In this fic Evelyn is 7, Elijah, Henry & Jacob are 4, Pepper is 8 months pregnant and Natasha is 6 months pregnant


There were several things Natasha Romanoff didn't mind about being pregnant.

She didn't mind so much that the guys in the tower offered to make her drinks or bring her food more often than usual, she didn't mind the extra attention Clint gave her, and she didn't mind an excuse to eat more than she usually did.

What she did not like about being pregnant was the nausea and back pain, she hated the restless nights and the way people treated her as fragile. She did not like strangers thinking they had the right to touch her; when one of the agents of shield had dared to place his hand on her stomach (and she was having a particularly bad day) she broke his wrist and word soon spread. She hated losing complete control of her emotions and the way no one took her threats quite as seriously as usual. However her least favourite thing about being pregnant was the things she was no longer allowed. She missed sparring with her partner and working out at the gym. She was not supposed to drink coffee and wasn't allowed alcohol either; this made her incredibly grumpy, particularly the lack of coffee.

When Natasha was pregnant with her fourth child, and having a particularly bad time with it, Pepper offered her a suggestion;

"You know each time I was pregnant, Tony also gave up anything I wasn't allowed; he stopped drinking and cut out coffee completely, he only ate what I could eat and even stayed up with me when I couldn't sleep"

Clint planted his face in his hands and groaned

"Yeah good luck with that, that was the worst time of my life" Tony whispered

Natasha didn't ask Clint to do any of those things; she knew Clint needed his coffee to make it through the incredibly boring shield meetings, she didn't expect him to stay up with her when she couldn't sleep because she knew he'd have to spend the next day training or on missions, and she also knew Clint needed his energy to help her take care of their three overly-active children.

Clint however felt he had to, there was no way he could let Tony Stark be a better husband than he was.
Clint cut out all coffee and alcohol from his diet and stayed up late with his wife when she couldn't sleep. It didn't quite go to plan.

"Clint, go to bed"

"Not until you go to bed as well"

"Clint, go to bed. You have a meeting with Fury in 6 hours"

"It's fine Tasha, I'm fine"

"Your eyes are closed"

"I'm still awake though"

"You'll end up sleeping on the sofa! Go to bed"

"You go to bed"

"I can't get comfy in bed"

"Can I help?"

"Can you be pregnant instead of me?"

Clint laughed "If I could, I'd do anything for you Tasha"

"Now you're getting soppy, go to bed"

"Come with me"

"Fine"

Two minutes later Clint was passed out on the bed and Natasha returned to the sofa to finish her book.

The next morning Clint awoke to find Natasha asleep in the lounge, her book still open balanced on her bump.

"Tasha" he whispered, waking her gently, "Tasha you fell asleep in the lounge again"

"So leave me asleep" she slurred

"Come on" he lifted his wife and carried her back to their bedroom

"Why'd you let me go to sleep?"

"You were tired" she answered, her eyes still closed as she shifted over to Clint's side of the bed where it was still warm

"You were supposed to keep me awake"

"Its okay, you needed your sleep, Just leave me alone now"

"Tasha I barely lasted a week!" he complained, sitting beside her on the bed, quietly wondering how Tony had managed to do this for the full length of Pepper's two pregnancies

"Clint, I don't need you to give up coffee and sleep for me, I need you to be you. I need you to help me raise our kids and come home alive from your missions, I need you to help me off the sofa when I get so big I can't stand up on my own and I need you there when I have this baby. You already do everything I need you to and so much more, I love you no matter what but if you keep disturbing me while I'm trying to sleep I'm going to have to revoke that last statement"

Clint smiled down at his wife as she settled back down on his pillow and closed her eyes. She was asleep within the minute; he brushed her hair from her face and kissed her cheek; "I love you too Nat. Always" he whispered before leaving to take the kids to school and going to his meeting with Fury.

An hour into the meeting he was seriously regretting not listening to his wife sooner, another two hours later; Clint was being yelled at for falling asleep.