They are married in a simple, beautiful ceremony in Steve and Peggy's large back yard. All their friends are there, and Thor, who started working at Nick's when Darcy was just a teen, gives her away. Clint smiles widely when she takes his hands, and even the small, slightly hesitant kiss at the end isn't as awkward as she'd anticipated.

They dance the night away and drive back in the early morning to Darcy's apartment, where she and Clint have agreed to live.

Not much changes between them after that, except that Darcy stops setting Clint up on blind dates.

Which was just as well, because he'd had horrible luck with it.

First there'd been Wanda. A nice girl, but when her deranged father came up to them when they'd been taking a walk after dinner, outlining his plan for minority supremacy, followed by her brother, who got so close to Clint he could count his nose hairs, Clint had called it a night and immediately begged Darcy never to do that to him again. But she'd begged him a second time, and he was helpless to do anything but agree.

Laura was… pretty. And one of the most terrifying women Clint had ever met- especially when she pulled twin knives out of her boots, which he'd quickly confiscated, only to pull out two more from each sleeve. Her father also found them after dinner, and Clint realised where Laura got her love of knives, if the multiple ones that kept appearing in the man's hands had been any indication.

He'd made Darcy watch every Abbott and Costello film with him after that.

Jan had been cute, but spent the entire night talking about her boss, Hank.

Alison spent the evening going on and on about her budding singing career.

Jean had a very odd and unhealthy obsession with… a man who happened to be Laura's father.

Emma had tastes too rich for his blood.

Ororo had aspirations of teaching underprivileged children in various countries, not that Clint objected, but he also had no desire to move his life nor pursue a relationship that wouldn't be going anywhere.

Helen was great but was more interested in medical research than dating.

And then, after the humiliating last disaster that was Abigail, a terrifying Commander who apparently already had a beast of a boyfriend, he'd finally begged Darcy to please, please not set him up again. She'd just broken up with Bucky and was selfishly glad to have more of Clint's time, so she acquiesced.

Between learning the business side of the restaurant and Clint's own business expanding, both of them remain quite busy their first month of marriage, until Clint stops her on her way out the door to a meeting with vendors and simply says, "I miss ya, Darcy. You're my best friend and I love you, and… I never even get to see you anymore."

She huffs out a laugh and agrees with him. Thor, who was the night manager, was also learning bartending, as his wife Natasha, one of the best bartenders Darcy had ever seen, was 7 months pregnant. She knew he had no interest in working days once the new baby came, so she puts out an ad for a new day manager.

Which becomes very awkward when Sharon Carter puts in her application. Darcy is torn, because Sharon is so qualified, and funny, and… stole her boyfriend. She grunts as she faceplants on the sofa that night.

"Cliiiiinnnttt!" she groans. "What do I do? She's perfect, and qualified, and competent, and I hate her."

Clint, the traitorous husband he is, chuckles at her dramatics.

"Well, she doesn't have the job yet, you could just not hire her."

"Ugh, but she'd do a great job, and I wouldn't have to work all hours of every day, and I'd actually get to see you and have a life and stuff."

Clint pats her head sympathetically.

"Well, invite her out with you and Pepper, before you make any job offers, and see if you can handle being around her. If you can, then go ahead and hire her. If you can't… Pepper knows how to cut an evening short."

Darcy sits up suddenly, throwing her arms around Clint and kissing him on the cheek.

"See, it's ideas like that that make me happy I married you. Keep 'em coming, Barton."

Clint clears his throat, surprise on his face, and indicates the television.

"Doc Martin binge?"

"Sure," she agrees, nuzzling into his side. He seems tense until she tries ruffle him like a pillow, then he laughs and slouches down into the couch, and she throws her arm around his middle, settling comfortably. She feels the tentative weight of his hand on her shoulder, and she relaxes as they both watch the show.

Pepper invited Peggy along when they go out with Sharon, and together the sisters were a force to be reckoned with. Darcy had never laughed so hard in her life and decided to bury any bad blood between her and Sharon, if only so she could hear the "three hats and a flamingo" story.

"So," Peggy finally asks her wheezily, "what's going on with you and Clint?"

Darcy's thrown off by the question, and she gives her a bemused smile.

"Well, we're best friends, we love each other, and we're married now. Why?" she asks.

"But, are you two still going to deny you're in love with each other?"

Darcy spits out the drink in her mouth.

"Clint. And. Me. In. Love?! No. NOOO. NO. We're just friends. He's my best friend. Besides you, Pep. You know I love you, too."

Pepper gives her a nod, her lip quirking up even as she quickly shifts her attention to the other two women.

"Wait," Sharon holds up a hand. "Do you really not know?"

"What are you talking about?!" Darcy demands, eyes darting between the two sceptical sisters, really confused now.

"Clint looks at you as though you hung the stars, and you really think you two are just friends?"

Darcy scoffs, completely missing Pepper's shrewd expression.

"Clint is my best friend. I told you. We care about each other. We love each other. But we're not in love. That's ridiculous," she explains calmly. Honestly. Two people can't just be married and be each other's favourite people in the world but be completely platonic anymore. It was sad, really. "Besides, I used to set him up on blind dates, until that last one went wrong. He's a great guy, I want to see him happy. But we just got married so he could help me out. Really. There's nothing else between us but business."

"So then what was the deal with you and Bucky?" Peggy asks. Darcy's good mood evaporates quickly.

"Well, Peggy, I think your sister would be able to answer that question better than me," she replies darkly.

Sharon's face clouds with confusion, but Pepper interrupts whatever she is about to say.

"Well, I don't know about you girls, but I don't remember the last time I've had this much fun. I've got work in the morning, however, so it's about time we wrap things up."

Darcy grumbles a bit, then shakes her head, standing with her friend. She gets her coat on, then turns to Sharon.

"I have some papers for you to sign tomorrow, if you're still interested in that job."

"Really?!" Sharon looks up hopefully.

Darcy bites her lip, rocking back and forth a bit before finally nodding her head decisively.

"Really. You're smart and good with people and I think you'll be an excellent addition to our team."

Sharon jumps up and hugs her, and her smile is so wide and contagious Darcy almost forgets how furious she is.

When she passes his room, she sees Clint has fallen asleep fully clothed on top of his covers again, the dope. She smiles fondly, and goes and takes off his shoes, pulling the quilt on the end of the bed over him.

He snuffles, burrowing into his pillow and murmuring a sleepy, "'s friend. Love you, Darcy"

"Same," she replies, ruffling his hair before she turns to go to her own room. "See, he's just my friend. Nothing romantic at all." Peggy and Sharon are just dramatic, she thinks as she turns out the lights, completely missing the way Clint is reaching for out someone who's not there.

A/N: For those curious about the (mostly X-Men) women with whom Darcy sets up Clint, they are in order:
Scarlett Witch/Wanda Maximoff (with her terrifying father Magneto and mischievous brother Quicksilver)

X-23/Laura Kinney (with her father Wolverine)

Wasp/Janet van Dyne

Dazzler/Alison Blaire

Marvel Girl/Jean Grey

White Queen/Emma Frost

Storm/Ororo Munroe

Dr. Helen Cho

Abigail Brand (who often is dating Hank McCoy)