There was something different about the pair of deer these past few weeks. It took awhile for Clint to figure out what it was, but when he did, he knew he had to tell his family.
That night, as the 'Barton family movie and pizza party' was coming to a close, Clint knew that it was time to share the new information. When the end credits rolled around for How to Train Your Dragon, Clint cleared his throat.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there's something I need to tell you guys about the deer."
Clint received worried looks from his family, especially Lila. "What? What is it? Is something wrong?" She asked frantically.
"Well," Clint hesitated. "The past few visits I've noticed something different about them, especially the doe. She's been acting a bit weird and I'm afraid that…."
"What?" Lila asked again as Clint took a long pause in finishing his sentence.
"... She's going to have a baby soon."
Everyone's worried looks immediately changed into smiles. Lila squealed with joy while Cooper simply replied with an, "Awesome."
"Clint," Laura complained as she lightly pushed her husband sitting next to her. "Making us worry for nothing. That's great news!"
"When will the baby come?!" Lila bounced as she jumped up from the nest of blankets and pillows Cooper and her made in front of the tv. She ran over to sit on Clint's lap with anticipation.
"I don't know," Clint answered honestly. "It's hard to tell, but the fact that she is physically showing signs of her pregnancy means that it's only a matter of time."
Lila's contagious joy spread throughout the room before she realized something. "I think we should name them."
"The deer?" Clint asked for clarification.
"Yeah!" She smiled. "We can't just keep calling them buck and doe. That's like calling Nate, Baby."
"I think naming them is an excellent idea," Laura said as she ran her hand through her daughter's hair to get some knots out. "The question is, what do we name them?"
She thought for a moment before replying, "Maybe we should name them after flowers in the forest, like Daisy."
"We're not naming them after flowers," Cooper insisted as he sat up from laying on his stomach. "I get some say in this too, and we're not naming them after girly flowers."
"Flowers aren't girly! Guys like them too!"
"Maybe, but I don't. We aren't naming them after flowers," Cooper protested.
Lila pouted. "Fine, what do you want to name them then?"
Cooper smirked as he looked at his father. "I think we should call the buck, Hawkeye."
Clint coughed. "Now I get some say in this: No." Clint simply stated as he knew Cooper liked to joke around with his code name. "It's rather unfitting to name deer using the word, 'hawk,' anyways."
"How about we call the buck, Bucky." Lila said as she remembered some of the war stories Steve told them when he came over last. "I think Uncle Steve would like that name."
"Yeah, didn't he have a friend named Bucky back when he was fighting in the war? We can tribute that name to him." Cooper said.
The kids didn't know that Bucky was still alive under… unique circumstances. It was something Steve liked to keep on the down low, so they thought Bucky was a friend that eventually died from old age before Steve woke up in the twenty first century. Despite this fact, Clint still smiled, glad that they were at least getting somewhere with names.
"I think he'll like that name. Are we all in agreement?" Laura responded as nods went around the room. "One down, now what should we call the doe?"
Silence filled the room as they all thought of possible names. "I still like the flowers…" Lila tried again.
"No," Cooper groaned in annoyance.
"Well," Laura said as she tried to find a compromise. "Maybe we don't have to name her after flowers, but something else in the forest. I rather like the nature names."
"Like what? Are we supposed to call her squirrel? Or tree?" Lila said, not impressed with this compromise.
Cooper laughed to himself. "Hey, isn't there a tree called a Buckeye? We should call her that."
Clint rolled his eyes but laughed at how persistent he was. "We're not calling any of the deer something similar to my nickname, okay?"
"Well okay, Hawkeye. Such a party pooper." Cooper smirked at his father.
"I mean, we have maple trees. Maybe we could call her Maple?" Laura said, throwing a random idea out there.
"I don't know…." Lila said, hesitant. "It doesn't really sound like a good deer name…."
"We don't have to name it after a tree, it could be a different plant…. Like a fern." Clint tossed an idea out, but he had to admit he wasn't good at thinking of names.
"Fern doesn't sound right either…." Cooper agreed as he thought for a moment. "How about Ivy? That's a better name I think."
Clint looked at Laura, silently agreeing that was a good name. "Well, I like that name. What do you think Lila?" He said to the child on his lap.
She thought for a moment, still pouting because she wanted to name her after a flower. Finally, she agreed. "Okay, Ivy isn't that bad."
"Then it's settled," Laura stated proudly. "Ivy and Bucky it is. Should we wait until the fawn is born before we decide on a name?"
The two kids nodded. "We have to see if it's a boy or girl before we name it, silly." Lila laughed.
"That's true," Laura laughed. "I think this has been a successful meeting, we actually got both of you to agree on something."
"Then I say we end our movie night meeting on a high note, time for bed you two." Clint said as he picked Lila up from his lap and put her down so he could stand.
"Aww," the two kids complained in unison. "But it's a Friday, can't we stay up a little later?" Cooper added.
"It is a Friday, isn't it? You guys must be tired from the school week, so you should go to bed immediately, after cleaning up your nest." Clint smirked as he ushered the kids along. They groaned, but complied with his commands and quickly folded the blankets and put back their pillows. Within a few minutes, they were finished and heading upstairs to get ready for bed.
Clint and Laura threw out the empty pizza boxes and cleaned up the room. "Bucky and Ivy…." Laura said with a bright grin. "Those are cute names for the deer."
"Yeah," Clint agreed. "But I wonder how Cap will react to naming the male, Bucky…."
"Well, since the kids came up with it, I think he'll agree it's a sweet sentiment."
Clint nodded, still a little unsure of what his reaction might be because he knew how Bucky was a touchy subject for the Captain. But Clint continued to put the dirty plates in the sink, hoping he would like it. "Do you want to check if they're settled in, or should I?"
"I can do it, you can start on the dishes." She smiled.
"Oh giving me the fun job, I see how it is." Clint joked as he turned to his wife and planted a kiss on her forehead. After a short embrace, they went their separate ways with their own smirks.
When Clint was alone he started scrubbing away the mess on the plates. A minute later he mumbled to himself, "I never liked washing dishes….."