"Tash! Tash! Wait up" shouted Clint as he ran after Natasha.

"No Clint! Get lost!" replied Natasha as she darted in another direction, in an attempt to lose him.

"Ok my bad Tash, I took it too far, im sorry"

With that Natasha stopped in her tracks, and spun round. Rage radiating off her, Clint knew he had crossed the line this time. He tried his best to slow down before smacking into her, stopping just short of toppling her over. He gulped. Natasha looked up with venom in her eyes, and stared Clint down.

"That's the last time I ever tell you anything Barton. You just put me right in it there, everyone saw it. How the hell am I supposed to work and gain respect from the team if they think I have a crush. I'm not supposed to have a heart Clint!"

"Ok ok Tash, I accept that it was a pretty shitty move from me. But I couldn't have the team thinking you're better than me" Clint replied with a boyish grin.

Natasha's face remained stoic as she rolled her eyes.

"I thought I could trust you Clint! Is that all it takes? For me to be doing better and you're going to push me down the river without a paddle? I thought we were friends….no more than friends I thought we were partners!"

"Ok Nat, I know, that was a real dick move. Im sorry. But I just wanted to give you a nudge in the right direction. It doesn't matter what the rest of the team think, they respect you as the Avenger you are, not as some silly little girl. Stop using us as excuses. He's not going to be single forever you know. You have to tell him."

"I'm not sure Clint. Im no good for him. I don't wanna mess this up, not between me and him. Not between the team. They deserve better than some school girl crush'.

"Look Tash, the Cap isn't going to wait around for ever. He may be old but he's not blind, he has women falling at his feet wherever he goes. But he'd be stupid to pass up on an opportunity with you, Cap may be many things, but not stupid. You just need to go with your heart. Yeah that heart that everyone knows you've got and you're actually allowed to have. You're not a monster Natasha, you're a human being and you have needs, whether you want to accept them or not."

"Clint, emotions are messy, you of all people know that. And with a past like mine I don't deserve someone like Cap, hell, I don't deserve anyone at all. The quicker you realise that the better. You know it's easier being a spy in my line of work without having any strings attached."

"Yeah, that may be true for who you were, but that's not who you are now. You're not some cold blooded assassin who doesn't care about anyone. You're part of the team. You're an Avenger. You are a GOOD person, so you've done some stuff in your past that you regret, don't we all. But you have no move on, you deserve happiness Natasha, or at least a shot at it. Don't tell me the infamous Black Widow is gonna pass up a shot."

"You're right Clint. But I still hate you!"

Clint surged forward and pulled Natasha into a tight hug.

"I love you to Natasha. Now go get him!" Clint whispered to Natasha as they broke away from their embrace.

Natasha's POV

"Yes Clint's right. I shouldn't be wasting chances. I might not be right for the Captain but I'll let him decide that. Now….if only I could string a sentence together without turning beetroot and face palming. Miss Romonova, it's about time you stepped up to the mark."