A Gift From: crazy4orcas
Type Of Gift: Fic
Title: The Softer Side
A Gift For: mahenry424
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary/Prompt Used: I went with the open-ended “Anything you’re inspired to write” with big dashes of “day-in-the-life” and “fluff” and mixed in elements of “Clint and Natasha meet/set a play date for/otherwise deal with their pets (Lucky and Liho).”
Author's Note: Happy Holidays mahenry424, I hope you enjoy the fic! Thanks to the mods for running Secret Santa, you guys rock. Endless thanks to S, my amazing beta -- I couldn’t have done this without you! Thank you H for the last minute read.


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Clint held out a piece of turkey from his sandwich and called Liho. The little black cat flicked her ears but didn’t move from where she was stretched out on the window sill sunning herself. He’d been trying for the last few days to get the cat to respond to him but wasn’t making much progress. Liho had let him pet her a few times, he’d even gotten her to purr once, but he had the feeling the cat held him responsible for Natasha’s absence.

Natasha had only just moved in when Coulson called with a last minute undercover assignment for her. She’d departed almost immediately, leaving her clothes and few belongings still in their boxes, her bookshelves still in pieces. Even with the animals for company, the apartment felt a little lonely with Natasha gone. Clint was used to being by himself, one of the side effects of long hours in a sniper’s nest, but he missed Natasha. And her unpacked things were a glaring reminder that she wasn’t there.

At least Lucky and Liho were getting along. The two had become fast friends months before when he’d taken Lucky over to Natasha’s old apartment so she could dog-sit while Clint was on an assignment of his own.

“You’ve already had your own, leave mine alone,” he told Lucky. The dog was sitting next to him, licking his chops and watching Clint’s sandwich intently. Lucky looked up at him with a hopeful expression, but at Clint’s “Sorry buddy,” he flopped down and put his head on his paws. Clint was surprised when he felt something on his leg and looked down to see Liho rubbing up against him. The cat was just as stealthy as her owner.

“Decided to make nice, huh?” he asked with a grin and offered the turkey again. Liho delicately took the morsel from him. She then jumped up on the coffee table, sat serenely beside his plate and stared at him. Without thinking, he tore another piece of meat off his sandwich and fed it to her. Several pieces later he got the idea that Liho was also just as adept at manipulation as her owner.

He finished his sandwich and washed it down with a beer before flopping back on the couch with the remote and settling in for some mindless television. Lucky clambered up on the narrow cushion beside him, stepping on him a few times before lying down. Clint had to shift around before he was comfortable and Natasha’s last words to him before she left came to mind, “That ratty couch has got to go, preferably before I get back.” He grudgingly admitted she was right and mentally rearranged his schedule to make time for a trip to Ikea.

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It wasn’t until the fifth time Clint stubbed his toes on one of Natasha’s boxes that he decided something had to be done with them. Since her assignment was indefinite, he figured that something was up to him. He checked the boxes and sorted out those labeled “closet.” As he unpacked and hung up her clothes, her scent surrounded him. He breathed in deeply and his shoulders relaxed. He smiled as he pictured her fondly rolling her eyes at him as she rearranged everything he’d hung up.

Clint wasn’t fool enough to touch Natasha’s underthings, at least, not unless he was peeling them off her. But he did take the time to clear out a couple of drawers in the dresser for her. He found the box he’d watched her carefully pack with her fancy perfume bottles and arranged them on the dresser. He had to admit that they brightened the rather drab room. He brought in a few more of her favorite things and hung the print she’d brought with her over the bed. It was then he realized how shabby the bed looked. He put a new comforter and pillows on his list for Ikea.

The new couch went together surprisingly easily considering he didn’t bother with the instructions. The only major setback had been locating a couple of missing screws which he found being batted around the kitchen floor by an enthusiastic Liho. Since he had his tools out anyway, he decided he might as well put Natasha’s bookshelves together. He proudly surveyed his handiwork when he was done. They looked nice arranged around his entertainment system and would look even better filled. He knew better than to unpack her books, though, so he just stacked the boxes neatly by the bookshelves.

Clint stretched and figured that with the furniture assembly he’d put enough energy into his day. Yawning, he also decided a nap test needed to be conducted, so he kicked off his shoes and sprawled out on the new couch. Clint patted the spot next to him. Lucky didn’t hesitate to jump up and join him, lying down with a loud groan. He lazily scratched the dog’s ears until they both dropped off.

He was awakened by his phone chirping with a new text message. Clint fumbled until he located the device and blearily read the message from Coulson. “Romanoff going into debriefing.” He sent back a quick acknowledgement to let Phil know he got the message. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and through his hair, trying to wake himself up. One thing was certain; the new couch passed the nap test with flying colors.

Refreshed, Clint got up and, with a spring in his step, made his way to the kitchen. He had the ingredients for Natasha’s favorite soup and the need to see her smile when she got home.

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She forced herself up the last flight of stairs, dragging her bag behind her. This latest assignment had been more desk work than field work, involving mind games over physical action. But it had called for excruciatingly long days and had been a brutal tax on her patience. At the moment, all she wanted was to get out of the ridiculous heels her cover preferred and settle in for a nice, long nap; hopefully curled up next to a nice, warm body. It was at times like this Natasha almost wished they’d moved into an apartment in a newer building, one with a working elevator, rather than keeping Clint’s place.

As she neared their door she smiled and her steps grew lighter when she saw the alarms were disengaged. Clint was home. She entered the apartment and was greeted with the comforting aroma of Clint’s homemade chicken curry soup and a cheery “Hey, you’re home a little early” from the kitchen area. Her shoulders loosened as an almost overwhelming sense of relief flooded her. She had to pause for a moment to collect herself, to try and dismiss the thought that she just might be getting too soft.

Lucky let out a friendly bark as he came rushing over to her and leaned against her legs. She dropped her bag, knelt down and ruffled the dog’s ears. He groaned happily, his tail thumping madly against the floor. Natasha straightened and was immediately crowded back against the closed door. Strong hands gripped her hips as Clint pressed himself into her and kissed her soundly. She hummed with contentment, wrapped her arms around his waist and returned the kiss. Clint’s lips were firm and warm against hers. She tasted his favorite coffee when she opened her mouth to him and her stomach clenched pleasantly when he ran his tongue against hers. Everything suddenly felt right and she couldn’t help thinking this must be what home felt like.

“Missed you,” he murmured against her skin as he trailed hot kisses and gentle nips along her jaw and down beneath her ear.

Natasha tucked herself against him and buried her face in his neck. “Missed you too,” she replied, fighting off a yawn and leaning heavily into him.

“One of those, huh?” he asked, banding his arms around her to hold her tight. She nodded and snuggled even closer. “Let me guess, you want a nap, right?”

She nodded again, her body relaxing further against him. “What makes you say that?”

He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. She could hear the smile in his voice when he replied, “Your hands aren’t in my pants and you haven’t grabbed my ass yet. It’s a dead giveaway.”

Natasha snorted into his neck, “You do have a nice ass.”

“You know it.”

“But right now a nap sounds even nicer.”

He chuckled, the vibrations spilling over into her, warming her from the inside.

They embraced for a long moment before she reluctantly pulled away from his warmth. “You made me soup?”

“Coulson let me know when you went into debriefing. I just wasn’t sure when you’d make it home. It still needs to simmer for a while, so go get comfortable,” he told her as he turned her toward their bedroom and gave her a gentle push followed by a playful swat to the backside. She tossed a halfhearted glare at him over her shoulder. She’d make him pay for that later.

Since she hadn’t even had a chance to unpack her clothes before she left, she was fully expecting to have to search through boxes to find her casualwear. However, when she reached the bedroom, Natasha was met with a pleasant surprise. Clint had obviously been busy while she was gone. Most of her boxes had disappeared; her clothes had been unpacked and now hung in the closet. She was sure she would need to reorganize things the way she wanted them, but was touched that he’d made the effort.

Also obvious were the new comforter and pillows on the bed. She recognized them as a set she’d admired in a catalog she’d been thumbing through recently. The fact that Clint picked up on things like that didn’t surprise her much anymore. He was called “Hawkeye” for a reason, and the man didn’t miss much. Natasha spotted a couple of her favorite books and her lamp on the table by her side of the bed. The decorative perfume bottles she’d displayed in her old bedroom were set out on the mirrored dresser. Her Ansel Adams print hung on the wall over the bed. She fought back the sudden choked feeling closing up her throat. Once again she had the thought she was getting too soft. She shoved that idea aside even as she riffled through one of Clint’s drawers and exchanged her work clothes for her favorite of his faded bulls-eye t-shirts and her softest flannel pants.

Natasha padded out into the living area only to be met with another surprise. Her bookshelves had been reassembled and were arranged on a wall with Clint’s entertainment system, her boxes of books untouched and neatly stacked beside them. She already looked forward to sorting them the way she wanted and was thankful that Clint knew her well enough not to mess with them. More important than the books though, the new couch she’d seen in the same catalog as the comforter and insisted they get sat against the opposite wall. Clint had proudly admitted to sidewalk shopping for his old one and it had been the one thing on Natasha’s ‘must go’ list when she moved in.

“I see you’ve done some shopping,” she said as she sank down on the couch with a heavy sigh. It was ridiculously comfortable and deep enough for couple’s napping. Liho immediately jumped onto her lap and began kneading her thighs, demanding attention. The cat’s rumbling purr was a soothing vibration through Natasha’s hands as she pet her. She gathered Liho close for a moment before lying down on her side, head resting on one of the couch pillows. Liho settled in front of her and nudged Natasha until she continued petting her.

Clint brought over a blanket, covering her before running a warm hand through her hair. He sat next to her, pulled her feet onto his lap and began to massage them with the exact amount of pressure she liked.

“Do you like the couch?” he asked, and she could tell by the way he watched her out of the corner of his eye that he was feeling uncertain.

“I do,” she replied. “And I really like that I didn’t have to go pick it up.” She groaned as he hit a particularly sore spot on her heel and he paid special attention to the area. Before long she was completely relaxed and feeling utterly boneless. What he could do with his hands never ceased to amaze her. “I like the new look in the bedroom too.”

“I just …,” he hesitated before meeting her gaze and the tips of his ears flushed pink. It was one of his few remaining tells and she was always caught a little off guard by how boyish it made him look. “I mean, it’s our place now, right?”

That choked feeling returned, much more intense this time and she had to blink her eyes against a suspicious wetness. “Yes,” she agreed, “Our place.” Clint’s hands flexed on her feet and she smiled at him. He returned it with a lopsided grin of his own.

The moment was broken when Lucky jumped up on the couch. He shuffled around a bit and lay down behind her, his body warm against her back and his head resting on her hip. Natasha raised an eyebrow at Clint even as she scratched behind Lucky’s ears.

“I may have let him up here with me a time or two,” he said sheepishly.

“I swear Clint, you better not have gotten him used to sleeping on the bed.”

“No, I know better than that.” He gave her his best cocky grin, “Besides, you’re the only one I share a bed with.”

“Good answer,” she replied through a yawn.

“Get some sleep. We’ll catch up later.” He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss against her temple. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“Me too,” Natasha closed her eyes and settled further into the blanket. She was warm and comfortable. She wasn’t curled up against the nice, warm body she had initially imagined, but this was good too. She dropped off to the rumble of Liho’s purring, Lucky’s light snoring, and the thought that getting a little soft might not be such a bad thing after all.