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

Chapter 8

Natasha fell black into a slumber, her body drenched in a cold sweat as she hunched over the cold ceramic of the toilet bowl and slipped into an unconscious heap on the cold bathroom tiles. The coldness from the floor chilled her bones to the point of a sharp pain became present in the joints of her body. It was this pain that woke her from her state on the bathroom floor. She pulled herself to her feet, grabbing onto the sink to steady herself. Once on her feet, she couldn't miss the sight of herself in the bathroom mirror. To put it bluntly, she looked like shit. Her face was chalk white, her fiery hair knotted and wild. Back in her bedroom, she dropped herself carelessly and unceremoniously down onto the bed just as there was a sharp knock on the door. She groaned, fighting the urge to throw something at the door and make her visitor leave. Why couldn't she just be left alone.

"It's open!" She mumbled through the pillow. The handle twisted back and forth but didn't open. Her visitor knocked again on the door.

"It's locked, Nat." The voice was pleasantly familiar, unlike the voice from your dream. It was Clint, she knew. Without putting much thought into the task, she was on her feet and opening the door to the agent she'd come to depend on so much. However, upon opening the door the smile he had been wearing fell from his face. He took the sight of her, white as a sheet and dressed in nothing more than her t-shirt. In any other situation he would have struggled to pull his attention from her bare legs, but jeez she looked like hell.

"Are you okay? You look-" Clint began but she cut him off and finished his sentence for him.

"Like crap? Yeah, I know."

"Are you sick?" He asked.

"I don't think so. I just," she started to explain what had happened during the night. Should she tell him? Would he understand? Would he tell Fury? It was a chance she didn't think she couldn't take. The last thing she wanted was another run in with one of S.H.I.E.L.D's shrinks. "I think it was something I ate. I'll go for a shower and clean myself up." She started for the bathroom but pivoted quickly on the heel of my foot, remembering. "Clint? Thank you for taking me out last night; I had a really great time, all things considered." Taking in the expression on Clint's face, he had a good night too until the whole Loki thing. He stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him. He leant in to kiss her lips but giggling, she turned her head away and put a hand against his lips to stop him. "I wouldn't kiss me right now. I haven't brushed my teeth and I've been throwing up all morning." She chuckled as Clint pressed a kiss to her forehead instead.

"Thanks for the heads up," he laughed with me, taking a step back.

She continued on towards the bathroom, intending to take a quick shower. The door closed with a definite click. She stripped down and stepped under the hot stray of the water, feeling the tension wash itself away. She stood there, stock still, for a few minutes just letting the hot water remove all the knots from her muscles. She almost forgot that Clint was in the next room. Washing her body and hair quickly, she reluctantly turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a bath sheet. Before stepping back into her bedroom she brushed her teeth, washing away the acidic taste that still lingered in her her mouth. Clint stared open-mouthed at her. Although she was short, Natasha was all legs.

It took Clint a little longer than necessary to pull his eyes away. Natasha was okay with that. Not that she would admit that. Ever.

"Sorry! Sorry! Jeez, 'Tasha, give a guy some warning," he said with a laugh.               

"It's almost as if you're unfamiliar with the female body, Barton. Pass over my suit, please." He handed her suit over quite blindly, still refusing to look at her as if trying to prove some unstated point. Taking the suit from him, she went back into the bathroom to change. She reappeared, fully clothed, with a towel wrapped around her hair to stop it dripping over her face and back. "Better?" She teased gently and he nodded fractionally before his face fell. She anticipated his next words.

"Fury wants us all in the boardroom," he said without any conviction and she merely nodded in recognition of his words. When Clint got to his feet, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward to kiss his lips. His hands grasped her hips and pulled her body closer to his own. Lips parted and breath mixing, he bit gently on her bottom lip and softly she let out a moan. He broke away and kissed his way to her ear and nibbled on it. A breathy moan escaped her lips once again as Clint moved further down her neck, placing soft kisses along her collar bone- A knock on the door stopped them in their ministrations. The pair jumped apart, pulling away before composing themselves, well trying to anyway.

Clint opened the door to look upon Tony, grinning like an idiot. He looked past Natasha to see Clint and then looked back to Natasha. The expression on Clint's face simply said it all and Natasha couldn't help the tug of her lips.

"Haven't we been busy?" Tony teased, clearly amused.

"What do you want, Tony?" The pair of assassins rolled their eyes in unison.

"You're both wanted in the boardroom. Fury's orders not mine!" He added quickly, his hands raised as if in his defence. The trio made their journey towards the boardroom, Tony making jokes the whole way. As they sat at the table, Natasha found Tony looking at her. She mouthed at him,

"I'll get you back."