Synopsis: After an explosion in your building, it’s up to Hawkeye to get you and your daughter to safety. There might be worst ways to get to know someone.
Chapter 6: Charlie Barton
You try to stay calm as Clint panics around you. Your water has broken sure, but the labor pains didn’t start until after that had happened and they had just started dull and irregular. Exactly how you had expected them to. While you called your mom to come and take care of Alexis, made sure you had all the things you needed and called the hospital to tell them labor had started and your water had broken Clint freaked out around you.
He rushed around digging in your bag, adding things taking them out. Telling you that you should get going. Putting the bag in the car. Remembering something else and rushing back inside with the bag to get it. At one point he’d even driven off without you. You keep telling yourself over and over, stay calm, this is what he’s like, you expected this. You did wish though, that maybe this one time, you could be the irrational one.
You want to panic. You want to be the one unpacking and repacking the bag. You want to be the one yelling at him to get you things and complaining about the gradually increasing pain you were in. Most of all you want to start questioning whether this was the universe’s way of telling you not to get back with Clinton Francis Barton.
When your mom arrives you have a chance to not completely be in control. You go and have a shower and let yourself cry out these emotions that are getting mixed in with physical pain and hormone spikes. When you get out Clint has calmed down a little too and you can’t help but think that maybe your mom has had words with him.
The labor progresses without too much drama. You manage to have a fitful sleep for a couple of hours, letting Clint hold you even if you aren’t sure that’s the best idea. You wake properly when a sudden pain runs through your abdomen an up your back. You double over whining and pressing your head into Clint’s shoulder.
His hands are on you immediately, rubbing the small of your back and the warm pressure of his strong hands counter the sharp stab of the contraction. When it fades you look up at him and the soft look in his blue eyes is so full of love and concern that you wonder for a moment how you can still be doubting him.
“We’re gonna be okay, aren’t we?” You ask him.
He presses his forehead against yours. “Aren’t I supposed to ask that?”
You smile weakly. “It’s my turn to be scared.”
Clint doesn’t say anything for a moment, he just rubs your back more. “I’m probably going to always be a complete dummy. But I do promise that when I’m struggling I’ll tell you.”
You nod up at him not really sure if that’s enough but wanting it to be. “I love you, Clint.”
“I know.” He answers. “I love you too.” He brings his lips to yours and another contraction hits, making you pull back and curl up.
“That felt quick? Was that quick? Should we go?” He asks, that slight panic entering his voice again.
You give a pained nod and roll to get out of bed. “Yep. That’s it.”
In the hospital, Clint is surprisingly together. Whether it’s a result of it being in a controlled environment, the high-level stress of the job he had, or the fact he was actually getting excited to see this kid, you weren’t sure. The end result is that he held your hand. Rubbed your back. Got you ice chips. Only minimally freaked out when you vomited from the pain. The two of you even curled up together on the bed using the gas as you giggled like crazy.
The transition and the actual birth bit is where he starts losing it again.
“I hate you, Clint Barton.” You all but scream as one contraction seems to come directly on top of the other.
“I hate me too. This is the worst thing.” He yells back as you crush his fingers in your vice-like grip.
The yelling gets worse the closer Charles comes to arriving.
“We are never having sex again!”
“That’s fine. I just saw you shit yourself!”
“Clint! I am going to kill you!”
You can tell by the faces of the nursing staff that they aren’t sure if they need to be concerned or laughing. There is something about the way he is carrying on that distracts you a little. It makes the whole process seem more ridiculous.
“Oh my god, you should see this,” Clint says as Charles is crowning. “It’s like a horror movie only you’re excited about the horror emerging from the depth.” You punch him in the arm for that one.
All the pain and hard work pay off and Charles enters the world at 11.52 in the morning. Clint’s face lights up at the moment the doctor has the small child safely in their hands. “This is the happiest I’ve ever been doing something that’s completely disgusting,” Clint says as he cuts the umbilical cord.
Charles is placed on your chest and you curl your arms around him as Clint perches on the bed beside you. “Holy shit, babe.” He says, running his palm over Charles. “He didn’t exist and now he does. We made him. How weird is that?”
You let out an exhausted laugh. “Yeah. It’s really weird that’s for sure.”
Clint puts his chin on your arm and looks into his son’s eyes. “Hey, Charlie. Welcome to the world. It’s pretty fucked up out here. Probably should have stayed inside your mommy. It’s where I like to be best.”
“Clint!” You yelp and smack him.
Clint chuckles and puts his arm up to protect himself. “Don’t worry little guy. I’ll protect you.”
After everything is over with in the delivery room, you’re wheeled to your hospital room. Avengers insurance gets you a private room with a queen-sized bed. You remember when you had Alexis being jammed into a room with 7 other women who had given birth over the past three days and whose babies never synced when they slept. If it had been like this you might not have wanted to leave.
Charles sleeps in a little, clear plastic bassinet that resembles a tub and has a card with his name written in sharpie on it. You and Clint crash tangled together catching up on the sleep you missed while you can.
You wake when the hospital staff brings you your dinner. Clint eats sitting perched up on a chair and watching Charles. “How come he’s still asleep? I thought babies cried all the time?”
“It takes a lot of energy to get born. He’s tired. Give him a day and he’ll keep you up constantly.” You reply.
Your mom comes in with Alexis and she immediately runs to you jumping up into your arms. “Hey, sweetheart. You ready to meet your baby brother?”
“A brother?” Alexis whines. “I wanted a sister.”
“Hey Lexi, come here,” Clint says, holding his arms out.
Alexis climbs off your lap and moves to Clint’s. He hugs her and moves Charles’ bassinet closer so she can see. “When I was a kid I had a brother.” He says. “He was the best person I knew. Next to you and your mom that is. Way better than my parents. We got up to trouble together. We looked out for each other. He taught me archery. He taught me to stand up for myself. I think you’ll like having a brother. Most of the time.”
You watch on, as the two peer in at the new life talking about all the pros and cons of having a new brother. Clint gets him out of the bassinette a little too carefully and helps Alexis to hold him. Despite the fact, you were still exhausted and in some pain, you felt light. You knew no matter what he’d be there. Even if the relationship didn’t work, he was your family now and that was never going to change.
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I liked this intro to screen printing that I came across trawling through YouTube.
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