I Never Miss

A Soul for A Soul

Clint raised his head as Nat held his hand in hers. He realised, in that moment, they were not on the same page. "I'm starting to think we mean different people here, Natasha," he said softly.

"For the last five years, I’ve been trying to do one thing," Nat said, looking Clint sharply in the eye, "get to right here. This is all it’s been about. Bringing everybody back."

"Do not get all decent on me," he said. It had to be a joke, it had to be.

Nat smiled slightly as she spoke. "You think I want to do it? I’m trying to save your life, you idiot."

Clint moved closer, holding Nat's hand tighter. "And I don't want you to, how's that?" He waited, he wanted her to know, to back down, but she was not going to. "Natasha, you know what I've done," he smiled softly, "you know what I've become." He nodded his head, letting her know he's made his decision and is at peace with it.

"Oh, I don't judge people on their worst mistakes."

Clint swallowed, trying to stop himself from acting. He looked Nat up and down before softly speaking. "Maybe you should."

Nat moved her head, fighting back her tears. "You didn't."

Clint's heart sank. He swallowed again, looking her up and down before nodding his head. "You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" He smiled slightly as Nat nodded her head.

He moved his hands, holding her by her arms as he leant his head against hers. Clint had sworn so long to stand by her side, so many situations they always came out on top together, limping at each other's side. He took a deep breath before leaning back.

Clearing a little more distance between them, Clint kept the soft smile. "Ok," he stated. "You win." He waited for Nat to collect herself and smile back at him before he grinned. Using the hand he kept on her arm, he overbalanced her, sweeping her legs out from underneath her.

Restraining her to the floor, Clint couldn't help the small feeling of nostalgia of all the times they spared together. "Tell my family I love them," he said, looking down at Nat's shocked face. He grunted in pain, suddenly finding himself thrown to his back, Nat positioned above him.

"Tell them yourself."

Clint saw the flash of blue light before his body tensed up, all the nerves in his chest lightning up as the widow bite hit him dead in the chest. Gritting his teeth, he managed to wrench the bite out, watching as Nat ran towards the cliff.

He couldn't let her jump, not this time. Grabbing his bow, he fired, watching as the ground besides her exploded and knocked her to the ground. Throwing his bow to the side, he ran. He spared a look over at Nat, watching the shock-horror cross her face before he launched himself off the cliff.

He felt something slam into his chest seconds before he collided with the wall. He grabbed Nat's wrist instinctively. He grunted in pain, feeling his waist tug upwards, almost pulling his shoulder out of place as he stopped Nat's fall.

Looking up in shock, Clint noticed the line and hook. She'd used one of her grappling lines and attached him to the wall. His own belt held him up. "Damn you," he said, holding onto the line with one hand to release some of the pressure from his waist.

He felt Nat start to slip. Gripping her wrist harder, he let go of the line and tried to reach down to her but he couldn't reach. He grabbed the line again as his hip screamed. "No," he muttered out in shock. He couldn't let her drop, he couldn't fail her now.

Clint had spent the last five years killing people but Nat continued to be the hero, helping people. Her life was worth so much more than his, he couldn't go back to his family, his children. Not knowing how many families he'd destroyed — all in their name.

Nat looked down as she felt Clint's grip slipping. Looking up again she stared him in the eye. "Let me go," she said softly.

Clint tried to tighten his grip. "No," he said sharply. He shook his head, feeling the tears build in his eyes. "No, please no."

Nat nodded her head, trying to reassure him. "It's ok."

"Please," Clint begs, hearing his voice wobble. He watched almost in slow motion as Nat kicked out from the wall. Just as he felt her hand slip from his, he did what he promised to never do again. He pulled the trigger, releasing the string on his wrist.

He watched as the arrowhead embedded into her arm, catching her. He quickly attached it to the line, he grunted, his arm fighting against the force of lifting her. He reached for the release clip on the grapple, feeling it wedge under their combined weight and refuse to release.

"No!"

Clint grabbed his sword, bringing it down harshly against the line below where Nat was attached. The sword shattered against the wall, but it was enough as Clint felt himself go weightless before gravity took over dragging him down. He slipped beyond Nat's reach, watching as her mouth opened in a silent scream.
A deep part of Clint's mind decided this was right, he lost both his main weapons before the end. His tools and weapons will end with him.

Nat felt the scream get caught in the back of her throat. She could only watch with her hand stretched out as Clint collided with the floor with a silent crack.

-----

Nat's vision cleared and she found herself staring up at the sky as she floated in a pool. Her arm was screaming and looking down, she noticed the arrow lodged into her skin. There was something clutched in her hand and opening it, she noticed the stone.

The tears built in her eyes as she punched the ground next to her. Taking a shaky breath, Nat pressed the watch on her wrist, feeling the suit form around her before she felt herself shrink down.

She crashed down to her knees as she landed on the platform, feeling as everyone's attention turned to look over at her.

"Nat, where's Clint?"

She felt more than heard the scream as it ripped from her throat. She uncurled her hand, letting the stone roll from her fingers as she clutched at the spot around the arrow in her arm.

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