Work Text:
Natasha awoke to the sound of two short buzzes. She ignored them, then they went off again: her phone’s text message alert. Grumbling under her breath, she reached across the bed towards the table. Clint released his hold on her, removing his belly from her back and rolling towards his own side of the bed. Natasha felt the cool air on the skin he had abandoned and scowled. Grabbing the phone, she noted the time. 4:17am. Whoever this was had not started out on a very good foot.
[CAP] - 4:15 - happy birthday
[CAP] - 4:17 - sorry I’m late with my birthday wishes
[NAT] - 4:18 - no problem, I don’t make a big deal of it anyway. thanks for remembering
[CAP] - 4:19 - when was it?
[NAT] - 4:19 - four days ago
[CAP] - 4:21 - do anything fun?
[NAT] - 4:23 - came to italy for a tour
[CAP] - 4:24 - sounds fun
[NAT] - 4:25 - we’ve had a good time
[CAP] - 4:29 - we?
[NAT] - 4:30 - yes, we
[CAP] - 4:31 - who?
[NAT] - 4:31 - don’t play dumb steve
[CAP] - 4:35 - tell me this isn’t a romantic tour of Italy
[NAT] - 4:36 - what’s it to you?
[CAP] - 4:38 - he doesn’t deserve you after what he did. wish I would have beat him unconscious rather than let him get near you
[NAT] - 4:40 - you’re coming dangerously close to pissing me off
[CAP] - 4:41 - I’ll take that risk
[NAT] - 4:41 - why do you even care?
[CAP] - 4:43 - are you serious?
[NAT] - 4:44 - very
[CAP] - 4:50 - you’re the best friend i’ve got. think about the tight spots we’ve gotten into. plus there no telling what kind of shape i’d be in if tony had tried to teach me about the 21st century
[CAP] - 4:52 - you’ve been kind and honest with me, you’ve looked out ofr me, you’ve kept me from getting hurt. i’m trying to do the same for you
[CAP] - 4:55 - he broke your heart. i know he did, you never had to say so. if he did it once, he’ll do it again. he doesn't deserve that chance. he doesnt deserve you if hell hurt you like that
[NAT] - 4:57 - he wasn’t himself. loki and hydra did that
[CAP] - 4:59 - how can you be sure?
[NAT] - 5:00 - i just am
[CAP] - 5:01 - I don’t trust the guy Nat. i’m worried for you
[NAT] - 5:02 - i love him
[NAT] - 5:09 - did you bail on me?
[CAP] - 5:11 - tony says hi and that you and i have to go in halfsies to repair the wall i just hit
[NAT] - 5:12 - you’ll have to get over it, steve. we’re together and coming home at some point
[NAT] - 5:20 - you hit another wall?
[CAP] - 5:21 - no
[CAP] - 5:23 - i’ll do my best to be nice to him and supportive of you. whatever you need me to do i’ll do it
[NAT] - 5:24 - thank you
[CAP] - 5:25 - that includes be there to pick up the pieces when he shatters your heart again
[NAT] - 5:27 - I don’t believe he will
[CAP] - 5:29 - i hope youre right. but i’m here either way
[NAT] - 5:32 - thank you. i really appreciate it. same goes for you btw
[CAP] - 5:37 - so when are you coming home?
[NAT] - 5:40 - soon, I think. C wants to visit london so we probably will, but we’re almost done with italy and I really miss work. almost all of the problems i left to get away from are solved so theres no reason to stay
[CAP] - 5:41 - hopefully we’ll see you soon
[NAT] - 5:43 - I’ll let you know
[NAT] - 5:44 - have you asked Sharon out yet?
[CAP] - 5:46 - you never let up, do you?
[NAT] - 5:47 - nope
She set the phone down and settled back into the pillows, rolling over to cozy up to Clint.
Was Steve right? Was she being foolish? Had Loki and Hydra only given him the freedom to express what had always been hidden deep inside, to explore some darkness within that hated her? He had crushed her once, would he do it again?
The doubts she had put aside a few days before crept back in. Her thoughts were a bed of nails as she lay with her arm wrapped around Clint, anchoring him to her with a casualness she didn’t feel inside.