A/N: Guess the smut wasn't so hot, huh? Oh well. I'm determined to get 800 reviews, so hopefully this is the chapter that will bulk that up. This is really just a tidy up before the epilogue. And the epilogue is going to be awesome, that I promise. You know why? It involves a true HEA situation. Who can guess what I'll do?
Rating: M/NC-17
Characters: Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) and Clint Barton (Hawkeye). Rest of the Avengers cast.
Warnings: All the usual warnings.
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the Avengers franchise. I'm just using them for my twisted muse.
No Time for Regrets – Chapter 25
The couple left LA happy, albeit knowing they were going to miss the holiday aura that had settled over their relationship. Another point for self-satisfaction was that they both knew that they had thoroughly christened their hotel room all over. Even the balcony and the dining table.
The only thing Natasha didn't like was that the hickeys were resisting, for the most part, the application of makeup.
"You've been applying that foundation ever since we left LA," Clint said, admonishingly.
"And we're five minutes from getting back home. You don't think Tony's gonna not make a comment about it?"
"He'll just be jealous because Pepper doesn't let him do the same," teased Clint, wrestling the tube of makeup off his partner. "Don't forget, you're the Black Widow. Just remind them of that little fact if any of the team decides to tease you about it."
Natasha lightly slapped his arms before leaning back against him. The benefits of being delivered back home in the limo.
"So what now?" she asked.
The archer wrapped his arm around his lover and said quietly, "Well, I was hoping that we'd move whatever you need from your apartment up to mine. So that way we don't have to go back and forth between the floors to get clothes."
"That sounds perfect," replied Natasha, smirking at the thought of their possessions merging into one space.
It sounded good to Clint too. Although he had shared an apartment with Bobbi when they were together, he hadn't really shared his life with anyone else since. Natasha filled that void, made it so much more than he could imagine. They clicked, they fit, they made sense. As the limo pulled into the garage at the tower, a grin crept over his face. "Hey Nat, look."
Natasha lifted her head, her eyes widening. "Oh no they didn't."
"They did."
"It was only two weeks!" the redhead exclaimed.
The rest of the Avengers had gathered in front of the elevator, a banner in their hands proclaiming 'WELCOME BACK!' There was a spider on one side of the banner, a hawk on the other. They were all grinning in their direction.
"So much for subtle," murmured Clint.
"Huh. They must be really bored," noted Natasha. She self-consciously rose a hand to the half covered love bites, but Clint took her hand and kissed it. His eyes told her not to worry.
So she didn't. She trusted him that much.
They stepped out of the limo and were instantly tackled by a stampeding Thor. His laughter boomed around the space as he cried out. "I am so glad to see you my friends! It has been a lonely existence without you here with us!"
"Tony! Did you give him red cordial again?" Natasha yelled, wriggling around, trying to get out of the burly grip of the thunder god.
"Guilty," Tony said unashamedly, grinning.
Finally getting out of Thor's grip (Clint wasn't so lucky, he was still Thor's plushie), the redhead marched up to the rest of her team. "What's up with the banner?"
"Steve's idea. Thought it'd be a nice welcome home for you," Bruce explained. "Things have been interesting with you and Clint gone."
"Interesting how?"
"Five days ago I chased Stark down every floor of the tower after he dyed my hair hot pink while I was sleeping," Steve said, frowning at the memory before smirking at his friend. "He definitely got in his daily exercise that day. I think everyone heard him screaming for me not to get him all the way down."
"Did you get him?" asked Natasha.
"Did he ever!" complained Tony. "He got rid of all my nice shirts and replaced them with plaid ones!"
"In my defence, I gave your shirts back to you once you promised never to dye my hair again," Steve pointed out.
"Whatever. What I'm more interested in, little miss spider, is how come you have that many hickeys on your neck. That vacation give you a little sexual healing?" Tony asked mischievously. "They're even showing through your makeup…must be hickeys on top of hickeys, right?"
Natasha blushed, because he was right. That had been the only way Clint had managed to do that particular trick. She slugged him in the shoulder and said lowly, "Mind your own business."
"Or else?"
The challenge made the spy smirk. "Or else I'll shove a box of gay porn magazines underneath your bed and let Pepper 'accidentally' find 'your' stash," she threatened.
"Oooh."
"Ouch," Bruce and Steve chorused.
Finally being released from Thor, Clint made his way over to the group. "I think he cracked all my ribs. He's like an enthusiastic puppy," he groused.
"You should have seen him while you two were gone. He moped around with no one to verse him in burping contests and no one to challenge him in swordsmanship. The only thing that kept us from going crazy was the constant stream of Disney movies," Steve said.
"I think I have that song 'Circle of Life' permanently tattooed in my brain," muttered Tony.
The couple laughed at that before Natasha noticed something. "Where's Pepper?"
"Oh she's…been a bit sick lately," Tony said dismissively.
"Really?" asked Natasha curiously. Instinct was telling her something was up.
"Well, it started right after you left," Bruce added thoughtfully.
"And she's been saying for the weeks before then that she's been a little queasy," Steve chipped in.
"Miss Potts did get sick when I brought a new Epigshkin from Asgard. She said the smell set her off and I heard her retching in the rest room. Poor woman," Thor said.
Clint and Natasha looked at each other, stunned. They put the clues together and came up with one conclusion. Natasha looked at Tony, who looked a little confused himself. "What has she told you Tony? It's not like Pepper to suddenly be sick."
Rubbing the back of his neck, the billionaire replied, "She thinks it might have been something she ate. But we've been eating together most of the time and I haven't gotten sick, so it might be a new flu. Nothing abnormal has happened lately, so I'm pretty sure little gremlins haven't invaded her stomach and thrashed her systems."
Clint shook his head, knowing where this was going. He stayed silent, watching his partner.
"Tony," Natasha began quietly. "Is there any chance at all that Pepper may be pregnant?"
The question had all the men stumped. Tony's mouth dropped a little, and you could see him thinking hard. "I…hell, I'm not sure. I mean…"
And then he fainted.
His team stared down at his prone form in silence.
"Wow," murmured Bruce.
"He's not dead, is he?" Thor asked worriedly.
"I think he's just in shock from the thought he might be a dad," Clint said soothingly, patting Thor's shoulder.
"We should really get him up off the ground," Steve said.
None of them made to move, still staring. After a little while, they all began to laugh. "Guess none of us really feels like it. But still, that's pretty wimpy to faint at the thought of having a kid. Clint didn't," Natasha pointed out, smirking.
Thor finally found his compassion and got Tony off the ground, slapping him awake.
"Huh, what?" Tony mumbled.
"Come on Tony. Let's put that pregnancy machine to test on Pepper," Bruce announced, too cheerful, and guided his friend away, the team following close behind.
A week later, Clint and Natasha laughed themselves stupid as Arachne replayed (for the 30th time) the moment in which Tony found out he was going to be a father. Natasha had activated her little pet spider as Bruce had called the team back down to the lab after Pepper's blood test. Pepper had been disbelieving, but had consented to the test anyway.
They had all trekked down. Bruce greeted them with a neutral face. Nothing could be gleaned from it, his expression too tightly controlled.
Pepper had been surprisingly calm. It had been Tony who fidgeted and paced around the lab while Bruce had held them all in suspense.
And then Pepper had said she was ready.
Bruce had announced with just the faintest smirk playing at his lips that the test confirmed that Pepper Potts was pregnant, and that Tony Stark was now facing impending fatherhood.
Tony had fainted.
Again.
But this time Steve had caught him as Pepper rolled her eyes at her partner.
As the clip finished, Clint chuckled, "Seeing that never gets old."
"Nope. I'm actually really excited. I hope that kid is a happy, healthy, hell-raiser," Natasha replied.
"It's going to be helped along by their Aunt Natasha, no doubt," teased Clint.
"And their Uncle Clint is going to show them just the right way to shoot that toy bow," the redhead bantered back, pecking him on the lips. "I'm happy for them both really. I think the timing could have been a little better, but Tony's matured a lot. A baby will really help with his maturity level."
"Not much. But enough."
"Enough," agreed Natasha.
"You know what I'm looking forward to once the baby is here? Getting training in handling it," Clint mused.
"You make it sound like a SHIELD mission. But yes. I can agree. I think when it comes time for us…we'll hopefully have enough babysitting experience under our belts," Natasha murmured. Her voice was tender as she mentioned having children of her own, and it made Clint's heart leap excitedly in his chest.
"Someday," he promised her.
Natasha sighed contentedly and stretched. Her lover's hands landed on her back and began to massage. Purring, she pushed up into it. "We've been at it like rabbits lately and you still want more?"
"You, my dear Black Widow, are a very sexy and desirable woman," Clint whispered huskily.
"And you, my lovely Hawkeye, are a very talented and handsome man," Natasha flirted in return, grinning back at him.
There was that familiar darkening of his eyes that was about to consume her. She was just thinking of pouncing on him when the Avengers klaxon went off. They both growled in frustration and Clint spat, "Cock-blocked by the fricking alarm."
"I'm just as pissed off. Let's go. The sooner we kick someone's ass we the sooner we can come back and you can finish what you started," the lithe woman reminded, rolling off the bed and rushing towards their custom wardrobe. They suited up, arming themselves with their favourite weapons. It was all a form of foreplay inside of their own minds, seeing their significant other suiting and arming themselves to the teeth. Natasha considered taking a whip, holding it out just to see Clint smirk. Clint returned the favour, slowly stroking down the string of his bow and seeing Natasha lick her lips at the action.
"Okay, we have to stop or else we'll be late," Natasha said, shaking herself out of her desire.
"We can always…not go," Clint said temptingly.
"And then they'll know what we've been doing. No way. Besides, I'm looking forward to knocking out some teeth to add to my collection," argued the redhead.
"Well don't let me get in the way of you and some teeth," the archer joked.
They left their apartment and headed up to the helipad where their own jet waited for them. Ironman was hovering around just as Steve got in.
"Last ones again!" Tony shouted down at them.
"Let's not have this argument again. You know I'll win again," Clint warned the hovering superhero.
"Aw, you're no fun Barton."
Shaking his head, Clint headed in and turned back, hand reaching out for his love.
She grinned and grabbed his hand, looking forward to the adventure.
As long as they were together, they'd face anything.
Even Tony's endless puns.
A/N: OMG! I'm almost done! This is the last 'official' chapter. But there WILL be an epilogue.
I hope you all liked the fic. And you know the best way you all can let me know about that? Leave heaps and heaps of reviews. :D The more reviews I get, the better the epilogue is XD.
The epilogue probably won't make it out until around the weekend because I have an assignment due on Friday. But it will be well worth it, trust me.
In case I don't mention it in the epilogue, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED THIS STORY, TO THOSE WHO ADDED IT TO THEIR FAVOURITE LIST, AND TO THOSE WHO PUT IT ON ALERT. The numbers are huge, and for that I thank you all. My gratitude is MASSIVE.