never leaving your side || romanogers

Chapter 25

"We first kissed the day she woke up from the hospital."

Clint gasped. "What? You know I'm basically that older brother, right? I will get you with a broom once I'm feeling better." Clint didn't make a move to grab the broom in the closet, but the piercing expression on his face said it all.

Steve laughed softly, sadly. "Trust me, no brooms will hit me. After that, I guess we kind of dated for a bit more than a month. Not very long." Tony and Clint still stared at him in shock.

"Wait- what- how- did Pepper know?" Tony demanded. "Tell me, did she?"

Pepper raised her eyebrows at Steve, who grudgingly nodded. "She found out from Natasha, I think. At your party."

Tony scowled. "And when was this?"

Pepper grinned. "In the bathroom."

Tony backed away.

Clint finally spoke. "And now what?" He asked up hopefully.

In confusion, Steve stared at him. "What do you mean? She's gone. She doesn't want us to find her. We won't find her. You know it. I know it. EVERY GOD DAMN PERSON HERE KNOWS IT?" His voice grew louder and more desperate as the sentence went on. "SHE'S NOT COMING BACK!" Steve burst into tears once again.

"Shhh, Capsicle. It's going to be ok." Tony looked awful. His eyes were ringed in red and his hair was matted, his clothes rumpled. He rubbed Steve's back in soothing circles, and helped him up. "Why don't we get you back to bed?" Tony placed Steve back into his unmade bed, and tucked him in, despite the fact it was almost 10 am. Soon after, sobs subsided into snores, and they quietly tiptoed out of the room, leaving Natasha's broken lover to rest.

"We have to get her back." Bruce urged as soon as they were out of Steve's room. "E-even if there's just a tiny chance that we know how we still have to try. We have to do it. For Steve. For Natasha."

Thor nodded earnestly. "I agree with the tiny man." Jane hugged his arms, sniffling a bit, and nodded.

Clint looked up as Bruce spoke, eyes bright with mad hope. "She had to have left clues. Tasha knew how much it would hurt us when she left, so she would have left clues for us. Even if they were part of impossible riddles, she would give us that hope."

Tony sighed. "How do we know that, though. What if those clues are just another trap? What if they want to lure us in and kill us, or worse? How do you know it won't end up like the HYDRA base?"

Clint flinched, visibly. Tony exhaled slowly. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? I can't help, not now." He turned and walked back to his room, and clicked the door shut.

Tears began to trickle down Pepper's relatively dry cheeks. "Tony!" She yelled at his retreating figure, voice full of anger and anguish. She threw a sorry look at Clint and ran after her boyfriend. 

Clint watched her leave and turned to the remaining people. "You guys don't have to help if you don't want to." He spoke quietly, as if he might shatter at the slightest touch. As he walked away, Bruce and Thor shared unspoken glances. 

"Hey, Clint! Stop!" Bruce ran up to Clint, grabbing his arm lightly. "Look, man. I miss her too. I want to help. All of us do. Tony's just being unreasonable, ok? He will come around. I know it, and I know a piece of you does too." He jabbed a finger to Clint's chest. "So do you want to help Natasha?" Clint nodded, slowly. "Good. Let's go find some evidence."

The three boys followed Jane to her and Pepper's, and what used to be Natasha's room. Opening the door, a hand flew to Jane's mouth. The room, at least the third that was Natasha's, was completely trashed.