A Gift From: spyforaday
Type Of Gift: FIC
Title: Have a Little Faith
A Gift For: esgeee
Rating: PG
Warnings: A few bouts of salty language, non-graphic child birth scene
Summary/Prompt Used: I combined two prompts: Clint and Natasha spend Christmas alone (with their kids maybe? I love kid!fics) AND anything Chrismas-y that involved domestic fluff since this is my absolute favorite trope EVER.
Author's Note: As the recipient of this fic, you may think you are receiving the gift. I have to admit that it was a gift to me to be able to write this for you. I’ve never written such guilt-free fluff in all my time shipping these two. There’s no mission, no real action – just the interaction of two people trying to figure it all out and getting by with a little help from their friends. And a little bit of Faith. This takes place in the MCU timeline after Ant Man and assumes AoU never happened.


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Have a Little Faith

“So, tell me again why we’re doing this,” said Clint as he zipped his over-stuffed gear bag.

When he didn’t receive an answer, he looked up to make sure Natasha was still in the room. She moved silently even when there was no need for stealth. It was just part of who she was, just another reason in a long list of reasons of why he loved her.

Not only was she still there, but she also did not seem pleased with his inquiry. She offered him her classic “irritated Black Widow” pose. Her posture – head tilted so far to the left that her long, curly, red hair hung well below her shoulder, her arms crossed tightly across her chest and her left foot slightly in front of her right – warned him that this would be the end of the discussion.

“Honestly, I think you like hearing me admit that I need help,” she sighed. “And believe me, this is the ONLY situation where I will admit that. Look, like it or not, we’re part of a team and we’re going to use everyone’s individual strengths to do this right.”

“I get that, but are you sure we’re trusting the right people? What about our old team? What about Maria? And Leo Fitz? They could help us,” Clint all but whined.

Natasha walked over to Clint and busied herself by straightening out the straps of his bag as she continued to speak. “I trust Maria with my life. But this is more important than that.”

She hesitated so long that Clint thought she wouldn’t offer any further explanation, but she continued. “That’s why we need Pepper. I trust her with this. And we can’t have Pepper without Tony. But that’s ok because Tony’s a genius and he’ll love the challenge and he likes us and you know he’d do anything to keep us safe and…” she rambled.

Clint put his hands on top of hers to still their movement and waited for her to look at him. When he had her full attention, he said, “You are the only person I trust. So if you tell me that you trust Pepper and, ugh, Tony Stark,” he said and offered a crooked smirk, “then I trust your judgment.”

This earned him a small smile and a whispered “Thank you.”

The archer effortlessly picked up his gear bag and hung it over his shoulder. Then he put his other arm around Natasha’s shoulder. “Ready, Tash?” he asked.

“Absolutely not,” she replied honestly. “Let’s go.”

xxx

Pepper Potts had a feeling. It wasn’t a bad feeling, per se, but she was on edge. Although she currently sat in her spacious office at the new Stark Industries annex building, her mind was back at home across the street. There was something different about the atmosphere in the Tower lately. She couldn’t put her finger on it and, considering the vast majority of tenants were men, she knew she couldn’t count on any of them to come clean about feelings. For all their heroic deeds, the Avengers – both male and female, to be honest – were not known for their ability to open up.

As she tried to refocus her attention to the quarterly reports in front of her, there was a knock at her door. A quick glance at her schedule showed nothing until after lunch. “Come in,” she sighed.

The unmistakable flash of red hair preceded the forced smile of Natasha Romanoff as she peered around the opening door. “Am I interrupting anything?” she asked.

Interesting. Natasha avoided Stark Industries like the Plague. She certainly wasn’t much for social calls, either. So this must be serious business, Pepper thought to herself. That shifted her already heightened intuition into overdrive.

As the consummate professional and genuinely caring person she was, Pepper offered Natasha a friendly smile and invited her into the office. She got up from her chair and leaned against the front of the desk to make the visit less formal. Whatever it was that brought the Black Widow to her office, Pepper wanted to make sure she felt comfortable enough to talk about it.

Natasha took a deep breath and filled Pepper in on the events and revelations of the previous six months. She began with the events surrounding the fall of SHIELD, how her relationship with Clint had changed, and left Pepper stunned with the details of her morning discussion with Clint.

After regaining her composure, Pepper said, “Natasha, I don’t know what to say. I… I can’t believe you’ve been dealing with all that without help from anybody.” She looked the Russian in the eyes and smiled. “Ya know what? I take that back. I know exactly how you did it. You have Clint, but more importantly, you’re you.”

Natasha held her gaze and returned the smile. “I’m not saying it was easy, but I can already tell it’s worth it,” was her simple reply.

It took every ounce of restraint Natasha had to remain seated as Pepper suddenly rushed towards her and embraced her. “I am so happy for you,” she whispered as she released Natasha and moved away and kneeled next to the chair. “I can tell you’re looking for more than my congratulations, though. What do you need from me?” she asked pragmatically.

Natasha put a small flash drive in Pepper’s hand. “This drive contains the locations and contents of every safe house owned by Barton and me. It also contains details to our various financial accounts, a few legal records, health directives, and final wills. I need you to witness everything, arrange a trust, and make sure that only what absolutely needs to be filed gets filed correctly and as low-key as possible so there’s no attention, no red tape or unnecessary hassle for anyone. Ever.” She tried very hard to keep all emotion from her voice.

Pepper was not fooled and she tried equally as hard to keep the tears from shining in her eyes. The weight of what she was being asked to do was not lost on her. She was sure that half of the governments from the so-called civilized world (and more than a few third world counties) would kill to get their hands on the information she held in her tiny palm. And never mind the unwritten bombshell dropped a few seconds ago.

As she looked at the small device in her hand, her wedding band glimmered in the sunlight that filled the room. How could she not help give Clint and Natasha the same opportunity?

“I’ll get on this immediately. I promise you discretion. As you can imagine, Stark Industries has a number of unconventional methods to get things moved through the legal system. I’ll see to all of this personally,” Pepper solemnly promised.

This time it was Natasha’s turn to unexpectedly lean forward and wrap her arms around Pepper. It was then that Pepper couldn’t hold back her emotions any longer. She knew this had to be difficult for both former SHIELD agents and she knew she wouldn’t let them down. A few tears fell as she let Natasha lean back into the chair. No words were exchanged as Pepper wiped her eyes and slipped the thumb drive into a concealed drawer on the side of her desk. That did, however, earn a raised eyebrow and a nod of approval from the Black Widow.

As Natasha got up and headed toward the door, Pepper asked, “So, which exotic safe house is Tony fixing up for you?”

Natasha turned back and offered a sly smirk before exiting the office. “Waverly, Iowa.”

xxx

“Hey, Red,” bellowed Tony. “C’mere and test this sensor.”

Natasha padded out onto the porch. “Why don’t you yell a little louder, Stark? I really want the next closest farmhouse to know what we’re up to here,” replied Natasha.

“Don’t worry. The Wilson’s are so old they can’t hear each other when they’re sitting on the same porch swing. And I’m pretty sure the Jones’ are hiding more secrets than we are,” he quipped as he put his thumb and forefinger to his lips and raised his eyebrows as he inhaled dramatically.

Natasha looked at the billionaire with a mix of annoyance and reverence. “First of all, spying on our neighbors is not in your job description. Second of all, I hate that you know more than I do, so you’re going to spill after we tweak this sensor,” she spoke through clenched teeth.

Tony turned his attention back to the nest of wires with a small smile. Neither he nor Natasha would admit it, but they worked well together and rather enjoyed each other’s company.

As he fine-tuned the highly sensitive Stark Industries motion sensor, just one of hundreds he’d already installed throughout the house and surrounding property, he could no longer hide his curiosity. “So, tell me, Widow, what’s the ultimate plan? You and Barton shacking up here to live happily ever after?”

She looked at him, but didn’t offer an answer. Tony wasn’t convinced that her silence was a deliberate avoidance of his question. She wasn’t staring him down with a death glare. He decided to push a little further.

“I’m only asking so I know if I have to start recruiting to fill two spots on the Avenger’s roster. I mean if it were only one of you, I suppose I could consider Scott Lang, though we’d have to work on his code name,” he mumbled. “And I’ve heard about that vigilante out in Hell’s Kitchen, but I really don’t have the time or patience to train a new guy. Oh, guy… hmmmm… I suppose you’d want to be replaced with a woman – “

She held up her hands to silence her well meaning but annoying friend. “I don’t know,” she said simply. This situation was anything but simple.

Tony’s face instantly relaxed to his natural smirk. He patted the area to his right. She stepped down and sat next to him on the old wooden plank step. They faced west and watched the very faint purple of the sunset begin to creep across the autumn sky.

“I never expected to live this long,” she whispered. The fall evening was chilly, but it was her words that sent the chill down his back. “I never wanted to live this long. The only way I knew how to live was by killing and who the hell wants to think about pushing 30 and still be a killing machine?” she allowed herself a laugh devoid of any humor whatsoever.

“But Barton and SHIELD, they gave you purpose and a reason to live, right?” Tony asked.

“SHIELD gave me purpose, though it would seem now even that was a mistake,” she sighed. “ But Clint – he gave me something to live for. And now,” she smiled and looked down at the large bump present under her Stark Industries sweatshirt. “Now this. I can’t explain it, but I’m done questioning it. And I will do everything in my power until my last breath to protect her –“

“Ah ha!! It’s a girl! I knew it,” exclaimed Stark as he jumped up off the step and threw his fists into the air. He turned to Natasha and offered her his hand in a high-five motion. She let her head fall back as she let out a rare genuine laugh and slapped his hand.

When Tony finally sat back down, he put his arm around Natasha and squeezed her tightly. “I promise you, Red. You and Cupid are not going this alone. I know I’m an ass,” he said and offered a few seconds of hesitation to see if she would deny his claim. She did not.

He continued, “Right. So, look, personality defects aside, you know you’ve got me and Pepper.” She nodded. “And you’ve got Captain Goody-Two-Shoes. He adores you and admires Barton’s chivalrous tendencies. You know he’s all in.” She smiled and nodded again.

“And when Bruce finds out, he’s going to give you his shy little smile and tell you that the other guy will be there at the first sign of trouble. Or her first date. Either way, she’ll be safe,” Tony said light heartedly.

She took a breath and spoke out loud just one of the many worries she’d kept bottled up, even from Barton. “But they’re so deserving of the same thing. Why me? How does someone like me, who did unspeakable things, suddenly become so blessed?”

“Don’t apologize for being happy, Red. You can’t change the past, whether it’s yours or anybody else’s. You’ve atoned for your sins –“

She cut him off. “Have I, Tony?”

“I’m not the one to ask,” he said vaguely.

Then he picked up where he left off by saying, “And don’t forget the God of Thunder. He’s in need of a normal family life, so…”

She turned and looked at him. “Normal family life?” she shrieked incredulously. She continued to stare at him with her jaw hanging open.

“You’d be surprised at how abnormal this situation is not, comparatively speaking,” stated Tony.

Natasha just sighed and let her head rest on his shoulder. “Thank you,” was all she could think to say.

After a few minutes they saw the headlights of Clint’s pick up truck appear on the long driveway. When he got close enough to take in the scene on the porch – which was still yelling distance away – they heard his booming voice carry through the air. “Hey, Stark! More work and less cuddling with my wife!”

Natasha winced at the term. Not because she didn’t like it, but because she was pretty sure Tony didn’t know that little detail. Pepper had so far proven to be true to her word. Not even Tony was privy to any of the details provided on the drive. Whatever he knew, he was told straight from Natasha or Clint.

She jumped up off the step and declared, “I’m going to make dinner while you help Clint unload the truck.”

“Hey –“ Tony called after her, though he knew she wouldn’t respond. “I know what our dinner conversation’s gonna be!” He got up and walked to the driveway.

Clint began untying the large tarp that covered the mounds in the bed of the super duty, extended cab pick up truck. “Geez, Stark, a guy leaves for a few hours and comes home to find you groping his wife. What gives?”

“She’d kill you if she heard you talking like that,” Tony said.

“Probably,” was Clint’s simple reply.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have moved to the middle of nowhere with the nearest Home Depot being three hours away,” said Tony, clearly baiting Clint into a war of snarky banter.

Clint easily took the bait. “Yeah? Well, maybe you shouldda brought all the equipment necessary to do the job in the first place.”

“Maybe you shouldda been clearer about what I had to work with. ‘Quaint little Iowa farmhouse’ is not only vague, it’s totally inaccurate. This is an ancient monstrosity more in need of floorboards, appliances, and paint than Stark high-tech surveillance, home defense, and air traffic monitoring systems. Though, to be fair,” he said while giving Clint a hardy slap on the back, “this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I like getting my hands dirty and enhancing my top-of-the-line protection systems.”

“I feel safer already,” sarcastically stated Clint as he pulled the tarp from the truck with a dramatic flourish. “Did someone say appliances?”

Even in the growing darkness the stainless steel glimmered. “Ladies and gentlemen, Clint Barton for the win,” announced Tony.

xxx

With Tony being called away for Hydra-related Avengers missions, Stark Industries business, and personal matters to attend to (i.e., Pepper), the farmhouse took 12 weeks to complete. When all was said and done, however, the old Barton family homestead, established circa 1900, became the most secret, heavily fortified and tech-savvy installation in the mid-west. There was a constant and direct, though untraceable, connection to Avengers Tower. Communication would be in real time all the time. Tony couldn’t have been more pleased with himself. Neither could Clint nor Natasha, and they were happy to admit it.

In addition to the SHIELD-level security and monitoring functions, the trio, with some help from Pepper when she could sneak away for a long weekend, fixed up the living areas of the farmhouse. That included the installation of Clint’s new appliances, which required new plumbing and new electrical, of course.

There was fresh paint and a few new pieces of furniture flown in on the Quinjet. Steve and Thor were recruited to load the aircraft and asked where this “fancy furniture” was headed. Credit Pepper and her negotiation skills for keeping them off her trail for as long as possible. In the end it was Tony who dished the news, but he knew without a doubt he could trust his team.

xxx

With less than a month until Natasha’s due date, the only room that remained untouched was the nursery.

After setting the security system, Clint and Natasha walked up the stairs to their bedroom. As they passed the closed door to the nursery, Clint stopped. “Hey, Tash, don’t you think it’s time to get the baby’s room ready?” asked Clint as nonchalantly as he could.

Natasha turned to look at him standing in front of the closed door. “We have time for that. We agreed that she’d sleep in our room for the first few weeks,” she reasoned.

“Yes, but are we really going to feel like painting and organizing while taking care of a newborn?” he wondered.

Her eyes grew wide and her hands started to shake. She had this feeling more often now as reality was hitting home. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel like doing or not doing. If I finish the nursery, do I jinx us? Is that when this falls apart? I don’t know what the hell to do! I don’t know anything about being a wife or a mother, about raising a child! I don’t know anything about having a baby!” she cried.

Clint wrapped his arms around her and held her as her shaky breaths turned to sobs. He stroked her hair as she cried into his shoulder while they stood in the old, drafty hallway. After a few minutes, her sobs subsided and were replaced with sniffs and, to his surprise, a chuckle.

“What the fuck, Barton?” she asked calmly.

He looked at her with cautious eyes. “Excuse me?”

“What the fuck did you to do me, you sonofabitch?” she laughed as she punched his shoulder a little bit harder than she meant to. “We’ve been in foxholes and interrogation rooms and on life support too many times to count and I never cried. Never shed a tear. But talk about having your baby and I’m a basket case. So I ask you, what the fuck did you do to me?”

He held her at arms length, wiped the last of her tears, and tilted her face up to his. “I fell in love with you.”

Her bottom lip began to quiver anew and fresh tears streamed down her face. “But, a baby… a daughter… how can we possibly keep her safe?”

He smiled. “Exactly. A daughter. A fighter. Like her mother. She’s destined to do great things, Nat. I don’t know how or why, but we’ve been given a gift. We’ve done everything we can to give her a chance. All that’s left is to love her. The hard part’s over.”

And just like that, the Black Widow was back. “Did you just say the hard part’s over? Because I still have to give birth. You wanna rethink your stance?” she growled.

“There you are,” whispered Clint as he pulled her back into his arms.

After a few seconds, she wrapped her hands around his waist as much as her swollen belly would allow. “Well played, Agent Barton. Well played. And for the record, I love you, too,” she said through a smile she couldn’t stop from gracing her face.

He placed a kiss to the top of her head and began to lead her to their bedroom. “Whoa there, mister. Where do you think you’re going?” she demanded.

“Ah, to bed?” he asked hoping that was the correct answer.

She turned the doorknob to the nursery and entered. “Clock is ticking and we have a nursery to finish.”

xxx

Two weeks later, Barton placed the call to Pepper. It was time.

As the Barton’s made their way to the local birthing center, Tony, Pepper, and the rest of the Avengers boarded the Quinjet. They were not empty-handed. The spoiling of Baby Barton had officially begun.

When the jet landed at “the compound,” as it had become affectionately known, Tony showed off his handiwork both with the home renovation as well as the tactical enhancements. Everyone received an in-depth briefing on how the equipment worked. The Avengers were out of New York, but not off duty. And very soon there would be a tiny baby whose safety was the responsibility of each and every one of them. Nothing was left to chance.

After she was convinced that Tony’s ego had been fed more than enough, she announced that it was time for her to get to the center and check on Natasha. No news was good news, but she couldn’t wait to see for herself. She grabbed the keys to Natasha’s car and dragged Tony from the house.

xxx

At the birthing center Natasha was pushing. And frightening the nurses. She wasn’t giving any indication of being in any discomfort, let alone the pain of childbirth. She followed instructions, performed the breathing exercises, didn’t ask for any painkillers, and didn’t even yell at her husband. They’d never seen anything like it.

At one point, Clint leaned down and whispered into her ear, “You might want to pretend like you aren’t a badass. At least call me a few names.”

She smiled at him and continued to silently and effectively push until they called Clint around to witness the actual birth of their daughter. One final push and she simultaneously heard the cry and saw Clint’s tears. She was here. They had done it. They had a daughter.

Before going across the room to be cleaned up, weighed, and given a full exam, the nurse handed Clint his daughter. He could barely see her through his tears. As he brought her over to Natasha, he beamed with pride.

“Look what we did,” he whispered as he laid the newborn in Natasha’s arms.

She couldn’t take her eyes off of the baby. It was like looking in a mirror. Everything except her father’s blue-gray eyes and sandy blond hair was Natasha. Yes, she would be strong. A fighter. She was destined for great things, just like Clint said.

The nurse took the baby across the room and invited Clint to join her. This was the main reason for choosing the birthing center over a hospital. The baby would never be out of their sight.

While her daughter was being tended to under Clint’s watchful eye, Natasha was able to concentrate on completing the process and begin to contemplate what her life had just become. She was no longer a lone wolf, a single entity. She was a wife and a mother. Her life suddenly had a meaning.

She must’ve dozed off at some point because she suddenly became aware of a weight next to her on the bed. “Hey,” came the soft greeting from Clint. “Somebody is looking for her mom.”

Natasha gingerly sat up and accepted the squirming pink blanket. She just stared at the little face looking back up at her. “Is everything ok?” she asked with trepidation.

“She’s a perfect eight pound 12 ounce baby girl. You are also doing well, in case you were wondering,” he replied. She just shook her head and continued staring.

“I’ve been told we have guests. Are you ready to introduce our daughter to the likes of Tony Stark?” asked Clint.

“How can we introduce her when we haven’t even named her yet? She needs a name. A worthy name,” Natasha added.

“I have a suggestion,” said Clint.

“I’m listening.”

“Faith,” he offered.

Natasha smiled. “Yes. Faith. And, because we’ll probably have to move around a lot, a name to always remind her where she comes from – Waverleigh.”

Now it was Clint’s turn to smile. “Home never meant much to me, but now I can’t imagine not loving this place.” He put his hand behind her little head and said, “Hello, Faith Waverleigh Barton. I’m your dad and I love you and your mom more than life itself.”

Natasha took his hand and kissed it. Then she leaned down and kissed Faith’s forehead. “We better let Pepper in before she kicks the door down.”

Clint laughed and got up from the bed to greet their friends.

xxx

With baby and mother doing just fine, the center arranged for discharge the next afternoon, Christmas Eve. To the casual observer, Natasha didn’t look like a woman who had just given birth. To Clint, though, she looked a little tired and walked with just a hint of discomfort. She was still the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

They tucked Faith in her car seat and headed for home.

There was little chatter on the way home and Natasha spent more time looking in the back seat than she did looking out the front window. Until they turned into their driveway, that is.

Luminaries lined the path and lit their way for the last third of the drive. The front porch was alight with white twinkle lights and a tree could be seen through the front window.

“Are you kidding me?” was all Clint could say as he brought the truck to a stop.

Natasha just stared out the window and smiled. “We have a family, Barton. I finally get it. We have a family,” she said as she reached for his hand and fought back tears.

Pepper met them at the truck and helped Natasha get out. Tony pulled the bags from the back as Clint freed Faith from the car seat.

“Welcome home, Barton Family!” came Thor’s bellowing voice from the front door.

Natasha looked at Pepper with appreciation.

“You’re not mad?” asked Pepper as she winced and braced for the Black Widow’s wrath.

Natasha responded by hugging her friend and then continued toward the front door with Clint by her side cradling Faith to keep her warm.

As they approached the front door, they were assaulted by the smell of ham and cinnamon. As she tried to process why that would be, she was scooped up into the broad arms of Thor. “Lady Natasha, you make a beautiful mother.”

Before she could reply, she watched his face as he caught a glimpse of Faith. She laughed out loud at his reaction. Then she saw Bruce and Steve also mesmerized by her daughter’s presence. Her smile swelled with pride and love.

As everyone was introduced to Faith, Natasha took the opportunity to look around. A fully set table awaited them for dinner. A quick peek into the kitchen earned her a scolding from Pepper, but it was worth it to see the amazing meal that they would enjoy later that evening.

She walked over to the tree in the living room. The glimmering star just grazed the ceiling and it was covered in twinkling lights like the porch. A single ornament hung in the center. It was made of wood and obviously hand-carved. It was her hourglass symbol with an arrow piercing the middle.

“Merry Christmas, Natasha,” said Steve from behind her.

She turned to face him. “Merry Christmas, Steve. Thank you,” she said as she motioned to the ornament.

He nodded and guided her back to the center of the room where Clint was dealing with a fussy Faith. “I think somebody’s hungry,” she said as she took the baby from Clint.

“Yes, I think we all are,” came Tony’s snarky reply. “Shall I start getting dinner ready at the grown-up table?”

“That’s the best idea you’ve had in the past three months, Stark. Go for it,” answered Clint as he ushered Natasha up the stairs to the nursery.

Once inside, they were greeted with a small Christmas tree in the corner. Again, a single ornament hung in the middle. This one was all bling, however. Deeply cut into the center was ‘Baby’s First Christmas.’ “Is that a diamond?” asked Clint as he walked up to it, almost afraid to touch it.

“I’m guess it’s from her Godfather. What do you think?” sighed Natasha.

Clint just shook his head and began getting the crib ready as Natasha began feeding Faith.

Even with a house full of people and the hustle and bustle going on downstairs, it was perfectly quiet in the nursery. Clint leaned against the dressing table and watched as his wife fed their daughter. He kept waiting to wake up; for someone to put an end to this amazing dream. Even as he tried to convince Natasha that she was deserving of every happiness, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He got the girl. And not just any girl. THE girl. The girl of his dreams. And then there was Faith. Yes, was one lucky sonofabitch.

“Penny for your thoughts, Agent Barton,” said Natasha quietly as she covered back up and prepared to place Faith in her carrier.

Clint pushed off the table and put his hands under hers and they held their daughter together. “No matter what happens 5 minutes, 10 months, or 20 years from now, this moment is perfect. I want to remember it forever.”

She lowered her forehead to lean against his as they watched their daughter fade off to sleep. After a few minutes, Natasha broke the spell. “We better take this opportunity to feed ourselves.”

“You’re really getting the hang of this mother thing, Tash,” responded Clint. He kissed her forehead and placed Faith in her carrier.

When they opened the nursery door, they heard the clanking of glasses, the laughter of friends, and felt the warmth that only comes from being around those who love you. Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff grasped each other’s hand and walked down the stairs. “Welcome home, Faith.”