Chapter Text
The sun was blazing overhead as they jumped down to the shore from the sea plane. The dock was in desperate need of repair, there were a few fallen trees and the shoreline was littered with garbage washed up from the ocean, but the house was intact.
“How do you find these places Nat? This is a steal for $500k” Clint said, once again amazed at what Natasha was able to pull together. She blew her cover and within 2 days already had two new safehouses in new covers, with deals in the works for another three. She had just told Congress to go fuck themselves and was well underway with rebuilding herself.
“I have my ways. You know this.” Natasha liked leaving Clint guessing when she could. He understood her better than anyone else, so she had to keep him on his toes every now and then.
“Ya, ya, ya. Nat and her many secrets. You’re gonna need an eye patch if you keep this up.”
“You know, I have zero idea why Laura kicked you out. Again” Natasha said wryly.
“Now, when you say it like that, I might get my feelings hurt.” Clint returning her smirk.
“So, what did she say exactly?" Natasha said with a laugh as she pushed open the front door with her hip.
“And I’m quoting here,” Clint said as he followed Natasha into the home. " Clint, you’re stifling us with your freaking reno projects all over the place. Put your projects away and go take Nat somewhere for a week or I swear I will cut your finger off.” Clint and Natasha paused, standing in the entry way the large living room had excellent sightlines; with an upgrade in glass, this would be a good spot.
“So... she’s at the angry stage of pregnancy again?” Natasha looked around the house, which was in surprisingly good shape; the thick concrete walls held up well, the furniture was covered in thick drop clothes for protection. A couple of solid days to clear things out and then they could start wiring.
“Ya. Looks like. She wants me away, I’m away. She wanted Coop and Lil to stay.” Clint said, clapping his hands together, looking forward to the hardwork ahead of them. He was going stir-crazy at the house and no matter what he did, Laura was annoyed with him. The same thing happened when she was pregnant with Coop and Lila. Both times, Natasha traded Clint for time on the farm with Laura, in exchange for her SHIELD missions. Laura was always grateful, but Hill was usually annoyed.
“Kitchen first, then bathroom, then living room.” Natasha said as Clint nodded in agreement.
“You’re not the boss of me” he said as he shoved her out of the way on his way to the kitchen.
>>
“This is a solid place Nat. Pipes are good, no leaks somehow, decent tree cover” Clint said as they sat outside, by the fire. The stars were beautiful, their dinner was hot, and the vodka was cold.
“And this place literally fell out of the pages of an 80s sitcom. An air popcorn maker...the microwave has a dial Nat! A dial! And the pinball machines? Don’t get me started on the toys Nat. You could probably get a good chunk of change for all that.”
“Coop can have a real Transformer, Lila can have the Cabbage Patch and baby girl Barton can have a Cabbage Patch Baby” Natasha said with a smile.
“Forget them, I’m getting a Transformer and Laura’s getting a Cabbage Patch. Neither of us had one growing up.” Clint leaned back, resting himself on his elbows.
“So, Tony still trying to figure us out?”
“Ya, Shellhead, Bruce, Steve all of them. Thor is really cool though.”
“Still calling you Lady Natasha?” Clint asked with a laugh. Thor was a good guy, who quickly settled into the role of “loveable goofball” with Natasha.
“On occasion” Natasha said smiling. She had an affinity for Thor fairly early on; he was like a big loveable Saint Bernard, with really great alcohol.
“Still slipping you some of that Asgardian mead?”
“Also, on occasion.” Natasha said as she drank the rest of her vodka. It was a good day with Clint.
“When are we coming out to the team Nat?” Clint was tired of the assumptions about him and Natasha with the Avengers. They had decided early on to let them think whatever they wanted; most assumed they were together. It was an easy assumption to make. Natasha was his best friend, they had gone through hell together, and always came out the other side. She fought to free him from Loki’s spell, and in the aftermath of the Battle of New York, they were inseparable; Clint didn’t trust himself and Natasha stayed close to help calm his nerves. She held his hand for a solid day because he was worried he’d slip away under Loki’s control.
“Pretty sure that saying doesn’t mean what you think it means.”
“Come on, you know what I mean.”
“I do, it's safer for you Clint. Easier for me” Natasha replied. It was always easier to let people make their assumptions about her and Clint. They played that angle at SHEILD, and it was even more fun at the Tower. When he was in town, they always remained physically close and had a shared floor. It was an easy ruse to sell to the others, they had been partners for a decade.
“Nat, I appreciate it. I’m not saying tell them about the farm. Just that we aren’t in a relationship.”
“Why are you pushing this, Clint? I’m happy to let them think whatever they want.”
“Because Nat... you don’t need me as your fake love interest to distract them. Nothing wrong with them knowing your single...and maybe available”.
Natasha looked at Clint. He was digging.
“Available huh? Last time you knew I had a lover, I recall you being rather pissy” Natasha said with a raised eyebrow, sipping her vodka.
“Well Murdock was a tool Nat. You used each other; I get it. But also, what do you mean 'that I knew about’ who didn’t I know about?” Clint asked, curious at the breadcrumb Natasha left for him to follow.
“Matt and I have an understanding. Especially now since I’m more public. Matty is a good guy, Clint. We had our time, we're in a good space.” Matt Murdock had come through for her with the SHIELD leak, he was already fielding a lot of bullshit on her behalf before she went to Congress, and it tripled after.
“And the others were just to scratch an itch, a woman gets lonely every few years Clinton” Natasha said, locking eyes with Clint who looked nauseous at the thought of Natasha hooking up with anyone.
“Well, he wasn’t good enough for you.” Clint shrugged. It was simple as that for him, when it came to Natasha and Matt Murdock.
“In your eyes, is anyone?”
“I’ve got a few candidates”.
“Do I want to know?” Natasha rolled her eyes.
“You know them already.”
“Clint...”
“Well, if you and your new partner didn’t click before, your joint fugitive status must have cemented something”.
“Clint, Steve and I aren’t like that.”
“But you could be?”
“Clint.”
“Fine. But he makes you smile Nat. You gotta hold onto that.”
Clint made her smile, Laura, Coop, Lila and Baby Girl Barton, even though not here yet, made her smile. She wouldn’t let them go for anything.
Steve made her more than smile. He made he want to be better. Made her feel things she didn’t think she could. If it wasn’t for her training, she wouldn’t be able to playthings as casually with him as she did. Natasha wasn't ready for Steve to know, she wasn't sure if she would ever be ready.
Falling into the flirty friend zone with Steve was easy, he was clueless in this era and needed someone to show him how to adapt. Her transition from the Red Room to SHIELD was different from his transition from the 1940’s to present day, but the concept was the same. She would do whatever she could to help him find his footing; the same way Clint had been there for her.
“I have all I need with you, Laura, Coop, Lila and soon to be Baby Girl Barton.”
“Well, you deserve it all Nat. Whatever you want, you deserve it, kid”. Clint looped his arm around her shoulder, hoping that one of these days Natasha would start to believe it. If he told her enough, it might just stick.
>>
“I kissed Steve” Natasha said casually, riffling through the contents of the cupboard.
“Hey, an ice cream maker. You should keep that if it works. And when did you kiss him?”
“Why would I need that?”
“To make ice cream, is the obvious answer...there’s nothing for miles around. This way you just need ice, milk or cream and a few hours, then boom. Homemade ice cream.” Clint plugged in the machine and turned it on, the motor whirring to life. Clint smiled triumphantly and put it in the “keep” pile. “Back to you, playing swap the spit with Captain America.”
“When we were on the run, we had to go to the mall to checkout the contents on Fury’s data drive. Tactical decision, we were going down the escalator when Rumlow was coming up.”
“Tactical decision? That’s what you’re going with?”
“It was a tactical decision.” Natasha replied, dumping the contents of the kitchen drawers.
“Public displays of affection make people nervous?” Clint said laughing, knowing that line well. He remembered the first time he and Natasha had to kiss on an op; they planned it early on and made a point of eating the smelliest food they could find. It was both gross and hilarious at the same time, and it worked.
“They do, we didn’t get made in the mall.”
“But you did make out in the mall.”
“You’re an ass.”
>>
“Is he a good kisser? Think he’s kissed anyone since the 40s?” They were sorting through the game room, something that would likely remain intact for the foreseeable future.
“He was uncomfortable. And probably.”
“He was uncomfortable, so he’s not a good kisser? Nat, its ok to be attracted to him”.
“Never said that at all, I took him by surprise. Also, I know that, Clint. Its just not something I’m willing to pursue. This Avenging stuff...other then the press and total lack of anonymity, is alright. Don’t want to risk it for a fling.”
“I see your point, you have a pretty killer apartment now in Midtown, rent free. Who says it has to be a fling?”
“We have that apartment. It's pretty cushy. I don’t do long term Clint. You know this.”
“Cushy? Like Steve’s lips?”
“You’re an idiot.”