not-OOM: With Natasha in Milliways, post-cells

[hasthehighground]

Clint hasn't been hanging out in the cells today, beyond a brief pit-stop in the morning to say hi. He knows she gets let out and, frankly, probably doesn't want him there while she talks to Security about what she promises her best behavior going forth.

He wouldn't want her there, at least. She might laugh at him.

Instead, he has the table closest to the exit from the hallways to the Security office, with a book he's reading and headphones he's not actually listening to. He's just not really interested in talking to anyone other than Nat.

And a pair of purple headphones won't dissuade her.

Comments

[hasthehighground]

"I'm not going to start doubting you now," he says, tapping his finger against her knee. "The legend, on the other hand..."

The criminal underworld is full of gossips. He smiles.

"Hawkeye never misses, and the Winter Soldier never gets thrown in prison."

[redintheledger]

"And the Black Widow can look like anyone."

Natasha smiles.

"That's the trouble with legends, I guess. You finally meet us and no, actually, we do all need to sleep and do the groceries."

[hasthehighground]

"Hey now," Clint says, with a huffed laugh, "I didn't mean I'm a legend, not like you guys. I meant you're going to have to tell me what's bullshit."

[redintheledger]

"Well. He exists and he's human, for one thing."

Fine, Clint. See through her vague attempts at procrastination.

"I'd say he's very nearly as good as rumour as it. Within human reason." Beat. "Doesn't have your aim, and they fucked with his head even more than they did mine, which can't improve performance levels. He says he's a free agent now, but I don't know what the means."





So, she's still stalling, a bit. But at least this time, her answer is more useful.

[hasthehighground]

It's not bragging to say that someone not having Clint's aim doesn't, exactly, mean much.

But he just nods an acknowledgement.

"You're waiting until you know what it means," he says. "Okay. Anything else you want me to know?"

[redintheledger]

"We have a truce," she says finally. "He hurts you, I hurt his people. Of which at least two are here, so I'd have access..."

She smiles, not really amused.

"Apparently Hydra is still a viable threat. But I have no intel on that. Yet. So, if you could keep your eyes, but on the downlow? That'd be good."

[hasthehighground]

He doesn't blink at the truce. He knows Natasha is ruthless; he also knows a promise ensured by a threat is safer.

HYDRA does get a blink. "Back in '96 -- no, '97. Ran into a group using the HYDRA name, out in Slovakia. It went deeper than just a recruitment strategy, they had ideological connections, but the trail went cold after we cleared them out. Might not be connected to what you're looking at, but the agent in charge was a Stefan ... Pekar, I think."

[redintheledger]

"It's more than I had before. I look him up, when I get chance."

Natasha breathes.










"I left him there," she says abruptly. "Alex. James. When I got out. I left him there. And then I couldn't find him. I gave up in the mid-nineties. Then Odessa he shoots me, and he can't even remember-"

[hasthehighground]

"Natasha," Clint says, rough, the emotion in her voice catching at his heart like something jagged.

He doesn't know what to say. Natasha knows you can't always choose your exits, knows she's not to blame for what they did, for what Alex did because of them.

He extends a hand to her, helpless. He can't fix it.

[redintheledger]

Guilt is not something Natasha feels very often. Responsibility for her actions, yes. A knowledge that she owes the damn universe and will never make up for her crimes that, by any standard, were crimes, yes. But not guilt.

Now, it's written all over her.

She looks at Clint, face starting to crumple even as she crawls back to where he is, taking his hand as she curls into him.

He can't fix it. But, well.

Hugs go a long way.

[hasthehighground]

Hugs he can do.

Clint wraps his other arm around her, bent at the elbow so his forearm lays up along her spine, keeping her close.

His breathing is quiet, and purposefully steady.

[redintheledger]

Her breathing is stuttered, shaking, missing beats and then catching up by being too rapid.

Eventually, though, it evens out in time to his, and she shifts her head against his shoulder.

"Think I win the 'who has the craziest ex' pool at HQ yet?" She asks, voice rougher than normal. It's a joke.

Kinda.

[hasthehighground]

"You're definitely in the running," Clint says, turning his head slightly to press a kiss into her hair. "Lynette from Acquisitions, though...."

It's hard to compete with a story that includes tesla coils.

[redintheledger]

Natasha's laugh is a faint thing, but it's a step up from her almost-sobs of before.

"Point."

[hasthehighground]

He breathes a quiet laugh into her hair.

Somewhere downstairs, the Winter Soldier is going about his business.

Outside the door, there's a world always two steps away from disaster.

But they can stay here as long as they need to.