Title: Seven Times Natasha Kissed Clint
Fandom: Avengers (MCU)
Rating: PG
Content notes: Warnings for brief mention of canon character death
Summary: Clint never reads much into a kiss from Natasha - there's always some practical reason behind it (he assumes).




1. The first time, it was a test. To see if all this ‘you can make a different choice’ nonsense was just a line.

Clint knew he had to handle this right, knew he had to maintain trust with this newly recruited asset who was hanging on to the SHIELD line by just a thread.

So he acted offended and told her not to treat him like he was ‘easy.’ That he expected dinner first at the very least.

She laughed, and he thought that would be the end of it.

2. The second time, it’s because Natasha was just taken off probationary status and made a SHIELD agent. She had her detractors of course, but Clint and Coulson pointed to her absurdly high scores on every test SHIELD had, and Fury was convinced (more by Clint and Coulson’s instincts than the actual test scores, but still).

Natasha agreed to go out to celebrate, and when they went home she kissed Clint and Coulson both on the cheek.

3. The third time, it was because they needed an excuse to be in the sub-basement of a hotel, so they pretended to be lovers seeking privacy from the party upstairs. Natasha’s tongue rolled Clint’s mouth until he was out of breath; it wasn’t until the guard yelled at them to take it upstairs that Clint remembered why they were really there.

He pretended all was normal and they proceeded with the job.

4. “What was that for?” Clint asked, stunned past noticing the noisemakers go off around him.

“It’s your custom here? A kiss on New Year’s?” She was as unreadable as ever.

Clint just nodded and finished his champagne in one gulp.

5. The fifth time was after Coulson’s funeral, the two of them riding back to base, alone in the car. At a red light, she kissed him on the forehead and told him that she would die before revealing his secrets.

He understood what she meant: she wouldn’t think less of him if he cried.

He pulled over and took her up on the offer.

6. The sixth time was when Tony Stark made a joke that Clint was the Avenger who was least popular with women. Natasha walked over to Clint, gave him a rather explicit kiss in front of the other Avengers, and walked out of the room, fully aware of course of the stares she solicited.

Steve had turned bright red just from watching. Tony tried to high five Clint, but even Clint knew that was a douche-bro move to high five after your best friend kisses you so you can save face.

Thor applauded before Steve told him to stop.

Bruce just smirked at Clint as if he knew something Clint didn’t.

Clint decided not to read too much into it.

7-?. The seventh time Natasha kissed Clint, it was while they were sparring. Natasha had his waist between her legs and he could barely breathe, and then he actually couldn’t when she leaned down and kissed him.

When she got up, he panted, “Is that your way of playing dirty? Because usually when you play dirty, it involves grenades.”

She smiled. “I was going to feel your intentions out, give you space to decide what you want. But Dr. Banner suggested that you are clueless and a half, and so I’m taking a direct approach.”

“What?”

“How many times do I need to kiss you before you figure out what I’m asking?” Natasha said, and suddenly Clint could see it – something in Natasha’s eyes, something almost like openness, something almost like fear.

And then he knew: his one-sided thing that he had for Natasha wasn’t so one-sided after all.

He grinned, relief and anticipation swelling his chest. “I think you’ll have to kiss me one more time before I get it.”

She rolled her eyes, but leaned down and kissed him again, forceful and skillful and heated with need.

Her lips left his, she backed up an inch. “Clue gotten,” Clint whispered, and pulled her in for a hug. Neither of them pulled away.