Hawkeye

[mrmorgan-mrjames]

Bradley James - Instagram.

“@themrpalma has captured the face of a man in contemplation of some of the biggest decisions he will have to make in his life…Because The #AYHAD Fantasy Football Draft is just around the corner. An entire season of potential happiness resting on one day. No pressure.”

Source => https://www.instagram.com/p/CEjuGEhhXIM/

[justlikethenamesays]

thorfromwork·:

Thor had decided to stick around Midgard for a while. He’d made true friends there, and they had much to celebrate now that Thanos was truly gone. He’d spent most of the time since traveling with Banner, but they’d returned to the city and Stark Tower in time for wedding festivities. There was no Stark to be found in that tower except in name, of course, but he was hoping the upcoming celebration would begin to mend those friendships. He hated to see his friends at odds, particularly when the blame for the past five years truly lay with him.

He was doing his best to set that aside now and focus on healing, himself, his friends, his people, and the rest of the world. It was a tall order, but he was more hopeful than he’d been in a long time. If anyone was excellent at helping him lighten the mood, it was his favorite archer. He broke into a grin at the sight if Clint geared up for he knew not what, but he was guessing he would soon find out.

“Clint, my friend, that new uniform suits you well.” He clapped a hand lightly to his shoulder. Natasha had let him know in no uncertain terms that if he damaged Clint in their shenanigans, he’d have her to answer to. That was not a fight he wanted to have, but far be it from him to turn down a friend. The mischief in his smile promised an engaging afternoon. “I’m not familiar with the rules of this game. How does it work?”

.

Clint wasn’t going to hold his breath for the wedding to start fixing anything, but he wasn’t going to bash anyone else’s hopes. Everyone was back, and for him, that was what mattered. Everything was just going to take time and patience. He loved a good wedding, though, and definitely enjoyed the party that came with one. As long as they could get through it all with nothing getting blown up, they’d be golden. 

“It’s a little BDSM, but hey, what can you do? At least it’s useful,” he grinned, entirely unrepentant about it. “We’re gonna need a lot of space, bud,” he chuckled and started to head out to the landing pad as he talked. “Basically, we’re gonna fly. You can throw me, drop me, I have targets set up literally all over the place for me to test my own skills. We’re testing your reflexes.” Grinning up at him, he shrugged, “So we’re gonna fly and fuck around.”

[justlikethenamesays]

catch me when i fall

Now, Clint had his favorite people and there was no denying that. No one could touch Natasha’s place, and he lived to torment Agent Coulson. Some of his hands down favorite times, though, were when Thor was hanging around and there was downtime. The Asgardian was almost always down for some of his more ridiculous ideas, which made Clint very happy and gave everyone else headaches. 

He’d put on his uniform that had been modified with a few extra leather straps that made him grin as he went in search of his thunderous friend. “Thor! Buddy! I have an idea,” he shot him a grin, pure mischief and excitement that was borderline ridiculous for a man his age and he didn’t care one bit. “I’ve got three words for you, Catch and Release.” 

@thorfromwork​

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite·:

“I think I might,” she mused, giving him a small smile. Natasha didn’t mind putting in the work for what she wanted. She preferred the challenge of it anyway, which was fortunate because Toni was in no sense an easy sort of person. She knew she had some trust to build before the woman let her within ten feet of her, and that was fair. Figuring out how to get on her good side would give her mind something to do besides plan and worry.

“Not a lot of smart decisions to go around here,” she sighed, snuggling her head against his shoulder. There weren’t any good options when a Winter Soldier showed up and Hydra was everywhere. She thought they’d done the best they could with the situation though. They were probably still going to die, but there was nobody she’d rather go down swinging with. “Not the best odds, but not our worst.”

.

He smiled, more than a little pleased at what this whole debacle was bringing about. He didn’t have any ideas about it being a lasting thing, but he could hope for that later. All he wanted was for Nat to be happy and understood, that was all. If Toni came even remotely close, he’d support her in it for that reason alone. No matter what, it could be good for Nat, he hoped. 

“Eh, we’ve made worse ones,” he pointed out with a chuckle. He dropped his head to rest it against hers, yet another cuddling contact point that he was entirely okay with. He had faith in them, even if it was going to be rough. “Definitely not our worst. I think we’ll be surprised.” 

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite​:

“It’s been a while,” she admitted with a small smile. Before Clint, dating was just another tool in her arsenal, a useful show when she needed an in or a bit of misdirection. It was difficult to move away from that mentality and pursue someone just because she liked them, and she hadn’t totally mastered it. Relationships required a measure of authenticity that she wasn’t comfortable showing to most people. Fortunately, that was a normal people problem as well as an international spy and assassin problem. She wasn’t always the fakest person in her short relationships. 

She tipped her head with a thoughtful hum as she considered her chances with Toni. Not great, she’d admit. There was plenty Stark still held against her, for good reason. “She’s warming up to me. I wouldn’t put money on it though.” That said plenty because Nat only bet when she was sure of something. “Both,” she admitted with a soft laugh. It had been more frustrating when she was still loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. Now that she knew it was corrupt, she could enjoy the way Toni was able to outthink everyone, including her sometimes. It was a sobering thought. “I’m glad she’s on our side for this. Rhodes too.”

He knew it had, which was part of his surprise. The fact that it was Toni, though, made a weird sort of sense. Neither of them showed who they really were in its entirety. They showed who they really were in selected bits and pieces, letting people build the image of them around the piece they were given. They approached things similarly, though the reasoning differed. He wondered if this couldn’t be a very good thing, possibly for both of them. 

His eyebrow raised at that, knowing her betting habits. “Then, I’d say you have work to do,” he tossed out there. If she was willing to put in any of the work, then that would say a lot about what she was really thinking. “If you want to,” he amended, because he’d never back her in a corner like that. He grinned at the admission and nodded in understanding. “Probably the smartest or stupidest decision. Time will tell, I guess,” he shrugged. He had faith in Stark’s smarts, Natasha’s skills, and Rhodey’s steadfastness. “We might live through it.”

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite​:

Nobody knew the real Natasha better than Clint, probably not even Tasha. She wasn’t always sure what was left of that person after the Red Room got through with her, but if she ever started to doubt that it was there, she only had to look at him. He’d seen something in her long before she’d been able to see it, and she knew that if she ever got too far off the path again, he would be there to set her straight. She loved him for so many things, but giving her back to herself was high on the list.

“Oh, there are a lot of things I’d like to see about Toni,” she practically purred. The woman lived rent free in her head lately, a welcome distraction from everything else that was going on. It wasn’t that common for someone to catch her genuine interest, although it was hit or miss how deep that interest went. A pretty face wasn’t enough, but she rarely stayed with anyone long-term. It was an odd middle ground that kept her amused but didn’t put her in danger of catching feelings.

“If anyone could, it would be her. It’s no wonder she’s been dancing circles around S.H.I.E.L.D.” Natasha stood by her initial report on Toni. She wasn’t a team player. But she recognized that what was in that report wasn’t all there was to her, and not being a good fit for the Avengers initiative didn’t mean she wasn’t a perfect fit for other things. People changed. Not often and not easily, but if they all lived through this, Nat doubted they’d be the same people on the other side of it. “Worst case scenario, let’s say it is found. Is it worth losing the element of surprise for more information?”

Clint would always make sure she had all the pieces of herself that she had and learned. He was always going to be there for her, supporting her and being a damn lighthouse on the coast if that was what she needed him to be. She was his north star, anyway, guiding him when everything else seemed dark because he knew that she was home. 

“Well, damn,” he chuckled, letting out a low little wolf whistle. “I’m trying to remember the last time I heard you say that,” he pointed out with a grin. He could see the appeal in the tiny human disaster, though. It wasn’t often that anyone really caught her interest, especially not enough for it to be a topic of conversation at home. Now, afterwards, sure, but rarely before because there were rarely too many revisits. His attention was well and truly piqued. “Think she’ll let you?” He was genuinely curious how far this had gone already. 

His head tipped and he shook his head, “Admiration or exasperation?” He’d read Natasha’s report, knew exactly what was on it. There were times they disagreed, and parts of that report had been on the short list. The agreement she came to with Nat was enough to tell him that Toni was a better team player than anyone expected, even if it probably took a lot of effort on her part. 

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite·:

She couldn’t help but return that smile, however brief it was. He meant more to her than she’d ever be able to say, and killing was really the least of what she’d do for him. It widened slightly despite the chilling conclusion they’d just come to. “Actually, we’re… getting along.” It was as strange to say it as it probably was to hear it, and she knew that Clint of all people would hear the implication there. Natasha didn’t hide things from him, and he was part of the team. He deserved to know where her mind was, and she was of a mind to do something about that at the first available opportunity. It wouldn’t distract her from the mission, but they didn’t stop living just because the world was ending.

She tipped her head into his hand, eyes closing at the soft release in tension. That was an interesting concept. Natasha had been thinking about getting a person in there, but there wasn’t time for a good cover story. Getting someone in there long enough to plant some bugs or do a little hacking might be doable though. “I’ll ask her. Her AI sassed her while I was there. I’ve never seen anything like it.” S.H.I.E.L.D. had some cool toys, but they were carving weapons out of rocks compared to Toni’s technology. If she had to guess, she’d say that JARVIS was capable of much more than just spontaneous backtalk.

.

He loved it every time he got her to smile, regardless of the circumstances. They were like little treasures he hoarded like a dragon in its cave. Little pieces of Natasha he got to keep for just himself and never had to share if he didn’t want to. His smile slowly spread at the implication and he raised an eyebrow at her. “I take it you’d like to see how far it gets you,” he mused, grinning from ear to ear now. He hadn’t quite expected that, but it wasn’t all that surprising if he stopped to properly think about it. Nothing much distracted Nat, so that wasn’t his worry when it came to her making the decision to extend her time with the genius. 

Feeling her relax helped him do the same because it meant it was safe to. His eyebrow quirked again at the new information. “Sassy AI? Somehow... not surprised,’ he mused with a chuckle. Any creation of Stark’s that fell into AI territory was liable to take after its creator, so he couldn’t be surprised. “So she could probably get something in there for us, and make sure that it wouldn’t be found.” 

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite​:

She was well-versed in Clint’s jokes, and she knew all the different kinds: when they were distracting people from that fearsomely clever mind, when he was just being funny without agenda, when he was trying to put someone else at ease, or when they were hiding anxiety, like now. She didn’t need to call him on it. Anxiety was an appropriate emotion right now.

“I resemble that remark,” she said mildly. If it had been Clint, she’d have left a trail of bodies on the ground to rival the Captain’s, and she doubted her conscience would trouble her much over it. She’d come to the same conclusion, but that didn’t make it easier to hear. She swore softly and with feeling, which meant she thought he was right.

“We have to tell Toni. I’m sure the Captain threw a wrench in their timeline, but we don’t know how long that will last.” They needed more information. Nothing they’d uncovered in the past couple days spoke to an immediate plan, but she hadn’t been looking for one either. “Be helpful if we had eyes on the inside.” She sighed, rubbing a hand over her forehead. Spying was firmly in her skillset, but she didn’t think they had time for anything elaborate. Hydra had the advantage there. They had the numbers, and their people were everywhere. 

“In the best way possible,” he confirmed with a grin, just for her. They’d have left a body count for one another, he knew that, and probably never would have paused to question it. He knew by the way she swore that she agreed with him. For once, he wished that she didn’t. He wished that he didn’t have this train of thought that was terrifying and she couldn’t even tell him that he was wrong. 

“I guess you’ll have to go see our resident genius sooner rather than later. Should I apologize or just have medicine ready for the post-Stark headache?” He actually didn’t mind Toni, thought she was fascinating to watch, but he knew many people couldn’t see that. It didn’t mean he understood her though, he had no way of doing that. 

“I mean... can’t Toni get some in there without anyone really knowing? Genius something something something or other, I forget the spiel,” his hand waved all theatrically in the air in front of them. He pulled his hand back to brush his thumb lightly between her eyebrows before sliding his hand to the back of her neck and massaging gently. 

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite​:

Natasha had never been able to understand that part, how whatever bond they had had managed to survive decades of torture and brainwashing. It had been evident even in the short time she’d known them though. They might not know their names, but they protected each other on some fierce, frightening instinct that went deeper than memory. If they were right and Hydra still had the Sergeant, every single one of them was a dead man walking.

She moved easily into his hold, immediately comforted by the familiar warmth and weight of him. “Depends on who’s throwing the tantrum.” A small smirk pulled at the corners of her lips. This was no laughing matter, but at some point they’d start making jokes about it just to stay sane. It faded as she considered the question and tried to think of it objectively. “When you have nothing left to lose…” she said slowly. “Or you have everything to gain.” The second answer sent ice sliding down her spine. “Do you think Hydra is planning something big?”

Making jokes to maintain sanity was something he excelled at. It was something he had to do, especially in this particular scenario. Knowing that a Winter Soldier had been so easily able to get to Nat didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t want her far from him these days. He wanted to ask her to just stay with him, but that wasn’t what they did. They had to keep some semblance of normal if they could manage it, but it didn’t mean that he liked it. “Crazy Russians not withstanding,” he teased, tugging gently on a lock of hair. 

He sighed softly as she came to the second answer. “We know they have a lot to lose,” he pointed out heavily. They were so firmly entrenched in SHIELD from what they could tell, and it wasn’t the only organization their damn tentacles were buried in. “I think they’re planning to take it all, or at least try,” he admitted. 

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite​:

She could see by his face that he’d had an idea. It wasn’t exactly a lightbulb flashing over his head, but she knew him well enough that it might as well have been. She was quiet while he worked through whatever it was, knowing he’d tell her when he did. “Why stay then,” she murmured, a thoughtful furrow between her brows, but the answer came quick and obvious. “Because they have the Sarge.”

It hurt to think of Hydra using them against one another, but it wasn’t difficult to imagine. Without question, they were evil enough. “They stayed for each other,” she said softly. She would have done the same for Clint and knew he would for her. She hadn’t been planning to cuddle while they worked through the tactical conversation, but there was no one there to judge them. She slid closer and snuggled against him, pulling his arm around her.

“Hydra must have known it wasn’t working anymore. They start healing and… what? Acting out?” It was such a mild phrase for that would look like. Bodies on the ground would be the least of it. “But even without their minds, they function like one person. I can’t imagine a scenario where separating them seems like the best option. So that’s the question. Why risk it?”

He nodded when she quickly arrived to the same conclusion he had. The Captain stayed purely because they had the Sergeant. Loyalty, love, whatever it is that had tied the two together for so long, obviously had stayed somehow. He couldn’t quite figure that part out, how that connection could remain despite what he knew they could do to a person, how they could change them. 

His arm slid around her with the tug and he pulled her legs across his lap with the other, wrapping his leg around her thighs to keep her close and surrounded by him. The very idea of what the super soldiers were being put through was enough to make him rage and want to hold on to Natasha. “Sure, we can call it that. I’m not sure temper tantrums usually have body counts, but hey.” 

The question was one he hadn’t actively wanted to say, but it was necessary. “When do you pull out all the stops, Nat? When do you go to the lengths you’ve never had a reason to?” His face was grim, because he knew what his answer was. He would go to any lengths available to him at the point where it was all or nothing, where it was the biggest play because the game was at the tipping point of take it all or lose it all. 

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite·:

It wasn’t the first time she’d appreciated what a good listener he was, but she didn’t value Clint on a mission just for his listening skills. There was a deeply clever tactical brain in there, and he also just tended to be right about people. That observation alone proved how invaluable he was to any team.

She drew a breath and let it out slow. This wasn’t an easy topic for her, given she had some personal experience with it, albeit not on the same level. But she knew what it was like to have her identity scrubbed clean and replaced with something else. She’d wondered if that was why he came to her. “Theoretically, yes. The serum is the only reason it would work for so long, with that level of brain damage. I’m surprised he didn’t heal from it sooner.” That only reinforced the truly awful things Hydra must have done to keep them compliant.

“That’s beyond mere stupidity. That’s suicidal. Anyone who had ever seen them together…” she trailed off, not bothering to fight off a shudder when he was the only one there to see it. She didn’t have to be her strongest self with Clint, just the real, human version, or as human as she was capable of after everything. Standing next to the Wintermint Twins (goddamn it, Toni), she felt a hell of a lot more human, and all too mortal at that.

.

Something about Natasha’s words made his brain pause, more like a screeching halt, but still. He mentally flipped back through her retelling, through what she’d said Toni had come up with, hypotheses and everything. He frowned as he worked through it, super soldiers and brainwashing something he was only really peripherally familiar with. His eyes widened at a thought for a brief moment before he looked back at Natasha. 

“Nat...” He paused, his voice heavy and serious. “What if he did?” His fingers drummed on the back of the couch and he produced an arrow from behind the cushions that he spun between his fingers as his mind whirled with implications. He tapped the arrow head against his palm. “You said it yourself. It’s suicidal to separate them. Why do something so desperate? Unless... Unless you thought you were losing your leverage.” 

He reached over to brush the backs of his fingers down her arm for a moment, a soft comfort that wasn’t going to overload either of them. “But why? Why would you need to go that far? Why risk it?”

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite·:

She would never admit it to anyone else, but Clint’s arms were the safest place she’d ever known. He’d seen something in her that even Nat had never been able to see, and he’d put his faith in her before he even knew her that well. She would always owe him for that, for pulling her out of the darkness and setting her on a better path.

“That’s my guy.” She gave a halfhearted grin, tipping her face gently into that touch and letting herself be comforted by it and everything else he offered just with his presence. “We’re both okay,” she agreed softly. Much as they needed to keep up pretenses, she’d prefer it if neither of them took any missions without the other until some of this blew over–one way or another. She eased back into the embrace without reservations. If ever there was a time to cling, it was probably when the world was ending.

She nodded, curling up on the opposite side of the couch with a slice. It was going to take time to get through it, so they might as well eat and talk. She went through the Captain’s visit again in more detail, along with Toni’s analysis of it after the fact and the conclusion they’d come to about the Sergeant. She paused there because she kind of wanted Clint to confirm that one for her. “Tell me I’m crazy. Do you think the Captain might have broken free because they were separated?” She would have sworn Barnes was there outside the window, but the truth was that she didn’t have any visual or physical evidence of it. It was prior knowledge and paranoia talking, as Rogers would have known it would be.

.

He settled comfortably into his overly broken in couch with pizza, making sure to pass Pizza Dog a slice because he couldn’t not share with him. His eyes stayed on her while she relayed the story to him, the full fledged one this time now that there was no chance of prying ears. He preferred getting it in person anyway, and the addition of Toni’s information and analysis was certainly helpful. 

The request made him sigh as he finished off the last piece of pizza crust, his arm slinging along the back of the couch. “Well, we know he had a super serum right? Super healing and stuff? Wouldn’t that apply to his brain? If someone took you away from me and I was able to think more like myself... well...” He shrugged, knowing he might be off base but something told him he really wasn’t.  

“And, if they’ve been together this long... a change in routine like that can shake a lot of things up, even among the dumb and evil.” Not that Hydra was dumb, far from it and that was what made this so dangerous. They were literally in the middle of a viper’s nest and they’d put themselves there. That was going to be what killed them, before any super soldier got the chance. 

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite·:

Natasha was forever in awe of the way the world continually underestimated Clint. He was one of the most capable fighters she’d ever met, and anyone who bought his playing dumb act had to be missing some IQ points themselves. The fact that this place even existed off of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s radar was proof enough of his abilities.

As for Stark, her thoughts were running in a decidedly non-friendly direction. Nat flirted to get information, out of boredom, or purely for the fun of it, and flirting with Toni was firmly in the last camp. She hadn’t been able to help herself from the occasional glance or comment as they worked together. She was a tiny, beautiful whirlwind with an equally stunning mind.

She always knew when he was close because Lucky’s tail started wagging at the speed of light. She was already off the couch and headed for him before he was all the way inside. She walked straight into those arms, tucking her face into his neck and breathing him in. “How was your day, dear?” Her attempt at 1950s housewife voice came out perfectly, but her eyes were tired and serious as she pulled back to get a look at him. Safe and whole, for now.

.

Clint wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face into her hair and taking a deep breath. There was a comfort in having her close again, in having her in his arms so he could feel for himself that she really was okay. “Oh you know, kicking butt and taking names at the office, as always,” he murmured as they pulled apart just enough to look at one another. 

Keeping one arm wrapped around her, he lifted the other to smooth over her hair and run down her face gently. “I’m home, and you’re okay,” he murmured, reassuring both of them with the words. He leaned forward to brush a kiss over her forehead before wrapping her close again. It wasn’t often that they were given reason to cling to one another, and this was two too many in too short a time for his comfort.

He pulled away entirely, reaching over to ruffle Pizza Dog’s fur between his ears. “Alright, pizza and I want the details again,”  he decided firmly as he went to flop on the couch near the box. He’d heard it, but he needed it again. His mind knew it was true, but he was struggling with it.

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite​:

don’t you dare look out your window | widowhawk

@justlikethenamesays​

The first thing Natasha did after she survived a Winter Soldier being in her kitchen was call Clint to verify that he was okay. He was supposed to be overseas on a mission and they had regular check-ins, but she was taking nothing for granted. They’d decided almost immediately that the best course of action for right now was to act like nothing had changed. If S.H.I.E.L.D. had truly been infiltrated by Hydra, then secrecy was their best defense. That meant that no matter how much she wanted him home so she could hug him, he stayed and completed the mission.

There were things to do in the meantime though, information to verify and allies to secure. Clint approved of bringing Stark (and probably Rhodes) onto the team. They were going to need help, and Toni was maybe the one person outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. that she trusted with something like this. Natasha didn’t know whether she was surprised or not that she’d agreed to help. She knew that Toni had a hero complex, but there was no love lost between the two of them after the report she’d written for Fury. Toni had no reason to trust her, and Nat knew she might very well get them all killed before this was over.

But she couldn’t walk away from it. The Captain was right. S.H.I.E.L.D. was compromised. After days of research with Toni, there was no doubt in her mind now. The first part of their plan was already in motion. Theoretically, they could only go that far and leave the rest to Rogers, but she knew no one was turning back from this. So, on the agenda: 1) Purposely tank the organization she’d pledged herself to when she thought she went straight. 2) Topple a centuries old secret fascist regime. 3) Rescue a brainwashed supersoldier and hope he didn’t turn around and kill all of them. 4) Try not to die. Lofty goals, but a girl might as well dream big.

There was no reason to feel safer in Clint’s apartment than her own, but she did. The cluttered space surrounded by his stuff and Pizza Dog was the closest thing she’d ever known to home. She’d ordered pizza like they always did when they came home from a mission, and if she stared long and hard enough at the delivery guy to start freaking him out, that was her business. It wasn’t like her to wait around nervously for him to come home, but she’d been badly shaken by this whole thing. She wouldn’t really believe he was fine until she could see it for herself.

When his phone went off unscheduled, he didn’t ignore it. Anything lost could be regained, but he would never ignore that particular phone line. Only one person held the number to it, and they had scheduled times for it to be used. Answering, he almost ended his mission then and there to get home to her. However, they knew better, and he had to play his part. That was something he excelled at, playing a part and playing the fool. 

He trusted Toni to do what they needed, trusted her to play her part as well as he did. There was a part of him that wondered if maybe, just maybe, Toni and Nat were exactly what each other needed to figure out who they were these days. If they all survived this, it would be interesting to see what kind of friends they could all become. You couldn’t do a job like this and not either die or become some kind of friend. 

Forcing himself to focus, he completed his mission on the allotted timeline. Dead World War 2 soldiers were just going to have to wait a few minutes, along with their ancient fascist head honchos. When he was finally on the way home, he entertained himself with thoughts of yeeting the SHIELD agent with him off the place, just to be safe, but didn’t, and he was rather proud of himself for that. There was a peace in knowing that Nat would be waiting at home for him and it helped him not lose his temper. 

He shook the tail that always tried to follow him back to his apartment, and he refused even more now for SHIELD to ever know it existed. Climbing in through his own fire escape window, he grinned at the sight of Nat and Pizza Dog. “Honey, I’m home,” he sat his bag down and held out his arms as he walked over to the one person he would ALWAYS choose.

[maesvtro]

@blackwidowhub natasha romanoff appreciation week → day 5: favourite friendship(s)

NATASHA + CLINT ; “whatever it takes.”

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite​:

She never had to worry about repeating herself when it came to Clint. They weren’t big on conversations, but the ones they had were memorable enough without repeating. She knew she had a lot of making up to do, and that was going to take actions, not words. It was a tall order, but maybe she could start by taking a little more care with her life. She cleaned up the mess in the bathroom and found a better place for her weapons than all over the floor, a couple on her because her usual level of paranoia was back. Thanos was dead (again), but they’d always have enemies.

She wandered back into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee and perch on the counter to watch him cook. If he wanted to put her to work, she’d be glad to do something, but she didn’t mind watching him do it either. Nat was fully in favor of letting people do things for her if they wanted to, at least until she felt like doing it herself. Then it was best to get out of her way. She yawned, tipping her head back against the cabinet. “We should go grocery shopping. You up to anything else today?”

.

While he worked on breakfast and draining his coffee pot, he resolutely ignored the whopping headache that had come from the last forty-eight hours. His best friend was back from the dead, the universe was restored, his body ached in ways that were far from fun. If his head was a mess, then he didn’t even want to think about what it was like inside Nat’s. 

When she came into the kitchen, he didn’t make a move to ask her for help. He was in a rhythm and it let him stay busy and take care of her in one of the few ways she allowed. “Nope. So I guess grocery shopping it is,” he shrugged and handed her a loaded plate.

[justlikethenamesays]

vvidowbite​:

Natasha loved that smile, and it meant a little more to her today when she’d thought it might be missing for a while. “You could never be boring.” She kissed his cheek. The mood had shifted again, lifting some of the weight off them, and she was happy to let it go for now. She and Clint could only do sad, serious conversations in short bursts, if they did them at all.

She huffed when he shoved her off, watching his back and briefly contemplating leaping on it. She could make it from there, but she decided against it and settled back into the pillows. Her body still ached from the battle. “And coffee!” she called after him. She got up anyway though, since brushing her teeth and collecting her weapons from the bathroom were starting to feel like real necessities. 

Serious conversations were never going to be something he did willingly, and even torture would only work so much to get him to talk. In this case, things had been needed to be heard and said on both sides. But with them, once it was said, they never had to rehash the subject the way others liked to do on occasion. They didn’t need to dive deep, having an understanding of one another that most people didn’t have. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he called back, waving his hand over his shoulder. He already had plans for a giant pot, immediately followed by another. He could drink coffee all day the way most normal people drank water. It was easy to get the coffee started before gathering what he needed for waffles and washing a couple of plates for them to be able to use. Grimacing, he added a trip to the grocery store to his list of things to do. When the first pot of coffee was done, he pulled it to him and put his extra pot on so it could start working while he started making the batter and sipping out of the first pot.