Natasha let out a little bit of a knowing sigh as she looked at him, figuring how hard it had to be just to admit that little bit. "I'm sorry." she said softly. Those two words seemed to cover a lot of ground. That she was sorry that he had to go through all of that. That she couldn't have been there to back him up. That it wasn't so easy just to leave it all behind him and he had to deal with it now. That despite how close they were, and they could open up to each other, that she still probably wasn't the best person in the world to open up to. Though, with Clint, at least she was more than willing to try.
She got it. All of this. This whole, if we get too close the word "compromised" could take on a hundred different meanings. Wanting to be close with someone, being able to have a little bit of a safe haven in someone to decompress after going through something difficult. To have a real sort of relationship, the kind that so many people they knew could have. It was so tempting. So hard to keep everything under control. Where frustration set it, and moments where Natasha was almost ready to throw caution to the wind and throw herself into all of this. But then reality would set in. And she realized that it wasn't just for her that they were doing things they way they did things. It was for his too. She'd lost someone a long time ago that she thought she loved, and she'd promised herself, never again. But, this, this had to be different. So it was different, and they both made this work for those moment when they did have time alone to be in their own world.
When she felt him lean in she shut her eyes in anticipation of what he was about to do and she only hesitated a split second before returning his soft kiss, bringing her hand up to his cheek. When they broke apart she didn't go far, leaning her forehead against his, rubbing her thumb lightly against his cheek. "It'll be okay, Clint." she said quietly. "You'll get through this." she said leaving it at that, figuring that was about as much as she could say right now.