Budapest

Chapter 8:

Clint: I sat with Natasha for a little while, just sitting. Telling her story had shaken her up a bit. If she was acting, it was pretty good. 

Later were were talking a little more. "Okay so explain to me how a girl who loved doing ballet ends up loving being an assassin." 

"First, I'm not an assassin, I am a spy," Natasha said, "Second, what makes you think I love what I do." 

"You can hate Drakeov all you want, but you can't hide the fact that you do, you love what you do," I said. 

"How athletic do you think a ballerina is?" she asked. 

"Athletic. Now as athletic as you are now, but definitely good," I said. 

"Wrong," she said, "Being a ballerina takes skill and a lot of effort. I like the fact that, because of my past as a ballerina, this is all easy. I like the fact that I'm of use, and good at what I do. I like the fact that I do this best." 

"Hm," I said. 

"I think its your turn though," she said, putting her elbows on her knees and propping her head in her hands, "Tell me your story." 

"What so you can give it to Drakeov. I don't think so," I said, laughing. 

"Come on. You would bet money at this point that I wouldn't tell Drakeov, so what do you have to loose?" 

"Fine," I muttered, "I too happen to be an orphan. I was in and out of this idiotic foster home. Unlike your story though, I was the younger sibling. My bother, took care of me. But the foster home obviously wasn't working. So my brother got this idea. Join the circus, travel the world, make money. So, we did." 

"You're a carnie?" Natasha asked, raising a judging eyebrow. 

"You're a ballerina?" I asked, giving her the same look, "Listen, you don't have to know where this ends." 

"Fine fine, I'll shut up," she said, raising her hands in surrender. 

"Anyway, we did. That's where I was trained to use my bow. I was trained by my brother, who ended up being known as Trickshot, and this guy known only by the name Swordsman. I got good. Really good. People would come, just to see me. I had the time of my life." 

"So how'd you end up in SHIELD?" Natasha asked, impatiently. 

"I'm getting there. I sat through your whole sob story," I said. 

Natasha made a motion of ziping her lips. I continued, "Anyway, eventually it wasn't enough for me. So my brother and I left. I decided I wanted to fight crime. I tried, and was actually accused of being a thief. That's when Fury found me. He said I had potential. So he hired me." 

"What about your brother?" Natasha asked, quietly. 

"Fury didn't have a need for him. First it was back in the Circus. He never wanted to leave. But then he found a new calling," I said, looking down, "He met this idiot. Said he'd pay him a ton of dough, I mean a lot, to use his skills with an arrow. So my brother did it. He ended up in a Mercenary Group, or maybe he started it. I haven't talked to him since I joined SHIELD, but he's been on the radar a ton lately. He'll do anything for good enough pay." 

"Sorry," Natasha said. 

I shook my head, "Whatever. He made his decision, I made mine." 

"So you don't talk," she asked. 

"Nope," I said, "Once I tried to get ahold of him. He was in the wind though. According to what I've heard he still does Circus. I just wish I could find him. Talk to him. Get him to talk to SHIELD."

"Not everyone uses their powers for good," Natasha said, "Maybe we could work together, when this whole thing is over, and I drop Drakeov, to find him."

"I wouldn't ask you to do that. We have duties and missions. I don't think its really practical," I said.

"It doesn't have to be practical for it to feel good. And after all, you saved my life. Doing that would be the least I could do," Natasha said, smiling. I smiled.

"You know, you can drop the American accent," I said, realizing her voice was still using the accent.

"Actually, I can't. When they taught me to speak English, they taught me to only speak it with an American Accent or an English Accent," Natasha said.

"Hm," I said, then laughed a little to myself.  She smiled again. "You have no idea how much I wish you weren't the KGB agent."

"What would be different if I weren't?" Natasha asked.

"Everything. I wouldn't question everything I say to you. I would ask you out, I'd..." I trailed off.

"You'd?"Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow. I couldn't do it anymore.

"I'd do this," I said, suddenly leaning forward, pressing my lips to hers. And, much to my surprise, she kissed me back.