Clint and Steve finally meet.

Steve was halfway through his lunch when there was a knock at the door. "Come in," he called, wiping the corner of his mouth.

The receptionist of the gallery, Jane, poked her head through the door and made an apologetic facial expression. "Sorry to disturb you during lunch, Mr. Rogers, but there's a man here to see you. His name is Clint Barton and he says he needs to speak to you about a personal issue."

Ah, he came sooner than expected. Steve knew who Clint was because Natasha had mentioned him several times. Clint was like the brother she never had as well as her best friend. She warned Steve that Clint would meet him soon to give him the old "shovel talk".

"Show him in, please."

Jane left the door ajar and walked out of sight. Steve heard her say, "Mr. Rogers will see you now." Moments later, she came back with a man following closely behind. He was about five nine, had dark brown hair with a few day's stubble on his face.

Steve glanced at him briefly before nodding to Jane. "Thank you, Jane. That'll be all."

Once she left, Steve stood up and walked around his desk to shake the other man's hand. "You're Clint."

"Yeah, and you're Steve." The other man accepted the handshake, watching Steve carefully. "I guess Nat told you I was coming?"

"She did, but I didn't expect you so soon."

Clint took note of the food on the desk. "I, uh, hope this isn't a bad time for you."

"Not at all. Business really starts to pick up after four pm anyway and I can wait to finish my lunch. Please, sit down." Steve gestured to the chair on the other side of the desk and seated himself.

Clint perched on the chair and cleared his throat. "I'd rather not beat around the bush, so let's talk frankly. You're dating Natasha and she really likes you. Everything she told me about you makes you sound like a great guy, and that's nice, but I want to know what do you want from her."

No pressure, huh?

"I don't want anything from her, not if you're implying what I think. I'm not in this relationship for selfish or sexual reasons. I have a daughter and the last thing I'd want is for her to watch me play with a woman's heart and dump her when she's no longer interesting. It's not my style and I couldn't do something that reckless. I have to set an example of healthy relationships in Wanda's life and that's why I haven't dated."

"So the right woman wasn't out there for you?"

Steve's thoughts went to Peggy and how, if he'd had the courage to tell her about his feelings, his life would've been different.

"There was someone who I cared for very much, but I missed the opportunity to be with her because I was scared. After her, the only women who showed up in my life liked me, but not Wanda and that prompted me not to go out with any of them."

"To be honest, I never intended on having a romance when I came to Texas either. Wanda and I needed a place to start fresh where there's less havoc. A big, noisy city is not the right place to raise a child."

"I agree. Kids need a place to run around."

"Exactly." Steve smiled a little when he saw the approving look on Clint's face. It seemed like he gained a bit of respect for what he just said. That prompted Steve to continue.

"Wanda made contact with Natasha first. It was shortly after we boarded the plane. She saw her reading a book that she liked and they started chatting. I told Wanda not to bother her, but Natasha said she worked at a daycare and babysat on the side, so she didn't mind. The three of us talked nearly the entire plane ride and Wanda and Natasha created a bond that day."

"They got along so well, as if they were old friends. If you were there, you'd understand it, but I'm sure Nat has already talked to you about Wanda."

Clint chuckled. "She has. Natasha has always been good with kids, yet after the things she said to me about your daughter, I knew she must be special. She set you and Natasha up too, right?"

"Yes. We liked each other, but were hesitant to get involved. On my end, it was because romance was the last thing on my mind. As a single parent, raising a child takes a lot of work. As for Nat, she didn't need any useless attachments to men who she'd break up with in the end; she was waiting for the perfect man to come into her life. She'd told me so, herself. The more time we spent together, the more we were drawn to each other. Wanda had a lot of influence, thanks to her little suggestions."

"Then you think this is meant to be, your relationship with Nat?"

"I do, and I promise you that I will do right by her."

The other man eyed Steve for a long time, no doubt weighing his words carefully. When he spoke . "I have to admit, I came here doubting the sincerity of your feelings, but I see now that I was in the wrong. You do care for Nat, deeply."

"So you approve of our relationship?"

"Of course. I like to think that I'm a good judge of character and I can usually tell when someone's lying, but you told me the truth. That's a good sign." Clint got to his feet and smiled. "Natasha made a smart choice."

"I appreciate that." Steve was full of relief and he reached out to take Clint's hand.

"One more thing. If you hurt her..."

"I know. You'll kill me."

"Nah, I won't have to. She'll do it, herself and Wanda would probably help her. Maybe if I'm lucky, they'd let me kick you a few times while you're down." Clint said this with mild humor in his tone, but Steve knew there was seriousness in his words.

"Oh."

"No worries, man. Natasha is nuts about you and your daughter is nuts about Natasha, so I'm positive that you wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that." He shook Steve's hand warmly.

"You're a perceptive guy, Clint."

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself. I'll get out of here and let you finish your lunch." He moved to the door. "Or are you going to call Nat and tell her that our meeting was a success first?"

Steve picked up his cell phone and grinned. "Guess."

Clint laughed as he walked out the door, closing it behind him.