"Are you fucking kidding me?" was the only thing that Natasha said as they stared down at the infant they were charged with for a few days until SHIELD could locate the child's next of kin. Clint rolled his eyes, but smirked, playing with the one and a half year old. He'd been abandoned after his family was killed in front of them. Natasha had seemed pretty standoffish for the most part until the third night.
Clint had been passed out in the bed with her, and the little one was crying softly. Clint woke up to hear soft lullabies coming from the room they'd put the crib, Natasha sitting on the floor with the child in her arms. He leaned against the doorframe, watching the Black Widow rock the little boy slowly back to sleep.
She stiffened slightly as she saw him in the doorway, but Clint just came over and sat next to her, putting his arm around her. Natasha was still stiff. "He was just cr-"
"Shh, you'll wake him up again." Clint said, pressing his lips to her temple. Natasha frowned, holding the baby in her arms tighter to her. After a little while, Clint spoke.
"They found his grandparents you know, he's going home to them tomorrow." He had found out after Natasha fell asleep, and was planning on telling her in the morning, but now he felt like she should know now. She frowned, looking down at the little boy sucking his thumb. Clint followed her gaze quietly.
"We couldn't have kept him anyways." He said after another quiet moment and her frown deepened.
"I know that," She snapped, standing up and putting the little one tenderly in the portable crib. Clint watched her, still sitting on the floor as she covered him up, but he started whimpering in his sleep. She bit her lip, and began humming as she lifted him again.
"Just bring him in here with us, he'll sleep better with you holding him." Clint said gently, and she ignored him, but stomped into the bedroom anyways. Clint followed as she laid back, the baby on her chest. He got back into bed behind her, wrapping an arm around them both, hearing her sing softly to the little boy.
For a second, Clint let that color his dreams, let himself selfishly pretend that they actually could adopt that little boy. He kissed the back of her neck and whispered the story in her ear as well, Natasha relaxing in his arms.
Later when they watched the CPS agent take him away, Natasha hid in her room for a few days and only emerged when Clint started watching a cartoon on Netflix in the living room. She wrapped her arms around his middle and sighed. "I wouldn't know what to do with a child." She said.
Clint nodded, kissing her forehead gently. "You've got your hands full with me anyways." He said and was relieved when she cracked a smile.
But they both agreed without speaking to fast forward the cartoon when the mother elephant started singing "Baby Mine."