#THE GIVING UP OF CLOTHES TO SHIELD THE FEET OF HIS CHOSEN PATRON

[grimalkinmessor]

NO BECAUSE YES ALL FOR ONE TAKES CARE OF YOICHI BECAUSE HE SEES HIM AS SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO HIM BUT HE ALSO TAKES CARE OF HIM AS A PRIEST TAKES CARE OF A SHRINE DO YOU UNDERSTAND DO YOU GET IT

[i-drink-and-i-write-fics]

Ships in the Night

Chapter 2: Firebird

Summary: Reader and Natasha go over their past. Nat keeps Clint in the dark about his soulmate.

“So you’re the infamous Firebird? You’re not at all what I expected.” Nat watched as you tied your leather band back on.

“The feeling is mutual, Widow.” You looked her up and down, trying to remember if you ever had actually seen her face before this day while out in the field. “Your reputation precedes you.”

“As does yours. Now it makes more sense as to why you have so much control over your bar.” She leaned back against one of the bathroom stalls. “So when did you leave the life?”

“Five years ago, give or take. You?”

“More. Probably closer to fifteen.”

“Damn, I’m impressed. How did the KGB take it?”

“Probably as well as Hydra did.”

You smirked at her, “yeah, they were clearly over the moon. They lost their two greatest assassins in one fell swoop. How is Bucky doing? Rumor has it he’s finally an Avenger.”

“He is. Had to make a stop at Wakanda for deprogramming.” She narrowed her eyes at you. “But why did you leave? We all get why he did.”

“Actually, my reasons weren’t so different from yours. But instead of a SHIELD agent, it was an X-Men.”

“Really? Is it because of your mutation?”

“Partly. But mostly Professor Xavier hates to know when someone is suffering when they don’t need to be. He knew that wasn’t the life I would have chosen for myself, but just like you I was raised in it and never was the wiser to what could be out there for me.”

“But you never joined his team.”

“No. I was done fighting. Done using my fire powers to harm people. So I opened this bar. It gives my patrons somewhere other than St. Mary’s to slither around in.”

“So instead of fighting, you just enable those who want to.” She pushed herself off the stall to stand in your face. “What makes that better than what you did before?”

“No one is dying by my hand. Not ever again. And if they were…” you paused and licked your lips. “Well, let’s just say if anyone were to die soon at my hands I would be doing the world a favor. Don’t you agree? Or is it hard to see from your high horse?”

“Don’t compare us!”

“Why not?! We’re cut from the same cloth, dearest Black Widow. Children raised by the evil in this world to do what they won’t. No families, no real lives, no real personas, always trying to repent for what we had done. But no matter what we do, it’ll never be enough, will it? We’ll always have a trail of red behind us.”

Nat’s eyes burned with fire as she looked at you. She couldn’t believe this was the person who was Clint’s soulmate. It was a disappointment to find out it wasn’t herself, but she had hoped whomever it was to be would be the best person for the job. But a fellow former assassin? Not on her watch.

She turned towards the door, “you win. Clint and I are leaving and we won’t be back.”

Because of how the two of you were trained, you could read so much from just a few words. In that instant, you understood who your soulmate was. “Is it because I said you had to? Or is it because I’m not good enough for him, despites the fates saying otherwise?”

Nat didn’t respond, just reached for the door.

“Or is it because if it couldn’t be you, it can’t be anyone?”

She was lightning fast in her reaction, but you were her match in every way. You dodged her fist easily and used the momentum to flip her over. Nat easily latched onto your hand and brought you down with her, moving to slam your head against the floor. But you shifted your weight at the last moment and she ended up rolling off of you. You both jumped to your feet and prepared to attack again when the bathroom door swung open. A woman stood there with her jaw open.

“Oh, sorry Equinox! I didn’t mean-”

Both you and Nat lowered your hands but never moved your eyes. “It’s ok. She was just leaving. Weren’t you?”

“Of course. I’ll grab my friend and go.” You stayed locked on each other until she had left the room. Nat moved with purpose over to her friend who was still sitting at the bar as if nothing was going on. “We’re going. Get up, Clint.”

Clint choked on his beer when Nat slammed money onto the bar in front of him. “Going? What the hell are you talking about, Nat? We just got here.”

“I said we’re going. Now. That bitch that owns this place wants us gone anyway so get up, Barton.”

“But I was thinking, if my soulmate is here-”

“Then she’s some cunt you need to stay away from!” Nat grabbed his beer and tossed into the trash behind the bar. “Get. Up. Barton. You don’t need whatever scum is slinking around in here as a soulmate.”

Clint looked up at her in surprise. Nat had always seemed supportive in regards to his soulmate. True, he never really made an effort to look, but she knew he was open to the possibility of one day finding her. And now that it seemed he was closer than ever before, she wanted to rip it away from him. “Nat.”

She paused at the pain and confusion in his voice. Nat hated that she was the one hurting him, but if he knew what she did - who his soulmate was - he’d thank her. But the less he knew, the better. “Let’s go, Barton. I’m not asking you.”

Clint nodded his head and stood up to leave. It was at that moment you returned to stand behind the bar. You grabbed the money that Nat left behind and gave the change to your staff to split. Clint watched you for a moment and his mark began to itch at an insane level. He knew then that one of the three people behind the bar had to be his soulmate. Never before had he cared who had his matching mark until he walked into that bar. Now he wanted to know more than anything else in the world.

“Nat, please.”

But instead of looking at her friend, Nat turned her eyes to you. They were cold, but you noticed the slight hint of pleading there. Part of you agreed: Clint could do better than you. And if it meant you giving up your happiness, so be it. “Please, leave my bar before it gets ugly. You’re friend is right: if your soulmate is here, you deserve better.”

“How would you know?!” The anger in his voice hurt your heart, but your resolve didn’t waver.

“Because I know every person who comes in here. Trust me, Agent Barton. It’s best if you leave.”

Clint looked at you with open animosity and you felt your heart being ripped out. “Fine.”

It took every ounce of effort not to leap over your own bar and run after him. Watching the two of them walk out was the hardest thing you had ever done. Even harder than leaving Hydra. Clint looked over his shoulder one more time and you thought you were going to break down at that moment and beg him to stay. But before the words could leave your lips, he was out the door and out of your life.

Chapter 3