Do you know of any? Because I tried to go on a search and all I could find were ones that were really vague and implied.

There was actually a whole discussion about this in this comm once. Now, of course, I am spurred to go find it. (The thought is a bit daunting.) In the meantime, a few that I can remember:

American Cultural Parameters - http://archiveofourown.org/works/752648 - the funny part is that during the aforementioned discussion, I didn't think of this one at first. And I wrote it. Which is funny for SO many reasons. :-) I wrote it because I wanted more stories where she liked him first.

Hyperfocal Distance - http://archiveofourown.org/works/987348 - just came out this week. Journalism AU in which she clearly caught on long before he did. :-)

Looking for You or Anyone Like you - http://archiveofourown.org/works/458311

Those are the ones I can think of off of the top of my head. Any others you know I'd love to hear! :-)

Edited 2013-10-07 12:21 am (UTC)

I genuinely cannot think of more that those. And even those are, to me, not quite right. Because she always turns to Clint and says she loves him and he's like well I've not slept with/seen anyone since a long time before you; ergo Clint fell first. But they are by far the closest. Maybe I'll try to write one at some stage...

There is one that I believe fits what you're describing, but it's a background element of the plot. It's "Oxycodone Days" and "Into the Fire", both on FF.net and AO3 (I can't look up the links at work.) Natasha describes how she spent "nine months trying to get out of the friend zone" and finally got him to see her that way. I didn't recommend it initially because it is a background element of the plot. Also, while I really, really like the characterizations of Clint and Natasha, that of Tony is so off-putting that I have a hard time recommending it. I mean, Tony is just a...well, let's just say he's truly unlikable and (IMO) wildly OOC. Back to the initial point, though, the relationship between Clint and Natasha developed from what you are describing.

Like you, though, I would really like to see (or write) one where she falls first and has to do something about it. I think what has become fanon, though, is that there is no way she would like him and he wouldn't (a) catch on pretty quickly and/or (b) not have already been attracted to her. The nice thing about the above-mentioned fics is that the author sets up characters that make that believable (although I would darn-near kill for a prequel that goes into more detail.)

As long as we're throwing stuff out there, what kind of situation/background can you envision where that's the case? Wait a minute, I did kind of write that in "Train" (on AO3 under my name). (And why do I keep forgetting that I wrote these things? I mean, seriously - I am clearly getting old.) It has Clint hung up on somebody else, and he doesn't come around until the current girlfriend tells him she won't marry him unless he gets another partner, her reasoning being that Natasha is in love with him. He refuses to break up with Natasha (partnerly-speaking), so he dumps the girlfriend and ends up deciding to see what could be there with Natasha as he'd never really considered it before. So it kind of is what you're talking about (I think). Sorry I can't link to it, but I try to avoid going on fanfiction sites using the elementary school server. :-)

Anywho, love to hear your thoughts. Because I do think it's a plausible set-up. It just has to have good exposition.

Ah. I rmemeber Oxycodone Days. And yes, the whole thing read as rather OOC to me too. Aah well.

In my mind, Natasha starts of with a sort of... not hero worship, but something similar based on the fact that Clint gave her a chance. And its all mixed in with hope and gratefulness and protectiveness and everything, and its all normal and fine until one day she just realises that its been there from the beginning, she just hadn't twigged. But for him, he saved her because he saw the good and the potential, but it wasn't anything more than that. I mean, sure, she's attactive, but he's a professionsal and he's known attractive women before.. So he's her friend and parter and confidant and then...

Well I don't really know, because as you said, it's fanon that he falls first, and its difficult to get away from that. But I think you could do it it, you just have to think it through properly. And be more awake that me now when you do it. :P

I hope it's okay if I start pondering this, too. I really love the concept and would love to see it written out. :-)

Haha of course! Far be it for me to tell people not to think/write about stuff. The more the merrier! That way something may come of it. :D