Hello From The Outside

This is what happens when you're sitting in your English lecture hall, not listening to the lecturer – who is unhealthily fascinated with making sex jokes rather than his actual topic – and cannot get Adele's Hello out of your head. And then suddenly, BAM! You have a new Clintasha AU one-shot. I hope you all enjoy this random one-shot :)

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ADELE'S "HELLO" OR AVENGERS!

I was also in an accident this week – nothing more than an accident – so forgive me for taking my time with my other stories :)

"Hello, it's me.
I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet
To go over everything.
They say that time's supposed to heal ya, But I
Ain't done much healing

Hello, can you hear me?
I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be
When we were younger and free
I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet
There's such a difference between us
And a million miles

Hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times
To tell you; I'm sorry for everything that I've done
But when I call, you never seem to be home

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I've tried
To tell you; I'm sorry for breaking your heart
But it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart
Anymore…"

Natasha listened to his voicemail greeting for what she thought was the thousandth time. Since their break-up three years ago, Natasha had not seen or spoken to Clint; even though she had nightmares of him dying in her arms every other night since then. She had been afraid of her past catching up with her. So she left, breaking his heart, breaking her own. She was convinced that she would be forever in pain, forever closed off from love; because her heart was no longer her own….

Clint entered his apartment just as a phone call came through. Natasha. Again. He sat on the chair and listened to her as she left a new voicemail, remembering all the ones she had left before:

"Hello, it's me. Natasha. Long time no see, right?" She chuckled sadly at her own words. "I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet to go over everything that happened. I know it's been years and…. They say that time's supposed to heal ya, but I ain't done much healing." She paused. "I'm sorry, Clint. You're probably busy. I'll… Call me if you can. Thanks."

"Hello, can you hear me? Sorry, of course you can. Stark made sure you could," she started, remembering the awful day when Clint lost his hearing 'No, don't think about that, Natasha,' she reprimanded herself. "Anyways,, I'm in California at the moment. Dreaming about who we used to be. When we were younger. And free," she confessed, knowing that she would probably chicken out if she was face-to-face with him. "I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet. There's such a difference between us," she whispered, "And a million miles…"

Her latest voicemail sounded like she was trying to distract herself. He could hear the tears in her voice.

"Hello, how are you? It's so typical of me to talk about myself. I'm sorry, I hope that you're well. Did you make it out of that town where nothing ever happened?"

Clint frowned. What was wrong?

"Shit, I'm sorry. I won't bother you again."

The call ended. Clint was confused. The last time he had heard her like this was… when she walked away from them. From him…

"Tasha, you can't just do this!" Clint shouted, following her out into the living-room. "Walk out on me? On Us? Can you live with yourself by just walking away after everything we've been through?"

Natasha didn't bother to stop her tears. "Clint, stop. I can't stay. Not… I… Please…"

Clint walked in front of her, catching her hands as she tried to pack. "Don't do this. Tasha, please. Please stay."

"I can't. Clint, I can't," she sobbed hoarsely, shaking her head. "I love you. I love you so much. But I can't stay. I promise I'll explain one day. But not today," she whispered; she couldn't let him get hurt because of her.

"Tasha," he whispered, his voice breaking at the end. "Please."

Natasha shook her head, placing both hands on his jaw. She kissed him desperately before pulling away just as quickly. "I'm sorry," she whispered against his lips, her tears mixing with his. "Please don't hate me."

And then she was gone…

Clint was brought back to reality with a new voicemail. And this time he knew she was crying…

"Hello, how are you?
It's so typical of me to talk about myself, I'm sorry.
I hope that you're well
Did you ever make it out of that town where nothing ever happened?

It's no secret that the both of us
Are running out of time.

So hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times
To tell you; I'm sorry for everything that I've done
But when I call, you never seem to be home

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I've tried
To tell you; I'm sorry for breaking your heart
But it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart
Anymore, ooooohh
Anymore, ooooohh
Anymore, ooooohh
Anymore, Anymore, ooooohh

Hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times
To tell you; I'm sorry for everything that I've done
But when I call, you never seem to be home

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I've tried
To tell you; I'm sorry for breaking your heart
But it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart
Anymore…"

Natasha needed to tell him. She knew she had said she wouldn't bother him again. But she also knew neither so or Clint would never forgive her if she didn't tell him.

"Hello from the other side," she started. "I must've called a thousand times to tell you I'm sorry for everything I've done to us. To you. But when I call, you never seem to be home. I guess I should be saying 'Hello from the outside.' I don't even recognise myself anymore. But at least, after this… At least I can say that I tried to say sorry for breaking your heart. I never meant to I need you to know that." And what she said next almost broke her. "But it doesn't matter; it tear you apart anymore," she whispered, referring to the news that Pepper had told her; Clint was getting married. "I've left a photo of one of the secrets I hid from you three years ago. I don't want anything from you, Clint. I just thought you'd want to know. And I wish you the best. Laura's a very lucky woman," she finished just before the small feet of her two-year-old son ran into her room with a stuffed toy hawk.

"Mama! Mama!" Erik cried out, jumping into his mother's lap and wrapping his arms around his mother's neck. "Hi," he told her.

"Hi, my Little Hawk," she whispered, kissing her son's forehead. She directed her next words into the phone. "Goodbye, Clint. I hope you can forgive me."

She hung up her phone before turning back to her son, smiling as he ran his little hands over her tear-stained face. "Mama sad?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Not anymore, Erik," she replied, wrapping her arms gently around her son's waist. "I've got you. You make me happy, Erik," she whispered to him, inhaling his scent.

The fact that Erik was a miniature Clint didn't hurt Natasha as much as it used to…

"Why didn't she tell me?" Clint whispered as he sat in Pepper and Tony's living-room, looking at a picture of his son. His and Natasha's son.

"Because Alexei and Ivan found her," Pepper replied, making Clint look up, anger and surprise clear on his face. "They threatened to kill you if she didn't leave. She found out she was pregnant the day she left you. So she went off grid until Alexei and I van were taken care of. Interpol arrested them three weeks ago," Pepper explained, watching Clint process the information. "She wanted to tell you, Clint. She wanted to tell you everything. But she wanted to keep you safe. Clint… she never stopped loving you."

Clint stood up and walked over to the window, holding the picture of his son and Natasha together, and his birth cert. He read his son's details;

'Name: Erik Francis Barton.
Sex: Male.
D.O.B.: December 25, 2012.
Mother/Parent's Name: Natasha Romanoff.
Father/Parent's Name: .'

He looked back at the picture of Erik and Natasha on the little boy's second birthday. There was no denying Erik's paternal parentage: he was basically the miniature version of Clint. For once, Tony had nothing to say.

Clint suddenly turned to Pepper and Tony. "Where are Natasha and my son?"

Natasha was feeding Erik a bottle of milk when the doorbell suddenly rang. She frowned as she looked up at the clock, noticing the time – 20:37 – before slowly moving Erik so he could continue drinking his bottle while she went to open the door.

She slowly pulled it open, her jaw dropping in surprise at who was waiting on the other side.

"Hello from the other side, Natasha," he greeted.

"Clint," she whispered, not believing her eyes.

"I believe you owe me an explanation," he started, watching her carefully. "And I want to go over everything too."

Natasha nodded, opening the door further and letting him in. "I was just feeding Erik his bottle before bedtime," she informed her former fiancée.

"Shit. I didn't even look at the time, Natasha. I don't want to bother you if you're putting Erik to bed."

Natasha shook her head. "No. It's okay. I didn't expect you to show up. But I do… I would like you to be part of Erik's life."

Clint nodded. "I want to be part of his life too, Tasha," Clint replied, reverting to his old nickname for her naturally. "Pepper told me everything she knew. Tasha… But. Why didn't you tell me?"

Natasha folded her arms around herself, the defensive sign of her protecting herself a sign he had learned about her a long time ago. "I had to protect you. Leaving was the only choice I thought I had," she confessed, biting her bottom lip nervously. "I couldn't let you die because of me."

"Yet, you killed me in the worst way," he commented, no venom in his voice. Only… sadness.

"I know. I'm so sorry," she answered, swallowing audibly. "I'm so sorry, Clint."

Suddenly, Erik appeared at the door. "Mama?" he called out, holding his stuffed hawk, Tobias, close to him and his bottle.

Natasha quickly walked over to her son, lifting him gently so he could settle against her. "You're supposed to be in bed, Erik," she whispered to her son as she pressed a kiss to Erik's forehead.

Erik shook his head, watching Clint carefully. "Who that?"

Clint felt like he was looking himself in the mirror; Erik's eyes were the exact same as his own.

"That's your Daddy, Erik," Natasha informed her son, slowly making his way over to Clint. "Clint, this is your son, Erik," she introduced, watching her ex-fiancée carefully.

"Hi, Erik," Clint greeted, smiling softly at the young boy.

"Hi," Erik replied shyly before looking up at Natasha. "Is Daddy staying?"

"I…" Natasha started but drifted off, looking at Clint. "I know about Laura, Clint. You don't have to say," she informed him.

Clint shook his head: Laura hadn't taken well to the news that Clint had a child from a past relationship. Especially since he had told her he wanted to wait to have kids. And now he wanted to meet his son who his ex-fiancée had never told him about – she had given him an ultimatum: if he wanted to meet his illegitimate son (she had used a choice word), she was walking away from him. Or stay with her and demand a DNA test from Natasha.

It was obvious what he had chosen.

"No. I would like to stay," Clint informed the red-head. "If you want me to. Laura's nothing to worry about."

Natasha frowned: Pepper had told that Clint and Laura were very happy with each other. What had happened? Then it clicked. "Clint, if I caused a problem for you and Laura…" she started but Clint interrupted her with a shake of his head.

"She said some things I didn't appreciate, Tasha. Things I could never forgive her for," he told her. "I guess it was never going to work out," he added.

Natasha nodded, not knowing what she could say. She looked down at her son, biting her bottom lip. "Would you like to go to Daddy?" she asked Erik.

Erik looked at his father before looking back at his mother, nodding shyly.

Clint chuckled breathlessly as he gently too Erik in his arms, copying Natasha's hold on their son. "Hi, Buddy," Clint greeted his son as the two-year-old wrapped his arms around his father's neck.

"Hi, Daddy," Erik whispered before resting his head in the crook of Clint's neck. The little boy was exhausted, yawning against his father's skin.

Natasha smiled at the sight in front of her. Both father and son were clinging to each other as if they were the only two people in the world.

Suddenly, Clint held his arm out for Natasha. "Come on, Mama," he whispered with his signature smirk.

She shook her head at his playfulness but walked over and joined them in their hug. She felt Clint wrap his arm around her waist, as if she had never walked out on him. She rested her head on his shoulder, smiling as she watched Erik fall asleep in Clint's arms. This was what she had been missing…

Natasha and Clint fell into a rhythm over the next few weeks. They took turns changing Erik's dirty nappy, feeding him, reading their son bedtime stories. Natasha offered Clint her spare bedroom instead of him staying in the nearest motel. They felt like stranger though. They hadn't seen each other in three years; there was a familiarity and a strangeness to them.

And Natasha didn't know what to do…

"I cannot believe you work for Stark," Clint stated one morning after Natasha walked out of her bedroom to find Clint and Erik sitting in the middle of the living-room, playing with Erik's racing toy cars.

"Technically, I work for Pepper, Clint. She is the CEO of Stark Industries. Tony only owns the company. And builds the prototypes," Natasha replied, pulling on her blazer over her white blouse. "Are you okay to watch Erik for today? Wanda had to bring her twin brother to the hospital," she added, grabbing a slice of toast off the kitchen counter.

Erik was busy running his cars over his road map, paying no attention to either of his parents as they spoke.

"Of course," Clint replied, standing up and walking over to the red-head. "You have next week off, right?" he asked, pouring her out a glass of orange juice.

"I'm off from Friday until January 3rd," she replied, thanking him for the glass of juice. "Do… Are you staying for Christmas?" she asked, watching him out of the corner of her eye as she walked over to where Erik was playing with his cars. She leaned down and earned a sloppy goodbye kiss from her son.

When she stood back up, she found Clint watching her carefully. "I don't want to impose on you… But yes, I would love to be here for Christmas?" He phrased it like a question.

Natasha smiled. "You're more than welcome, Clint. Erik is your son too," she informed him, resting her hand on his bicep gently. "I just don't want you to feel pressured into staying."

Clint shook his head, looking over at their son. "My dad was an abusive idiot who was never there. I want to be the opposite of my father. I want to be here for Erik. Especially since his birthday is on Christmas too," he whispered.

Natasha smiled sadly. "You're not your father, Clint," she whispered, gently brushing her thumb over his bicep like the way she used to when they were together.

And it worked.

Clint smiled and nodded. "I'm not my father," Clint repeated, earning a smile from the red-head.

She pulled away from him, suddenly feeling awkward. "I have to go to work. I'll see you later," she whispered, smiling at Erik before making her way to the front door.

Clint watched Natasha walk towards the front door. Then he made his choice. "Tasha, hold up a minute," he called after her, quickly making his way out into the hallway.

Natasha frowned as she turned back to Clint. "What's wrong?" she asked, just before he cupped her face between his hands and kissed her deeply. She squealed in surprise at his actions but moaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into the kiss.

Neither knew how long they stayed there. But eventually, they pulled away. Both of them were panting, not knowing what to say to the other.

"I… I have to go. I'll see you later," Natasha whispered, breaking the silence. She was gone before Clint could reply.

Clint opened his mouth before closing it when Natasha disappeared out the door. He made his way back into the living-room, scooping Erik up into his arms. "What have I done, Buddy?" he whispered, pressing a kiss to his son's forehead. But Erik didn't have the answers. Nor did Clint. At least, not until Natasha came home from work…

Natasha didn't know what to think about her kiss with Clint. She was distracted with her work, something Pepper Potts picked up in immediately.

"What happened that you're so distracted, Natasha?" Pepper asked as the two went through legal paperwork Tony had managed to get the company into. Again.

Natasha looked up from the page she was currently trying to scan her eyes through. "What?" she asked, frowning in confusion at her boss.

Pepper cocked her head to the side. "You've been distracted all day. Are you and Clint getting along?" she asked, watching the red-head carefully.

"We're getting along fine, Pepper," Natasha replied, shaking her head. "I'm fine."

Pepper raised an eyebrow at her. "What happened, Natasha?" she asked.

Natasha opened her mouth before closing it again. And then she admitted, "We kissed. Before I came here for work."

Pepper's jaw dropped in surprise. "Seriously?" she replied, her voice squeaking at the end.

Natasha simply nodded, suddenly finding the ground a lot more interesting then looking her boss and closest girl friend in the eye.

Pepper leaned back in her seat, not knowing what to say. "Wow," she eventually managed. "I was not expecting that."

"Either was I. Literally," Natasha replied, sitting back in her seat and relaxing her body. "I have no idea what to do."

Pepper nodded then offered, "Take it one step at a time. See what he wants. And if it's what you want to, go for it."

Natasha nodded. Now how was she to do that?

Clint had just put Erik down for his afternoon nap when Natasha entered the apartment. He waited in the kitchen as she rounded the corner. "I just put Erik down for his nap," he informed her.

Natasha smiled and nodded. "How was he today?" she asked, placing her bag on the counter.

"He was excellent. He told me about everything he wants Santa to bring him," Clint replied, smiling at the red-head before frowning. "Tasha, I'm sorry for earlier," he started but Natasha cut him off.

"Don't worry about it, Clint. I just wasn't expected you to kiss me," she cut him, closing the space between them. She placed two hands on his biceps. "You didn't do anything wrong, Clint."

Clint nodded before pulling Natasha into a hug. Natasha wrapped her arms around his waist, closing her eyes as she buried her face against his chest. She had missed this. Missed the feeling of being safe, something she had only ever felt in Clint's arms.

Clint buried his face into Natasha's hair, inhaling her scent. He had hated her for leaving him. But he had never stopped loving her either. Even when he started dating Laura, his feelings for Natasha had never left.

"What are we doing, Clint?" Natasha whispered against his chest.

"Hugging?" he offered, earning a light smack from the red-head.

"You know that's not what I meant," she mumbled against his chest.

Clint sighed. "I don't know, Tasha. You left. You were pregnant with our child. The only two people who knew were Pepper and Tony. I tried to move on after you were gone. I met a girl, we were together for over a year and we got engaged. Then suddenly you call. A few times. And then you let Pepper and Tony tell me what happened. Laura got pissed at me because I had told her I didn't want kids for a few years and then suddenly I was a father. But not a father of her children. And not just that, but a father to a child of my ex-fiancée who walked out on me without giving me a reason. And we have spent the last four weeks, living under the same roof, raising our son together. And we kissed for the first time in three years this morning. Did I miss anything?"

Natasha shook her head before pulling away from him. "I'm sorry," she whispered, keeping her eyes locked on the floor.

Clint gently cupped her cheeks softly. "Don't. No more apologies, Tasha. You thought it was the right thing to do until Alexei and Ivan were taken care of. I can't be angry at you for that. Nor am I angry that you kept Erik a secret. I understand that you were trying to keep our son safe. And keep me safe. I understand that now. I feel guilty for hating you when you left though," he informed her.

Natasha frowned. "You had every right to hate me, Clint. I walked out on you. On us. I hated myself too" she confessed. "Alexei and Ivan had been watching us. They emailed me pictures of you and I together. On dates. Making love. They knew our routines. Leaving was the only choice. I found out I was pregnant when I was already halfway across the continent. And I knew that I had to keep Erik safe too."

Clint nodded. "I understand that now. Of course it hurt that you never told me. But knowing why you did it makes that pain a lot more easier to bare," he replied, brushing a stray lock from her face. "It hurts but it doesn't make me angry anymore."

Natasha placed her hands on his chest, her eyes focused on her fingers. Clint waited for her to speak, not minding being so close to her with the silence between them. He didn't feel awkward anymore; instead it made him wonder whether one wrong movement would send her running again.

Clint slowly brought one hand up to cup Natasha's cheek gently. He guided her face up so that he could look her in the eye. "I missed you, Tasha," he confessed, making the red-head smile sadly at his words.

"I missed you too, Clint," she whispered. Slowly, Clint leaned down and gently brushed his lips over Natasha's, giving her the option to pull away if she wanted to. But she didn't.

The red-head's eyes slid closed as she leaned up into the kiss, her hands trailing up to the back of his head as he brought his arms down to wrap around her waist. It felt familiar yet so different. They were different people now; more mature, hardened further. But the familiarity was still there: they knew each other's' bodies like the back of their hand. That had never changed.

"Tasha," Clint whispered against her lips, breaking the kiss slightly so they could both breathe. His breath breezed over her lips, slowly bringing his hands to rest on her hips.

Natasha nodded, answering his unspoken question. Clint grinned against her lips and suddenly lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. He moulded his lips against hers, walking down the hallway towards her bedroom.

Natasha's fingers trailed through Clint's hair as he made his way down the hallway. He closed the door after he entered, making sure not to slam it: he didn't want Erik interrupting them. And their son had an uncanny knack for climbing successfully out of his crib.

As he lay her on the bed, Natasha took her chance to pull his T-Shirt over his head and tossing it on the floor. She ran her hands over his chest and stomach, taking in his body. He had become more physically fit since the last time she had been with him like this.

Clint gently pushed Natasha down onto the bed, hovering over her as she brought her hands to his biceps. He watched her eyes dilate as he moved to straddle her legs. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers, slowly undoing the buttons of her blouse at the same time. The red-head moaned when he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples, the lace of her bra and the calluses of his thumbs driving her insane. She had forgotten how this felt, how it felt to be in Clint's arms like this.

Clint threw her blouse to the floor, sliding his hands underneath her back to unclasp her bra. He growled possessively when she arched up into his touch, her breasts pressed firmly against his chest. "Tasha," he whispered, breaking the kiss so he could watch as he pulled her bra off of her body.

Natasha watched him with lustful eyes, her breath hitching as Clint pulled her right leg over his hip and grinded the bulge in his pants against her core. God, she had missed him. And not just for the sex – although, the sex was very much welcomed. She tossed her head back as he began to mouth at her neck, making the red-head gasp his name loudly in response. He hadn't lost his ability to make her speechless with his talented mouth.

Clint grinned against her neck as she grinded back against him, his name falling from her lips in a mantra. He slowly made his way down to her chest, kissing and nipping on her skin, just the way she liked. He grinned up at her when he reached her breasts. He brought both hands to cup them firmly, brushing his thumbs over her nipples. Her breasts and nipples had gotten bigger over the three years, something he assumed came during her pregnancy. One thing that had not changed was how sensitive her tits were to his touch.

Natasha moaned as Clint flicked his thumbs over her nipples. He leaned down and sucked one nipple into his mouth, grinning when she moaned his name in pleasure. He rolled the hardened nub with his tongue, using his teeth to scrape her skin, making her shiver in response.

She brought her hands up to comb them through his unruly spikes, pulling him closer to her body. Moaning, she wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding her warm core against the bulge in his pants.

"Want you so much," he mumbled against her lips, smiling when he felt and heard her moan louder into the wet cavern of his mouth. "Wanna make love to you, Tasha." Her breasts had been always been sensitive and he was planning to take advantage of that sensitivity; he loved making her come for him. To hear his name fall from her lips as her climax hit her. A sound he had missed.

Natasha wrapped her legs higher up Clint's back, her hands tugging on his pants as he teased her breasts. The red-head moaned as Clint moved her other breast, teasing it just like he had its twin. Her back arched high off the floor, her head tossed back as she suddenly came hard when he nipped at her erect bud.

He continued to lap at her skin as she rode out the high of her sudden climax. "Clint," Natasha mumbled as she finally recovered from her orgasm. "Clint, please," she begged, watching her lover's eyes darkened further at her words.

Clint immediately lifted himself to lean down and capture Natasha's lips hungrily. He helped her push his jeans and boxers over his hips. He balanced his weight on his elbows, burying his right hand in her long red locks. He groaned loudly when Natasha suddenly wrapped her small pale hand around the base of his erection, slowly but firmly pumping him twice before positioning him at her entrance.

He kept his eyes locked on hers as he slowly pushed himself inside her, the couple moaning in pleasure and content as his length stretched the most intimate part of her body. Natasha brought her left hand up to interlace her fingers with Clint's right which he had balanced beside her head. She brought her other hand to the back of her lover's neck, her fingers playing with the stray locks of his hair; he had left his hair grow out a bit since he had arrived in California. She accepted his passionate kiss as he waited for her to adjust to him inside her again.

Clint grunted when Natasha wrapped her long lean legs around his waist, locking her ankles on the small of his back. He shifted so his knees were planted against the soft fabric of her mattress, the new angle hitting every right possible spot inside her. "Keep your eyes on me, Tasha," he requested, his voice possessive as he broke the kiss so he could lean his forehead against hers. "Wanna watch you when you come for me," he added.

Natasha's mouth dropped in surprised pleasure at Clint's words; his possessive prowess in bedroom hadn't changed. She moaned and pushed her ankles down on the small of her lover's back, pushing him deeper inside her. She wanted him to fill her up over and over, never wanted to leave him again. And she would do her very best to make sure she never did.

They both felt the tell-tale sign of her oncoming orgasm, her walls fluttering around his cock as her thighs shook around his waist. She kept her eyes on his as she came hard, her scream catching in her throat, unable to leave because of the intense and intimate gaze Clint had her locked in.

He came a few minutes after her, her clenching walls pulling him into his own orgasm….

Clint and Natasha lay panting on the bed, the red-head had her head resting on top of her lover's chest while he had his arms draped protectively around her waist. "Wow," she whispered against the skin of his chest.

Clint chuckled and pressed a loving kiss to her temple. "So… Erik was most likely conceived like this," he commented, making Natasha laugh. A sound he had truly missed. "I missed that sound," he whispered.

Natasha began tracing her fingers over the childhood scars that had been caused by his father. "I… Since I left, I haven't slept right. I kept dreaming about you dying in my arms. After Erik was born and after a nightmare, I'd watch him sleep. Just for peace of mind. It… Erik was the only thing keeping me from doing something stupid," she confessed, pressing a kiss to his sternum. "You and Erik… Keeping you two safe was the only thing I knew I could do. The one thing I could do for the rest of my life even if that meant that I would never see you again."

Clint slowly rolled them onto their sides so they were looking each other in the eye. He gently brushed his hand over her face. "I wish I could have been here for you, Tasha. I know how hard your flashbacks can be. And how bad your nightmares could get," he whispered, leaning forward and pressing soft kisses over her face. "I promise you'll never be alone like that again. I promise, Tasha. I'd rather die than have you walk away from us again."

Natasha bit her lip and nodded. She leaned up and caught his lips in a soft kiss. "I'll never leave you again," she whispered into his mouth. "As long as you'll have me, I'll never leave you."

Clint cupped her face lovingly. "I'm not going to let you walk away without giving me a real reason, Tasha," he whispered, brushing his nose along hers. "I don't think I'd be able to go through you leaving me again," he confessed, his eyes focusing on hers as he brushed his nose along hers gently.

Natasha was about to respond when they both heard the soft tell-tale pattering of Erik's feet coming to the bedroom door. Natasha quickly grabbed Clint's top off the floor and pulled it on, getting up in time for Erik to open the door. Clint pulled the sheets up on top of him after Natasha threw his boxers at him, quickly pulling them on under the cover of the sheets as she made her way over to the door to attend to their almost three-year-old son.

Erik lifted one of his arms up to Natasha sleepily, holding Tobias close to him with the other when he opened the door to reveal his mother on the other side. The red-head easily picked him up, letting him rest against her chest. "Hi, Mama," he whispered against her chest. He yawned slightly, cuddling into his mother after she wrapped her arms under his butt, the little boy still holding Tobias.

"Hi, my Little Hawk," she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her son's forehead as she walked over to the bed. She smiled at Clint as she climbed into the bed beside her lover. She let her little boy climb into his father's lap before she curled against her lover, watching her two favourite men carefully.

"Hey, Buddy," Clint greeted softly as Erik leaned against his father's chest. He smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to his son's temple as Erik snuggled into his arms. He smiled at Natasha happily as the red-head rested her head on his shoulder, smiling as she watched their son rest against Clint's chest peacefully.

"He's practically a mini you," she whispered, bringing one hand up to brush her fingers through her son's soft hair.

Clint pressed a soft kiss to Natasha's temple, wrapping his free arm around her waist and holding her close. "Did that ever bother you?" he asked, wanting to know what she had gone through when she was gone.

"Yes," she confessed. "But not in the way that made me wish he looked nothing like you. It just made me miss you more. He was my constant reminder of you. And everything you had done for me. I just wish you had the chance to be here when he was born."

"I'm here now, Natasha," he whispered, watching her carefully. "I'm not going anywhere."

Natasha nodded; she wasn't going to dwell on the negatives of the past three years. Clint was here now. He loved Erik like their little boy was the sun in the sky. And he still wanted to be with her. He'd forgiven her for leaving. That's all that mattered now. "I love you, Clint," she whispered, pressing her lips to his pulse before resting her head on his shoulder again.

Clint smiled. "I love you too, Tasha," he whispered, moving with her so they were both lying down, Erik still on top of Clint's chest while Natasha was cuddled up against Clint's side. This is what he had missed over the past three years. He finally had Natasha back after thinking things he wished he never thought about – things that she had never done but he had. But none of that mattered now. She was in his arms, their son napping peacefully on his chest. And he wasn't going to let anyone take it away from him without a fight….

So… I may or may not add a second chapter… Yes/no? :)