[Natasha's grin over his delight is short lived and her expression falls, closing off slightly as she looks away.] Yes. He was stabbed. He was all that stood between Loki and escape. I... I was elsewhere and couldn't get there in time.
[She wasn't sure what she could have done, but the fact that she'd been frozen stiff with fear and pain after her encounter with the Hulk still galled her. She should have been there, should have been paying attention to the comms, should have been predicting what was going on quicker than she had. Regrets. Another death she wished she could have prevented. This blood wasn't entirely on her hands, but she still felt as if it were, if only because this one hit her harder than most.]
He never did deal with inactivity very well. Kind of like you. [Not that she was any better.]
And here I thought you loved being the center of attention. [It's said teasingly, because she knows it's not true, not outside of those Clint wants the attention of. But the conversation was turning too heavy for her not to try and lighten it.]
Re: [Action]
[She wasn't sure what she could have done, but the fact that she'd been frozen stiff with fear and pain after her encounter with the Hulk still galled her. She should have been there, should have been paying attention to the comms, should have been predicting what was going on quicker than she had. Regrets. Another death she wished she could have prevented. This blood wasn't entirely on her hands, but she still felt as if it were, if only because this one hit her harder than most.]
He never did deal with inactivity very well. Kind of like you. [Not that she was any better.]
And here I thought you loved being the center of attention. [It's said teasingly, because she knows it's not true, not outside of those Clint wants the attention of. But the conversation was turning too heavy for her not to try and lighten it.]