The story started as it often did, with Tony causing a disruption. Prior to the millionaire's arrival, the team had simply been sharing space, relaxing in an endless Sunday afternoon.

"Do master assassins celebrate Christmas?" He enquires watching the tangle of limbs that was currently Strike team Delta.

Clint frowns considering as to whether the question is to be taken seriously before he locates where the voice has come from. Stark. Definitely not, worth dignifying with a reply, but when Natasha withdraws herself from there close proximity Clint feels one tickling at his tongue.

"Why Tony you got us something nice?!" He asks dryly.

Tony rolls his eyes face lacking any amusement at Barton’s jibe "It’s a simple question"

"Of all the people in this room you could ask about us, and not the Norse god?" Its Natasha’s turn to reply pulling her arms across her chest out of habit.  

"We have a mid-winter festival celebrating the birth of my father" Thor replies apparently undeterred by admitting to eavesdropping.

You can see the moment Tony decides to flirt with danger, to ignore Thor’s comment and continues to press at the assassins. "Don’t avoid the question. Do you celebrate Christmas? I imagine the SHIELD Christmas parties are wild-"

"Yes, we do celebrate"

"And how do master assassins celebrate Christmas?"

Natasha scowls, fiercely protective of the little traditions her and Clint had stumbled into.

The first Christmas together had come two years into their partnership when Fury had refused to assign Natasha another undercover mission over the festive period. So, at Fury’s request, Clint had taken her home with him for Christmas so she’d stop entertaining herself at the expense of the younger agents. Home it turned out was not in New York as Natasha had expected, but an old farmhouse in a small town at the backend of nowhere. Even more surprising where the plethora of family and friends who had greeted Clint’s workmates with open arms. She'd enjoyed it. It was refreshing to see such genuine care and kindness between the townspeople and she’d drank in it. Humanity in all its finery.

The year after they had added the annual New Year’s Eve with Maria, Nick and Phil and Lucy the cellist by a bonfire before dancing under the stars to their reportage. The 3rd year they'd spent Christmas together, Clint had taken Natasha out to the ballet on Christmas eve. The Nutcracker to be exact. She'd adored it and in return, they'd go to the circus on New Year’s Day before packing up and heading back to SHIELD. It was almost scared.

"it's quiet, just a small group of friends at mine," Clint says easily.

Pepper smiles "Sounds perfect"

"would you like to come?" Natasha glares at Clint but its too late.

“Yeah we’d love to”

“It’s an open invitation. You can all come if you like-”

Clint isn’t sure exactly why he asked, it’s an odd feeling. He hadn’t felt pressured, he could have stood his ground if he wanted. However, things with Natasha had been- weird since New York, the whole dynamic of the relationship had shifted, and it gave him vertigo. He never got vertigo but suddenly he was afraid of falling.

It didn’t help that less than one month ago, they’d kissed. Passionate and needy- and halfway through an argument post debrief about some godforsaken mission gone wrong. The topic didn’t matter. Well, it did, she was handling him with kid gloves since New York and this time it had proved detrimental to the mission. She’d promised to stop but Clint couldn’t stop digging under her skin to work out the reasons behind her behaviour as if it wasn’t obvious. That was it, the final straw and she had snapped advancing towards him, calling him whatever dirty name she could think of Russian, English, an interesting mix of the two. Their eyes had met, and the penny dropped. He couldn’t tell who had initiated it he just remembers her eyes and then her lips, her lips! Her lips against his! If she hadn’t initiated, she’d advanced it, deepening it, hands tangling in his overgrown hair as she pulled him closer for a fleeting eternity before pulling away and running.

They hadn’t mentioned it since. It was a mistake. It was a moment of weakness of being compromised.  

Natasha jabs him in the ribs, hard, glare turning into an outright scowl but Clint doesn’t flinch.

“That’s a kind offer but-“

“Tony you need to get away from the City one year”

“Yes together. Not as a group. I just wanted alone time with you“

Pepper ignores him. “That’s a generous offer, Clint. Me and Tony will come.”

Tony rolls his eyes, exasperated once again. It was hard being a millionaire playboy philanthropist.

“I would like to come and celebrate with you hawk,” Thor says “I will bring great gifts for the host”

“Oh, that’s not necessary. We- I don’t really do gifts. That’s all for the kids really”

“We must give gifts. It is custom for bands of warriors to give gifts to each other at the festivities”

Clint pauses, and Pepper offers a quick reprieve.

“You could do a secret Santa? That way its only one gift”

Natasha raises an eyebrow intrigued.

Steve brows furrow, “What is a secret Santa?”

“Well it’s a way of giving presents where everyone’s name is put in and you pull one out and you just have to buy a present for them. That way everyone in the group gets one gift and the buyer only has to buy one gift”

He nods “That sounds like a good plan. A compromise”

“There would have to be rules” Banner starts, “The other guy, he struggles with, um, Christmas especially the shopping”

“Well, who says you have to spend money? I mean Thor hasn’t quite grasped how human money works anyway, it’ll be fun, you’ll have to be creative”

“So, rule one, no spending money. Rule two only one gift per person” Clint agrees.

The group agree not wanting to argue with Pepper, but mostly as the idea was the better than the alternative buying everyone presents. When it came down to it, they were nothing but logical.

“You better get her something nice Tony” Steve says watching Pepper leave, “It’s the least she deserves.”

“You can talk. You gonna get that girl you’ve been seeing something nice?” Natasha purrs distinct note of teasing in her voice. It gives her the desired effect a blush rising to the Captains cheek.  

“Its- it's not that serious. Just a few dates.”

“It will never be serious if you don’t get her a gift. Isn’t that etiquette 101. To get your dancing partner a gift for the holidays”  

Clint wonders if he should get Natasha something, he catches her eye and she offers him a small smile, sharing her amusement at the Captains reaction. Well, at least she wasn’t trying to kill him for ruining their little Christmas.

“She’s not that sort of girl”

“All girls love beginning spoiled.”

Right, that’s settled it. He’d have to get Natasha Romanoff a Christmas present.  

                                                                                 ******

It had taken 2 weeks for Clint to get his act together and start on Natasha’s present. He’d been waiting to try and rig the secret Santa to end up Natasha but once he realised Pepper was going to be the one running it. His plans had to change quickly as Christmas was approaching faster. However, he’d found time after their names from the secret Santa to organise that gift first. It was organisation and not procrastination he promised himself.  He’d been given Steve, he was easy. Clint had found an empty notebook and got to work writing lists of the pop culture Steve needed to catch up on. He’d created something similar for Natasha when she had first joined SHIELD and so was as good an expert as any. Privately he was rather proud of what he had created and wrapped the gift in flag-themed wrapping paper.

Natasha’s gift had proven more difficult he had to balance on the fine line between Relationship and Friendship gifts. It had to be subtle, personal, in short, it had to be perfect. A necklace was the best choice. He thought about buying one but hundreds of men and marks would have tried that before. So it was down to his calloused hands and whatever metal work skills he could recall up from his early archery days, where he had designed his own arrowheads. Unfortunately, he only knew of one man who had the tools he needed.  

“Do you have a magnifying glass?”

Tony raises one eyebrow “I thought you had perfect vision Hawk”

“I do. Look do you have one or not? I don’t have long”

“What are you making Hawk?”

Clint sighs.

“Well I have lots of magnifying glasses when I know what you're looking to do I can give you the right one”

“Do I get a choice?”

“Yes. You either tell me and get the magnifying glass or decide you don’t need it that much and don’t”

“Its to make something for someone”

“This is for Natasha isn’t it?!”

“What?!”

“You’d tell me if it was for anyone else.”

Clint pauses for a moment before conceding “Yes. Can I have-”

“So what are you making?”

“A necklace”

“Oh- Is this love agent Barton?”

“No, it’s a necklace. Now if I could have a magnifying glass to help me cut something for it-”

Tony thinks it over for a second, “Natasha doesn’t seem like the sort of person to enjoy the sentiment, Barton”

“With respect Tony I know her better than you do”

“Does anyone really know the Black Widow-“

Clint glares back however he feels the doubt swell up in his stomach. “Fine. I’ll buy my own damn magnifying glass”

It takes him a week, to collect the tools he needs and to finalise the design though he can’t bring himself to commit it to paper. Despite his doubt, Clint preserves completing the necklace ignoring the tiny cuts to his hands as he carves the tiny pendant. He brought the chain at a small jewellery shop with an overly friendly assistant who’d gotten him to open up and ‘aww’d in all the wrong places. Making Clint feel even more doubtful than before (and maybe a little bit excited somewhere deep inside him), this was after all just a gift for a friend. Nothing more.  

Once it's finished, he finds a small wooden puzzle box to store it in, safe from prying eyes and something more Natasha then a jewellery box. He wraps it in black paper and ties it with a red bow. He tries to forget all about it.

                                                                             ********

Its three days before Christmas when Clint and Natasha travelled down to the farm. Clint suggested going down earlier to tidy up ready for the new arrivals. Natasha agrees just to escape “New York Christmas hell” even if her way out involves sitting with Barton singing Christmas songs in her ear for hours on end. When Clint caught the Christmas spirit, he went full head over heels, suburban dad going through a mid-life crisis bad.  

He goes overboard with the decorations, as always, and Natasha tries to rein in his ideas. The first time she’d tried to drag him off the roof when he was determined to light it up with a sleigh complete with Santa and reindeer. He’d told her it was to keep them inconspicuous however one look at Clint’s face when the neighbourhood kids had noticed his lavish display told her it was anything but.

Natasha cooks and cleans until the house is presentable, but she makes time to move her gift to Clint and Secret Santa gift to Tony under her favourite under the floorboard hiding place in the Barton household. She’d thought long and hard about what to get the millionaire before settling on using her skill set to obtain original ACDC records.

Her choice of Clint's gift had been quick, it had to be recently she didn’t get a lot of time away from the infamous archer. She’d chosen to go through the leaflets and information she’d discovered on Clint growing up. Information was power, and Natasha desired it, she told herself, sentiment wasn’t meant to be an issue. Newspaper articles on the Circus, Images of a young Clint in leaflets and programs and advertisements documenting a life of travel, skill and showmanship. She’d even convince her favourite Techie at SHIELD to restore some grainy footage of a circus tour which originally Natasha couldn’t tell the difference between Clint and his brother.

She’d made dinner after that to welcome back Clint in from the cold. They’d eaten up greedily and gone to meet up with Clint’s friends. Jumping from bar to bar, hearing all about their normal lives, Marriage, Mortgage, Kids the whole shebang and trying to invent their own. It's more enjoyable than it sounds but the travelling has taken its toll and they choose to duck out early.

The next day passes by in a blur of family both real and adopted. Not that Natasha knows the difference between which of Clint’s many Aunties, Cousins and Grandparents are real and which ones he picked up along the way. It doesn’t matter when they’re all warm and keep them well fed and smiling. Grinning as they tell Natasha embarrassing stories about ‘our Clint’, sharing jokes, drawing her in as well. It’s all Natasha never thought she would get and more. It always brings out a more playful boyish side to the archer. He teases more easily. His insults become more immature, cynicism melting away in the frozen farmland. When walking back from Clint’s Grandma (the one that calls Natasha, Natalia, no matter how many times they correct her) he starts a snowball fight, throwing snow down the back of her shirt to make her squeal. “A Russian afraid of snow!” is enough for an all-out war to break out of sparring and snowballs. This is the Clint he should have become, Natasha thinks wistfully.  

“I think we're alone now, there doesn’t seem to be anyone around” Clint sings when they shut the back door, cheeky grin blooming on his face.

“Is your fancy dress ready for tomorrow Miss Romanoff? Ready to grace Swan Lake with your presence?”

Natasha hums her response turning up the heating, “I'm always ready. You might need to start getting ready now if you want to scrub up in time”

“Harsh! It’s a good job I’m in a good mood tonight, or you’d be on thin ice”

“Thank you, it means a lot coming from someone who used to want to be a Figure Skater”

“I can’t believe she told you that. Especially if she thinks you are my girlfriend.”

Natasha giggles. She giggles and, damn it, Clint’s in over his head.

“She gave me her number so we can talk ‘as were family now’ I think she might be a reliable blackmail source”

Clint scowls, “And to think I wanted to just have a lazy day with you to enjoy the calm before the storm and now I'm going to have to kick you out into the snow,” He says with an overdramatic sigh.

“You could try but you're too scared of me. I'm going to bed Barton. I’ll see you in the morning” She leans to press a kiss to his cheek and it feels so natural, but he can't help but wonder if they’ve fallen into the pattern of a mission couple they’d been way back. If they have he decides, it's enjoyable and not hurting anyone so the world should be grateful.

                                                                   *********

Clint’s glad when he wakes up the next day and there’s no breakfast prepared ready and waiting, just Natasha coming back from a run. It feels less like she’s acting when she can maintain her little habits. The next day passes all too quickly, taken up with films and tv and preparing for the visitors and trip to the theatre. That’s when Clint plans to give Natasha her gift. It's more damage control than romance, he tells himself. It gives him time to repair any damage before the rest of the team arrive and interfere.

True her word, Natasha is more than ready to grace the theatre with her presence, hair perfect, dress gorgeous clinging in all the right places. But most of all she looks happy. So happy in fact he smirks when she sees Clint standing awkwardly in his suit, scruffy hair tamed just the way Natasha likes it.

“So you scrubbed up- now you just need to relax and that suit might actually look like it fits you”

“Why do I have to wear a suit? It's not like anyone there to watch me”

Natasha steps closer to retire his tie.

“They better not be. Tonight’s one of our only nights off I don’t want to be tailed”

“People can watch you for more than ‘being tailed’ they can do it cause they want your tail”

Natasha screws up her face “Just say sex, Clint. I’m a grown up I can handle it”

“A gentleman never talks like that in front of a lady. If I have to dress up I might as well go the whole hog”

She sighs “Just don’t ruin this for me I’ve been looking forward to this for ages”

The gift in Clint’s jacket pocket grows surprisingly heavy. He nods quickly tucking it away during a private before they leave. The ballet was not the right place after all.  

The ballet is surprisingly enjoyable and Natasha beams at Clint when they leave. She takes his hand in the crowd and whispers “Thank you”.

Clint turns down the radio on the drive back to the farm just to listen to her hum Swan Lake. The vertigo is back by the time they arrive back at the farm even though he’s certain by now he’s already in free-fall. He must look bad as Natasha brings them both hot chocolate and doesn’t drape her legs over his like usual. They enjoy these last few quiet moments together, waiting for it to temporarily become the loud melee that is the Avengers tower.

They’ve changed into more typical work out gear by the time the Avengers arrive, determined to keep their trip to the theatre a secret. It's suddenly loud and bright for what could be hours or simply seconds, it's hard to tell without glancing at a clock. One by one the Avengers go to sleep, finding there way to one of the many bedrooms. Leaving Clint and Natasha to stay downstairs, giving up their bedrooms, ever the accommodating hosts. The two sofas are pulled out making use of their built-in beds. Clint plucks up the courage then to find the necklace, but Natasha’s so exhausted he spares her and just falls asleep.

They wake up early, from light creeping through an undrawn curtain. They share a few whispered Merry Christmas’s before starting the day. Natasha doesn’t go on her morning run just starts cooking both dinner and breakfast with Clint’s help. They do gifts before lunch, Tony having decided to get the awkwardness out of the way. He’s brought presents for Pepper, the blonde appearing touched by the thoughtfulness of Tony’s gifts. He offers to go first. He got Thor and he receives a similar delighted reaction from this Blonde as he had before, it’s a helmet and apart from the comment “Funky headwear seemed to run in the family” Thor laughs heartily putting on the perfectly fitting helmet. He had Bruce and had got him what he referred to as “Magical clothing soap” to allow the Clothes to grow and shrink and survive the hulks harshest beatings. The gifts are thoughtful and not what Natasha was expecting.

Steve Rodgers, who had pulled her name out of the hat, was no exception. He’d had a few sketches he’d done of Natasha dancing and Natasha and Clint relaxing and sparring together framed. She adores them, keeping them close by throughout the day. She doesn’t let the others look though, there private, intimate and she can't waste that on letting just anyone look.  

It isn’t until later when they’re settling into bed for the night that she even shows Clint. He takes one look at the way she’s awed by Steve’s pictures and asks her to wait as he rummages for his gift.

“I thought there were rules Clint, about only getting one gift”

“When did I ever listen to the rules.”

She laughs pulling up the floorboard and Clint’s present.

“Makes two of us.”

They exchange the gifts wordlessly, wrapped up under the duvet in Clint’s bed.   

Natasha is the first to speak “It’s beautiful” She breathes pulling out the silver arrow necklace.

Clint smiles pausing flicking through the book “Shall I put it on for you?”

She nods lifting up her hair. “Thank you for this,” Clint whispers gesturing to the book.

“Merry Christmas Clint Barton” Natasha whispers in response.

“Merry Christmas Tasha”