"Hello, we're here," I heard Clint's voice call through my open front door.
Today was a bright and sunny Saturday. With the hassle of our reception behind us, Steve and I had absconded from the compound, heading out to our little cabin in the woods, a quiet retreat from the craziness that was our everyday lives. Steve had invited Clint and his family over, our first time hosting guests as a couple. Although, from how Steve told it, it was more like Laura told Clint to invite himself over. I didn't mind, much. Our days off so far had been spent entirely in bed with Steve. And as satisfying as that was, it was probably time to break out of our newlywed cocoon. It would be good to get to know Laura better, too. As the only other Avengers spouse, and partner in a long, happy marriage, I was sure she had a lot of essential advice to pass on.
"Come on in," Steve's voice called from where he was putting the last few dishes away. I rose from my seat in the living room to greet our guests. My small, open-plan cabin was suddenly full of eager energy, as Clint and his family entered. Laura stepped though first, a squirmy toddler in her arms, followed by two kids, Clint stepping though the door just in time to grab his daughter by the back of the shirt, stopping her momentum from careening into the kitchen island in her attempt to keep a toy from her older brother.
"Welcome," I said, giving them a broad smile.
Clint didn't even blink as with a few movements and significant glances he had corralled his kids into a respectable looking line.
"Kids, this is Auntie Rachael. Rachael, this is Cooper, Lila and little Nate. Say hello."
The children chorused out a series of hellos, ranging from shy to rambunctious.
"Hi guys. I hope you have your swimsuits. If you put them on, Uncle Steve will take you down to the lake and show you our swimming dock."
"I'm wearing mine!" Lila announced, pulling up her shirt to show you the pink shiny spandex.
"Very nice," I told her, laughing, as both kids began stripping off their clothing in the middle of the living room.
The next several minutes were a whirlwind of activity as the kids had to be restrained from dashing out of doors ahead of us all. But, eventually, we got clothes off, and shoes on, and Steve and Clint led them down the short path to the lake behind our house, and Laura and I settled in on the back porch overlooking the kids play, a toddler on my knee as Laura helped herself to a glass of the lemonade I had set out.
"So, how's married life treating you?" she asked, now that we had a moment of quiet to ourselves.
"It's different for sure. It's so hard juggling schedules. I thought that it would be weird, not having my evenings to myself everyday, but Steve's been out of the country more often than not, and when he is here, I find it so hard to get away from work at the time I intended to, so he ends up waiting for me at home. Which I feel terrible about, not that he complains."
"You're still in your honeymoon phase when no amount of time together will seem like enough. Soon enough you'll settle in to each other and find your rhythm. And then you'll be that old married couple who is so used to being around each other, that you don't know how to get anything done without your spouse."
"Is that where you and Clint are at?"
"Not quite yet. It was easier when Clint was just a low-level field agent. And when he wasn't working, he was all mine. Then the Avengers formed, and things got tough, at least while we were still keeping on the 'down low'," and here she emphasized her jovial tone with exaggerated air quotes. "Things got easier again when he stopped worrying about keeping us secret and decided to go with safety in numbers. Or rather, the situation decided it for him. It's worked out well though. The Avengers HQ moving out here, closer to the farm rather than in the city has made things a lot easier. The kids see their dad more consistently now, although he always made time for them, it used to be in bigger blocks. Now he can be in the middle of a project and still be there to tuck them in at night." She finished her little story by casting her eye out fondly on her children. Steve and Clint were taking turns throwing them in the water.
"Yeah, I worry about that. Now that I'm mostly moved into our apartment on campus, I wonder if it's worth the effort to keep trying to make it out here to the cabin. Maybe I should sell. It's been a great little retreat, but I wonder how practical it is. It's just barely big enough for two."
"No, don't get rid of this place! It's so cute. Even if you do end up living with the Avengers, it's still good to have something that's all your own. The team is fantastic, and it really is family, but sometimes you need something that's not Avengers-related to remember who you really are.
"Besides, even if you don't want to live here, I'm sure there are a ton of people who would love to cottage-sit for you. It's idyllic here, and some of those action junkies need that, even if they don't realise it."
"I guess you're right. It was built to be a weekend cottage anyway, I've just been making it my home for so long, it's hard to see it any other way."
"Change is good," Laura said, "but you don't have to change everything all at once. Keep onto this place for a while. Steve likes this place, I know. You can re-assess in a few years. There's no rush."
Our chat was interrupted by Clint and Steve coming back up the path.
"The kids were getting tired, so we figured they could hunt for tadpoles," Clint explained.
"I've got a couple of hand nets if they want them," I offered.
"I know where they are," said Steve. "I'll grab them."
"I told them to stick to the edges where it's too shallow for them to get in much trouble. If you guys keep a closer eye on them, I'm gonna show Steve the best spot to lay in the workshed."
"Sure."
Steve took Clint around the cabin nearer the driveway to scout out the site of a new shed. My little cabin didn't have anywhere properly covered to store Steve's motorcycle when it was here, and Clint was attempting to convince him to make it large enough to also house a workshop for minor repairs and other weekend projects. Steve had taken to carrying his bike up the stairs to set on the porch when it was raining, but that was hardly a long-term solution. He had been chagrinned when it had dripped a spot of oil, and stained the wooden deck. I didn't mind, but I wasn't exactly sure how much weight my wooden deck could bear either, so I fully supported the project.
It wasn't long until the kids were shouting excitedly for me and Laura to "Come see! Come see!" and we both went down to the shore to admire the water snail they had found. After we had, Laura went up to the cabin to put the baby down for a nap, while I got caught up in showing the kids the best way to catch whirly-gigs, and how many things lived under the big rocks at the edges, and how tadpoles transformed into adult frogs. I loved finding all these creatures myself almost as much as I loved their joyful enthusiasm in discovering them for the first time. I did love it out here, and I was doing my part to inspire a love on nature in the next generation.
When I could tell the kids were getting a little over-tired, I suggested they take their bucket of tadpoles up to show their dad before it was time to set them free again.
I walked them back up to the house where I found Clint and Steve had started up the barbeque.
While the kids were eagerly swarming their dad with tales of dragonflies and minnows, I sidled up to Steve at the grill. "So how go the construction plans? Are you gonna build yourself an annex of the same scale Tony talked me into?"
"I don't need all that much. I only need room for a staff of three, at most," he teased back. "More seriously, all I need is room for my bike. Clint's plans sound fun, but we'd have to clear more land to make room, and you've built such a nice atmosphere here, I wouldn't want to ruin it."
"Nonsense," I replied as kindly as I could, "I want you to put your mark on this place. It's ours not mine. Besides, I've certainly put my mark on your place."
"That you have", he replied, fondly, and, looking around to make sure no one was looking in our direction, drew me close for an amorous kiss.
Then it was time to eat. I minded the grill while Steve and Laura grabbed the salads from the fridge and we all settled down for dinner al fresco.
Being high summer, it was still light out when I caught the kids stifling yawns, and tending towards grumpy.
"Well kiddos," Clint said, "I think it's time to head home."
"Nooo," they protested in unison.
"Yes," he contradicted, "go find your things and thank Aunt Rachael and Uncle Steve for having us."
"I'm sorry, it's not quite enough room for an overnight visit," I said to Laura in an aside.
"Don't worry about it. The kids had such a great day, I'm sure they're gonna pass out for the whole car ride home."
"We should do it again. Anytime."
"I won't presume upon your good manners and take you to mean that 'anytime' literally. But, we had a great day. We'd love to come again sometime."
Steve and I stood on the porch to wave them off, before heading inside to clean up.
In bed that night, we lay idly caressing each other tenderly as we talked over the day.
"Something Laura said… I think I'll move more of my personal effects to our suite on the compound."
"As much as I love having you close to me all the time, I wouldn't want you to lose this place. I love being able to come out here when we can break away."
"It's just that if I cleared out the cabin a little, we could share it out a bit more. Send friends here for some R and R when we aren't able to make it out. I've seen how wired you guys get when you come back from the field. A little nature therapy would do you good."
"That's my Rachael. Always so kind and tender hearted. Always looking out for everyone's best interests." And we broke off conversation for an extended snuggle break, Steve gathering me in close, touching and caressing without any urgency. In the quiet of the night, only the sound of our breath and the faint echo of crickets in the distance remained until Steve continued, "You're such a wonderful woman. I think you'd make a great mother. You know I saw the way you held little baby Nate. You're a natural, you know."
"And those kids just loved you this afternoon."
"Clint made it easy, I don't have much experience with children."
"Me neither, really. You know how our doctor said that there's no reason we wouldn't have a healthy pregnancy, so we didn't have to double up on birth control."
"Yes…" Steve waited to see where I was going with this.
"I don't think I want to start trying for a baby, or anything like that. Our lives are still so chaotic, making room for a baby would require a complete overhaul. But, you know, if it did happen, I don't think it would be the worst thing."
"I'm perfectly happy just me and you," Steve punctuated his statement with a kiss for emphasis. "But if you wanted to start a family, I'd leave the Avengers and we'd make a go of it, together."
"Thank you," I told him, realising the depth of his offer, "I don't mean anything as drastic as that just yet. But how about I stick to just my contraceptive pill, and we see what life brings us."
"I've been exceedingly lucky with what life's brought me of late, so that sounds great to me."
And, as idle caressing had roused a desire that could no longer be denied, even if we had wanted to, the two of us indulged in how great life really could be, making love with the confidence of true lifetime partners.
Author's note:
Well, after two and a half years of inconsistent posting, I think I've finally finished writing for this couple.
I'm thinking I may start writing a Regency AU next, or a soulmates slow-burn, or maybe an Endgame fix-it fic. Or, I do have some ideas to start a new plot arc for these two. What do people think? What would you like to see?