Natasha frowned when her pillow flinched underneath her.

"Clint?" She questioned sleepily, her hand rubbed at her eyes as she blinked away the fog from her vision.

The whimper Natasha received in reply was enough to snap her mind back into sharp awareness. Her partner's eyes were still closed - his pale face glistened with beads of sweat reflecting the moonlight that leaked in through the window. Even asleep his body showed clear signs of distress - tense muscles, tight expression, breath coming in harsh hiccups.

"Barton!" Natasha spoke louder with the hope she could startle the archer awake.

Tri-colored eyes snapped open, but the Russian could see that the nightmare hadn't completely faded from his mind. In blind defense Clint's arm swung out and struck Natasha on the side of her head. Dazed momentarily from the hit Natasha looked up just as her partner flung himself off the bed and crashed onto the floor - sheets still tangled around his legs.

The still asleep sniper scrambled back until his body was pinned against the bedroom wall, knees drawn tightly to his chest. As Natasha moved closer she could see Barton's eyes were wide open but remained blind to the world around him.

"Clint, look at me." Natasha kept her voice low and calm in a tone she saved for frightened children or cornered animals - hands out in the open in the universal 'I'm not a threat to you' way as she crouched down to his level. "Hey, it's just me. You were having a nightmare."

"Nat?" Barton's breath hitched as he blinked slowly at his partner. "W-what are you doing here? You - you shouldn't be here, not here." He stammered as he ran a shaky hand over his face.

He still wasn't fully aware of the world around him, Natasha realized. Her heart clenched within her chest as she stared back into his broken expression. "Clint," she whispered back to him, unsure of how to help him. "Where shouldn't I be?"

"Nat, there's so much blood." Barton stared down at his hands.

With a heartbroken gasp Natasha reached out and gently took hold of her hawk's hand. "There's no blood, Clint. Please look at me - you're safe with me." Her voice pleaded.

Barton shook his head. "N-no. No where is safe. No where is home - I don't belong here." His eyes fell shut as he pushed the heels of his hands over them.

Tears burned behind Natasha's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "What? Clint, wake up for me."

"That's the thing, Natasha. I am awake." Clint's eyes opened and locked with hers - the blue-grey-green gaze was clear of any fog. "The nightmare is here, this place, this world. I can't do this - any of this. What was I thinking? What were we thinking?" He couldn't hold her eyes and hid behind his hands once more.

Confused Natasha tried to process what her partner was telling her. "Clint, I don't understand. What are you saying? What's wrong?"

"I'm no hero, Nat. Every time I close my eyes I see you die. I'm the one who kills you. He makes me do it every time. I can't fight it, can't stop him. I was weak, I'll always be too weak." Clint whispered back to her. They both knew who 'he' is. Loki - who turned Barton's mind inside out.

"I can't survive another tragedy like that in my life - I can't." Clint begged raggedly, voice just barely audible.

"You didn't kill me, Clint." Natasha took in a sharp breath as she recaptured his hand and placed it above her heart so he could feel the steady beat. "You couldn't have killed me even if you tried, I wouldn't have let you. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Barton nodded vaguely in half-hearted agreement, eyes still haunted from what he had seen.

The pair fell silent as they sat together on the floor. Time ticked by unchecked - uncaring.

"Clint, I can't promise you that I won't die. Not with our job description." Natasha finally spoke, finding her words carefully. "I can promise that I love you for as long as I am alive and that life wouldn't be worth living without you with me."

Silence engulfed them again as Natasha's words hung in the air. Clint's eyes avoided hers.

"I've lost so much in my life." Barton told her gently. "My brother, Coulson, so many other people. Good people. I couldn't save them, Nat. I wasn't good enough - wasn't strong enough."

"Oh, Clint." Natasha tipped her head to the side and cupped the back of his neck with her hand.

"I'm not as brave as I should be." Clint admitted. "I can't give you up. I can't let you go."

"Then don't." Natasha pleaded.

Clint leaned forward and placed his forehead against hers. "Please don't die, Nat." A sob broke from his chest as she kissed his lips. "Please don't ever die."