A oneshot written for: Lunascorpio20

Enjoy the fluff.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this story belongs to us.

Endearment

Kagome, even though she was fairly young compared to her companions, had the rather sticky name of Mother Bird. Not only because she was Clint's apprentice and given the avian addition of the name by Tony, but also because the way she tended to hover around those injured, sad, ill, or something else like a mother would. Tony, being oh so clever, had decided to give her a nickname, in an attempt to be snarky, that seemed to stick with the others as well.

Mother Bird.

She couldn't deny it, because she knew she was. It couldn't be helped that her maternal instinct was strong. She also found it to be a bit cute the way the others tended to think of her that way. If they were injured, they would come find her first. Exact same if something else was wrong with them.

Fighting, while she could hold her own easily, wasn't her forte. She excelled best at healing, something her comrades often greatly needed out in the field.

From where she sat, taking extra care in polishing her sword, Kagome could feel eyes fixed solely on her. It didn't bother her as much as it would have before. This was a common thing. Still, smiling oh so calmly, she set the sword down on the couch beside her and crossed her legs.

"Do you need something, Pietro?"

Her tone was sweet, inviting him to join her in her room. She could hear as he huffed, as he still couldn't understand how she seemed to know whenever someone was near her. It wasn't an irritated huff like it used to be, but one seeming to hold light-hearted humor. Not even a full second later he was standing right in front of her, arms crossed as he stared down at her with an expression she couldn't identify easily.

He set a finger under her chin and tilted her head back so she would look at him. She did what he wished for her to do, and met his silver-blue eyes with her own oceanic ones. And, just like the ocean, the blue orbs held waves both large and small. For a moment he forgot every word on his tongue, watching the way her cheeks heated up with a faint pink.

Kagome was used to him doing this to her, as he often said he loved watching the colors of her eyes. By now she didn't question it. Pietro's flirtatious attitude was something she endured, something she couldn't always handle with a calm face. More often than not, when he started sweet talking her, her mind would run blank faster than he could run to Paris and back.

Silence stuck around them for more than just a handful of minutes. Kagome watched as a silly smile crept on his face, and an innocent one made its way onto her own.

They held a competition with their eyes, holding each other's gaze until the weaker looked away. As always, Kagome was the first to lower her gaze, looking down as her lashes shielded her eyes from his own, a shy look creeping back onto her features.

Her doing this caused his heart rate to pick up. Pietro didn't know why, but her performing the simple gesture of shyness under his gaze was mesmerizing. He found it endearing the way he provoked her sudden shyness, as no one else seemed to have the capability in doing so.

He removed his hand away from her as he let his eyes trail down and over her body. He noticed every little scar that decorated her exposed flesh. His eyes met one on her shoulder, the one he had given her when they had still been enemies, and he looked away, both a bit ashamed and angry at this one.

Kagome noticed his attention on her shoulder, and, without even looking, she adjusted her shirt so it covered the object of his attention.

She had long since forgiven him for it, but he still couldn't forgive himself. She laughed it off, declaring she had gotten worse than people who had once been her friends, in hope of lightening his spirits.

Instead, he had then reacted with unhidden anger. Saying that if those individuals ever made their way back into her life, he'd kill them.

That day had been the first time he had ever made her blush while not flirting. She knew he cared for her, that affection only growing with more time they spent together. He knew, just as much, that she cared the same about him.

They weren't the only ones who knew about each other's feelings. The whole team could tell.

Clint, who at first had been both irritated and amused by Pietro and Wanda, didn't like it when he first found out. He had no problem expressing that he didn't want them near one another, even going as far as to picking her up and toting her away from him. Then again, that could also be because of her being his apprentice and all. He eventually got over it, seeing there was nothing he could really do to change it. He also didn't think Pietro to be that bad, after he came to terms that he actually enjoyed his presence, that is.

Tony was the one who made all the jokes about it and tried to continuously push them together. For the most part, they could ignore him and his not so subtle hinting to them needing to hook up.

Their relationship was stuck on the same exact page it had been on for nearly three months, both of them waiting for the other to make the next step that included admitting their feelings. Knowing them was greatly different hearing them from the other's mouth.

Pietro sank down next to Kagome, not bothering to wait until she told him he could. Her sword was moved out of the way, placed back in its sheath and moved to the ground before she could even say a word. She could feel his arm curl comfortably around the curvature of her hips and he pulled her firmly onto his lap and against his chest. His other arm went around her shoulders and he held onto her tight. A quiet gasp stumbled from her lips at his actions before a tiny giggle followed.

She didn't really know why, but he always seemed to insist on touching her in some sort of form or fashion. It could be something as simple as a few fingers against her back, or something much more intimate, such as he currently was. She could only assume that it comforted him in a way, so she went along with it. She didn't have a problem with it, anyway. More often than not, she enjoyed it just as much, if not more.

Kagome sat and listened as he muttered something she couldn't understand to himself. Sometimes it bugged her the way he would swap to a language she didn't speak because then she was at a loss on what he said. If she wanted to tease him, she'd speak Japanese, knowing perfectly well that he couldn't comprehend it.

She just sighed instead and rose her hand up to cup his cheek. The light stubble of his facial hair rubbed against the smooth skin of her palm as she caught his attention. The same silly smile reappeared on his face as he leaned more into her hand. He copied her actions and set one of his own hands to her cheek.

Kagome could feel her face heat up once mre, and downcasted her gaze. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and began to subconsciously nibble on it.

Pietro noticed the simple action, and trailed his fingertips down to tilt her head up, silently telling her to look at him. Timid and shy, she did, meeting his gaze as his fingers danced down the slender column of her neck. Ever so slightly he leaned closer to her, pausing only when they were just a hair's length away from another. She was given ample time to tell him if she didn't want this, but instead of saying anything, Kagome closed the gap between them.

The first kiss was innocent, sweet. It held no emotion other than tender love for one other. When they pulled apart, after only a few seconds, their gaze met once more. Pietro threaded his fingers through her long hair and looked closely at her.

Gone were the flirtatious glances and silly smiles. In his eyes, Kagome could see a much deeper and complex emotion.

"I love you," he whispered finally after a few slow minutes of silence, and a serene smile came to rest on Kagome's face. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, one he didn't hesitate to return.

"I know," she responded with a tender, loving tone. "I love you, too."

The slow sound of clapping met their ears, and they reluctantly pulled away from one another. Together, they both turned towards Kagome's doorway, which had apparently been left open. Leaning against the doorway in all his glory was one Tony Stark. On his face he had the stupidest, most smug smirk they had ever seen.

"About damn time," he laughed as he watched the two interact on the couch. It had taken them months, but they had finally sealed the deal. "The others will be-!" He narrowly ducked to avoid being hit in the face by a five pound paper weight from Kagome's table. It was unclear who had thrown it at him, but he got the hint nonetheless.

"Get out!" Kagome hissed at him.

"Alright, alright, little miss priss." He grumbled as he walked out of the room. "Who knows, maybe now that you two are official, you won't be so moody all the damn time."

Once he had left the pair alone in solitude, shutting the door closed behind him, Kagome looked back at Pietro. Much like him, a goofy smile appeared on her face. It stayed for only a second until he slanted against hers in a possessive kiss, wiping it clean off her face.

*~*Extended Ending*~*

The pair had stayed in Kagome's room for most of the day, neither one really keen on the idea of leaving the other. Eventually, though, the time did come that they would have to show their faces to the others.

It was pleasant that they hadn't been interrupted after Tony had left them alone, and they had been able to enjoy the presence of one another for a few hours.

Kagome stood up out of Pietro's lap, much to his obvious annoyance, and stretched high into the air. Once she dropped her arms back down at her side, she took notice of his pouting face. She rolled her eyes and knelt forward a bit to place a quick kiss to his forehead.

She moved back before he could tug her back into his lap, and turned to head towards her door. She would have to leave their position soon enough, as she often cooked for the entire team. Kagome glanced back at him, rolling her eyes as he kept pouting silently on the couch.

"Come now, dear." She spoke softly to him, catching his attention, "nothing will stop you from spending time with me later." Her face took on a faint pink hue as she continued, "and you're more than welcome to sleep with me, if you want."

To others it would sound inappropriate, but to them it was the total opposite. To them, it was her caring for the way he preferred to keep contact between them. To them, it was nothing more than him holding her against him as they slept.

At her words, he seemed to cheer up a bit, and stood up to follow her out of the room. He'd hover around her for the next few hours, as he always tended to do.

Kagome felt him come up behind her as she opened the door. Several yelps were heard as a group of people took a tumble to the ground. At once, her face turned to the color of a tomato.

Oh God…

Had they… had they all been listening in on them?

Kagome and Pietro watched as Natasha got up from the ground, trying to act as if she hadn't been part of it. She fixed her clothing as she stepped out of the pile of males on the floor.

The only one who wasn't on the floor was Wanda, but she was standing a few paces behind the mess on the floor.

Clint hopped up off the floor next, darting towards Kagome and taking her by her arm.

"No, no, no, no!" He continued like a mantra, tugging her protectively behind him and away from Pietro.

She stumbled as she tried to regain her balance after being moved unexpectedly. Kagome gave Clint a look of pure disbelief as he stood his ground like a jealous two year old.

"I thought you were okay with them liking each other." Steve, at least, looked a little embarrassed about being caught eavesdropping.

"That was before they admitted it to each other." Clint tugged her stubbornly away from the others and down the hall. "I never thought they'd actually do anything about it."

"Aw, poor birdy." Tony shook his head, "looks like he can't let his baby bird go and out of the nest." The others looked at him and he shrugged. "She's a grown woman, Clint!"

"I don't fucking care!"

The could hear the denial he spoke with as he childishly drug Kagome down the hallway.

Panda: That ending couldn't be prevented, but no worries. Kagome and Pietro lived happily ever after and got married and had two kids. (y'know, after Clint finally got out of denial. **he still isn't**)
Penguin: Somewhat of a romantic comedy, I guess. hehe. We hope you enjoyed it, Lunascorpio20!
Feedback is much loved. Until next time!