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“You sure he’s going to be okay?” Nat asked, leaning over the regeneration cradle and watching as it slowly closed the wound on the side of Clint’s stomach. Clint groaned quietly as it worked, and you straightened slightly in concern, leaning forward to peer over the Black Widow’s shoulder. You were sitting on a workbench behind her, swinging your legs slightly and still dressed in your mission gear. You’d pulled an oversized N.Y.U. sweatshirt on over the top once you’ gotten back on the quinjet, and you’d left your boots on board. Nat moved to lean against the edge of the bench beside you, folding her arms over her chest. “Pretending to need this guy really brings the team together.”
She and Clint shared a small smirk, and you elbowed her in the ribs. She breathed a quiet laugh, and Clint winked at you before you all turned your attention back to Dr. Cho.
“There’s no possibility of deterioration,” she replied, moving to adjust settings on the cradle’s control panel. “The nano-molecular functionality is instantaneous. His cells don’t know they’re bonding with the simulacrum.”
“And for those of us who are still trying to graduate?” you asked.
“She’s creating tissue,” Bruce explained, a kind of intellectual excitement to his tone despite himself.
“Ah.”
“If you brought him to my lab, the rengeration cradle could do this in twenty minutes.” Cho pointed out.
“Oh no, he’s flatlining.” Tony joked as he entered, a tray of freshly squeezed juices in hand. “Call it. Time?”
“No, no, no. I’m gonna live forever,” Clint chuckled despite his discomfort as Tony pretended to check his watch. “I’m gonna be made of plastic.”
“If you don’t, can I have your X-Box?” you teased, and Tony chuckled.
“Here’s your beverage,” he handed Clint one of the cups, then offered one to you and Nat. The two of you tapped them together in a mock-toast before taking a sip.
“You’ll be made of you, Mr. Barton.” Dr. Cho said with a reassuring smile. “Your own girlfriend won’t be able to tell the difference.”
“Well, I don’t have a girlfriend.” Clint said, eyes finding yours as he took a sip of his juice.
“That I can’t fix,” the doctor replied.
Certain that the others weren’t paying attention to you, you winked at Clint and mouthed ‘I did’. He hid his answering smile by taking another drink, and you followed suit. Oblivious to the exchange between the two of you, Cho turned her attention to Tony.
“This is the next thing, Tony. Your clunky metal suits are going to be left in the dust.”
“Well, that’s exactly the plan. And Helen, I expect to see you at the party on Saturday.”
“Unlike you, I don’t have a lot of time for parties,” she replied, before hesitating shyly. “…Will Thor be there?”
***
You scrubbed a towel through your hair as you made your way back to the main lab, dressed back in jeans and a tee-shirt and still warm from your shower. You’d been in the gym for the better part of two hours trying to blow off steam. The team were still trying to gather information on what Ultron’s next move might be, and until they did, you were sitting on a pile of unused psychokinetic energy. Not only did that leave you antsy, but letting it build up too long often led to migraines and nosebleeds. Besides, everybody had been on edge since Ultron’s first attack, and you found it easier to just stay out of everyone else’s way.
Still, that had meant going without a sparring partner, so you’d spent most of the time in front of an automatic pitching machine Tony had modified for you. It’d shoot a ball at you at random intervals, and you’d project a forcefield in front of yourself to block it. It got a little repetitive after a while, so you’d given up before it had run out of balls for a second time.
You slung the towel around your shoulders and tucked your still-damp hair back behind your ears. Humming, you stretched out a kink in your shoulder and jumped as Clint stepped out of the hallway to your right just as you reached it. “Christ, Clint! You scared the crap out of me!”
Clint chuckled as he caught you around the waist, and you smiled despite yourself. You allowed yourself a quick embrace before pulling away to a more professional distance. The two of you had been dating for a little over a year now, and it still astounded you that none of the others had caught on. To everyone except Natasha, who neither of you could fool, you were purely friends and teammates.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said quietly, hands alighting on your hips again despite your raised eyebrow. He tugged you closer, barely a foot between you. A cheeky grin lit up his features.
You rolled your eyes, casting a glance down towards the labs warily. “I was in the gym; how hard did you look?”
“Only just managed to convince them I needed a break,” he replied. “Why didn’t you tell me where you were going? We could have sparred.”
“Dr. Cho has you on rest,” you reminded him. Even with the cradle’s amazing work, the doctor hadn’t wanted to risk any complications caused by Clint overworking himself. “You’re out until the next fight.”
“Well, then we could have showered,” he said with a suggestive flick of his brow.
You laughed quietly, smacking his chest. “Like that’s any less strenuous.”
“Hey, I promise I can be a very lazy lover,” he teased, stepping in towards you. You stepped back in response, the small of your back meeting the railing behind you. His hands never left your waist, and he cast a brief look around you before nuzzling into the crook of your neck, his lips brushing against your throat. “C’mon, Y/N. I’m going crazy here.”
“I can see that,” you whispered, your fingers sliding through his hair as his lips moved up your neck to your ear. You whimpered quietly before you pushed him back to a more respectable distance gently. “We’re at work, Clint.”
He sighed, ducking his head for a moment. He looked back up at you with a wolfish smile. “And if we weren’t?”
“You’d still be on rest,” you said with a smirk, poking him a chest. When he rolled his eyes, you cupped his cheek in your hand. “Hey, I want you better, alright? I promise, the minute we get home you can just lie back, and I will do all of the work.”
Clint groaned as you ran your other hand up his thigh teasingly until it came to rest on his belt buckle, his eyes dark with lust. His smile dimmed however as he noticed the worry creasing your forehead. You hadn’t been on the battlefield with him when he’d been hurt, and Clint knew just how much guilt you were feeling over it. Guilt he assured you was misplaced. Despite his argument that having the Maximoff twins in play meant your reaction time would have been too slow, you were sure that your shields could have stopped them.
“Hey, stop worrying.” He said softly, his hand covering the one on his belt. Clint turned his head to press a kiss into your palm, and you smiled softly. His fingers curled around yours, his other hand lifting his shirt and hoodie. He led your hand up his torso to press your fingers against the place he’d been hit. “See, I’m good as new. I’m fine.”
You gave him a tiny smile, brushing your fingers carefully over the new skin. He was as warm and firm as ever under your touch, and his muscle twitched under your fingertips. “You sure?”
“I’m sure,” he promised as you pulled your hands away. He dropped his shirt back into place.
You leaned back against the railing, your fingers curling around it. “You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”
“That’s a negative,” he said, adopting a serious tone. “I answer to you.”
“You better,” you grinned.
“Yes, ma’am.”
The moment between you broke as Steve approached, and the two of you looked up quickly. “Barton, Y/L/N, we might have something.”
“Coming,” you said, hurriedly drying your hair again if only for something to do. You leaned in to Clint, speaking so only he could hear. “Oh, and I can feel the difference.”
He broke into a smirk as you walked away, stepping past Steve and heading for the labs.
“What was that about?”
Clint shrugged, forcing the smile from his face as he fell into step beside the Captain. “I don’t know. Nothing you need to worry about.”
***
“The news is loving you guys.” Maria’s voice broke through the overwhelming silence on the quinjet, and you straightened from where you’d been kneeling in front of Natasha. You, like Clint, had managed to avoid whatever Wanda Maximoff had done to the others, but you’d almost passed out from maintaining a forcefield for so long. Still, Tony kept chocolate in the first aid kit to help combat your low blood sugar, so now you were just tired. “Nobody else is.”
Nat barely registered your presence, and you were hesitant to touch her, in case her reaction was violent. You trusted Nat, but where ever she was right now, it was nowhere good. You made your way to the front of the jet, patting Steve on the shoulder as you passed. He looked up at you as you did, but his expression didn’t change. You stopped by Clint’s side, resting your hand on his shoulder.
He glanced up at you and offered you a wan smile, his hand covering yours comfortingly for a brief moment.
“There’s been no official call for Banner’s arrest, but it’s in the air.”
“Stark Relief Foundation?”
“Already on scene. How’s the team?”
“Everyone’s…” Tony hesitated, and you closed your eyes. “…We took a hit. We’ll shake it off.”
“Well, for now I’d stay in stealth mode, and stay away from here.”
“So, run and hide?”
“Until we can find Ultron, I don’t have a lot else to offer.” Maria replied.
Tony sighed. “Neither do we.”
You leaned down to speak quietly to your partner as Tony ended the call and went to check on Bruce. You brushed your fingers lightly through the hair over his ear. “You doing okay, baby?”
“Better than most,” Clint replied. “How’s Nat?”
“Still out of it,” you frowned, glancing back at the others. “What the hell did that girl do to them?”
“I’ve got no idea,” Clint sighed. He groaned appreciatively, low in his throat, as your hand slipped down to rub a kink out of the base of his neck, fingers dipping beneath his collar. “This has been one hell of a day.”
“Day’s not over yet,” you said. “You know where you’re going?”
“Maybe,” Clint shrugged, leaning into your touch slightly. He rolled his shoulder under your fingers, pressing them deeper into the muscle. He looked up at you pointedly. “I had one idea.”
You raised a brow as you caught on, surprised. You withdrew your hand. “Really?”
“Only if you’re okay with it.”
“Well… yeah, I mean…” you brushed hair out of your face and exhaled. “It feels weird to be throwing it at them in the middle of everything, but it makes sense. We need to go somewhere safe. Somewhere off any records Ultron could get a hold of. I can’t think of anywhere else, can you?”
Clint shook his head, and you heard Tony approach. You squeezed Clint’s shoulder affectionately before slipping your hand away to brace it against the back of the chair. “Then let’s go home.”
Tony came to stand on Clint’s other side, hands in his pockets. “Hey, kid, you doing alright?”
You shrugged. “As much as can be expected. You?”
“I’ll be fine,” he said dismissively. “Barton, you want to switch out?"
“No, I’m good.” Clint replied, adjusting the controls as he modified the course. “If you wanna get some kip, now’s a good time, ‘cause we’re still a few hours out.”
“A few hours out from where?”
Clint met your eye for a second, and you gave him a tiny nod. “A safe house.”
“I can take over if he needs it, Tone. I know the way,” you assured him, and the billionaire arched an eyebrow at you in surprise. You pulled your phone from your pocket, scrolling through your contacts until you found the number you were after. You ruffled Clint’s hair gently before stepping away, heading for the back of the quinjet. “But I have to make a couple of calls first. Excuse me.”
***
It was a few hours before sunrise by the time Clint touched down on the edge of a property outside of the Bronx. The field was well-hidden from traffic and belonged to a guy who owed Clint a favor that you knew could be trusted not to contact the press about the Avengers landing in his backyard. You’d found a rented minivan waiting for you, the keys tossed under the driver’s seat.
You’d insisted on driving despite how tired you were, and an exhausted Clint had climbed in the back to sit with Nat while Thor rode shotgun. The sun was barely beginning to stain the sky pink when you’d pulled up outside your home – a duplex apartment three floors up in the middle of The Bronx. Clint wrapped an arm around Nat and led the way inside quickly, mindful of the prying eyes of early risers and light sleepers.
“What is this place?” Thor was the first to break the group’s silence as you made your way down the hall, and you shushed him gently as Clint came to a stop at your front door.
“A safe house, apparently.” Tony replied, turning to you. “Which, by the way, you know about how?”
“I’ll explain inside.”
“But it is safe, right?” Steve interjected. “If Ultron makes an appearance, there are a lot of civilians around. That’s a lot of collateral damage.”
You slipped past Nat to unlock the door, taking a moment to appreciate just how comical it was to see the Avengers all geared up and squeezed into your hallway. “Safe enough. Best to take a step back.”
Bruce was the only one who did; the others just looked confused. The second your key entered the lock you heard the scrabble of paws on wood flooring and a loud barking as something heavy hit the door. Clint snorted, shaking his head.
“What kind of beast—” Thor raised his hammer slightly, and Tony rolled his eyes.
“Don’t get too excited, Fabio,” he said. “It’s just a dog. Which, why?”
“Just a sec,” you said, shoving the door open just enough for you to squeeze inside. You caught Lucky expertly by the collar and hauled him away from the entrance. He turned his attention immediately on you, bouncing up to lick at your arms and hands, barking all the while. He was usually one of the calmest dogs you’d ever met, but you and Clint had been gone longer than expected, and he’d clearly missed you. “Lucky, you idiot, keep it down!”
You heard Clint laugh as he led the others inside, and you tightened your grip on Lucky’s collar as the archer deposited Nat gently on the couch. The Avengers looked strangely at odds with your cluttered apartment, and Bruce almost fell into the bookshelf beside him as he backed up to avoid Lucky as you lost your grip on him.
Instinctively, you threw a shield up in front of the team, but the dog dodged it, barreling past them to launch himself at Clint. Your boyfriend caught him mid-leap, dropping to his knees to rub behind his ears. He leaned back awkwardly to avoid having his face licked.
“Hey, buddy, what are you doing here?”
You grinned, reaching past Thor to lock the door. “I called Katie about renting us the van, and she offered to drop him off. Figured you might want to see a friendly face.”
“You’re both too good to me,” he grinned and stood, pushing Lucky down as he tried to jump up. “Settle down, buddy.”
Clint moved to stand by your side as Lucky snuffled against Nat’s palm. The assassin finally broke into a tiny smile, scratching behind his ears as he sat on her feet, head in her lap.
“Do most safe houses come with over-excited guard dogs?” Tony asked, his tone a mix of sarcasm and genuine confusion. He picked up a frame on the bookshelf and held it up. The photo was of you and Clint smiling up at the camera sleepily, you curled up against his side and Lucky stretched over your lap. “Or Kodak moments?”
“What is this?” Steve asked, hands resting on his belt.
Clint met your eyes and you smiled up at him softly as he wrapped an arm around your waist. You slipped a hand over his stomach to rest it on his chest, leaning into his side. “It’s home.”
“Home.” Thor repeated. “The two of you…”
“Live together,” Clint supplied. You felt him press a kiss to the top of your head.
“Because rent’s so steep?”
You rolled your eyes. “I’ll explain it when you’re older, Stark.”
“Why didn’t we know about this?” Tony asked, turning to Nat. “We didn’t know about this. Did you know about this?”
She smirked lightly, standing and making her way to the kitchen. “Of course. What kind of intelligence agent do you take me for? Besides, Barton can’t hide his feelings for crap.”
You snorted, and Clint flipped her off as she slipped through the doorway and out of sight.
“How long has this been going on?” Steve asked. His tone was hard to read, and you were suddenly reminded of the reasons you hadn’t told the others in the first place; the age difference, how it would affect the team… you swallowed. Lucky was sniffing curiously at Bruce’s knee, and he bent down to pat his head hesitantly.
“Bit over a year now.”
“We’re coming up on fifteen months,” Clint said, and you looked up at him in surprise. He shrugged, smiling. “We got this place six months ago. Paid for it in cash. Keep it off the grid. Should be safe from Ultron.”
“Did you know your dog only has one eye?”
Clint grinned at Bruce. “Warrior’s wound.”
“We can tell you everything later,” you offered, smothering a yawn. “Right now, I think we need to recuperate. And I promised Kate I’d call her when we got in. There’s a shower upstairs in anyone needs it, and we’ll sort out sleeping arrangements. We’ve only got two bedrooms…”
“The couch is pretty comfy,” Clint added helpfully. “And I’m pretty sure I’ve still got camping gear around here somewhere. Should have a blow-up mattress.”
“And I can…” you hesitated, overly aware of the awkward air in the room. “Well, we don’t really have any food here, but I can order in.”
“No need,” Nat said as she reentered, a glass of water in hand. “There’s a pile of pizzas in your kitchen. There was a note.”
She handed it to you, and you broke into a grin as you read it.
Y/N, Hawkguy,
Welcome home. There’s also beer in the fridge. Full disclosure, I stole money out of Clint’s sock drawer to pay for it. Also, I bought myself a six pack too. Don’t complain about it; next time, check the time zones before you call.
Also, you might want to find a new spot to keep all your sexy stuff – I’m officially scarred for life.
Oh, and I’m still waiting on an invite to a Stark party. And Thor’s number.
Kate.
You shook your head, handing it to Clint. “Babe, it’s official. I’m leaving you and marrying Katie.”
He snickered, his ears turning pink as he read the note. You caught Tony mouthing ‘babe?’ to Steve out of the corner of your eye. “That’s fair.”
***
“I spoke to Katie,” you said quietly as Clint entered the kitchen. Lucky trotted in behind him, settling himself on the floor in front of the fridge, chin resting on his paws. “She says to text her when we have to go and she’ll get America to take her out to pick up the van.”
It was almost midday – Thor had left a couple of hours ago, and every curtain in the apartment had been drawn closed to block out the sun. Nat had claimed the spare room you kept made up for her or Kate, and you’d set up the others in the living room, on the couch, the recliner and the mattress Clint had managed to locate.
The archer stepped up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist. He tucked his chin on your shoulder, his calloused fingertips stroking your hip. “I’d buy her a thank-you gift, but she already did.”
You giggled, leaning your head back against his shoulder, settling your hands on his forearm. “She also wanted to know who gets to use that ‘purple thing’ on who.”
Clint groaned, his forehead bumping against your collarbone. You’d been one of the last to shower, so you’d spent two minutes under freezing spray before changing into yoga pants and one of Clint’s old tees. “I’m never going to live her finding that down, am I?”
“It’s okay,” you assured him teasingly, turning in his arms and wrapping yours around his neck. “She was too busy blocking it from her memory to let me tell her that you are definitely the one handling it… and you are very good at it.”
“You know, this really isn’t fair.” Clint murmured, kissing your jaw. His hands slipped over your sides, one resting on your hip and the other cupping your backside. You hummed happily. “You standing here in my shirt. And I’m pretty sure I remember being promised the chance to just lie back and enjoy myself when we got home…”
You smiled, leaning up to brush your lips against his. “Yeah, but having Captain America on a blow-up mattress in our living room didn’t really factor into the fantasy in my head.”
Clint crushed his lips against yours, his teeth grazing your bottom lip. His tongue swiped over it right after, and you parted your lips to deepen the kiss. His hands took hold of your waist tightly, and he lifted you up to sit you on the bench. You parted your legs and he stepped between them, his lips never leaving yours. He cupped your face in his hands tugging you closer, and you wrapped your legs around his waist, crossing your ankles behind him.
Clint moaned into the kiss, the sound muffled by your lips. His fingers slid into your hair, and you gripped his shoulders, his shirt bunching in your hands. He broke away to pepper kisses along your jaw to your ear. “You have no idea how hard it’s been… being so close and not being allowed to touch…”
You kissed him again, pulling away slightly to bump your nose against his. “I have a pretty good idea, actually.”
He chuckled softly, hands sliding down your thighs to your knees. He took hold of them to tug you closer to the edge of the counter, hitching your legs higher up his hips to tighten around his waist. He braced one hand against the small of your back to steady you, his other hand ghosting fingertips up the inside of your thigh.
You let out a shuddering breath, pulling his face to yours again and kissing him. “Clint…”
One of the guys coughed in the other room, and you broke apart reluctantly, his hands on your hips and yours on his chest. Clint let out a breathy laugh, his head drooping to rest against your chest.
“We probably shouldn’t be doing this in here…” you said softly. You smoothed your fingers over the material of his shirt. “I don’t think the others are completely okay with… with us. Cap—”
“I spoke to Rogers.” Clint said, straightening up and brushing hair behind your ear. “He’s just surprised. Thinks that the team is supposed to share everything. But we’re all entitled to a private life, Y/N. He’ll get over it.”
“You sure?” you said, lifting his shirt to run your fingers over his stomach. “There’s something so damning about the pinnacle of American iconography not approving of your relationship.”
“Hey, I love you,” Clint said, and you ducked your head to hide your blush. He tucked a hand under your chin, kissing you quickly before meeting your eye again. “And Steve can bite me if he’s got a problem with that.”
You grinned, your fingers slipping over the place he’d been injured. “I love you, too.”
“Oh, I know you do.” Clint joked confidently, leaning back. “It’s embarrassing really, how into me you are.”
You smacked him, and he smothered your laugh with another kiss. You eventually pulled away to breathe again, your hands resting on his belt. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m here, home with you.” Clint said, a soft smile lighting up his face and shining in his eyes. “I’m perfect.”
Lucky whined from his place on the floor, and Clint broke away from you to beckon him forward with a pat on his thigh. The dog stood and came over to nuzzle his face into Clint’s palm. “Sorry, buddy. I didn’t mean not to include you.”
“C’mon,” you said, pushing Clint back enough so that you could jump off of the counter. You took his hand in yours, interlacing your fingers. “Let’s get you boys to bed. We’ve got a world to save tomorrow.”