A Shot Through The Heart (Book 1 of Love, Monsters and Magic.)

Chapter 1

In the boardroom of S.H.I.E.L.D's new floating fortress, the team of Avengers sat engrossed in pleasant conversation with one another; Tony and Bruce were discussing Tony and Pepper's decision to live together, Steve was talking to Agent Hill and Natasha was sitting opposite the table from Tony. Clint had taken a seat quite inconspicuously in the corner, with his eyes trained on Natasha who had her forehead pressed uncharacteristically onto the table in front of her. Her hair had fallen over her arms which were folded around her head, her hair acting like a shimmering veil of gold around her. The super spy didn't seem to be able to push her from his mind and it was even harder to pull her eyes from her. They had met a few years back, Director Fury had set him an assignment of the highest priority; Clint Barton had to take down the infamous Black Widow. A mission he was more than confident that he could carry out without much difficulty, and until he saw her for the first time he had fully intended to carry out the task set before him. But when he finally laid eyes on her he simply couldn't bring himself to let the arrow loose. She was unlike anything he had even seen before that moment; wild, controlled anger and, God, was she beautiful. It had taken a lot but Clint managed to convince the Director to take her in, to train her up and allow her to switch to their side that she could become the best asset S.H.I.E.D had even had in their hand. She became his liability in the eyes of the council- one wrong move on her part and the repercussions would come down on his neck like an executioners blade. It took time and conditioning but eventually she got there, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. working along-side him. Partners. Together, they spent a lot of time training and eventually a mutual trust began to form. Nervousness towards women wasn't something that Clint Barton was familiar with but with Natasha, in all manners of the term. They had fought side by side for years now, found themselves in some of the most compromising positions he had ever been in and relied on each other on countless occasions with their mission went south. But, ever through all of that, he simply couldn't find the nerve to ask her out for coffee or dinner or something, something that wasn't work related. Besides, as trained and formidable as she was, she remained ambiguous towards him, never letting him catch wind of her true feelings towards the other agent.

Clint Barton was in completely over his head, and honestly he didn't mind one bit.

Throughout this transgression of thoughts, Clint never realised that Tony had finished talking to Bruce and it wasn't until his voice broke through his reverie that he realised he'd let himself be caught staring. Tony elbowed Clint sharply in the side with a trademark smirk on his face.

"You know, Robin Hood, it's very rude to stare."