Assassins, Marriage & Commitment

The issue of would and/or how do assassins commit to a relationship is a common trope in the Clint/Natasha fandom. So let’s discuss!

A few questions:
- Would this couple enter into a committed relationship?
- Would they be exclusive?
- Would they marry?
- How would Natasha’s frequent assignments as a seductress (a) affect Clint and Natasha as a couple, and (b) affect her assignments?
- How would a committed relationship affect either/both individual’s performance in the field/battle situations?
- Which partner is more willing to commit?

In my experience, Clint is usually portrayed as more willing to commit than Natasha. Do you agree with this? Do you like it when authors portray Clint and Natasha as being in a committed relationship and/or a marriage? Do you like it when authors portray one or the other as being unable/unwilling to commit?

Share your thoughts and your recs! Recs do not have to be happily-ever-after, btw. Mine tend to be b/c that's how I roll, but anything regarding marriage, commitment, whether or not to commit to each other, etc. will fit the bill. :-)

Recommendations

Heavy in Your Arms by cybermathwitch - Clint and Natasha are soulmates (WIP). I include this here b/c it has a very detailed take on Natasha’s issues with commitment. (That it’s one of my favorite fics EVER is just a bonus.) :D

If Ever the Two Were One by thoughts_to_ink - one of my favorites; “Five ways the Avengers found out Clint and Natasha were married, and one way they didn’t. Featuring domesticity, scrambled documents, Tony and Pepper getting their snoop on, and of course some general badassery.”

Brown and Gold by cybermathwitch - an AU crossover with Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonrider series. While very AU, Natasha’s issues with starting a relationship are universal to her character.

Naked Pantomime in the Dark by _samalander - High school theatre AU in which Clint is the one with commitment issues.

Is This Love? by shaneequa - The five times people told Natasha that she loves Clint, and the one time she realized it. A nice look at Natasha realizing she wants to be in a relationship.

Better Together by Salenya – The process of Clint and Natasha deciding they belong in a relationship.

Rest for the Weary by workerbee73 - Awesome rumination on whether or not to take their working relationship to the next step.

Like Teenage Gravity by londondrowning - They were secretly married through the events of the film.


Let the discussion begin!