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sycamorelibrary754 · 14 days

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Happy Easter

Summary: You are three weeks from your due date, but the thought of you and Natasha missing Easter at the Barton’s farmhouse in Iowa was simply inconceivable. What will you do if your little bundle of joy makes an early, unexpected entrance?

Genre: Fluff

Pairings: Natasha x reader, Avengers x reader (platonic).

Word Count: 5.7k

Warnings: None

A/N: Happy belated Easter! I wanted to post this fic on Easter, but there wasn't enough time. This is part 3 of Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! I recommend reading those stories first, but it can be read as a stand-alone story as well. This was so much fun to write. I hope you enjoy it!

"Does anyone know where the purple egg dye is?" you inquired, scanning the table as you addressed the Barton kids. "I could have sworn we had two cups of every color." Cooper and Lila were fully engrossed in the Easter egg decorating contest, meticulously crafting their designs, while Nate seemed to relish in using every color available on the table. "Oh, it's on the counter.”

You were just about to rise from the kitchen table, no easy feat at this stage of your pregnancy. It felt like yesterday when you surprised Natasha with your pregnancy at Thanksgiving in front of her family and announced to the team that they would all be aunts and uncles at Tony’s annual Christmas party. Your due date was three weeks away, but missing Easter with Clint’s family in Iowa was out of the question.

“Don’t get up, Y/N. I got it!” Nat said as she jumped up to grab the paper cup of purple egg dye behind you.

"Thanks, sweetheart," you said as Nat placed the cup on the table.

"How are you feeling?" Natasha asked as she gently caressed your cheek. "Maybe you should take a break?”

“Nat, I promise I’m okay. Come sit back down and color some Easter eggs with us,” you replied, trying to put your wife at ease.

Natasha was looking forward to Easter, too, but she was more focused on you and the final weeks of your pregnancy. Dr. Cho had given you the green light to go, with the condition that you'd have daily check-ins by phone and go on bed rest as soon as you returned home.

"Auntie Nat, look at this!" Nate proudly showed off an egg with Natasha's symbol on it.

"Look, Auntie Nat," you echoed with a smile.

"This is amazing! Maybe I should have you design my next suit instead of Stark," she said.

"Shall we start the judging?" Clint asked as he entered the room with Laura.

"Yep, all set," Cooper confirmed.

"Just a sec," Lila said, focused on decorating her egg. "There, done."

"Where are Yelena and Kate?" Laura asked.

"We're coming!" came a shout from the living room.

"It's not a Fabergé egg, you two, come on!" Nat yelled.

"Tada!" Kate exclaimed, revealing a beautiful purple egg with green and orange stripes.

You whispered to your wife, "So that's where all the purple dye went.”

You placed your egg on the table with all the others. Pink and blue with red polka dots. Symbolic of your current anticipation over the impending arrival of your bundle of joy. You and Nat both agreed you wanted to be surprised.

“Hmmm, this is going to be a tough decision,” Clint said, stroking his chin. “As you all know, you will be judged on creativity, technique, and presentation.”

Walking back and forth in front of the kitchen table, you couldn’t help but giggle at his mock seriousness.

“Allow me to confer with my fellow judge,” he said. After a few moments of hushed whispers with Laura, Clint returned to the group. “We thank you all for your participation. You all decorated beautiful Easter eggs. The competition was tough this year, but one egg stands head and shoulders above the rest,” pausing for dramatic effect. “The 2024 Barton Easter Egg Decorating Champion is Nathaniel Barton!”

You shouldn't have spent so much time on the sketches!” Yelena said, slapping Kate on the arm.

“Yes!!” Nathaniel cheered.

“You are hereby awarded this Lindt Milk Chocolate Gold Bunny,” his father said, handing him the gold-wrapped chocolate as big as his head.

“That you will share with the rest of the family and not eat in one sitting,” Laura added.

“Aww!” Nathaniel whined.

*^~^*

You spent the evening on the porch, surrounded by the laughter of the kids playing on the lush green lawn as the sun set over the farm. Laura served her delicious homemade Lemonade as you shared stories and reminisced about old times. The air was filled with nostalgia so vivid that you could almost reach out and touch it. Natasha sat next to you, holding your hand gently, her calloused touch a reminder of the strength and resilience she had acquired through years of training.

You were taken by surprise as you felt the baby begin to kick.

"Wow!" You exclaimed as you gently placed your hand on your belly.

All eyes turned to you. Though unspoken, everyone shared the same nervous anticipation as your wife for the approaching due date.

"Are you alright, malyshka?" Nat asked, her eyes filled with concern as she squeezed your hand.

"I'm okay. The baby is kicking. Here, feel." You said as you took her hand and gently guided it to your stomach, trying to find the right spot.

“Oh,” Nat squeaked. “I’ll never get used to that feeling.”

“Think how I feel!” you teased.

“Move aside, sestra; I want to feel my little plemyannitsa or plemyannik.” (Niece or nephew).

Yelena playfully bumped her sister out of the way with her hip and eagerly reached to touch your stomach.

"Wow, that's amazing!" she cried out. "Hey there, little one. I'm Aunt Yelena, and I will spoil you rotten!"

"Have you two settled on a name yet?" Kate inquired.

"No," you sighed. "We just can't seem to agree. Since we both want to be surprised, it's been twice as hard to come up with two names."

"Don't worry, you'll know when you see the little bundle of joy," Laura reassured.

"This wouldn't be an issue if either of you were open to any of the names I've suggested," Yelena added with a grin.

“Yelena is not an option,” Natasha frustratedly replied.

“What about—“

“Neither is Alaska! That isn’t even a name!” Your wife is exasperated.

“It could be!” Yelena said. “What about—“

“Or Wolfgang!” Nat interrupted.

“You lack all originality, sestra,” Yelena berated.

^*~*^

The soft glow of the table lamp reflected off your glasses as you delved into the pages of your latest beloved read. You placed your bookmark between the pages at the sound of your wife closing the bathroom door and crawling into bed beside you.

"Did you get a chance to talk to Helen today?" Nat asked as she helped me fluff up my pregnancy pillow.

"Yeah, I did. She was glad to hear that the swelling in my ankles went down and suggested taking a warm bath to help with the discomfort," you replied, shifting to get comfortable against the pillow.

"Mmm, a warm bath does sound amazing," Natasha hummed as she settled down on her side, facing me.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you’d be joining me?” You said softly, with a sly grin and a raised eyebrow.

“Of course I would, detka,” leaning over and kissing your baby bump.

You gently squeezed Nat's hand, feeling a wave of anticipation as your due date drew near. Thoughts of what your baby would look like and who they would become filled your mind. Would they inherit Nat's fiery red hair, or perhaps have your Y/E/C eyes? The anticipation was almost overwhelming, but knowing that Natasha was by your side made it all feel possible.

"Are you looking forward to the Easter egg hunt tomorrow?" You asked, pulling yourself out of your daydream.

Nat giggled, "You make it sound like I'm the one participating."

"Well, you might as well be. I can never tell who's more excited, you or the kids," you replied.

Natasha glanced down at our intertwined hands and then back up at you. Her green eyes sparkled like emeralds.

"I think it's because holidays in my childhood weren’t real. We filled the photo album with fake pictures and empty boxes. But this," looking around at the small details of Clint and Laura’s farmhouse, "Is real, and I’ve always done my best to help ensure that Cooper, Lila, and Nate have everything I didn’t. A carefree childhood filled with love," Natasha explained.

"You’ve done a wonderful job with Clint’s kids, Nat. They love you so much, and I know you’ll be just as amazing with our little one," you said, doing your best to reassure her. “Goodnight, Natasha,” kissing her lips.

“I hope you're right, detka,” Nat said, kissing your lips in return and laying a hand on your stomach. “Goodnight, malen'kiy (little one).

*^~^*

The following day, you awoke to the sun shining through the window and a soft breeze that caused the curtains to dance gently on the wind. Your back was aching, and you were tired, but you were determined to make it through today. You slipped into the most comfortable maternity outfit you had. Natasha helped you with your shoes, and you both went downstairs to the kitchen.

“Happy Easter, you two!” Clint said upon seeing you two enter the kitchen.

You sat down at the kitchen table as Laura placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of you and Nat, along with two glasses of orange juice. The kids were already eating and arguing over who would find the most Easter eggs this afternoon.

Yelena and Kate walked in a few moments later, clad in bathrobes and their hair disheveled.

“Against the idea of showering and dressing before breakfast, were you?” Natasha asked.

“Kate Bishop kept me up all night with her snoring, and Lucky and Fanny woke me up by sitting on my face,” Yelena mumbled as she flopped beside you.

“Hey, that’s how dogs shows affection,” Kate interjected.

“So, I should consider your snoring a Valentine?” Yelena deadpanned.

After breakfast, the kids ran upstairs to prepare for the Easter egg hunt while Clint got a head start on hiding the eggs. Nathaniel insisted Nat accompany him to help find his Easter basket, but she hesitated to leave you.

“Go ahead, babe. I’m fine.” Motioning for her to follow her namesake.

“So, how are you really feeling?” Laura asked, now that Nat was no longer in the room.

You let out a deep sigh, “Tired and sore,” resting your head in your hands. “But this quality time with you all means so much to both of us. I can make it one more day before going on bed rest.”

Laura rubbed her hand softly on your back, “Why don’t you sit in the family room with Kate and Yelena until the fun starts.”

“Okay, that’s a good idea. Make sure Yelena and Kate haven’t snuck into the Easter candy,” you laughed.

Laura helped you to your feet and then began to clear the table. As you started to walk, you felt a minor twinging pain in your stomach. You winced but thought nothing of it. With the amount of shifting the baby was doing these days, you had every spasm and cramp in the book. Unfortunately for you, you were in a house full of spies, and Laura picked up your discomfort. She made a mental note to watch you as the day progressed.

*^~^*

"Look, there's one!" Cooper exclaimed, pointing at the leather seat of the tractor in the front yard. He dashed towards it, but Lila beat him by a step. "Ha! Slowpoke," she teased.

From your spot on the porch, you glanced over and saw my wife hoisting Nathaniel onto her shoulders to carefully grab an Easter egg from the crook of an old sycamore tree.

After about 15 minutes, everyone's baskets were full of eggs. Now came the fun of opening them all. You watched as all three kids dug into their baskets, opening the eggs to find mini Hershey bars, M&M's, jelly beans, or starbursts.

Nathaniel walked over to you and placed an Orange Starburst in your hand. "Here, Aunt Y/N. I know the Orange ones are your favorite."

"Aww, thank you, Nate," you said, kissing his forehead.

As you were about to open the soft toffy candy, a sharp contraction cut through my stomach. “Aaah!” you reached for your stomach as you bent over at the knees. Much stronger than anything you had felt before.

Natasha rushed to your side. “Y/N?! Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Reaching for your hand.

"I don’t know," you grunted.

Natasha's voice quivered with anxiety as she tried to rationalize the situation. "This—this can’t be it. We’re still three weeks out," she said, her mind racing with worry. "Maybe it’s just false labor."

That was the moment when your water broke. "Oh God—" you took a sharp breath as another contraction hit.

"Okay, not false labor," Nat conceded.

"It’s okay, Y/N," Laura reassured you calmly, gently taking your hand. "Most first births are a long labor. But we’re going to get you inside, okay?"

You felt a surge of panic. "What? No, no. I can't have the baby here. I'm not ready. We had a birth plan; I don't have my overnight bag!" you started to ramble, the anxiety rising in your voice.

"You're not boarding a Quinjet now. “I'm going to call Helen,” Clint said as he started to run inside.

"What's wrong with Aunt Y/N?” Nathaniel asked.

"Nothing, sweetheart, but the baby is coming a little bit earlier than we thought," Laura said calmly as she and your wife Nat gently guided you up the steps and into the warm and welcoming embrace of the house.

"Cooper and Lila, please grab a soft, warm blanket and clean towels from the linen closet?" Laura called out to the older children, her voice steady and reassuring.

I'l boil some water and tear up some sheets!" Kate announced frantically.

"This isn't Little House on the Prairie," Yelena quipped. She looked at you and Natasha with a warm yet nervous smile. "I’ll call Mom and Dad.”

"I thought you said this was a long process?" you managed to say between deep breaths, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

"Yes, but there's nothing wrong with being prepared, honey," Laura replied with a comforting smile, her hands steady as she and Nat helped you onto the bed.

Natasha gently grasped your hand and locked eyes with you. "Y/N, look at me," she said reassuringly. “You’re okay, and I'm right here with you. Let's take a deep breath together.”

You took a deep breath, trying to follow Natahsa's lead. The air came out shakily as it moved around the sharp pain of the contraction.

"Do you remember your Lamaze breathing?" Nat asked, her voice calm and reassuring.

"I think so," you replied, trying to focus on the breathing technique you had practiced during the prenatal classes.

*^~^*

Contractions came and went over the next few hours. You were thankful that childbirth was part of the first aid classes all SHIELD recruits were required to take. Otherwise, the prospect of giving birth in a farmhouse in the middle of Iowa would have been more terrifying than it already was.

You heard the front door open and the screen shut behind it as footsteps hurriedly approached the bedroom. When you saw Dr. Cho, you just about burst into tears.

Helen! Oh, thank goodness," you exclaimed just as another contraction began, your face twisted in agony.

"Y/N," Helen responded, rushing to your side and gently pushing the sweaty strands of hair away from your eyes. "Clint and Laura briefed me. They said that you're handling this wonderfully. Let me take a moment to set up, and then we'll check your dilation progress.”

Okay," you managed to say, catching your breath. "Where's Bruce?"

He's in Kamar-Taj with Wong. Something about ten rings? I'm not entirely sure, but don't worry, both of you," she reassured, meeting your and Natasha’s fatigued and apprehensive gazes. "I have a backup.”

Thor strode into the room, effortlessly carrying a collection of Helen's equipment that seemed as light as a feather in his hands.

"Thor? What are you doing here?" Natasha asked, clearly puzzled.

Thor glanced at your wife, then at you, then at Laura, and then at Helen.

"Hello, everyone," he said shyly. "I was, uh, Helen and I—Dr. Cho. She invited me for Easter, and we were enjoying a nice glass of Asgardian Mead when—"

"When Clint called," Helen finished. "Anyway, he's here to help, right?"

"Of course," Thor replied. "I've never witnessed a human birth before, but I've been present for the births of many Gods and am well-versed in many newborn blessings."

You and Natasha locked eyes, your nervousness quickly replaced with gratitude as you realized the significance of having another close friend by your side during this pivotal moment in your lives.

Natasha expressed her gratitude to Thor, finally breaking the silence. "We're both thankful that you're here," she said, her voice filled with sincerity.

You nodded in agreement, silently acknowledging the sentiment.

"It's my pleasure, ladies," Thor replied warmly.

“Thor, can you bring the rest of my equipment in from the Quinjet while I check to see how far Y/N is dilated?” Helen asked.

“Sure, and do either of you need anything? He asked.

Some ice chips would be great, you said in a tired voice. “Thank you.”

“Water,” Natasha said.

Shortly after Thor departed, Yelena entered, engaging in small talk as they crossed paths in the hallway. "What's the God of muscles doing here?" she inquired.

"It's a long story," Helen responded.

"I spoke with Melina. She and Alexi are en route and should arrive by morning. At least, I think that's what she said. It was hard to hear her over Alexi's ecstatic screams in the background."

"Okay, Y/N, you've done most of the hard work in my absence. You're just about at 10 centimeters. It’s time to start pushing. You two are going to parents soon," Helen announced with a smile.

“Oh my God,” you said, looking over at Natasha.

“Hey,” your wife said, running her hand through your hair, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you said.

*^~^*

“Push. Push, just a little more! Come on, push for five seconds. 5…4…” Helen counted down.

Gasping for air, you exclaimed, '3-2-1 oh!!' as you fought to catch your breath.

Thor gently wiped away the sweat from your forehead with a cloth.

“You're doing great, Y/N. The next contraction should be coming in about twenty seconds," Helen encouraged, glancing at the monitor.

“I can’t,” you cried. “I can’t push anymore, I can’t.”

Natasha reassured you, "Yes, you can, Y/N. You're so close," she reached out and firmly took hold of your hand.

“Oh God, twenty seconds, my ass!” You shouted.

Natasha screamed in pain and fell to her knees beside you as you squeezed her hand. “Fuck, detka!”

"Here, Lady Y/N," Thor said, taking her hand in his, "Give my hand a good squeeze; you won't hurt me. And when you reminisce on this moment, you will remember that a God has faith in you. You can do this!" Thor's voice was solid and reassuring, his eyes filled with genuine belief in your strength.

Your eyes shone with tears as you held Thor's hand tightly, feeling the strength in his grip while Natasha enveloped you, her arm supporting your back.

I can see the baby's head. Are you ready to push one more time, honey?” Helen asked, “Here we go, on three: 1... 2... 3!”

You let out a final scream and then collapsed back onto the pillows, trying to catch your breath. As the room fell silent, the innocent cries of your and Natasha’s baby filled the air.

"It's a boy!" Helen exclaimed with joy.

Tears welled up in your eyes as you looked at Natasha, who was also crying. It was more emotion than you had ever seen Natasha show before.

Helen held up your son for both of you to admire. His little head was adorned with the beginnings of red hair.

"He's absolutely perfect," Nat exclaimed with a radiant smile as she affectionately kissed your temple.

Thor carefully cut the umbilical cord, and then Helen gently passed the newborn over to Laura, who began to clean him up.

Overwhelmed with emotion, you exclaimed, "He's so tiny! Where'd he go?"

Natasha reassured you, "It's okay. They're just wrapping him up," as she wiped away her tears. Concerned for the baby's well-being, you cautioned, "Okay, well, be careful with him. He's really tiny!”

Moments later, Laura tenderly announced, "Here he is," and placed your precious son on your bare chest, swathed in a soft blanket.

"Hi, baby boy," you whispered, tears streaming down your cheeks. "I know you."

As your voice reached his ears, his little Y/E/C irises opened, revealing a world of innocence and wonder.

At that moment, gazing at your son, you experienced a love so profound it felt as though your heart had been laid bare.

Natasha tenderly kissed his head and softly murmured, “Dobro pozhalovat' v mir, moy malen'kiy mal'chik.” (Welcome to the world, my little boy).

We’ll give you a few minutes," Helen said with a reassuring smile as she closed the door behind her. In the serene stillness that followed, the only sound was the gentle cooing of your precious newborn son.

“I can't believe he's finally here,” you said.

"I know. He’s so beautiful," Natasha said, her gaze fixed on the newborn.

"It looks like he’s going to take after his Mama," you chuckled, running your hand over the delicate red hairs sprouting from his scalp.

"Yes, but look at his eyes—sparkling Y/E/C like yours. Wow," Nat said.

You remarked, "I guess this narrows the names down, then."

Nat sighed in relief, "Thank goodness I don't have to explain to my sister why we didn't choose Yelena."

Looking into your wife's eyes, you asked, "So what do you think?"

*^~^*

A short while later, a gentle knock on the door signaled Helen's arrival as she peeked inside. "Hey, you three. I need to conduct a few routine tests, and there are some eager people outside who can't wait to meet your son."

"Please, come on in, everyone," you welcomed them.

You couldn't hold back the tears as you witnessed the heartfelt expressions on their faces as they laid eyes on your baby boy. It was as if he instantly captivated them, just as you were when you first saw him.

"Oh, my goodness," Laura exclaimed as Clint enveloped Natasha tightly. Tears glistened in his eyes as he held his best friend close.

"He's beautiful, Natasha," Yelena said, her eyes brimming with tears. "Privet, malen'kiy plemyannik," she whispered (hello, my little nephew).

"He's so cute, Y/N! Oh my gosh," Kate exclaimed as your son wrapped his tiny hand around your finger.

"He is lovely," Thor added, his voice filled with warmth. "Strong and brave, like his mothers."

Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel gathered around you, admiring the newborn in your arms.

"Everyone," Natasha began, her hand resting lovingly on your back. "We have someone special we'd like you to meet.”

“This is Nikolai Odison Romanoff," you announced with a proud smile.

"Nikolai! What a beautiful first name," Clint exclaimed, wiping his eyes. "It suits him perfectly."

"Oh, my, Odison," Thor said wide-eyed. "Ladies, this is an honor fit for someone else. I wasn't even supposed to be here, I—"

"But you were, Thor. You were here when I needed someone the most," you said, looking at him with gratitude. "We'll never forget what you did for us."

The God of Thunder exhaled, visibly touched by your kind words. "I'm truly honored, Y/N. Thank you," he said, kissing your cheek.

Excuse me, ladies," Helen said, "May I borrow him for a moment? We'll be right back.”

Nikolai began to cry at the loss of contact with you, and the sound tugged at both your and Natasha's heartstrings. "It's okay, little one. It's okay," Helen soothed him.

Then, looking up at your wife, you added, "There is something else we wanted to ask.

“Clint and Laura, we would be honored if you would be Nikolai’s godparents,” Natasha said.

“Of course!” Clint declared.

“Nothing would make us happier,” Laura added.”

The couple hugged you both in appreciation as Helen returned with Nikolai.

“You have a healthy little boy on your hands! Born March 31st, 2024 at 7:23pm. He weighs five pounds and eight ounces and measures 16.5 inches long," she said as she gently placed your son in Natasha’s arms. "He's a bit small, but that is because he was impatient and arrived a bit early," Helen explained with a warm smile. "Nothing to worry about.”

Natasha cradled the baby in her arms, swaying gently back and forth as a soft yawn slipped from his tiny lips.

“We’ll spend the night here, but I want to bring Mom and Nikolai back to the compound tomorrow. I want to perform a thorough examination in my lab before sending you all home.” Helen explained.

"Of course, whatever you think is best," you agreed.

Natasha nodded in approval before a sudden realization struck her. "Oh, Mom and Dad! They're on their way here."

"They can join us if you'd like," Helen suggested.

"That would be great," you said. "Right, Nat?"

"Yeah, great," Natasha said, her mind racing as she tried to imagine the chaos of the Quinjet flight home with Alexi and Melina.

Yelena couldn't help but burst into laughter, fully aware of what her sister was thinking, until Kate elbowed her in the ribs.

"We'll leave you all to get some rest," Helen said. "I'll be outside if you need anything, and I'll be back in a little while to help you with breastfeeding him.”

"Thank you, Helen, and all of you, for everything," you said, feeling the exhaustion and emotions of the day overwhelming you as tears began to fall.

After exchanging warm embraces, everyone exited the room, leaving you and Natasha in peaceful solitude with your precious newborn son, savoring the tender moment.

Natasha gently settled Nikolai in Nathaniel's bassinet, a family heirloom lovingly retrieved from storage by Clint and Laura. As your little one drifted into a peaceful slumber, you both couldn't help but marvel at the miracle of life, watching his tiny chest rise and fall with each breath. It was a moment you never wanted to forget.

“Rest, detka. I'll take care of Nikolai," Nat offered, her voice filled with warmth and reassurance.

"I can stay up; it's fine. You should rest," you insisted, determined to take responsibility.

"Y/N, you've just brought new life into the world. You deserve to rest for the rest of your life," Nat chuckled, her eyes filled with affection and concern.

She settled beside you on the bed and enveloped you in a comforting embrace.

"Look at your face," Nat suddenly remarked, her expression softening with genuine admiration.

"I must look a mess," you replied, a tired smile tugging at your lips.

"No, Y/N, you look absolutely beautiful," Nat insisted, her words filled with sincerity. "I've never seen your face more radiant than it is right now.

Natasha's soft lips met yours in a tender kiss, and in that moment, you felt the truth of her words resonate deep within you.

*^~^*

The following day, Laura prepared a delicious breakfast and brought it to you and Natasha in bed. Both of you had barely gotten any sleep with Nikolai waking up every couple of hours. Despite feeling utterly exhausted, you didn't mind one bit. This weariness stemmed from the joy of caring for your precious newborn son on his very first night.

Twenty minutes later, the tranquil moment was interrupted by familiar voices outside. Natasha gently pulled the curtain back to glimpse her parents making their way up the front porch steps.

Yelena strode into the room with her arms folded and a mischievous smile on her lips. "Brace yourselves," she teased, "The grandparents have arrived.”

"Where's my little guy?" Alexi eagerly shouted as he entered the room.

"Shh!" Natasha hushed him with a grin, motioning to Nikolai nestled in her arms. "Oh, look at him!" Alexi whispered in awe.

"Mom, Dad, this is Nikolai,” Nat said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"He's beautiful, Natalia," Melina murmured.

"May I hold him?" Alexi asked eagerly.

"Of course," you replied, carefully passing the baby to Alexi. The sight of the mighty Red Guardian tenderly cradling your newborn son made you smile.

"Hello, Nikolai. I'm your dedushka," Alexi said affectionately. "You're so adorable; yes, you are."

As he spoke, Nikolai slowly opened his eyes, and you could have sworn you saw your father-in-law's heart swell with love.

Alexi gently placed the baby in Melina’s arms. Your mother-in-law had always been a complex and enigmatic figure. She was one of the longest-tenured widows, and her resilience made her one of the strongest women in your eyes. As she cradled your newborn son in her arms, a single tear traced its way down her cheek, revealing a depth of emotion and vulnerability that you had never seen before.

Yelena inched toward you and whispered, “He won them over faster than you did.”

*^~^*

The next morning, Thor joined in to assist with packing while Clint hurried to the store to purchase an infant car seat for Nikolai. You were a family of two when you arrived, and you were leaving a family of three.

After a swift diaper change, Natasha placed your precious bundle of joy in his carrier. "Time to head home, Nik," you said, taking his tiny hand in yours.

You bid farewell to everyone and securely placed Nikolai's carrier beside you on the Quinjet.

Nat smiled as she prepared the Quinjet for takeoff. Your first Quinjet ride," she said. "You're already an overachiever, moy sladkiy mal'chik" (my sweet little boy).

Your phone suddenly vibrates with a flurry of notifications.

"The team group chat is blowing up, sweetheart," you informed Natasha, showing her your phone.

Nick Fury: Congratulations on the arrival of your precious son, Nikolai! It's heartwarming to see the Avengers family welcoming the newest member. Everyone at SHIELD looks forward to meeting him and supporting you and Natasha.

Steve Rogers: Hey, Y/N and Nat, huge congratulations! I'm so excited to meet Nikolai, the newest addition to our Avenger family. 🎖️

Wanda Maximoff: Congratulations to you both! All those cliches, those things you hear about having a baby and motherhood—all of them are true. And all of them are the most beautiful things you will ever experience. I’ll drop off some food for you both in the morning. 🥰

Clint Barton: Hey, Y/N! Make sure Nikolai is securely fastened in his infant carrier. I hope he sleeps the whole way back. If he gets fussy, let Nat know to ask FRIDAY to turn on the cabin pressure stabilization. It's a feature I insisted Stark add to the Quinjet after SHIELD found out I had kids. You're welcome. 😏

Laura Barton: I know things didn't go as planned, but I'm grateful we could share in your special day, Y/N. Nikolai is absolutely beautiful! Please let Nat know that I'll give her a call tomorrow. 😊

Tony Stark: Rushman! Y/L/N! Congratulations on the arrival of your precious son. Nikolai will bring you endless joy and fulfillment and become your favorite reason to lose sleep for the rest of your lives. 😉

Pepper Stark: Congratulations! I'm so happy for you and Nat. I can only imagine how incredible it must feel to look into Nikolai's eyes and feel like everything is right in the world. Please don't hesitate to reach out if there's anything I can do to help. Sending lots of love! ❤️

Bruce Banner: I'm truly sorry I couldn't be there; I’m thrilled for you and Natasha. I can't wait to meet Nikolai! 💚

Maria Hill: Congratulations, Y/N and Nat, on the arrival of baby Nikolai Odison! I can't wait to meet the little bundle of joy and see those tiny fingers and toes. The name Nikolai Odison Romanoff is absolutely beautiful. I spoke with Thor this morning, and the honor deeply moved him. 🥹

Thor Odinson: I am incredibly grateful to have been present for the birth of your son, Nikolai Odison Romanoff. Your decision to include me in this momentous occasion is a great honor, and I want to assure you that I will always be there to support and care for all of you. The arrival of Nikolai is a joyous event, and I am committed to being a steadfast presence in his life. ⚡

Peter Parker: Y/N! Congratulations on the arrival of Nikolai! I'm so thrilled for you and Nat. What does he look like? Does he have your hair or Natasha’s? What color are his eyes? I'm already thinking about all the adventures we'll have with him. I'm going to text Nat right now. I can't wait to meet him! 💙

Yelena Belova: Give my little nephew a kiss and hug from me. Also, heads up - Mom and Dad are considering staying with you for eight weeks to help care for Nikolai. Happy Parenting! 😂

Kate Bishop: Yelena is sitting next to me, and she can't stop laughing, so I'm going to assume that everything is going well. Please give Nikolai a kiss and hug from me! 🩵

*^~^*

You and Natasha stood together at the front of the Quinjet, the hum of the engines surrounding you as the aircraft soared safely through the sky.

“Nikolai is sound asleep. I don't think your parents have taken their eyes off our son since they got here,” turning around to see Melina and Alexi lovingly admiring their grandson.

Nat lovingly reached for your hand. “Our son,” she repeated with a big smile.

Nat took her place in the pilot's seat and turned off the autopilot as you settled in beside her.

"Come on, Y/N. Let’s go home.”

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha x you #avengers x reader #mcu #fluff #clint barton #Laura Barton #cooper barton #lila barton #nathaniel barton #yelena boleva #kate bishop #helen cho #thor odinson #platonic #easter

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ecoamerica · 14 days

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youtube

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

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literaryavenger · 2 months

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Happy Birthday

Summary: It's your birthday and the only person who doesn't seem to be excited about it is you.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of death. Angst. Fluff. Language probably. My poor attempts at being funny.

Word Count: 2.5K

A/N: This story was completely self-indulgent, but I hope someone out there likes it!

Masterlist

You’ve always been very reluctant to celebrate your birthday.

You haven’t had a birthday party since you were 12. The following year your mom died a couple of days before and neither you nor your family were in the mood to celebrate anything.

It wasn’t by any means unexpected, she had been sick for a few years, but it still hit you hard.

You were the youngest and were far too young when she first got sick to really understand everything going on.

You were 8 and all you really remember is watching your mom get more and more sick until eventually there was nothing more the doctors could do.

Her death hit you hard and you closed yourself off, never talking about it or even crying after the day of her funeral. To this day you’ve still never cried, in front of others or even by yourself.

You started exercising to channel all your energy, refusing to do anything more like the therapy your family suggested.

When you were 15 you discovered SHIELD and decided you wanted to help others, so you signed up for the SHIELD Academy, working your hardest and pushing yourself to your very limit.

You ended up being not only the youngest cadet ever, but the youngest to actually graduate and then the youngest recruit at SHIELD at only 16 years old.

Natasha was very impressed when she heard about you and took a liking to you, convincing Fury to make you part of her team during her missions and teaching you everything she knows.

That’s how you ended up in the Avengers Initiative, not that you felt you didn’t deserve it since you know how hard you worked and everything you gave up to work towards this achievement.

The team themselves were initially skeptical since you were barely 18 during the battle of New York, but they were quickly proven wrong when they saw how well you handled yourself against the Chitauri.

You were devastated when SHIELD fell, but carried on as an Avenger, battling Ultron and then moving to the Compound with the team.

You met the actual Bucky for the first time when you were 22, during the whole Civil War thing with Baron Zemo. Like Natasha, you were on Tony’s team, fighting mostly Pietro, but the conflict eventually ended.

It took Tony some time to get over the whole “Bucky killing his parents while brainwashed” thing, but, as he likes to say, he can’t call himself a genius without admitting that Bucky didn’t have much of a choice.

Thanks to Tony’s help Shuri was able to find a solution to Bucky’s brainwashing faster than she would’ve alone, meaning Bucky didn’t have to go back into cryo and was pretty quickly cleared to join the team, about a year after the airport battle in Leipzig.

You were warmly accepted by everybody and, the more the team grew the more you felt at home with these people.

And now you wish you could burn down the whole compound because, somehow, Tony convinced you to have a birthday party for the first time in 13 years because, in his words, 'you only turn 25 once'.

Good news is you managed to make him limit the guest list to the team and other people close to you like Maria Hill and Fury. Bad news is you’re still gonna be the center of attention, which you hate.

You couldn’t stop Tony from making everyone dress up for the party, and you couldn’t stop the team from getting you gifts even though you insisted all you wanted was everyone together and to have fun with them since for the longest time nobody ever even knew when your birthday was.

What you didn’t realize was that the only person more worried than you about your gifts was Bucky.

Since he joined the team the two of you have gotten close, starting with his first training with the team where he very loudly told Steve about his disbelief that someone as young and small as you could actually be an asset to the team.

You quickly put him in his place by taking him down after less than two minutes of sparring, taking full advantage of his underestimating you because he “didn’t want to hurt a pretty little thing like you.”

Admittedly he was impressed and wasn’t shy about letting you know that, while the rest of the team snickered at his initial shock when you pinned him down.

You became friends after that, not as close as you’d like but friends nonetheless.

If you were honest with yourself you’ve been harboring a little crush on the supersoldier, but he’s never shown any interest so you resigned yourself to just being his friend.

Something that you did come to treasure, though, is your and Bucky’s late night talks.

It started with you walking in on him in the kitchen on a late night where you couldn’t sleep, nothing new to you, but the two of you barely talked other than acknowledging each other.

You took a bottle of water and left.

A couple of days later you ran into him again and you stood there in silence while you made yourself a cup of tea and then left for your room.

A few days later again he was just sitting there and said nothing as you made your tea, except this time you put a cup in front of him and silently took a seat next to him at the counter.

Two nights later when you arrived at the kitchen he was already there with a cup of tea in front of him and one in front of the seat next to him.

You didn’t want to assume it was for you, but you took a chance when you noticed it was the cup you always used, a blue mug with Stitch on it that says “Let’s get weird”. Your favorite in fact.

You hesitantly sat down next to him and, without you having to ask or without even looking at you, he told you that the nights you stay up late because you can’t sleep you tend to be more quiet during the team dinners and while you hang out afterwards.

You didn’t say anything in return and just sat there, trying not to overthink how much he seemed to watch you.

But the more nights you spent like that, the more you two talked and you gathered quickly that Bucky is a very observant person, nothing more.

You loved the time you spent together after dark where you’d talk about everything and anything, but come morning it was almost as if it never happened, which you came to accept.

It weirdly made the nights you spent talking even more special, which was almost every night.

But back to the present, you’re currently getting ready with Natasha and Wanda, who know much more than you about hair and makeup and are always happy to help you out with getting ready for Stark parties.

You put on the black cocktail dress with rhinestones all over the corset and a slit down the left side, then the three of you make your way to the party room and you take a deep breath before entering.

Everyone is already there, all dressed up in fancy clothes as they all shout “Happy Birthday”.

You laugh and say hi to everybody while they all take turns hugging you, there’s not too many people but everyone important to you is there.

Even Laura and Clint’s kids are there, which you consider a second family at this point, since Laura always did treat you like a daughter.

You hate to admit that it's a nice party.

Knowing you, everyone makes an effort to not put you too much at the center of attention and you just go around talking to your friends like every other party.

Eventually time comes for the cake and, the moment you kind of dreaded, opening the gifts.

Since it's the first birthday you allowed the team to celebrate everyone decided to go all in for your gifts, which you picked up on from the very first gift you open.

Pietro got you a first edition of “The Picture Of Dorian Gray” which is your all time favorite book, Wanda and Maria got you a leather jacket and an amazing pair of boots that you knew were expensive because you were all out shopping together when you came across them.

Steve got you a gold heart-shaped locker with a picture of the team inside it, Natasha got you a charm bracelet with a little charm to represent everyone on the team, and Sam got you a cute necklace with your birth stone on it.

When you open Fury’s gift you start laughing since it's a gun, a SIG SAUER P226 to be precise, which is very Fury.

“It was my first gun when I joined SHIELD.” He says with a smile and you smile back, knowing how much thought he put into this gift.

You open Clint’s gift next, a bow and arrow that he already taught you how to use, and Laura got you a pair of diamond earrings.

Your heart melts when you open Lila, Cooper and Nathaniel’s gifts, respectively a friendship bracelet, an Avengers action figure of yourself and a Stitch plushie.

The three of them hug you tightly as you say thank you and now you only have two gifts left, Tony’s and Bucky’s, and they’re both little boxes.

You open Tony’s next, thinking it’s some fancy necklace or earring but you frown when you see a car key.

“Is this the key to your car?” you ask Tony, knowing full well you’re holding the key to an Audi R8 Spyder, the car Tony’s let you borrow so many times you’re now wondering if he’s gifting you his spare set of keys.

“No.” He says casually “It’s the key to your car.”

You’re even more confused and simply stare at him with your mouth gaped, not really processing the information.

“Y-you… You got me a car?!” You almost yell out of shock and everyone else starts laughing at your antics when you start basically jumping up and down and hugging Tony, squealing like a little girl.

“Well, come on, let’s go see it!” Tony says enthusiastically after you’ve calmed down, and you get up, just as enthusiastic, but are stopped by Steve’s voice.

“Wait, wait. You have one gift left.” He says, picking up the small box and giving it to you. “It’s from Bucky.”

You were so pumped up by the car, you almost forgot about it and completely miss the mischievous look Steve gives Bucky and the murderous glare Bucky gives back.

You also miss Bucky starting to protest before you open his gift, but he instantly shuts up when he sees your face falling the second you open it.

It’s a small necklace with a blue rose in it, it really looks like something you’d give a little girl more than a 25 year old woman.

You look at it for a minute, running your finger on it before you raise your head and look at Bucky.

The whole room goes silent as they all watch you worriedly, everyone noticing immediately that tears are streaming down your face.

Nobody understands what’s happening and nobody knows how to react or what to do, it’s like they’re all frozen by the sight of you being vulnerable for the first time ever.

Meanwhile Bucky’s heart is beating so loud he’s sure everyone around him can hear it, and he feels himself starting to panic at the thought of having ruined your birthday with that stupid gift.

Everybody else got you expensive gifts and all he did was get you a small, cheap necklace that reminded him of a story you briefly talked about once on one of your late night talks about a necklace you had as a kid.

He saw it at the mall while looking for a gift for you, remembering the sweet smile you had on your face when you mentioned it and the fleeting sad look he thought he saw when you told him you lost it when you were 12.

He was really proud of himself for that gift, but the more he saw the other gifts you got the more he regretted his choice, especially after Tony gave you a fucking car.

And now you were crying, not saying anything while just looking at him.

He doesn’t know what to expect from you at the moment, nobody does, he thinks you might yell, throw his gift back at him, tell him how much you hate it and him.

But you surprise everyone by throwing your arms around Bucky’s neck, hugging him tightly while crying into his shoulder.

You honestly forgot telling Bucky about that story and certainly didn’t expect him to remember it, especially since you always got the feeling that he didn’t care about your talks as much as you.

You just assumed that come morning he deleted everything you told him to make room for more important things, and you didn’t blame him.

But he didn’t.

What you didn’t tell him about the necklace is that your mom gave it to you because blue roses were her favorite, you had that necklace since you were born but you somehow lost it the day of her funeral.

That day you lost the two most important things in your life and cried yourself to sleep, and that was the last time you allowed yourself to be weak and cry.

Until today.

Bucky hesitantly wraps his arms around you, rubbing your back hoping to get you to calm down. He looks around at the rest of the team, panicking a little and not knowing what to do.

Everyone else is as clueless as he is, never having seen you in such a state before.

Bucky starts apologizing, his heart breaking at the sight of you crying, and he feels horrible that it’s because of him.

You shake your head quickly and pull away a little to look at him, wanting to reassure him you’re not sad or angry but incredibly happy, but words refuse to come. You take a deep breath to calm yourself and finally manage to speak.

“Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.” It’s quiet, but it’s something, and it’s enough to make Bucky let out a breath of relief at knowing you don’t hate him or his gift.

He brings you back in for another tight hug, almost forgetting about everyone else in the room as you hug him back without hesitation.

You’re honestly not even embarrassed at crying, all you care about at the moment is Bucky, his arms around you while he lets you bury your face in his neck, like you’ve been wanting to do for years now.

“Happy birthday, doll.” He whispers in your ear and, for the first time in 13 years, you really feel like it is.

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lesbian-deadpool · 2 years

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Nate: Y/N, why does auntie Nat wear makeup?

Y/N: To look pretty.

Nate: But she always looks pretty.

Everyone: Aww!

Nate: Daddy, you should wear makeup.

Clint:

Y/N: *Wheezes*

#source: ???#incorrect marvel quotes #nathaniel barton imagine #nathaniel barton #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romaonff imagine #natasha romanoff #avengers x reader #avengers imagine #avengers #clint barton x reader #clint barton imagine #clint barton #marvel x reader #marvel imagine #MCU x reader #MCU imagine #marvel #MCU

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quietlyimplode · 5 months

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@broken--bow my dear one, words cannot thank you for everything. How I wish they could. From your brain to my words. I hope I did it justice.

look at the stars. look how they shine.

Warnings: children witnessing dissociation, dissociation, grief. I swore I wouldn’t write endgame - but this is endgame with no death - snap happened but no one died.

Summary: Nathaniel and Clint build a marble run. (3k)

Nate yawns.

The Saturday morning makes him grin as he sits up in bed and pads out of his room to find his parents.

Saturday sounds already in the kitchen, and he finds his mum and sister already awake and eating.

“Hey sleepy,” his mum greets him with a kiss on the forehead.

He smiles at her and sits at the table, watching his sister draw arrows and people, Nate steals a pencil to help her.

“Nate, no!” she groans as he starts to colour in.

“Hey buddy, come sit over here,” his mum guides, and he frowns, wanting to draw.

He moves down the bench seat, and twirls the pencil, the green colour moulding as it spins.

He does it again, before it flies out of his hand and hits Lila.

“Nate!” she exclaims, exasperated.

His mum looks at him, with the look she gets when he’s not quite in trouble, but on his way there.

He frowns.

“Come grab some pancakes.”

He’s guided to the bench again, and he picks up two, opting for chocolate syrup and sugar.

He gets strawberries thrown on his plate and he goes back to sit down, away from Lila who still seems annoyed at him.

He didn’t mean to.

He wanted to help.

“Where’s dad?”

“Soccer with Cooper,” Lila answers, “they’ll be back soon, cause mum needs to take us to Max’s birthday party and then she’s going to get —“

Nate’s stomach curls in jealousy.

“I want to come,” he says, his mum wondering over.

“Oh honey, it’s Max’s birthday, it’s for Lila and Cooper.”

He stands, pushing out his chair and pushing away his breakfast.

“Why can’t I go with you?”

“Because you weren’t invited,” Lila says, standing up, her voice loud.

“That’s not fair, I can go too, I know Max,” he argues.

“But you weren’t invited,” Lila argues back.

Nate crosses his arms.

His mum seems to see it coming, he bangs his fist on the table and tries to step forward to Lila. He’s done nothing right since he woke up, it doesn’t matter, he feels like he’s in trouble anyway.

He reaches out to push Lila, only to be stopped.

“Nate, stop.”

The boundary is clear and he pulls himself back.

“I didn’t even want to go,” he says, sticking his tongue out to stop tears as he runs away.

He hates being the youngest, the one who always gets left out.

He heads back to his bedroom and sits on his bed, kicking his Lego breaking it apart.

No one comes after him, and he thinks his mum must have taken Lila’s side.

Anger burns in him as he looks around his room.

It’s not fair.

He did want to go.

Doesn’t Max like him too?

He slows his body down, just like his dad taught him, taking a deep breath and squats to put his Lego back together.

It’s not the same.

A small knock on the door reveals both his mum and dad and immediately he feels like he’s in trouble.

“I’m sorry,” he starts, looking to them both.

“Oh buddy; it’s okay, it sucks that you can’t come too, but this is just for Lila and Cooper,” his mum starts.

“Plus, you and I get to hang together!” his dad finishes.

He brightens at that.

He feels he never gets to spend time just the two of them.

He goes to his cupboard and drags out a marble run he’s been dying to put together, but no one had wanted to do it with him.

His dad nods and smiles.

“Come down and say goodbye to Mum and the others, and then we’ll build it, bigger than any we’ve built before.”

Nate grins.

“Deal,” he says, high fiving his dad as hard as he can.

He acts predictably and shakes his hand out and then offers his hands behind him and Nate high fives him again; following him down the stairs.

Saying goodbye to the others is easy and his dad drags out the marble run.

Nate watches him and copies putting pieces together, careful in testing his favourite blue marble to make sure all the pieces were aligned and working.

Gently, he add the last piece, climbing on the chair and then carefully let’s his marble fly.

“It works!!!” he yells in glee, then turns around waiting to be told to be quieter. It doesn’t come, instead his dad whoops with him and they hug as Nate looks at the box of marbles grinning in anticipation.

“Can we..”

His dad laughs.

“Let’s put them all down!”

Dragging the box over, he looks at them and finds the colours he likes.

Blue.

Red.

Green.

Yellow.

The colours standing out against the clear ones.

“We can take turns,” Nate says generously.

He puts the blue one down and then hands his dad a red one.

He loves the sounds of it rolling.

“Can you hear it, dad? Can you hear it?”

His dad shakes his head but signs that he can see it.

Nate frowns.

He drags his dads hand over to the run, and pushes it on. He does the same with his hand and let’s the green one fly.

“I can feel it,” his dad smiles.

Nate grins.

Pushing the yellow marble into his dad’s hand, he looks away for a second to get more.

He doesn’t hear the click clack of the marble go down and he turns back around.

Nate freezes.

His dad is frozen too.

Fear and pain on his face.

At least that’s what he thinks it is.

“Dad?” he tries, his stomach dropping.

“Daddy?”

It’s clear he can’t hear him.

“Dad?” he tries again.

He’s staring at the yellow marble.

Nate tries to take it away, but the result is his father pulling away, closing his hand over it and dropping to his knees.

“No…” he hears him say, his voice angry and quiet.

“It’s okay, Dad,” he whispers.

He’s not sure what to do.

The world feels dark and his dad isn’t feeling well.

He thinks it’s his fault.

“I’m just going to call Mum, okay?”

Leaving the room, he stares momentarily at his father, his eyes still on the yellow marble as he touches it.

It’s like he can’t hear him.

The phone is where it always is.

Nate presses the buttons, just like Aunty Nat taught him so long ago.

“Mum!?”

He hears her pick up, but she doesn’t say anything.

“Mum??”

“Nate?”

It’s Cooper.

He doesn’t want Cooper.

“Get mum,” he asks, moving back to find his father in exactly the same position.

“I heard you were making trouble this morning,” Cooper laughs at him.

“Please, get Mum,” he asks again, on the verge of tears.

There’s something in his voice that makes Cooper hand the phone over.

His mum’s voice pushes him over the edge.

“Nate? Are you okay?”

He feels the first tear fall.

“Dad’s not… he’s stuck,” he gets out, trying to take a deep breath and then sits next to his fathers inert body.

“Dad?”

There’s no response.

“Hang on.”

He hears her say something to his siblings then her attention seems to come back to him. Slowly he reaches out to touch his father.

A finger.

Then another.

His dad is crying and he can’t help.

“It’s okay, Dad, I’m sorry,” he whispers.

“Nate? Are you okay?”

He puts his mum on speaker phone.

“Can you talk to Dad? He’s not talking. He’s crying..”

She’s silent.

“Am I on speakerphone?”

He nods.

“Nate?”

“Um, yes, he doesn’t have his ears in though.”

He watches his father carefully.

The marble still sitting in his palm.

“Daddy? Mum’s here. It’s okay, okay? I’m sorry,” he says, pushing the phone closer.

“Clint?”

Nate doesn’t listen to the start, he pushes the marble run away. It’s joy is gone.

He watches his father sit back at the sound of his mother’s voice.

He hears her talking.

He sits back down next to his father and draws on his hand, just like his dad usually does for him when he doesn’t feel well.

“Nate? Are you there sweetie?”

He nods.

His dad seems to be waking up, or coming back, it’s slow but there’s some signs of life.

“Nate?”

“Yeah, Mum, I’m here.”

“Are you okay?” she’s worried, he can hear it.

“I’m okay, I think… I think it’s my fault.”

“Nate, this isn’t you’re fault okay? Do you remember that Thanksgiving when Aunty Nat was here and she seemed to freeze at dinner? And you noticed, and told us she wasn’t feeling well?”

He nods. He remembers.

“But Dad already knew, he was already helping her,” he argues quietly.

“I know, but you’re going to help Dad until we get there, okay? We are on the way home.”

Nate nods.

“Can you open the window? Get a breeze in. Grab your drink bottle and see if Dad wants any, okay?”

Nate gets up and follows his mum’s ideas.

His bottle is next to the bag of marbles and again, he feels guilty.

“It’s my fault,” he says, voice shaking. “I gave him a yellow one.”

He doesn’t know the significance, but Copper was right. He made trouble. He couldn’t help it. It’s all his fault.

“It’s not your fault,” he hears his dad say.

His voice is quite and he pats the spot next to him.

“Sit with me,” he croaks, his eyes unfocused and hands shaking.

Nate obeys.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” he cries.

“Nate, Clint, we’re almost home, you’re going to hear the car.”

He does, the wheels on gravel and the heaviness in the air.

He feels the difference in the world.

Drawing on his father’s hand, he can’t look up at him. He doesn’t want to see his dad cry.

He also doesn’t want his dad to see him cry.

Nate hears the front door, the slow climb of his mum’s feet up the stairs.

The door opens slowly, but it’s not his mum through the door first.

“Natasha?”

His dad’s voice is still croaky, but there’s some movement in his body.

Nate rises with him, holding onto his hand.

Aunty Nat and his mum enter his room, and immediately he feels better.

There’s some else here to help.

They’re going to help his dad.

The three adults move to Nate’s bed, quiet voices speaking words that he doesn’t care to listen to. He doesn’t really want to stay either.

Leaving the room, he takes on last look at his mum holding his dad’s hand and Natasha holding his face in her hands.

It seems almost intrusive to be there.

Adult business.

Nate leaves.

Uncomfortableness in his guts as he feels unsure of what to do next.

He plods down the stairs to get some water, the snap changed everything. Everyone was different.

Everyone felt sad all the time.

His dad, his tattoos, his siblings, even his mum who was snapped with them.

He doesn’t know.

He doesn’t understand.

Nate fixes his laces, then heads outside to the swings.

Wishing that he’d been able to go Max’s birthday, he lets himself cry as he swings.

It’s moments before his mum comes out to him, and sits on the swing next to him.

“Hey buddy,” she opens.

“Scary seeing Dad like that, huh?”

Nate nods but doesn’t answer.

“He’s seen a lot of things that make him feel sad lately. It looks like you guys were building a pretty cool marble run.”

He takes a deep breath.

“We were going to take a photo to show Uncle Tony. Dad said he’d like it, you know, while he recovers.”

He thinks back.

“It’s my fault, I gave him the yellow marble,” he confesses with a hiccup.

His mum stands, and then stands in front of where he’s swinging, stopping him and crouching so she’s at his level.

“Sweetheart. That is not your fault. You are not responsible for your dad’s reactions okay?”

She doesn’t let him swing, even though he can’t look at her.

“Do you remember, we talked about somethings that make Aunty Nat sad? That there are some times that remind her of something she doesn’t want to think about? Dad has that too, sometimes he’s better able to hide it from you guys, but today, the yellow marble reminded him of something he wasn’t ready for.”

Nate finally looks at her.

“What?”

She looks to the ground.

“There was a mission to get us all back, do you remember Dad talking about it? He got to go to outer space, yeah?”

Nate nods.

He likes the story of the spaceship in outer space, with Rocket the Raccoon and the search for the stones to bring everyone back.

He digs his feet into the dirt.

“Was it something in outer space?”

His mum nods.

“There was something your Dad and Aunty Nat had to find, but to find it, they had to do something dangerous.”

Nate narrows his eyes.

“How dangerous?”

His mum swallows.

“Aunty Nat, technically… she died… so they could find it.”

His mum stands, and moves back to the swing.

“But mum, Aunt Nat is here, you went to pick her up?”

The swing in silence for a bit, and Nate watches the shadows of people in his room.

It seems his dad is more mobile, and Aunty Nat is helping.

She’s not dead.

“I know, but your dad didn’t know that when Tony brought everyone back, that she’d come back too. The yellow marble… it reminds him that she was gone for a bit.”

Nate nods.

He understands.

He does.

Sometimes he feels sad too, that he doesn’t know what to do with himself.

He sees Natasha and his dad enter the kitchen and he hops off the swing.

“Can I go apologise to him?” he asks, “tell him I didn’t mean it?”

His mum stands and gives him a big bone crushing hug .

“You have nothing to apologise for, okay? This is not your fault. None of this is your fault.”

She kisses him on the top of his head and they walk hand in hand back to the house.

“Mum?” he sighs heavily.

“Do you think Dad will want to play with me again?”

His mum looks down and smiles.

“I know he will.”

Nate enters cautiously, moving slowly, and looks for his dad who’s now making tea in the kitchen.

“Nate,” he greets, “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

He opens his arms and Nate hugs him readily.

He was so worried.

His dad, though still moving slowly, feels better, the world feels better. He lets himself get picked up and he revels in the constant touch and reconnection.

“Some chocolate milk?”

Nate nods.

“For me too?”

He grins at his aunt. Hopping down he hugs her too.

She feels different, somehow; than before the snap, and he doesn’t ask about the scaring on her fingers and how it travels up her arms.

It doesn’t feel polite.

Maybe his dad will tell him the story of Natasha’s scars and his own tattoos one day. Maybe he’ll request it as a bedtime story.

Instead he lets himself be dragged to the table, where Natasha seats herself next to him and they watch his dad make the hot chocolate.

“I’ve got to go pick up the others,” his mum calls and Nate nods and waves.

She kisses him, then Nat and then his Dad and leaves them all in the Kitchen.

“Dad tells me you made a cool marble run,” Natasha starts, and Nate shrugs. He wants to pull it apart and never play with it again.

“It’s so big and intricate,” his Dad calls, stirring drinks.

“Should we show Nat after this?”

Nate feels hesitant.

He’s proud of what they did.

But he doesn’t want to repeat what happened.

Leaving abruptly, he runs to to his room.

Yellow marbles.

He finds the bag and pulls them out, sorting them all into colours.

A knock at the door and his dad calls his name, maybe in worry as he tells him to hold on.

He does it quickly and systematically until he finds all the yellow and puts them into their own bag.

Maybe now they can play.

He opens the door to find both adults standing there - hot chocolate in hand, and he opens it wider to let them in.

“I put them away,” he tells them.

“You put what away?”

Natasha is always quicker.

“Yellow marbles?”

“You don’t have to worry about it when we play now, it won’t make you… sad.”

He gets another hug, this time sandwiched in between two bodies.

Nate grins. He likes doing right by people.

It’s how the others find them; sitting in the bedroom playing, rotating and putting marbles down the run, moving bits and making it bigger in some sections and smaller in others.

Til dinner they play and nothing happens.

He continually checks, making sure that his Dad or Aunty Nat don’t go anywhere.

They talk of nothing and lots of things.

His dad leaves to help his mum with dinner.

Lila joins them and then Cooper.

Nate feels the day pass and even though it started as a no good kind of day, he feels like it got better.

He tells Natasha, as he lays on his bed with her, watching Cooper change the marble run to be something else.

“I have days like that too,” she tells him.

“Not every day has to be all good.”

He nods.

She’s so warm and safe that he closes his eyes to the click clack of the marbles rolling.

#my fic #nathaniel barton #Clint barton #Laura barton #natasha romanoff #barton family #barton family fic #farm family #marvel fic

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arlana-likes-to-write · 1 year

Text

Lightning Bug - Chapter 9

Master list of Lightning Bug

Warning: mention of past physical torture, jealousy

Word Count: 4k

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Natasha said. “Wake up.” The AI notified her and Wanda of her panic attack and they came right away. When they opened her room, they found the girl curled up in her bed. The Russian knew her girlfriend was fighting the urge to wrap her arms around the girl. Instead, they sat on the edge of the bed, allowing enough space between the three of them.

“Wake up, dorogoy (sweetheart),” Wanda whispered. The teen groaned and turned on her back, eyes fluttering open. Her eyebrows scrunched together as if she was confused about why they were in her room then it dawned on her.

“You didn’t have to come,” she said with a sigh and sat up. Her back rested on the headboard and her knees were brought to her chest. “It’s not my first panic attack.”

“Well,” Wanda said. “It’s the first one you don’t have to deal with alone.” She rested her chin on her knee.

“You don’t have to talk about it but we are here for you if you want to,” Natasha said as her blue eyes disappeared behind her eyelids and she took some deep breaths in and out. The Black Widow watched as she rubbed her hands up and down her legs. It wasn’t the first time she saw her do this. She wondered if it was a way to soothe herself. When was the last time she accepted a friendly touch?

“I met Steve and Bucky,” she said. Her eyes were still closed. “And Bucky,” her voice cracked as she said his name. “He reminds me of someone from my past, someone that used to hurt me.” She opened her eyes. “I guess I panicked when I saw him.”

“That’s understandable,” Natasha told her. She understood the feeling. It took her a long time to separate the man that broke her arm during Red Room training and Steve’s best friend. She wondered if this was a silent confirmation that Wanda was right and HYDRA was part of her past. She shrugged.

“Can-can I ask you both something?” She asked.

“Of course,” Wanda smiled. “You can ask us anything.” She didn’t say anything right away and opted to pick at the pants she was wearing.

“You’ve been hurt by people in your past, did you ever forgive them?” It was a heavy question, a complicated one too.

“Yes and no,” Natasha answered. She forgave Melina and Alexei but she could never forgive Dreykov and the other instructors of the Red Room for what they did.

“Is it okay if you can’t forgive them?” Wanda nodded.

“If someone hurt you, you don’t owe them forgiveness. You don’t owe them anything.” She sighed, frowning slightly.

“I wish people weren’t so mean.” Natasha smiled, nodding her head.

“Me too, kid, me too. But I’ve learned that even in the darkest moments you’ll find the brightest stars.” To Natasha’s surprise, the teen’s lips turned up into a smile.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “You are right about that.”

“We wanted to ask you something.” The teen nodded. “I have to go away for a mission in 3 days and we are planning a trip to Iowa.” Natasha didn’t miss the confusion on the girl’s face. “Clint lives there with his family. We like to visit them from time to time.”

“Would you like to join us?” Wanda asked. It was a topic of conversation that Wanda and Natasha went back and forth about whether they should invite the newest addition to the floor to Iowa. The Bartons were amazing people that had the unique ability to make anyone feel at home but on the other hand, they were high energy and full of excitement, especially Nathaniel.

“Me?” She questioned in disbelief. “Why do you want me to come?”

“Because you are part of this little family,” Natasha said. The teen didn’t look fully convinced. It broke her heart every time she thought so little of herself. “They have a daughter who is your age and two boys. It’s a big family that can be a little overwhelming but they are good people.”

“Plus Kate and Yelena will be coming with us,” Wanda added. Relief washed over the young girl’s face.

“Yeah, sure I’ll go with you guys.” Natasha smiled.

“We’ll let you get some stuff together. Can you be ready in 2 hours?” She asked. The teen nodded. “Awesome, we’ll find you when the Quinjet is all set.” They stood up and walked over to the door. Natasha looked back at her before leaving her room. “Thank you for trusting us.” She blinked back at the Black Widow.

“Thank you for being the bright stars.” Natasha smiled and closed the door. She looked at her girlfriend.

“She knew Bucky,” Natasha said as they walked back to their room. They had to get ready too. Wanda sighed.

“She said Bucky reminded her of someone that hurt her,” Natasha grabbed Wanda’s arm before she could open their door.

“How many men do you know that have a metal arm and that is over 100 years old?” Wanda rolled her eyes and opened their door. Natasha followed her, closing the door behind them as the witch sat on the edge of their bed.

“If she knew Bucky and was with HYDRA, it’s not like we can ask her. She’ll shut down on us and she’s slowly starting to open up.” Natasha knew she was right. The Black Widow knelt in front of her and rested her hands on Wanda’s thighs. Wanda’s arms found a home around Natasha’s shoulders. “Iowa will be good for her,” Natasha smiled. The Barton homestead was the first place Natasha had ever felt at home.

“It will be good for all of us,” Wanda began to play with the baby hairs on the back of her neck. Natasha could see the gears working in her girlfriend’s head. “What are you thinking about?”

“It’s nothing,” Natasha frowned. “Well,” she sighed, biting her lip. “Have you ever thought about having something like the Barton’s?”

“Like retiring?”

“Not necessarily retiring but having a place to call our own that’s not the tower.” Natasha began to draw circles on Wanda’s legs.

“Is that something you want?” The Sokovian giggled, kissing Natasha’s forehead.

“I’m asking what you want, moya lyubov' (my love),” Natasha wasn’t sure what she wanted. For the longest time, Natasha didn’t think she would have this; freedom. She had her sister by her side and the woman she loved, loved her back. But the idea of settling down did sound appealing. “Hey,” Wanda took Natasha’s chin in her hand and forced the Black Widow to look at her. “I’m not asking you to leave the Avengers right now. I’m home wherever I’m with you,” Natasha kissed Wanda softly.

“I love you,” Wanda smiled.

“I love you too. Now we have to get ready. You know Nate is going to run us ragged.” Natasha laughed and stood up, helping Wanda to her feet. While they packed for their small getaway, Natasha’s mind was racing. She has fought her entire life to one day clear her ledger, could she turn it off? But when she felt Wanda come up behind her and hug her tight, she knew she could give up Avenging in a heartbeat for her.

You let out a shaky breath you didn’t realize you were holding. Your hands were shaking. On paper, you could get ready quicker than 2 hours but you needed to get your nerves in order. The first thing on that list was a shower. You stripped out of the clothes you were wearing and put the gloves in the sink. They needed to be washed. The cold water washed away the day. It was such a strange paradox how such a great day could change in an instant. You let the water fall over your body and focus on the good. You learned how to play chess. You got to see Lucia and Annie and you ate a blueberry muffin. You got out of the shower, dried the water off your skin, and changed into a long sleeve and sweatpants. You packed your bag with a few different outfits and a couple of books. Next, it was time to clean the gloves and brush your teeth. It was a nice feeling to rid your mouth of the metallic taste of your blood. You walked back into your room. “FRIDAY,” you said to the AI as you put your backpack on your shoulders. “If what happened today happens again don’t alert anyone.” The AI didn’t say anything right away.

“I do want to advise you of the dangers of keeping your condition a secret from everyone.” The statement stopped you in your tracks.

“What condition are you talking about?” You asked.

“You have epilepsy or random seizures. Without proper treatment, seizures can cause substantial brain damage.” Oh.

“Thank you for your concern, FRIDAY but I’m fine,” you left your room and headed to the kitchen. You made a cup of tea with FRIDAY’s warning echoing in your head. ‘Without proper treatment, seizures can cause substantial brain damage.’ Is that what you were doing to yourself? Forcing yourself to have seizures? You sighed, stirring honey into your tea. The elevator opened and you watched Happy step onto your floor.

“Just the person I was looking for,” he said, holding a shoe box in his hand. You raised your eyebrows at him. Why was he looking for you? “Here,” he placed the box down. “For you.” You set the mug down and opened the box.

“What is this?” You asked. Happy sighed.

“Now you are making me feel old.” You smiled.

“Sorry,” he pulled out a machine that was attached to a pair of headphones.

“This is a walkman,” he said. You took it from him. “And these are cassettes. Back in the day, this is how we listened to music.” He explained how it worked. “I know everything is an app these days but that can be overwhelming so I thought this could be a good start to your music introduction.” You were stunned. You never expected anyone to do anything nice for you, especially Happy.

“Thank you, Happy. You didn’t have to do this for me.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“It was just collecting dust. Enjoy it, kid.” He waved and walked back to the elevator. You looked through the box and decided on a random tape and put the box in your back to take with you to Iowa. Iowa. You’ve never left the city but your own choice. The HYDRA facility was in Canada and you snuck your way across the border to the city because it was the only place you’d known. You put the headphones around your beck and the walkman in your pocket.

“Hey bud,” Kate said, opening the fridge and pulling out an energy drink. You weren’t sure when Kate decided to start calling you that but you liked it. It reminded you of the nicknames your brother would call you. “Are you excited to go to Iowa?”

“Uh yeah, I guess,” you answered. You weren’t sure how to feel about it. The archer smiled, opening her drink.

“The Bartons are great,” she said. “They have the unique ability to open their homes to strays.”

“Strays?” You questioned. She nodded.

“You’ll see.”

You enjoyed flying. You listened to music and stared out the window at the world below you and made up stories in your head of everything you saw. It was relaxing and your eyes started to close and you fell asleep. No dreams haunted your sleep, it was peaceful. “Hey,” Yelena’s voice woke you up. There was no music playing through your headphones. You rubbed the sleep out of your eyes and took your headphones off your ears. The blonde smiled. “We just landed,” you nodded, putting everything in your backpack. “Are you ready?” She asked. You shrugged.

“I’m not sure,” you told her. “How much do they know about me?”

“They know about your rules against touching and that Natasha offered you a place at the tower.”

“Okay,” you followed her to the back of the Quinjet where the others were waiting. You let out a shaky breath as the ramp lowered. At the bottom were a man, a woman, and a girl. You recognized the man right away as Hawkeye and you put the pieces together that the woman next to him was his wife and his daughter. You let the others walk down the ramp first with you at the back. Wanda hugged the woman while Natasha hugged Clint. Kate brought the girl underneath her arm.

“Where's the little man?” Kate asked.

“We thought it would be better for Cooper to distract Nate. He has a lot of energy,” Her mother said. She smiled at you.

“Y/n met Clint, Laura, and their daughter Lila. You’ll meet Cooper and Nate later.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Clint said.

“Hi,” you whispered, giving them a small wave.

“Why don’t we go inside and get you settled in,” Laura said. “We have some time before dinner.” They began to walk to the two-story white house. You stood in the back with Lila standing next to you. You kept catching the girl looking at you with a smile. You smiled back.

“We are a little tight for space,” you heard Clint say. He looked at you, over his shoulder. “Who would be more comfortable sharing a room with?” You didn’t expect him to ask you. You fully expected to be just thrown into a room.

“Uh,” you said, looking at Natasha and Wanda. “Can I stay with you guys?” Natasha nodded.

“Of course, kid.”

“Lila can help you set up an air mattress,” Laura said. Clint and Laura opened the front door of their home when you heard laughter. You turned around and saw a young boy running over to the group. He was looking behind him and he ran into your legs. Your body tensed up at the sudden and unexpected contact. The boy looked up at you and blinked up at you. His arms were still wrapped around your legs as he caught himself from falling.

“Woah,” he said. “Where did you get that scar? It’s like Harry Potter!”

“Nathaniel Pietro Barton,” Clint said. “Come here now.” The young boy peered behind your legs to look at his father but he didn’t let go of you. You felt your heart pounding against your rib cage. You let out a shaky breath to push away the tingly feeling in your hands.

“Hey,” you said to him. He looked back at you. “You might want to go see your dad. You don’t want to get in trouble, do you?” He shook his head and let go of you.

“Nate!” Another boy, much older than Nate, came running around the corner. He was breathing heavily with his hands on his hips. “What did I say?” You looked back at Nate, who was hiding behind Natasha’s legs.

“To stay in the barn with you,” he stomped his right foot. “But you were so boring.” You fought the smile that threatened to form on your lips.

“But we talked about why you had to stay in the barn,” Laura said. Nate sighed.

“Yes,” he mumbled. “I’m sorry.” You saw Yelena looking at you. Her eyes asked a silent question, ‘Are you okay?’ You nodded.

“Thank you for apologizing, Nate,” Wanda said. “Y/n met the other Bartons. Nate and Cooper.”

“Sorry about him,” Cooper said. You smiled.

“It’s alright,” Kate grabbed Nate and put him over her shoulder as she walked into the house. He laughed and tried to wiggle his way out of her hold.

“Come on,” Lila said as she closed the door. “I’ll show you where you are sleeping.” You hesitated slightly but followed the girl up the stairs. She opened the second door on the right. You stepped inside as she walked over to the closet. The room was simply decorated. You noticed there were pictures of Natasha and Wanda with the Bartons. “I’m sorry about Nate,” Lila was setting up an air mattress. You took your backpack off and knelt to help her. “He gets excited when everyone comes to visit.”

“It’s fine,” you said, attaching the pump to the air mattress as Lila plugged it in. You turned it on and the sound only startled you slightly. As the mattress inflated, Lila pulled out some pillows and blankets. You turned it off once it was fully inflated. “It’s cute that he gets excited to see them.” You were used to kids his age and they were easier to deal with in your opinion. They had an innocence about them that made it easier for you to be around. All they cared about was if you were a good playmate and didn’t judge based on appearance. Lila laid a sheet down on the mattress.

“He was pretty jealous that you get to live with them,” she said with a smile. “How is it living with the Avengers?”

“Different,” you told her. “They are..” you trailed off.

“Crazy,” she filled in the blank for you. You giggled but nodded your head. You stood up and grabbed a picture on top of a dresser. It was of a younger Natasha and Clint with a brunette you didn’t recognize. You heard Lila walk over to you and look at the picture. “That’s Maria with them back in their SHIELD days.”

“They’ve known each other for a while,” you said, putting the photo back in the correct place. “Natasha and your father,” she nodded.

“Nat has been a part of my life since I’ve been born.” You frowned for a split second but tried to cover it up with a cough. “Do you want something to eat? Dinner isn’t for a while.” If she noticed your mood switch she didn’t comment on it.

“Yeah,” you said. “If that’s no trouble.” The last thing you ate was a blueberry muffin. She nodded.

“I’ll show you where everything is,” you followed her to the kitchen, trying to ignore the feeling of jealousy that was showing its ugly head.

You opted to stay on the edge of the conversation and observe how everyone interacted with anyone. Nate was attached to Wanda, wherever she went he was close behind. He liked watching her magic. Lila and Cooper hung out with Yelena and Kate. Laura, Clint, and Natasha bounced between everyone as they caught up with one another. Laura asked you questions and tried to bring you into the conversation but you couldn’t help but feel like you were intruding. When Laura walked into the kitchen you followed her. “Can I help?” You asked.

“Sure, I won’t say no to help when I have to feed this group. Can you grab stuff for a salad in the fridge?” You nodded, silently thanking her for allowing you to help. You were getting antsy and needed to do something. You opened the fridge and pulled out different vegetables. Laura gave you a cutting board and knife. “Cut up some peppers, lettuce, oh and,” she went back into the fridge and pulled out a block of cheese and strawberries. “These too. Thank you.” You washed the fruit and vegetables and began to cut everything up.

“I should be thanking you,” you said. “You are opening your home to me.” Laura chuckled. “Did I say something funny?”

“No, you didn’t,” she said. “Natasha said you were the polities 15-year-old she’s ever met.” Oh. You placed the food you chopped into the bowl.

“I wasn’t aware she was meeting many 15-year-olds,” your joke pulled a laugh out of her. It made you smile.

“Well I don’t know what she does in her free time but she is correct and,” her pause made you stop what you were doing and look at her. She was looking at you. “I’m sorry about Nate. They told us about your rules.” You went back to cutting the food. No one ever apologized to you. It was always your fault. “And about his question sometimes he talks without thinking.”

“It’s okay, Laura,” you were grateful you had tea and took a nap on the flight over or you would have lost control of your powers. You would have never forgiven yourself.

“How are you liking Iowa?” She asked you.

“You have a very beautiful home and family,” you said. “Iowa is quiet. I see why you built a home here.” Laura smiled as you began to clean up the mess you made.

“Now that you’ve been here once this place is your home too.” The simple statement stumped you. But you smiled at her and of your head. Home. In less than a week you’ve been given two places to call home. You found yourself surrounded by a strange group of people.

Dinner was pasta with a bolognese sauce, salad, and garlic bread. When everyone wasn’t eating, stories were told. You learned that Clint was sent to kill Natasha and that is how they met (Yelena said it was a story that was told all the time) Kate ran into trouble with the Tracksuit Mafia and that’s how she met Yelena and Clint.

Once the food was eaten, you helped collect the dirty dishes and you, Kate, and Yelena did the dishes and put the extra food away. “Let’s watch a movie!” Nate said, jumping up and opening the TV cabinet. You were getting tired. You’ve had a long day.

“I’m gonna head to bed if that’s okay.” Natasha looked at you. Her eyes were looking over you to make sure you were okay.

“That’s fine, kid,” the Black Widow said. You nodded.

“Thank you for today,” you said. “Good night.” A chorus of goodnights followed you up the stairs. You changed quickly into different clothes and when you were putting your clothes away, you noticed you had a few text messages. You pulled out your phone and lay down. They were all from America.

‘How’s Iowa?’

‘The floor is too quiet without all of you.’

‘I may kill Steven. He’s annoying me.’

‘I miss you.’

You stared at the last message she sent you. Three simple words made your heart skip. You smiled and sent your reply.

‘Iowa is good. The Bartons are nice. Please don’t kill anyone.’

Your fingers hovered over the keys.

‘I miss you too.’

You put your phone underneath your pillow. You stared at the ceiling with your hands behind your head as your mind went back to the question Nate asked. He wasn’t the first to ask about your scar. You remembered Peter asking about it. You turned on your side and stared out the window. When you were younger, your mother called you a mistake, a curse that was put on the family by the Devil. She said a family friend knew she was pregnant before she did because he had a conversation with God. But the conversation wasn’t a good one. God told him that you were going to be evil. So your parents kept the pregnancy a secret from everyone to avoid public scrutiny. You weren’t allowed to leave the house unless it was to go to church and you had to hide in the basement when parties happened. At 6 years old was when you were given the scar.

It was impossible to keep you hidden from the entire world so a few of your father’s close work associates knew who you were. They were tasked to keep you in line when your parents weren’t around. You were home alone with Brian and Caleb was almost home from school. He ordered you into the kitchen to make him food. You weren’t going fast enough and he wouldn’t stop yelling. You let out a small surge of electricity and broke his phone.

The next thing you knew he pushed you to the ground and covered your body with his. He held a knife to your face and began to crave the lightning bolt on your face. It was Caleb, who got the man off of you and gave you some basic first aid. That was the origin of the scar but people from different homeless centers and HYDRA always seemed to find a way to prolong the scar.

You tightened the blanket around you and closed your eyes. You prayed for a peaceful night.

taglist:

@looie

#lightning bug #natasha romanoff #wanda maximoff #kate bishop x yelena belova #yelena belova x kate bishop #wandanat x reader #wandanat x daughter #wandanat x daughter!reader #clint barton x laura barton #clint barton #laura barton #lila barton #cooper barton #nathaniel barton

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trapezequeen · 4 months

Text

25 Days of Christmas Moodboards

#25 days of christmas #Christmas #merry Christmas #christmas moodboard #the Barton family #Hawkeye #Clint Barton #jeremy renner #linda cardellini #Laura Barton #cooper Barton #Nathaniel Barton #Lila Barton #Cade Woodward #Ava Russo #Ben sakamoto #marvel #mcu #Hawkeye series

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scarfacemarston · 4 months

Note

For the winter otp questions, could you do Yelena? I thought of her when I saw them. Don't know who to pair her with though! ☺️ Just pictured her all wintered up. Maybe some gen with Natasha? All the numbers if that's not too much? 👉👈 They're all so cute.

Is it this one that you're talking about? I have two Christmas prompts. I can't help in terms of shipping, but I was thinking Natasha and Yelena as sisters. This is in a verse where Natasha lives, because she deserved better.

Holly: Will you include the mistletoe tradition in your works? Do your characters participate? Have you ever celebrated this tradition in your own home? Yelena and Natasha refuse to do mistletoe in their own homes. The Avengers compound had one, but it caused too much controversy. Tony insists they stay at his parties, though. Melina and Alexei have one in the threshold of their bedroom where the girls will absolutely not go in and Melina and Alexei get their kisses anyway. If Natasha is dating someone, she MIGHT tolerate a mistletoe. Yelena will not.

Peppermint: Thoughts and opinions on ugly Christmas sweaters? Yelena: It takes some time because Yelena finds they clash with her fashion style - she's the more fashion conscious between her and Nat, but later on? Yelena LOVES them and can't get enough of them. She just had to find the right one to be interested. Natasha: Natasha might find an ironic one or one that is more of a meme. Not like a cat pics meme but a meme of the avengers that she's decided to adopt as her own. However, there is nothing too crazy with her. It's not her thing.

Chocolate: Reaction to the first snow of the year. It's meh for them. They grew up in Russia. They acknowledge it can sometimes be beautiful, but Natasha thinks of all the sludge that comes with it. Yelena finds it more beautiful that Nat, but only when it's the big fluffy snow which she does not see very often.

Tree: Who convinces who to get a real tree this year? Natasha is the one who convinces Yelena. Yelena is very environmentally conscious, while Nat is as well, Yelena tends to take it more seriously. They debate what is truly more "Green" (get it?)However, after rock, paper, scissors, Natasha wins and they find a real tree - which Tony volunteers to laser cut it while Steve volunteered to cut for them. They politely refused.

Apple: Something you’re characters like to do as a couple/group. Yelena likes selfies/family pictures. She can't help it. She wants to make up for lost time and make as many memories as she can. The pictures make these memories more tangible and despite the pictures of the past being fake, she still enjoyed the memories of taking those pictures. She also loves playing tourist and taking Natasha or Kate with her. Natasha loves trying new cafes and restaurants, but also cooking for others. She has a special fondness for domesticity. She's not entirely sure why, but she thinks it's because it can be a form of peace from her busy hectic life. Melina approves because, "Cooking is just chemistry". Gift: Who has been waiting all year to give their gift to another person? How long have they planned it? Both girls do. Natasha is a strategist and planner. She naturally and selflessly has always put a lot of time and effort into caring for others and finding out what they truly enjoy. Natasha is the type of girl who finds the most obscure thing on Ebay and gifts it to you...but she'd rather hunt it down for herself like a scavenger hunt. The more obscure, the better. Yelena WANTS to do the same, but realizes she's not as good at it or patient as Natasha. She tries to make something instead...only for it to go wrong. Knitting goes wrong, crotchet goes wrong...but metal working? Goes quite well and she will make either a weapon, something useful, or a decorative sculpture. (Please let me have welder or blacksmith Yelena.)

Cinnamon: Favorite festive drink. Natasha: Mulled Wine Yelena: Hot chocolate with vodka and cinnamon to spice it up. Mug: Do they have a cheesy cup they use specifically for the holidays? Natasha: Yes, actually. Clint's kids gave her a mug in the shape of a snowman. Yelena does not have one...yet. Kate is on a secret mission to find the perfect one for Yelena.

Cider: Something they’re worried about during this time of the year. Natasha worries about Steve. She knows she shouldn't. She knows he's an adult, but she still knows what it means to be alone. Luckily, Bucky is with him this Christmas and she worries a little less. She also hopes that things stay quiet for once in her life. Yelena is worried about what sort of memories she'll unlock if she visits Melina and Alexei. She had some pleasant memories during her time in Ohio, but sometimes, remembering these memories can be painful for her.

Eggnog: Favorite winter activity. Natasha: Ice skating and sitting by the yule log. She loved athletics and then warming up all nice and cozy warming up with hot tea. Yelena: Snow sledding! The girl is chaotic energy and loves having fun. She has to release that energy somehow. She doesn't mind getting messy, either. If she can trip Natasha or Kate to fall into the sled, even better.

Turkey: How are they coping this year? Is this time of the year hard for them? I hc that Natasha has S.A.D. disorder, sometimes. I also believe it's possible for the Widows to be especially busy around Christmas as with so many formal events, it would be the perfect time to eliminate certain marks. Sometimes, she broods - with good reason. Yelena didn't remember her past Christmases to know to miss it. She vaguely remembers the ones in Ohio and those were happy times for her. Other than that, no.

Fuzzy socks: Favorite chill hangout activity (OTP or group activity)? Natasha loves movies while Yelena loves board games. She fully takes advantage of game nights whether it's with Melina and Alexei, Kate and Clint's family, or with the Avengers. She swears she doesn't cheat. As you can imagine, this does not stay a "chill" activity for long.

Blankets: Do they prefer to leave the house or stay inside during the winter. Both women were trained to tolerate the weather no matter what. The cold doesn't bother them so much. Nat is always working so she hardly thinks about the cold. However, she does enjoy her time alone indoors. Yelena loves being outside, but sometimes, there is such a thing as being too cold.

Christmas lights: How much do they decorate the house? Yelena loves to raid Target and especially loves the Featherly Friends bird collection as well as knit blankets, twinkling lights and candles with just a hint of tinsel. She learned the hard way that it gets EVERYWHERE. Natasha doesn't really decorate. She still has the mentality that she shouldn't become accustomed to living in one place for too long. However, Steve has painted her a winter scene, The Barton children have gifted her crafts, which she has displayed on her fridge as well as a few gifts from Tony, Thor, Bruce and Wanda over the years. However, she still keeps it minimal.

Family: Do they have family they’re going to see? It depends, sometimes it's the Avengers - with Natasha being closer to some more than others. Sometimes, it's Yelena visiting Kate before she and Natasha have a quiet Christmas together. Sometimes, it's Natasha with the Bartons, or it's with Melina and Alexei

Snow: What are they naming their first snowman of the year? Natasha thinks it's stupid and won't do it. Okay, fine, she'll do it for Clint's children. They name it Fred. Yelena names hers Rodney.

Tradition: What are their yearly traditions? Natasha remembers watching the Nutcracker ballet on tape or if they were especially fortunate, seeing it in person. She has a complicated history with ballet, but she's always loved the Nutcracker. Yelena, meanwhile, wants to eat Russian teacake cookies. Notice I said eat, not bake.

Pine Needle: What are they doing on Christmas Eve? Well, Hawkeye showed that it could be better. However, this is a "She lives" Au. Usually, they are with the Avengers, their "parents", hanging with each other, or Yelena will make a point to visit Kate. Honestly, Yelena makes it a tradition to visit or leave some sort of hidden message or note for Kate each year in remembrance of their first meeting. Yelena wants to go out and see the lights whereas Nat has to be dragged out. Once she's in her comfy PJ's and bathrobe - there is no moving. Sorry, Yelena, those puppy eyes won't work.

Ornament: What are they doing on Christmas Morning? Natasha would like to sleep in, but she knows that her body isn't going to let her. Too many years of training, regulation and routine. Yelena is in the same position, but she will take back her sleep schedule, thank you very much. Then the girls have pancakes, before going to Melina and Alexei's house if they were not sleeping over already. There, Melina makes a huge traditional Russian feast which she most certainly expects the girls to assist...Alexei goes and naps. Then they open gifts, Alexei sings songs and tell stories before Yelena insists they watch an American Christmas movie because she finds them hilarious. However, Natasha also loves spending time with the Avengers, especially Steve since he doesn't have family at this time. Sometimes, if she's in the States, she'll have a small family dinner with Steve, Clint, and some years Wanda while they show Steve It's A Wonderful Life. He, in turn, wants to watch Christmas films from his era including The Shop Around the Corner and Holiday Inn.

#yelena belova #natasha romanoff #melina vostokoff #alexei shostakov #clint barton #kate bishop #steve rogers #wanda maximoff #tony stark #lila barton #cooper barton #nathaniel barton #laura barton

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pleaseleavemealonebye · 1 year

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Things about the Barton kids that I thought up:

Cooper Barton cannot aim for the life of him. (Potential joke: “Unfortunately, aim is not hereditary, as proven by Cooper Barton.”)

All of the Barton kids are varying degrees of HoH and D/deaf. It’s a hereditary trait. Clint thought he was going deaf because of the explosions he was around, but he didn’t realize he was wrong until Cooper failed a hearing test.

All of them consider Kate a sister, to the point that Nathaniel actually thinks she’s related to them.

Lila does not grow up to be another Hawkeye–she ends up trying to redeem her father’s name as Ronin (this is assuming Maya Lopez doesn’t wind up Ronin.)

It’s Nathaniel that winds up as the Hawkeye after Kate.

Cooper wants to be a cartoonist. Everytime he hears stories from his siblings and their friends about the fights they were in, he draws comics of them. (He occasionally does collaborations with Sloth Baby Studios.)

Cooper’s middle name is Barney. No one will explain why.

When Nathaniel eventually becomes fluent in ASL, D/deaf or not, he prefers to use sign language. (It’s a language you can speak silently and underwater, it is freaking awesome.)

Lila has monthly fencing sessions with Kate.

Laura Barton has had to call 911 for her kids so many times that she is now on a first name basis with all of the operators.

This is probably going to be another Harley Keener situation where Marvel forgets about them, but I just thought these might be fun ideas.

#clint barton #laura barton #lila barton #hawkeye tv #cooper barton #nathaniel barton #kate bishop

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thena0315 · 2 years

Photo

Founding Members of The Avengers as Fathers

#Avengers #Tony Stark #Clint Barton #Thor #Bruce Banner #Iron Man #Hawkeye #Hulk #Morgan Stark #Cooper Barton #Lila Barton #Nate Barton #Nathaniel Barton #Love #Skaar #Marvel #MCU #Marvel Cinematic Universe

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caroldanvers616 · 1 year

Text

Hawkeye (2021)

Gif scenes taken from 22:00-22:22 minute mark of episode for @mcuchallenge prompt "22"

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incorrectquotesmcu · 2 months

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Laura: This family is big enough. Are we completely clear on that, Clint?

Clint: What? Why are you pointing your finger at me? Having a baby’s a team effort.

Nathaniel: What do you mean?

Kate: This should be good.

Clint: Uhhhh.

#source: good luck charlie #laura barton #laura barton incorrect quotes #clint barton #clint barton incorrect quotes #hawkeye #kate bishop #kate bishop incorrect quotes #nathaniel barton #nathaniel barton incorrect quotes #marvel incorrect quotes #marvel #avengers #avengers incorrect quotes

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sycamorelibrary754 · 4 months

Text

Merry Christmas

Summary: It’s the most wonderful time of the year. You and Natasha are off to the annual Stark Christmas Party. Little does the team know that a special surprise awaits them.

Genre: Fluff

Pairings: Natasha x reader, Avengers x reader (platonic).

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: None

A/N: This is part 2 to Happy Thanksgiving! I recommend reading it first, but it can be read as a stand-alone story as well. I hope you enjoy!

“Be down in a minute, malyshka!” Natasha called from your bedroom.

You were standing in the kitchen eating peanut butter out of the jar topped with chocolate sauce. A “homemade Reese’s” you dubbed it. Your first pregnancy craving that had Nat popping down to the corner grocery store at 2 am for the dynamic duo of ingredients.

“No worries, love!” Already dressed for Tony’s annual Christmas party at the compound. Clad in a green Sequin-Lace Halter Twist-Neck Jumpsuit, your baby bump beginning to show.

The click of Natasha’s high heels signaled her arrival a few moments later in a sleek long-sleeved red scoop-back midi dress that hugged her in all the right places.

“Wow, Nat. You look beautiful. Red is most definitely your color.”

“So you prefer it over the black,” she smirked as she put on her earrings.

“I didn’t say that now, did I,” with a wink.

“The baby enjoying its homemade Reese’s?” grabbing her clutch.

“Very much! I was thinking,” Putting away the chocolate and peanut butter. “Tomorrow we could make fudge!”

“Ah, because the baby has such a sweet tooth?”

“Yes,” you giggled.

“Well, whatever the baby wants, I suppose,” wrapping her arms around you in a loving embrace before leaning down and kissing your stomach.

“You ready to drop the baby bombshell tonight?” Patting the top of Nat’s head.

“Yes, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous,” sighing as she stood up. These are the same people who freaked out when they found out Clint had a family. How are they going to handle this?”

“Like the amazing aunts and uncles they were meant to be,” grabbing Natasha’s hand. “Plus, I think announcing it with the Christmas crackers is a cute idea.”

“I hope so,” placing a soft kiss against your lips.

“Frankly, I’m more surprised Yelena hasn’t blabbed yet.”

“Oh, that’s because I warned her if she told anyone I would make her run with me every morning at 5 am until the baby is born.”

“Well played,” high-fiving your wife.

“Thank you,” she smiled. “Now come on, let’s go get our holiday cheer on.”

*^~^*

The drive to the compound was even more beautiful during the holidays. A light snow fell as you passed house after house dressed in beautiful Christmas lights. Natasha placed her right hand on the center console. You softly intertwined your fingers with hers and placed a soft kiss to the back of her hand.

You are greeted by a rush of warm air upon entering the compound lobby. Natasha shook the delicate snowflakes out of your hair and off your coat. You both step onto the elevator and are welcomed by the soothing voice of FRIDAY.

“Merry Christmas, ladies. Welcome to the annual Stark Christmas party.”

“Merry Christmas, FRIDAY. How’s the party so far?” You asked as the hum the elevator carried you up to living quarters.

“The party is in full swing. Mr. Stark is currently treating guests to a medley of Christmas carols.

“Of course he is,” you giggled.

“You know, he only plays that baby grand piano when he gets a bit tipsy,” Nat said. “When we got home from our month-long undercover mission in Romania, he celebrated on the jet and then made us all listen to his rendition of Dancing Queen.”

“Aww, and I missed it!” Feigning disappointment.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to joyous noise and laughter. An abundance of greens, reds, gold, and silver flashing here and there, adding opulence and brightness. Classic poinsettias tied in tradition, and shiny bows and foiled paper glistened under the 12-foot tall Noble Fir Christmas tree, inviting their recipients to sneak one open before the actual day.

“Hey, the Romanoff’s are finally here!” Clint exclaimed as his kids rushed over to both of you.

Nate jumped into your wife’s arms as you hugged Lila and Cooper. It seemed like every time you saw the Barton kids they had grown a bit more. It was thanks to Banner and Cho that you were carrying a child that would be half yours and half Natasha’s. Looking at Clint and Laura’s kids and how they resembled their parents, you couldn’t wait to see what features your little plum would inherit from each of you.

“How’s my little namesake?” Kissing Nathaniel’s cheek. Have you been practicing the punch and kick combinations I taught you?”

“Practicing the what?” Laura asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, nothing,” Natasha smirked as Nate giggled.

“You two look great, I love the green and red thing you’ve got going on,” Clint said.

“Thank you. Lovely Christmas sweater by the way. I especially love Rudolph’s glowing nose.” you pointed.

“Hey, the Barton’s are the cream of the crop when it comes to ugly Christmas sweaters.”

“Clearly,” Nat teased.

“I’ll take your coats,” Cooper offered.

“Why, thank you. What a gentleman,” you winked at Laura as you handed him yours and Natasha’s pea coats.

You scanned the room and noticed Wanda putting the finishing touches on trays of Christmas cookies. You put a hand on Nat’s shoulder and motioned toward the kitchen. She gave you a quick nod as you meandered over to the counter.

“Wanda, Wanda, Wanda… what do we have here?”

“Y/N! It’s so good to see you,” wrapping you in one of her signature hugs that you loved so much. “This is my parents’ Christmas cookie recipe,” she proudly declared. “I convinced Tony and Pepper to let me handle the desserts this year. So, we’ve got cookies, the Viennese torte is in the fridge and the pumpkin pie is cooling.”

“Wow, you have been busy,” you smiled. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Yes, you can take a cookie and go mingle. I’ll be done in a few minutes,” handing you a charming little cookie decorated like Santa. You took a bite and couldn’t believe it. It was the best cookie you had ever tasted.

“Mhmm, Wanda! This is amazing.”

“That is why I will always vouch for homemade over store bought goodies. Now seriously, go mingle,” shooing you away.

You turned back around to see your wife sitting by the fireplace talking to Steve, champagne in hand. As you started to across the room you were intercepted by a festively-dressed Kate and Lucky.

“Y/N! Hey, oh my gosh, I haven’t seen you in so long! How are you?”

“I’m good! I see you and Lucky are enjoying the party,” petting the Golden Retriever.

“Absolutely, say hello to Santa Paws and Mrs. Claus!” Kate exclaimed. Unfortunately, we’ve lost Yelena. She’s our elf,” glancing around the room.

“Wait, Yelena’s dressed as an elf?” Eyes wide. “Oh, that’s fantastic.”

“Yeah, if you see her will you send her our way? We’re supposed to be taking the photo for our holiday card tonight.”

“Nothing would make me happier,” you smirked with a hand on Kate’s shoulder.

You bid the young archer and pooch farewell and rejoined your wife.

“Hey, deka,” Wrapping her arm around your waste.

“Y/N, I was just telling your wife that she needs to find her holiday spirit and come Christmas caroling with us next week,” Steve said.

“Natasha singing? I’m not sure that would be good for community morale,” you joked

“Says the woman who performs one woman tributes to Harry Styles in the shower?” Nat giggled.

“Hey, my rendition of Sign of the Times is highly praised, I’ll have you know.”

Tony and Pepper join your little huddle with Morgan in tow.

“Romanoffs! You have to try this Hot Buttered Rum,” Tony remarked.

“Oh, I love Hot Buttered Rum, but I think I’ll stick with sparkling cider tonight,” you said “Nat would probably love some though, right, love?”

“Sure,” grabbing the glass from Tony’s hand as Steve looked back at you curiously.

You peered down at Morgan who was sitting on the ottoman next to the fireplace. Ever since you found out you were pregnant you were drawn to children like never before.

“Hi, sweetheart! You look so pretty tonight,” kneeling down to the little girl’s level.

“Thank you, Aunt Y/N,” she grinned.

“Are you excited for Christmas? You are clearly at the top of Santa’s nice list this year.”

“Really?!” Morgan squealed.

“Oh, absolutely, I have a feeling the man in red is going to be very good to you this year,” you winked.

“Did you hear that Daddy? Aunt Y/N said that I’m on the top of the nice list!”

“I sure did, squirt. I didn’t realize Aunt Y/N was so tight with St. Nick,” eyeing you coyly.

“Oh yeah, we’re on a first name basis. I’m surprised you’re not?” Smirking at the billionaire. You loved Tony like a brother, but you enjoyed giving him crap.

“Trust me, Mrs. Romanoff, I’m much closer to Santa than you are.”

“Really, do you have a direct line to the North Pole?”

“Are you having milk and cookies flown in from Holland? Because you know those are his favorite,” raising an eyebrow at you.

“Ooookay, that’s enough,” your wife placing hands on your shoulders from behind. “You both know Santa. You both have giant egos. Merry Christmas,” Nat mocked. Come on Tony, let’s go grab some hors d'oeuvrs for our better halves. I’ll be right back, detka,” leading the billionaire toward the kitchen.

You couldn’t help but admire Natasha as she walked away. Looking back over her shoulder, she smiled at you with all the love in the world. You just about melted right there in front of the fireplace. Snapping out of your love daze, you noticed Pepper grinning at you.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. I just can’t help but notice how glowing you look tonight,” as Morgan pulled her away towards Clint’s kids and Steve strolled away to join Bucky in conversation with Rhodes.

“Pssst… Pssst!”

You turned around just as a styrofoam snowball was about to hit you in face. You caught it in one swift motion.

“Nice catch,” a Russian voice said.

“Yelena, where are you?” Glancing around not seeing your sister-in-law.

“Over here,” poking her head out from the behind the seven-foot snowman next to the pool table.

“Oh, now don’t you look adorable as an elf,” you giggled.

“If you weren’t pregnant with my niece or nephew you would be hanging upside down from the rafters right now.”

“You know Kate and Lucky are looking for you, right?”

“Why do you think I’m hiding behind the giant snowman? Kate Bishop forced me to dress in this saccharin American Christmas costume and now she wants photographic evidence of it.”

“Because she loves you, silly,” your arms crossed over your chest.

“Detka, it’s time for dinner. Let’s go—“Natasha stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of her sister. “Oh my God,” she burst into laughter.

“Tred carefully, sestra,” Yelena threatened.

“No, I love it. I think this qualifies as new mission suit attire,” poking the bell dangling from her elf hat. “Maybe you can get Stark to upgrade this outfit with Widow Bites.”

“Do you have a death wish?” Yelena sneered.

“Come on you adorable elf, it’s time for dinner,” placing an arm around your best friend’s shoulder.

*^~^*

You took your seat next to your wife at the Astoria Grand Giovani dining table. Natasha quietly squeezed your hand. You looked over with a shy smile and a festive blush on your cheeks.

Pepper stood up from her seat next to Tony at the head of the table. “Before we enjoy this lovely holiday feast, I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how grateful we are that you’re all here,” grasping Tony’s hand. “Everyone in this room knows how precious life is and we don’t take a moment of it for granted. We love you and Merry Christmas.”

“Here, here!” Thor declared a couple seats down from you as glasses clinked around the table.

A traditional Christmas dinner soon filled your plate. Roasted turkey with all the trimmings. Home baked bread, mashed potatoes and garden veggies gently roasted, drizzled in balsamic vinegar. The group drank, were merry, and told the most terrible of jokes.

Pregnancy mood swings were becoming commonplace and as the dinner wore on, you suddenly found yourself overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of your extended family enjoying the holiday season together.

“Y/N, are you okay?” Carol looked at you with concern in her eyes from across the table.

“Oh, yeah” dabbing at the corner of your eyes with your napkin. “I’m fine.”

“The holidays always make her a bit emotional,” Natasha offered laying her head comfortingly on your shoulder.

After dinner you helped Wanda serve the desserts. The Christmas cookies took their place in the center of the table, flanked by the Viennese torte and the pumpkin pie. Coffee and dessert wine circulated around the table.

The group of full bellies and ever so slightly sleepy eyes then made their way to the living room to relax. Christmas music softly enveloped the room as the kids were discussing what they hoped Santa was going to bring them this year.

“Okay, Kate Bishop. Let’s get this picture over with. I want to put on my pajamas,” Yelena announced as she stood from the sofa.

“Yay!! Okay, don’t move. Lucky! Here boy,” calling the dog who promptly romped over. “Vision, can you take the picture?”

“Of course Ms. Bishop.” Taking the Canon EOS R-50 from the archer.

“It is customary to say cheese before a picture, but since it is Christmas time perhaps you should say mistletoe?”

“Just take the picture,” Yelena deadpanned

“Mistletoe!” Kate yelled.

“We’re going to get one of these cards right?” Looking at your wife.

“I had Kate put us down for two,” she smirked.

*^~^*

As night fell, you rested your weary head on Nat’s lap as she ran her fingers through your hair.

Natasha looked at her watch. “You ready to drop the baby bomb?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. I’ll get the Christmas crackers,” rising from the sofa.

“Umm, everyone. Y/N and I have a special gift for you all,” your wife announced nervously as you passed out the gold and silver novelties to the team.

“Christmas crackers? I have to be honest, I was hoping for something a bit more extravagant… Oww!” Tony whined, as Pepper pinching him on the arm.

You smiled with nervous anticipation as you reached for Natasha. The snap of the festive crackers echoed across the room. Clint was the first to reach inside and remove the tiny gift. A small round ceramic white ornament tied to a red ribbon appeared in his hand. Lila, Cooper, and Nate huddled around their dad to get a glimpse as Clint read the inscription.

“Uncle Clint?” Looking up at Natasha in shock.

“No way!” Sam shouted.

Wanda, Carol, and Kate all screamed at the sight of their own ornaments. Their names adorned with the title of Aunt.

“This is joyous news!” Thor crowed.

Pepper got up immediately and embraced you in a warm hug as Laura did the same with Natasha.

“How far along are you?” Wanda asked.

“Almost three months,” Yelena cut in.

“You knew?! Why didn’t you tell me?” Kate shouted; slapping her girlfriend on the arm.

“Because I want to sleep in!”

“I’m so happy for you, Nat,” Steve kissing her on the cheek.

Bucky wrapped his arms around you with a soft kiss to the top of your head.

“You ready to be Uncle Bucky?” Your eyes meeting his gaze.

“Oh God,” his face like a deer in the headlights.

“You’ll be great, Buck,” you giggled.

Bruce and Helen embraced Natasha in a tandem hug.

“I’m so relieved everyone knows,” Helen said turning to you. “Now we can openly discuss your pregnancy. Have you been continuing with your prenatal vitamins?”

And remember, you have an appointment on Friday,” Bruce interjected.

“Yes and yes,” you said as Natasha placed a soft kiss to your cheek and then another to your belly.

Tony walked up to you with that signature smirk on his face. You mentally prepared yourself for a signature Stark one-liner or some stupid joke. Instead, he took you by surprise when he wrapped you in a warm embrace.

“Congratulations, Romanoff. Looks like you do know Santa best.”

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