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Darcy stared down at the stick in her hand. The stick she had just peed on two minutes ago. The stick that she’d just peed on two minutes ago that was now flashing a single word at her.
Pregnant
“Huh,” she said faintly. “Guess Steve isn’t the only one with little super soldiers.”
Things got a little fuzzy after that.
“…cy…arcy…Darcy…Come on, babe, you’re freakin’ me and JARVIS out here. Wake up and let me see those baby blues, m’kay?”
Darcy came to on the bathroom floor in her and Bucky’s apartment. Clint was leaning over her and looking pretty worried. She frowned. What was he doing here?
“What’re you doin’ here?” she mumbled.
Clint sighed in relief and gently gathered her into his arms before he stood up and carried her out into the living room. He sat her down on the couch and brushed her hair away from her face. “JARVIS called me when you passed out. I was upstairs. Everyone else is out right now.”
She knew that. That was why she’d decided to…oh.
“I’m pregnant,” she said hollowly. It didn’t sound anymore real to her now than it did the first time.
“I saw that. Guess Steve isn’t the only one with super soldiers around here.”
“Hah. That’s what I said,” she replied with a wan smile.
Clint headed for the kitchen and returned with a bottle of water that he opened and handed to her. She took a sip as he sat next to her and turned to face her. Looking at her in concern, he asked, “Is this a bad thing? ‘Cause I’d really like to whoop and yell, ‘Congratulations!’”
Darcy took another drink and tried to get her thoughts in order. It wasn’t like she and James hadn’t talked about this. They hadn’t gone in depth, but the idea had been thrown out there a couple of times since they wound up babysitting Pepper’s nephew a couple of years ago. It was something they were heading towards eventually.
She just wasn’t expecting ‘eventually’ to come along so soon.
“Nooo,” she started slowly. “It’s not a bad thing, but it’s definitely an unexpected thing.” She looked at her friend. “James and I have kind of talked about it in vague, ‘someday’ terms. I guess ‘someday’ is now.”
Darcy blinked a few times to clear the spots from her eyes. She really didn’t want to faint again. She jumped when Clint’s hand started rubbing up and down her back.
“Hey, breathe, Darce. Come on, sweetheart. Inhale…there’s my girl…now exhale…good. Again.”
Darcy let his voice wash over her and she tried to do as he asked. One breath at a time. She could do that.
After a few minutes, she let out a broken laugh. Clint paused in his mantra and she looked at him a little helplessly. “I can’t believe you and JARVIS know about this before James does. He’s going to be so pissed.”
Clint gave her a crooked grin and pulled her into his side. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I won’t tell if you won’t. I can totally act surprised when you finally make the announcement.”
She snorted out a heartier laugh. “Dude, you might be one of The Spies, but around here, around us, you can’t lie for shit.”
Clint looked at her, affronted, but before he could say anything JARVIS chimed in with, “I’m afraid Miss Darcy has a point, Master Clint. You have some fairly obvious tells.”
“I do not!”
“You really do,” Darcy assured him. “Your eyes get too wide and you tuck your lips in like you’re trying not to laugh.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but then JARVIS said, “Case in point, sir,” and Darcy’s TV came on showing security footage from one of the Avengers’ movie nights. Darcy giggled when she realized it was the one where Tony proposed to Pepper. Clint was sitting on the back of Natasha’s chair, throwing conspicuous looks at Pepper and Tony and then trying to look innocent whenever Pepper caught his eye. Tony finally got fed up, gave up on his plans, and just went for it. Thankfully, Pepper said yes.
Clint slumped back against the couch cushions. “That was one time,” he sulked.
“I have other examples,” JARVIS offered helpfully.
“No, J, I get it,” Clint pouted.
Darcy patted his knee. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll work it out.”
They sat there in silence for a while. Clint didn’t seem to be in any hurry to move, so Darcy just took comfort in his solid presence and tried to work out the timing in her head.
It didn’t take long to figure it out.
Jane had agreed to give a lecture at MIT three months ago and AIM had crashed the event and taken everyone hostage. The ordeal hadn’t lasted long, because both Jane and Darcy were equipped with panic buttons and James and Bruce had come along with them. James might not fight with the Avengers on a regular basis, but he could still kick ass with the best of them. Bruce hadn’t even gone green, but he was also pretty effective when he put his mind to it. The rest of the team- minus Thor, who was in Asgard attending to his princely duties- had shown up in time to help finish rounding the bad guys up.
After it was over and they had a moment to themselves, James had hauled Darcy back to their hotel room so he could make sure for himself that she wasn’t hurt. Aside from a black eye and a raging headache because of the hit she took when she kicked one of the goons in the balls, she was fine.
The thank-God-you’re-okay sex they had on the bathroom counter went a long way to making her feel better. In the mad rush to feel each other up they’d forgotten to use a condom. She was on the Pill, but that apparently didn’t matter to enhanced little swimmers. Whoops.
“We’re going to be fine,” Darcy said quietly.
Clint squeezed her shoulder. “Of course you are. The two of you are solid.” He snickered and she shifted so she could look at him, cocking one eyebrow in question. He grinned at her and said, “Your kid is either gonna be the head of the Avengers or become a super villain in rebellion.”
Darcy scowled at him and gut-punched him for all she was worth. He yelped and shot off the couch, rubbing his side and giving her wounded puppy eyes.
“Fuck you, Barton. Don’t even joke about that. The universe is listening and I don’t want it getting any ideas. This kid is going to grow up loved and with as few expectations as possible. I’ll be damned if I’ll let anyone try to sway him or her one way or another. They will be their own person and make their own decisions. You understand me?”
Clint put his hands up. “I got it. I’m sorry. You are gonna be one hell of a mom, Darcy Lewis. You’ve already got the protective, Mama Bear part down.”
She sat back on the couch and breathed. “Thank you.”
“Miss Darcy,” JARVIS announced. “Master James and Miss Smudge are on their way up.”
“And that’s my cue to skedaddle,” Clint said. He leaned over, kissed her forehead, and murmured, “I really am happy for you both.”
She smiled at him. “Thanks, Clint.”
He left and she had just enough time for her nerves to start reasserting themselves when Smudge bounded in and greeted her with an enthusiastic lick to her cheek.
Darcy laughed and buried her face in Smudge’s ruff. “Hello to you, too, baby girl. You and Daddy have fun?”
Smudge woofed softly in agreement and pressed her head to Darcy’s before she got down and went into the kitchen to get a drink.
Darcy looked up to see James smiling at her, one eyebrow raised in question. “Why does Clint look like he’s got a secret?” he asked as he leaned down to kiss her.
She sighed and returned his kiss. “Because he does. I have news.”
His smile faded and he sat down next her, taking her hand. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong. I…I…I’m pregnant!” she blurted out in a rush.
James blinked at her a few times and Darcy bit her lip as she waited for him to say something. Smudge woofed inquisitively from the kitchen and that seemed to shake him out of his daze.
“Really?”
“According to the little stick I peed on about an hour ago, yeah.” She bit her lip again. “Is that okay?”
James sucked in a deep breath and then he was reaching for her, pulling her into his lap, and burying his face in the side of her neck. “That is more than okay, baby. Holy fuck.”
They sat there for a few minutes, Darcy carding her fingers through his hair while he ran his hands up and down her back. That went better than she thought it would.
James eventually lifted his head and kissed her almost reverently. When he pulled back he was frowning. “Is that Clint’s secret?”
Darcy ducked her head. “I, uh, maybe fainted a little bit when I saw the results. He was up on the common floor and JARVIS called him to come and check on me. He saw the test and…well.”
“Hmm. Guess that means we won’t be able to keep it from the rest of the gang, huh?”
Darcy’s lips twitched and she lifted her head again. “He didn’t believe me when I told him he couldn’t keep a secret around here. JARVIS had to show him visual evidence. He pouted. It was adorkable.”
“I think it’s good that Master Clint is comfortable enough here in the Tower and with his teammates that he does not feel the need to censor himself,” JARVIS offered quietly.
James looked at the camera in the corner and nodded. “You’re right, J, it’s a very good thing.”
“I vote we hole up in here for a couple of days to savor the news before we face the Inquisition,” Darcy said.
“I think that is an excellent idea,” James purred. He stood up with her in his arms and started for the bedroom. “J, privacy protocols, please.”
“As you wish, sir, and if I may, congratulations to you both.”
Darcy smiled over James’s shoulder. “Thank you. Let Jane know I’m taking a couple of vacation days? Thor is due back tomorrow anyway, so he should be able to keep her occupied, but just in case.”
“Of course, Miss Darcy. Happy celebrating.”
James laid her out on the bed and came down beside her. He placed a reverent hand on her belly and just looked at her for a long moment. “I love you, Darcy Lewis.”
“I love you, too, James Barnes.”
“I’m gonna be a daddy,” he whispered.
“Yes you are and you’re going to be amazing,” she whispered back, tears starting to sting her eyes.
He dipped down to kiss her and then jumped up and went to the dresser. “I was going to wait and do this on our anniversary in a couple of months, but I don’t want to wait now,” he babbled as he rummaged in his sock drawer. He grunted in satisfaction when he found what he was looking for, shut the drawer, and then leapt back onto the bed.
Darcy had propped herself on her elbows to watch him, but fell back with a laugh when he landed. James gave her a boyish grin that faded as he bit his lip. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a steadying breath. When he opened them again he held out a little black velvet box. Darcy’s eyes widened and she scooted up so she was leaning against the headboard.
“Like I said, I was going to do this on our anniversary, so don’t think I’m asking out of some sense of responsibility or duty or whatever. I love you with all my heart. You’ve been there for me since the day I walked into the tower. You’ve seen me at my worst and helped me to become my best.” He opened the lid and revealed a brushed platinum Claddagh ring with a matching band. The crown and heart were pave set with diamonds as was the band. It was beautiful. “Darcy Lewis, will you marry me?”
Darcy sat there with her hands over her mouth. Her eyes flicked back and forth between the rings and James and she slowly started to nod her head. His shoulders slumped in relief. “Oh, thank Christ.”
She snorted out a laugh and swatted him on the arm. “Dork. Did you honestly think I’d say ‘no’?”
He shrugged even as he took her left hand and slid the Claddagh onto her ring finger. “You’re a modern woman. We might have talked about kids some, but we never really talked about marriage. We’ve been together for a long time now. I know it’s not necessary, but…I really want to be able to call you mine and know that it’s backed up by God and everybody.” She made a noise in the back of her throat and pulled him in for a kiss.
When they separated he looked down at their joined hands and said, “Tony and Pepper have been engaged going on three years now. I don’t know that they’ll ever tie the knot.” He looked at her a little self-consciously. “I don’t wanna wait that long.”
“We won’t. We’re going to do this before I start showing. I’ll ask Natasha for help. I give it two weeks at the most after that.” They grinned at each other for a moment and then Darcy said, “We’re really gonna do this, huh?”
“Yeah, we really are.”
“Awesome.”
Then she pounced on him and there wasn’t much talking for a good long while.
~*~
Darcy and James finally surfaced three days later. Smudge had been in and out of the apartment like usual, but no one had bothered them. James decided to cook dinner for everyone as a thank you for respecting their privacy.
Dinner was boisterous as usual when they were all together. Darcy was helping to bring out dessert when Jane noticed the ring on her finger and choked on the sip of coffee she’d just taken.
“Darcy Elaine Lewis! This is why you were hiding?!” she shrieked as she grabbed Darcy’s hand.
Steve looked from Darcy to James with a wide smile on his face. He sidestepped the forming knot around Darcy and picked James up in a bone-crushing hug. “Congratulations, James. You picked a really swell dame.”
James returned the hug, and marveled at how far the three of them had come since that first day in the Tower. “Thanks, Stevie.”
Steve put him down and went to give Darcy a much gentler hug while everyone else talked over one another. Clint moved up next to James, clapped him on the shoulder, and said, “Congratulations, man. I’m really happy for you both.”
James smiled at him. “Thanks. And thanks, you know, for keeping quiet.”
Clint ducked his head. “I, ah, I’ve actually avoided everyone until tonight. JARVIS showed me some more footage. How did I not know I acted like that?”
“You’re safe here, buddy. There’s no shame in feeling like you don’t have to hide,” James said quietly.
“Is this why Hawkeye has been avoiding everyone?” Tony asked loudly over everyone.
Darcy managed to untangle herself from the group and went to stand with James. They had talked about it beforehand and decided to go ahead and announce the rest of their news. She stood in the circle of her fiancé’s arms, his hands resting possessively on her belly and she smiled at their friends. “Not exactly. I’m pregnant.”
They both clamped their hands over their ears at the screeches Jane and Pepper let out. Even Natasha yelped before she reined herself in. They endured more well-wishes and hugs until everyone finally collapsed back into their chairs.
After a couple of minutes, Tony snorted and muttered, “Guess Cap isn’t the only one with super soldiers, huh?”
Steve turned bright red. “Tony,” he barked as Pepper swatted Tony’s shoulder.
Both Darcy and Clint rolled their eyes. “Been there, done that,” they said in unison. “You’re late to the party, Stark,” Darcy finished.
Happy chatter filled the air as Darcy leaned into James’s side. He pulled her close and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Happy?” he asked softly.
“More than,” she answered.
“Me too.”
That’s all she really wanted.
-30-