The Reason is You

"Remember, he needs his nap after lunch or he'll get cranky." Steve told Clint as he gave him a big blue duffle bag.

"Yes, and he can't eat too much sugar or he won't sleep in the afternoon, I know." Clint replied, waving his hand dismissively.

Tony was in a corner, his 2 year old son Peter on his arms. "Steeeeve." He whined. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"You're the one who wanted to go to Europe for our anniversary." Steve rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes. But I don't trust Barton."

Clint shouted an offended 'Hey!' just as Natasha arrived. "No one does, that's why I'm helping."

"Well, I don't trust you, either." Tony said to Natasha as Steve took Peter from his arms.

"Tony." Steve warned. "We don't have another choice. We can't bother Bruce with this, he's been doing research for SHIELD. We also can't leave Peter with Thor because, well, because he's Thor."

Tony sighed heavily but eventually accepted it. After saying goodbye to their son and friends, Steve and Tony left for the airport.

-x-

"Let's order a pizza for lunch." Clint said, picking up the phone already.

"No." Natasha replied from the couch, where she was watching cartoons with Peter. "I already took some fish out of the freezer, we're having fish."

"Fish? Why?"

"Because we have a child living with us who needs to have healthy meals instead of pizza all the time."

"Okay, Peter eats the fish, I'll order a pizza."

"I know where you sleep, Clint. In fact, for the next four days we're living under the same roof. Don't make me use that against you."

Clint paused. "Fine, I'll eat the damn fish." And he slumped on the couch next to them.

-x-

"Clint!" Natasha yelled from somewhere in the house.

"What?" He yelled back, not taking his eyes off the TV.

"I don't know where Peter is!"

That made Clint move. He stood up abruptly and ran to Peter's room, where Natasha was. "Where was him the last time you saw him?"

"I put him him to sleep, for his afternoon nap, and-" Natasha sounded desperate and that was seriously something Clint was not used to. "And now I came here to wake him up and he was gone!"

"Hey, it's fine. He couldn't have gotten too far! Let's- Let's just look around the house, he has to be somewhere."

They both heard a small chuckle and looked up, to find the small boy on the ceiling.

"... Tasha? Did you do that when you were two years old?"

"Oh God, Peter!" Natasha stood on the bed so she could reach him and hugged him tight when she picked him up. "You scared me!" She scowled, but sounded relieved.

-x-

They came to find that the climbing the walls thing was actually a habit. Whenever Peter was suddenly missing they would look up and find him. Clint thought it was pretty cool, but Natasha was just worried.

After putting Peter to sleep on the second night, Natasha was on the kitchen boiling water when Clint walked in to get a yogurt from the fridge. He quickly spotted her, leaning against the counter and rubbing her temples.

"Something wrong?" Clint asked in a low, soothing voice.

"Just a headache." After a long pause, she continued. "I would never be a good mother. I mean, look at you, you don't even look tired! I'm exhausted!"

"That means you would be a good mother. Mothers always worry too much about everything."

"Okay, maybe I could do it, but I wouldn't survive a week." The water boiled and she turned it off before pouring it on a cup that already had a teabag inside.

"To be fair, you probably wouldn't give birth to a spider kid, which would probably make things a lot easier." Natasha smiled a little as she sat down on a chair, Clint taking the one next to her. "You're doing a great job, Peter loves you."

"Not as much as he loves you, mister 'I can kill that fly with an arrow'."

"He did love that, didn't he?" They both laughed quietly, as not to wake up the small boy who was sleeping on the next room. "Go get some rest, you'll be just fine in the morning."

Clint then stood up and put his empty yogurt cup in the garbage. He then leaned down and kissed Natasha's forehead before he left.

-x-

On the next morning, Natasha woke up to the smell of something burning. She quickly got up and left her room to check what was happening and found Clint in the kitchen, throwing out some ruined and completely black french toast. She leaned against the fridge with a smirk on her lips.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"... Breakfast?"

She laughed loudly and Clint had to smile too, because Natasha's hair was a mess, her laugh sounded rough from sleep and that had to be one of the most beautiful things he ever saw.

-x-

After a delicious breakfast completely cooked by Natasha, they both took Peter to the park. It was a beautiful day, the sun shined brightly and the wind blew a soft warm breeze.

Lots of kids were in the park with their parents and Peter confessed how much he missed Tony and Steve. Clint quickly took his mind of it and Natasha watched with a smile as they both gave bread to the ducks on the lake.

-x-

"He misses them." Natasha states that night, when Peter is asleep and Clint is watching TV
with her.

"What, Peter?" She nods. "Of course he does, they're his parents."

"You don't think he said it because of my crappy job at babysitting?"

"Of course not! He had a great time with you! You're good at everything you do."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are, you're Natasha. There's no one more badass than you. Well, there's me but-" Clint's interrupted when Natasha elbowed his ribs. "You should smile more often."

"I smile when I have a reason to."

"What's your reason now?"

"The same as ever. You."

-x-

When Natasha wakes up the next day there's no funny smell filling the house, just two strong arms hugging her tight from behind. She tries to leave the bed without waking up Clint, but that is a futile effort.

"Good morning." She whispers, running her hands through his hair.

"Mornin'." He replies back with a hoarse voice and only one of his eyes open. "What time is it?"

"Eight."

"Too early." Clint mumbles and tightens his grip on Natasha's waist, trying to get her to lay back down.

"Tony and Steve will be here in an hour. You can stay here, but I have to get Peter ready."

Clint lets Natasha go and opens his eyes. "Come back when they're gone?"

She leans down to quickly kiss his lips. "Definitely."