Clint has never seen him like this- all fidgety and nervous. Steve Rogers was nervous, that's a sight that Clint thought he'd never see. "So are you going to tell me something, or are you just going to twitch a little more?"

Steve looked up from where he was wringing his hands nervously. "Am I twitching?"

"A little."

Steve sighed and leaned back in his chair. The common room was empty except for them, and Steve took one last look at the door before turning back to Clint. "It's about Natasha, and something that I've been thinking about for awhile." He paused for a moment. "I know how much you love Nat, and I know because I love her just as much. Of course we love her in different ways-"

"Steve, just spit it out."

Steve took another quick glance at the door before turning to face Clint. "I'm planning on proposing to Nat, and I want your blessing."

"You want my blessing? Why are you asking me?"

"It's only right, Clint." Steve started. "We both know that Natasha likes to be independent. But everyone needs someone to look after them, whether they want them to or not. And before I came along, you were the only one looking after her, and it was when she needed someone the most."

Natasha and Clint's friendship was strange. Its always been strange. When Clint first brought Natasha to SHIELD, he didn't feel right just leaving her alone. At first she stayed at the small apartments in SHIELD, which were used by agents who were in between missions. She was always in them. She was always working. She never spoke to anyone. When they were paired together, Clint was determined to find a way into her life. "I remember when I first brought her here, the things the Red Room did to her-"

"She told me." Steve interrupted. "She told me about how she use to handcuff herself to the bed and why she refuses to watch cartoons."

"She told you?" Clint questioned. He knew Natasha trusted Steve, trusted him enough to be in a relationship with him, but he didn't think she'd opened up to him that much.

She must really love him.

"They fucked her up so much, and she's still trying to fix herself. I tried to help her, and I still am trying, but there's only so much I could do." Clint met Steve's gaze and continued speaking, this time with much more certainty in his voice. "She's not weak. Don't ever think that she's weak. She just needs people to open up to. What I'm saying is she's finally got some good in her life, and she deserves it more than any of us. So yes, you have my blessing."

Steve stood up, and his chair fell to the floor with a clatter. "Really?"

"Yes, you old man, really." By the time the words came out of Clint's mouth, Steve was already at the elevator. "Just make sure I'm the best man, and not Stark!" Clint called after him.

"I promise!" Steve called back before the elevator doors closed.

Natasha never officially moved in with him. One night she crawled into his bed, then she just starting sleeping in his bed every night- not that Steve ever complained. But she still had a few of her possessions on her floor, which Steve will take great pride in moving to his floor once he got a ring on her finger.

Steve sat on the edge of their bed, spinning a small black box in his hands. She wasn't home yet, and Steve watched the minutes tick by on the clock as he went through what to say in his head. He knew she wouldn't want a huge speech, so he kept it short.

"You didn't have to wait for me." Steve's head flicked up at the sound of Natasha's voice, and he quickly stuffed the black box in his pocket. She was leaning against the doorframe, her hands stuffed in her pockets.

"I wanted to," he said, rising from the bed.

He crossed the room to her and slipped his hands onto her hips. "I missed you," he said, pulling her into the center of the room. He closed the door, he wanted this to be a private moment between them.

"I was only gone a few hours, Steve," she said.

"Well, I've been wanting to talk to you about something, so a few hours can seem like a long time."

She leaned her head against his chest and looked up at him. "What's on your mind?"

"It's a surprise. Close your eyes." She raised an eyebrow, and he laughed. "C'mon, Nat, close them."

She closed her eyes. He knelt down on one knee. "This better not be some weird sex thing."

"Nat!"

"Joking, Rogers."

Clint's words echoed through his head.

She's not weak. Don't ever think she's weak.

Steve knew how strong she was. Late in the night when they both couldn't sleep, she'd quietly tell him about the horrors of the red room. Each word was whispered like a secret as she spoke into the crook of his neck. Steve could picture it as she spoke, young girls all lined up to fight each other, the crowded bunk rooms, the handcuffs on the beds. He didn't even want to think about the things she didn't tell him- the things even Natasha couldn't think of. But through everything she still managed to laugh and smile and love. And out of everyone she could have loved, she chose him. It was that thought that made him speak. "Open them."

She didn't shout out or accept right away, but she was surprised. Barely any surprise, but it was there in her raised eyebrows and the small gasp she let out. Steve smiled, he actually took Natasha Romanoff by surprise.

She stayed quiet, but when he slipped his hand into hers, she squeezed his hand. "I don't think I've ever met anyone as strong as you, and it would be an honor to call you my wife." He considered using her old name, Natalia Romanova, but he thought better of it. Natalia Romanova was a young girl forced to give up her childhood to be turned into a weapon. Natasha Romanoff was who she became when the name of Natalia became too tainted. It was her second chance. A way to bring good into the world. And she was who Steve fell in love with. "Natasha Romanoff, will you marry me?"

There was a flash of hesitation in her eyes, but it left just as quickly as it came. No one else would have noticed it, but Steve did. He'd like to say he wasn't hurt by that quick flash of hesitation, but he was. It hurt.

But then there was something else. A smile. A crouch. A kiss. Then a simple reply that was neither a rejection or acceptance. "So you finally decided to make an honest women out of me?"

She didn't say anything else, she just stayed kneeling on the floor with him, on both knees instead of one. His hands slid onto her hips, and a smile tugged on his lips. He laughed an easy laugh that was tinged with nervousness. "Is that a yes?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, the smile still on her face. Anticipation was slowly twining its way through him, and he was sure his face was showing it. His eyes flicked over her face and his eyebrows were knitted together. For a few moments, the only sound in the room was the sound of their breathing. Then she spoke. "Of course it's a yes, you dork."

Relief and joy rushed through him, and his face broke into a smile. He pulled her flush against his chest, and gently turned her face towards him to kiss her. The kiss held a promise of their future and they both smiled as they held each other in the dim light of their bedroom.

The next morning was like any other, the common room was busy with all the avengers going through their morning routines. Steve and Natasha were the last ones to make it downstairs. They could hear everyone's voices in the elevator.

First it was Tony's. "Barton, why do you insist on using that piece of crap coffee machine?"

"Because it's mine, and not your fancy-" Clint was cut off by a zap and a few gasp. The elevator opened the same time the smoke alarm went off. Multiple things were happening at once: Bruce was extinguishing the fire, Tony had his head in his hands, and Thor was trying to turn off the smoke alarm.

Steve and Natasha entered the kitchen unnoticed. They stood silently, looking at the scene in front of them until Steve spoke. "Nat and I are engaged."

Everyone froze and turned to them. The only sound in the room was the beeping of the smoke alarm. Natasha's eyes flicked to Clint, he didn't look upset or even shocked, he was leaning against the counter and smiling. Finally, Tony broke the silence. "Are you serious?"

"Yup," Steve said, wrapping his arm around Natasha and pulling her to his side. Natasha held up her hand and wiggled her fingers at them.

"Can someone turn that thing off?" Tony said. Thor reached up and punched the alarm, efficiently shutting it off. "Not like that!" Tony called.

"My apologies," Thor said. He crossed the room in two long strides and pulled Steve and Natasha into a tight hug. "Congratulations are in order."

Natasha patted his back. "You're crushing me, Buddy."

When Thor released her, she was instantly pulled into Bruce's much more gentle embrace. "Congratulations, Natasha."

"Thank you, Bruce."

Tony had slapped Steve on the back before giving Natasha a hug. "Congrats, Red."

"Now we're all wondering when you're going to pop the question to Pepper," Natasha said. Tony froze and Natasha pulled back, laughing.

Clint was the last one to congratulate her. Like Tony, he had given Steve a small pat on the back, but unlike Tony, he murmured something to him. They both laughed, and Natasha's eyebrows raised. "I was already promised best man," Clint said, pulling her into his embrace.

Natasha hugged him a lot tighter than she did with everyone else. "You knew," she said. A statement, not a question.

He didn't bother lying to her, she would see right through him. "I did."

She pulled back and her hands fell to her side. "Did he tell you?"

"The old man asked for my blessing."

Natasha froze. She knew that Steve was old fashion, but she didn't think he'd go as far as asking Clint for his blessing. He loved her. He really loved her. Natasha's eyes met Steve's, and he gave her a small smile before Thor slapped him on the back and he lost his balance. Natasha's lips tugged into a smile.

"He's really something."

AN: I believe that people can fix themselves, but I also believe that everyone does need some help. You can't live life alone, and I did try to show this throughout the story. I hope you all enjoyed it, and please kindly leave a review!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Marvel.