And, yet another prompt answered. Just a warning now, there is self-doubt and some drinking while pregnant in this. Don't be alarmed please. Also, its really, really early trimester drinking. As in before most women even know their pregnant drinking. The kind of thing that probably happens regularly anyway.

Moving on...

Ok, this is a kinda emotionally-charged piece. Not my usual comedic with a little sap thing. Also, I apologize for anything too strange in the first half this story. I was actually tipsy when I wrote it, but I also read through it and corrected any errors that I saw. If this is too strange or something, or if I offend anyone, tell me and I'll take it down and write a different prompt that ties in with Darkness.

Hopefully this is semi-enjoyable.

- Illusinia

Prompt: Trust

From: avengers-tables .livejournal under 50-word prompt (yes, I do intent to use all 50 words)

Pairings: Darcy/Clint

Darcy was tipsy. She'd admit that. Tipsy and thinking of Clint. Now that was a dangerous combination. Like Loki and the topic of his family. Except less explosive. What was she thinking about again?

Oh yeah, Clint. And trust.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Clint, she trusted him a lot. But she also understood biology and human instinct. Something some women would deny understanding while others would claim to understand it without actually understanding it. She'd taken Anthropology classes, psychology classes, and biology classes. Basically, any class that could offer insight into the inner workings of the human mind.

She understood the need to reproduce, the need to have sex with as many females as the guy could get away with. It wasn't hard. Women were driven by the urge to have as much protection as possible, men were driven to reproduce as many times as possible. Easy.

The issue was practical application and culture. That's where the issues cropped up. And where Darcy found her trust wavering. Kind of.

She trusted Clint. Trusted him a lot. But she also understood biology. Men were driven to reproduce as many times as they could, thus men were not always loyal. And Clint was male.

But he was male and loyal as a dog at times. Did that mean she could trust him when he was out on a mission with Widow? When she was home. Alone. Drinking when she knew she wasn't supposed to be, but was the only one to know that?

The doctors visit was tomorrow and she was scared. Thus far, she'd been good about the caffeine. And her diet. She'd done the research, knew what alcohol could do to the baby potentially in her womb. But she didn't know if a baby was there. Didn't know if anyone but was actually being affected except her. And she knew that, even if she was carrying, the damage she did to herself tonight wouldn't necessarily hurt her potential unborn child. Would it?

She had weighed every consideration. Gone over every concern. None of the literature she'd read suggested that she should be worried. Especially the bit about early-pregnancy drinking. As in, drinking before you were aware of a child's presence. Early like she was. And she only knew because of the feeling in her lower abdomen. The sensation of another energy source being present.

Was it bad that she was tipsy? Yes.

She knew that. Especially given she didn't want to hurt her potential child. But she was so scared...

How does one deal with pregnancy at 24? Especially when your partner is a superhero with no powers who's out running around with other empowered superhero's who could get the non-powered superhero's killed. That didn't sound fun. In fact, it sounded pretty bad. Even if she was pretty sure the Avenger's would protect her and her child no matter what. But maybe that was wishful thinking. Maybe it was the alcohol. God, she hoped her baby was okay.

A glass sat next to her, half full. She picked it up and stood, moving to the sink so she could pour the toxic chemical out. No more alcohol for her. She could feel the presence of the child in her womb. There was nothing in the world frightening enough to make her cause the child harm. Nothing.

Sighing, she stood at the sink a moment, staring at the drain before turning away and moving into her room. Her thoughts were sobering. With the calm that came before the storm, she dressed for bed and curled up in the sheets. Maybe, if she was lucky, Clint would show up before tomorrow. Maybe, she could trust him with her secret; all of the secrets she had.

Luck was on her side.

His presence woke her before his body sliding into bed behind her did. One of his arms wrapped around her tightly and she noted that he smelled of soap. Apparently he'd showered before coming to her. To her apartment and her bed. Her home.

One of his arms wrapped around her waist, drawing her close. She brought her own hand up to inter-twine with his fingers at her hip. Then slid their hands around so his palm rested against the cradle of her hips. Where their child rested. She could feel the soft presence pulse inside her.

"Hey." Her words were soft, whispered.

Clint grunted behind her. "Hey yourself. Sorry for waking you."

Darcy shrugged, paused for a moment, and took a metaphorical step forward. She was carrying his child, the time to consider if she trusted him or not was far gone. "Your presence woke me before you even entered the room."

"Presence?" murmured Clint, dropping a kiss on her shoulder. "What, you can feel when people enter a room now?"

Her pulse went up a little, her hand gripping his tighter. "I've always been able to do that."

A beat pass, then two, before Clint moved his hand so he could grip her hip again, using the leverage to turn her towards him. "Darce?"

Darcy focused on his chest for a moment, one of her hands coming up to feel the beat of his heart, the expansion of his ribs with his lungs. Taking a deep breath of her own, she lifted her eyes to meet his own blue ones. "Ever since I was a baby, my mother has told me stories about how I could see and feel people around me. Understand them in a way that I shouldn't have been able to. I knew when someone was a bad person, no matter how they were dressed, knew when people were good and kind no matter how they looked. When I have my eyes shut, I can feel people moving around me. Know where they are at all times. Walls can't block the movement either. Not unless I've done something to make it so the walls block that feeling."

His eyes searched hers, one hand rising to cup her cheek. The other remained firmly on her hip. "Why are you telling me this now?"

No comment about how strange her ability was. No ridicule or mockery. No doubt about her claims. Understanding and acceptance were his response.

Trust. I can trust him.

Her heart rate sped up and she brought his hand at her cheek back to her lower abdomen. Directly over where their child lay. Their child. Instead of saying anything though, she touched Clint's own life force, his energy. Watched his facial features change as he felt her own energy shifting against his.

"Darcy-" his words were a gasp, even as he pulled away a little.

"Do you trust me?" She wouldn't restrain him, knew that not everyone was ready to feel the subverted world she could so easily.

Instead of speaking, he kissed her softly. "I trust you completely."

It was a statement, firmly said with not a hint of doubt. She took it as a cue to continue. Her eyes never left his as she wrapped her energy around him, then linked them together so he could see as she could. His gasp told her that he could see as she could. She imagined the first time someone saw exactly what she had her whole life it was probably a pretty shocking experience.

"Look down," was her whispered command and she saw his eyes drop to her chest. "Lower." Those stormy eyes dropped to her stomach. She tilted his head down so his eyes would be focused on her hips and removed their linked hands.

All the air left his lungs at once and for a frightening moment he didn't draw new breath. Then, he was breathing again, soft gasping breaths, and his eyes were riveted to where the soft glow of their child lay, no larger than her thumb nail at the moment but a soft glow which contrasted with her own. His thumb stroked over the exact spot, caressing her skin as if he wanted to touch the tiny life form.

"Darcy, are you, is that...?" His words were choppy and surprised, awed.

She felt her heart swell. "Yes." When his eyes flew up to her own she continued in a whispered voice. "I'm pregnant Clint. That's our child."

His lips were on hers again, kissing her with the love and devotion that he felt for her. He trusted her enough to let her do something to him that he couldn't stop her from doing if she didn't want to stop. She trusted him with her secret, the knowledge that she had some power, even if she hadn't explained it all.

Between them, she felt the pulse of their child and knew, just knew, the child in her womb would possess her power as well. And Clint would be trusted with that knowledge too.

Good, bad, offensive, take it down, anything like that, please let me know. I'm not trying to offend and I really do understand the serious nature of drinking while pregnant.