saw each other was on a windy roof of a New York skyscraper. Clint knelt down near the edge of the building, his bow and arrow facing the nearby office building where a prominent politician sat at his desk. All his senses were trained on the target, all but one...
"Come out; come out, wherever you are." He called, never taking his eyes off his target, "Now or never, buddy."
"For both of us." Clint swung around, his target forgotten as he faced his shadow. Natasha stood before him, dressed in her blue SHEILD uniform, a small gun pointed at Clint.
"Nat..." He said, slowly standing up and raising his arrow at the redheaded Cinderella before him.
"Hello Clint." He swallowed hard as he stood to his full height, pulling his arrow back as far as it would go. She stared into his eyes, never wavering once. Her gun was steady as it aimed at Clint's heart. How fitting...
"You don't really have a son do you?" She smiled softly.
"Never said I did."
"Now what?" He asked, staring back into her eyes, his own arrow pointed at her heart. Quick, quiet and no mess. If only he could bring himself to let it go.
"You tell me, Hawkeye." He cocked his head slightly to the side as he studied the woman before him. No Cinderella, no mother, no blonde or brunette either.
"Who are you Nat?" She shrugged slightly.
"Whoever I need to be." Clint narrowed his eyes.
"And who are you now?" If he didn't know better, he'd swear her gun shook slightly...just slightly.
"The good guy. Who are you, Clint?"
"Not the good guy, apparently."
"You could be." She replied softly, her voice just above a whisper and just below a shout as she took a baby step towards him.
"What?" He repeated smiling slowly, "And what fun would that be?" She smiled as she took another step towards him, her gun still level with his heart.
"It could be."
"Really, Nat?" Clint asked, "Is that the best you can do? You'd better just kill me now and get it over with." Natasha stopped approaching Clint, her gun shaking fully now in her tiny little hands. She smiled again and slowly lowered her gun.
"Not this time, Hawkeye." She replied, smiling at him. Clint narrowed his eyes.
"What are you doing?" He asked, stretching the bow back further, pulling it to its limits and beyond, "I'll kill you."
"Maybe," She said shrugging, "But I had a call to make, and I made it. Just a different one." Clint lowered his bow slightly, never taking his eyes off hers.
"Come with me, Hawk," She said, "We'd make one heck of a team."
"What, you and me?"
"And Budapest." she replied smiling fully, all appearances of shaking and fear long gone.
"Budapest," he repeated, lowering his bow further, "What's there?"
"Nothing yet." Clint smiled and lowered his bow and arrow fully.
"Yet."