FIC: The Season's Upon Us (for anuna_81 and cybermathwitch)
I was asked to post this fic by a member of the community, who wishes to remain anonymous, as a gift from all of the people who’ve taken part in the exchange and all of the community’s members as a thank you to the Secret Santa 2012 organizers for all of their hard work.
Title: The Season’s Upon Us
A Gift For: anuna_81 and cybermathwitch
Rating: PG
Warnings: Mild language
Pairings: Clint/Natasha; canon movie ‘verse pairings
Summary: Where Natasha gets a little of the green rage eyed monster, Clint is a little boy roaring for love and acceptance, and the team is together like a family.
Author Note: Since Christmas didn’t come for you, we brought it to you. I have no idea what your interests are but all for your hard work I had to try.
(6:15 am, December 25th 2012)
“Where did I put the eggs again?” Clint asked surveying the kitchen.
“You broke them and left them in the sink,” Natasha muttered half asleep, she started the advanced digital coffee pot and looked at the clock.
Clint rolled his eyes and slid over to the sink in his wool socks, gliding like he was Tom Cruise in Risky Business. They had spent most of the 24th baking and freezing foods: biscuits and gravy, muffins, cinnamon rolls and now they were attempting an egg casserole.
This had been a tradition between them for the past three years. Clint would go all out and invite Coulson, Hill and Fury over. Hill usually refused as she had a family of her own. Fury would sometimes show depending on whether or not his adult children were coming or not.
Coulson always came but this year he wouldn’t be.
Natasha would never point out that it was a futile exercise, Clint made enough food to serve an army and then would purchase another hundred dollars worth of bagels and doughnuts. There was no army to fed. They were two orphan assassins with no real personal friends.
That was true until now. Now there was actually a reason to make six hundred pounds of sugary and flour goodness- they had The Avengers to feed. Excited Clint felt the need to start early and make Natasha help.
Natasha honestly wanted to throw a shoe at his head for making her be awaken before oh (as in 0)-nine-hundred (9am). There was she anyway though at half past six warming coffee for plenty and decorating the table.
“You think this is enough? Thor eats a lot…” Clint reasoned.
“Usually we have leftovers for six weeks. I promise, we’ll still have maybe three days worth,” Natasha answered slightly peeved.
Honestly, she was happy for him- for them. Truthfully and a bit selfishly Natasha was kind of annoyed that The Avengers were getting in on her holiday tradition with Clint.
She never had one before Budapest. Now she has to share the only somewhat personal ‘thing’ they had to themselves really.
Clint started humming to himself some Christmas tune as he started frying the eggs. When he smiled like that, she tried not to take it personally but if anything it made her angrier.
Two seconds before Natasha could actually voice her annoyance at Clint’s cheery disposition, Rogers woke up and headed to the kitchen.
Like clock work he was always up right before seven.
However, Clint had not told the team of his plan or their tradition so Steve was completely shocked when he saw Clint and Natasha in the kitchen working.
“Good morning…” Steve started before noticing the table filled with biscuits, bagels and muffins, “Did I miss something?”
“Happy Holidays?” Clint offered with a shrug.
Natasha sighed, “It’s our holiday tradition.”
“You have a holiday tradition?”
“Breakfast with whiskey and eggnog, a snowball fight if the weather permits- that one year we were in South Africa not much snow to be had and we finish with some presents…”
Steve studied them oddly, “Whiskey and eggnog?!”
Natasha shrugged, “Clint has a sense of humor.”
“I’m part Irish,” he protested.
“Do you know that for a fact or do you think you know that?” she retorted.
Clint crossed his arms, “I don’t know for sure but I think I am. Besides the one time I offered to try add real cultural traditions, you shot me down, Russian.”
Steve made no effort to sit down or sample the food, his mouth was watering but honestly he felt like he was intruding. Like maybe Clint had made enough for them all but Natasha had hostility written all over her. Which was surprising, she didn’t seem to the kind to display such outward negative feelings.
Clearly there was a time bomb here that he had missed and Clint; either that or he was too oblivious or maybe ignoring it.
Natasha downed her water like it was a shot of something stronger, “He makes up traditions based on what he thinks a real Irish tradition would be like. Honestly, Clint has no idea or he’s even actually part Irish.”
“No one told me we were celebrating Christmas…”
“Why wouldn’t we?” Clint asked puzzled.
Steve hedged, what was he going to say? None of them really had any family of their own. He had been a block of ice. Stark probably just threw giant Christmas parties, Thor was an alien, Doctor Banner seemed to think every day was a work day and they were well- professional killers?
“…It’s just surprising…”
“We won’t be offended if you didn’t get us anything,” Natasha pointed out.
Ironically that was the only thing Steve had done. They didn’t even have a Christmas tree- that he knew of anyway. He figured if he could afford it, that it would be nice to buy his unofficial teammates something.
They had literally just moved in together not even a week ago. Tony’s house in Malibu was gone and the repaired tower was all he had left, Thor had returned a month before and living in a trailer on the road didn’t seem so appealing, Steve had been living at his government issued apartment, Bruce had basically been bunking there since May alone and Clint and Natasha had an apartment until that week when their lease mysteriously ended.
Natasha swore their lease had been good till March. Obviously Stark had done something to get them here. Which was weird because not a single person had commented on her and Clint living together.
Not a single Avenger or Pepper.
So unlike what she expected. Even when Stark offered them a room, he didn’t pretend to offer a second one. It was just “here’s another master bedroom- it’s all yours” directed at the two of them. She suspected some kind of foul play or that someone forced him to keep his thoughts to himself.
What Natasha didn’t known was that Clint had all but offered Stark his entire salary not to piss off Natasha by taunting her about having a steady boyfriend. Natasha was a calm relaxed human being ninety-nine percent of the time but as Clint had learned a few years ago her serenity did not extend to dealing with Tony Stark.
In fact, he pushed every single button she had- intentionally because he was not over her deception. Part of Natasha was amazed that someone could get to her (and actually figure out what annoyed her) but the other part the less rational part wanted to rip him limb from limb.
“I did buy some things,” Steve answered bringing her from her thoughts.
“Oh?” Clint perked up, “We did too. Well Natasha did. See I cook and decorate- she buys gifts. She’s really good at it.”
“You are?” Steve questioned with a hint of amazement.
“I am.”
Better than he was, Clint actually got Fury a fluffy sweater the first year. Natasha swore after that and Fury’s unique brand of language that she would never let Clint buy anyone gifts again.
“We tried to celebrate Chanukka (Hanukkah) too but Nat refused,” Clint responded sounding slightly disappointed.
“You’re Jewish?”
“No, I am,” Natasha informed Steve.
“You are?”
Natasha nodded, it was perhaps the only thing she knew about herself besides her Russian origins. Natasha’s family never celebrated Christmas. She even had a single slightly memory as a child of lighting a menorah.
“We should try next year,” Steve told her sitting down cautiously.
“I’d rather not,” she replied stiffly, “Too many celebrations.”
Steve nodded, “You don’t seem like the kind of person that enjoys buying presents or giving them.”
Natasha started setting the table and handed Steve a cup of coffee. “It means something to Clint.”
Which told Steve exactly what he wanted to know without ever asking. Tony was blunt, the kind of man that asked everything that popped into his mind. Steve wondered but he usually out of respect restrained himself. Everyone had speculated including Pepper as to whether they were just really good friends (and possible fuck buddies) or if their sharing a space really meant something.
Remembering how much effort Natasha went through to get Clint back from Loki, Steve assumed they had a personal connection. Tony thought maybe it was friendship and sex. Bruce seemed to think Natasha was a sociopath and incapable of forming a personal connection besides allies. Thor had insisted they were mates.
Looks like Thor had been right.
Steve gently gripped her hand and pulled her close gently when Clint started whistling to himself over the stove, “We can leave, make ourselves scarce. You don’t have to include us. Clint’s been alone with you before I’m sure on Christmas. This doesn’t have to be a team thing…”
He could tell that she was struggling to be okay with Clint’s desire to include his new friends. Obviously Natasha had never been forced to share her life or more importantly Clint before.
Natasha frowned despite tying to appear normal, Rogers had not only picked up that she was jealous but that it was irrationally making her angry. Great. Now the entire team was going to know how possessive of a girlfriend she was. Stark probably wouldn’t let this one go.
“No, stay. He wants a family. You’re not his family yet but he has hopes. Don’t squash them,” she said finally.
Steve nodded and let go, he tried not to let out a sigh of relief but honestly he was thrilled. The food looked amazing and for once he had someone waiting to do something with him. More than one someone actually- five of them and a few friends too.
Though later, he was going to have to explain to Clint that baking for them wasn’t required for approval. He had already it.
“Okay Cap, just gotta let this baby bake for a few minutes and then we eat. Hey Nat? Wanna wake everyone up?”
Natasha rolled her eyes, “JARVIS?”
“Yes ma’am?”
“Turn on the sprinklers…”
Clint gasped. Steve snickered. Natasha’s eyebrow rose in Steve’s direction.
“On Christmas? You have no shame,” Clint accused.
Natasha snorted, “Would like a list of your devious exploits?”
“Mrs. Scrooge.”
“I’m Jewish.”
Clint pointed a signer accusingly at Steve, “Cap, you should be ashamed.”
Steve tried to look innocent but failed, “A little water never hurt anyone.”
“WHERE’S THE FIRE?!” they heard from floor above.
The three of them looked at each other- and then started laughing.
-
A few minutes later, Stark and Pepper surfaced, his haired watered back. Pepper had hers in a ponytail the grin still on her face, “I’m guessing that was your idea?” she asked looking at Clint.
“Negative. Nat’s.”
Tony looked at her accusingly, “You! I knew you were behind it.”
Natasha gave him a dangerous smile, “I was only thinking of your need for a shower.”
Pepper however looked completely surprised by the news that it was Natasha, “Natalie?”
Natasha shrugged, “Clint taught me well.”
Pepper still called her Natalie even though she knew her name was actually Natasha. Force of habit she explained. Natasha honestly didn’t care. It was nice to think someone remembered her as a person not a killing machine.
Jane however left Thor’s room shrill voice, “WHO DID THAT?! DARCY WAS THAT YOU?”
“Darcy?” Steve asked.
“Her friend,” Clint explained, “Currently in California with her family.”
“LADY DARCY IS NOT HERE JANE. SHE LEFT TWO WEEKS AGO TO SEE HER CLAN.”
“Oh…” Jane said as they walked to the kitchen, “Was there a real fire?”
“Yes,” Natasha informed her deadpan.
Clint rolled his eyes, “Ignore her, she’s not a morning person.”
“Oh is that her excuse?” Tony said sarcastically.
Natasha kicked him under the table.
“Food!,” Thor said gleefully sitting down at the table before reaching for a biscuit however Steve swatted his hand, “Wait for Clint to finish and Doctor Banner to show up.”
“Yes of course.”
Bruce wandered in twenty minutes later, just as Clint was taking the casserole out of the oven. He looked a little surprised to see food but more importantly, there was this slight hint of trepidation on his face.
“Somethin’ wrong Golly Green?” Tony asked noticing his expression.
“Not really,” he replied absently, somewhat in a daze, “Maybe,” he answered blinking himself as if he was asleep instead to a more focused status. “Betty called me.”
“Really?” Tony asked surprised.
“Voicemail wishing me a happy holidays… I don’t even know it was Christmas yet,” Bruce told the team.
“What day did you think it was?” Jane asked.
“The 23rd…”
They all stared at him.
Bruce sipped the coffee left for him at the table, “I was busy working on a few things.”
“Finish them?” Natasha replied.
“Yes thank you. Good timing too apparently,” he noted.
Clint sat down, “Okay everyone dig in. Enjoy the Barton family tradition.”
“The Barton family tradition?” Tony asked, “There’s a Barton family?”
Natasha held up her hand half way.
“There’s a Barton family tradition?” Tony repeated.
Clint blinked, “What? You didn’t know we were together?”
Pepper looked to Natasha’s hand, Natasha caught her gaze and pulled her hand away suspiciously, “We’re not married but we’re a family,” she said defensively.
Pepper held her hand up, “I didn’t mean to offend you, Natalie.”
“Who’s Natalie?” Thor asked.
Pepper started to explain.
Natasha shook her head, “Don’t bother.”
--
“Whiskey and eggnog?” Bruce asked examining the drink after they all took one from Clint. The plates were left in the sink. The team had left the table with very complimentary statements given to Clint (and even Natasha for their efforts).
They moved to sit on the couches in the living room. No Christmas tree but Tony had put a planted pot tree that Pepper owned in the center of the room and the group had placed presents around it.
“Next year we should go for a real tree,” Tony said implying that there would in fact be a next Christmas together.
Admittedly, they had a slow start but things were looking up. They had survived a week together in any event.
Thor slurped his, “Hmm MORE!”
“At least he didn’t smash the mug this time,” Jane muttered dryly.
“The other guy can carry it,” Tony sniggered.
Bruce rolled his eyes, “He’s not your pet mule.”
“He’s not?”
Clint patted him on the back, “Dude he’s like our own private wrecking crew. Might as well get used to it. The heavy lifting is all yours.”
“I’m not drunk enough for this conversation,” he replied sorrowfully.
“You don’t strike me as the drinking type, Doctor Banner,” Steve interjected.
“I’m not,” Bruce added, “But at times, I wish I did.”
“You have to try the whiskey and the eggnog together though,” Clint replied shaking him.
“I still don’t get it,” Tony informed him, “They go together about as well as oil and water.”
“Try it!”
Several members of the group took small collective sips.
“YUCK!”
Clint smirked, god he loved a good family tradition.
-
The team started to rip through their gifts.
Most of them were joke gifts, Avengers toys and shirts or universal gifts like mugs and baseball hats.
But some of them were special.
Tony got Bruce a new scientific laptop and Pepper a pair of expensive snow boots for their new life in New York.
Steve had gotten Thor a history book and Thor had given everyone gifts from Asgard.
But the most important and personal gift of them all was Clint’s gift to Natasha and Natasha’s to Clint.
“So I know you felt a little put out having to share our Christmas tradition…” Clint began sliding on his knees by her feet, “I just want you to know that I always remember you first and foremost.”
He handed over his box.
Natasha sighed, “I was being possessive. I know you hate that.”
“I don’t hate it, it’s just like that one girl in the cafeteria.”
“She groped your ass.”
“You gave her a black eye.”
“She’s lucky that’s all that happened,” Natasha pointed out.
Clint rolled his eyes but a smile was present on his face anyway, “You’re a shark babe, ’tis why I love you. A jealous dangerous psychotic shark at that.”
“I don’t share well,” she said softly. Aware of her own hypocrisy, Clint never cared if she intentionally tried to seduce a mark but if even thought about it, usually she went straight for his balls afterwards.
“I know but you tried so thank you,” he added placing his hands on top of hers, “Now fucking open it before I get carpet burn. I’m old, my knees aren’t what they used to be.”
“Your knees are fine and you aren’t that old,” Natasha pushed him before ripping it open- a little black box, “Fuck.”
Clint laughed slightly before looking up to her face, “Are you going to let me ask…?”
She tried not to shake her hands popping the top off- would she really let him do that in front of other people?
“Go ahead,” she softly a minute later.
“Natalia Romanova…”
Natasha sucked in a deep breath.
“No one quite gets me like you do. Well to be honest even if they did, they probably would run in the other direction given the first chance. You trusted me and then thought to save my ass when I wasn’t sure I wanted to be saved…”
“Loki-“
“Stop talking, my turn. And you never let me believe for a second it was my fault when I thought otherwise. You’re kind of scary, often intentionally. You’re never nice and your sarcasm blends well with my overall attitude in life. We’re compatible as human beings not just as killers and so I’m hoping you’ll let me do the right thing and marry me. Because honestly I’m from the South and while I might not know if I’m really Irish or not, I’m positive my mama should she have been alive right now would have boxed my fucking ears for living with a girl in sin.”
Natasha held back a choked laugh, “And that your positive of?”
“Like knowing that whiskey and eggnog should never mix but somehow they do anyway,” he replied confidently.
“Okay Barton, you’ve got yourself a deal.”
Clint smirked, “Better than what you got me, right?”
Natasha snorted, “Wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
She caught the eyes of the team, she noticed Pepper had wiped a tear from her eye, Jane and Bruce smiled at her knowingly. Tony couldn’t help his surprise, and Steve seemed genuinely happy for them. Thor was positively gleeful at the entire prospect of a wedding more than the women in the room.
Natasha was kind of scared.
Clint opened his and noticed the little plus sign, “Oh shit.”
“Merry Christmas, it’s an embryo?”
Title: The Season’s Upon Us
A Gift For: anuna_81 and cybermathwitch
Rating: PG
Warnings: Mild language
Pairings: Clint/Natasha; canon movie ‘verse pairings
Summary: Where Natasha gets a little of the green rage eyed monster, Clint is a little boy roaring for love and acceptance, and the team is together like a family.
Author Note: Since Christmas didn’t come for you, we brought it to you. I have no idea what your interests are but all for your hard work I had to try.
(6:15 am, December 25th 2012)
“Where did I put the eggs again?” Clint asked surveying the kitchen.
“You broke them and left them in the sink,” Natasha muttered half asleep, she started the advanced digital coffee pot and looked at the clock.
Clint rolled his eyes and slid over to the sink in his wool socks, gliding like he was Tom Cruise in Risky Business. They had spent most of the 24th baking and freezing foods: biscuits and gravy, muffins, cinnamon rolls and now they were attempting an egg casserole.
This had been a tradition between them for the past three years. Clint would go all out and invite Coulson, Hill and Fury over. Hill usually refused as she had a family of her own. Fury would sometimes show depending on whether or not his adult children were coming or not.
Coulson always came but this year he wouldn’t be.
Natasha would never point out that it was a futile exercise, Clint made enough food to serve an army and then would purchase another hundred dollars worth of bagels and doughnuts. There was no army to fed. They were two orphan assassins with no real personal friends.
That was true until now. Now there was actually a reason to make six hundred pounds of sugary and flour goodness- they had The Avengers to feed. Excited Clint felt the need to start early and make Natasha help.
Natasha honestly wanted to throw a shoe at his head for making her be awaken before oh (as in 0)-nine-hundred (9am). There was she anyway though at half past six warming coffee for plenty and decorating the table.
“You think this is enough? Thor eats a lot…” Clint reasoned.
“Usually we have leftovers for six weeks. I promise, we’ll still have maybe three days worth,” Natasha answered slightly peeved.
Honestly, she was happy for him- for them. Truthfully and a bit selfishly Natasha was kind of annoyed that The Avengers were getting in on her holiday tradition with Clint.
She never had one before Budapest. Now she has to share the only somewhat personal ‘thing’ they had to themselves really.
Clint started humming to himself some Christmas tune as he started frying the eggs. When he smiled like that, she tried not to take it personally but if anything it made her angrier.
Two seconds before Natasha could actually voice her annoyance at Clint’s cheery disposition, Rogers woke up and headed to the kitchen.
Like clock work he was always up right before seven.
However, Clint had not told the team of his plan or their tradition so Steve was completely shocked when he saw Clint and Natasha in the kitchen working.
“Good morning…” Steve started before noticing the table filled with biscuits, bagels and muffins, “Did I miss something?”
“Happy Holidays?” Clint offered with a shrug.
Natasha sighed, “It’s our holiday tradition.”
“You have a holiday tradition?”
“Breakfast with whiskey and eggnog, a snowball fight if the weather permits- that one year we were in South Africa not much snow to be had and we finish with some presents…”
Steve studied them oddly, “Whiskey and eggnog?!”
Natasha shrugged, “Clint has a sense of humor.”
“I’m part Irish,” he protested.
“Do you know that for a fact or do you think you know that?” she retorted.
Clint crossed his arms, “I don’t know for sure but I think I am. Besides the one time I offered to try add real cultural traditions, you shot me down, Russian.”
Steve made no effort to sit down or sample the food, his mouth was watering but honestly he felt like he was intruding. Like maybe Clint had made enough for them all but Natasha had hostility written all over her. Which was surprising, she didn’t seem to the kind to display such outward negative feelings.
Clearly there was a time bomb here that he had missed and Clint; either that or he was too oblivious or maybe ignoring it.
Natasha downed her water like it was a shot of something stronger, “He makes up traditions based on what he thinks a real Irish tradition would be like. Honestly, Clint has no idea or he’s even actually part Irish.”
“No one told me we were celebrating Christmas…”
“Why wouldn’t we?” Clint asked puzzled.
Steve hedged, what was he going to say? None of them really had any family of their own. He had been a block of ice. Stark probably just threw giant Christmas parties, Thor was an alien, Doctor Banner seemed to think every day was a work day and they were well- professional killers?
“…It’s just surprising…”
“We won’t be offended if you didn’t get us anything,” Natasha pointed out.
Ironically that was the only thing Steve had done. They didn’t even have a Christmas tree- that he knew of anyway. He figured if he could afford it, that it would be nice to buy his unofficial teammates something.
They had literally just moved in together not even a week ago. Tony’s house in Malibu was gone and the repaired tower was all he had left, Thor had returned a month before and living in a trailer on the road didn’t seem so appealing, Steve had been living at his government issued apartment, Bruce had basically been bunking there since May alone and Clint and Natasha had an apartment until that week when their lease mysteriously ended.
Natasha swore their lease had been good till March. Obviously Stark had done something to get them here. Which was weird because not a single person had commented on her and Clint living together.
Not a single Avenger or Pepper.
So unlike what she expected. Even when Stark offered them a room, he didn’t pretend to offer a second one. It was just “here’s another master bedroom- it’s all yours” directed at the two of them. She suspected some kind of foul play or that someone forced him to keep his thoughts to himself.
What Natasha didn’t known was that Clint had all but offered Stark his entire salary not to piss off Natasha by taunting her about having a steady boyfriend. Natasha was a calm relaxed human being ninety-nine percent of the time but as Clint had learned a few years ago her serenity did not extend to dealing with Tony Stark.
In fact, he pushed every single button she had- intentionally because he was not over her deception. Part of Natasha was amazed that someone could get to her (and actually figure out what annoyed her) but the other part the less rational part wanted to rip him limb from limb.
“I did buy some things,” Steve answered bringing her from her thoughts.
“Oh?” Clint perked up, “We did too. Well Natasha did. See I cook and decorate- she buys gifts. She’s really good at it.”
“You are?” Steve questioned with a hint of amazement.
“I am.”
Better than he was, Clint actually got Fury a fluffy sweater the first year. Natasha swore after that and Fury’s unique brand of language that she would never let Clint buy anyone gifts again.
“We tried to celebrate Chanukka (Hanukkah) too but Nat refused,” Clint responded sounding slightly disappointed.
“You’re Jewish?”
“No, I am,” Natasha informed Steve.
“You are?”
Natasha nodded, it was perhaps the only thing she knew about herself besides her Russian origins. Natasha’s family never celebrated Christmas. She even had a single slightly memory as a child of lighting a menorah.
“We should try next year,” Steve told her sitting down cautiously.
“I’d rather not,” she replied stiffly, “Too many celebrations.”
Steve nodded, “You don’t seem like the kind of person that enjoys buying presents or giving them.”
Natasha started setting the table and handed Steve a cup of coffee. “It means something to Clint.”
Which told Steve exactly what he wanted to know without ever asking. Tony was blunt, the kind of man that asked everything that popped into his mind. Steve wondered but he usually out of respect restrained himself. Everyone had speculated including Pepper as to whether they were just really good friends (and possible fuck buddies) or if their sharing a space really meant something.
Remembering how much effort Natasha went through to get Clint back from Loki, Steve assumed they had a personal connection. Tony thought maybe it was friendship and sex. Bruce seemed to think Natasha was a sociopath and incapable of forming a personal connection besides allies. Thor had insisted they were mates.
Looks like Thor had been right.
Steve gently gripped her hand and pulled her close gently when Clint started whistling to himself over the stove, “We can leave, make ourselves scarce. You don’t have to include us. Clint’s been alone with you before I’m sure on Christmas. This doesn’t have to be a team thing…”
He could tell that she was struggling to be okay with Clint’s desire to include his new friends. Obviously Natasha had never been forced to share her life or more importantly Clint before.
Natasha frowned despite tying to appear normal, Rogers had not only picked up that she was jealous but that it was irrationally making her angry. Great. Now the entire team was going to know how possessive of a girlfriend she was. Stark probably wouldn’t let this one go.
“No, stay. He wants a family. You’re not his family yet but he has hopes. Don’t squash them,” she said finally.
Steve nodded and let go, he tried not to let out a sigh of relief but honestly he was thrilled. The food looked amazing and for once he had someone waiting to do something with him. More than one someone actually- five of them and a few friends too.
Though later, he was going to have to explain to Clint that baking for them wasn’t required for approval. He had already it.
“Okay Cap, just gotta let this baby bake for a few minutes and then we eat. Hey Nat? Wanna wake everyone up?”
Natasha rolled her eyes, “JARVIS?”
“Yes ma’am?”
“Turn on the sprinklers…”
Clint gasped. Steve snickered. Natasha’s eyebrow rose in Steve’s direction.
“On Christmas? You have no shame,” Clint accused.
Natasha snorted, “Would like a list of your devious exploits?”
“Mrs. Scrooge.”
“I’m Jewish.”
Clint pointed a signer accusingly at Steve, “Cap, you should be ashamed.”
Steve tried to look innocent but failed, “A little water never hurt anyone.”
“WHERE’S THE FIRE?!” they heard from floor above.
The three of them looked at each other- and then started laughing.
-
A few minutes later, Stark and Pepper surfaced, his haired watered back. Pepper had hers in a ponytail the grin still on her face, “I’m guessing that was your idea?” she asked looking at Clint.
“Negative. Nat’s.”
Tony looked at her accusingly, “You! I knew you were behind it.”
Natasha gave him a dangerous smile, “I was only thinking of your need for a shower.”
Pepper however looked completely surprised by the news that it was Natasha, “Natalie?”
Natasha shrugged, “Clint taught me well.”
Pepper still called her Natalie even though she knew her name was actually Natasha. Force of habit she explained. Natasha honestly didn’t care. It was nice to think someone remembered her as a person not a killing machine.
Jane however left Thor’s room shrill voice, “WHO DID THAT?! DARCY WAS THAT YOU?”
“Darcy?” Steve asked.
“Her friend,” Clint explained, “Currently in California with her family.”
“LADY DARCY IS NOT HERE JANE. SHE LEFT TWO WEEKS AGO TO SEE HER CLAN.”
“Oh…” Jane said as they walked to the kitchen, “Was there a real fire?”
“Yes,” Natasha informed her deadpan.
Clint rolled his eyes, “Ignore her, she’s not a morning person.”
“Oh is that her excuse?” Tony said sarcastically.
Natasha kicked him under the table.
“Food!,” Thor said gleefully sitting down at the table before reaching for a biscuit however Steve swatted his hand, “Wait for Clint to finish and Doctor Banner to show up.”
“Yes of course.”
Bruce wandered in twenty minutes later, just as Clint was taking the casserole out of the oven. He looked a little surprised to see food but more importantly, there was this slight hint of trepidation on his face.
“Somethin’ wrong Golly Green?” Tony asked noticing his expression.
“Not really,” he replied absently, somewhat in a daze, “Maybe,” he answered blinking himself as if he was asleep instead to a more focused status. “Betty called me.”
“Really?” Tony asked surprised.
“Voicemail wishing me a happy holidays… I don’t even know it was Christmas yet,” Bruce told the team.
“What day did you think it was?” Jane asked.
“The 23rd…”
They all stared at him.
Bruce sipped the coffee left for him at the table, “I was busy working on a few things.”
“Finish them?” Natasha replied.
“Yes thank you. Good timing too apparently,” he noted.
Clint sat down, “Okay everyone dig in. Enjoy the Barton family tradition.”
“The Barton family tradition?” Tony asked, “There’s a Barton family?”
Natasha held up her hand half way.
“There’s a Barton family tradition?” Tony repeated.
Clint blinked, “What? You didn’t know we were together?”
Pepper looked to Natasha’s hand, Natasha caught her gaze and pulled her hand away suspiciously, “We’re not married but we’re a family,” she said defensively.
Pepper held her hand up, “I didn’t mean to offend you, Natalie.”
“Who’s Natalie?” Thor asked.
Pepper started to explain.
Natasha shook her head, “Don’t bother.”
--
“Whiskey and eggnog?” Bruce asked examining the drink after they all took one from Clint. The plates were left in the sink. The team had left the table with very complimentary statements given to Clint (and even Natasha for their efforts).
They moved to sit on the couches in the living room. No Christmas tree but Tony had put a planted pot tree that Pepper owned in the center of the room and the group had placed presents around it.
“Next year we should go for a real tree,” Tony said implying that there would in fact be a next Christmas together.
Admittedly, they had a slow start but things were looking up. They had survived a week together in any event.
Thor slurped his, “Hmm MORE!”
“At least he didn’t smash the mug this time,” Jane muttered dryly.
“The other guy can carry it,” Tony sniggered.
Bruce rolled his eyes, “He’s not your pet mule.”
“He’s not?”
Clint patted him on the back, “Dude he’s like our own private wrecking crew. Might as well get used to it. The heavy lifting is all yours.”
“I’m not drunk enough for this conversation,” he replied sorrowfully.
“You don’t strike me as the drinking type, Doctor Banner,” Steve interjected.
“I’m not,” Bruce added, “But at times, I wish I did.”
“You have to try the whiskey and the eggnog together though,” Clint replied shaking him.
“I still don’t get it,” Tony informed him, “They go together about as well as oil and water.”
“Try it!”
Several members of the group took small collective sips.
“YUCK!”
Clint smirked, god he loved a good family tradition.
-
The team started to rip through their gifts.
Most of them were joke gifts, Avengers toys and shirts or universal gifts like mugs and baseball hats.
But some of them were special.
Tony got Bruce a new scientific laptop and Pepper a pair of expensive snow boots for their new life in New York.
Steve had gotten Thor a history book and Thor had given everyone gifts from Asgard.
But the most important and personal gift of them all was Clint’s gift to Natasha and Natasha’s to Clint.
“So I know you felt a little put out having to share our Christmas tradition…” Clint began sliding on his knees by her feet, “I just want you to know that I always remember you first and foremost.”
He handed over his box.
Natasha sighed, “I was being possessive. I know you hate that.”
“I don’t hate it, it’s just like that one girl in the cafeteria.”
“She groped your ass.”
“You gave her a black eye.”
“She’s lucky that’s all that happened,” Natasha pointed out.
Clint rolled his eyes but a smile was present on his face anyway, “You’re a shark babe, ’tis why I love you. A jealous dangerous psychotic shark at that.”
“I don’t share well,” she said softly. Aware of her own hypocrisy, Clint never cared if she intentionally tried to seduce a mark but if even thought about it, usually she went straight for his balls afterwards.
“I know but you tried so thank you,” he added placing his hands on top of hers, “Now fucking open it before I get carpet burn. I’m old, my knees aren’t what they used to be.”
“Your knees are fine and you aren’t that old,” Natasha pushed him before ripping it open- a little black box, “Fuck.”
Clint laughed slightly before looking up to her face, “Are you going to let me ask…?”
She tried not to shake her hands popping the top off- would she really let him do that in front of other people?
“Go ahead,” she softly a minute later.
“Natalia Romanova…”
Natasha sucked in a deep breath.
“No one quite gets me like you do. Well to be honest even if they did, they probably would run in the other direction given the first chance. You trusted me and then thought to save my ass when I wasn’t sure I wanted to be saved…”
“Loki-“
“Stop talking, my turn. And you never let me believe for a second it was my fault when I thought otherwise. You’re kind of scary, often intentionally. You’re never nice and your sarcasm blends well with my overall attitude in life. We’re compatible as human beings not just as killers and so I’m hoping you’ll let me do the right thing and marry me. Because honestly I’m from the South and while I might not know if I’m really Irish or not, I’m positive my mama should she have been alive right now would have boxed my fucking ears for living with a girl in sin.”
Natasha held back a choked laugh, “And that your positive of?”
“Like knowing that whiskey and eggnog should never mix but somehow they do anyway,” he replied confidently.
“Okay Barton, you’ve got yourself a deal.”
Clint smirked, “Better than what you got me, right?”
Natasha snorted, “Wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
She caught the eyes of the team, she noticed Pepper had wiped a tear from her eye, Jane and Bruce smiled at her knowingly. Tony couldn’t help his surprise, and Steve seemed genuinely happy for them. Thor was positively gleeful at the entire prospect of a wedding more than the women in the room.
Natasha was kind of scared.
Clint opened his and noticed the little plus sign, “Oh shit.”
“Merry Christmas, it’s an embryo?”