I do not own the Avengers or As long as you love me by the Backstreet Boys. All standard disclaimers apply, blah blah blah. This lovely little one-shot was inspired by the following headcanon (which i also do not own)
Whenever Natasha gets upset, especially about anything in her past, she ends up holing herself up in her room for an extended period of time. The only way to get her out is if Clint plays As Long As You Love Me by the Backstreet Boys, and twirl her around her room until she can't do anything but laugh.
"Nat, open the door," Clint said, knocking on Natasha's locked bedroom door.
"Go away, Clint," Natasha replied from her spot on the bed. She had no intention of opening her door; she had no intention of even leaving her room anytime soon. She knew she was being childish but she just wanted to be alone to sulk for a while. 'This is the price you pay for your sins,' she thought.
Simple, offhanded comments could set her off, remind her of her sins, of her ledger filled with red. The only person who could even remotely understand was Clint and even he didn't fully get her. While his ledger only trickled with red, hers gushed, an uncontrollable river. The overwhelming guilt she felt at times she both welcomed and hated. She welcomed it because it showed she had changed, she was different. She wasn't the cold-blooded killer the Red Room had made her. She felt bad for the people who she killed. But she hated the crippling guilt all the same. She hated how innocent comments could remind her of her past deeds, how the images of the dead would parade past every time she closed her eyes. She was torn.
"Come on, just let me in," Clint pleaded. He could easily pick her room lock, but the last thing he wanted was for Natasha to throw a knife at his forehead as he walked in. A calm Natasha was dangerous; an angry or upset Natasha was a ticking time bomb. Clint knew if he couldn't get her to open the door and let him in or come out, she would stay locked inside for hours, maybe even days. "Please, Nat."
"Get lost, Barton," she replied sharply. Clint was another issue she was torn over. She wanted to let him in, to let him console her and help ease some of her guilt, but she didn't want him anywhere near her, didn't want the red on her hands to rub off on his. Clint was a good man, a man seeking redemption and she wouldn't put him back on his path. She wondered some days how he could love someone so covered in blood.
"Nat," Clint said softly, shaking his head. He sat on the floor facing her door, one leg stretched in front of him while he bent the other. He would not let her drown herself in her guilt; he just had to figure out some way to get her out of her shell. "Hey Jarvis?" Clint said after a few minutes of thinking.
"Yes, Mr. Barton?" Jarvis replied softly.
"I need you to play a song for me and make sure Nat can hear it. I have an idea."
Natasha sat cross-legged on her bed, her head in her hands as she tried to take deep, calming breaths. She closed her eyes for a few minutes, losing herself in the parade of those she killed before she heard the music playing softly. She looked up at the ceiling, wondering why Jarvis was playing music. Before she could open her mouth to ask, she heard Clint singing.
Clint stood in front of Natasha's door, hoping his voice would carry through the thick door. He knew how much Natasha loved his singing, whether he was singing to her while she was in the medical wing of S.H.I.E.L.D. or when they were laying in bed together late at night. He just hoped she'd be willing to listen to him.
Although loneliness has always been a friend of mine
I'm leavin' my life in your hands
People say I'm crazy and that I am blind
Risking it all in a glance
And how you got me blind is still a mystery
I can't get you out of my head
Don't care what is written in your history
As long as you're here with me
Natasha tried her hardest to fight the small smile that was forming on her face. She knew what Clint was doing, knew he was trying to make her feel better by singing. And damn him it was working pretty well. She got up from her seat on the bed, quickly unlocking the door and opening it a crack. 'It was up to him to enter or not,' she thought as she forced the smile off of her face. She wasn't going to give into Clint so easily. She deserved to feel horrible about the things she had done.
Clint could have jumped for joy when Natasha's door opened a crack. She was willing to let him in; now it was up to him to show her she didn't need to keep beating herself up over her past. He knew he would have to be dramatic and over the top if he was going to make her smile and forget about her mistakes. 'Time to pull out all the stops,' he thought with a mischievous smile.
I don't care who you are
Where you're from
What you did
As long as you love me
Who you are
Where you're from
Don't care what you did
As long as you love me
She was surprised when Clint burst through the door dramatically, still singing along to the song. She fought back a laugh as he sang along enthusiastically, slowly walking toward her, his fingers snapping along to the music. 'He would have made a good Backstreet Boy,' she thought, biting her lip to keep from smiling. 'He's got the voice, all he needs are the moves.'
Every little thing that you have said and done
Feels like it's deep within me
Doesn't really matter if you're on the run
It seems like we're meant to be
Clint pulled Natasha into his arms, smirking slightly as surprise flitted across her face before settling into a cold calm mask. 'You're not gonna run away that easily,' he thought, wrapping one arm around her waist and holding her hand with the other. The fact that Natasha hadn't broken his hold instantly gave him hope. She could easily break free of him if she wanted, he wasn't holding her tightly, but she wanted to stay with him. Whether it was because she was curious about what he was up to or because she wanted his comfort he wasn't sure. He began to dance with her, swaying back and forth, as he continued to sing to her.
I don't care who you are (who you are)
Where you're from (where you're from)
What you did
As long as you love me (I don't know)
Who you are (who you are)
Where you're from (where you're from)
Don't care what you did
As long as you love me (yeah)
Clint heard Natasha gasp softly as he twirled her around the room, their dance moves effortless. Natasha was his partner in every possible way. No matter what they were doing, whether they were in the field taking out a mark or dancing in her bedroom, they were always in sync regardless of if they were trying. They just went together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces. He continued to spin her around every few seconds as he sang. He could see she was beginning to break; although she wasn't smiling just yet, he could see the laughter and happiness shining in her eyes. 'Almost there,' he thought.
I've tried to hide it so that no one knows
But I guess it shows
When you look into my eyes
What you did and where you're comin from
I don't care, as long as you love me, baby
Clint began to punctuate each line with a kiss as he pulled her close after spinning her. He covered her, kissing every piece of skin he could reach: her neck, her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, her lips. He made sure no part of her was neglected by him, that all of her was properly loved. He could see the faint beginnings of a smile on her face, her lips beginning to curve upward slightly.
I don't care who you are (who you are)
Where you're from (where you're from)
What you did
As long as you love me (as long as you love me)
Who you are (who you are)
Where you're from (where you're from)
Don't care what you did (yeah)
As long as you love me (as long as you love me)
Clint felt his heart soar as a small smile spread across Natasha's face. 'Yes!' he thought victoriously. He spun her again, he was sure she must be incredibly dizzy from all of the twirling, before he dipped her dramatically, his hands protectively wrapped around her body. He smirked as her hands wrapped around his neck, clinging to him. He began placing butterfly kisses along her cheek and neck, relishing the feeling of her hands threading through his hair.
Who you are (who you are)
Where you're from
What you did
As long as you love me
Who you are (who you are)
Where you're from (where you're from)
As long as you love me
Who you are
As long as you love me
What you did (I don't care)
As long as you love me
As Clint sang the last line of the song, a full-blown smile had spread across Natasha's face, her eyes twinkling with happiness. "How do you always manage to do it?" Natasha asked, her arms still wrapped around his neck as he pulled them both upright.
"The power of love," he said, laughing slightly.
"Cheesy," Natasha replied, laughing softly.
"As long as you love me, I'll always be able to pull you back out. I won't let you drown, Tasha," he replied seriously, his thumb brushing gently against her cheek.
"Still somewhat cheesy," Natasha said, smiling softly. "But I'm glad you'll be there for me." Natasha took a step forward, gently pressing her lips against his as his arms wrapped tightly around her.
Meanwhile in the living room….
Tony laid on the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks as he laughed. These were the days he was immensely glad he had video cameras installed in all of the hallways as the rest of the Avengers gang watched Clint sing to Natasha and dance on the big screen in the living room. Thor and Steve thought it was improper to intrude on what was obviously a private moment between Clint and Natasha. Bruce shook his head in amazement at Tony before refocusing on the book he was reading. Pepper thought it was incredibly cute, smiling as she listened to the song and answered the numerous emails filling the Stark inbox. Tony sat on the couch, laughing until he managed to roll off of the couch.
"You know when I told Fury I didn't want to join his boy band, I didn't think there actually was one," he said between chuckles.
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