A Merry (Full of Misunderstandings) Christmas

Clint stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was standing in the room he shared with Natasha, and while she was in the bathroom getting ready, he was mentally preparing himself to a night that could go very wrong of very right. While he and Natasha were an official couple, lived together, worked together and pretty much did everything together, Clint was about to take a step that could ruin everything. He was going to propose.

He could hear her now 'marry, Clint? Why? We've been together for the past fifteen years, we don't need to get marry. That's too cliché!' or the shorted version: 'don't be ridiculous, Clint, you're embarrassing yourself'.

The truth is that he never actually thought about a wedding per say – for all intents and purposes he and Natasha were practically married just without the signed papers and rings – but for the past two years they had attended two weddings. Tony and Pepper's. Jane and Thor's. Natasha caught both bouquets. Both. And he caught both garters. Both.

Gritting his teeth, he gripped the tie he had been struggling with for the past fifteen minutes and ripped it off. He adjusted the color of his black shirt and sighed. He hated ties.

Natasha was staring wide eyed at her reflection. What was she going to do, what was she going to do? She had a very good skill set, but 'being a good mother' was not apart of it. With a deep sigh she ran a hand through her blood red curls, letting the hair loose, falling like a cascade around her shoulders. WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO DO?

Pregnant!

She was pregnant!

Preg-nant!

Natalia Alianovna Romanov, the Black Widow, master assassin, known among the recruits in S.H.I.E.L.D. as Ice Queen…was pregnant!

The assassin groaned and let her head fall in her hands. What was she going to do? How would she tell Clint? 'Hey, look, we were irresponsible a while back and now I'm pregnant.' Or she could just: 'you knocked me up, so suck it up, you're going to be a Daddy'.

She slapped her forehead. She was doomed.

He had the ring for two months now. Phil helped him choose. He could have trusted his Avengers colleagues, but he was pretty sure none of them knew what 'secret' meant. Well, Bruce did, but if Natasha caught a whiff that the scientist was hiding something from her, he didn't want to think about it.

Clint stared at the diamond inside the red velvet box. That thing was teasing him, laughing at his nerves and mocking the last of trust the marksman was having about himself. He heard the door unlock and in a matter of seconds, closed the box and hid it on the inside pocket of his jacket.

He smiled at his partner who, actually, looked sick. Frowning, he asked: "Everything alright, Tasha?"

Natasha's head snapped towards his and she plastered a smile on her face praying that he hadn't heard anything of what she had been doing – throwing up he guts – inside.

"Why wouldn't it be, Hawk?"

"You seem like you're going to get sick…" Clint mumbled.

Natasha scoffed. "Please, I'm fine. You look handsome," she complimented.

"You look beautiful too, Widow," Clint smiled taking in her black sequin cocktail dress with silver heels. "You're sure you're ok? Want me to get you anything?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes. "No, Clint, let's just go to the party, alright?" She snapped.

Clint opened and closed his mouth. Someone was moody. Did she knew something? Oh God, she did!

Natasha left the bedroom and got defensive with all of his questions. Of course she looked sick; she had just puked her guts out. Damn morning, evening, night sickness.

"I bet we're the only two missing," she went on, a tad more calm. Approaching him slowly she ran her hands up and down his chest. "You're ok? You seem stressed," she observed.

Clint swallowed and smiled slowly, resting his hands on her hips. "I'm fine," he nodded. "And you're right, we're probably the only ones missing, we should go and mingle before Stark comes and gets us himself," he kissed her forehead and headed for the door.

Clint was so jumpy and looked a bit pale. Natasha wondered if he…her eyes widened. Oh God, he knew!

It became a tradition to spend the Christmas together, all of them. They could be dysfunctional, but they were still a family. A family that expanded! Shortly after their wedding, Tony and Pepper welcomed their first child, Sarah Stark, who was now one year old, and Thor and Jane had their little one, baby boy Aric, now with only five months.

The Christmas party the Stark couple was currently throwing had only the closest friends and family. Besides the Avengers and their wives or girlfriends (Bruce still hadn't tied the knot with Betty), there was Rhodey and his fiancée, Rochelle. Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, Fury, Darcy Lewis, Eric Selvig, Pepper's sister Valentina with her daughter, Natalie (yes, Natasha realized the irony).

"There you are," Tony's voice reached them. "I thought I had to go and get you two myself," he raised an eyebrow, adjusting Sarah in his arms.

"Not our fault that Fury keep us until later," Clint shrugged. "Since the man wears the same clothes to everything, of course he came straight here. Besides, we're not that late."

Sarah grinned and extended her arms to Natasha.

"Someone wants their Auntie," Tony teased.

Natasha gave a hesitant smiled and picked the little girl up. For some reason both Sarah and Aric loved her to pieces and the assassin just couldn't understand what she had that made kids love her so much. Sarah wrapped her arms around Natasha's neck and smiled, happy.

"Good, you have her, make yourself useful while I go and try to get a drink," Tony said and quickly scattered.

"I'm not your baby sitter," Natasha called after him and smiled at Sarah. "Your Daddy is completely nuts, isn't he?" She cooed to the girl, tickling her sides making her squeal and laugh.

Clint smiled at the picture and spotted Phil in the crowd. He kissed Natasha's cheek and ruffled Sarah's brown curls. "I'll be right back," he said.

Natasha watched him go and then sighed. "Auntie Tasha is in a big mess, sweetheart," she mumbled kissing Sarah's temple and started to mingle.

"You look sick," Phil said amused sipping on his champagne.

Clint glared at his handler and grabbed one glass for himself. "I don't know if it's such a good idea anymore," he muttered and drank the glass almost in a single sip.

"Whoa there, getting cold feet?" Phil chuckled.

"It's…more than that," Clint admitted. "I have a feeling Natasha won't like the situation and I think she knows," he whispered the last part.

"Why, did she tell you something?" Phil wondered.

"No, but the way she's acting…I'm sure she knows and it's waiting for me to do something so she can let me down easily," Clint stressed. "Just before, she was locked in the bathroom and when she came out, she looked like she was going to be sick. She's been very jumpy lately; eyeing me warily…I think she knows!"

Phil had to bit the inside of his cheek as he watched his Agent struggle with his emotions while finishing his champagne and getting another glass. "Getting drunk won't help your situation," he said. "Maybe it's not what you think," Phil suggested.

"She's been perfectly calm until a few weeks ago. What if she found the ring?"

"You're been paranoid, Clint, just relax, enjoy the party and when it's time, ask," Phil said in a soothing voice sipping on his champagne calmly.

"Sure, be calm, you're not the one about to propose to a deadly woman," Clint muttered.

"About to do what to who?" Inquired Tony showing up – from God knows where – with a glass of scotch.

"Nothing," Clint squeaked and fled.

"Something I said?" Tony turned to Phil who was trying not to laugh.

After mingling with the girls and tickling Aric's tummy, giving Sarah back to her Mother and answered some interesting questions of seven year old Natalie, Natasha was able to reach her handler.

"Did you tell him?" She asked lowly.

"Tell what to who, Natasha?" Phil said with a sigh.

"Did you tell Clint I was pregnant?" Natasha elaborated.

"Why would I do that when you told me not to?" Phil raised his eyebrows.

"I think he knows," Natasha sighed deeply rubbing her hands across her face.

Phil smirked. Oh this was fun!

The spy reached for a glass of champagne before her handler slapped her hand away. Natasha glared at the Agent.

"No drinking while pregnant," he warned.

"If I'm going to make through this night, I can't only drink orange juice," she hissed.

"Suck it up, you can't only think about yourself now," he said sternly.

"Coulson, I'm really worried about his reaction," Natasha stressed, green eyes wide and vulnerable.

Phil took pity on the woman and set his glass down. He gently put his hands of her shoulders. "You're paranoid," he said, having a slight sensation of Dejá Vu. "Now look," he made her turn around. "What do you see?"

Natasha's eyes watered. Clint was helping Natalie hold Aric while Sarah observed from Bruce's lap very fascinated. His grin was so silly and endearing. Why was she so worried? Clint was always a family man, he never hides the love he has for children and for normalcy, and Natasha was the one always running away from it. He once told her, though they never mentioned it again, that to have a family it had to be with her. Their eyes met and she smiled genuinely at him. He winked back and quickly was snapped back to the situation at hand when Aric started to cry and Natalie had a slight panic attack.

"You're going to be fine," Phil finally said.

"I know, thank you Phil," she whispered.

"Any time," he nodded. "Now, excuse me, I'm going to talk to Fury before he makes Sarah grow up without a father."

Slowly, Natasha approached Clint and soon they were alone, viewing New York through the windows. It was a white Christmas.

The Russian spy stood on her tiptoes and kissed him deeply. Clint wrapped his arms around her waist and reciprocated.

"Hmm, I don't get a lot of PDA like that," he teased rubbing their noses together.

"Mistletoe," Natasha chuckled and Clint looked up. "Trust Stark to put it in the most convenient places!"

"Just mistletoe?"

"And I love you," she shrugged.

"How did you find out?" He groaned.

Natasha smiled. "You're very obvious," she nodded. "It's sweet that you tried to keep a secret."

"I really did, I didn't want to spoil anything," Clint sighed. "It's a good idea, right?"

"If you're by my side through it," Natasha whispered.

"Of course, where else would I be?" He brushed a few strands of hair from her face. "Come, let's go to somewhere more private!"

Clint took Natasha's hand and no one noticed when they gathered their coats and left.

They said nothing until they reached the roof. It was cold and it was snowing hard, but they didn't mind.

"We're doing this, right?" He confirmed.

"I see no other way, but with you, I can take on the world…and yes, I know this is cliché but blame the hormones," she laughed.

"I can't believe we're going to get married!"

"I can't believe we're going to be parents!"

With both sentences said at the same time, the two master assassins took a step back.

"Married?"

"Parents?"

They looked oddly at each other as they talked at the same time again.

"What are you talking about?"

"What are you talking about?"

Clint gritted his teeth while Natasha just groaned. They were about to open their mouths at the same time when Clint raised a finger and Natasha closed her lips.

"So you didn't found out I was going to propose?" He asked softly.

"No, I thought you found out I was pregnant," Natasha clarified.

"You're pregnant?"

"You're going to propose?"

They both sighed staring at each other.

"So what are you waiting for?" Natasha prompted crossing her arms.

Clint opened and closed his mouth before a grin grew on his face. He fetched the box on his pocket and got down on one knee. He opened the box to reveal the delicate and elegant diamond ring. Natasha gasped.

"No sappy speeches," she warned.

"Fine," Clint shrugged. "While you put up with me for the rest of your life?"

"Eh, guess I'm stuck with you know, since you knock me up and all," Natasha grinned bobbing her head up and down.

Grinning like a fool, he got up, slides the ring on her finger and drew her to and intense, breathtaking kiss.

"You're pregnant?" He asked breathless.

"Yes," she nodded and pecked his lips.

"Thank you," Clint whispered. "And can you imagine how kick ass this kid is going to be with our genes? A super mini spy," he laughed.

"Oh God," Natasha closed her eyes laughing and shook her head. "I hope to God it's quiet and shy and doesn't want to be like us."

"Probably the best option but still…"

"Yeah, we won't have such luck!"

With snow gathering up in their hair and jackets they kissed again.

Reviews? (Yeah, yeah, I'm terrible at ending fanfics!)