Author's note: It is with a heavy heart that I say this is the last chapter. There will be an epilogue in the next couple days, to show the futures of Clint and Natasha and Vera. Writing this has been one of the most intense writing journeys I've ever willingly undertaken. with over 190 alerts, over 100 favorites, and close to 55k views, I can't possibly explain my amazement at everyone who stuck through every bitter, heartbreaking chapter to get to this fluffy gooey center I totally never intended to reach. Truth be told, this was going to be a death!fic in the end, but as I wrote more, as I became a conduit for these characters, I couldn't possibly give them anything less than they deserved, which after everything they have been through is happiness. It might not be perfect, but neither are Clint and Natasha. Without further ado, I present the last actual chapter of Games.
Thank you.
"It's a little late as a house warming gift or whatever, but here," Fury shoved the bottle of expensive wine at Clint. He was in a sweater and slacks, something Clint never thought he'd see.
"Thanks, sir."
"No need for sir, tonight, Barton. Where the hell is everyone?"
"In the back yard," Clint said leading the way. He opened the porch door to reveal that Fury had been the last to arrive. Tony and Bruce sat chatting with Natasha, Tony's arms flailing wildly as he tried to explain something no one but Bruce could even fathom. Steve and Thor had taken over the grill in Clint's absence. Thor's confused look and Steve's tactical expression meant he was explaining something Midgardian to the god. Jane hovered next to Thor, trying to explain what Steve was saying, but failing. Vera, and the Banner-Stark twins, Malcolm and Alexi, were running about, playing some game of the imagination that could only be understood by someone under the age of ten. "Last warm night of the season, we figured we could grill out while it was still nice out and go inside if it gets chilly later."
Fury nodded, taking in the sight. A smile cracked his hard face, "You've done good, Barton." He clapped the man on the back. Clint smiled in both surprise and shock.
"Thank you, sir."
"It's just Nick tonight, Barton…Never thought when I plucked your sorry ass out of the Marines twenty years ago this would ever happen."
"Neither did I."
"You tamed the Black Widow and made yourself a family."
As if on cue, Natasha punched Tony in the arm and he yelped and winced. Clint and Nick laughed, "You and I both know that there is no taming Natasha."
"Fair enough, Barton. Fair enough."
Just then the kids spotted the director and came running over amid hails of "Uncle Nick!"
"Heya, kiddos," he scooped Vera up and ruffled the twins' hair.
"We captured the bad guys!" Vera said proudly.
"Oh did you? Why don't you show me where you're keeping them," he said as Alexi grabbed his free hand and led him away.
Clint walked over to where Natasha and Tony were argue and Bruce was caught between laughing and stopping them.
"I'm just saying, the right hackers can glean just as much information as you can," Tony protesting.
"You forget that not everyone uses digital means to story their records, my job will never be obsolete."
"That's what you think, sweetheart."
"Yikes, stop it you two, there are children around," he cut in, placing a hand on the small of his wife's back to calm her down. "Tony you're a genius and an asshole, and Tash you're the best at your job and irreplaceable and stubborn. Argument settled." Tony and Natasha fumed, and Bruce just continued to laugh.
"We need to have dinner parties more often, this is great."
"Dinner is served!" Thor's voice suddenly boomed.
The adults formed an orderly line and the children paired up with their parents to get their food. Steve served everyone and places at the table were squabbled over and taken. Natasha at the head, Clint at one side, and Vera at the other. Bruce, Alexi, Tony, and Malcolm on Vera's side, and Thor, Jane, and Steve on the other side (Thor and Steve took up extra space being huge), with Fury at the other head of the table. Everyone dove into their food hungrily, laughing and eating. Someone asked for the potato salad, and Vera thought it a good opportunity to show off what she'd been practicing. The table sat stunned as she floated the bowl to Uncle Nick's vicinity, and the spoon lifted out and plopped a perfect amount of the food on his plate. Everyone clapped, and cheered. Vera blushed.
"Looks like Mr. Xavier's been doing a good job tutoring!"
"Dad!" the twins echoed at Tony, "Can we do that?"
Bruce laughed as Tony tried to formulate an answer that wouldn't disappoint them, "No, but I can build you something just as cool. Sorry, boys. Your cousin got the cool genes."
Natasha leaned over and kissed Vera's hair, "good job, sweetheart."
When dessert was brought out (a large fruit tarte courtesy of Steve, who was turning out to be quite the artist in the kitchen as well) Natasha stood up.
"So, it's time for a clichéd speech and you're all going to suck it up and listen."
"I always listen," Vera announced, proudly.
"I wouldn't say always, but thank you sweetheart" Natasha smiled among the laughter. "Anyways," she continued, "This was a future I never ever expected, and this family," she gestured to not just Clint and Vera, but to the whole table, "was something I never thought I'd have. But I'm so thankful for all of you, and this team. I'm not one to get sentimental, and if any of you let this little speech leave this table, you'll be in trouble," she laughed but no one doubted her. "Clint and I are honored to open our home to you guys, and we're so happy that you could all come, we wish some others could be here, but we know they're here in spirit." A moment of silence passed over the table as they all took a moment to remember Phil. "We know that news of our marriage was pretty surprising to a lot of you,"
"Not that surprising," Tony interjected. "I mean come on, look at you two."
Natasha shot him a look. "Anyways, we have another surprise for you. I'm pregnant." She shrugged nonchalantly.
"and it's a boy! And we're going to name him Phil!" Clint burst out in the stunned silence.
"Oh god this is turning into one of those clichéd movies, isn't it?" Natasha groaned as everyone clapped and congratulated the couple.
"Yeah, but out of all the people we know, you deserve only the happiest of endings," Fury said as he hugged her.
That night as they lay in bed, Clint watched his sleeping wife, hand gently resting on the growing bump of her lower torso. He thought back to the moment in Alaska when he thought people like them didn't get happy endings, that they didn't get that kind of story. Maybe they did, he thought as she smiled and rolled towards him, curling up against him. Maybe it was that kind of story.