A New Life Chapter 7: Truth And Lies, an avengers fanfic

Chapter Seven: Truth and Lies.

Barney sighed as he watched Natalia slowly wake up, her body immediately tensing at the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. When her eyes landed on him, her green eyes turned murderous and scared. It was obvious to the FBI agent that it was not just because of her concern for her own safety.

"Who are you? Where is Clint?" Natalia asked, afraid now that her boyfriend was in danger. Afraid that the Red Room had found her and taken another person that she loved.

"Natalia, I need you to relax. My name is Barney Barton. I'm Clint's older brother. As for Clint, he's safe," Barney stated calmly, watching Natalia's face turn to shock before her walls came back up. "You and your baby are safe. You're currently at the Barton's family residence in Waverly, Iowa. Clint needed to deal with his handler at SHIELD to keep them all off your back."

"Clint's a SHIELD agent?" Natalia asked, watching Barney carefully. Clint had lied to her. He'd told her he loved her and yet he lied to her. Why? Had the last seven months been fake? Had he just used her? Did he even care about their baby? Her mind was running a thousand miles an hour, reeling from the new information and the doubts about the father of her baby.

"Yes. He has been for the last six years. He was recruited when he was seventeen after some bad choices when we were part of the circus. His codename is Hawkeye," Barney replied as he slowly stood up. "We have food ready downstairs. My wife, Ashley and our children, Christopher James and Natalia Adrianna. They're just over nine months old," he informed her; if his brother loved her and was having a baby with her, Barney was at least going to help with ease the damage done between the two.

"Who dressed me?" Natalia asked as she recognised Clint's - Barton's, she corrected herself - favourite hoodie and a pair of his sweatpants.

Barney frowned in confusion before it dawned on him what his brother and lover were up to before bed. "Natalia, you were wearing that clothing when I arrived at the apartment that you and Clint were living in. Clint probably got you dressed before I arrived," Barney replied honestly as Natalia's body stance began to tense more. "If you would like to follow me, we can get something to eat. I promise my wife is an excellent cook."

As they made their way downstairs, Natalia's immediate reaction to the information Barney had given her was to hate Barton. She believed the archer had betrayed - and in a sense, he has done exactly that - and used her for his own gain. She didn't know that the months she had spent with him were genuine and that the feelings she had for him were returned. That their baby meant the world to him. That she meant the world to him. Nor was the red-head was not willing to admit how hurt and betrayed she felt.

Noticing the hard look on Natalia's face as they entered the kitchen, Barney decided to break the ice. "Natalia, this is my wife, Ashley Barton. Ashley, this is Natalia, Clint's girlfriend," he introduced as a brunette woman, about the same height as Natalia turned from where she was cooking at the hob.

"Good afternoon, Natalia. I hope the bed was comfy. And Clint told me which meals you enjoyed, so I cooked one of them for you," Ashley greeted, smiling warmly at Natalia. "By the way, Clint rang. He'll be home in two hours. SHIELD thinks you're dead. But by the Red Room. And that Red Room agents came after Clint."

Natalia couldn't help raise an eyebrow. "And should you know any of this?" she asked.

Ashley smirked. "I'm married to a senior FBI agent and my brother-in-law is a SHIELD agent. My father is a research scientist for the CIA and my mother a CIA agent. My sister's an astrophysicist," she replied. "I'm the normal one in the family. But I also get told everything that is allowed to be told. And what needs to be known. For my safety and the safety of my babies."

"Speaking of our babies, are they still asleep?" Barney asked, walking over to his wife and pecking her lips lovingly in greeting.

"Yes they are. But Christopher was stirring when I checked on them," she replied before playfully shoving her husband towards the living-room where the twins were sleeping in their mobile cots. "Your turn for diaper changes," she informed him with a smirk.

Barney stuck his tongue out at his wife childishly before entering the living-room to check on his children.

Ashley turned to Natalia. "You must be starving. Come on, I made it exactly like Clint instructed," she informed her, lifting a casserole dish of Chicken Macaroni and Cheese. "Clint is surprisingly a good cook," the brunette added.

Natalia was about to protest but her stomach betrayed her and rumbled at the sight of the pasta dish. She realised that she was very hungry. "Is that poisoned?" she asked, watching Ashley carefully.

"Natalia, Clint brought you here to protect you. Why would we poison you after Clint risked his life and Barney's career to get you into the US?" Ashley replied, setting the dish on the table before grabbing three plates and serving the chicken and pasta onto the plates. "Believe it or not, we want to help you. Clint wants to keep you safe."

Natalia looked at Ashley with an expressionless face. "Mrs. Barton, your brother-in-law lied to me. Then drugged me. And smuggled me into the US. Where I'm a wanted murderer. How is that keeping me safe?"

Ashley realised there was no point trying to argue with the assassin. "Okay. Our family doctor will be here later to give you a check-up. You can trust she won't be invasive with any of her questions. Her daughter is Clint's goddaughter," the brunette informed her before handing Natalia her plate. "Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. You're family now. Whether you like it or not. And from personal experience, Clint and Barney are very protective of their family.

Dr. Eva Santos was petite Latina in her late twenties, who owned a large black handbag and was dressed in a fitted black work dress. She had a scar from the bottom of her ear that ran down to the end of her neck but it wasn't noticeable unless you were a very observant person. And she was very kind to Natalia. She had brought an ultrasound machine with her and had Barney carry it up to Natalia's room.

Now Natalia lay on her bed, her shirt pulled over her stomach for the doctor. Eva set up the machine and smiled comfortingly at the red-head. "This is gonna be cold," Eva warned as she squirted some gel on Natalia's stomach.

The red-head's breathing hitched at the sensation of the cool gel. She twisted her head to watch the doctor's movements carefully as Eva used the wand to find her baby. "So," the Latina started, twisting the screen so Natalia could see. "Here you can see the amniotic sac. The placenta. And the umbilical cords." She pointed out each, glancing up at the red-head. "Here's the arms. And legs. And head. You won't be able to find out the baby's sex until you're sixteen weeks along," she informed her.

"How far along am I?" Natalia asked, trying to time her last period.

"From this scan, I'd say you're about fourteen or fifteen weeks pregnant," Eva replied with a soft smile. "You can rest easier now. Any risk of miscarriage drops substantially at the end of the fourteenth week. If your morning sickness is letting up, you'll probably notice your appetite starting to grow. The fifteenth week usually sees your skin darkening. This will happen around your nipples, areolas, navel, armpits and inner thighs; it's very normal," she explained.

Natalia stored all of that information and nodded.

"Would you like to hear the baby's heartbeat?" Eva asked while printing out two copies of the sonogram.

"Yes. Please," Natalia whispered, her eyes still focused on the picture of her baby. Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump. The sound of a very healthy heartbeat filled the room. Natalia would always blame the hormones for the tears that tried to escape her eyes at the sound.

Eva made no comments as she watched Natalia get used to the sound and sight of her baby. From personal experience, hearing your baby's heartbeat for the first time would always be something you could never forget…

Natalia looked up at the knock on her bedroom door. She knew that knock. Over the past seven months it had been a comforting sign to her. Now… Now she just wanted to beat the crap out of him.

Clint slowly entered the bedroom, finding Natalia sitting on the windowsill, still dressed in his clothing. She didn't turn to face him, which he expected. But the cold tone of voice that she greeted him with was the worst thing he had ever heard.

"So, what do you want now, Agent Barton? You completed your mission of knocking up the Black Widow to take her out of competition so you wouldn't have to kill her," Natalia greeted, slowly turning her head to look at Clint. Her face showed no recognition to the woman he loved; this was the Black Widow in front of him.

"Natalia," he whispered softly, approaching her slowly. He dropped to his knees in front of her. "I'm so sorry, Natalia. I did what I thought was the best way to protect you. I never set out to get you pregnant. At least, not until you wanted to have a family. But I didn't fall in love with the Black Widow. I fell in love with the woman underneath that mask," he whispered, placing his head on her knees in a vulnerable position. "You have every right to hate me, Natalia. I'm so so sorry that I hurt you. I love you. I need you to know that. I'm so sorry I hurt you, Natalia."

Natalia listened carefully to Clint's words. None of his tells were present, he wasn't lying to her. "Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered, making Clint raise his head in surprise; her tone of voice had soften considerably.

"I… Would you have stayed if you knew?" he whispered, wanting to hear the truth from her.

Natalia cocked her head to the side. He did have a point there. "Possibly not. Most likely not," she replied, her eyes following all of his moves carefully. She didn't trust him; she hated needles and drugs. It made her feel like she was in the Red Room again. "I.. Why the anaesthetic? Why risk our baby's life?"

Clint shook his head. "I made sure that it was an anaesthetic that was suitable to use. Eva sent it to me herself. I would have used another method if that method wasn't suitable. I would never risk your life or our baby's life like that," he replied, gently – hesitantly – resting his hand protectively on Natalia's baby bump. "I know that it probably reminded you of your time in the Red Room. But it was our best option of sneaking you into the US in a FBI specially issued plane. I didn't... Eva and Barney, as well as Ashley, were the only ones I could trust knowing about you. I don't trust anyone at SHIELD," he added.

That reminded Natalia. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the photo Eva had given her. "Here. Baby's first picture," she whispered, handing the picture to Clint. "Dr. Santos did an ultrasound earlier. The baby's healthy. But I'm a bit underweight to be this far along," she told him, internally smiling at the look of awe on Clint's face despite her feelings of betrayal – he did want this baby.

"I… Did you hear its heartbeat?" he whispered softly; he knew he'd missed their baby's first ultrasound. He was disappointed at that but it couldn't be helped now.

"Yes. It was… It was something," she whispered, not knowing the words for it. She watched the various emotions that crossed his face. She could see that he was disappointed that he'd missed their baby's ultrasound. But he was happy that their baby was healthy.

"Do… Do you hate me?" he slowly asked, not wanting to hear the answer to this particular question.

Natalia bit her bottom lip and twisted her head to look out the window again. Did she really hate him? After what he had done, all he had risked to protect her? "No," she answered honestly, turning her head to look at him again, viewing his face light up at her answer. "But I don't think I could trust you any time soon," she added, noticing his face drop slightly.

Clint slowly nodded, dropping his eyes back to the photo in his hand. 'At least she doesn't hate me,' he thought positively. He raised his eyes up to look at her again. "Can… Will you still let me be part of our baby's life?" he asked, pleading to whatever God that existed that Natalia would involve him with their baby.

Natalia nodded, smiling slightly when Clint smiled at her. "Yes. I want you to be part of our baby's life. No matter what's going on between us," she replied.

Clint slowly stood up. "If you need anything, just let me know," he told her. "I'll leave you to sleep," he added, turning to walk out of his bedroom.

"Goodnight, Clint," she replied as he opened the door.

Clint turned his head to smile at her weakly. "Goodnight, Natalia," he replied softly and left the room.

Later that night, Natalia moaned in her sleep as she curled up further under her blankets. The red-head was dressed in another of Clint's hoodie, unable to stop the feeling of safety that she had felt in his arms or at being surrounded by his scent. The Russian's subconscious was replaying scenes from her time with her archer. Particularly the night he revealed one of his greatest fear to her…

Natalia moaned as Clint pushed her down onto their bed. He claimed her lips hungrily as he straddled her waist, kissing her deeply as they desperately stripped each other of their clothing. They wanted - needed - to get the other naked as quickly as possible.

"Natalia, you're perfect," Clint whispered softly as he broke the kiss to allow both of their shirts to be removed from their bodies. At the same time, he removed Natalia's bra, making the red-head blush deeply at the passionate loving look her boyfriend was giving her.

Natalia claimed his lips hungrily, dragging him down so they could kiss hungrily. She was giving her body to her boyfriend, knowing that she was safe in his arms.

Clint grinned against her lips as he pulled his boxers, that she had worn all day, off of her while she used her feet to strip his sweatpants off of him. She grinned smugly when she realised that he had gone commando when they eventually got dressed earlier that day.

Natalia brought both hands to Clint's neck, pulling him closer as he slowly positioned himself at her entrance. He slowly pushed deep inside her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her actions sent him deeper inside her as their lips met hungrily while they waited for Natalia's inner walls to stretch to accommodate his length.

She gasped in pleasure as her boyfriend began to move inside her. He interlaced their fingers lovingly as he hit all the right spots inside her...

Natalia frowned when she woke up, only to find herself alone in their bed in the middle of the night. Fear came over her as she reached out to check the empty sheets, fearing that her boyfriend had been kidnapped. She relaxed slightly when she found that they were still warm, informing her that Clint was only up a little under fifteen minutes. The Russian listened quietly for her lover, getting out of bed and putting on one of Clint's purple button down shirt. She frowned in concern when she found the twenty-five-year-old sitting on the couch, dressed in a pair of basketball shorts as he stared into the blazing fire he had started in the fire place.

"Clint?" Natalia whispered as she walked over to the couch, gently wrapping her arms around her lover's shoulders. She rested her chin on his left shoulder, pressing her lips to his naked shoulder worried; she had no idea what was worrying her lover. She wanted to know what was troubling him so she could help him.

"Hey, Natalia," Clint replied, bringing his left hand up to Natalia's hands where they were interlaced over his heart.

"Hey. What's wrong?" Natalia whispered as she nuzzled Clint's shoulder and neck lovingly.

"Just a bad dream, Natalia," Clint whispered. He pulled her over the couch gently and brought her into his lap.

Natalia rested her forehead against Clint's, watching him carefully as he stroked the small of her back lovingly. "What's wrong, Clint?" Natalia whispered as she brought her left hand up to Clint's face, noting his red rimmed eyes.

"I... I -ugh... I had a dream involving what my father… what my father used to do to my mother," Clint confessed, closing his eyes at the image his words conjured. "I hurt you," he added, making Natalia pause slightly in surprise.

"Clint?" Natalia whispered, cupping both of Clint's cheeks so he would look at her.

"I can't hurt you. I can't be like my Dad," Clint confessed as he leaned forward and caught her lips passionately. His actions made Natalia moan into his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

Clint slightly stood up before laying Natalia down on the rug in front of the fire. Their lips never parted as she wrapped her long, bare legs around his waist, keeping him close to her in the process.

Natalia smiled as they slowly pulled away to breathe, the red-head stroking her lover's cheek softly. "You're not your father, Clint. You never have been and you never will. I trust you. And I'm not leaving you," the Russian whispered as she closed the distance between them, claiming his lips in a slow, sensual and loving kiss.

Clint could only nod, returning Natalia's kiss desperately, trying to put all of his feelings into the kiss. He slowly brought his hands to the buttons of her shirt, slowly undoing each and every button. He pulled away from the kiss and kept his eyes locked on his girlfriend's as he stripped her.

Natalia smiled at her lover's gentleman-like care, chastely kissing him every now and again to encourage him that he wasn't the man of his nightmares. Once her shirt was fully undone, the red-head helped her lover to strip the fabric off of her body before helping him strip himself of his boxers.

"I need you Clint. I want to make love with you," Natalia whispered softly as she reached down between them and grabbed his semi-hard length, pumping him to full mass. "I trust you, Clinton Francis Barton," she whispered in Russian as she positioned the head of his cock at her entrance. She wrapped her legs around her lover's waist, making sure that there was no chance of him pulling away.

Clint smiled softly and captured her lips lovingly as he slid inside her, filling her to the hilt. The couple moaned in mutual pleasure at the sensation of Clint's cock inside her. Their hands clasped each other, fingers interlacing as the Hawk made slow, reassuring love to his Spider, the only light of the room coming from the fire beside them...

Natalia quickly sat up and was out of the bed before she was fully awake, heading for the bathroom where she quickly got rid of the little food she had ate earlier that day.

Eventually, when she was sure that her stomach was done turning, Natalia sat back against the bathtub, her arms resting on her knees, her forehead against her arms. The dream had been so vivid, like it had only just happened; Clint making slow, sweet love to her in front of the open fire. She couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks as a result of the ache she felt in her chest.

"Clint, why did you do this to us?" Natalia whispered to herself, cursing said archer for making her fall so hard for him before breaking her heart. The red-head continued to let her tears fall as she slowly stood up and trudged her way out to her bedroom and climbing into the bed, curling into herself as she lay her head on the pillow.

She was so lost in herself that she didn't hear the door opening. Soon, two hesitant hands lifted her up and a familiar body slid beneath hers. Clint wrapped his arms around her, holding her protectively as she let her body exhaust itself. She blamed her hormones.

Clint didn't say anything as he held her close. What could he say? He was almost one hundred percent certain that she was crying because of him. He simply held her closer, rocking her gently in his arms.

When her tears dried up, she stilled her body over his. She breathed in his scent and couldn't help but remember one of the songs he'd played for her when they were travelling around London….

Natalia smiled as she listened to Clint sing along with the song on the radio. They were driving around the capital city of the United Kingdom, Clint driving their rented Land Rover. Clint was sinking along to some song on the radio.

"I'm sorry

Last night we had a fight
Said some things I wish I'd never
The black marks from last night
From tears you cried still on my sweater

I step over the plate that you broke last night
I pick up your clothes that I threw outside
In the cold light of day we can leave it behind
Out of our minds

I guess, we get a little bit crazy
I guess, we get a little bit cruel
But this is how crazy you make me
Bad enough to think about losing you

But even as I walk away
And I say I'm gonna stay
Only takes a moment or two
'Cause you and I both know the truth
I'm crazy for you, I'm crazy for you

A thousand flowers
The power of saying sorry
So you don't have to call
To find out you know you got me

Even when you hurt me the way you have
Even though you know I can treat you bad
But we're drawn once again like a moth to a flame
Yeah, it's like that

I guess, we get a little bit crazy
I guess, we get a little bit cruel
But this is how crazy you make me
Bad enough to think about losing you

But even as I walk away
And I say I'm gonna stay
Only takes a moment or two
'Cause you and I both know the truth
I'm crazy for you, I'm crazy for you

Yeah, takes a little fire to keep things hot
Takes a little loss to know what you've got
Forgiving and forgetting takes a lot
But we know what we've got

I guess, we get a little bit crazy
I guess, we get a little bit cruel
But this is how crazy you make me
Bad enough to think about losing you

But even as I walk away
And I say I'm gonna stay
It only takes a moment or two'
Cause you and I both know the truth
I'm crazy for you, I'm crazy for you
I'm crazy for you."

Natalia shook her head. They had had a little fight the previous night – something she couldn't even remember what. "You don't have to apologise," she told him, twisting her head to look at him. "We already made up."

Clint smiled. "I just want you to know that whatever fight we may have. I'll always come back to you," he replied honestly...

Natalia moved her head so it rested in he crook of Clint's neck. She so desperately wanted to hate him. To beat the shit out of him and leave him for dead. But that was, mostly, the Black Widow side of her.

"Do you want me to stay here tonight?" he whispered softly, as if he was unsure whether or not he should speak.

Natalia could only nod; she didn't trust her voice. She allowed Clint to shift them under the blanket, the archer not willing to let her out of his arms. He gently ran his hand down her back like he had many times before.

Neither of them spoke as they soon fell asleep, finding it easier to sleep knowing that the other was there...

The next morning, Natalia awoke alone in the bed. Clint was no where to be seen. The red-head slowly sat up and looked around the room. It seemed that she had been alone for at least an hour.

Slowly, she got up and made her way downstairs. She found Ashley with the twins while Barney was cooking something for breakfast.

"Morning, Natalia," Ashley greeted as she fed her own Natalia. Then she frowned. "Okay, we need to figure out what to call you and my daughter. Two Natalias is going to get complicated."

Natalia frowned too. If she was going to have to live here under the radar, she supposed it was best for her to change her name. "Natasha. Call me Natasha," the red-head offered.

"Why Natasha?" Barney couldn't help but ask.

"It's a Russian personal derivative of Natalia. The Red Room and SHIELD won't think to look for it," she replied, edging more into the room.

Ashley and Barney nodded, neither seeing why they should ask any more questions. "Natasha, can you feed Christopher his bottle please?"

Natasha almost raised an eyebrow at the brunette; she trusted her with her ten-month-old son? The red-head walked over to the twenty-eight-year-old and copied her when she took Christopher in her arms. He was strong enough to hold himself up but she had to help hold the bottle to his lips. He drank from the bottle with obvious thirst. And held onto Natasha's hands over the bottle.

Christopher was the spitting image of his father – everything down to Barney's reddish brown hair and grey-blue eyes. Natalia had inherited Ashley's brown hair and hazel eyes but she had her father's nose. Both were, in Natasha's opinion, going to be heartbreakers when they were older. Their behaviour, despite being still very young, was already beginning to show. Christopher was already starting to walk, using presses and chairs to aid himself – sometimes using Clint's dog, Lucky as a prop. Natalia, on the other hand, was perfectly content to crawl everywhere. Natalia was the quieter of the two but wasn't very shy. And Christopher… Well, he was happy pretty much all the time. Unless he was hungry. Or tired. Pretty much like his father and uncle.

Ashley smiled at Barney as the two watched Natasha tend to their son; the red-head was hesitant towards the child before relaxing when he seemed to accept her.

No one in the kitchen realised Clint was standing in the doorway with Lucky resting at his heels, watching Natasha feed Christopher. He smiled at the sight. He could picture her doing the same for their baby.

Barney turned and caught his brother looking at Natasha with a longing in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow at Clint; he'd caught his brother coming out of Natasha's bedroom this morning but the twenty-five-year-old hadn't wanted to talk about it.

Clint simply shook his head at his brother's questioning gaze; he wasn't ready to talk about it yet...

Natasha and Clint fell into a rhythm. They were civil towards each other but often did not spend more than the time it took to have a meal in each other's company. Clint spend the day helping out around the farmland while Natasha helped Ashley with the twins. At night, they would go to bed alone but halfway through the night, Clint go to her after hearing her awaken from dreams or nightmares - usually the latter. And the next day, they'd act like nothing happened.

They'd also agreed that it would be much easier if he called her Natasha too. Instead of him trying to distinguish between her and his niece; Barney had made a joke about Clint falling in love with a Natalia to make it easier for him to remember his niece's name. Clint had only flushed while Natasha raised an eyebrow.

Ashley and Barney were getting sick of their behaviour. They'd been doing it for two weeks. And Eva was coming to give Natasha another scan to see the baby's sex. But neither wanted to push Natasha or Clint before they were ready.

But fate had a funny way of doing things...

Natasha couldn't sleep. The baby had been moving more than usual today. So she had taken to walking quietly around the house, making sure not to disturb Ashley, Barney or the twins. They had accepted her despite knowing that she was an assassin. Simply because Clint and her were expecting a baby together.

On her way past the library, she heard someone playing the piano and singing. On closer inspection she realised that it was Clint. Slowly and quietly, she opened the door to reveal Clint sitting shirtless and staring out the large window of the library, his fingers gliding with perfect talent over the keys. His husky voice carried softly through the library, making her pause to listen to his words.

"Listen honey, to every word I say
I know that you don't trust me
But I'm better than the stories about me
Everybody messes up some days
Ain't got no rhyme or reason
All I know is I'm yours, yours, yours for every season

Baby girl with the broken smile
Would you mind if I stayed a while
And if you're cold I could light your fire
If that's what you want, if that's what you want
I admit that I've done some wrong
But those wrongs helped me write this song
And through it all I figured out where I belong
Right by your side, right by your side

They say that hearts don't lie
The head might try but it won't be right
Ya tell me what you feel inside
Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight

Listen honey, to every word I say
I know that you don't trust me
But I'm better than the stories about me
Everybody messes up some days
Ain't got no rhyme or reason
All I know is I'm yours, yours, yours for every season

Baby girl let your hair hang down
And if we're lost, baby let's get found
And when your world is flipping upside down
Let's make it right, let's make it right

They say that hearts don't lie
The head might try but it won't be right
Ya tell me what you feel inside
Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight

Winter, summer, spring and fall
I'll be on the line waiting for your call
Winter, summer, spring and fall
I'll be on the line waiting for your call
Winter, summer, spring and fall
I'll be on the line waiting for your call

Natasha bit her bottom lip in thought. The words of the song sounded like he was trying to apologise to her. That he was sorry he messed up.

"Did I wake you up?" came Clint's voice, disturbing Natasha from her thoughts. She hadn't realised that he had stopped singing or playing.

"No," she answered, slowly waking over to him. His many scars shone from the moonlight falling through the window. She could see each one clearly. And she had been told the stories of the ones his father and the circus had been the cause for – he didn't tell her about the ones he'd received for his work at SHIELD. Her heart cringed at the sight of the cigarette burns, the four belt-bucket scars and the broken glass – all because of his father. Before she could comment on them Clint moved on the bench to allow her to sit down without them touching. The last time he tried to touch her when they were outside her bedroom at night, she had snapped and snarled at him – he didn't want a repeat of it.

She sat down in the empty space beside him. She looked down at the keys that Clint had been playing so effortlessly only moments ago. During their time in Europe, every time he sang she always found it comforting. And this time was no different.

"Where did you learn how to play?" she asked; she knew he could sing but she didn't know he could play.

"The circus. It was usually show tunes I learned. But the piano player showed me how to make my own music too," Clint replied, brushing his fingers over the keys.

"Do you have any other songs?" she whispered, sneaking a glance up at him. Things felt so distant between them; she was hurt and he wanted so desperately to fix his mistake. But she still couldn't get over the fact that he had done the same thing as the Red Room – only he had did it to protect her.

Clint nodded, bringing his hands to the right keys. He began the song softly.

"Lately I'm so tired
If I took it all out on you
I never meant to
If I left you outside
If you ever felt I ignored you
Know my life is all you

So put your best dress on
And wrap yourself in the arms of someone
Who wants to give you all the love you want

Tonight, I'm gonna make it up to you
Tonight, I'm gonna make love to you
Tonight, you're gonna know how much I missed you, baby
Tonight, I dedicate my heart to you
Tonight, I'm gonna be a part of you
Tonight, you're gonna know how much I miss you
And I miss you so

I don't wanna act like
I know that you'll be mine forever
Though I hope it's forever
Don't want you to feel like
I take you for granted
Whenever we are together

So put your best dress on
And wrap yourself in the arms of someone
Who wants to give you all the love you want

Tonight, I'm gonna make it up to you
Tonight, I'm gonna make love to you
Tonight, you're gonna know how much I miss you, baby
Tonight, I dedicate my heart to you
Tonight, I'm gonna be a part of you
Tonight, you're gonna know how much I miss you
And I miss you so

Oh yeah
So put your best dress on
And wrap yourself in my arms, my love

When he finished, he didn't look at Natasha. He simply counted his breaths, desperately wishing she would realise sorry he was for hurting her. He had never wanted to hurt her. And that was exactly what he had done.

Natasha turned to watch Clint. He was counting his breaths – something he always did when he was nervous about something. Slowly, she reached for his hand, interlacing her fingers with his. She was still angry that he had lied to her. And that he had drugged her. But his obvious remorse for his actions showed her that their time together was genuine. And that he did love her, despite his actions.

Clint looked up when he felt Natasha's hand slide into his. His face held a questioning gaze, watching Natasha's face carefully. He was questioning why she was suddenly touching him.

"Were we real? Were your feelings for me real?" she whispered, looking him straight in the eye, watching for any of his tells.

Clint moved to cup her face with his free hand. "You're one of the only real things about me," he whispered honestly.

He wasn't lying to her. So Natasha leaned forward and pressed her lips to his gently, surprising both of them. But Clint kiss back desperately, trying to put all his emotions into the kiss. His desperate need to feel her love once more, needing to show her how sorry he was for hurting her.

Natasha moaned into the kiss, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's neck, deepening the kiss as he lifted her into his lap so she could straddle him. After a few moments, he stood up, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist.

Clint carried Natasha into her bedroom, their lips never parting other than to breath. The young couple were desperate to make up for lost time. As he lay her down on the bed, they broke the kiss again as they slowly stripped each other of their clothing. Their vivid wet dreams of each other during the past two weeks were suddenly becoming a reality for them once more.

Clint slowly broke their kiss again to drag his lips down Natasha's neck, marking her skin with multiple hickeys. The red-head moaned her approval as the archer ghosted his fingers over her naked body. She had missed his touch. She'd missed the feelings he had brought her when they made love.

"I love you, Natasha. I love you so much," Clint whispered in Russian before he started began to kiss and lick her breasts. He nipped and sucked on her nipples while his hands cupped both of her breasts firmly as he played with them with his mouth.

"I love you too, Clint," Natasha whispered before moaning in pleasure as the archer played with her breasts, marking them as he pleased her. The red-head brought her hands to her lover's hair, gasping as he dragged his stubble over her sensitive tits, making her squirm at the feeling. She had always enjoyed his stubble – not a full beard but his five o'clock shadow did many things for her.

Clint worked his lips over the red-head's breasts, planning on worshipping her body to make up for some of the hurt he had caused her. The archer locked his grey eyes with Natasha's green ones as he ran his tongue over both of her nipples sensuously. Then he suck on both hungrily, one after the other, sending the red-head into a powerful orgasm just from his stimulation on her sensitive skin. Her pregnancy was making her very sensitive – and very orgasmic.

Clint waited until the red-head calmed down before kissing his way back up to her lips, softly kissing her as she relaxed beneath him. Natasha hummed into their kiss as she kept her hands buried in Clint's hair while she slowly wrapped her legs around his before suddenly flipping them over. Clint looked at his lover in surprise but Natasha only smirked at him seductively. "My turn, Мой Ястреб," the Russian whispered as she began to kiss her way down his body. She made sure to kiss and lick every scar, muscle contour and dimple on her way down to his rock hard length.

Clint threw his head back in pleasure as Natasha slowly took his whole length into her mouth. When the head of his cock hit the back of her throat, he had to fist the sheets of the bed in an attempt to stop his body from thrusting up into her mouth, afraid he would hurt her if he did.

When she needed to breathe again, Natasha removed him from her mouth, pumping him firmly with her right hand. Then she leaned down and ran her tongue over his balls teasingly. She continued this pattern for what felt like hours and when she noticed the distantly familiar tensing of his thighs. The tell-tale sign made the red-head smirk smugly as she suddenly took his cock fully in her mouth, the added vibrations of her humming, sending him right over the edge. He practically roared her name as he spilled his come down her throat.

Natasha waited until the archer had finished coming before slowly pulling her mouth off Clint's still hard cock. She slowly crawled up his body until she was hovering above him. Then she sunk down on his still hard member. She kept her eyes locked on his as she swallowed his seed, making him growl possessively at her. They both moaned in pleasure at the sensation of his thick length filling her tight wet entrance for the first time in almost two weeks; they had become so used to being together that it had been missed – sometimes sex was a better way to tell somebody how you feel.

Clint braced his feet on the bed as Natasha began to move her hips. He brought his hands to rest on her hips while he sat up against the headboard, helping her movements. The red-head's breathing hitched as she grabbed her archer's hands and brought them to her ass, keeping her hands over his as she began to ride her harder, her breasts bouncing hard as she took him deep inside her.

Clint couldn't chose between want to watch his cock disappear inside her cunt or the way her breasts bounced as she rode him hard. He settled on watching her face as she gasped and moaned his name sinfully, her inner walls quivering around his cock.

"Fuck. Natasha. By the time we finish, you won't be able to walk properly. You're gonna be so full of my come," Clint growled, cupping her ass possessively as he drove himself deeper inside her. He had suddenly become very possessive; he needed to know that he would be the last person to be with her like this. And vice versa.

"Mmmm. Мой Ястреб. I'm gonna hold you up to that," Natasha gasped as she felt the tell-tale sign of her impeding orgasm. "Clint!" she cried out as she climaxed hard around him. He continued to drive up into her, prolonging her high in the process.

Suddenly, Clint sat up fully and claimed her lips desperately, slowly flipping them over so he was on top. He continued to drive into her but not too roughly, unwilling to hurt their baby - that thought caused a grin no one could wipe off his face. He slowly hiked both of Natasha's legs over his shoulders, sending him deeper inside her while the red-head literally saw stars from the pleasure he was giving her.

"I love you, Natasha. I love you so much. I never meant to hurt you. I won't let any of them touch you Sweetheart. SHIELD, The Council, the Red Room. None of them will let them harm you. None of us will let them hurt you. You have a new family now and I will dedicate everything to you," Clint whispered as he slowed his movements, planning on dragging this out. He wanted her to see just how important she was to him. And that he would die before letting her get hurt again.

Natasha couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks at Clint's gaze of pure love and dedication which were mirrored in his words - if anyone asked she could always blame it on pregnancy hormones.

Clint kissed the tears away as he made slow love to her, peppering kisses over her face, neck, collar bones and chest while bringing her legs to around his waist. He moved his hands to caress her face lovingly as their hips moved together in perfect harmony, as if they had never been apart.

"Clint, if you hurt me like that again, I swear to God I will never forgive you," Natasha whispered as she brought her hands to the back of his neck, massaging the skin there. She remembered how her archer loved it when she did it; whether they were making love, cuddling or just watching a movie, Clint always found her hands on him relaxing.

"Sweetheart, I would throw myself off a cliff before I ever hurt you like that again," Clint whispered as he pecked her lips lovingly.

"Promise?" Natasha whispered quietly, needing to hear him say the words. "This time mean it."

Clint smiled softly and leaned his forehead to hers, keeping his eyes locked with hers. "I'm never leaving you or our baby. You own me, Natasha," the archer whispered softly as he pointed to his mother's bracelet that he gave his lover. "That's the proof," he added with a soft loving smile.

With that, Natasha claimed his lips hungrily, making Clint smile into the kiss as he continued to make slow love to her. He was beyond relieved that she had chosen to give him a second chance as well as giving him a family.

There was no domination between the two of them, no words, just pure love reacting to each other. Clint took Natasha's hands in his, interlacing their fingers lovingly as they made love. Their tongues worked together in a slow dance as they kissed lazily.

After what fell like forever, the two came together, moaning each other's names as their orgasms came in slow, body shaking waves. They slowly kissed as Clint slowly rolled them so Natasha was back on top of him.

"I love you, Natasha," Clint whispered as he slowly broke the kiss, smiling at the red-head lovingly when she raised her head from his chest to look at him.

Natasha returned her lover's smile as she took her hands in his and placed them on her slightly rounded baby bump. "I love you too, Clint. But you have a lot to make for because of drugging me," she informed before catching his lips once more and beginning yet another round of make-up sex...

When they were finally worn out, Clint covered them both with the blanket before he moved his body tight against Natasha's. He touched as much of her as he possibly could, letting his warmth soak in through her skin and enjoying the feel of her. She responded by pushing back into him and Clint felt his arousal start to stir again but neither of them were able for another round. At least, not yet.

"Tired?" the archer softly asked as the red-head rested her head on his outstretched arm which was providing an amazing pillow for her.

"Yes, I'm tired," Natasha replied sarcastically even though she knew she was more interested in what was currently poking her backside.

"Too bad," Clint stated cheekily as he thrust his hips against her backside teasingly, making her moan her approval.

"Damn you, Barton," Natasha said jokingly as she turned over to face him. In reply, Clint ghosted his fingers along her sensitive breasts, grinning as her breath grew ragged. He was going to have a lot of fun with her sensitive skin for the next few months.

"I'll never get enough, Natasha," Clint stated boldly, making Natasha blush deeply in response.

"Let's see just how much you can take," she responded, issuing a challenge.

"Oh, I like make-up sex," Clint stated with a soft smirk as he moved Natasha onto her back and kissed along her throat.

"Just make sure this is the only make-up sex we ever have for this reason," Natasha reminded him as their hands rested on her small baby bump.

"Yes, milady," he agreed softly and then placed his lips on her mouth, swallowing any reply she may have uttered...

I was listening to JLS' 'Crazy For You', Olly Murs' 'Seasons' and Westlife's 'Tonight' when I wrote this. Yes, I'm cheesy; sue me ;)

To answer the reviews from the previous chapter:

ClintBartonsGirl92: They don't get caught. I swear :) I hope this was worth the wait :)

Guest: Now…..? :)

MelodyOfSong526: Holy crap. Five reviews within two days. Wow
Ch. 5: I'm glad you liked the scene on the couch. I thought it would be a good addition :) I hope the rest lives up to your expectations :)
Ch. 4: Thank you :) I do try to write just the right amount :)
Ch. 3: Overwhelming cuteness? Hehe I do try ;)
Ch. 2: Haha… Sorry. I do do that sometimes…
Ch. 1: I hope I live up to your expectations :)

marvelousbones: Thank you :)

EveRN73: I left everyone waiting ;) Thank you :)

Sophie: Clint drugged Natasha to hide her from SHIELD and the Red Room…

Guest: You are most welcome :)

kearapark: Surprise?

dbonisolli: I'm glad you loved this story. :) As for the happy ending, I don't do sad endings :)

StumpyTPDimples: I'M SORRY! IT WAS NEVER MY INTENTION TO MAKE YOU CRY! And you can have your muse back. I stole my boyfriend's instead ;) I'm glad you loved the chapter and I'm sorry for the angst.

Fury-Natalia: Yes, he's drugged her. And yes, she's furious with him. I updated as quickly as possible :)

Precious93: Yes, a sexathon chapter :) As for Barney, you were keeping him busy by making twins ;) Thank you :)

MG Fisher: He's going against SHIELD…. Thank you :) I updated as soon as was possible :)