Cooper and Lila were upstairs reading in their beds. Laura and Clint could see the bedroom lights on from the outside in the grass. They were lying together on a blanket, just watching the stars. There was no moon and cricket song filled the night. They held hands, content just to be together. Clint had been home a few days and only just come down from the events of Ultron and Sokovia. Enjoying the quiet with his wife and knowing his children were close made him feel calm. The relief of being home with them, of having kept his promise to Laura filled his whole body. As he gazed up at the night sky, he thought about everything that happened and he thought about Nathaniel; his little unborn son, named for Natasha.
Clint spoke, his voice low and soft. "I have a middle name for Nathaniel."
Laura squeezed his hand. "Tell me."
"Pietro." he said.
On Clint's first night home he told her what had happened. The young man's sacrifice meant everything to her. Everything. Nathaniel would get to know his father only because of Pietro Maximoff. She would absolutely give his name to their son.
"The two people you owe your life to." she said.
Clint nodded silently. She scooted closer to him. He put his arm around her so that her head rested on his bicep. Gently his fingertips brushed along her hairline. Lila's light turned out and a little while after, so did Cooper's. Their resident barn owl screeched somewhere nearby. Shooting stars and satellites, constellations and the milky way all spread out across the immense darnkess above them. They laid there together for a long time, looking up at glimmering universe. When their eye lids grew too heavy, they finally went inside to bed.
