Thanks again guys - sorry to leave you hanging!

Tony danced around the lab early in the morning to the strains of AC/DC - All night long as he finished up his work before his next meeting with Pepper.

"Shook me all night long…" as he shuffled over to his workbench. "Knocked me out…aaahh" Tony nearly jumped out of his skin when Clint stepped out of the shadows right beside him.

"Good lord bird man, you scared the hell out of me." Tony said holding his chest dramatically. "I am not a young man you know."

Clint smirked with his arms folded, "Yeah fear is an unpleasant emotion….much like embarrassment." Clint said with emphasis on the last word.

"Ohh ok, so you're a little pissed about dinner last night. Look I was just messing with you, I actually think it's great that you guys are doing…whatever it is you're doing.." Tony said sheepishly like a child that was being scolded for misbehaving.

Clint shook his head and stepped towards Tony who suddenly stood up straight. "I'm not worried that you know about Natasha and I, we've been together for over a year - the fact you've only found out just now is frankly embarrassing, for you…"

He said sighing and leaning against the workbench. "But that's not why I'm here really - I need your help Stark. I've got a personal project in mind but I need your expertise" (with his fingers making air quotes around that last word) "if you could spare me some of your precious time."

Stark raised his eyebrows at him, "Ah huh, I'm interested."

"Only one condition that you don't tell anyone, not even Natasha is going to know about this until I'm ready, ok?" He said seriously.

"Sure, sure I won't say a word I swear. I'm not anxious to get an arrow between the eyes anytime soon." Tony said holding his hands up.

"Ok, " Clint said as he puffed out a breath, "Here's what it is….."

Natasha and Pepper browsed through the dresses in the store trying to choose one for Natasha to wear. This was the first time that Natasha had gone shopping with anything resembling a girlfriend as she usually just went for the most provocative dress around only needing it to draw a target into her web.

"So what colour were you thinking of?" Pepper said picking up a black dress and holding it up.

"Not black really," Natasha said as Pepper put the dress down again. "I'm not really used to wearing a lot of colour so I guess I'll have to try some on."

Pepper gave her a pitied look as she watched her look through the dresses on the rail. She was guessing that this was a first for her by the way she was stumbling through it. Natasha and she and not really been friends but Pepper saw no reason why they couldn't be now. Pepper guessed she must be nearly 30 and seemed to have no idea how to interact with other women on a social level.

Natasha always wore black on missions and it was the last thing she wanted to wear tonight. She was thinking it was kind of like a date, their first in fact even though they'd been together for so long and even the thought of a date situation made her want to throw up.

"So I suppose Tony told you about me and Clint?" Natasha said out of the blue.

Pepper looked up with wide eyes, silently cursing Tony. "He did and I am so sorry about the way he acted at dinner, well, you know how he can be….but I don't think anyone else knows and he totally won't say anything." Natasha shook her head, "Pepper, it's ok really. The truth is we've been together for over a year now, since we moved to the Tower actually."

"No way! I can't believe you guys haven't been found out before now then to be honest!" Pepper exclaimed.

"Yeah I know, " Natasha said smiling. "Not that we've been hiding but it's all so new for us still you know we just needed time to figure it all out." Pepper nodded understandingly.

"So now for the first time in my life I have a boyfriend and I want to look amazing for him tonight." Natasha sighed heavily looking around at all the dresses. If only they had been trained for this at SHEILD…

Pepper smiled at her, "That's really nice to hear, you guys deserve to be happy you clearly love each other very much."

Natasha simply nodded at her as Pepper's eyes settled on a dress just behind her. She rushed over and pulled it off the rail holding it up dramatically,

"You have got to try this on, right now!"

Later Natasha stepped out of the bathroom in one of Clint's T-shirts having just done her hair in wavy curls which she knew Clint loved. He stood with his back to her tying his bow tie with quick precision. He caught a glimpse of her walking over to the table and couldn't help but whistle at her, winking when she looked up at him and smiled.

She was so beautiful, he hadn't seen her dress but he'd be happy even to be seen out with her in that t-shirt because she looked so damn hot in it.

He shook his head a little as he tried to shove away thoughts of throwing her down on the bed and sliding that t-shirt over her head.

"Mr Barton, Thor requests your help Sir." Jarvis said interrupting his dirty daydream.

"What do you mean Jarvis?" Clint said putting on his jacket.

"I believe he is having trouble with the concept of a tuxedo. He said that since you were an earth bound man you would be the best to help him. He sounds quite distressed." Jarvis added as Natasha laughed.

Clint sighed, "Tell him I'll be there in a second."

"Yes Sir."

Clint walked over to where Natasha was sitting and bent down to kiss the top of her head, looking at her in the mirror as she applied her make up.

"So apparently I've been summoned but I have something for you first." He said as she turned around watching him pull what seemed to be a jewellery box from his jacket pocket. He handed it to her and knelt down beside her.

"What's this?" She asked holding the box up in front of him.

"Well if you open it you'll find out won't you?" He said sarcastically. As she rolled her eyes at him she opened the box and was astonished to see the most beautiful white gold diamond tennis bracelet.

She looked at him in disbelief with tears in her eyes. "This is for me?" She asked him so innocently it made his heart ache. He smiled taking the bracelet out of the box and placing it on her wrist fastening it. Then he kept hold of her hand as he reached up slightly to dab her tears away.

"Of course it's for you, I've never bought jewellery for any other girl you know. I bought it because you deserve to have nice things, you shouldn't be able to live out of one bag all your life. I want to make memories with you, that you'll always remember the moment I gave you this bracelet every time you look at it."

He took her arm and kissed the inside of her wrist just above where the bracelet rested as she stroked his face.

Then he straightened up and said, "Now I gotta go help a god out with his tux." They both laughed at the ridiculousness of what he had just said.

As he left the room she called after him, "Clint?" he stopped and looked at her expectedly.

Her mind was screaming at her. Tell him you love him, tell him you love him but at the last second she chickened out.

"Thank you again - so much." She said instead, "Anything for you darlin." He said sexily as he left.

Clint arrived at Thor's room just in time to hear him cry, "Sons of Asgard!"

"Need some help buddy?" Clint said entering the room to see Thor, shirt and pants on but he was struggling with his tie, and suspenders.

Thor looked up and puffed out a breath nodding slowly.

A little while later Thor, Bruce, Steve, Clint, Tony and Pepper waited in the lobby for Natasha. Clint lent against the wall and looked up as soon as the elevator dinged signalling it's arrival.

As the doors opened Natasha stepped out to gasps from Pepper and Tony. Thor, Bruce and Steve's mouths collectively dropped open at the same time.

Natasha was wearing a dark green satin strapless gown with a dark red sash around her small waist and a split in the front which was showing a decent amount of her shapely leg.

She smiled awkwardly at them all before Tony said, "Ok guys, cars are out front, go in the last two cos obviously the most impressive looking one is mine…" Pepper nudged him in the ribs, "Ah hem?"

"Ours, I meant ours, goes without saying, ok let's hustle," he said taking Pepper by the hand and leading her outside. The other guys followed as Natasha waited for Clint to get his back off the wall and his jaw off the floor.

He walked towards her with a hand in his pocket drinking her in and offering her his arm chivalrously. She accepted and leaned into him as they walked out of the building,

"You got anything to say?" She said to him. He smiled and opened the car door for her,

"I was trying to remember the Russian for wow…" he reached for her hand which she gave immediately.

"Bay, "she answered.

"Then that's what I'm saying!" He said helping her inside.

Once they had sneaked in the back entrance of the party to avoid the paparazzi they were treated to the most beautiful room and there was an orchestra playing.

Later they all sat around their table drinking champagne and looking at the assembled crowd. They'd been to many parties like this together although Clint was usually watching in tactical gear through the scope of his bow or a sniper rifle. He was pleased to be here inside with her for the first time.

"Now Steve, we should find you a nice girl to dance with…" Pepper said to a horrified looking Steve.

"Oh gosh no I don't think I could you know.." He said nervously but apparently Pepper did not take no for an answer and in the time it had taken him to protest she was dragging him out of his seat searching the crowd for a suitable candidate.

He looked back at his team mates, his eyes pleading for help but they simply waved to him laughing. Bruce kept excusing himself to go and take some time out during which he would do some breathing exercises to keep 'the Other Guy' at bay.

Clint suddenly moved off his chair and held out his hand to Natasha, "Let's dance." He was a little nervous and it sort of came out like a command much to Thor's amusement.

"A romantic gesture indeed my friend." the god remarked emptying his glass.

Natasha smiled and accepted following him onto the dance floor. As he took her in his arms and they began to move to the music he rubbed her back soothingly as she sighed contentedly leaning on him.

"This is our first date you know…" He said to her chuckling.

"I was thinking about that earlier today, it's so totally us to only have our first date after we've been together for what, 18 months?" She observed.

"19 months, 3 days…" He corrected her provoking a large smile to appear on her face as she squeezed his hand tightly. In his head all he could hear was, tell her you love her, tell her you love her, NOW!

"You know, they're all watching us." She said as he spun her past their table.

"I do, so I was thinking maybe it's time we just give in." He said, as she gave him a puzzled look.

He lent in and planted a lingering kiss on her lips scorching them almost. He looked at her and she leant back in this time granting his tongue access to her mouth as his hold on her tightened.

At the table Tony clapped and raised his glass towards the couple, "Well there you go now…yeah Barton, get some!"

Bruce leaned over to Thor and said, " So are they a thing now?"

"My friend, you need to leave the lab a little bit more." Thor replied slapping him on the back.

After a great night Natasha and Clint walked into the lobby of the tower when Natasha stumbled slightly. He wasn't sure if it was to do with the fact she was a little tipsy or the fact she was wearing ridiculously high (but sexy) shoes. After catching her by the arm Clint scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to the elevator. She laughed saying, "you don't have to carry me you know."

"Really, cool because you're damn heavy." He said mockingly as she punched him in the arm nestling her head on his shoulder. Once they stopped on their floor he said,

"Let's stay in your room tonight..mine's too far away." They almost always stayed in his room because it was at the very end of the hall, away from prying eyes or ears but now that they'd displayed their feelings to everyone there wasn't much point in sneaking around.

He carried her into the room kicking the door shut, "you know I didn't really trip, I just wanted to see if you'd carry me." She said laughing as he reached the bed. "Oh is that so…" he said - she thought he was about to lay her gently on the bed but he pretty much dumped her on it, holding his back for comedic effect as she threw her purse at him.

"Hey!" She laughed as she sat up on the edge of the bed. He laughed as he threw off his jacket and tie, loosening a few buttons on his shirt.

She slowly lifted the hem of her dress to her knees looking into his eyes, "You want to help me off with these shoes please?" She said coyly. He considered her offer whilst he took his own shoes and socks off finally going over to her and kneeling down in front of her. He patted his knee for her to put her feet up and she did.

He slowly unbuckled her shoes and discarded them beside him. Still with her feet on his knee he massaged her ankles a little as she sighed and closed her eyes at his healing touch. His hands travelled up the backs of her legs as he watched the expression on her face, her slight smile and moan of contentment. Followed by a chuckle when he tickled the back of her knee; her eyes flew open to look at him and she sat up to pull him in for a kiss.

He sat up on his knees and pressed his body to hers holding her tightly as he kissed her. He pulled back and looked at her, still holding her close.

"I love you Tasha, I've always loved you." He said with absolutely no expectation of her saying it back to him. She had come a long way in terms of sharing her feelings with him and being affectionate but even so he wondered.

She had never believed that she would say those words to anyone but there in front of her holding her tenderly in his arms was the man who spared her life seeing something in her even then that she didn't see in herself. The man who became her friend and ally and understood her more deeply than she could have imagined. This man was now in addition her lover and the person that she wanted to be with for the rest of her life. For all these reasons she took a deep breath and said it back.

"I love you too Clint, I couldn't have imagined how deeply I've fallen in love with you."

"Show me," He said as he pushed her back onto the bed gently climbing on top of her enjoying the feel of her satin dress against him.

She unbuttoned his shirt and slid it from his shoulders with a smile, remembering their very first night together when an anxious Clint ripped her vest off. She ran her hands over his muscular chest and arms which were now so familiar to her, she knew every mark on his body, every scar, every freckle he had.

He pulled her up to pull the zip down on her dress to reveal some very sexy underwear which he very much approved of.

"Now these were purchased with you in mind…and were kind of expensive…" She said as he lay down beside her running his hands over the delicate lace.

"Yeah I know so don't rip em, right?" He said shaking his head. She rolled over on top of him as he sat up and removed her bra as he kissed and gently bit her neck giving her a hickie she would definitely not be able to hide.

Their slow exploration of each others bodies was careful and loving until they were totally naked. She took the lead in slithering down his body taking his hard cock in her mouth. He gasped as he tangled his fingers in her hair. Before too long he was panting and pulled her up to meet his mouth again rolling them over.

His fingers connected with her centre and were met with a deep moan into his mouth as he kissed her harder. He groaned, "oh my God Tasha, so good" he said almost in a dream like state. She was ready for him and by the subtle hint of her nails digging into his back she wanted him inside of her now.

As he pushed into her he blessed whomever invented birth control because he relished the feeling of their bodies connecting like they were two halves of the same thing.

He began to move and knew by her cries it wouldn't be long before she came and he along with her so he sped up the pace he had set as she locked her legs around him not being able to get close enough to him.

Her moans became louder and louder until they both finally collapsed exhausted against each other. As they came down from their high Clint planted kisses all over Natasha's face and neck,

"This is good Nat, this thing we have - don't ever leave me ok?" He voiced his innermost feelings to her at this most intimate moment without thinking.

She stroked his face, inches away from her own feeling his breath on her cheek. "There's no way I'd leave you, don't you know you're my guy?" She said as she kissed him lovingly.

A little longer chapter for you - more to come!