#clint barton; widowxredacted

[izzysarchivedblogs]

unprompted asks <3 -> accepting // late night, or does three am start counting as morning, the biggest debate of the century. when ms super spy extraordinaire @widowxredacted texts your neighborly insomniac at three am, you know he would bark if she asked him to -> ✉ [ The Other Man I Love ( CLINT BARTON ) / sent, 3:03am ] -> Hey you're not busy are you

✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> dog cop reruns is very important business ✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> we gotta find out who killed polly puppit! ✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> what are you up to at the witching hour ✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> is this a grab your bow, grab a body bag, grab a first aid kit, grab lube, or something else entirely text?

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Although the ultimate goal had been to make Natasha smile, annoying her still served as a distraction at least so that the pain and stress wasn’t so prevalent on her mind.  Clint hoped so, anyway.  His feet bounced quietly against the floor as he stayed sat in the chair and waited for her to be done getting dressed.  Although it wasn’t obvious just by looking at him, the archer was continuing to walk through a plan within his own mind.  There were some that were under the impression that he was unintelligent, but that was far from the truth.  Rarely a moment passed that his mind wasn’t racing about something.

That was why when Natasha inquired about their next move after the rescue mission, he already had an answer to offer her.  He stood up with a small groan, his back still to the redhead.

“Thought we’d take a trip down memory lane,” he suggested, his tone lightly teasing.  “About…16 hours from here.  I’m sure you remember our first date.”  The terms that he chose were purposeful, but also without baggage.  He wasn’t sure what to label the relationship that he shared with Natasha Romanoff…but on some level, he’d always felt like they were kindred spirits.

She practically SNATCHED the shirt from Clint before moving to shrug the gown off and get the clothes on that he had brought. She had worn worse…But she knew what this was. There was NO‌ WAY that this was the only thing he could get his hands on…This was him MESSING‌ with her.

Glancing up when she heard him mention the jacket, she was actually HOPEFUL for something decent. Once again disappointed, she practically glared daggers back at her best friend, before once again SNATCHING‌ the jacket out of his hands.

While she got dressed, her mind was quickly formulating what was likely going to be a COMPLICATED‌ rescue. ( it felt weird saying that about SHIELD, she thought she was done with all this ) If she knew anything about SHIELD, which she liked to think she did…She knew they weren’t giving him anything close to a comfortable stay.

“With any luck he hasn’t lashed out with any of the tests.”‌‌ She wanted to hope for some sort of status update aside from he’d been GIVEN to the Science Division, but something told her Clint WASN’T privy to that information. “Once we get him out, we need to find the closest of our safe houses SHIELD‌ doesn’t have on record?”

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The second the Winter Soldier stepped out of the car, there were about a dozen guns trained on him.  The former HYDRA assassin had put his hands in the air even before the order had been given, making it clear that there was going to be no resistance to his arrest.  The archer could give credit where it was due there, at least, especially as four agents moved forward and two of them kept their guns trained on James while the other two kicked behind his knees and got him to the ground.  There wasn’t even a sound from him when his knees hit the concrete and he was pushed further down and cuffed.  His head lifted just slightly and piercing blue eyes looked to Natasha as she was lifted carefully out of the back seat.  His gaze was broken when he was physically pulled away and loaded into a separate vehicle entirely.

With the Winter Soldier in custody, Clint had moved to help the two SHIELD medics that had come to transfer Nat into the helicopter.  Once she was secured and all of the passengers were ready, the pilot took off and headed for the nearest specialized medical facility at their access.

As soon as she was stable enough to be placed in a room, Clint was there at her bedside and unwilling to leave.  Even when he’d been called in for a debrief, he had told Fury that he was going to need to come to him on this one.  It was a gutsy move with the director of SHIELD, but he tended to take more chances when it came to Natasha’s wellbeing and wants.

She had wanted the Winter Soldier to be given a chance…so when Fury did arrive at the hospital a few hours later, that was exactly what Clint worked on.  Much like he had with Natasha, he had tried to start by framing James as a valuable asset above all else, but his boss wasn’t buying it this time around.  It was…somewhat understandable.  He didn’t give up though.  The compromise that they had reached wasn’t perfect, but it was better than nothing.  He could only hope that Nat saw it the same way.

It had been almost three days before Natasha woke up.  Clint had slept about two hours total in that time, and he was pretty sure they had all been microsleeps.  The scruff that he was sporting were an obvious sign that he hadn’t hardly moved from that spot next to his partner.

He gathered up his strength enough to sit up a bit straighter, scooting his chair another couple inches closer to her bed and moving to place his hand gently over hers.  A small smirk tugged at his lips.

“Yeah, ya took a small coma,” he retorted, “I’d appreciate it if ya didn’t scare th’ shit outta me like that again.”  There was no real malice in his voice, only genuine care and concern.  At her next inquiry, he took a deep breath and gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he sighed.

“He’s uh…” his free hand ran through his hair, a bit of a nervous habit, “he’s at a nearby laboratory facility…”  He didn’t seem proud of having to tell her that, but he was ready to explain further.  “The only way I could convince Fury not t’ throw him in th’ Raft was by agreeing to release him t’ SHIELD’s science division.  They’re gonna run some tests…see what all is goin’ on with him.”  He knew she wouldn’t be thrilled with the idea of the guy being an object of scientific study, but there hadn’t been another option.

She kept thinking about the task at hand. The 𝙼𝙸𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙾𝙽 was complete. Now she had a 𝑵𝑬𝑾 one though. She needed to make sure she stayed awake long enough so that she could ensure 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂' safety, at least long enough for her to recover, and get the right people on her side. If she deserved a second chance...so did he.

𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙰𝚂𝙷𝙰 could sense the tension of the car between the two, and if she were in 𝑨𝑵𝒀 𝑩𝑬𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑬, she would have probably made some quip about it, and she probably 𝑾𝑶𝑼𝑳𝑫 when she was out of the woods properly. Instead she kept her attention on James. The easiest given he was sitting 𝑵𝑬𝑿𝑻 to her.

"Only if that means you're gonna start ruining it with me." She countered to him, forcing one of her signature 𝑺𝑴𝑰𝑹𝑲𝑺 to her lips before she winced with the bump of the road. She knew they were close, and she knew that just as fast as 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙾𝙽 got to them, he's make it even 𝑸𝑼𝑰𝑪𝑲𝑬𝑹 in getting them back once he had found her in the state she was in.

Sure enough, when they got there, and saw what state one of their 𝙰𝙶𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚂 was coming back in, 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚆𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝙾𝙻𝙳𝙸𝙴𝚁 was taken under arrest with no questions asked. Not that 𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙰𝚂𝙷𝙰 was in much state to be answering any, having spent the remaining amount of energy she had trying to stay 𝑨𝑾𝑨𝑲𝑬 long enough to get her to the medical help she was with now. They were up in the air in moments, 𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙰𝚂𝙷𝙰 not quite realizing where she had been put, and where 𝑯𝑬 had been put.

When she finally 𝑫𝑰𝑫 come to...She couldn't be sure how many 𝙳𝙰𝚈𝚂 she had been out, but when she turned her head to the right, and saw a dozing 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙾𝙽, she scoffed and sat up. "Did I set the new record for longest amount of time I've been out?" She grumbled, wincing as she sat up and looked at him. "Is he? Is he okay?"

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🏹🎯ᗢ𓅃⁀➷𓅃ᗢ🎯🏹 Clint pointed in the direction to their left with his middle and ring fingers. He squinted his eyes as he did then in a very solid, yet quiet, tone that was very different from his mumbling.

“There, about three or four yards out. By those trees. Something or someone seems to be hiding out there and they appear to be following us. I could be wrong though.” Clint rubbed his shoulders for warmth and shivered a bit. Damn. Natasha was right it was cold out. Clint looked past Natasha at the direction they were heading and nodded.

“Yeah. You’re right. Probably best if we keep moving forward and make to the rendezvous point.” Clint smiled and using his bow made the gesture to say ‘You first or go ahead’.

@the-innumerable-heroes asked: "i'm gonna ignore that oh yeah i'ma ignore that definitely a whole lot of nothing"

There were times when one could easily ignore whatever it was Clint was mumbling about. By now they had worked together long enough that she expected it most times. Then there were times like this. Times like this when that was the LAST thing you wanted to hear coming out of your partners mouth.

Stopping in the snowy pass they were walking up, she closed her eyes for a second, pleading for it to not be anything bad before slowly turning to look at Barton. “Sure sounds like something.”‌ She stated before facing him. “Come on. It’s cold and we’re almost there. What are you even looking at?”

[izzysarchivedblogs]

✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> i would have come for drinks ✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> who were you meeting or would they kill me if they knew ✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> tell me anyways ✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> im getting up im getting up ✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> havent punched one of fisk guys in like two weeks ✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> getting withdrawal from not be able to punch jaba the hutt goonieiots ✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> you owe me if they bleed on me or stab me ✉ [ Best Work Wife (Nat) ] -> pancakes and a spa day?

✉ [ The Other Man I Love ( CLINT BARTON ) ] -> Ummm...all but the lube. ✉ [ The Other Man I Love ( CLINT BARTON ) ] -> Remember when I said I was going out for drinks tonight? ✉ [ The Other Man I Love ( CLINT BARTON ) ] -> Well...I DID go for drinks. ✉ [ The Other Man I Love ( CLINT BARTON ) ] -> Might've found a knife wound too in a barfight. ✉ [ The Other Man I Love ( CLINT BARTON ) ] -> MIGHT have been Fisk's guys.

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It took all of the willpower that Clint had to stop himself from laughing when Natasha studied the shirt before turning her gaze on him.  He surrendered the article of clothing to her and rolled his lips before they tugged into a smirk.  The archer definitely got away with more than just about anyone else could have.  He appreciated his privilege, though.

“From what I could tell, th’ kids wear that kinda thing ironically around here.  Can’t say I’m shocked that th’ culture of th’ country has a dark sense of humor.”  He sat up a bit straighter before picking up the arms of the chair that he was sitting in slightly so that he could turn his seat away somewhat.  He’d seen her in less clothing, though it was usually when he was dressing her wounds, but he still respected her privacy when she needed to change.

“Don’t worry, I brought you a jacket, too,” he droned, though his tone was still light.  He reached back without looking and from the back of his chair picked up a black zip-up jacket that matched the track pants.  “Besides, from what I know about th’ kind ‘a place they sent your boy-toy to, I’m gonna be servin’ as a distraction while you get in anyway.  I jus’ won’t let you draw the attention away from me, ya know how good I am at gettin’ attention.”

Aside from James, the only one who could really sway her from something she had decided on...It was Clint. It took time...but he had a LEG UP being the one who got her the second chance she needed, and got her the out that she DESPERATELY needed. He'd been the one to convince her that defecting had been the best thing she could have done...Despite the people she left behind to do that.

Thankfully, he had come through for her in the realm of clothes. Even if they weren't busting her out of there to go get James, wherever it was that they were keeping him, she was grateful to have someone like him. Natasha LACKED a large network of people she considered friends, and really only had HIM.

And then...Just as soon as she was thinking she had the greatest man in the world at her side, he pulled out the black tracksuit pants, her brow furrowed, but the shirt turned her gaze a little more NARROW, before her eyes shifted to Clint, shaking her head in slight disbelief. ( not really though...this was right on brand for barton )

"You have got to be joking." Her tone laced with annoyance as she reached for the brightly colored garment. "How the hell am I supposed to not draw attention in this?"

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Clint’s very unique combination of stubborn and reckless was something that rarely worked out in his favor, but when it came to working with Natasha, it was what gave him the gall to challenge her when he felt the need to.  What saved him most of the time was the well-known fact that he respected his partner, as well as most of her ideas.  He never argued just to argue, he did have a basic survival instinct.

The times that Natasha agreed with him, he got to feel a little spark of pride from convincing her.  He knew better than most how difficult that could be.  A smile touched his lips and he nodded in assurance at Nat’s plea for something to wear that wasn’t a gown or a bloody mess.  There was just a tint of mischief in his eyes though, and he hoped that Nat was in the mood for a joke.  He’d been hoping to make her feel better, but Clint had a deficit in tact at times, so this gift was going to be a toss-up.

“Course I did,” he reached down to a bag at his feet that contained two articles of clothing; black track pants and a red t-shirt that read ‘Odessa CCCP’ with the old hammer and sickle right in the middle.  He handed her the pants first, then fished the shirt out and held it out in front of him with a hopeful expression on his face.

“Ya like it?  Took me a while t’ find your size.”

Being wheeled out  of here in a wheelchair was about the most that she could really ask for. She could fight Barton on it as much as she wanted, but while she could be stubborn, he could be just as STUBBORN. While she was more than certain that she could walk out of here…She was willing to compromise.

Had it been anyone else though and they would have been out of luck.

“Fine.”‌ She agreed, slowly moving to sit up. “But only to the car.” First things first, she needed to get out of this hospital gown, and into some NORMAL‌ clothes.

Looking around the recovery room, she saw the clothes she had been wearing when the car was hit, but the shirt at least was DONE‌‌ FOR. The red head rolled her lips, a pondering look before she looked back at Clint. “Please tell me you left my side long enough to get me some REAL‌ CLOTHES.”

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As soon as Natasha attempted to move, he was reaching out his free hand to place on her shoulder in order to discourage her from doing so.  The gesture wasn’t forceful, but it was insistent.  While he didn’t want her potentially aggravating her injuries, he was willing to listen to the verbal protests that she had on the placement of the Winter Soldier.  She seemed to know him pretty well…and even though he wasn’t sure how he felt about that, he was sure on how he felt about Natasha.  He had felt more loyalty for her than anyone he’d ever worked for.  Including and especially SHIELD.

While he was skilled at his job, Clint had no illusions about the sort of organization that SHIELD was.  He had joined in hopes of using his talents for something more helpful and meaningful than circus performing and crime, and for a while he had felt like he might actually be making a positive difference in the world, but he’d still had his rose-colored glasses ripped off fairly quickly.  When he had been sent to kill Natasha, it wasn’t for some noble mission.  SHIELD had been out for revenge for all of the agents that they had lost to the Red Room over the years, even if it all couldn’t possibly fall on Natasha Romanoff.  They’d gotten a lead on a defected Black Widow, and if she was defected, she wasn’t protected.

When he’d been briefed on her, they had spent the better part of over an hour telling him just how deadly and ruthless she was, really hyping up that Black Widow name.  When he’d gone to carry out the mission though, he’d actually been able to look her in the eye.  He could see someone that was just searching for a place to belong.  He didn’t want to kill her, and he didn’t need to.  So he didn’t.  He’d returned to SHIELD with Natasha Romanoff at his side rather than in custody and he’d been ready to accept any disciplinary action that might come from his choice.  Thankfully, he’d caught his boss on a good day.

He could understand where Nat wouldn’t want to leave this situation to the same chance.  She didn’t have to explain further; he trusted her.  Explicitly.

So, despite the deep breath that he pulled into his lungs, followed by an exasperated sigh, he still kept his hand upon hers and gave it a small squeeze after giving himself a moment to consider their options.

“Alright,” he spoke finally.  “Alright, I’ll get ya to him.  You’re leavin’ this building in a wheelchair though, an’ I ain’t budgin’ on that.”  Clint knew most of the medical staff at many SHIELD medical facilities, mainly from how often he found himself being the patient, but it came in handy in this case.  He had good standing with both the staff and the receptionists, so getting Natasha out wouldn’t prove too hard…it was getting into the facility they were keeping Barnes in that was going to take some convincing.

James had also been hoping for a holding cell.  If they were going to keep him alive anyway, he would have rather been placed in solitary confinement than within a place that amounted to a lab while he was restrained on a gurney, being kept just conscious enough while scientists examined whatever they wanted to about his physicality or his brain, the electrodes stuck to his forehead alone with a few other key points of muscle along his body.  On this particular day, they had elected to begin really examining the arm, trying to figure out how it could be removed so they could get a closer look at the inner-workings of the machine.

Normally, everyone in that lab would have had a hell of a time trying to get him to cooperate with them.  On the first day that he’d spent there, they had been met with immense resistance.  He had refused to answer any questions, no matter how much painful incentive they tried to give him.  All he would ever open his mouth to do was to ask about the status of Agent Romanoff.  Overnight though, SHIELD had seemed to develop a means of breaking him down that wasn’t physical at all.

Nick Fury himself had entered the lab in the wee hours of the morning, his expression cold as he met James’ gaze with his one good eye narrowed with what appeared to be resentment.

Then, the director told him a cruel, convincing lie; Natasha Romanoff was dead.  The Winter Soldier had killed her.

The way Fury saw it, Barnes’ reaction would either be indifferent and it would tell him everything he needed to know…or if the assassin did actually care about Natasha as anything more than a mission, it would break him down enough for him to be more pliable.

It had worked physically.  He no longer fought against any of the restraints, or the tests, or the needles.  Verbally though, he had regressed entirely.  With the only question that he’d been asking answered, he had nothing left to say.  They could press him about HYDRA all they wanted, they could attempt to torture the information out of him however they’d like.  Perhaps there was a part of his mind that was begging for the torment, anything to atone for what he’d done…though nothing ever could.

The way James saw it…he might get lucky.  They might end up just killing him eventually. If the afterlife wasn't real and he wasn't met with fire and brimstone, maybe, just maybe...that would stop the guilt.

In the time that 𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙰𝚂𝙷𝙰 had been working for 𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙴𝙻𝙳, her and 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙾𝙽 had built a friendship that went beyond 𝙼𝙸𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙽𝙴𝚁. For someone who had no family to speak of...he had quickly become that for the red headed spy. She could trust him from day one, even when everything in her was screaming not to, she never really could find a reason not to.

"I'll do my best...No promises though." She smirked back at him, her hand having found his and giving it a grounding squeeze. It was how he seemed to be 𝑯𝑬𝑺𝑰𝑻𝑨𝑵𝑻 about what happened to 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂 that worried her. She knew he wouldn't break his promise, but there wasn't much he could do if 𝙵𝚄𝚁𝚈 decided something.

What the 𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑼𝑨𝑳 situation was however was probably among the worst outcomes she could have thought of. Had she not been 𝑩𝑳𝑬𝑬𝑫𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑶𝑼𝑻 from a bullet wound, she would have been there to tell them how 𝑩𝑨𝑫 of an idea that was. Her brows furrowed before she sat up a little more, wincing at the wound in her abdomen before shaking her head.

"That's the worst place fore him." She admitted, looking at 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙾𝙽. "A 𝙷𝙾𝙻𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙲𝙴𝙻𝙻 would have been a better idea." She didn't know quite how to explain, but she was too busy trying to think about how she was going to get out of this room and to that facility. "I need to see him. I need to talk to him, figure out what 𝙷𝚈𝙳𝚁𝙰 wanted, he'll talk to me." It was hard to explain just how she knew, but he wasn't under the control of 𝙷𝚈𝙳𝚁𝙰 when she saw him last, and 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂 was someone that could be reasoned with, as long as he didn't feel backed into a 𝑪𝑶𝑹𝑵𝑬𝑹.

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One thing that was a resounding fact that they were all aware of in their own way, was that if Natasha didn’t make it through this, James wouldn’t be seeing the light of day ever again.  Whether that meant being taken out the moment they saw the Winter Soldier or they just decided to keep him as their prisoner for the rest of his doubtlessly extended life.  For Clint, it manifested as fire in his gaze as he looked in the mirror every now and again to check on how Natasha was looking.  They wouldn’t have too long of a drive, not with the speed that the archer was going anyway.  When his gaze met Nat’s through the reflection of the mirror, his eyes became more pleading.  Like he was begging her to be okay.

As for the HYDRA defector that sat in the back seat with Natasha, his knowledge of his own possible fate shone through the tightness of his jaw.  His expression was set, even when he caught Barton’s glares out of his peripheral as he kept his focus on Natasha.  In his eyes though, the only emotion that was visible was concern that he was barely managing to keep under control.  His own life wasn’t his first priority, though.  If she didn’t make it through this, he wasn’t going to argue with whatever sentence was passed.  James wasn’t sure he could face another day living with himself if he wound up being the one that took her life, after she had lived through the impossible so many times over.

Her voice broke him out of his own thoughts, pulling him back from the mental spiral that he had been descending into.  She had a knack for that.  She always had.

There was a heaviness to his smile, as though the strength that it took to maintain it was too much to bare.

“Don’t worry about that…just want you to ruin HYDRA’s plans for today.”  And he didn’t mean the data that SHIELD wanted.  He needed her to live on, to be a thorn in the side of HYDRA and every other shadow organization.

Waiting for 𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙽𝚃 to respond felt like an 𝑬𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑵𝑰𝑻𝒀. Perhaps it was the pain, perhaps it was the anticipation of the possible fate of the man she loved. Mostly likely though...It was a bit of 𝑩𝑶𝑻𝑯. She saw his shoulders sink, hearing that sigh before he actually 𝑺𝑷𝑶𝑲𝑬 that told her all that she needed to know. Once again she had convinced him. Step one...𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑳𝑬𝑻𝑬. Now the hard part.

Part of that hard part was going to be 𝑺𝑼𝑹𝑽𝑰𝑽𝑰𝑵𝑮. Sure she was a 𝚂𝚄𝙿𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝙾𝙻𝙳𝙸𝙴𝚁, but she held the knock-off version of a knock-off. It wasn't perfect...But 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚆𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝙾𝙻𝙳𝙸𝙴𝚁 was when it came to his shots. Each one he took was LETHAL, so she was racing against the clock to keep 𝑯𝑰𝑴 in the clear.

It was painful but they got her into the car easily enough, and they were on their way in no time. Finally allowed to breath a bit easier, she wondered if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

As they set out for the 𝙴𝚃𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃, 𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙰𝚂𝙷𝙰 glanced up to the front of the car where her partner drove them quickly to where 𝑯𝑬𝑳𝑷 was, and then back to 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂. If she could hold out to get to the 𝙴𝚇𝚃𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃 alive, 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙾𝙽 would couch for 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂, and then once she was recovered, it would be up to her.

She forced a 𝑺𝑴𝑰𝑳𝑬, though it was faint when she finally looked at 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂. ❝ Hope you didn't have any 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝑵𝑺 I ruined. ❞

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His eyes had only met the blonde’s briefly before he shifted his attention back to Nat’s wound.  There was nothing that he could add to the conversation that would be cohesive to anyone actually listening to Nat’s reasoning, so he knew to keep his mouth shut.  She clearly had a repertoire with the agent.

It was more than obvious to James that Barton had done the math already; Natasha was there, wounded, with her charge presumed dead.  Nobody else would have been with her or at the scene other than the shooter.  This was, of course, assuming that Natasha hadn’t told Clint anything about him, or their relationship.  He got confirmation of that though only a short time later when she tried to explain the situation in the briefest and most concise terms that she could.

She was smart to phrase it the way that she had; if this was the person that had offered her a second chance and helped her defect from the Red Room, he might have room in his heart for one more…it made sense on paper.  The only problem he could foresee was the fact that James had just shot the person that he had chosen to give a second chance.  A person that he had obviously come to care about.  Were their positions reversed, James couldn’t say that he would just willingly help a man like that without some convincing.

Having been ready to argue with Natasha the moment she suggested doing anything before they got her to a medic, let alone helping the bastard that had obviously been the one that pulled the trigger, the only thing that stopped him was feeling her press the flashdrive against his palm.  His momentary awe at the fact that she had managed to save the data in all of this gave Nat the extra second that she needed to strike the winning blow in the argument.

He and I are the SAME.

The archer’s shoulders fell in resignation and he sighed, briefly looking down before tucking the flashdrive away into his pocket.  If she had secured the date, even with the Engineer dead, they had still accomplished the better part of the mission and he could report that much in order to get clearance to head back.  “God, damn it…alright, fine.  I’ll smooth things out with th’ boss when we get back, but I dunno how eager he’s gonna be t’ take in a stray at a time like this.  Better t’ ask forgiveness than permission on this, though…”  He had the same thought process when it had come to bringing Natasha to SHIELD, and Fury had happened to agree.  Clint had no idea how this was going to pan out for the brooding wonder, but he was more concerned about getting Nat help.

Moving carefully, he lifted Nat into his arms from the ground in one fluid motion as he stood up.  He spared James a brief glance before heading back over to his car.  Having run ahead of the archer, the man with the metal arm opened the back seat door.  Clint pretty much ignored him, opting to carefully lay Natasha down on the back seat instead.  He needed to drive…but someone needed to be back there with Nat to keep an eye on her.  He sighed.  “Sit in back with her,” he ordered the other man plainly, seeming as though he were trying to speak with some authority.  There was no argument from James, of course, why would there be?  He literally bit his tongue briefly and as soon as everyone was settled in the vehicle, he shifted into drive and sped towards the extraction point.

If she could pull this off...it would all be 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑻𝑯 𝑰𝑻. It was a long-shot. She knew that there was certainly a trail of bodies that followed the 𝚆𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝙾𝙻𝙳𝙸𝙴𝚁 that rivaled her own. This could even damage her own standing with 𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙴𝙻𝙳. It wasn't like this wasn't the 𝑭𝑰𝑹𝑺𝑻 time she had done something that caused her to have to go dark from the organization. At this point Fury 𝑬𝑿𝑷𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑫 it.

She looked up at 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂 when he made the nickname about 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙾𝙽. Through the pain of a 𝑮𝑼𝑵𝑺𝑯𝑶𝑻 𝑾𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫 she still found it in her to roll her eyes with a bit of a smirk, seeing a little bit of that playful jealousy from her former lover.

“ Well...someone had to be Prince Charming...You certainly had the brooding dark and 𝑴𝒀𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑶𝑼𝑺 vibe already taken. ” She managed to joke back to him with another scoff, but each time she did that it only caused more pain where the gunshot was. That was a good sign. It meant the 𝚂𝚄𝙿𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝚄𝙼 was doing it's job in keeping her from going into shock.

A few moments later she heard the car pull up, causing her to look from where she 𝑯𝑨𝑫 been looking. Trying to get as much time looking at him as she could before they would 𝑰𝑵𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑻𝑨𝑩𝑳𝒀 get separated until her and 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙾𝙽 could arrange his probation and eventual recruitment. Same game she had to play.

Looking at the blonde when she heard his voice, she winced before giving him a knowing look. “ Not yet. ” She shook her head, glancing to 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂 and gesturing to him with a nod. “ You help him for me...then we can go. ” She fished out the flash drive, putting it in her partner's hand. “ He and I are the 𝑺𝑨𝑴𝑬. ”

[dstortedstudios]

Clint could appreciate Natasha on many levels.  And he did.  One of those levels did happen to be that he found her drop-dead gorgeous and when she said things like that, it was always enough to bring a smirk to his lips.  He had the utmost respect for her, and he knew damn well that she was eons out of his league.  In many ways.  That didn’t mean that he couldn’t enjoy some flirting here and there with her.  Neither of them were seeing anyone, so it was harmless.

Besides, it couldn’t last long as she informed him that her car had flipped.  His expression fell before he sighed in slight exasperation.

“Christ on a crackerjack, Nat…” He shook his head after speaking into the earpiece.  “I’ll be there in a few minutes, I’ll hear you out on whatever ya want, long as you’re still breathin’ an’ talkin’.”  He pressed the communication device and closed the channel, getting going as quickly as he could.  He shifted the car he was sitting in into drive and pressed his foot to the gas with urgency as he headed up the road.

Natasha was vouching for this man, Barton.  Beyond the weight of his trust for Natasha, James also took into account what she said about how he’d helped her get away from the Red Room.  His shoulders relaxed slightly.  At the very least, he could hear the genuine concern in this guy’s tone, even through the crackle of the earpiece.  That, and she hadn’t exactly had to beg him before he agreed to come alone, despite what was surely protocol.  As long as the man actually followed through and didn’t arrive with other agents, James might have a chance at not immediately becoming a prisoner.  It would be a nice leg up, that was for sure.

“Save your strength,” he advised her.  “Prince Charming will be here soon.”  There was a light teasing to his voice, mostly trying to keep Natasha in good enough spirits to remain in the world of the living.  Within a few minutes, thankfully, he heard the steady hum of a car engine as a vehicle approached.  When he craned his head to see how many people had arrive, there was only the one car.  

“Here’s hoping this is Barton…”

As soon as he pulled on to the scene and got out with his own med pack, he felt his stomach drop at the sight before him.  Nat was bleeding, a lot…and the guy that was sitting there with her…he’d never seen him before.

He knelt down next to Natasha with a heated glare at the man on her other side.  His expression only softened when he looked down to his partner.

“Hold on, honey, we’re gonna get ya some help…” he sighed, moving to try to apply more gauze where he could see it was needed.  “We’re gonna have t’ get ya in th’ car…”

There was a part of her, that was hoping she wouldn't have to insist on calling in a favor with him. Hell...She knew she'd save his ass enough times that she had a massive favor to call in, and James was worth that favor. Everytime.

Natasha forced out a scoff when he responded, her eyes were on James' the whole time, trying to silently communicate that it was going to be okay. "Giving up on it already? I was starting t'like the attention."

"Got flipped in the pass, not far from you." She strained again wen she gave her location, knowing that was all he'd need. The flipped vehicle would be the dead giveaway that it was her. "Just...Hear me out when you get here."

Once she was sure he was on the way, she tried to let out an even breath, before trying to take in another deep breath, though that was proving difficult. "Barton's a good man. He helped me defect from The Red Room." Getting that many words out was...painful. And exhausting. Even the knock off knock off serum she'd been given wasn't much against a bullet wound to the gut, and James was always effective.

[dstortedstudios]

When Clint had made a different call all those years ago with Natasha, it had been a choice that he had made purely on instinct.  He’d had no reason to trust her at their first meeting, she had, in fact, been introduced to him as an enemy that was to be eliminated.  The only reason he hadn’t lost his job (and probably more) was because he’d managed to convince Fury that she was worth the risk on her skillset alone.  He hadn’t divulged the truth, that he’d just had a gut feeling that Nat had the capability to start over, the capacity to do good.

Since then, the archer had placed his trust in her on numerous occasions.  She’d never let him down.  With all of the times she had saved his ass over the years, she had quite a few favors that she could call in.  The fact that she didn’t often ask things of him meant that on the rare occasion that she did…he didn’t feel he could sleep at night if he said no to her.

This was one of those times, and he sighed deeply at that fact.

“Not exactly the context I thought it would be in when ya finally said that t’ me,” he spoke with a hint of humor in his tone.  “Alright, I’ll come alone.  How far down th’ road are you?”

James had been able to catch both sides of the conversation thanks to his enhanced hearing and his proximity to Natasha.  He couldn’t help the way his eyes slightly narrowed as he seemed to be assessing the kind of person this man was based on his voice alone.

Or maybe he just wasn’t too fond of the joke the other agent had made.

Either way, there was relief in his eyes when he heard the agreement.  If there was anyone that could manage to pull this off in a way that didn’t end with him as a prisoner or a corpse, it was Natasha Romanoff.  James never underestimated her intellect or her skill.

If HYDRA got their hands on him, it would all be over. She'd never see him again, and the reason why she didn't want to think about. All she could think about in that moment, all that was keeping her awake was trying to find a way to keep James from both HYDRA and SHIELD. And she was feeling like she was failing.

He couldn't stay here. Maybe if she could take to Barton when he got there, maybe she could convince him to take a chance on James like he did on her. He'd taken a chance on someone who in the moment didn't deserve it. But she knew James was in his right mind right now. And that meant she couldn't let him go back to HYDRA. She had to try and save him like Clint had saved her.

As if by some divine intervention, just as she was about to challenge James on all this, there was a crackling in her earpiece, and the familiar sound of her partner in her ear. Of course he was looking for her. She was in fact late.

She needed to think fast. If she didn't respond, and if anyone else responded, he'd be on his way, and possibly with reinforcements. Her eyes locked on James' and she took a breath before reaching up to tap into the channel.

"I'm alive." She confirmed, wincing slightly. "But you're still gonna be pissed." This had always been their secure channel, nobody else in it, and she took a breath, preparing to take a chance on this and hope it turned out for the best. "Barton...I need you...Alone."

[dstortedstudios]

He was putting most of his focus into keeping consistent pressure on her wound.  Even with the bandages, she was still losing blood.  Thanks to the placement of the wound.  Natasha’s blood was literally and figuratively all over his hands.  The agonizing guilt that ate away at him from the inside out was a pain that he knew wouldn’t ever completely fade.  The least that he could do to make amends was stay with her and make sure she was going to be alright.  To James, whatever consequence that he was going to face would be well worth it of he could just know that he didn’t kill the woman that he loved.  The woman that had kept him from ending his own suffering by his own hand, that had actually made him remember what it felt like to be human again, even in the midst of captivity.

When she tried to sit up, James didn’t want to stop her by physical force, so he gave her a pleading glance as he kept his hand against her abdomen.  When she became insistent on him leaving, he simply shook his head.

“’Tasha…” he started gently, a solemn smile on his lips as he tried to convince her of his stance on the matter, “even if I was willing to leave you here, which I’m not…I wouldn’t be able to run fast enough to avoid HYDRA.  I won’t complete my mission for them, and that kind ‘a failure won’t end well for me, either.”

His expression fell, as did his gaze as he tried to fight the tightness in his throat at the sight of the damage that he’d done.

“At least if SHIELD takes me…I’ll stay me.”  That much was true.  Either they would imprison him, kill him, or try to recruit him.  Either way though, he wouldn’t meet his end as the Winter Soldier.

Before an agreement could be reached between the two of them, there was a slight crackling in Natasha’s ear piece.  The communicator she wore had been just slightly damaged in the crash, but Clint’s voice still came in pretty clearly.

“Nat, what’s your 20? Your tracker went dark.  I’m not far from extraction, but you’re late, an’ that ain’t like you.  So you better be alive, or I’m gonna be pissed…”

It hurt, getting shot. It also hurt being cared for after the fact, and Natasha wondered why she agreed to stay in this line of work sometimes. She usually settled on the fact that this was what she was good at, and after everything she had done for the Red Room, she was certain that she had her debts to pay.

Natasha wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault, because as he brushed a strand of hair out of her face, she could see the guilt in his eyes. He pulled the trigger. That was true. But it wasn't him that wanted to. It wasn't him dealing out the orders to do so. She knew that all too well. She remembered when they had wiped his mind clear of memories of her, leaving him like they had never met. That had been it for her, she had lost all will to continue serving the Red Room. She wanted out.

She should have taken him with her. Somehow she should have found a way.

When he mentioned help coming, she knew he meant SHIELD. They were waiting on them. They even had a tracker on the car. Just in case there was any trouble and she couldn't radio in. Help would be coming, but they would also be coming for the Winter Soldier.

She couldn't have that. She couldn't let them take him. She didn't want to lose him, but she knew SHIELD had it out for HYDRA, and they would have their perfectly trained killer in their grasps. She shook her head, even going as far as trying to sit up, but finding moving wasn't an option.

"James...You can't. You...You have to get out of here before SHIELD comes. They'll take you." She wanted to go on. Telling him she couldn't watch them take him away from her, but she found talking too much at a time to be too much to handle at the moment. "Please..Be smart about this."