Clint always thought it was funny how a dramatic change could happen, yet he'd still be able to roll with it on instinct. One day, he might be home with his wife and family, and the next he'll be fighting hydra agents or aliens halfway across the world. One day, he might have two amazing children and the next he had three. One day, the two deer might be a couple and the next they started a family.
Today was the day when the deer they named Bucky and Ivy had a child of their own. Yesterday, it was just the two of them but today, everything changed. And they rolled with it like he did, instinctively knowing what to do.
Clint smiled as he watched the growing family from a tree branch. He knew that deer mothers were super overprotective of their newborns, so he gave them some extra distance this time. It reminded him of his own family and how he was overprotective of them. Clint kept them off of Shield's files to protect them, and he didn't even tell his friends about his family until a few months ago. If that didn't scream, 'overprotective father,' Clint didn't know what did.
The fawn had a reddish brown coat of fur, hundreds of white spots scattering its back. It was so tiny and fragile having only been born hours ago, and it was adorable. It reminded him of how adorable Nathaniel looked the day he was born. How adorable Lila looked the day she was born. How adorable Cooper looked the day he was born. The mother deer looked as Clint and Laura had on those momentous days, with that glint in her eyes and softened features. It was the universal look of unconditional love.
The mother deer was currently nursing the newborn, but not in their usual den. Clint had found them quite a distance from where the deer had been originally staying because they were making sure that the mother and father's scents didn't rub off on the child. It helped protect them from predators as baby deer were born with no scent of their own.
However, they didn't know that there were few predators in his neck of the woods. This was a pretty peaceful area overall, but Ivy still had to be protective, just in case.
Clint continued to watch them silently from his tree, the mother taking care of her child while still keeping a close eye out for danger. The buck was nowhere to be seen, he'd rarely been around the past few days, but Clint knew that was normal behavior for deer. The mother needed her space when it came to birthing.
It wasn't long before the mother finished her feeding and started standing up, seeming to tell the baby to stay put as she started walking off. However, the child didn't seem to listen and slowly started standing on its almost unnaturally wobbly legs.
Clint smiled. This one would be a rebellious child alright. He could tell.
As the child took a shaky step, the mother walked back over to them and gently pushed on its shoulder to tell it to stay hidden. It took a minute, but eventually to kid compiled and started to lay back down in the tall grass. When Ivy was sure they would stay put, she walked away again and out of sight.
The child was alone, and would continue to be alone for a majority of the next week or more. Clint learned from watching other deer that fawns were left alone often after being born, the mothers only returning to feed them. It was natural, being an overprotective parent trying to keep them hidden and away from danger that could sniff them out if they were with the child.
Clint watched the baby from his perch for who knows how long, seeing the child's head wander continuously. It was taking in the area around them, curious by what it saw. And even if they squirmed and didn't want to stay put, it seemed to comply for safety's sake.
Clint wanted to know what the gender of this fawn was, but it was difficult, nearly impossible to tell at this age and at this distance. It would probably be weeks, even months before he could tell if it was male or female officially. His kids would be disappointed, as they wanted to name it immediately, but the naming would sadly have to wait.
After another hour of watching the fawn and letting Clint's own mind wander, he started climbing down from his tree. Fixing his bow and quiver on his back, he silently walked back to the house.
It was business as usual on the Barton family farm. Lila and Cooper were finishing up their last bouts of homework in the living room, and Laura was helping Cooper with his math while Nathaniel was in her arms.
"How was school, kiddos?" Clint asked as he put his stuff away and went to make himself a cup of coffee in the kitchen.
He just heard Cooper groan. "Horrible. Why can't it just be summer already?"
Clint found the coffee grounds and filled the pot with water. "Well you're in the home stretch guys, you'll survive till summer. It's only a few more weeks."
"Ugh, it won't be a fun few weeks," Cooper mumbled as he tried to solve another problem on his own.
Clint made his coffee, waiting for the kids finished up their work before he could tell them the news. He knew if he told them now, they would be distracted for the rest of the night and never finish.
Clint sat over by the rest of the family with his coffee in hand. He took a sip as he watched Laura help Cooper with Algebra. Laura was always the one who helped them with homework in this household, Clint honestly wouldn't know where to start if that duty was placed on him. He had just barely taken the required classes that helped people function in a normal society. Constantly moving between foster homes as a kid and eventually settling with a traveling circus, there wasn't much opportunity for school.
Clint knew how to track, shoot arrows, and general survival skills, but he never knew much about what happened in the school department. He was lucky Shield still took him in for a job with his minimal math and english skills, but when they took that chance on him, they gave him an opportunity to learn what he had been deprived of as a kid.
But even still, Laura was always the smart one, Clint was always the protector. They made their family work with the skills they were each good at, but Clint knew Laura was the person holding this family together.
Clint continued drinking his coffee and when he was nearing the end of his cup, they finished their work. But before the kids departed in their own directions, Clint stopped them.
"Hey, don't you guys want to hear the news I have?" Clint smirked.
Their eyes grew wide, as if they knew what he as about to say. "What?!" Lila asked in anticipation.
Clint finished his coffee, putting the cup down on the coffee table. "The fawn was born today," he smiled.
The kids jumped up with excitement. However, Cooper's face quickly dimmed with a realization while Lila's lit up. "Ha!" Lila stated, pointing a finger at her brother. "I told you the baby would come this week! I knew it! You owe me five dollars!"
"You guys made an official bet?" Clint asked, not sure whether he should be proud or disappointed at their gambling.
"It wasn't an official bet," Cooper denied, trying to get out of owing his sister money.
"It was too!" Lila argued and turned to her parents. "We made an agreement! If the deer came this week he would give me five bucks, but if it came after I would give him five."
"It's not set in stone with pen and paper though," Cooper defended.
Clint stepped in. "Sorry buddy, you made a verbal agreement. You have to stick with it. You have to give Lila the five dollars you owe her."
Cooper rolled his eyes with a huff, disappointed that he just lost his precious money. "Fine."
Lila grinned wider as she was now five bucks richer. "Is the fawn a boy or girl, dad?"
"Well, you aren't going to like my answer….." He stated. "I don't know."
"What? Why?" Cooper asked, confused that their all-knowing dad didn't know.
He shrugged. "It would be simpler if I was able to walk up to the deer and find out, but I can't just do that. So instead I have to find out from a distance through physical signs, but I can't do that until the baby grows a bit because right now it's impossible to tell the gender from a distance. The baby being so small and all." Clint replied, waiting for his kids' reactions.
"Well, how long will it be before you can tell?" Lila asked.
Clint thought for a moment. "Probably a few months at least."
Disappointment fell upon their faces as they didn't want to wait any longer to name the fawn. "That's such a long time…. Can't we just name it now?" Lila asked.
"Yeah, we can't just call it a fawn for months," Cooper agreed.
Finally, Laura piped in. "Well, maybe we don't have to call it a fawn for months. Remember Lila's birthday when we all were brainstorming names? There was one name that got tossed around a lot that we can use for both a girl or boy. We can call the fawn Ash, after the ask trees."
The kids' faces lit up once again, as they nodded in agreement. Cooper said, "Well, it makes deciding on the name easier."
"I like it," Lila beamed.
"Then it looks like Ash is the name of this new baby," Clint smiled. "Bucky, Ivy, and Ash. I think they make a good family."
"Yeah, but you have to tell us when you do find out the gender, dad." Cooper insisted. "And try to find out soon."
Clint nodded. "I'll do my best. But you know what you need to do right now?"
"What?" He asked, wondering what he meant.
Clint smirked. "Give your sister her five bucks."