Clint
"You did what?" Clint groaned, slapping a hand over his face.
"It's just one date. Seriously, Clint, you'll be thanking me later," Natasha replied nonchalantly, as if she hadn't just thrown a huge curveball at her best friend.
"Yeah, yeah," he dismissed. "So when is this blind date supposed to be taking place?"
"Tonight. You're picking her up at six."
"I'm sorry, my hearing aids must have just acted up because it sounded like you said tonight," Clint chuckled in disbelief.
"No that's right. Tonight, at six," Natasha repeated, flipping the page in her book.
"What?! Tasha, why would you do that?!" He exclaimed, shooting out of his chair and beginning to pace.
"Because I knew if I didn't spring it on you, you would try to find a way to get out of it. And trust me Clint, you need some action," she shrugged, turning another page, completely unbothered.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," he brushed the comment off. "But I'm still not happy with you."
"You'll get over it."
"I hate you."
"It's mutual."
"Can you at least tell me her name?" Clint asked, spinning around. For the first time, Natasha looked up at him with a smile.
"Laura."
*
Clint's left leg bounced subconsciously, and he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of the car Tony had let him borrow for the evening. The GPS had given him directions to get to Laura's apartment, but it had directed him through the busiest part of the city and he was currently stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Glancing at the watch on his wrist, he groaned.
The time read 5:48, and the GPS was telling him that even without the traffic that he was stuck in, it was going to take 10 minutes to get there.
As much as Clint resented the fact that he had been set up against his will, he didn't want to blow off this poor girl that Natasha found. He wished desperately that Natasha had at least given him her number, so he could let her know he was going to be late.
Looking at the road to make sure traffic was still at a standstill, he grabbed his phone from the passenger seat and dialed Nat's number.
"Are you already calling me for an SOS?" She answered on the second ring.
"In a way, yes," Clint groaned. "I'm stuck in traffic and I'm going to be late. I need you to let Laura know that I'm still coming and that I'm not blowing her off."
There was a rustling noise, and a few moments later, Natasha's voice filled the car again.
"Done... Okay, hold on," the rustling noise returned, and then Natasha spoke again.
"She said that's fine, but you're buying dinner," she laughed. Clint couldn't help but laugh as well.
"I'd say that's fair. Hate to keep a lady waiting."
"Ew, did you just call her a lady?"
"Tash, I've never met her. What do you want me to call her?" Clint rolled his eyes, inching the car up as the car in front of him moved about a foot forward.
"I don't know. But not that," Clint could picture the look on her face as she said this.
"Whatever. I'll call you later if she ends up being a serial killer," Clint teased.
"That's cute, that you think I'd come bail your ass out. I know full well you can get out of your own shit," she quipped back. "And for the record, I want you to know that I have better taste in who I set my friends up with than serial killers."
"I'm sorry, how dare I insult your tastes like that."
"Bye asshole, I'll see you later," Natasha laughed.
"Love you too," Clint chuckled and hung up the phone, setting it down into the cupholder.
By some miracle, the traffic cleared about half a mile later. As far as Clint could tell, there had been no logical explanation for why traffic had been at a standstill. However, despite the jam only lasting for half a mile, Clint had spent 20 minutes sitting helplessly in the bumper to bumper traffic.
That's what he gets for deciding to drive instead of taking a date on the subway.
It was 6:14 before he pulled up alongside the curb to the apartment building that his GPS had been directing him to.
He quickly got out of the car, and made his way up the front steps to where a panel of buzzers was located. He drug his finger down the list, cursing when he saw that there were two Laura's, and realizing that he didn't know the last name he was looking for.
Pulling his phone from his back pocket, he typed out a message to Natasha.
CLINT: Quick, what's her last name?
He hit send, hoping that of all the times for Natasha to respond quickly, it would be now.
A minute passed, no reply. Clint leaned his forehead against the brick wall, hitting it lightly.
"So, I have to assume you're Clint? Or, you're someone who is trying to break into the building, and I should be calling the police right now."
Clint spun around to where the door had opened up, and a woman was standing there.
A gorgeous woman, he should add.
"Yeah- um, yes- I'm Clint," he stuck out his hand, a bit too eagerly, and cursed himself.
But Laura took it and smiled.
"That's a shame. I bought a new can of pepper spray, and I have to say, I've been looking for a good excuse to use it," she teased.
Clint laughed, picking up on her obvious joking.
"Then it sounds like I better be on my best behavior tonight," he replied, heart skipping when he succeeded in making her laugh.
They made their way down the steps, and Clint made his way to the passenger side of the car to open the door for Laura. Her eyes widened a bit at the sight of the car.
"Wow... this is... a beautiful car," she spoke slowly. "Audi R8, right?"
Clint smiled. "You can thank Tony Stark for the extravagance of the ride tonight. Sorry to disappoint, but we only have it for the night. We won't always be able to travel in such style."
The corner of her lips tugged up a bit more, until she was grinning slyly at him.
"Already assuming there's going to be a second date, huh?" She teased, sliding into the front seat of the car and swinging the door shut behind her. Clint blushed, flushes embarrassment painting his face a bright red as he hurried to get into the car.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume so soon but-"
"Clint," she laughed. "I was kidding."
He blew out a sigh of relief that turned into a huffing laugh.
"Besides," she continued, buckling her seatbelt. "You should probably know someone's last name before you ask them on another date."
Clint's face got even redder, and she giggled. He twisted in his seat, extending his hand to her again.
"Let's try this again. Clint Barton, it's nice to meet you," he smiled. Her brown eyes crinkling around the edges as she smirked, accepting his hand again.
"Laura Cooper. It's nice to meet you, too."
*
Clint never could have imagined the rest of the night going as well as it did. There was something about Laura that he found irresistible. She carried herself with so much confidence and seemed to be fueled by sarcasm and smiles.
God, was her smile perfect. Clint would do anything just to make her smile.
They had gone to a restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. They had finished eating and sat around just talking until the server continued to get pushier and pushier with their check. Without realizing it, they had been together for three hours already.
After leaving, they had decided to take a walk around Central Park. The night was unusually cold for mid-March in New York, and Laura had a long coat pulled tightly around her body and was shivering slightly.
Clint smiled as he watched her add a small skip to her step in an attempt to warm up. He slid his arms out of the sleeves of his own jacket and reached out to drape it over her shoulders.
"You'll be cold now," she argued, reaching to take the coat off. But she wore a slightly surprised look of admiration on her face, as if it were the first time a guy had ever given her his coat jacket before.
Maybe it was.
"Nah," Clint waved it off. "Seriously, you wear it. I'd feel bad letting you contract hypothermia on a first date."
Laura threw her head back in a laugh, and Clint's heart fluttered. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so enamored with... anyone.
It was enough to stop him dead in his tracks.
"You okay?" She turned when she noticed that he had stopped walking. Clint's face blushed bright red with embarrassment, realizing how dumb it must have looked to just stop walking.
Laura doubled back to him, and placed a gentle hand on his upper arm. Her big brown eyes were inquisitive, and Clint couldn't help but noticed how she looked even more beautiful up close.
"Yeah," he reassured, feeling the skin around his eyes fold up as he smiled. "Yeah, I'm alright."
He held her gaze for a moment longer, neither of them saying anything or daring to move apart.
Clint felt Laura's hand brush against his own, and her fingers were soon interlacing with his.
He pulled her a bit closer to him, and felt her lean into his side as they continued walking on. The cool air no longer bothered him because his entire body felt as though it were on fire, adrenaline and excitement coursing through him.
What was going on?
"I have to tell you something," Clint cleared his throat, which felt as though it were constricting with nerves.
"Oh no. Is this the part you tell me that you are a creeper that's actually going to kidnap me? Because I left my pepper spray in the car and it would be very rude of you to kidnap me while I don't have it. Especially since I told you how eager I was to use it."
Clint laughed, finding himself relax as she leaned into him a bit more.
"Okay, I'll be serious now. What's up?" She stopped and turned, grabbing his other hand so that both of their hands were holding one another now.
"I know you're typically supposed to wait until the very end of the date to say this-- and I'm sorry if I'm getting ahead of myself here-- but I really like you. Tonight has been... amazing, and I just wanted to tell you that if you'd be up for it, I'd really like to take you out again sometime."
Laura's smile grew wider, and she took a step closer to him, reaching both arms up and wrapping them around his neck. The six inch height difference between them was narrowed a bit as she rocked up on to her tip-toes so that they were nose-to-nose.
When their lips met, as cliché as it seemed, Clint swore there were fireworks. Elation burst through him, and he felt like dancing right there on the sidewalk.
Laura separated from the kiss, returning to flat feet. Even in the night, Clint could tell that she was blushing profusely and she had the biggest grin on her face.
"You're beautiful," he commented in a quiet voice, using his thumb to brush her hair out of her eyes.
"I bet you say that to all the girls," she ducked her head down, but behind her curtain of hair Clint could see that her face had gotten even redder.
"What other girls?" He smiled genuinely when she looked up at him.
"The way Natasha described you to me, I would figure that you'd have women lined up for miles just waiting to go out with you," Laura admitted, interlacing her fingers with Clint's as they began walking slowly once more.
Clint let out a shaky laugh. "If I'm being completely honest, you're the first girl that I've been out with in almost a full year."
Laura's eyes watched him carefully, as if trying to decide whether he was lying or not. But her eyes grew wide and she smiled sweetly.
"I'm suddenly feeling very honored. I don't go on dates very often, because I'm not really a 'one date, never speak to or see each other again' type person," she explained.
"I can tell you with full confidence, I'm going to want to see you again," Clint responded.
Laura's face lit up.
"I'd really like that."
*
(Six Months Later)
"Well would you look what the cat dragged in."
Clint jumped, not expecting anyone to still be awake and in the lounge. Natasha was curled up in an armchair, a book open on her lap.
"Jesus, Tash, it's 3 in the morning, what are you doing out here?"
"Waiting for you. Peter, Harry and I were watching movies until 1, and you still weren't back. So, how's Laura?"
At the mention of his girlfriend's name, Clint began smiling. Natasha's face softened from an expression of interrogation to one of a best friend wanting to hear all the details.
"God, Nat, I'm so in love with her. Love! It's been six months, and I'm in love with her!" Clint flopped back on to the couch that was very reminiscent of a character in a romantic comedy.
"Gross, listen to yourself. Who are you, and what have you done with the old Clint?" Natasha teased, wrinkling her nose in mock-disgust.
"I know, but she's just... perfect. She's funny, and confident, and so damn independent. She wouldn't let me pay tonight because, and I quote, 'I make money too, god dammit, so shut up and give me the check.'"
"Sounds like Laura," Natasha laughed.
"And she's beautiful. I think I'd do almost anything to make her smile," he continued, and Natasha rolled her eyes.
"Alright Romeo, you can make me a detailed list later. But you've been out with her three times this week, and you've come back late every time. I think you'd better get some sleep."
Clint went quiet, and for a moment Natasha thought he might have fallen asleep where he was. Until he spoke, his voice quiet and serious.
"I want to marry her."
Natasha sat up straighter.
"I've thought about it for months now. God, honestly since that first date. We see each other almost every night of the week, and then spend the weekend together. The team loves her, and Harry has practically adopted her as another member of the family. We've talked about it, and she's said she's not opposed to quick proposals as long as they feel right. I just don't know if I should wait, or do it soon."
"Okay..." Natasha began, choosing her words carefully, not wanting to say something that might be taken the wrong way.
"You said you've talked to her about it, which is good. You want to make sure she's not going to be blindsided. Have you talked to her parents?
Asked for their blessing?"
"I'm supposed to meet them this weekend," Clint replied, and Natasha was shocked at far ahead Clint had thought about all of this. Usually, he tended to be a bit impulsive in decision making, but it seemed to her that he had given this all a lot of thought.
"Would you two move into the tower, or would you find a place together like Bruce and Caroline? What about a family, have you two discussed whether you want kids or not?"
"We've talked about it all. We'd find a farm in upstate New York, somewhere with lots of land to raise a family together. We're both getting older, so we want to start a family as soon as possible. Nat, I know this sounds fast, but we truly do love each other so much."
Natasha was quiet for a moment.
"It's crazy to think about," she spoke in a soft voice in a moment of pure vulnerability. "Your best friend, the one who was always the crazy bachelor, in love and wanting to settle down. You're... you're my best friend, and I'll miss you, but if this is what makes you happiest, then I would be the worst friend in the world to try to change your mind."
"Aww Tash, I promise that you're not going to be left out of my life. You're my best friend, and that's never going to change. We've been through too much shit together to stop being friends now. Besides, you know way too much."
The two of them laughed, ignoring the prickling feeling of tears stinging their eyes.
"You have to promise me one thing, though," Natasha stipulated, and Clint's eyebrows raised into a quizzical expression.
"Oh yeah, what's that?"
"I get to be your best man. Best woman. Whatever you want to call it," she grinned.
Clint laughed, and nodded. "Deal. Done. You'll be my best man."
"Oh! And another thing!" She added with a smirk.
"Oh boy," he rolled his eyes.
"You have to name one of your kids after me."
"Don't push it."
*
(One Month Later)
"We've been driving for hours, are you ever going to tell me where we're going?" Laura groaned, leaning her head back against the car's headrest.
"I've already told you, many times, it's a surprise," Clint laughed, glancing over at her from the driver's seat. "But we're almost there. See, there's the town sign right there."
He pointed at the "Welcome to Wilmington" sign that sat alongside the road.
"I'd ask what's in Wilmington, but I don't think you'd tell me," she stuck out her tongue at her boyfriend before reaching for the gas station cup in that sat in the cupholder. At least Clint had made sure to stock up on snacks before driving for over four hours.
"Technically we're not going somewhere within city limits, but close enough," he added, making her even more suspicious.
He began driving down a winding road through thick forests of trees that were beginning to change colors. Some trees clung to the last breath of summer, their green leaves quivering in the cool October wind, while other trees thrived in the autumn conditions, turning brilliant shades of yellow, orange and a fiery red.
Laura couldn't help but watch out the window in awe, taking in for the first time how beautiful the surroundings were.
Through a break in the trees, she could see a waterfall flowing steadily, and she had the sudden urge to pull over and go exploring.
But not until she figured out what Clint was up to.
"It's beautiful out here," she commented, watching at the sights outside the window continue to zoom past. It almost made her sad to pass by such beauty so quickly. After so long in the city, she had become used to the urban jungle and the constant noise, but out here... it was peaceful.
"It really is," Clint smiled over at her and grabbed her hand in his own.
A few minutes later, Clint made a turn off of the main road and began down a winding unpaved lane that was lined with a wood fence. The car jostled around lightly and the sound of gravel crunching beneath the tires made Laura feel even more anticipatory about what was to come.
The trees cleared and, in their absence, a large two-story cabin became visible. It's green shudders and roof contrasted the white siding. A porch wrapped around three sides of the porch, and a barn sat off to the side of the house.
"Oh wow," Laura breathed as Clint eased the car to a halt and put it in park. He opened his door and rounded the car to help her out-- something he still insisted on doing even though she always argued that she was fully capable of getting out on her own.
"So," she began, taking in the sight of the house. "Whose house is this?"
Clint kept his head down and continued walking, and Laura wondered if his hearing aids were acting up or if he was ignoring her question. She decided to let it go, and that he would tell her soon enough if it were necessary for her to know.
He led her to the front door and pulled a key out of his pocket, unlocking the door and motioning for her to enter. Inside, the house was more modern than she would have believed from the outside, but it still had a cozy farmhouse feel to it.
"Clint," she spoke again as he grabbed her hand and lead her through the living room into the kitchen, and then down the hall and began opening doors to bedrooms and bathrooms along the way, giving her just enough time to peer in before hustling her down the hallway more.
Finally, he opened a set of French doors that led to the back porch, overlooking a small lake and sloping hills that were covered with thousands of changing trees. Birds chirped overhead, and there was an air of peacefulness that surrounded them. For the first time since moving into the city, Laura felt herself take a deep breath of fresh air.
"Laura," Clint took her hands in his. "I've never been great with words, or articulating my feelings. Typically I just end up making some dumb joke that spoils the moment, but you've never seemed to care. You love me for who I am, and I love you for who you are. I brought you here because we've talked about the future and what we want. The farmhouse with the fence and the land for three kids to run around. I brought you here because I want that to be this house. And I want you to be my wife."
He reached into his pocket and sunk to one knee.
"Laura Cooper, will you marry me?"
Laura had imagined being proposed to some day, just like so many girls do. She had always wondered how it would happen, who would be doing it.
She knew when she met Clint that it had to be him, and she had always suspected he felt the same way, but at just seven months of dating she couldn't be positive.
Until now.
Until she saw him, kneeling right in front of her with complete vulnerability as he awaited her answer.
And she knew that she had to say...
"Yes!"
Clint furrowed his brows and motioned to his ears.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" He winked as he rose to his feet, and she threw her head back in a laugh.
"It was yes, dummy. Oh my God, I love you!" She threw her arms around him and he lifted her off her feet, twirling her in a circle before placing her back on the ground and kissing her.
When they broke apart, Laura couldn't stop smiling. Clint pulled the ring from the box and slid it on to her finger.
"I told you I always had to ruin the moment with a dumb joke," he teased as she admired it and looked up at him with shining eyes.
"I love you so much," she murmured, cupping his face lightly.
"I love you too," he grinned widely, absolutely certain that he wouldn't be able to stop smiling for a month after this.
"I love you so much that I couldn't even wait," he laughed. "I planned on showing you the whole house before doing this, but I couldn't even wait to show you the second floor before I had to pull you out here and do this."
"This house!" She looked around, admiring it, before it clicked in her mind through the lovestruck haze what Clint had said in his proposal. "Wait, is it..."
"It's not ours yet, I wanted to show it to you. But the realtor gave me the keys and is holding it for us. He told me to give him a call as soon as I showed it to you. Should we finish the tour?"
"We can but... somehow you've found my dream house," she nestled herself into his side as he wrapped an arm around her.
"Then I'll give the realtor a call in a bit, and it'll be ours," he planted a kiss on the top of her head and they made their way inside to finish looking around.
"Are you really willing to move almost five hours away from the team, though?" Laura asked, a small frown crossing her face. She loved the house, and she knew Clint did too, but the team was Clint's family and Laura had begun to think of them as family too. She knew Harry and Peter had welcomed her with open arms, and while they would be over the moon for the two of them, she would feel sad moving so far from them.
"About that..." Clint's face turned bright red. "The cabin a few miles down the road is for sale as well and... well... Tony is looking into buying it and spending summers and the occasional weekend there."
Laura couldn't help but laugh. Any other person than Clint, and she would have thought it was insane that his friends were buying the neighboring house, but this worked out perfect. They could have their space to raise a family, but wouldn't constantly be apart from their friends.
"You really outdid yourself here. It's perfect," Laura announced as they finished walking through every room and searching every nook and cranny of the house.
"Then consider it ours," Clint wrapped his arms around her, swaying back and forth gently.
"I love you so much," she reached up and ran her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck, a habit she found herself doing when showing affection.
Likewise, Clint's hands found their way to the small of her back where he ran his thumbs in small circles. It was a way of communicating their love through a secret language that only they understood. That only fit them.
"I love you too."
*
(One Year Later)
"Honey, I'm home!" Clint boisterously announced, joking as he entered the house.
He hung his keys on a hook by the door, smiling at the photo of him and Laura on their wedding day by the lake.
It had been a private ceremony, with just a few of Laura's friends and the team. They had gotten married not even three months after he had proposed. Now, they were celebrating their ninth month of marriage, and Laura's seventh month of pregnancy.
Many could accuse them of moving too fast, with a house, proposal, wedding and a baby in just over a year of knowing each other, but for the couple it just seemed right. Neither could imagine life without the other, and it seemed silly to waste time when they knew exactly what they wanted in life together.
The team had been more than supportive about everything, with Tony and Pepper even offering to stay in the next door lake house until the baby was born for support. Clint and Laura had politely declined, however, deciding that they could handle the baby's birth on their own and that there was no reason to leave Harry alone in the city to run the bakery by himself.
"Hey," Laura appeared in the kitchen wearing paint splattered clothing. Clint frowned slightly, giving her an expression of concern.
"I thought you said you were going to take it easy today," he walked over to her and placed two gentle hands on her stomach to feel their son flipping and kicking around wildly.
Laura's hands covered his own, and she slid one of his hands to where their son's foot was protruding from her stretched skin.
"I've been nesting all day. I tried to sit still and I can't, so I painted the nursery."
"Laur, I promised I'd do that this weekend. You don't need to over-exert yourself," he shifted behind her and wrapped her tightly in his arms.
"It's okay, I promise. I feel fine today. I just don't think I drank enough water yesterday," she replied.
Clint's hands found their way to the underside of her stomach and he gently lifted the weight from the front of her body, letting her sigh with the momentary relief.
"I was thinking about names today," he murmured.
"Mmm?" She hummed, eyes closed as they rocked slowly.
"I was thinking maybe we could name him Cooper. Incorporate your maiden name, so he always carries the names of both families," Clint suggested, suddenly sounding slightly unsure of himself.
Laura opened her eyes and turned slightly to face her husband with a smile on her face.
"Cooper. Cooper Barton," she tested. "I love it."
"I can't take all of the credit. It was Natasha's idea to combine the family names somehow. She's still bummed that we didn't give her a little Natasha," he chuckled.
"Why am I not surprised?" Laura laughed along, shaking her head. Natasha had been amazing to them for the past year and a half, between setting them up to helping with the wedding to throwing a baby shower for them.
It shocked Laura how much Natasha enjoyed doing these things for them, seeing as she was probably the last person one would expect to enjoy doing so. Laura knew that other women in her situation could have been jealous of Natasha because of her relationship with Clint, but Laura trusted both of them whole-heartedly. Clint hadn't been able to tell her everything about all of the missions they had been on together, but Laura understood that they had saved each other's lives enough time to not be best friends.
"So, let's see this nursery. You didn't do too much heavy lifting, did you?" Clint questioned, gently letting down the weight that he had been holding and taking her hand as they made their way down the hallway.
Laura rolled her eyes, knowing that he was going to baby her the rest of the evening.
"Clint, I'm fine, I promise," she assured as they made their way up the stairs to where the nursery was.
The room was flooded with natural light in the afternoon as it's windows opened to face west, and Laura couldn't wait to sit in the rocking chair and watch the sunset as she cuddled her baby.
She had painted the nursery a pale lavender color, and there was still one wall needing painted. Tape covered the white trim, and Clint knew that she was looking forward to peeling it back to reveal clean lines.
"It's beautiful babe," he kissed her forehead.
"The baby won't stay in here for the first few months, since we have the crib in our room, but I've just got an itch under my skin that isn't going away. I just felt like I needed to get it done before he gets here."
"I'll tell you what, why don't you go run yourself a warm bath and soak, and I'll paint this last wall. Put your feet up, you deserve it."
Laura gazed up at him with adoration in her eyes. "I don't deserve you."
Clint's hand found its way to her stomach again, a habit that he had adopted over the past few months.
"I think it's the other way around. I don't deserve you."
*
(Three Years Later)
"Who knew one toddler could be so much work?" Natasha chuckled, watching Clint chase behind the Cooper as he ran around the living room.
"Coop, you need to put your coat on before you can play in the snow!" Clint exclaimed, ignoring Natasha's comment.
"No! I wanna wear Marshall!" Cooper shrieked, giggling as his dad caught him and scooped him up.
"You can wear Marshall under the coat, how about that?" Clint attempted to negotiate as the toddler kicked and squirmed.
"No!"
Clint shot a look at Natasha who was looking quite amused from her place on the sofa.
"Mama's going to tell you that you need to wear your coat, too," Clint told Cooper as he set the three year old back down on the floor. Cooper immediately took off down the hall to find Laura in hopes that she would allow him to wear only his t-shirt in the snow.
"I want to have words with whoever created Paw Patrol," Clint grumbled, flopping down on the couch besides Natasha. "That's his favorite goddamn shirt and I've washed it three times this week just to avoid a pointless temper tantrum."
Natasha raised an eyebrow at him.
"You've gone soft," she commented, and Clint gave her a light shove.
Cooper came racing back into the living room, and Clint motioned to him.
"If you think so, why don't you give it a try?"
"Cooper, come here," Natasha spoke. Her voice was kind but sharp, and Coopers dark brown hair flopped into his face as he turned towards her.
"Auntie Nat needs you to put your coat on before we go play outside," she knelt down on the floor in front of him.
"No! No coat!" Cooper demanded with an affirmative nod. Clint gave her a pointed glance as she turned to look at him.
"Why don't you want to wear your coat, Coop? It'll keep you warm and it'll protect you from getting sick. You don't want to get sick right before Thanksgiving," Clint piped in.
"Don't want to make Marshall sad. Marshall gets sad he can't see the snow," Cooper explained in the true manner of a toddler-- as if his wild statement was the most obvious thing in the world.
Natasha nodded seriously. "I don't think Marshall would be sad. I think Marshall would want you to wear your coat since he doesn't want you to get sick. Remember how he protects people on TV?"
Cooper nodded fervently.
"Exactly, Marshall would want you to be protected from the cold by wearing a coat. Your mama, dad and I are all going to be wearing one. So what do you say?"
"Okay," Cooper shrugged, running to grab his coat off of the couch and sliding his arms through it.
"Good," Natasha smiled proudly before turning to give Clint a boasting look.
"Alright, do you want to get his boots on and take him outside? I'm going to go check on Laur, I think she's coming down with the stomach flu," Clint told Nat, bending down to hand her Cooper's snow boots.
As he made his way down the hallway to the stairs leading to the second floor, Clint could hear Natasha negotiating with his son about wearing his snow boots.
"Laura?" He called, peeking his head into their bedroom. She sat on the end of their bed, watching out the window at the snow falling. A fire crackled in the white brick fireplace, making the room feel a touch too warm for Clint's taste.
"Hey," he came around the side of the bed and knelt in front of her. "Are you feeling okay? Do you have a fever?"
His hands found their way to her face as he gently felt her forehead.
"I'm okay. I... it's not the flu," she spoke, voice soft and uncharacteristically timid.
"What's the matter?" Clint brushed her hair out of her face and watched as her brown eyes traveled from meeting his gaze to staring at the hands in her lap.
"I took a pregnancy test," her voice was quiet, almost inaudible.
"You... really?" Clint's expression morphed into one of shock. "What's it say?"
"I haven't looked yet."
Cooper was a handful at times, but he had overall been an easy baby and a pretty good toddler. He seemed to have skipped over the 'terrible twos' that everyone was always talking about, and while he had some difficult moments like the argument about his coat, he was pretty easy to handle.
So Clint and Laura and decided to start trying for a second kid. But now, the thought seemed overwhelming. To have the same amount of kids as hands? Laura couldn't help but be a bit scared.
"I'm scared," she whispered. "What if it's positive? Even worse, what if it's negative?"
"Then we'll roll with it," Clint answered simply, earning a smile from his wife. "This is the dream, remember? The farmhouse with the land for the three kids to play?"
"You're right," she smiled even wider. "I'm going to look."
She flipped over the test that she had been hiding in her hands, and Clint watched as her face brightened and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"I'm pregnant."
*
(Eight months later)
A toddler who had decided to wake up three hours earlier than normal, a wife that was a week past her due date, an impending thunderstorm and a team of Avengers in the house made for a chaotic afternoon in Clint's opinion.
Despite his protests, Laura had refused to get off her feet and was insistent on playing host to the team who knew full well where everything in the house was. Clint had Cooper balanced on his hip as he followed his whirlwind of a wife around, begging her to take it easy.
"Clint, I'm a week overdue. If my water breaks then hallelujah. I'm past the point of wanting to keep her inside. I. Want. Her. Out," Laura huffed at him after he insisted she go take a break after making several trips upstairs to the nursery to show it off to various members of the team.
A crash of thunder echoed through the house and Cooper's crying turned into a piercing wail.
"Clint, let me take him for a few," Steve offered, holding out his arms and motioning for Cooper. He was getting old enough that Clint could only stand to carry him for so long before having to shift him to the other arm, but Steve didn't seem to have any issues with him.
"He's usually so calm, what's got him all riled up?" Steve asked. The almost-four year old wasn't typically like this; he was typically the happiest kid that Steve had ever met.
"He decided four a.m was a great time to wake up and stay up, and then refused to take a nap since everyone was coming over," Clint rubbed his temples, groaning when he saw Laura making another trip upstairs with Harry and Peter in tow.
It wasn't that he wasn't ready for their daughter to arrive-- the opposite, actually. He was excited to have their second child and continue to grow their family. It was the fact that the roads were easily flooded during a thunderstorm, and while they were planning a home birth anyway, Clint wanted all options to be available to them.
Knowing that he was on a slippery slope with his wife, he climbed the stairs until he got to the second floor and made his way down the hall to the door that lead to stairs up to the attic.
Laura had respected his desire to be up high, watching everything that was going on below without being part of the action, so she had been the one to suggest that they transform the attic into a space where he could do that. While he had the garage to work on his arrows, the attic was equipped with a workbench beside a window that overlooked their land.
Climbing the creaking stairs, Clint took a seat at his desk, for-going the hammock strung up in the rafters for now. He missed the air ducts at Stark Tower, but found himself comfortable enough that it wasn't often he longed for them.
There was more creaking from the stairs, and Clint glanced up to see Laura using the wall to steady herself as she climbed.
"Laur," he said, springing up to help her up the final few stairs. Her face was flushed and she had broken a sweat at some point, despite the house's cool interior temperature that was a product of the roaring AC.
"I know, I know," she waddled over to the desk chair where he had just been seated and lowering herself down gently.
Clint knelt down in front of her and wordlessly took one of her swollen feet and began rubbing it. Laura's eyes closed as she relaxed, enjoying the rare moment of silence before she dropped the bomb on her husband.
"I think I just had a contraction," she admitted. A boom of thunder followed her statement, and lighting cracked in just enough time to illuminate the shocked and terrified look on Clint's face.
"Holy shit, when? Now? Are you... what should... holy shit."
"Just a minute ago while showing Harry and Peter the nursery. I've been having Braxton Hicks all weekend, but this one felt different.
"Hooooooly-"
"Yes Clint, I know, holy shit. It's not like you didn't know it was coming. I'm a week overdue."
She let out a small hiss as another contraction hit her, and she let out a long breath.
"That was fast. Was that not fast? That seemed fast."
"I thought you were supposed to be cool under pressure," she hissed as the contraction drew to a close. "You were so calm with Cooper, and he came three weeks early."
"Yeah, but we were prepared for that. We didn't have a kid, or guests over, and it didn't happen this suddenly."
"We're prepared now, and it should make you feel better to have all of the guests over because now we have someone to watch Coop. Clint, we're going to have a baby today."
His face broke out into a wide smile and he repeated, "we're going to have a baby today."
And then the power went out.
*
(Sixteen months later)
"Cooper! Auntie Nat is here!" Clint hollered from the front porch to his son who was outside playing. Lila was strapped to his chest in a complicated sling that Laura had helped him with, and he was whistling while making pancakes.
"You guys make cute kids," Natasha smiled, waving at Lila who was happily snuggling into her father's chest. At just under a year and a half, she was a happy baby who thankfully made life pretty simple, even in comparison to Cooper.
"Thanks," Clint chuckled, the griddle sizzling as he flipped a pancake. He had mastered the domestic life, standing sideways so that Lila's feet were protected from the hot stovetop, flipping pancakes with one hand and sipping coffee in the other.
"I, um, actually have something to tell you," he turned to face the red head.
"What, is Laura pregnant again or something?" Natasha teased, and Clint's face flushed bright red and he looked down.
"Oh my God, she is, isn't she?"
"We found out last week," Clint transferred the pancakes from the griddle to a plate.
"You two are going to be outnumbered," Natasha smirked, finding a strange amount of humor in the situation. "Have to say, Clint, that was pretty fast."
"A tad bit faster than anticipated, but at least the kids will be close together in age," Clint smiled, ducking his head down to kiss the top of Lila's head.
"Are you actually going to name this one after me?" She teased, stabbing a pancake off of the plate that Clint placed in front of her.
"Actually, we were. Natasha for a girl, Nathaniel for a boy."
Cooper burst into the room before Natasha could speak.
"Hey buddy. I made pancakes, how many do you want?" Clint smiled at his son, fixing a plate up for him.
"I want three, because I'm a big boy now," Cooper insisted, and Clint chuckled.
"Alright, three it is," he knew full well his son was not going to finish three pancakes, but there were enough pancakes for everyone.
"You guys are going to have your hands full," Natasha observed, watching as Clint expertly maneuvered Lila's body out of his way as he placed the pancakes in front of his son and poured syrup on them.
"You can say that again," Laura laughed, entering the kitchen. Natasha couldn't help but notice the dark circles under her eyes and her hair that looked as if it hadn't been washed for days.
"Hey babe, how you feeling?" Clint asked, sympathy in his eyes.
"Better. I think we have our troublemaker here," Laura responded, placing a hand on her stomach.
"Well, it was about time," Clint grinned.
"At least Lila's trouble maker streak ended when she was born during the power outage," Natasha smiled, offering a plate of pancakes to Laura who turned pasty white. Quickly, Clint snatched away the plate and Natasha dove for the trash can just in time for Laura to get sick.
"Ew. Mama, are you sick?" Cooper's nose wrinkled as he took another bite of his pancakes.
Laura let out a deep breath as Natasha rubbed small circles on her back.
"No Coop, I'm alright. Remember how we talked about the baby in my belly, just like with Lila?"
"Mhmm."
"Well sometimes the baby makes mama get sick because he or she doesn't like the food I'm eating."
"They're silly. Who doesn't like pancakes?" Cooper questioned, and Laura's nose scrunched up in a smile at the innocence of her son.
"I know, kinda silly right?" Laura agreed, before turning to Clint and letting go of the façade.
"Why don't you go lay down for a bit longer? Or go get a shower? I've got the kids, you just go relax," Clint assured her, helping her to her feet.
Natasha watched as he placed a loving kiss to her forehead and wrapped her in a careful hug.
As Laura disappeared down the hallway, Natasha continued to watch Clint. He bounced Lila up and down, grabbing ahold of her feet and making her giggle, then he swooped down and picked up Cooper's plate off the table while making noises like an airplane-- Cooper's newest obsession.
"You're a really good dad, Clint," Natasha declared in a moment of true sincerity. Over the course of the past seven years, really ever since Harry had become a part of the family, Natasha had watched her terminally single jokester friend become an amazing friend, and then a boyfriend, husband, and dad to some of her favorite people.
Clint's face melted into a lopsided, goofy grin as he accepted the compliment.
"Thanks, Nat. That means a lot."
*
(Eight Years Later)
"Okay, hold on, don't shoot," Clint spoke, rounding Lila as she pulled back the arrow, making the bow creak with tension.
"You see where you're going?"
Lila nodded with a hum that indicated yes.
"Okay, now let's worry about how you get there," he placed a hand on her back and motioned to her feet.
"Move your foot here. Point your toe this way," he used his own foot to guide hers into a wider stance.
"Hips, here," he straightened up her shoulders as she lowered the bow. "Can you see?"
"Yeah," she agreed, and he smiled, running his hand through her shoulder length hair that mirrored her mother's more and more each day.
"You sure? How about now?" He lifted the hair and brushed it against her face teasingly. "Can you see now? How about now?"
Lila giggled as he covered her eyes, and he laughed. He never got tired of making his kids smile.
He stepped away, allowing her space once more to aim.
"Ready?" Handing her an arrow, he heard Cooper and Nathaniel playing with a baseball behind them. Laura was setting up the table for lunch, watching her sons toss the ball back and forth.
"Nice throw, kiddo," she called, smiling proudly at her boys. She turned to her husband and daughter up on the hill. "Hey, you guys want mayo, or mustard, or both?"
Lila lowered the bow that she had redrawn, letting it go slack in her hands.
"Who wants mayo on a hotdog?" She whispered.
"Your brothers," he answered with a snort, turning back towards his wife and yelling. "Two mustard please! Thanks mama!"
"Got it!" Laura gave a thumbs up before turning back to her sons.
"Nate, mayo or mustard?"
"How about ketchup?" The seven year old replied, making Laura smile fondly.
Clint refocused his attention on his daughter as she focused in on the target.
"Mind your elbow," he reminded, and she lowered it before releasing the arrow, plunging it straight into the center of the target.
Clint laughed, raising his hand to give Lila a high-five. "Good job, Hawkeye. Go get your arrow."
He continued chuckling to himself, and behind him he heard Laura yell.
"Hey guys, enough practice! Soup's on!"
"Alright, we're coming. We're hungry," Clint hollered back. "Lila, let's go."
He turned to his daughter, and she came racing up to him. He slung his arm around her as they made their way back down the hill.
Nate and Cooper were already seated at the table, digging in to the spread that Laura had prepared.
"Looks good, mama," Clint wrapped his arm around Laura's waist and kissed her temple lightly.
She smiled at him, love and admiration in her eyes.
"Mama and daddy, sitting in a tree," Nate began to sing, earning a giggle from Lila and a scoff from Cooper who was trying hard not to smile.
"Can you pass the mayo, please?" Cooper asked Lila, who rolled her eyes at her dad before passing the condiment to her brother.
"We're so incredibly lucky" Clint murmured, leaning down and resting his chin on his wife's shoulder as they watched their kids playfully banter back and forth.
They had everything they could have dreamed about.
Clint still had the team, and saw them at least once a week. Every time they stayed in the city for a weekend, Tony made sure they had a place in the penthouse, and ample entertainment to occupy the kids.
They had the house, with enough land to swim in a pond in the summer and go sledding in the winter.
They had the three kids that played on the land from sun up until sun down, every day of the summer.
And they had each other. Clint had given up on finding anyone before Natasha had set him up with Laura. And he couldn't imagine his life going any other way.
He had everything he could possibly want.
Laura smiled, the same dazzling smile that had made Clint fall head over heels in love with her nearly ten years ago. The same brilliant smile that made him continue to fall head over heels in love with her every single day.
"Yeah," she beamed. "Yeah, we are."