Hey everyone! It's been a while I know. My health is pretty damn bad atm and sitting down to write a 3000+ word chapter seems so overwhelming. But I miss writing so I'm going to try my best and bring you a good chapter. I hope you enjoy!I have a beta-reader now! So thank you to my best friend in the world for helping me out! Cas ily.
Kotyonok: kitten in Russian
Malyshka: baby in Russian
/ / / /
It was getting dark by the time Clint and Natasha got home from the park.
Natasha sat on the sofa as soon as they got into the doors, as Clint went around turning on lights and closing the curtains.
Shivering, the redhead carefully pulled her boots off, wincing a little as the movements twinged her back.
Clint came back over after turning the heating on, kneeling in front of her to help her finish getting her shoes off. Then, because she was still shuddering, he helped her get the gloves and scarf off but left her in the coat until the place warmed up a bit.
When Natasha was low and especially after a big day, she was often exceptionally cold.
Not only that, but despite not actually having the flu, she would experience some of the typical symptoms until her body had recovered some.
Natasha dithered on the sofa as Clint plugged in their heated blanket and tucked the woman up in it.
"Thanks.'' Natasha smiled weakly, burrowing under the blanket until just her eyes and the top of her head peeked out
"Of course, love. I know you had a shower earlier, but how would you feel about having a bath?" Clint hummed, gently brushing red strands of hair from her forehead.
Baths could be tricky, especially with the muscle weakness and fatigue, combined with the fact that she got dizzy when she was run down.
But, it was also the fastest way to get her warmed up and if they used her bath salts and oils, it was also a good way to help ease the pain in her back and stave it off before it got too bad.
Natasha thought for a moment before nodding, voice muffled by the blanket over her mouth.
"Yeah, that's a good idea." She paused for a moment before sticking her full face up from the material. "Join me?"
The smile that crossed Clint's face was indescribable and he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'd love to."
Both knew that it was unlikely there would be anything sexual happening in the bath, but Clint loved their shared baths. There was something super intimate about being together in the hot water, just skin on skin and a conversation that could last long after the bubbles had faded.
Clint smiled warmly and stood up. "I'll go start running it. Why don't you order something for dinner, so we're not worrying about it when we're in the bath?" Another soft brush of lips against her forehead before he headed to the bathroom.
He plugged the bottom of the tub and shifted the shower stool over to the far end of the bath before running the hot water.
Once there was a couple inches of water, Clint grabbed their bottles down from the cupboard. First in went three scoops of lavender Epsom salts; very good for both relaxation and helping to ease muscle aches. Next a generous dash of Natasha's favourite bath soak went in; this one immediately making the bathroom smell like a candy shop. Clint loved the scent on Natasha's skin the night of a bath. Then, Clint added a couple drops of lavender essential oil and because he was feeling fancy, some dried rose petals.
Natasha often kept some of the flowers whenever Clint brought them for her, and saved the petals to use for baths. They were a bitch to clean out the tub but he didn't mind because every little bit of self-care that Natasha implemented was a good thing.
Whilst Clint busied himself in the bathroom, Natasha scrolled through her phone contacts to find a food place that sounded good. They were regulars at a lot of the joints around town so picking one take-out place could be difficult.
She hovered over 'Gino's Pizzeria' before nodding to herself; pizza sounded like an amazing idea.
She pressed the button and held the phone to her ear.
"Gino's Pizza, how can I help?"
Natasha grinned at the familiar voice, "Hey Simone, it's Natasha, how are things, how are the kids?"
"Nat!" The excited voice met her ear. "Hey. Yeah, things aren't so bad, just getting on with it y'know? The kids are good, menaces, but doing well at school so obviously I'm a proud mama. I heard you were sick, how are you doing?"
"I'm okay, it's getting under control, I'll be good." Natasha swallowed thickly. "Clint's doing good too, he's got some shows coming up, he's writing all the time."
"Aw, maybe I'll drop in on you guys next time he plays, it's been ages since I've seen you." Simone sighed.
"Absolutely, we'll drop you a message when we have the details. Get a babysitter, come have a drink, yeah?" Natasha smiled.
"Oh hell yeah." The other woman chuckled. "Anyway, my boss is gonna kill me if he sees us chatting, so what can I get'cha, the usual? One twelve inch barbecue and veggie with extra cheese, one twelve inch traditional base with chicken and bacon,"
The women said the next line together, "And a fuck-ton of garlic knots-"
Natasha laughed, nodding even though Simone couldn't see. "Exactly! Thanks, S, I'll be in touch when we have a date set."
"Sounds good, have a nice night! See you soon."
"See you soon, S."
Natasha ended the call, immediately setting an app reminder; telling her to contact Simone when they had a show date. Otherwise, she would completely forget and let the other woman down.
Brain fog fucking sucked.
Once the tub began to fill, Clint turned the cold tap on so it wasn't boiling and went out to the bedroom to gather the rest of the stuff.
Clint usually just wore boxers to bed, no matter the temperature and what Natasha wore always depended on how she felt on any given night. Because it was still only early evening, he grabbed two pairs of sweatpants and a couple of his old shirts along with socks and underwear.
After carrying them to the bathroom, he placed Natasha's clothes over the heated rail, along with a big fluffy towel.
The tub was filled at this point, so the blonde headed back to Natasha, passing through the kitchen area first so he could put the kettle on.
Their kitchen and living room were effectively the same room; but it was big enough that both parts of the house didn't crowd the other. On one side sat the breakfast island and all the usual kitchen-y things, and on the other side of the room was occupied by a couch, table and big screen TV.
Natasha was still shivering when Clint got to her, sniffling and rubbing her nose as the man crouched down again.
"Alright, love, it's all ready. All we have to do is get your clothes off super quick and then you'll be nice and warm, okay?"
"You always want to get my clothes off quick." Natasha mumbled as she reluctantly pushed the heated blanket to the side.
Clint chuckled and shook his head. "Now who's incorrigible?" He teased as he offered his hand out.
Natasha hissed softly, brows creasing as she held her breath for a moment.
Clint gently slid an arm around her waist, fingers brushing over her hip. "Your back?"
The redhead nodded, expression tight as they took a couple steps in the direction of the bathroom.
It was always better that Clint sat at the end of the tub and Natasha sat with her back against his chest, so he had to get in first.
He carefully set the woman on the closed toilet seat, squeezing her waist and smiling. "Just a minute."
Clint rushed around the kitchen, making a cup of tea for Natasha and grabbing a sheet of her pain meds from the cupboard.
He popped out two of the meds and set them on the bath stool with her mug of tea; it wasn't just good for sitting on, it made a very useful shelf in a pinch.
Clint wasn't really cold; he never really felt the cold much, which was good since he was Natasha's little personal heater.
So he peeled off his clothes, throwing them from the other side of the room into the hamper.
Natasha rolled her eyes fondly. "Always have to make it a game."
"Yeah, because I'm an amazing shot, and I never miss." Clint grinned as he helped Natasha get her arms out of her coat.
"You're just jealous 'cause I would have been an amazing superhero in another life." The blonde chuckled.
"Yeah and what would your super power have been?" Natasha asked dryly, "helping people put their laundry away?"
"Hell no, I'd be a badass, shooting all my targets and never missing." Clint stuck his tongue out as he pulled her shirt over her head.
"With your balance?" Natasha shook her head, "nah, I'd be the superhero." She smiled sweetly.
"You're already a super hero." Clint grinned back, though his words weren't actually a joke but the truth.
The tips of Natasha's ears darkened and she dropped her gaze. "Shut up, Barton."
"Make me, Romanoff." Clint stuck his tongue out again as Natasha wiggled out of her pants.
He held out his hand and she stood, shimmying off her underwear and padding over to the bath tub.
Clint clambered in first, standing in the water as Natasha lifted one leg in, her foot touching the non-slip mat on the bottom of the bath.
Once both feet were in, Natasha sank to her knees as Clint got comfortable at the end of the tub before Natasha got onto her butt.
She shuffled up and Clint's legs braced her thighs on either side, his arms dipping into the water as his fingers ghosted over her ribs.
One hand rested on her stomach, the other on her thigh as she tilted her head back against his shoulder, exhaling softly.
"This is nice." Natasha said softly, her eyelids fluttering shut for a moment as she shuffled down so her shoulders were just above the water.
Clint smiled and nipped lightly at her ear, resting his chin atop her head.
"Warm enough?" He asked quietly.
Natasha hummed and nodded before slowly opening her eyes. "It's perfect."
"You're perfect." Clint murmured.
"Stop it," She tutted, looking up through her lashes at him, "you play too much."
Clint looked offended, though his eyes showed differently. "You wound me, Tash. I'm not playing at all, would I lie to you?"
The redhead sighed softly. "Fine. That's your truth, doesn't mean it's mine."
"Also doesn't mean I'm gonna stop telling you how perfect you are." He hummed, pressing a kiss to her hair.
Natasha rolled her eyes as she scooted forward so she could grab her tea and meds from the stool, barely supressing a whimper of pain as she sank back against Clint's chest again. The blonde rested his hand against her hip, gently rubbing over her skin.
"You're okay, breathe through it." He said quietly, his other hand combing through red strands of hair.
The woman took a couple of deep breaths through her nose, her teeth gritted and her eyes squeezed shut as she waited for the wave to pass.
"I'm fucking sick of this-" She grunted, frustrated tears welling up and threatening to spill. "I just fucking reached forward, it's not like I'm lifting weights or doing anything remotely strenuous, I'm in the bath for Gods' sake." She threw the meds into her mouth and took a swig of the tea before putting the mug down and rubbing at her eyes, sniffling delicately.
Clint was sometimes a little bit at a loss for what to say; what could he say to make her feel better? The situation was shit, the pain she felt was shit, the fact it came out of nowhere and sparked up doing small, simple things was utter shit.
"I know you're sick of it, babe." He said quietly, nuzzling his nose against her throat, pressing a soft kiss to the skin there. "It's absolute bullshit that this is happening."
Natasha slowly sat forward a little, hand wrapping around the side of the bath tub so she could pull herself further away, knees to her chest and her forehead resting on them as they sat just above the water.
Clint immediately understood what she was asking for and carefully brushed some hair from the nape of her neck, pushing it over the front of her shoulders.
"Tell me if it gets too much, kotyonok." He murmured before resting his palms on her shoulder blades.
Massages hurt. There was no getting around that but they had both learned that in order to feel better in the long term, there had to be some pain in the short-term. Natasha often felt a lot of relief from the pain when Clint finished the massages, and had said once that no matter how much it hurt to have it done, it was always better after and she never once regretted it.
The blonde was by no means an expert but he had picked up some tips and tricks thanks to trusty old Youtube.
Not just good for funny dog videos after all.
He carefully rubbed the expanse of her back with the flats of his hands first, getting her used to the touches before he really went all in. His hands dipped below the water to skim over the bottom of her back and a little lower because that was where a lot of the pain stemmed from. Once her skin was just a bit red, he poured a little of the lavender oil from earlier into his hands. Rubbing them together, he started the massage properly.
Natasha was tense to begin with, wincing and biting her lower lip as Clint dug his fingers into the pressure points along her spine, working the knots until they disappeared under his fingertips. After each knot dissolved, a soft sigh left Natasha's lips and Clint smiled, knowing he was doing something small that wold help her feel a bit better.
Once her spine was relatively loose and Natasha had sank forward some more, cheek pillowed on her knees, he moved to her shoulders. She held a lot of tension there and it showed; the muscles tight and coiled.
This seemed to hurt more than her spine had, the redhead jerking a little and letting out shaky little breaths. Clint hated to hurt her, but she hadn't told him to stop and they knew it would feel so much better after.
"I've got you, malyshka." He hummed, pressing a kiss to the reddened skin of her right shoulder before continuing on, pressing and working through the especially tight and almost hard spots under her skin.
Almost ten minutes later and something finally gave, Natasha almost moaning with the sensation as Clint dropped his hands from her shoulders. "Okay?"
"Mm, much better-" The redhead half purred, her eyelids fluttering shut as she rolled her shoulders back, with much more ease than earlier.
"Almost done, love, sit forward a little more for me?" the blonde asked, his fingers splayed across the bottom of her back.
Natasha used the shower stool to rest her elbows on, so she was forward enough for Clint to reach where he needed to.
Calloused fingers dug into the soft skin just above her tailbone, using his thumbs to draw circles in her flesh, pushing up and around her hips, earning a slight squeal from the redhead as he ran over a very ticklish spot.
Clint smirked; it was very difficult to catch Natasha off guard with things like that and he always felt pride when he was able to be the only one to actually make it happen.
"Sorry, love." He chuckled, earning himself a glare as Natasha looked over her shoulder at him, glaring, though her lips were twisted in a smile.
"You are absolutely not sorry at all." Natasha accused, raising one perfect eyebrow.
"Nah, you're right, I'm really not." Clint grinned, all teeth, right at her.
The redhead huffed and stuck her tongue out at him before leaning back against the shower stool.
Clint continued to beam as he returned his attention to the flushed skin sitting under the water, fingers deftly working away more knots and tension until Natasha was warm and loose, almost asleep as she pulled her head up from where it had rested in her hands.
She turned in the water, not once wincing as she climbed into Clint's lap, her legs going around the bottom of his back. She took his jaw in one hand, her other hand cupping his cheek as she ducked her head down to kiss him.
Their lips met and the pair kissed languidly for a while, hands rubbing over soft and warm skin as they took advantage of the last of the hot water.
"I love you." Natasha said reverently, slowly opening her eyes as she looked down at her boyfriend, voice soft.
"I love you, Tash." Clint brushed his lips against hers once more, looking at her with eyes so full of adoration, Natasha could have cried just witnessing it.
Unfortunately the massage and subsequent kissing had taken a substantial amount of time so the water was getting colder and they were suitably prune-y, so it was time to get out.
Natasha carefully clambered off of Clint, backing up in the water so he had space to move.
She had showered that morning so Clint quickly washed his hair, lathering up shampoo through his hair, rinsing it with the hand held shower head, so he wouldn't have to come back later to do it.
It took less than a minute for him to finish, pulling the bath plug when he was done.
The redhead shuffled in the water again so Clint could stand and step out onto the mat. Then he reached forward as Natasha shakily got to her feet, his hands taking hers, ready to grab her if she slipped. He was absolutely not having that happen again; they had the slip mat for a reason.
One foot at a time, she clambered out and Clint immediately wrapped her in the warmed towel, rubbing up and down her arms.
"Let's get dressed, hmm?" He asked as Natasha sat back down on the toilet lid, nodding.
The blonde quickly dried himself off and pulled on the clothes he'd laid out before helping Natasha to do the same.
When both were done, they headed out to the living room and the same set up as earlier.
Clint got out plates and filled cups of water, bringing them over to the table as Natasha looked through the TV to find something to watch.
When the doorbell rang, Clint walked over, smiling as he pulled the door open.
"Hey man," The guy handed over the bag, "nice night?"
"Pretty good," The blonde looked back into the living room and the redhead waiting for him before turning back to the delivery guy. "You?"
"Not so bad." The guy, boy really, nodded.
"I haven't seen you before, are you new?" Clint peered in the bag to make sure their whole order was there. Not having the garlic knots turn up was an actual tragedy.
"I started a week ago," The boy looked a little embarrassed, "just trying to get some money to put into my college fund. We had a break in and no insurance so me and mom had to spend it on replacing stuff." He shrugged.
Clint seemed to have one of those faces that people immediately warmed to. Wanted to talk to.
"Damn, I'm sorry to hear that. " The blonde opened his wallet, handing over double what their order was.
The boy's smile widened at the extra cash. "Thanks! Are you sure? That's a big tip."
"I'm sure. Have a good night." Clint smiled.
"You too!"
Clint locked the door and brought the bag of food over to the table.
"I will never get tired of that smell." Clint hummed, placing the two pizzas and box of garlic knots on the table, momentarily confused when the bag was still heavy. "Oh, no way! Was it Simone working tonight? She gave us some ice-cream." He beamed, holding up two frosted cups of Moose-Tracks.
"That's nice of her." Natasha grinned. She hadn't even thought of getting ice-cream after they'd already had some that day but she loved Moose-Tracks and definitely wasn't going to say no to free ice cream.
Clint rushed off to put the cups in the freezer before they melted before coming back opening the boxes, plating up a couple slices and dividing the sauces between them.
Clint could demolish his pizza and garlic knots in one go but it was usually enough for Natasha to have it over two days.
Lucky could also inhale a slice in mere seconds, so both had to keep an eye on the dog so he didn't run off with the whole damn pizza again.
The dog was already very quietly padding over to them and Natasha smirked as Lucky butted up against her knee.
"Not this time, Lucky, I am not dragging you to the vet again." She pointed at his bowl. "Go on, your food is there." She raised an eyebrow.
Lucky whined and trotted over to his bowl, looking forlorn as he ate his own dinner.
Clint laughed, shaking his head as he leaned back, happily munching on the pizza.
"Ooh we wanted to watch Sherlock! Each episode is like a film anyways." He mumbled around a mouthful of food.
Natasha rolled her eyes at his lack of manners and hummed. "Yeah, let's do it."
The show started and both loaded their plates up before curling up under the blankets.
Cozy nights were the best; dimmed lights and blankets, a good film or show, their partner beside them to offer cuddles and love and warmth/
It was perfect.
But still excitement grew at the prospect of adding to the love down the road.
Only time would tell.