FIC: 5 Times Natasha Did Whatever She Wanted...) (Clint/Natasha)

[cybermathwitch]

Title: Five Times Natasha Does Whatever She Wants With Whoever She Wants for Her Birthday (and That Time in Bulgaria When She Didn't)
Author/Artist: Koren M. (cybermathwitch)
Disclaimer: Not mine. If they were, there'd already be a Black Widow/Hawkeye movie. But Marvel has owned my loyalty since I was about 3, so...
Pairing: Clint/Natasha
Rating: Teen 13+

Comments

[joyshine]

OMG Petrushka is one of my Favorite Ballets I've Never Seen. Perfect, perfect, perfect choice. Also, *this* is wonderful, just in general. I see the demon-lady creating her identity, dealing with having a soul and learning who she is - or starting to.

[cybermathwitch]

:D

When I was a kid, I had a set of Petrushka paper dolls (with back drops and everything, all based on the original set design/art) that I really loved. So even though I wasn't really into ballet, that particular one has a special place in my heart.

When I decided to send them to the ballet because of the prompt, it was the first one that jumped to mind because a. Swan Lake is done to death, and b. I was familiar with it. Then I reread the summary and watched some of the Bolshoi's performance on youtube and realized how it might strike Clint and Natasha.

[workerbee73]

This was lovely. Loved Nat's POV in this. <3

[cybermathwitch]

Thank you! :D

[lar_laughs]

That is so good! I love how she comes up with the date of her birthday and then how Clint makes sure she has something to do every year. And the ballet being a metaphor (possibly) for their lives is so perfect! great job!

[cybermathwitch]

Thanks! I really love her coming up with her own birthday, I think that might be my favorite part.

The ballet was a total accident - Petrushka is the only ballet I'm really at all familiar with, but I didn't realize until I was researching and watching it (the Bolshoi's performance is on YouTube) just how dead-on perfect it really is for the two of them. I'd meant for Nat to have feels about ballet and Russia and whatall, and then Clint pretty much completely lost his shit over it. That was fun. ;)

[tn_tiger]

I really enjoyed this! The kittycat just warmed my heart. Also, I really like how you write Pepper. Not that there's someone I don't like, she just stood out for me.

[cybermathwitch]

Thanks! :)

[inkvoices]

Oh this is lovely, just balancing on the edge of the painful past. It wasn't really what I expected when I read in the title that it was five times that Natasha did what she wanted for her birthday, but I love the theme of reclaiming for Natasha, so her not knowing what she actually wants, instead going off her covers and the situation and hints with Clint...wonderful <3 And when I got to "But there's a lot of things we didn't do that we do now. You have a cat." that gave me so many feels! It's a fantastic line and a fantastic moment.

I really like Natasha's voice in this and your turns of phrase, and I enjoyed reading :D

[cybermathwitch]

Thank you! What fantastic comments, yay!

I keep coming back to the theme of "what do I want?" with Natasha... I even see that in the movie, when they're in the infirmary. She feels like she's casting about for a minute or so there, suggesting they go out and fight, but there's something so open and lost about her for a second, along with the "I'm compromised" bit. She can be completely on top of things and in charge, and is really firm in her preferences about things related to doing her job, but "normal" things just flumox her sometimes. I kind of love that about her.

[inkvoices]

Makes me think back to when we get 'I want to go and fight a war' and Clint is all 'woah, that doesn't sound like you' *grins*.

I like this thinking! It shows that being 'remade' and reclaiming yourself isn't easy, showing that Natasha is even stronger, and it adds an extra dynamic to the character that I find fascinating.

[cybermathwitch]

Makes me think back to when we get 'I want to go and fight a war' and Clint is all 'woah, that doesn't sound like you' *grins*.

Exactly. He's like "erm why?" and she's like... "err... for the reasons, i don't know!"

I like this thinking! It shows that being 'remade' and reclaiming yourself isn't easy, showing that Natasha is even stronger, and it adds an extra dynamic to the character that I find fascinating.

She is one of the few characters that I don't mind having a remaking arc, and I think that's because hers is so self-initiated. Or, at least in my head it is, as we don't actually have a clue what went down in the movie-verse.