Into The Light

This is the first of the one-shot sequels to Through A Glass Darkly (if you haven't read that, this won't make much sense). The rest of the one-shots will be posted as additional chapters to this story.

I did kind of rush through the wedding. My lovely reviewer BoomerCat wrote a chunk of this (Clint's perspective) and I decided it was too good to waste and you guys needed some extra bonus fluffy fluffiness until I get off my butt and clear up that nightmare cliffhanger I left you with

Disclaimer: Marvel own all these characters and stuff, except Jen and her family. They're mine. ALL MINE. (Though I do let people share when they ask nicely).

WARNING: Fluffy. And sickly. Like candyfloss. You may need to visit the dentist.

Rated M for an occasional swear word and some smut at the end. (Yay for smut!)

Jen

"You ready, baby?"

She turned to face her father with a smile, then sighed and reached up to put her hands on his cheeks.

"Don't you dare cry."

"Sorry." Rik Svendson, battle-hardened veteran, swiped at his eyes. "Your mother set me off."

"Of course," Jen gave him a teasing smile that said she didn't believe a word of it, but she'd allow him his pride. It wasn't every day a man had to give away his only daughter, after all.

"You look radiant, honey," he stooped and kissed her cheek gently. "I don't have to ask if you're sure about this, do I?"

She shook her head happily, and he offered his arm for her with a broad smile. "Then let's go put some jesses on that Hawk of yours."

Clint

She'd told him over and over. She'd shown him in a hundred different ways. She'd done everything she could, but still, as he stood on the windy rooftop, his heart froze in his throat. What if she didn't appear? What if she realized her mistake, and ran?

Clint Barton had faced so many things in his life. Horrible things that could crush a man's soul. But he'd never felt a fear like this. One that crawled like cockroaches up his legs and over his groin, loosening his courage, and weakening his knees. His mouth was chokingly dry, and he was exquisitely aware of the ledge at the edge of the roof. His mind was full of darkness as his hands trembled. It would only take a few short quick steps to reach that ledge and take his one last fatal flight of the hawk.

And why shouldn't he? It still amazed him how quickly Jen had become the sole reason for his existence. Yeah, they said it was all Loki's doing. A twisted gift from a twisted mind. But Clint knew the truth. He would have fallen for Jen anyway. He would have seen her duck into those vents during the invasion, and his heart would have been stolen away magic spells or not.

But what he couldn't get his mind around, no matter how hard he tried, was why Jen would want a loser like him. He'd tried to tell her. Several times as they lay together in the aftermath of their lovemaking, he'd tried to explain that he wasn't the good person she thought he was. She'd listened with those incredible eyes trained on his face. But as he spoke, she would grow sad, and would reach for him, holding him as if she could make it all go away. And it would. For as long as she held him, he could believe he was the person she thought she saw.

But then she would let go, and it would all come back. Now, as he stood there, he couldn't bring himself to believe that she would actually marry him. He sensed Bruce stepping closer to him, a warm presence to prop him up when the axe finally fell, and Jen's father came to give him the bad news.

"Hang in there, buddy. It'll all be over soon," Bruce murmured.

Yeah, one way or another. He looked at the roof edge again, and Bruce's hand came down firmly on his shoulder.

"Look, she's here!"

And sure enough, as Bruce said it, Rik Svendson stepped out on the roof, looking proudly regal in his tuxedo. Clint swallowed, feeling the darkness start to crowd in on him, but then, light exploded in his brain, when Rik held out his hand, and the most stunning, gorgeous creature appeared.

She was light and warmth, and more beautiful than an angel sent from God. With her hand tucked lightly in the crook of her father's arm, she floated toward him. The dress she wore was almost too perfect, a shimmer of silvery light shifting over snow white. It was virginal, yet showed every curve. Her blue eyes were sparkling with their own silver, and they never once left his face. Her entire face was wreathed in joy.

Clint was sure his heart had stopped. Somehow, he had died, and this was a heaven he had never deserved. Rik stepped forward, and placed his daughter's hand in his. Clint never noticed the man was there. He felt his knees shaking, but he couldn't do anything but stare.

Jen looked up into his adoring eyes and said, "Hawk, if you fucking pass out on me, I swear I'll wear a fucking chastity belt to bed tonight. Breathe, baby, breathe!"

Realizing he had indeed been holding his breath, Clint took in a deep breath and smiled. "You sure about this, darlin'? Last chance to bail."

She smiled sweetly, and whispered, "And if you don't stop that 'I'm not worthy' crap, I'll make you wear the chastity belt. Now buck up and marry me, mate."

With a grin that went right down to his heart, Clint felt in that moment that his ledger had been washed clean, and his soul renewed. Turning to face the celebrant, with Jen at his side, he set aside the darkness and came into the light.

Jen

For a moment there, she'd thought he might pass out. Or vomit. His face was a slightly strange green colour. She'd used her sharp tongue and teasing words to bring him back to himself, and when he spoke, his voice was firm and steady. Of course, what he said annoyed her thoroughly. She gave him a narrow-eyed glare, and then smiled sweetly. Oh, no, she wasn't going to give him any excuse to quit on her.

"Meet me where the sunlight ends, meet me where the truth never bends, your sorrow, your beauty, your daylight, your dark, I want it all. Give me your heart," Clint asked her in a soft, husky voice when the time came for them to exchange their vows.

"Always," she promised him, feeling to her horror tears welling in her own eyes. That this man, this hero, should want her – she was the one who was not worthy. He looked at her, concerned, his beautiful eyes gleaming in the sunlight, warm hands pressing gently on hers. Somehow she managed to get her own vows out without stumbling over the words, and then finally it was all over, the celebrant was pronouncing them man and wife, and she was in Clint's arms, lifted off her feet as usual as he kissed her thoroughly.

Their friends flocked around congratulating them, hugs and kisses bestowed all around, Natasha's embrace especially warm. In Natasha, Jen felt that she'd found the wise big sister she'd always wanted.

Natasha

Clint had chosen wisely. Natasha had been concerned about Jen at first; what could an ordinary girl, thrust by Loki's magic into their midst, know about their world? But she had proven herself tough, adaptable, and mostly importantly in Natasha's eyes, as devoted to Clint as he was to her. Jen had willingly risked her own safety for Clint's health, before she knew she was his soul-mate, and in so doing had earned Natasha's respect and loyalty.

Natasha had never seen her best friend so happy. Clint was smiling broadly as Tony patted his back and made some (probably rudely explicit) comments in his ear. He never let go of Jen, though, his arm curled possessively around her waist, her family and friends having to be satisfied with kissing her cheeks instead of hugging her. And Jen was obviously happy to be so close to Clint, leaning her head against his shoulder, careless of her perfectly arranged hair.

Steve stepped in to shake Clint's hand and congratulate him, and Natasha smiled softly at the super-soldier. Maybe he would stay with her and maybe they'd part one day, but for now she felt almost as happy as Clint looked. Her eyes slid to Director Fury, the next man in line to speak with the newly-weds, and her smile slipped. There were still parts of her past – and her present – she could not share with Steve. Although she was no longer a S.H.I.E.L.D. employee, she had been forced to cut a deal with Fury. The World Council had been reasonably happy to let Clint go – his criminal past was so far in the past, and so far below the radar, they'd assumed he was just another agent, albeit one with a weird skill set. Plus, after Loki, Clint was compromised. Many within the agency would never be able to trust him again, despite his heroics at the Battle of New York.

But Natasha had been a world-infamous assassin not so very long ago at all. She'd killed family members and friends of current Council members, and they weren't willing to forgive and forget so easily. Short of locking her up – and that wouldn't end well for anyone – they couldn't force her to stay with S.H.I.E.L.D. That hadn't stopped them trying, and in the end she'd made a deal with Fury that he could call on her if he needed her specific skills. The same deal had extended to Clint – and he had been called up in the velociraptor hunt.

Natasha suspected that hunt had been an oblique hint that Fury would be calling on her too, in due time. They could have managed without Clint. She nibbled on her lower lip and looked away. Her eyes fell on Pepper, and widened.

Pepper

It was a beautiful wedding. Just gorgeous. Clint was so darn handsome in that suit, his broad shoulders filling it out perfectly, and Jen looked like a tiny fairy princess in all her dainty beauty. Strange how a couple of months ago Pepper had never met either of them, and now she considered them two of her closest friends. She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue as they said their vows, and horrified herself by bursting into full-blown sobs when the two of them kissed.

Tony, of course, fled at once, not even looking at her as he bolted off to congratulate Clint. Pepper sat, shoulders shaking, sobbing into her now-quite-inadequate tissue until she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and a large, clean white handkerchief was pushed into her hand.

"Thanks," she sobbed, glancing up to see which of the men had come to her rescue – probably Steve, he was chivalrous like that – and was a bit surprised to see Natasha sitting down beside her.

"Stole it out of Steve's pocket," Natasha nodded at the handkerchief. "I know it wasn't for me so probably he suspected he might cry, since he never needs to blow his nose."

That made Pepper laugh through the sobs and sniffles, and she blotted at her eyes, hoping her makeup was staying put. "Thanks," she managed to choke out.

"You're welcome." Natasha paused for a moment. "That looks like a little more than tears of happiness?"

That made Pepper well up a bit more, and a moment later Natasha was hauling her to her feet. "Come on, we're gonna go have a girly bathroom talk."

"Don't wanna," Pepper sobbed, reverting to five years old.

"Tough. I'm not having you wrecking Clint and Jen's wedding day by sobbing over the fact that Tony's an impossible git."

"How did you…" Pepper gaped as Natasha dragged her into the penthouse and over to the opulent bathroom.

"What else have you got to cry over?" Natasha sighed, wiping a dampened washcloth over Pepper's red eyes and picking through her makeup bag. She looked at Pepper and smiled ruefully.

"He's not interested in setting a date," Pepper confessed in a rush. "And I'm worried that he's having second thoughts about marrying me…"

"Oh, Pepper," Natasha sighed. "I am surprised at you! You just tell him when and where to show up, and leave me and the guys to make sure it happens. Better yet you should have shown up in a wedding gown today and told him you'd decided to make it a joint wedding. He'd have had no choice but to go through with it."

Pepper couldn't help but laugh weakly at the thought of the look on Tony's face if she'd pulled that stunt. He'd probably have jumped off the roof and summoned a suit on the way down.

"Tony loves you, Pepper," Natasha shook her head at Pepper's expression. "But like nearly every man alive, the thought of actually having anything to do with the wedding probably gives him hives."

Pepper laughed again, smiling as Natasha gently re-applied her makeup. "You really think so?"

"Pepper, seriously, this is Tony we're talking about. His interest in anything flowers and lace-related? Zero." Natasha stood back and admired her handwork. "There, all perfect again. And don't start crying again. Some women can carry off red eyes. You look like a baby seal."

Pepper was laughing again when she came out of the bathroom with Natasha, and she was surprised when Tony suddenly appeared at her side, taking her arm solicitously.

"Darling, are you all right? Steve said he thought he saw you crying."

"Oh," she mentally gathered herself and smiled at him, "just being a girl, you know. We always cry at weddings."

"Our turn next," Tony smiled at her, and she blinked, startled.

"What?"

"Well, I'm damned if I'll let anyone else get the jump on me! There was no talking Barton into waiting – mind you I suppose with a father like Rik Svendson breathing down my neck I'd be in a hurry to make an honest woman out of his daughter as well," Tony grinned. "And they only wanted a small wedding, but I know you want the whole shebang, and that takes time. Have you booked anywhere yet?"

Pepper's mouth was actually hanging open. "Tony! Every time I ask you when you want to get married you put an Iron Man suit on and disappear!"

"Do I?" he looked honestly startled. "Well, barring alien invasions or natural disasters, not today. JARVIS has locked me out of my labs until morning, on your orders, Ms Potts. So you have my undivided attention. Incidentally, have I told you yet how very beautiful you look today?"

This. This was why she loved him. Because when she did have Tony's attention, it was like being bathed in warm sunshine. No one else had ever made her feel this way, and no one else ever would. She stepped closer to him, linking her arms around his waist, kissing his forehead. He tilted his head up slightly to look in her eyes – in her Louboutins she was distinctly taller than he – and gave her that smile he reserved only for her.

Darcy

Darcy watched a little jealously as Jen talked and laughed with Clint and their friends. Jen looked so beautiful as a bride; it was her radiant happiness that made her really glow, though, Darcy reflected after a moment of admiring the fabulous designer dress. Jen always seemed so sure of herself. But then, she was a science genius like Jane, Tony and Bruce; the final IQ test results of both Jen and Clint had put them up on a par with the three resident Tower geniuses, and though Clint lacked the education to match their creativity he was learning fast.

Darcy's eyes slid across to the tall, dark-haired man leaning in to kiss Jen's cheek, and her heart clenched a little. Jen's brother Jacques was an amazing guy, perhaps the best she'd ever met, and she was so damn scared of fucking up with him. He was the first boyfriend she'd ever wanted to hang onto. At least he was coming with them when she and Jane left for London next week; Thor was returning to Asgard to deal with some responsibilities there – and check on Loki – and quite sensibly decided Jane shouldn't be without a keeper.

Darcy had actually been promoted to Jane's assistant (with a proper salary and everything!) and they were even getting a new intern. Ian had started work a few days ago, and seemed a capable, bright kid with a huge crush on Darcy, which amused Jacques no end. Darcy had actually considered flirting with Ian just to make Jacques jealous – to see if she could make Jacques jealous – but in the end decided that she might be endangering Ian's health, which would be cruel to the poor boy, especially as she really wasn't interested. Jacques was former Australian SAS, after all!

The soldier-turned-bodyguard felt her eyes on him then, turned and gave her a brilliant smile. Tall and dark-haired, he was very much unlike his tiny, blonde sister, but equally as good-looking. He was also not the demonstrative type, especially not in public, and it made Darcy a little fearful that she wasn't really that important to him. She gave him a smile full of promise, though, and was satisfied to see his smile turn hungry.

Well, he still wants me in bed. That will have to do for now.

Bruce

Bruce's smile was wistful as he watched his friends. It was at moments like this he most missed Betty. He felt the Other Guy stir, below the surface of his mind, and concentrated on breathing steadily, thinking calm, happy thoughts. It wasn't too hard, seeing how joyous Clint and Jen were together.

He had been a little surprised when Clint had stood firm on asking him to be best man – he'd thought for sure the archer would have had another old friend somewhere – but Natasha had drawn him aside and told him that Coulson was the only other friend Clint had really trusted, and with Coulson gone, Clint had chosen Bruce. He was honoured. Clint was a good guy, a genuine hero, the kind of friend who would always come through if you needed him. And Clint deserved every bit of his good fortune; Jen was a helluva girl. She'd stand by her man no matter what this increasingly crazy world threw at them. If only…

No. That way lay dark thoughts and the Other Guy. Not today.

Steve

Well, it was nice to know that some things hadn't changed. A bride was still the most beautiful woman in the world on her wedding day, and grooms still looked absolutely stunned by their good fortune.

"Congratulations," Steve told Clint sincerely, shaking his hand. "You're a lucky man."

"I know," the archer answered, turning his head to press a kiss to his new wife's hair. "Luckiest guy in the world." He grinned at Steve. "We're gonna blow this joint in ten minutes." Seeing Steve's eyes widen at the vernacular, he clarified quickly, "Leave the party. Hawaii's waiting and I'm eager to have my bride all to myself."

"We couldn't have guessed," Tony interjected dryly, and then added in his usual sarcastic-covering-genuine-concern way, "And don't forget to check in occasionally, eh?"

"We won't," Jen answered for both of them. "We'll let JARVIS know whenever we're on the move."

"And Skype us regularly," Steve said firmly, bending over to kiss her cheek. She was so tiny he had to bend almost double. "We want to see your pretty face and Clint's ugly mug once in a while."

Jen laughed, and Clint gave Steve a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Stop flirting with my wife," he looked unutterably proud and smug just saying the word.

"Go admire Tasha instead," Jen advised him. "She did pick out that dress with you in mind."

"Where is she, anyway?" Tony looked around, bemused.

"Went to the ladies' room with Pepper," Steve said. "I think Pepper was having a bit of a teary overflow."

"Really?" Concerned, Tony was off. "I'm not having my girl crying!"

"We'd better start our goodbyes," Clint told Jen, "I think your mother is going to want to cry over both of us some more before we leave."

Steve smiled, watching them head over to Jen's parents. On instinct, he checked around the roof, glanced out over the city. No threats today. Fury had promised them that the whole of S.H.I.E.L.D. was on high alert, the Helicarrier invisibly floating over the city, and he'd even asked the X-Men and the Fantastic Four to be on duty, patrolling for trouble just in case.

A glint of flame in the sky caught his eye, and he grinned. Looked like Johnny Storm was on aerial patrol. A glimpse of red and blue moving on a distant building made him squint. Ah. Spider-Man was out and about too, keeping an eye on things. Nobody was going to be allowed to spoil this special day.

Thor

Midgardian formal wear for men was damnably uncomfortable. But Thor would put up with almost anything to see his Lady Jane look as she did now. Ordinarily Jane's idea of dressing up was a clean shirt and remembering to brush her hair, but the other Ladies of the Tower had dragged her out on a shopping expedition, and for something called a 'spa day' yesterday, and the results were – well, suffice to say that Thor was very pleased.

Jane wore a silky scarlet gown with a slim golden chain belt around her tiny waist. His colours, and she looked magnificent in them. He wanted – well, he wanted to take her back to their apartments and debauch her yet again – or perhaps it was her debauching him, he hadn't quite figured that out yet. But even more than that, he wanted to place the diadem of an Asgardian princess on her sleek dark hair, see her stand at his side as the royal she was meant to be.

That would have to wait. His mother had indicated her tentative approval, but it was Odin who would be the stumbling block, Odin who had been after him to marry the Lady Sif for centuries. The thought made Thor ill. He had grown up with Sif; she was as much a sister to him as Loki was a brother. Thinking of her that way made even his strong stomach turn. No, he would have his Lady Jane and no other; his star-maiden with her brilliant mind, her courage and her beauty unmatched on this or any other world.

Tony

All was right in Tony Stark's world today as they waved the helicopter carrying the newlyweds off. Even being locked out of his own labs couldn't dent his good mood. Surrounded by his true friends, sure in the knowledge that Pepper actually wanted to marry him – well, he couldn't be happier.

Even Iron Man could have the day off. JARVIS had alerted him a little while ago that Rhodey was out there in the city with the other superhero teams, keeping a lid on things and alert for any trouble. They'd kept news of the wedding very closely held, not wanting any villains to get ambitious, but perhaps even supervillains were nervous of the wrath of the Avengers if they dared interrupt the wedding of one of their own.

Tony glanced around. Everyone was well-supplied with expensive champagne – even Bruce had put a splash in a glass before filling it to the brim with orange juice. Tony smiled expansively, lifting his own glass in a toast.

"So Clint and Jen have abandoned us, but that doesn't mean we can't party hard in their honour! To Mr and Mrs Hawkeye!"

Many hours later, Moloka'i, Hawaii

It was full dark by the time they got to the little house by the beach, but Jen could hear the ocean and she wanted to feel the sand between her toes. It had been too long since she saw the sea. After they'd sorted out where to put their things – and she'd suffered a minor case of shock on discovering that Clint had turned her into a member of the super-spy community without her knowledge – she showered quickly, grabbed a light sundress from the top of her bag and threw it on while Clint was checking out the house. He trusted the people who'd loaned it to them – they owed him their lives – but his institutional paranoia would never let him relax entirely.

"Come on," she found him in the kitchen, getting a glass of water after finishing his patrol, "I want to go walk on the beach!"

"It's dark," he pointed out, and she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Is the mighty Hawkeye afraid of the dark?" she teased.

Clint huffed at her. "All right. Just let me get into something more comfortable." He'd long since discarded his suit jacket and tie, unbuttoned the collar of his shirt, but he was still wearing dress pants and shoes.

"You've got two minutes or I'm going without you!" Jen shouted after him as he headed for their bedroom.

"Thinking of abandoning me already?" he was back in less than the specified time, stripped down to just a pair of board shorts. Jen caught her breath at the sight of his broad, muscled chest, powerful arms reaching for her. She skipped back just in time.

"Nope: you'll have to catch me first!" and she sprinted out through the open French doors onto the lanai, jumped off the low deck and took off down the beach towards the ocean at a hard run.

Caught by surprise, Clint still ran her down before she got to the water's edge, pulling her down to the sand in a laughing tangle of limbs, rolling her underneath his body and kissing her heatedly until she no longer had the urge to laugh.

"Is this a private beach?" Jen gasped out as his hand slid up her thigh.

"Yes – you haven't got anything on under this dress!" he reared up, shocked, and then started laughing. "What, have you got a sex-on-the-beach fantasy?"

"Yup," she grabbed his hair, pulling him back down to her, "and as my husband, it's your job to make sure all my fantasies are fully satisfied."

"My pleasure," he said thickly, his hand slipping back to the warm wetness between her thighs, "but don't blame me if you get friction burn, darlin'." Pushing her skirt up to her waist, he slid down across her body and opened his mouth to taste. He teased gently, his hot tongue flicking, gathering moisture, not giving Jen the pressure she needed until she called his name in a high, breathy voice, begging him for what she knew only he could give her.

"Hawk, please," Jen gasped out. He was teasing, taunting; his tongue dancing over her button, one callused finger sliding torturously slowly in and out of her slick passage. "Please!"

"Anything for you, darlin'," he wriggled out of his shorts and covered her with his body, running one hand into her hair and holding her head still so that he could take her lips in a fierce kiss even while his cock slid slowly deep inside her.

"Oh my God," Jen's eyes rolled back in her head at the feel of him. He was thick and rock-hard, slowly filling her up until she felt ready to explode. A dark laugh sounded in her ear, and he began to move, his mouth plundering hers as his hips rocked faster. She clawed at his back, her thighs clamping tightly to his sides, moans escaping her throat as he pushed her steadily higher.

Clint would never get over how amazing Jen felt clenched around him, how the soft noises she made drove him to the edge of madness. He lifted his head and looked at her, head thrown back, her hair spilling around her face, starlight illuminating her lovely features. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted, and to him she had never looked more beautiful.

"I love you," he groaned desperately, feeling the tightening at the base of his spine that heralded his own release. "God, darlin', I love you so much."

A smile touched her lips, and she opened her eyes and brought one hand to his cheek, gazing at him with her love clear on her face. And then her mouth opened in an O and he felt it, the rippling grasp of her internal muscles clenching around him, and let go himself, hips jerking as a lightning bolt of ecstasy shattered his world.

A/N: Well, hopefully that will last my fans until next week when I can get the next chapter written. I'm working hard on the sequel as well (you'll be happy to hear I'm over 12,000 words in).

As always, I very much appreciate your thoughts and comments so PLEASE PLEASE review!