Love is for children

"Dammit Natasha, stay still." Clint growled as he tried to wipe away the blood from a cut above her eye.

She responded with a scoff and a shake of her head.

"Nat." Clint said in a warning tone. He bent so that he faced her eye to eye. "Listen to me."

"When have I ever listened to anyone Clint?" she said teasingly, her eyes glinting in contrast to his seriousness.

"Hmmm," he paused, tilting his head slightly. "I guess I'll have to persuade you then."

"Persuade me?" Natasha scoffed again. "Never."

"Oh?" Clint said, leaning closer so that Natasha could feel his soft minty breath against her face. Hear the soft rasp of his breathing. Smell his warm, comforting scent of fletching glue and leather. "Are you sure about that?"

Natasha froze. With all other guys, the Black Widow knew how to seduce them, lead them and then leave them hanging. But she wasn't the Black Widow here. She wasn't even Agent Natasha Romannoff. No, right here - right now and in front of Clint Barton - she was plain old Natasha.

He leaned closer so that now their noses were touching. Teasingly he tilted his head. His sandy hair brushed her forehead, tickling her crazily. His nose traced a path down her left cheek. It tingled like mad and all Natasha could do was maddeningly stay frozen like a deer in headlights.

"Y-you can't persuade me that easily." she stuttered, trying to argue with her inner self more than anything else.

The corners of his mouth twitched. She felt the movement; saw the teasing grin. "And you're certain about that?" he asked, drawing out the question playfully.

"O-of course." Natasha uttered. I'm Black Widow. She told herself, and Black Widow does not fall so easily.

"Then I guess," Clint said, letting out a soft sigh that Natasha could practically taste. "I have to work a little harder." He raised his right gloved hand and sketched a pattern across her right arm. His touch was gentle yet electrifying. It was a soft twisting movement, working its way up her arm. Even through the thick leather, Natasha could feel the connection. It drove her mad but she strove to stay still. She would never relent control that easily.

"You'll have to try a little harder." she murmured and was rewarded with the flutter of Clint's chest. As if his heart beat had stuttered. Time for the Black Widow to have some action, she purred inside. She raised her left hand and planted it firmly on his sturdy chest. Then flirtatiously, teasingly, she crept up his chest, her hands moving like a tiny spider climbing up a spout. This time Clint stilled. He held his breath as her ungloved hand reached his exposed neck. It brushed against tender skin softly, temptingly.

"I guess...I will have to try a little harder." Clint gasped.

Natasha smiled. A coy, tiny smile.

She brought her face closer to his. This time their noses touched, icy sprinkles of connection sparking between them. Their lips were a baby's breath away from each other. They both held their breaths.

Then Natasha broke the silence with a quiet, suggestive whisper. "Maybe...not that much harder."

Clint smiled and then brought his lips to her. They were warm, a contrast to her cold, battered body. They were soft, as juxtaposed to her tough exterior. They fitted perfectly against his. They sealed the connection between the two of them.

Natasha purred with pleasure and suddenly changed the soft, sweet kiss to a fevered one. She dug one hand into his short hair, drawing his closer. The other was pressed firmly to the small of his back, encouraging him to be as close as possible.

Clint responded was rushed emotion, fervently pulling Natasha closer. He turned them around so that he was now sitting and Natasha was in his lap, one of her legs kneeling on the metal seat and the other propping them both up. His hands were on her face, her hair and her back. They stroked her closer and closer. As if he couldn't bear be any further from her.

Natasha licked his bottom lip. He nipped hers. Their tongues drew each other even nearer.

Finally they stopped. They felt satisfied - sated. Their emotions were so clear and they both breathed heavily. Clint pulled Natasha down properly so she sat in his lap, both arms around his neck.

"That was perfect." she breathed.

"Of course it was." he whispered. "We were always perfect together."

Natasha couldn't help it. She giggled. A soft, vibrating laugh that she hadn't realized she had. It has been a long time since she laughed louder than a condescending scoff.

"Hey." Clint said appraisingly. "What was that?"

"What was what?" she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

Clint looked down at her. "What was that crazy, sexy laugh?"

Natasha pushed him away playfully. "You flirtatious bastard." She didn't mean a word of it. Instead she laughed again, marveling at the feeling of pure joy. At being with her Hawkeye.

"You are mine right?" Clint asked, a moment of worry passing through his beautiful face.

"Yours?" Natasha peered at him with a displeased expression. Clint sucked his breath in, fearing he had angered the highly independent assassin. "What are you talking about? You're mine." she murmured. He let out a breath, chuckled and placed an affectionate kiss on her cheek.

"Gods, Tasha." he sighed. "You always know how to keep me on my toes."

"You know that." she affirmed. "And I always will." Natasha smiled and leaned in for another kiss.

But Clint suddenly paused, eyebrows furrowing in anger as he looked over her shoulder. Natasha turned around to see what had caught his attention. The gleam of a camera attracted her sight immediately and she felt her anger brewing as well.

"Stark!" Clint growled, threat clear in his tone. The camera was quickly replaced with the sheepish expression of Bruce, Steve and the approving look of Thor. Tony then chose to make his appearance as he turned off the camera. "Now, folks." he said waving one hand in the air as if to stop whatever Clint has to say next. "That was one fantastic show of a kiss and it would be a crime to not share it with the world."

Clint glared at him. "With that said," Tony added as he hurried away. "I'm going to post this on YouTube now. Au revoir."

Bruce, Steve and Thor ducked as a sudden succession of three arrows whipped through the air. In the direction of Tony of course. "Hey!" came an outraged cry. "Civilian harm here! We're in America. I could totally sue you! Don't you feel pity for the handsome victim of these OUCH arrows?" His answer came in the form of Natasha's knives. The other three men quickly departed, leaving the two alone again.

"I'll get Stark one of these days." Clint hissed through clenched teeth. Natasha smiled and leaned back against her warm Hawkeye again. "Buuuut...maybe later." Clint amended.

She chuckled. "You know," Clint mused. Natasha murmured an intrigued noise. "You used to say that love was for children."

Natasha paused, thinking for a moment. "I did." she agreed.

"And?"

"Well, love is for children." she affirmed.

"But?"

Natasha grinned. Clint knew her too well. "But I wouldn't call this love."

"What would it be then?"

"How about..." she searched for the right word. "How about, a passionate and electrifying connection between two people."

Clint laughed out loud. "You never give in, do you Tasha." he said fondly.

"Of course not." she agreed.

"Hmmm. I don't think that name really gives what we have justice." Clint pondered. "I'd rather think of it as..." he trailed off.

"As?" Natasha prompted him.

"As eternity."

"Romanticist." Natasha teased.

"I prefer to call it insanely in love." Clint retorted, all the while bending down to kiss Natasha on the nose.

"Didn't I tell you?" Natasha pouted. "Love is for children."

"Too bad." Clint smirked. "Because we are still children."

And for that moment, it was worth being a child again.