"PART TWO OF TERRAN AND NATASHA'S SAFEHOUSE SEARCH PARTY."

"What are you doing?" Natasha scoffed, not looking up from where she was reading a magazine while Terran placed a camera in front of her face, the woman without her blonde wig for the time being, dressed in yet another oversized t-shirt, and he wondered how much he'd have to pay to get her to wear his shirts.

"Vlogging," he replied, turning the camera around so it was facing him, grinning madly before turning it back to Natasha, "I figured that I should do a little documentary of our time together."

She glanced up at him then, raising only her eyes not her head, nearly rolling them out with the force of her exasperation. "Do you know what a secret operation is, Sweets?"

"I'm only going to do it while we're here," he pouted, lifting her legs so he could sit down, letting them drape over them, only to find that she shifted, sitting on her legs so as to hide her feet from his grasp.

"Aw..." he cooed, smiling as he tried to reach her foot, but she grabbed his hand, glaring, so he retreated, not wanting her to break his hand again, "Okay, okay, no more tickling. For now."

It had been a week since Terran and Natasha had returned from their, to quote Fury, "pathetic excuse of a semi-successful mission," the man pointing out that they spent more time swapping spit and eating ice cream than they did actually doing any work, and Terran pointed out that he had carried Natasha, and the man had looked ready to strangle him, Milo covering his face to hide his laughter while Natasha rolled her eyes.

Now there they were, ready to head back out with a newfound goal, Milo having had helped out with the tech that Terran hadn't been bothered to educate himself on, Natasha understanding enough for the both of them.

The routine of the rest of the group was easy to map out, as they had to maintain a level of consistency in order to keep up with their other members, and Milo suspected they didn't use any electronics in order to stay off the grid, but whatever the case, they were able to hammer out a near perfect schedule of their day-to-day and were ready to send them in, but they weren't treating the individuals as targets, rather as suspects.

Milo insisted that they understand they're only assuming that these individuals were the people they were looking for, but Terran was sure of the tattoo he had seen on the arm of a man in a second story window whom he had to look at through hooded eyes while being kissed by Natasha Romanoff, he was the most credible source S.H.I.E.LD. had. Clearly.

That had been something Terran couldn't help but think of a lot throughout the week. He had speculations about Natasha that he figured he shouldn't share until she brought it up, but that was separate from how many times he had stared at her lips and wondered what it would be like to kiss them when she actually meant it.

"You're staring at my lips again," Natasha said, and it was then that Terran realized he had simply stopped talking, his phone and attention directed towards her face, his eyes boring holes into her lips.

Terran struggled to come up with a response, stuttering and stammering before choking on his own spit, coughing harshly as he hit his chest, his phone falling from his hands as he tried to breathe. As he coughed, his face bright red for multiple reasons, Natasha picked up his phone and began recording him.

"As you can see, Terran is currently dying. It's about time," Natasha said, her voice peppy and higher than it already was, and Terran paused at the sound of her saying his first name.

"Can you say my name?" he asked, once he finally stopped, unable to help himself.

"I already did," Natasha said, back to her regular voice, and Terran shook his head, aiming the camera back towards her.

Catching his request, she rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I'd rather not, Sweets."

Terran most certainly did not whine, because that would be pathetic, and he was not pathetic, he just really wanted Natasha to like him, or at least tolerate him. He needed this woman to be his friend, it was his only reason for being there.

That, and making sure Constantin and his goons didn't wreck the planet, but mostly that.

"Tasha, did you bring a dog into the place?" Clint called out, adjusting his hearing aids, stepping out of his room, Tensley still asleep, "I think I heard a dog."

"No, that was just Sweets complaining," Natasha said, smirking over at him, and Terran just wanted to see her smile at him, that was all.

"What's wrong, Tree?" Clint asked, deferring from his usual trek towards the coffee pot, instead moving to stand behind the couch, poking Terran's cheek, "Why are you sad?"

"Natasha won't be my friend," Terran whined, and Clint gasped, clutching Terran's head in his hands, hugging it to his chest.

"Tasha, he's sensitive," Clint whispered, stroking Terran's cheek, "Why won't you be his friend, look at him, he's like a puppy, but bigger. He's like Steve, but less sad, and you like Steve."

"Not the way he does," she pointed out, and Terran nodded eagerly, his heart racing as he thought of the blond with the large arms and tiny waist.

"Yeah, that's 'cause you don't like anyone in that kinda way, Tasha," Clint pointed out, and Natasha gave him a sharp look, and Terran was shocked to find clear fear in her eyes; it wasn't great fear, but it was fear.

"Can you repeat that I didn't hear that?" Terran asked, pretending to have been fiddling with his camera, adding on quickly, "Actually, sorry, I don't care enough, when are we going, are we gonna eat first?"

All three of them knew he was lying, but he saw the relief in Clint's eyes as Terran recovered for him, and Terran could see Natasha visibly relaxing, at least enough to relax her grip on the throw pillow she had next to her.

"We're going around lunch, Sweets, we went over this," Natasha said, but her words weren't biting, instead relaxed and even, and Terran tried not to show how much of a win he counted that as.

"Can we have pasta for lunch?" he asked, and Clint gasped excitedly, both looking over at Natasha who rolled her eyes, shrugging.

"We have to go shopping," she sighed, and Terran's excitement was unwarranted, but wholly real as he cheered, jumping to his feet.

"Let's go!"

º º º

They were dressed in their usual clothes, Natasha having just thrown on a pair of leggings over her shirt, and Terran was unsure of whether he wanted to ask, instead walking alongside her, tossing cereal and other food into the cart.

"We're here to buy pasta," she pointed out, plucking a box of Poptarts from the cart, raising an eyebrow at him.

"If we're here, we might as well stock up," he reasoned, tossing in three packets of Chips Ahoy, "We need all of those."

Natasha rolled her eyes, feeling like a mother chasing down her hyperactive child as Terran raced around the aisles, smiling at the little babies that were sitting in their carts, winning over all the mothers who took in the attractive man who was much too good with children, making them laugh and chatting with them easily.

"-I always like going grocery shopping, especially if I get to bring some of the others, because we always wind up having fun," he called from another aisle where he was getting more coffee for Clint.

"You're very lucky," the young mother next to Natasha said, catching the redhead's attention from where she was deciding on what pasta to buy.

"I'm sorry?" Natasha asked, giving her a small smile, trying to make conversation, practicing on shifting her voice, seeing which women trusted more so they would listen and trust her if she needed to help them.

The woman laughed slightly, pointing towards the aisle separating Natasha and Terran. "Your boyfriend. I mean, he's really nice and incredibly good looking, I hope you don't mind my saying, you two must be very happy."

Natasha wasn't sure how to respond, finding the split second timing to either lie and say they're dating or tell the truth and explain that he's just someone crashing on their couch while he's in town.

She also inwardly groaned, knowing fully well that Terran could hear the conversation and heard the woman calling him good looking, which he would be sure to brag to Clint and Tensley about once they returned home.

"Psst..." Terran called, standing on one of the lower ledges of the aisle to peer down at Natasha, because he was tall enough to do that, unfortunately, "What kind of coffee do you like, there's a great deal, buy four, get two free."

Natasha sighed, turning around and tilting her head back to look up at him, hating the way he was smirking down at her. "I drink whatever you and Clint drink."

"Okay..." he sang, winking over towards the other woman before disappearing back into his respective aisle.

Natasha sighed, turning back towards the woman who was giggling, giving her an exasperated smile, struggling to spit out the words. "I swear, I feel more like his babysitter than his girlfriend."

"Oh, I hear that. Well, not now, but I did," the woman said, smiling and cooing down at her baby, and Natasha felt her smile go strained as she watched, shifting back towards her pasta.

"The sex must be exciting though," the woman said, and Natasha immediately laughed, nodding.

"Oh definitely, it makes up for most of it," she joked, laughing along with the woman, and she heard Terran's sharp inhale and knew she was done for.

That was the irony of it all. She laughed along with this woman and could talk endlessly about sex, but froze at the very mention of any romantic relationship when, when it was truly Natasha speaking, not the mission, not her training, nothing except her, it was wholly switched.

She understood others' attraction, but she couldn't feel any of her own. It was called a gift in the Red Room, yet she wondered if it was a curse.

Maybe it wasn't either.

"Natasha, ready to move on?" Terran asked, poking his head around the corner, and she hated how clear it was to her that he was giving her an out.

"You can't go by yourself?" she asked, because she didn't want to just leave this woman immediately, it would be seen as rude.

Terran pouted, holding his arms out, wiggling his fingers. "Well, I can, but I don't want to."

Natasha forced herself to let out a huffed laugh, casting an apologetic look towards the young mother who shooed her off, the two sharing one last smile before Natasha dropped in the pasta she had already decided on, turning to walk towards Terran, her smile instantly dropping as she moved past him.

"Natasha," he began, but she held up a hand, not even looking at him.

She continued to make her way down the aisles, Terran much more reserved the rest of the way through, continuing to just cast looks towards her as she pretended not to feel them on her skin as she sighed, trying to push the interaction with the kind mother out of her mind.

"I don't want to talk about it, Sweets."

º º º

They were eating pasta when it was time to go.

Natasha and Terran were already dressed to leave, Natasha now out of her oversized shirt and leggings and in more mission appropriate clothes, Terran wearing Clint's clothes with temporary brown hair dye sprayed in.

They were sitting with Clint and Tensley on the couch, all of them crammed together with Tensley sitting in Clint's lap, the two pressed up to one side while Natasha sat on the other, Terran in the middle on the grounds that he not try to mess with her knees as she rested her feet in Tensley's lap.

"I loved the original cartoon of this, but this is such a good reboot," Tensley said, watching the animated turtles fight ninjas on screen.

"The fighting style isn't wholly disgusting," Natasha said, sneaking some of Terran's food from his plate, and he would've complained if he wasn't so shocked that she was actually being comfortable around him.

He tried not to stare at her, because he knew that it would scare her off, but he did an internal fist pump, grinning over towards Clint who gave him an equally bright smile, and Tensley just looked between them, unsure why they were smiling at each other, snuggling closer into Clint who tightened his hold around him.

Terran softened at the sight, turning to Natasha to whisper, "You'll call me when they get actually married, right?"

Natasha shrugged. "I'd figure Clint would call you himself, but if he doesn't, I will. Can't promise I'll give you the right directions, though."

His jaw dropped and he stared at her for a moment, trying to gauge whether or not she was joking, raising his eyebrows when her lips quirked up into a smirk, and while he was desperate for a smile, he couldn't help but be happily offended by her insinuation and teasing.

Before he could even try to respond to her, there was a ringer, causing the both of them to jump to their feet, shoving their food into the laps of the other two on the couch now that the coffee table was destroyed.

"The kitchen is right there," Clint whined, holding up the food, "I'm gonna eat this now."

"I'll eat it," Tensley offered, reaching out, but the taller man held it out of his reach, frowning down at him.

"Excuse me, you have your own," he said, frowning before pressing a kiss to Tensley's cheek, raising his eyes up to look at Terran who was watching them from where he hovered next to Natasha who was hiding all her weapons on her, "Tree, this is really creepy."

Terran blinked, looking away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry," he mumbled, wishing he could feel as sorry as his brain told him to be.

Natasha tapped his arm and he turned, finding her looking up at him, and he turned to face him, the two staring at each other for a moment. Then she raised a small gun in a holster towards him, and he wrinkled his nose, taking a physical step back, shaking his head.

She sighed, setting it aside, plucking a knife out from her stash, holding it out, but he shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest, and she rolled her eyes, holding it out more forcefully, but he gave her a sharp look, setting his jaw.

Then, "You're gonna die if this turns ugly, Sweets."

"I'd rather die than kill anyone else," he said immediately, and Natasha turned towards Clint for help.

The blond shook his head. "He's always been this way, he won't do it. Even though he's had military connections."

"They weren't weapons, I was very clear on that," Terran snapped, and they all took a double take at how harsh his tone was, sharp and unfeeling, so different from how he normally was.

Natasha looked almost smug, though, and he frowned down at her, shaking his head. The look melted away and she averted her gaze; not because she felt uncomfortable, but for his benefit, to make him feel like she was willing to comply with him, because she was.

She shouldn't have felt smug for seeing the cover he so desperately made for himself slip away, revealing all that he had to beat out of himself after years of having it beat into him.

"Let's just go," Terran sighed, shouldering past her as she opened the door, heading out on his own, figuring that he could just wait for her downstairs.

Natasha looked over to Clint to say goodbye, only to find him frowning at her. She frowned as well, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Clint sighed, shifting on the couch, Tensley not looking at her. "I thought you'd get along, you know? You two are a lot more similar at the base of it, I thought he'd know you really well."

"He does," she said stiffly, stepping out, a hand on the door to close it, "That's the problem."

º º º

"We have a twenty minute window," Natasha said, checking the time as they neared the building, Terran being a lookout as she reached the building, opening the door carefully, "That means we search for ten, then get the hell out."

Terran raised an eyebrow at her choice of words, watching as her normally schooled expression dropped into one of shock. "God, I sound just like Steve."

"That's so hot," Terran said before he could stop himself, clapping a hand over his mouth, groaning softly, "Wait, I didn't-that isn't what I-"

Instead of shutting him out, chalking him up to what she expected from him, like he had expected, she simply snorted, opening the door wide enough for him to catch, sauntering inside, heading up the stairs.

"You need to get laid, Sweets."

He made an offended noise in the back of his throat, following her up the stairs to the door that lead into the floor where they all supposedly stayed, Natasha pulling out her gun as she motioned for Terran to open the door.

A few steps below her, he rolled his eyes as he reached out, turning the handle and pushing it partway open, the both of them knowing that they couldn't hear anything through the door. Natasha turned around to frown at him, motioning for him to be a lookout behind him, and Terran grinned when he realized that she was only half an inch taller than him when he was five steps below her and leaned forward.

She realized why he was smiling and narrowed her eyes. "We're on active duty, Sweets, be serious."

Terran hummed, following her as she stepped inside, Natasha pointing her gun in several areas, making sure that the room was all clear, Terran beginning to walk around, idly checking around corners, and Natasha refrained from asking him if he wanted to die, because part of her already knew the answer.

The two began to walk around, finding nothing of any interest on their first sweep, taking in the messy floor that was covered in nothing but sleeping bags and blankets. It seemed as though there were things hanging up on the wall, but were recently torn down, and while all the blankets were strewn about, there weren't any clothes or anything else to suggest life.

Terran hummed, toeing one of the blankets aside, finding nothing underneath. "Strange."

Natasha opened her mouth to respond, only to freeze, motioning for him to stop moving, pointing a finger towards the ceiling, closing her eyes as she began to listen.

Beep...beep...beep...beep.

Their eyes widened, Natasha throwing open the closets and Terran turning over the blankets, the two desperate to search for anything to be of use or the actual device itself, coming up completely empty.

"Shit," Terran hissed.

"They knew we were coming," Natasha finished, looking up towards the ceiling.

The beeping grew faster and the two stared at each other for a split second, Terran grabbing blankets and balling them up in his hands, Natasha grabbing some of the pillowcases, the two racing out the door, Terran first, Natasha grabbing his blankets and jumping into his arms as he dropped down to the bottom floor, the two pushing open the door, only to find that it was locked.

"Fuck!" Terran shouted, dropping Natasha, taking a step back before charging the door, breaking it partway open.

"Sweets!" she shouted, the beeping growing faster and louder, Terran shaking as he began to throw himself at the door, the wood cracking more and more each time.

He looked towards her for a moment as he stepped back, taking in the fear in her eyes, catching her hands shaking ever so slightly.

If she was afraid, there was no hope for him.

Taking a deep breath, he ran into the door, the wooden door breaking around the chains that had been placed in front of it, and he grabbed Natasha, throwing her out the door, as she was small enough to make it through.

"Go!" he shouted, struggling to making a hole large enough around the chains to fit his whole body through, cursing his height, kicking at the wood, only to hit the metal, pain shooting up through his leg as he grit his teeth, forcing himself to keep moving, the sound filling his eras.

He shoved her back as she struggled to help him, kicking at the wood, trying to break apart the metal, and she slapped his hands away, hardly breathing as they both heard the beeping escalate, their hearts nearly bursting out of their chests.

"Romanoff, just go!" he screamed, trying to get her at least off the doorstep, his hands being slapped away.

"Terran, I'm not leaving!" she cried, aiming one solid kick to the part of the door that was partly open.

He grabbed the last pieces of wood, ripping them apart, making a hole just large enough for him to jump through, his legs getting caught, twisting one of his ankles, his head hitting the ground painfully, and he shouted as Natasha hauled him to his feet, dragging him away, the beeping so loud it drowned out the blood roaring in their ears.

The two struggled to run off, their hands and bleeding and legs in no better shape, Natasha still clinging onto the bedsheets for any hope that they could get some DNA, even if it was contaminated.

Then the building exploded.

The two jumped back onto the ground as the entire building was destroyed, rubble thrown all around, their ears ringing as they covered their heads, trying not to get pinned down as they pressed themselves flat against the ground, nowhere else to go.

Natasha opened her eyes, unable to hear, finding Terran hovering over her, an arm blocking her head. She pushed him off her, sitting up to find vans rushing around them, people screaming and shouting, cameras pulled out to film.

"Get in!" Clint shouted, opening the side of one of the doors.

She looked towards Terran who was struggling to push a pieces of debris that had landed on his ankle, involuntary tears streaming down his cheeks as he struggled to rise to his feet, careful to touch Natasha, as if that was the most important thing at the moment.

"Jesus, Terran," she whispered, her torn up hands aching as she pushed the block aside, helping him to his feet, the two making their way to the van, Clint hopping down to help them.

They sighed as they fell into the backseat, Terran on his back, Natasha nearly there, sitting across from him on her own seat, the two struggling to catch their breath.

He turned his head to look at her, taking in the scratch on her cheek, her wig falling off, her bottoms and hands torn up beyond belief. He sighed, shaking his head, turning to look up towards the ceiling.

"You're an idiot, Romanoff."

She laughed shortly, taking in his broken hand and twisted ankle, his clothes and arms covered in the debris that he had blocked her from when they had fallen, his face freely bleeding, a large gash on his forehead.

"You love it, Terran."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

( 10.04.18 )

I love how fast I'm pushing through this fic (I think I just jinxed it fuck) but I'm really excited, and even though not many of you are reading this (then again, I stopped being relevant a while ago) I'm loving it a lot, so I guess that's good for me

I'm so fucking proud, I didn't realize the building was gonna explode, but guess what ya'll, there has been a shift, they're gonna be friends, I'm so excited, I'm so ready, yes.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!