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Italics are flashback things.

Ten Things to Know About Strike Team Delta

Of all of his many duties that he performs for SHIELD, Nick Fury's favorite by far is introducing people to Strike Team Delta. He finds never-ending joy in watching their faces as they see videos of Hawkeye and Black Widow in battle. He smiles when they read the dossiers, their eyes betraying their uncertainty about what pieces of information are real and which are not. But every once in a long while, Fury has to introduce this duo to someone in a serious way. Such was the situation Fury found himself in as he sat behind his desk as Maria Hill looked over the Clint Barton's and Natasha Romanoff's files. Her face showed no shock, no disbelief, and, frankly, that was the only reason Fury was willing to give her the job she held.

"What else do I need to know about these two?" Hill asked as she stood next to the chair on the opposite side of Fury's desk (she never sat in the chair, it was a sign of submission).

"I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to get at, Agent Hill," Fury responded curtly.

"No one ever puts everything into someone's file. What additional information do I need to work successfully with Strike Team Delta?"

Fury thought hard. Then with a small smile he gestured for Hill to sit in the chair provided. She did and he began.

"The first thing you should know is that, no matter what you might be inclined to think, Clint and Natasha are people. They have feelings and can be hurt."

Natasha was sitting beside a brick wall just staring at the bodies littering the ground. Her heart wasn't beating faster than normal, her mind wasn't racing, to the world around her she just looked bone-tired. And she was, but that wasn't all because inside her mind she was screaming. Just one long, never-ending scream that echoed through all of time. She had burned the building. She had killed them all. Every single last one of them She had killed. But most importantly, she had promised she wouldn't.

Every person in that building was supposed to be alive and being flown to SHILED headquarters. She had messed up. She had messed up royally. Natasha knew what was coming when she went back to SHILED. Fury would scream at her for ruining the mission. She would be suspended for the next couple of months. Coulson wouldn't talk to her because he had been ordered not to. Clint would have to work with that obnoxious blond who wouldn't mess up a single mission because she would be too busy flirting with Clint.

Natasha didn't want to have to deal with it.

So with her eyes dry, she put her head in her hands, and made a decision. She left her gun, took off the SHIELD insignia on her uniform, put down everything she had on her, and ran. She ran as fast as she could. She would go somewhere no one could find her. The only people who would look for her would be mercenaries and men who wanted someone dead. No one would try to recruit her. No one would see her cry or take pity on her. She wouldn't disappoint Clint. Not anymore. He probably wouldn't even know for a month, what with all the secrecy that her defection would undoubtedly require. It would all end.

When Clint sees all of Natasha's belongings sitting next to a broken brick wall he screams her name. He asks the local authorities if they have seen her. He activates the tracking device that is supposed to be attached until he realizes that it too is sitting on the sidewalk, abandoned. He's never been more terrified. He wanders the streets of Budapest for hours, searching for her, his mind racing and heart beating so fast it hurts. When he thinks no one is looking, Clint sits down, takes out his communication unit, and cries. He cries because his best friend is gone and he doesn't know where to find her and because he knows that unless she wants to be found, he won't find her. He won't find Natasha ever again.

But she's Natasha and he's Clint and their on their way to something much greater than partners and best friends, so Clint hops into a car and starts driving, windows rolled down, shouting her name until his voice is hoarse.

He'll look for eight days before he finds Natasha barely conscious laying on the ground outside of the city. It will be eight days before he gathers her in his arms ("You're so small, Natasha. When was the last time you ate?) and gives her the choice he gave her two years earlier. It will be eight days before Natasha agrees to come back to SHIELD. It will be eight days before Clint finds out why she ran away in the first place. It will be eight days before he reassures her that he will never be disappointed in her. It will be eight days before Natasha falls asleep in Clint's arms.

"And Hill, make sure their cell phone bills are always paid."

The clock says 4:06 when Natasha picks up her phone. She smiles when she sees who the caller is because it's high time that he called her. "You're late," is all she says when she answers.

Clint makes multiple attempts to explain why he hasn't been calling her as often as he normally does before Natasha cuts him off and asks, "Are you going to be back soon?" Natasha smiles in her bed when she hears his answer and they just talk after. They talk about foods that he tried, what new weapon she got. They discuss the upcoming missions they are going to have. They talk until the sun rises.

Clint and Natasha only end their call when she's standing on the landing pad of SHIELD's Hellicarrier looking at Clint as he hurries to give her a hug.

"And when one of them gets hurt always remember to put two beds in the infirmary."

"It's just a flesh wound, Nat."

"That's what you said last time, Clint. And remember what it turned out to be?"

"I'm so glad you're always there for me."

"Stop with the sarcasm, Barton."

"I learned from the best."

"You know you did."

"Agent Romanoff, we're going to have to ask you to leave the infirmary. Doctor Smith and myself have some things we need to do for Agent Barton before we release him."

"I'm not leaving him."

"Nurse Jones, please don't make Tasha leave."

"I'm sorry, but rules say she has to go."

"I'm not leaving."

"Please go before we have to all security, Agent Romanoff."

"No."

"You're being here won't help him."

"Yes it will."

"She's right. Nat always makes me feel better."

"Fine…"

"They like undercover missions the best so don't try to use them as punishment."

When Clint and Natasha get back to SHIELD after an undercover mission she's wearing a Victorian-style dress and Clint has a cowboy hat on and both are talking with German accents and they can't control their bursts of laughter.

When asked to report on what happened to cause such laughter, both reply, "It's classified."

"Contrary to popularly belief, they are physically capable of having fun," Fury continues, as he moves about his office.

"I vote 'no' on the birthday party," Natasha said, probably louder than necessary.

Clint turned to eye his partner with a look of determination on his face, "I vote 'yes' on the birthday party. And I already told Briggs that we would be there."

"Then why did you ask me if I wanted to come?"

"Because I figured it would be safer to pretend like you had a choice in the matter."

"So you are afraid of me," Natasha's voice rung with a sense of triumph. The two partners had been having an ongoing argument about whether or not Clint was afraid of Natasha.

"No, I'm not. I just value the ability to walk. Unlike some people who like to jump off buildings."

"Says the guy who practically lives on the edge of the roof."

"Says the girl who begs for all the toughest missions."

"Says the guy who turns down all the boring ones because his 'skill-level is far too superior to be wasted on such menial tasks as surveillance'."

"Whatever."

The two friends bicker and argue for hours. Pillow fights are involved, as are shooting competitions, and about four calls to Coulson for an unbiased opinion.

16 minutes after the party starts, Agent Briggs assumes that Clint and Natasha are probably away on a mission.

Fury is leafing through a report as he continues, "And they may seem like machines with endless battery, but I would always suggest that you give them some down-time."

"Which one, Nat?" Clint asked as he held up two movies for her inspection.

Rolling her eyes at her partner, Natasha shot back, "I already told you. I don't care."

"But you always have an opinion. Always."

"Clint, my brain is fried and I was told that I wouldn't have to do anything tonight. That includes picking a movie. Watch whichever one you want."

"Fine. No need to be in a bad mood."

"Sorry," Natasha replied as she pulled her hands through her hair. " I'm just tired."

"I bet. Fighting 20 men at once will do that to a person," Clint smiles at his partner as he finds his spot next to her on the couch.

"Well, if you had gotten there on time…" Natasha taunted, moving away from Clint as she awaited the inevitable retaliation for her jibe.

Clint's shocked face and the pillow that he threw at Natasha's legs would have been a sign that he was hurt by the comment to most people. But because he is Clint Barton and she is Natasha Romanoff and they are best friends on their way to becoming much more, Natasha just smiles at her partner.

After hours of laughing and cheesy jokes about the movie, both fall asleep on the couch. When Fury asks them what they watched the next day, neither is quite sure.

"And sometimes they get scared, but they won't tell you that, so you have to look for it," Hill just nods and jots down notes as Fury talks.

After a nightmare, both Clint and Natasha will always take a walk to clear their heads. Clint will head up to the roof and Natasha will head down to the training room, so their paths rarely ever cross. They will shoot targets or look at the city until the rising sun reminds them that their nightmares are fake and they find the strength to face the world once more. They fight their personal demons, run from their worst fears, cower before the impossibility that is happiness, alone. They do it all alone. Always.

Until one night.

Their paths cross as he heads up and she heads down. They don't say a word. There are no hugs, no whispers of comfort. Not even a nod of acknowledgment. They just brush they're shaking hands together as they pass in the hallway.

"You should also remember that; yes, Coulson is a member of Strike Team Delta and Clint and Natasha will make sure you remember that."

If you ask Agent Johnson what he said to get the bruises that continually cover at least half of his body, he'll just shake his head and tell you that he doesn't really remember, if he's being honest. If you ask his partner, Agent Green, he'll just laugh and recount the story of the time his rookie-partner had insulted Agent Phil Coulson in front of Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. He'll tell you about the sleepless nights filled with train exercises meant only for Agent Johnson, supervised by Agent Barton. He'll chuckle as he tells you about his partner suddenly getting a new hand-to-hand combat trainer.

If you ever ask Agent Johnson what his biggest mistake in life was, he'll just tell you to never insult Agent Phil Coulson.

"And there is a reason we call them the best, Hill."

No arrows. No bullets. Backs up against the wall. No reinforcements. No calling for help. Just dozens of advancing men with guns and blood-thirsty smiles.

Clint and Natasha roll their eyes and start fighting.

After the debriefing, Fury just sits down and wonders at Strike Team Delta's skill at making it through practically impossible situations unscathed.

"Is there anything else I should know, sir?" Hill asks, putting her pen back in her pocket.

"Are you the betting type, Hill?"

"No, sir."

"Pity, I was hoping to make a bet with you."

"About what, sir?"

"About Strike Team Delta. Because I can promise you that they may not be in a relationship now, but they will be."

Four years later, Nick Fury makes over $400 off of his colleagues as Agents Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff kiss in the corner. It's a good day at SHIELD.

Author's Note: Hey, guys! Long time, no story. Let me know how you liked this in a review (because don't we all love reviews?). As always, thanks for your time by reading and reviewing.

Someone loves you,

-When In Doubt, Smile