Avenging Us (Steve + reader) JGWI part 2

Strong Enough

Clint guards Natasha day and night. Only when you and Steve offer to take shifts does he do the important things like sleep, eat and shower.

You come later in the afternoon to relieve him. Clint is passed out on her lap, his hand still clutching hers.

"Clint!" You shake him awake.

   "Nat" he mutters.

   You grab him by the shoulders and pull him away from her.

   Clint awakes fully when his hand is wrenched from Natasha's.

   "Let go of me!" He pulls away before he realizes it's you.

   "Clint! Wake up!" You get in his face "It's Y/N!"

   He stares at you bleary eyed "S-sorry, Y/N."

   "Steve and the others went out on a recon mission this morning" You tell him "They're trying to find Yelena."

   "They can't do it with out me and Nat!" He protests, furiously.

   "Fury thinks she wants to be found" you inform him "He gave the team her coordinates and Tony called in some favors from Charles Xavier and the Fantastic Four. They should be fine."

   Clint stares at you in disbelief "Steve told you everything, huh? Might as well be a full fledged member of the team."

   You chuckle "Not quite. Still sane and very much human."

    The weary man snorts "Not even gonna argue that one"

   "Go get some sleep."

    You wait until he leaves and close the door behind him.

The red haired woman looks so peaceful. The harshness of her features is softened in her sleeping state.

Of the little Natasha's doctor could tell you, there is hope for full recovery, but not without its own dangers.

The knife missed her major organs and didn't go all the way through. If Natasha stays put long enough for the wound to heal, and doesn't develop an infection, she'll still be out of action for at least a month.

Clint returns in a different set of clothes, clutching the largest cup of coffee he could get his hands on.

His hair is still damp and sticks to his forehead. The typical care the archer puts into his wardrobe has disappeared.

"You're supposed to be taking a nap" You scold.

"Thank you, Mrs. America" Clint says snidely "But I'm a grown man. I do what I want."

"Watch it, Buster!" You frown at him "I'm trying to keep you healthy."

   "You're not helping here" His tone is angry.

   "Neither are you, Barton!" You get agitated "I'm not the one who put her here and you're still sitting on your rear end!"

   Clint towers over you his hands clenched into fists, but you don't back down.

   Not after you pushed and prodded him back into the routine when he was too shell shocked to function. Not after you planned to get him to confess his feelings to your friend. Not after you went along with his schemes and started dating Steve!

   The Avengers were a team, almost a family and you were the new kid. But right now you were the only one functioning normally.

   "You can threaten me and curse me all you want Clint Barton" your voice trembles but you stare him down "But you can't sit here, and wait for her to get better. Get your head screwed on and get back in the field!"

   Clint's face contorts in pain, as he registers this.

   "I'll take care of Nat."

   The Archer is wild eyed, and a bit unfocused, but he stumbles out.

   If he's crazy enough to go now, he's gonna crash hard. You make a mental note to tell Steve to make another coffee stop.