study_in_scarlet | Dancing in the Dark (for farmboyhawk)

Natasha felt a little guilty for tricking Liho like that, but it had to be done and it was easier on all of them this way than force feeding her the pill. For a moment it seemed like it would all be for naught, though, before Clint’s quick thinking saved it in the end. Watching the little kitten lick the chocolate from his finger, Natasha raised her eyes to his and returned his smile.

“Teamwork,” she said. She could see how pleased he was with the little bit of progress, and she certainly didn’t think it was stupid at all. Setting her plate aside she leaned forward to kiss him softly, tasting chocolate on his lips.

They always had been better together, after a bit of a rough patch in the beginning, of course. She had no doubt that they would get through this, that they would be okay, no matter what happened. “Finish up. Since you cooked I’ll clean.”

"Aye, Ma'am."

In all honesty, Clint already felt full after half a plate, a remaining sign of his body and soul reacting to the uncertain situation and all the changes they were facing. But he didn't want Natasha to worry, so he finished his helping, wisely keeping the plate out of reach now, no matter how cute Liho looked up at him, obviously waiting for more.

"You've had enough for now, furball", he mumbled over the last bite, but obviously he was still a big sap because once he was done, he reached out his hand again for Liho to lick the rest of sugar and chocolate off his fingertips.

"Definitely more than enough", he added with a grumble after he had handed that plate to Natasha as requested.

Getting to his feet, he lured the kitten next door so Natasha could work in peace. Liho came surprisingly easy when he ringed that little ball she liked between his fingertips.

"Yep, that's right. Workout time, Missy. Can't let you get too lazy. Still a rough world out there, you know."

Clint held the ball right over Liho's head, just high enough so she had to stretch for it, and snatched it away from her paws a few times to keep her busy, then he rolled it in a corner, and little one followed like a bolt. If she was half as eager hunting mice, eventually she'd hopefully be able to survive without raiding their kitchen.

Really, there wasn’t much to cleaning up with the dishwasher there, but Natasha took her time rinsing dishes, wiping up any spilled flour, and putting all the ingredients back where they belonged. First, though, she made sure to fill the kettle and put it on to boil while she worked.

In the meantime Clint amused himself by playing with Liho, and Natasha was pleased to see that the kitten seemed to have forgiven him for the trip to the vet the other day. He had tried to play it off, but she knew he had been bothered by the idea of the kitten not liking him, and with everything else going on he could have used the comfort of a little extra love.

There was still room in the dishwasher so she didn’t start it up after it was loaded, and after wiping down the counters she moved to watch the two playing in the living room. “Would you like some tea?” she asked, not wanting to interrupt but the kettle had started whistling. She knew tea wasn’t really his thing, but she tried every once in a while nonetheless.

"Would be more solid than drinking water all the time, huh?"

Clint looked up, sighing under his breath, and threw that little fur mouse for Liho he had found in the sofa corner next.

Immediately the ball was forgotten and the kitten got in a brave fight against her little prey, rolling on the floor and more often chasing her own tail than the toy. He obviously didn't need to worry about workout for little one.

He should rather get his own lazy ass to do a few rounds of running, but sitting around and not moving was so much more convenient right now. He didn't need the fitness gurus over at headquarters to know, he was running low on energy. But he didn't really want to force his stomach, as long as it was obviously still coping with the idea that he could be a father soon. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea, at least hoarding a little nutrition from drinks.

"Guess I'll give it a shot."

He smiled up at Natasha, a little embarrassed, and gave himself a push to at least get up and get that ball back from where Liho had dropped it, to work it between his fingertips again.

Immediately the kitten looked up, obviously torn if she should keep on killing her little prey or go back to the tingling and rolling fancy stuff. She ended up with the mouse hopelessly caught between her claws when she wanted to hurry over to him and fell on her side with little grace, just to immediately attack the mouse again with all four paws and her teeth.

Clint caught himself laughing, and that sound had become rare in the last days. He didn't want to admit it openly yet, but maybe that decision for little one had been a very good one after all.

“Well, I don’t know about ‘solid’, but it would offer more variety,” she replied. She had picked up several different kinds at the market to try, some of them herbal so without the caffeine they should be as good as drinking water.

Looking down at Liho as the kitten started attacking the little toy mouse, Natasha grinned broadly at the fairly spasmodic show. She had been worried about the little one that first day, seeing how tiny and weak she seemed, but a vet visit, some medication and some good food later and she certainly seemed to have gained some energy.

Turning her attention back to Clint when he spoke Natasha nodded and returned to the kitchen. Selecting the peppermint tea since it would be easiest on both their stomachs and a good alternative to water, she poured the boiling water over it to leave it to steep.

That was when she heard Clint laughing.

It was a sound that used to be so commonplace, and she hadn’t realised how much she had missed it the past few days until that moment. Leaving the tea momentarily forgotten, she peeked back out to find him laughing as Liho continued to viciously attack her toy.

Just seeing him so carefree in that moment she soon found herself laughing with him.

The sound of Natasha's laugh was always something to touch Clint's heart deeply, and especially when it had become rare, he soaked in every second, every nuance to memorize. He turned his head to her, still smiling widely and reached for her hand, pulling it close for a kiss, letting her know everything he didn't need to say, not all the time, not when they were just having a happy moment.

If Liho realized that their temporary owners were laughing at her still rather undeveloped hunting skills, she didn't seem to mind. She finally got her claws out of the rough toy fabric and got to her feet, her prey proudly in her little mouth, and carried it over to Natasha, looking up at her as if she expected some kind of praise. Which definitely topped the cute performance a second ago.

"You just wait, in no time she brings you real birds and rats", Clint chuckled.

That simple kiss on her hand told her all she needed to know and she replied by squeezing his fingers and moving closer to brush her shoulder against his. No matter what they would always have each other, and as long as they could still laugh together then they could make it through anything.

Watching Liho present her trophy, Natasha couldn’t help but crouch down and scratch the little one on the top of her head. Part of her wanted to discourage the behaviour that Clint pointed out, but she wanted Liho to be able to catch her own prey and feed herself, and if they had to put up with some headless birds on the floor every so often in the meantime, then so be it. It wasn’t like they both hadn’t seen much worse.

“Such a fierce warrior,” Natasha cooed at the kitten that was enjoying every second of the attention. Glancing up at Clint she smirked. “As long as she doesn’t leave them in our bed then I think we’ll get along fine.”

"Bed room is off limits. And you can be sure I'll close the door from now on, Missy."

Clint wiggled his finger at little one to emphasize his point, without much hope she's really care.

As much fun as it was to spend time with little one, all three of them could use a little sun and fresh air.

"What do you say, let's go outside, red? Just a walk or something? Or did you have anything planned?"

It would probably be a good idea to close all the doors and relegate her to just the kitchen and living space, just in case. Might help to keep her out of trouble too if they removed as much temptation as they could.

Either way it was adorable to see Clint talk to the cat like that.

“A walk sounds nice,” Natasha agreed, straightening back up and heading back to the kitchen for their tea. “And how about the beach later?”

Sick or no, the weather would turn soon enough and she didn’t want to waste the time they had to just relax in the sun, swim in the warm water, and simply enjoy themselves out in the open.

"You'll never hear me say no to the beach."

Clint tore himself away from playing with little one reluctantly and shooed her out of the door, not without the promise that she could come back later, though. They still had to keep her fed and all, after all.

"Want my cappy again? You looked cute with it", he grinned at Natasha when he quickly pulled out a new shirt from his drawer and spotted said piece of clothing on top of it.

Aside from looking cute, it would help her protect herself from the sun which would be important if she wasn't feeling that well yet.

Clint managed to get Liho back outside with little fuss, which probably had to do at least partially to the fact that she was already aware that it was only temporary.

“Cute?” Natasha repeated, scrunching up her nose, well, cutely as she returned to the living room, a mug in each hand. “Not usually a term used to describe me.” Beautiful, sexy, intimidating, even scary, but cute? Only Clint could get away with that one. Still, stopping in front of him she tilted her head forward so he could place the hat on her head.

"Yep, cute. Sometimes. A little."

Clint placed the cappy on her head and held her face softly between his hands, smiling at her little pout. No, cute wasn't something one would usually associate with the master killer Natasha Romanoff.

But it wasn't the killer he was so deeply in love with. It was the woman, the adorable girl she sometimes could be, the breathtakingly attractive lady with the wild red curls, a perfect dream come true. He loved all these little parts that made her whole, that made her his, and this was a good moment to tell her, he decided. He whispered it against her lips between two kisses, very quietly, as if no one else was allowed to hear it.

"Thanks", he mumbled then, taking the mug from her and taking a few first sips. It actually wasn't half-bad, he found. "Lead the way? I think we can both use a little sun."

His touch was so gentle, loving, and Natasha’s expression quickly softened. He looked at her like she was the only woman in the world, like she was everything good and beautiful and important. He made her feel like her life was worth something, for if she could make him happy then... well, that was worth everything.

His words were quiet yet unrestrained, and had she not been holding two mugs of hot tea she would have thrown her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She wanted to blame hormones, but it was probably just as likely that she had never been loved like this before, a love so deep and true that she had a hard time believing it was real some days. Clint knew her, knew the darkest parts of her, yet he could still say words like these and mean every syllable. Maybe some day that fact would cease to amaze her, but not today.

Directly afterwards he relieved her of one of the mugs, leaving one of her hands free. She wanted to touch him everywhere, to tangle fingers in his hair, to squeeze his hand, to trace his lips with her fingertips. Unable to decide she brushed off the idea all together and sipped her tea instead, her eyes watching him as he tried his, searching his face for any indication of what he thought of it.

Turning toward the door she did take his hand then, entwining their fingers together as they stepped out into the morning sun.

Autumn was happening, this noon they really couldn't deny feeling it anymore. It still was very warm under the high sun, but not unbearable hot. The leaves were starting to run orange and the smell of grape and olive oil harvest was in the air. People were more busy than usual, starting to renovate their houses for winter or do their own little harvest in their private gardens.

It was a rich, promising smell of work and crop which reminded Clint of his very first, long left behind home, as it happened so often these days. He found, surprised, that he began putting up with these kind of memories instead of locking them away immediately, like he had done it for decades. He let the hurt and bitterness pass and concentrated on the few good things this smell thought, accepting them as part of his past just like the other happy times he had had.

It was the harder way, maybe, the one he had to feel and deal with more, but in the long run maybe it was better to live a life with a little weight on his shoulders than always pretending. And spending his nights more screaming and crying than finding strength for a new day.

His tea was nearly finished, he realized in another moment of surprise, when he finally tore himself out of melancholy to really recognize, not just see, where they were actually headed. They had gone steadily up, that much he knew, but it had been a harmless, low rise, not one of these inhuman, dangerous stone stairs that connected the levels of the city.

They weren't too far gone, still in the neighborhood, the better one, really, where the houses and gardens were very neat and colorful and the autumn roses spread a nearly numbing breeze.

What had made him wake from his thoughtfulness though was a sound he had come to know very well by now... Quiet meowing, from many kittens, who sounded older than their little ward was.

"Ah. Feeding time at Angelina's."

He nodded at a small white house on the other side of the street, with a completely open garden. In between thick, overgrown bushes they could spot their householder in a group of cats with a huge bucket over her arm, throwing out little pieces of meat and fruit to her crowd. Not a scene he wanted to disturb, for more than one reason.

"Just warning you, she probably won't rest until she knows all about the baby if we go there now."

The walk was pleasant, quiet, comfortable, and Natasha found she was feeling much better for it. It was warm but not too warm, the air was fresh and full of wonderful smells, the people busy but friendly. It was easy to see why Clint was so taken with the place, and the more time spent out in it the more she became the same.

Clint seemed to be pretty lost in his thoughts so she left him to them and focused her own mind on everything around them. It was almost like a meditation technique, taking everything in, all the sights, smells and sounds, as well as the general feeling.

By the time Clint roused himself from his thoughts Natasha had done well centering herself, though when he said what he did she felt her nerves flaring up again and her hand moved instinctively to her stomach. A lot of women kept their pregnancies secret for the first trimester for many reasons, and while Natasha wasn’t a superstitious person she couldn’t help but feel like the less they talked about the baby until they passed that point the better.

“Maybe another time?” she replied, hoping that Clint understood. She didn’t want to be rude, didn’t want to snub the woman who had been so kind and helpful, but it was too soon, too unsure. The more they talked about it the more real it became, and if something happened...

It was easier to remain as detached as possible from the whole idea, at least for another couple of weeks.

"Of course. We have time."

Clint let go off her hand just to wrap his arm around her next and gently lead the way, taking a turn before they could pass or even come in sight of that one certain house. They did have time, as much as they wanted to take it. Since no one had neared the city with a helicopter yet to take them back to the States and Fury even refrained from hacking into their phone lines so far, there was no reason to assume otherwise. They could go for a diner to his neighbor sometime in the next weeks, when they were both feeling a little more certain and up to questions about this whole thing.

He pressed his lips to Natasha's temple for a moment, trying to soothe that sudden tension in her body, and smiled a little against her skin.

"You smell like peppermint."

Natasha let Clint lead her away, grateful that he understood, and that he managed to maneuver them out of there before they were seen. Another week or two to digest everything and make sure that things were still going well, then maybe they could invite Angelina over for dinner.

It was easy to think that, of course, but the actual doing would be a little more difficult. Not as difficult, though, as telling the people back home, starting with Fury. The director would not be pleased, but he would have to deal with it. What it meant for their jobs, though, Natasha wasn’t sure.

The others wouldn’t be so bad. Steve and Pepper would likely be very happy for them, and Tony... he would be happy to have some new material to torture them with. It would all be very interesting to say the least.

Leaning into Clint’s side, she smiled at his words. “So do you,” she said. “Did you like it? The tea.”

"It certainly beats emptying one water bottle after another."

Clint let his fingertips draw soft circles on Natasha's hip and left a kiss on her face from time to time, making use of their close embrace. From time to time he inhaled deeply , with a goofy smile on his face. The smell of autumn was awesome, promising and full of colors, but his favorite scent in the world was still his partner's.

"Maybe we should try something with fruits next. Can't promise I won't be all over you afterwards, though..."

Natasha enjoyed these quiet moments, and just being close to Clint. She had never been one for showing affection in public, but here with him she had no complaints. It was actually kind of nice, to be so open about their relationship. He was the most important thing in her life and he made her happy, so why should she hide that? Maybe it was how she was brought up, that she had to hide the things she cared about or they would be taken from her, but that wasn’t foolproof. She had kept him secret before, had tried to keep it casual, but she had still almost lost him. It had taken her a long time but she had eventually realised that it was better to live, to enjoy what they had now, because she couldn’t predict the future.

But if anyone else tried to take him from her she would absolutely destroy them.

“You can’t promise that anyway,” she teased, grinning up at him. “Maybe I’ll make some tonight and put it on ice. The afternoons are still too warm for hot tea.”

"Don't challenge me. I can live a monk's life if I have to."

Her teasing only got an amused grin out of Clint. Of course he was crazy for her body, just as much as for everything else that was her, and since he was pretty sure, she was just as much crazy for him, that was completely okay. Their relationship was deep and serious enough to survive without any physical aspect as the last days had proven so flawlessly.

Which didn't mean he'd refuse getting his lips all over Natasha's naked body at the next offered chance.

"Self-made iced tea? Told you, we'll make cooks out of ourselves after all", he laughed quietly and pressed another kiss to Natasha's temple.

Their house was coming in sight in the distance, but he didn't feel like going inside just yet, instead held to sit down on a low garden wall for a moment to enjoy a few more minutes of sun.

“You, a monk?” Natasha scoffed. “I think you would explode.” Regarding him a moment her expression grew a bit wicked. “Though it would be fun to try to make you break your vows...”

Of course she was just as crazy for him as he was for her, that much was obvious whenever they were alone and their lives weren’t in upheaval. They were more than just the physical, though; so much more, and that was something Natasha hadn’t had for a very long time, and something that had taken her a while to accept.

Settling down on the wall beside him, she folded her hands on her lap and swung her legs, just enjoying their surroundings, the quiet nature of this place. “There’s not much to making iced tea, but I will take the praise,” she said, bumping her shoulder lightly against his.

"Hey, we gotta start somewhere, right? First chapter: drinks. Next we move on to soup. Always wanted to know how they make that carrot ginger thing in that diner next to the headquarters."

Instead of teasing back, Clint leaned down to press his lips to Natasha's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek softly against her sun-warmed skin, and sneaked his arm around her waist. They probably looked a bit like teenagers, hanging out on their first date, and he was absolutely okay with that. He was crazy for his girl just like on the first day, after all.

"I'm pretty sure though, these vows won't last for long if I have you there in the kitchen again. You make quite the sexy cook."

“I always was good at making drinks, so we’re further ahead than we could be,” she replied, leaning into his side. Drinks that she couldn’t drink anymore, for a while at least. That didn’t mean she couldn’t mix them for Clint, though she had a good idea that if she didn’t drink them then neither would he. Just last night he had forgone wine to share juice with her instead.

For a moment she closed her eyes, just enjoying the sun on her skin and Clint’s comfortable presence at her side. Eventually she had to laugh at his statement, though.

“You just like to see me dirty and disheveled,” she said, looking at him coyly from beneath her lashes.

"Yep, I'm horribly predictable. Hence why I'm such a bad spy."

Clint gave her shoulder just the smallest playful bite and kissed the very same spot then, feather light.

"Also, if I get you a little dirty, I get to clean you up afterwards. Soap, oil, back rub, the full program. So we both win. Still owe you that message, remember?"

“You’re not a bad spy,” Natasha replied. “You’re just not a very good one either.”

She just couldn’t resist.

“How could I forget?” He did paint a very nice image, though, and it was very tempting to take him up on the offer right then, but they had just started their day and she didn’t want to waste the good whether, even though time alone with Clint would never be a waste. “Sounds like a good way to end the day.” Sun and swimming first, of course, though that also left room for Clint to get his hand on her since Natasha was a firm believer in protecting her skin, especially when it was him applying the sunscreen.

Dancing in the Dark (for farmboyhawk)

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