Bartoned

Chapter 10

Clint had been as good as his word. You wanted to start on a clean slate and that's exactly what the two of you did. You wiped it all clean. Clint was a guy you were getting to know fresh again. You just happened to also be carrying his baby.

You'd started hanging out a little more again. Mostly with others there too. The truth was, you didn't quite trust yourself alone with him. As your morning sickness dissipated your sex drive was blowing up, and the biggest problem with Clinton Francis Barton - the absolute worst fucking thing - was he was exactly your type.

He had stopped being the self-pitting guy who fucked up really badly and became the funny, sweet guy with amazing arms you'd liked spending time with originally. Only he was even better because he was this caring, patient, attentive guy with all the baby stuff as well. You just knew that if you were ever going to add some kind of physical aspect to the relationship - it was going to be 'friends-with-benefits' again - you needed to make sure you were friends first.

The training was going pretty well coming into the second trimester. You had more energy as the morning sickness ended and you were finding you were picking things up pretty quickly. You weren't at the top of the class, but you outperformed everyone (except maybe Kari) in the field medicine units and you were pretty accurate with a gun.

"Is that one of Clint's shirts?" Natasha asked as she jogged up alongside you. She'd been showing off with Steve and Bucky again, lapping everyone over and over. "You guys sleeping with each other again?"

"Yes, it is, and no, we're not," you answered.

"I knew there was something that looked weird about you!" Kari exclaimed. "The shirt's too big."

Natasha eyed you. "Spill it, what's going on?"

You chuckled. "Calm down, killer," you teased and pushed the shirt down flat against the small baby bump you had. "I started showing and last night I couldn't even do up my jeans. I thought I'd switch to baggy shirts rather than the fitted things I've been wearing. I didn't have anything that would work so Clint met me in the lobby with one of his baggier ones."

Natasha didn't say anything and you started to wonder if you lost her there. She seemed to almost be running on autopilot.

"Nat? Are you okay?" you asked.

"I'm using all my willpower on not putting my hands on your stomach right now," she said.

You snorted. "Aww, Nat. You're so cute."

"No, I'm not, shut up," she said.

"You wouldn't be able to feel anything. I can feel it kicking, but it's just little flutters inside. Like I have gas," you said.

"Charming," Kari teased.

"Logically I know that. But look at you. I wanna just -" she made a scrunching movement with her hands in your direction. "I hope Clint has told you, I'm Auntie Nat."

You laughed. "Yes, Natasha. I would not dare take that from you."

"You should probably also name her Natasha," she said, matter-of-factly.

"She?" you asked

"Yep, little baby Natasha," she said. "Barton? Will she be a Barton?"

You scrunched your nose. "Depends on Clint, I think."

Natasha nodded. "Right. I guess that makes sense. Well, Natasha anyway."

You laughed and nudged her. "Alright. If it's a girl it'll be Natasha."

"Are you gonna come up with us for lunch?" she asked, though it sounded more like an order than a question.

"Yeah, okay," you answered. It had become a habit anyway. Since the day of the swordfight, you'd given up trying to pretend you weren't friends with the Avengers. Most people had settled into the idea that Kari was dating Wanda, that you were a friend, and that the two of you had also been hired based on your skills. Of the few that didn't, some liked to bitch about you both, but never actually did anything and a couple seemed to suck up to you in the hope they might get special treatment too.