Chapter Text
Darcy hurried into the restaurant and grinned at her friends when she arrived at the table. Clint, Bruce, and Steve sat awkwardly on one side of the table. Jane and Pepper had their heads together and Tony was telling Pepper something which Pepper was ignoring, for now. Darcy took a seat next to Jane who glanced at her, rolled her eyes, and handed her the wine list.
“We have an extra seat,” Clint observed, confused, picking up the menu now that Darcy who was the logical last person to arrive.
“I think I forgot to take Natasha off the list,” Pepper said smoothly, winking at Darcy.
Bruce caught the exchange, lifted his eyebrow at Darcy who winked at him, and Bruce sighed, shaking his head. The table fell into an easy chatter about Tony’s latest toy, Steve’s trip to Chicago as part of an Avengers publicity tour, and Stark Industries testifying in front of Congress, again, regarding releasing Tony’s toys to the military. Darcy kept her eye on the door.
It was right after they ordered wine that she heard Clint curse softly under his breath from across the table. She looked up, saw him looking at disbelief, and she turned her head. She grinned. Emily was being led to their table by the hostess. She had her hair pulled back and wore a pretty, simple black dress. She looked utterly grown up and beautiful, and somehow her eyes stood out more and she smiled at her father, the same shy smile he gave people on occasion, and everyone at the table knew who she was.
“What are you doing here?” Clint asked her, standing up and looking around worriedly.
At the same time, Jane whispered to Darcy, “This is the part where I tell you that I love you as my best friend but when he kills you, I’m not stopping him.”
Emily’s eyes went down the table. “Darcy invited me. She said it was your birthday.”
Clint glanced at Darcy and then back at his daughter. He opened and shut his mouth, and then sighed, his shoulders slumping. “It is.” He reached forward and drew Emily into a hug. “Thanks for coming, sweetheart.”
She hugged him tightly back and they had some sort of quiet conversation.
Tony leaned forward to look at Darcy, “I admire your courage but I think maybe we should pick out your gravesite today. The Dangerous One still doesn’t know.”
Darcy shrugged, figuring Clint could handle his fake not girlfriend girlfriend problem woman. Clint shook his head at her as he offered the spare seat to Darcy. He called down the table, “You’re a pain, Darc.”
“Happy birthday, Clint!” she called back.
Pepper quickly raised her wine glass and said, “To Clint, happy birthday!”
“Happy birthday!” they all intoned and Emily added, her voice bright and young at the end, “To many more.”
Clint gave her a warm smile. “I hope.”
They fell into useless chatter, most everyone interrogating Emily about where she went to school (NYU), what she was studying (anthropology), whether she traveled (no—hey, Dad, can I?), if she had a boyfriend (Yes, said Emily, smiling, and yes her father had done a background check and insisted on meeting him and yes, he had cleaned a gun in front of her boyfriend before), and if she knew Natasha (of course, and no, she didn’t think Natasha was that scary).
Then Clint looked up again and leapt out of his seat. Half the table reached for weapons, but then Natasha appeared into view, her hair swept back and her eyes surprised as she glanced around the table. She had a faint cut on one cheek and was wearing a long sleeved cardigan that didn’t seem quite her style. Darcy suspected it was covering some other injury. Clint made some sort of pained noise and reached out with both hands, one catching her elbow and one touching the scratch on her face.
“Emily?” Natasha said faintly and she glanced at Clint, completely ignoring the look on his face. “What’s she doing here?”
“Birthday,” Clint said absentmindedly. He was pale, turning over her arm and pushing up her sleeve to expose purple bruises. “Tasha.”
“Where was she?” asked Pepper softly. “I didn’t even know she left.”
“Who the hell actually made contact with her?” Darcy replied softly, seeing that Natasha was actually moving a little stiffer than she normally did. How hurt was she?
It was like they existed in their own world for a moment. Natasha softened and took his hand down from her face, squeezing it. She pulled her sleeve back down. “I’m fine. I’m home. Faster than expected too.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek briefly. “Happy birthday, Barton.”
She pulled away from him and Emily stood up, giving her a hug. Natasha said to her, grinning. “You’ve grown! How’s Jem?”
“In Greece,” Emily made a face. “Study abroad.”
“Aw, you’ll have to go visit. Greece is beautiful this time of year.” Natasha made a sympathetic noise that made Darcy choke on her wine. Natasha’s sharp eyes found her across the table. “Darcy, this wasn’t your idea, was it?”
Darcy paled a bit and took a sip of wine to make her brave. “Maybe.”
“You realize that See Something Say Something is a policy for counterterrorism and not for our lives, right?” Natasha asked as the hostess brought over another chair and place setting.
Darcy grinned. “It worked out alright. Just don’t kill me."
There was a shuffling of people as everyone rearranged so that Clint could sit between Emily and Natasha. Natasha and Emily had a conversation about Clint’s unshaven face and his tie over him, leaving him looking completely amused. He had an arm around either woman and he looked completely content. Darcy mused that he was probably the type of man who didn’t make mistakes too often, but he was flanked by his only mistake and his only failure, and he looked completely blissful.
“Mission success,” Darcy stage whispered to Pepper who clinked wine glasses with her.
Pepper said, “He looks happy.”
“So does Natasha,” Darcy noted. “And Emily.”
“You were lucky this time,” Jane said doubtfully. “And Natasha could still kill you.”
But later, as they were leaving, Darcy saw Clint press a kiss to Natasha’s temple and the redhaired spy leaned into him instead of pushing him way and Emily hooked her arm through her father’s as they walked down the sidewalk together. She probably wasn’t going to die at the hands of a teammate today.