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Clint Barton was an omega. There, he said it. In his head, at any rate. He never gave the alpha knotheads he was surrounded with the satisfaction of declaring himself, like it was a badge to be worn or a signal to be fucked. There were people who knew, of course. Natasha had sniffed him out from day one. Honestly, Budapest would have gone a lot harsher if she hadn’t. But overall it led him to now, standing in what was apparently his new room and trying to fight down a small panic attack.
Fury had insisted he and Natasha abandon their SHIELD bunkers/living spaces and actually live in Tony Stark’s tower. He wanted them to bond and, oh not to mention, gather intel.
Clint wanted to run away.
Or punch Tony Stark, because putting a Legolas poster up above his new bed was just asking for physical violence. Even if it was funny.
He turned, feeling a presence behind him. Natasha was looking around with a half smile, turning into a genuine one at the sight of the poster. “I got a National Geographic spider poster for my room.”
“Good to know he mocks us all,” Clint said drily. He dropped down, sitting on the edge of the bed. “What do you think Cap got?”
“Glaciers, maybe?” she replied, striding in and taking the desk chair like she owned it. “Or a fake newspaper declaring the oldest man alive found.”
Clint laughed. “Okay, but Bruce? What could he possibly come up with for that guy?”
“Kittens,” a voice said, Bruce appearing in the doorway, reminding Clint once again that they had to bond like a soldier unit or even family. Which meant all of them, except Tony, sharing the same floor. Making his little omega secret harder and harder.
“Really?” Clint asked.
“One very tiny kitten fighting a very large green kitten,” Bruce admitted, rubbing his face. “I keep laughing when I look at it, so it’s safe to say we got a safeguard for the Big Guy coming out.”
“Well, I suppose that’s a good thing,” Natasha said, giving Bruce one of her secret smiles. Clint recognized it and knew it was at least half-way real. Bruce’s blush, on the other hand, was one hundred percent real.
“Any thoughts on Thor’s room?” Clint asked, breaking up the little romantic eye contact they had going. Bruce coughed, like he was trying to cover it up, but it was completely negated by Natasha’s sly grin. “Okay, flirt later, please.”
He didn’t actually mind. Natasha was a type of Beta to fluctuate into any role she needed. Clint had seen her play both omega and alpha in a single night by body language and vocal tone alone. Natural for Bruce, who was the most extreme duality of omega and alpha they had ever encountered, to take an interest. Clint wasn’t bitter that they could even see the attraction where it was. He wasn’t the type to hold any jealousy about the little things.
“Thor,” Bruce hummed. “I’m guessing the largest phallic monument on earth.”
Clint couldn’t help laughing and was joyful to see Natasha laughing with them. It was a moment of happiness that the two of them needed.
“Sadly, I came to gather you up for Tony’s little introduction. He’s waiting in the common room,” Bruce admitted.
“The dramatic alpha awaits,” Natasha said in amusement.
It’s the problem with entering a new alpha domain. Clint has never allowed himself to admit to others what he is. He gets his heat suppressants from SHIELD. He knows others can smell it off him on occasion, it’s stupid to think it’s not true, but he’d never had to worry about being away from that space. It was safe, they saw him valuable enough to protect in house. He was the sniper, the man with the arrow. It meant he was placed up high, away from others, where he protected them all. He never had to worry about being close and personal, the wind didn’t work that way. You can’t smell the omega on the top of a fifty story building.
He gets a pinch to his arm from Natasha, along with a glare to tell him to calm down.
***
Tony is expecting a group of alphas trying to glare each other down, if he can be honest. It’s his building, his design, but that doesn’t mean he’d win in a fight against a super soldier, green thing, or even a thunder god. Tony lets out a thankful sigh that Thor is still in Asgard dealing with Loki’s trial. He’s pretty sure he can take care of Steve Rogers’ arrogance as long as nothing else distracts him.
They had fought together, but with the rush and violence it was hard to tell their secondary gender. And Tony was careful, but he didn’t look into that sort of thing. He didn’t need the rage if he did, Jarvis ran scans, but nothing more. So when Bruce, Natasha, and Clint joined him and Steve before they could start flexing muscles like alpha idiots, Tony wasn’t expecting the clear scent of an omega, he had expected it to be more hidden. The idea Clint secretly felt comfortable to practically display his status made Tony give the smile he wanted to show.
He noticed Steve’s nostrils flaring, a flash of confusion on his face. Which, oh great. Like they needed someone claiming one of their team should be stuck in the kitchen and bedroom. Tony shook his head, glaring hard enough that Steve backed up a step. Afterall, Tony owned the place. He was the territory alpha at this point. That put him on top in a pack mentality.
“Okay, so obviously you found your living space,” Tony said, grinning. “I just need to let you know that this floor and the one below it are the only ones you get access to. The one below is a training gym, you know..mats, guns range, I think I put some arrow thing in there. But Jarvis won't let you anywhere else, unless I give express permission.”
“Why? Are you hiding something?” Steve replied, sounding more like a grumpy kid than anything.
“Just a dummy and you,” Tony replied flippantly.
“What?” Steve said.
“Oh my, look at the time,” Tony said, smirking. He started heading for the elevator, before spinning back. “Hey, Barton? Come join me. Your arrows are shit, wanna see your idea on improvement.”
***
Clint felt his stomach clench as he took the elevator with Tony, after the painful nudge Natasha had given him to get him moving. Tony was the weird kind of alpha that didn’t act it, but the scent around him was utterly intoxicating. He’d noticed it even before he was released from Loki’s control. The subtle scent was grease, a sharp metal tang, and then just a pure hint of spearmint. A combination that let a rolling shiver go down his spine. Thankfully, he was strong enough to not show it as he stood next to Tony Stark in that elevator.
The workshop wasn’t what he was expecting. To be honest he wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Definitely not a robot on wheels rushing over with a cup filled with something green, that Tony took delicately, like there was the chance it could explode.
“Only human-safe ingredients?” Tony asked, sniffing at it. The robot’s arm/head rotated as a few beeps escaped the robot. “Okay, because if I die it’s on you.”
The robot gave a sharp noise, before turning away and zipping off in what could only be considered a temper tantrum.
“Sorry,” Tony replied, sipping his green smoothie. “DUM-E is a bit dramatic.”
Clint snorted. “This was the dummy you were referencing to Steve. That’s actually pretty hilarious. The look on his face.”
“Yup,” Tony said, grinning. “U is around here somewhere. She’s determined to make things more pretty. I created a teenage girl without realizing it.”
Clint fought down the big grin that he knew was wanting to emerge. He was in front of an alpha that was sipping a smoothie that his robot made him, the very robot that practically had a hissy fit like a child. There was no way for Clint to categorize the man in front of him, beyond the amusement. Steve Rogers was the ultimate alpha. Tony Stark was a question mark, no one knew if the betas or omegas who left the morning after were playing happy from money or actual fact. He didn’t talk to people the way a normal alpha - or anyone, really - did. It was a bit confusing and made it hard to actually know where a person stood with him.
“So, uh, you said something about arrows?” Clint said softly, inwardly cringing at his tone of voice. It was too soft and inviting to be anything but omega.
Tony seemed to pause, drawing in a deep breath, before he headed for one of the work stations. “Yeah, I just need your info on what it is you arrow boys actually need. I have the framework of a few, but I wanted your opinion on what to amplify them with. So that I can make more.”
Clint followed, coming to an abrupt halt when Tony spun around to walk backwards the rest of the way to the station, grinning. “You want a mini-flamethrower, don’t you?”
He stared at the alpha, for a moment not knowing if he was serious, before smiling back. “Yes, yes I do.”
“Doesn’t really seem logical, with you shooting the arrows…” Tony is scratching his chin and looking positively contemplative over the idea.
“Maybe not flamethrower strength, but flame arrows are always good. Not only can you set stuff on fire, but you can follow through with night arrows if it’s, well, night.” Tony raised an eyebrow so Clint was quick to continue. “So, you get shot at in the dark by arrows on fire. You automatically assume you know where your enemy is. I dart around just a few feet even, or to another building’s roof, and shoot off night arrows. Regular arrows you can’t see in the darkness, even in the middle of a city they can go invisible. They're so focused on where I was before they don’t even pay attention to the whistling sound of the night arrows in the air coming right for them.”
Tony had a small smile on his face as he listened, before it brightened up and he snapped his fingers. “What about night arrows that work during the day?”
“As in invisible arrows, actually invisible?” Clint replied, snorting.
“Did you just snort at me in my own workshop?” Tony said, giving him a look that could nearly be taken as actual offense. “I opened my home to you, decorated your room so lovingly-”
“You put a Legolas picture on the wall.”
“I thought that was your name,” Tony admitted, raising his smoothie to his mouth and looking at Clint out of the corner of his eye.
“Was there anything else you needed?” Clint asked, trying to not grit his teeth. For a moment there he had forgotten how annoying Tony Stark was, how sometimes he wanted to forget his omega station entirely and just punch the guy.
“I just wanted to make sure you were good,” Tony said. Turning to lean against his station, his fingers twitching just enough to betray his sudden unease in the conversation.
“Good?” Clint asked, confused.
Tony looked him up and down in a very deliberate way, before tilting his head. “Yes, good. I wouldn’t want anyone to have any surprises. Not everyone is a gentleman.”
“I don’t understand,” Clint replied, hoping his confusion was helpless enough to get Tony to not follow this line of conversation.
“Jarvis knew you were an omega the first time his sensors scanned you, which was back during the Battle of New York,” Tony admitted, giving a shrug. “I didn’t see any point in bringing it up, as you’re not my omega, and I don’t really dig into stuff like that normally. But you are in my home now and I could smell it, which means the others can and that makes you my responsibility, so I want to make sure that you actually do have everything you need. ...Barton? Clint?”
Clint wasn’t listening. He was too busy trying to remember he was allowed to breathe. It took a tapping sensation to the middle of his forehead for him to focus. When he was able to do so, he immediately jerked back, finding Tony right in his personal space. He had to take a moment to suck in a few deep breaths before turning back to Tony. “I’m not going to be the group omega, I’m not servicing you.”
Tony blinked rapidly, like he was trying to get the word ‘servicing’ out of his head. “No, woah, no! I don’t want that from you. As nice as it is to look….forget I said that, I just wanted to make sure you were going to be okay here with us.” Tony practically growled, rubbing at his face again. “I need to know if you are fine with your current supply of suppressants, tools of the trade if you go into heat, birth control if needed. That’s all, I’m...ugh. Jarvis will abide by your demands if you go into a heat, sealing off your room unless you accept entry beforehand. I went about this conversation horribly, I just wanted to make sure you knew you were safe and that I aim to keep it that way.”
“I can defend myself, even take care of those things on my own. I have been for a while,” Clint replied, purposely ignoring the warmth that seemed to spread under his skin.
“I don’t doubt that at all,” Tony insisted. “Heck, you probably already know at least ten things near you that you can use to kill me.”
“Seventeen.”
“Okay, scary,” Tony replied. He turned away, seemingly to fiddle with one of the basic arrows on his work station. “So, uh, I might have these done in a couple weeks. Want to be the tester? If not I could use...well, DUM-E has a good fire hydrant range…”
“Call me when you have something I can work with, Stark,” Clint said.
Tony flinched. “Barton, it’s just Tony. At least down here, if not elsewhere.”
“Clint, then. At least down here.”
Clint wasn’t even sure what kind of agreement they had actually just made and left the space feeling a little dazed.
***
Steve was giving him strange looks. It had been happening for a month, since they had moved in. Clint didn’t think Tony had said anything. No, the man had treated him the same as everyone else, like Clint’s biological station in life didn’t actually matter. Bruce, with his duality, seemed to know but not care. Clint was a coworker and neighbor to smile at and offer the last of the breakfast he made too much for.
Steve was different. Steve had been taught of the modern thought of the omega placement. Omegas had rights, they could get birth control and control their heats via suppressants. In Steve’s day an omega stayed home, they never even dared to raise a weapon against one better than their station. So Clint waited and kept waiting as Steve’s jaw got tighter and tighter.
Thankfully it happened after a job and not during.
“He shouldn't even be on the field!” Steven snapped as Clint was letting Natasha patch up a minor wound on his arm. “He could easily be compromised.”
“So I’m assuming everyone is up to speed on me being an omega,” Clint drawled out, feeling an odd flare of heat when Tony snorted in amusement.
“I knew,” Bruce said, while Natasha half shrugged and smirked. Bruce seemed to hide a blush at the grin Natasha shot him, knowing he had earned some point with her. “Why should it be a problem?”
“He’s an omega,” Steve snapped.
“Wasn’t a problem yesterday,” Tony finally said. “What? You think he got super weak in the past, oh, fourteen hours?” Steve let out an odd growling sound. “Or maybe the problem is you. You’re an alpha from forever ago. And you actually think we still treat people as broodmares? Do you honestly think that you can take one look at the man who has saved you over and over and yet just feel fine acting like a rapist when his scent shifts just slightly? If so get the fuck out of my tower.”
And, well. Clint shared a look with Natasha, who’s eyes widened almost dramatically as her eyebrows actually wiggled. Clint scowled.
“I just...I’m not..” Steve was clearly at a loss for words.
“I’m giving you one night to think about it,” Tony growled. “If I don’t have confirmation from Jarvis that you have apologized to any omega or near omega in my household? Then you are gone.”
Steve’s mouth opened and closed for a moment, before he said, “Near omega?”
By that point, Clint could tell Natasha was holding back laughter as Bruce raised a hand and gave a tiny wave. Clint was certain that Steve would never look at the world the same way again.
***
“So I hear Rogers apologized,” Tony commented, appearing in Clint’s doorway and lounging against the door jam like he not only owned the building but everything in it. Not far from the truth.
“If you could call it that,” Clint chuckled. “I’ve never heard an alpha sound so insecure, to be honest.”
“Nah, you have,” Tony replied with a half smile. “We hide it with anger and a lot of flailing about.”
“Tony, that would be every alpha I’ve ever met,” Clint replied, pulling his coat on.
“Uh, rude?” Tony said, before stepping forward. “Hey, got something for you.”
“What-?” Clint started, before Tony’s utter inability to notice boundaries kicked in and Clint found him pinning something very small to his jacket collar. Clint had to hold his breath when Tony’s very scent made his head spin. When Tony pulled away, grinning, Clint looked down to see a very tiny - no more than half a inch - copy of the mockingjay pin from the Hunger Games. “Gonna call me Katniss now?”
“Do you want me to?” Tony replied in a strange tone, before he cleared his throat. “Anyway, boy on fire, I have your little arrows of flame ready for testing. I have meetings later, but maybe tomorrow we can give them a test? After breakfast?”
“Sure,” Clint said, knowing he sounded confused as he reached up and touched the really detailed little pin.
“It’s a date!” Tony said, before pausing. It almost looked like his face was flushing. “Okay, not a date, more a...well, weapons engagement..thing? Arsonal testing date! You know what, I’m going to go.”
Clint was so baffled that when Natasha entered with a sly grin on her face, he didn’t even bother to hide what he was thinking from his face. She’d find out anyway, she always did. So instead, he took her questions and her teasing, with an actual giggle here and there. He really hoped she had started to show this side of herself to Bruce, cause otherwise the guy was in for a shock. Because most people didn’t know that Natasha had no problem sing-songing: “Clint has a date, Clint has a date.”
“Shush!” Clint snapped. “It’s not a date.”
“He literally just called it an arsenal testing date,” Natasha pointed out with a smirk. “Which is perfect for you, which means he’s been paying attention. Should I bring you heart balloons?”
“I hate you,” Clint said in a desperate tone.
***
Thor shows up before any sort of “date” can happen the next morning. Clint tries to ignore the oddly disappointed look Tony sends his way, figuring it was all in the man’s name of science anyway. Thor is loud and joyful and, despite what they all try that night, can’t even get buzzed on Earth liquor. Natasha even brought out an antique bottle of vodka that is definitely from the old country, ignoring his questions of how and, seriously, why?
Sadly, omegas are more likely to get drunk than most, a fact that is often used against them. Clint had a pretty high tolerance that years with first the circus and then training with SHIELD had helped develop, but it was still nothing compared to what an alpha could consume. So in all the jovial fun, feeling safe for the first time in a good while as he was pressed between Natasha and Tony on the couch, Clint let himself indulge.
Which is how he ends up with his legs across Natasha’s lap and his head in Tony’s. There are fingers in his hair, giving the occasional tug like Tony is trying to keep him awake, but ignoring the fact that the gentle massaging of his scalp is threatening to make him fall asleep to begin with.
Thor, in all his inability to not state the obvious, bursts out at one point with, “I am glad you have welcomed the omega beauty into your sanction, Starkson.”
“Tony,” is the grumble Clint hears above him. The flow of the room is too mellow for him to do more than open his eyes a bit to light and movement. Tony clears his throat. “Omega beauty? How do Asgardians view omegas, Thor?”
And suddenly Clint can feel the tension rushing through Tony, like he’s waiting to fight within his own home. Tony’s views on omegas have been made so clear in the past month or so that Clint isn’t shocked that the man hasn’t organized his own omega rights parade.
Thor laughs. “They are stronger than you mere humans see. I was shocked when I first came here to see how omegas were treated, even more saddened when Lady Jane showed me the history.”
“They are safer in the home,” Steve muttered, like he knew his opinion wasn’t a good one but had to say it anyway.
Thor burst out into a booming laugh and Clint could hear a grunt and slap, knowing that Thor had slapped Steve’s shoulder in what he thought was jest. “Nonsense. An omega in battle is a beauty to behold! They fight strong and harder than any alpha could dream. We rush in head first, yes, but it is the omega that sneaks and kills and has strategy. They do the true damage. How has Midgard not learned this? You want an assassin or the ultimate partner who flows with you in battle, you get an omega!”
There was a slam, like Thor had enthusiastically put the bottle of vodka down. Clint opened one eye and saw Tony smiling down at him. There was a squeeze to his ankle from Natasha and he glanced down to see that teasing look from earlier.
“Come, Captain, let us partake of real drink in my new room as I regale you of Lady Sif and the grand warrior my mother was before marriage, and even after! You shall see what I mean about the daring and danger of omegas,” Thor announced.
Clint hummed, eyes closing again.
“Who’s going to get this cutiepie to bed?” he heard Tony say. He didn’t slap him, Clint was way too comfortable to slap someone. “Shut up, Clint, you’re cute. Get over it.”
“Rude,” Clint mumbled.
“If you get him up I can take him,” Natasha offered.
“No, here,” Tony said. Clint felt himself being lifted up and grumbled, eyes only opening once he was sitting fully up with Natasha’s steady hand on his back. Tony was leaning down, hands outreaching. “I’m not small. I am compact and able to lift you with no problem. Let’s get you to bed.”
Clint opened his mouth to….he didn’t know. Mock? Protest? But Tony’s arms were under him and lifting him up and he really was just damn tired. Tony was much stronger than he expected, which was probably a stupid thought. The guy welded and that took muscle just to wear the protective outfit. By the time Tony dropped him onto his bed, Clint was practically purring at the blatant display of alpha strength.
“I can take it from here, Tony,” Natasha drawled out.
“Sure,” Tony replied easily enough and Clint hummed again, mumbling Tony’s name, as Tony let his fingers graze Clint’s cheek. “Nat, let me know if you guys need anything.”
“Oh, I will,” Natasha said in a tone that said go but also bravo. Clint blinked and rolled over, a headache setting in. “He’ll be fine.”
***
He woke up hot. Too hot. So he kicked his blankets off and grabbed the spare pillow to put between his knees, allowing him to comfortably curl up as tight as possible. His skin felt weird, tight and like he had been stung by a bee and was allergic. He was allergic to bees. Head swimming, he fell back to sleep, hoping morning was different.
***
“I will sedate you,” Tony snapped, shoving Steve onto the elevator as Thor followed easily. Tony could see Natasha entering Clint’s room and Bruce was just standing there. Staring at them with a green gleam to his eye that made it clear to Tony that Bruce would defend Clint if he needed to. Something Tony had no problem with, giving his fellow scientist a short nod as the doors closed.
Steve was wide eyed, pupils blown, having not encountered an omega in heat since before his defrost. Thor on the other hand was calm, like it happened everyday. The thunder god reached out and patted Steve on the shoulder. “He would have called for you or made physical contact with you before it triggered. Most times an omega only feels this if they encounter the one they want. Asgard has suppressant herbs as well, as I’m sure Clint has access here as well with your pills. Only a true match would trigger this while under their strength.”
Tony thought of laying Clint down on his bed, then stroking his cheek. He had moved back pretty quickly after that, letting Natasha take over. But the feel of Clint saying his name had caused him to move to the elevator and taking it to his own floor, where he had gone to bed in a bit of a daze himself. He closed his eyes, trying to not picture what he did then in a form of self enjoyment, how he was ashamed of not doing something for Clint in the process.
Did his pheromones cause this?
***
It wasn’t an allergic reaction to bees or anything else his mind wanted to come up with. Clint figured that out the next time he opened his eyes and Natasha’s red hair filled most of his vision. She was making gentle shushing noises which made him realize that he was letting out a needy, mewling sound. Her delicate and yet strong hands were massaging his lower back, just as she did during his mini-heats between suppressant pills.
It never felt like this. Those two days as he went to the next bottle were never an actual heat, just enough to give his body a minor outlet so they didn’t mess up his system entirely. Most alphas weren’t even attracted to it. “Natasha?”
“Rest, just rest,” she whispered against his ear, the very sensation making his back arch. “Shit, you’re deep in it.”
He mumbled something, clutching pillows and bedding and his own hands. Trying to grab something to make it all better, but it wasn’t there. Instead he was tearing at the sheet below himself.
“We can’t get him, no,” Natasha said sternly. “Jarvis refuses to let Tony up here. You never gave permission.”
Someone was sobbing. He hoped it wasn’t him.
***
Tony wanted to put himself in the rut room, which was on the same floor as the work station, even though he wasn’t actually in a rut...just tense. But they were on his floor, where there were beds and tvs to occupy the alphas. It wasn’t exactly going the best. He had already punched Steve, when the man had made a comment that the omega needed just any alpha. He paced, just paced. Then, his head clearing as he thought about what the omega would want, he moved to the elevator.
“I’m going to my workshop. Thor, keep an eye on this knothead?” Tony said.
Thor raised a cup of coffee in salute, his other hand reaching out to drag Steve forcibly down onto the couch.
Then, Tony put all his attention on something Clint would love. Something he’d appreciate. Something that could protect him. He made invisible arrows.
***
“Jarvis says your hormones are at a safe level and I no longer feel any fever,” Bruce commented. Clint squinted at him, causing Bruce to chuckle. “I also no longer have the urge to kill anyone coming near the two of you and your nest. It should be good for the others to have access to the floor again.”
“Shower first,” Natasha insisted. “Bruce will let the boys know, Jarvis has the floor’s fan system cycling, and you will get fully clean. Cleaning wipes can only do so much.”
Clint felt fully pliant as he let Natasha pull him up and manhandle him toward the bathroom. Bruce caught up with them to hand over some clothes, but after that it was just the two of them. Natasha was the best friend Clint had always wanted: attentive and willing to kill in your name, just as he would do for her. Right then she was humming a song under her breath as she turned on the shower and pulled off her shirt.
“I could manage,” Clint mumbled, feeling tired and just plain weak.
“Let me pamper, unless you’re afraid of boobs all of a sudden,” Natasha smirked.
“Not a part of you is scary,” Clint replied, not bothering to look away as she stripped the rest of her clothes off and then reached for him. He knew better than to fight and allowed her to peel off his pajamas, not even having the energy to react when she looked up at him from where she was kneeling at his feet as she took off his socks and pants.
“Let's get all that heat musk and semen scent off you,” Natasha said in what only he could tell was a cheerful voice. Anyone else would be aghast by her harshness. Years together taught him otherwise.
“How bad do you think they’ll be?” he found himself whispering. The spray of the shower hit his back as Natasha joined him, moving him for the ultimate spray of therapeutic water.
“Steve is old fashioned, he’s going to react the worst. Just keep doing what you always do and he’ll calm down and see the worth,” Natasha said in an almost monotone, like she was going through details of a job. Clint started washing himself, not shocked when Natasha took over cleaning his hair. “Thor was...well, Thor.”
Clint nodded, aware of how different Thor’s thought process was to others. He seemed to think Clint being an omega was nothing to even worry about, if anything it was something to rejoice as a battle mate. Clint let out a breath, tilting his head back to clear out the shampoo. “So, Tony.”
Natasha pulled him forward, her face tense. The scent of lavender and vanilla attacked him as Natasha started massaging conditioner into his head. She finally looked at him, eyes connecting. “You cried for him.”
Clint felt his body panicking, lungs fighting for air. “I did?”
“First time I’ve heard you cry for someone, not since…” she trailed off. Because it was a soft spot for them both.
Coulson had been like the ultimate alpha to Clint. The man never acted on it, no he was too professional to act on just a simple urge. The only time Clint had come into full heat while under SHIELD’s rule, he had called out for him. Coulson had come, he did, but he only touched him. Rubbed his back and told him how well he was doing, more like a father taking care of an omega son. The alpha had never taken the moment to claim, not even touch inappropriately.
The fact he came at all had left Clint following his every order, waiting and hoping. Only Natasha knew of that part.
“Tony, I think, feels differently,” Natasha said in a hushed and soft tone.
“No,” Clint replied, rinsing off the conditioner and grabbing Natasha’s unscented body wash. He started cleaning her, needing someone to pamper and comfort as the last of the heat left him. The same as it always was, despite him ignoring the need so often.
Natasha smiled at him as he carefully cleaned her body, used to his need to reconnect to other people and just feel something non-sexual. His heat drove his mind into a twisted world, so gently cleaning Natasha, who felt no sexual desire to him, made him feel reconnected. As he started shampooing her hair, he let out a sigh. “Does he know?”
“He may have an idea, thanks to Thor’s little lectures,” she replied, giving a small purring sound as Clint guided her into the spray of the shower.
“Hedonist,” Clint teased, reaching for her conditioner.
“You’ve always treated me well,” she replied, a slow smile building as he started dragging the conditioner through her hair with his fingers.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too,” she replied. “But you know you want more.” She reached out, grabbing his head as she drew him into a kiss. When it ended, she smiled at him. “And we both know you’ve been waiting for this.”
Clint said nothing and guided her into the stream of water to wash out the conditioner. Because the truth was, he didn’t know what he wanted anymore.
***
Tony might be a coward. Sure, he left his workplace when the alarm went off for the Avengers. And during all that he acted normal. He treated Clint normally. Except the last few times, Clint had been scowling at him. And no, he wasn’t avoiding the omega. Just, building things. For Clint. He had found himself obsessed with giving all he could until Clint was fully safe.
He’d already created the perfect uniform. Then he realized Clint wouldn't be okay with getting a good defence without Natasha getting one too. So he upgraded her uniform. And it followed like that. He was so tired, he didn't even know what he was making anymore. But he had enough. He had enough to show Clint that he was good at his word, that he would protect people. Like a good alpha.
He’d been without sleep for over a week. First was just an alpha reaction to the heat of an omega. But after that he kept going. He’d never hit this level of alpha obsession. He wasn’t sure what good could come from this. He had come down there, to his safe place, to make invisible arrows.
He wasn’t sure what he was doing now.
He had people trying to contact him. But now...his omega wasn’t safe enough. So he kept creating. New uniforms, new weapons. And if Clint had them, Natasha needed them as well. She was his protector, after all. Tony submitted to this thought, so he kept making them. He didn’t even know how he got to this. He was just an alpha, he wasn’t sure he was good enough. And Clint…
Clint was his. He was, Tony’s tired mind told him it was true. But Tony was aware enough not to demand anything of the man. So he was going to quietly beg by protecting him and Natasha. He knew to not expect normal from Clint. He was hoping this said something. Anything about how he felt.
He was probably going a little crazy.
***
“Uh, Clint,” Natasha said in warning from her place in front of his room. He continued pulling his coat off, throwing it onto the couch despite how much it annoyed Steve, and stepped up next to her. She raised her arm, pressing her hand against his stomach in a clear sign of a claim.
Inside the room, Tony stared at them with wide eyes, looking like he had drunk fifty energy drinks and didn't know which way was up or down. He squinted at them a moment, before bouncing on his feet. “Oh good, I have you both. I have presents! More for-for-well, for him for...reasons. But I knew you’d want your gal pal to get the goods too, so, yes!”
“Tony, maybe you should sit down?” Clint offered, eyes pausing on the series of black bundles on the desk.
“Can’t!” Tony blurted out, shifting to the side. “I’ll sit on them.”
There were two larger black bundles on the bed. Clint shared a look with Natasha, who let out a long sigh. She gave Tony a stern look, who flinched, and pointed to the desk chair, which she kicked in his direction. Tony sat, grabbing the seat too steady himself. Then he waved his hand at the bed and desk. “Ta-da!”
“What’s this?” Clint asked, finally fully stepping into the room since Natasha had deemed it safe enough. He reached out and tugged one of the bundles on the desk open.
“That’s for Nat!” Tony said, just as the cloth revealed a series of wicked looking knives. “Aero-dynamic, light as a feather. I had to create a special sharpening stone for them, it’s inside as well.”
“And these?” Clint said, opening another to find a sleek, collapsible bow. He quickly opened the other two. One held durable metal arrows with tips that could be lit on fire. The others were stronger than plastic, but clearer than even a plastic container you used in the kitchen. So clear they would be practically invisible in flight. “You made me invisible arrows.”
Natasha looked up from where she had been flipping one of her new knives back and forth, tip to handle to tip. She raised an eyebrow at him, eyes flickering to the bed.
“And on the bed? Tony, is this why you’ve been hiding in your workshop?” Clint asked, moving past the man in order to open up one of those bundles as well. It revealed lightweight armour, perfectly made to conform with his own body. A quick look at the other bundle showed the same for Natasha. “Why?”
“Because your gear is shit,” Tony snapped, rubbing at his face, his lack of sleep clearly hitting him. “I can’t. Look, I need you to be protected. Call it alpha of the house stupidity. I know you can protect yourself so I’m giving you the tools you need in order to do that.”
“And Natasha?” Clint asked, trying to figure out just how much Tony was actually singling him out.
“Would you actually accept any of this if I didn’t treat your girl, too?” Tony asked, looking baffled. “She’s on my side. Keep you alive. Bruce too, but it’s hard to really armour the Hulk...I got stretchy pants for him in the making though!”
“That’s quite the wooing, Stark,” Natasha said with a humming, picking up the vest that both her and Clint knew would just mold to her like a second skin.
“Woo? No. Maybe...I forget,” Tony replied, suddenly looking really tired and really lost.
“Okay,” Clint said decisively, scooping up his new battlegear and setting them on top of the arrows on his desk. Natasha took her things and, with a smirk, waved one of the knives at him before disappearing into the hall. Shaking his head, he turned and was fast enough to catch Tony before the man completely tipped over. “Hey, Tony? Tony?”
“Hmm?” Tony blinked rapidly, looking up at him.
“Get up,” Clint ordered.
“Clint,” Tony gave a little whine.
Clint rolled his eyes. Not willing to have to argue with a tired and whining Tony, Clint bent down and hooked his arms underneath the man and scooped him up. Tony yelped, probably because no one ever thought an omega could lift an alpha, but Tony was small and compact enough for Clint to handle the weight easily. Of course, he was only walking five feet to the bed, where he deposited Tony.
“What?” Tony asked, confused. “Also, hot.”
“You-” Clint started, yanking off Tony’s shoes before going to the cabinet and grabbing the spare comforter. “-are going to go to sleep. You are going to sleep for at least ten hours, do you understand?”
“Oh,” Tony said in a tiny voice as Clint covers him with the comforter. He takes a deep breath, clearly smelling Clint on the bed and pillow, and hums, body curling up. “Where will you be? It’s your bed.”
Clint smiled slowly, reaching out to ruffle Tony’s hair, which was already standing on end. “I’m going to guard you, silly.”
“Hmm, I’m very important,” Tony mumbled, eyes closing. He suddenly jerked up, eyes wide. “Don’t...don’t leave the floor. I...don’t?”
“Hey, I’ll be in the living room,” Clint assured him. “Standing guard, got it. And, well, trying out how flexible you made this new uniform.”
Tony let out a small groan. “Miss the flex.”
“You wouldn’t miss me flexing if you had been sleeping like a normal person,” Clint whispered, reaching out again to massage Tony’s scalp, amused that he was allowed to make that hair even more wild.
“Had to get you to like me,” Tony mumbled, before burying his face into the pillow and snoring.
Clint felt his whole body clench. He’d never had anyone go through so much trouble for him. He let out a long breath, closing his eyes, and even though he knew that Tony wasn’t going to hear it he said, “I already did.”
***
“Tell him,” Natasha said two hours later as she did an actual cartwheel into the living room. Granted the uniform Tony had made for her was breathtaking and so light she could wear it under one of her seductress dresses.
Clint was staring into the small mirror above the food prepping space, tugging at the vest Tony had made him. It didn’t need tugging at. The man had made utter perfection. Even the pants had been built for him to crouch for hours at a time. It was unfair. Tony was waging war on his affection and Clint didn't even know if the man understood what he was doing. “He’s just being the alpha of the house.”
“Yeah, cause Coulson went that far for you? Let alone me?” Natasha pointed out. “What alpha do you know that makes a point to give a beta a weapon, or everything Tony has given me? Coulson was our handler, he was the alpha of the house and he did his job efficiently and never abused that station. We loved him for it. What Tony is doing isn’t that.”
“You’re seeking patterns that aren’t there,” Clint said.
“Bullshit,” Natasha snapped. “That man is trying to get you to consider him an option.”
“Then why give you all that stuff?” Clint countered.
“Well, who makes sure my little hawk gets what he needs-” Natasha said in a teasing voice.
“Shut up, Nat,” Clint replied, rolling his eyes.
“Would you consider anyone if I didn’t approve?” she asked, tone serious. “My initial opinion of Tony Stark aside? I approve. He’s done nothing but support you, give you freedom, and even kept everyone away from the floor during your heat. Including himself. He’s a much better alpha than I expected, and that’s on me for thinking otherwise. Don’t let it be on you as well.”
“Come on, you honestly can’t be encouraging this,” Clint whispered.
“He’s in your bed. You could have taken him to his room. You could have gotten Bruce to do it for you. But you put him in your bed. I walked past and...never thought I’d see Tony Stark so fully asleep,” Natasha said. “This is your decision. He’s made it your decision.”
“I don’t want to have to make that decision,” Clint admitted.
“Too bad,” Natasha replied bluntly. “Because he wants you to be the one to choose. You’ve found an alpha that wants you to guide him, Clint. What’s so wrong with that?”
“I...I don’t know how to be that way,” Clint admitted, ignoring the tear that went down his cheek. He heard Natasha curse, before her warmth was behind him, arms wrapping around him in a tight embrace. “The alpha lays claim and takes what they want. We don’t get a choice.”
“That’s the way it is,” a voice spoke up behind them. They turned to see Steve standing there, a strange confusion on his face. “That’s...it’s…”
“It shouldn’t be the way it is,” Natasha told him. “Clint should get a choice. Omegas, even betas, should get a choice.”
Steve looked over at Clint, who quickly wiped away the tear that had dared to fall before looking at him fully, eye to eye. Steve winced. “I don’t...I don’t want to make an omega feel that way.”
Clint turned away. He had enough on his chest to deal with than Steve realizing how screwed up his time’s opinions on omegas were. Natasha squeezed his shoulder, before turning to Steve. “That’s why you have us. Let’s get Bruce and have a talk, okay? And Clint is going to enjoy his thinking time.”
“Yeah,” Clint said softly, his training keeping the pure emotion in him from showing, face blank even after that single tear had managed to escape. Because he did need to think. He had a hard decision to make.
***
He woke up fast, sitting up from warmth and the scent of omega (his his his). Tony could admit he was a bit confused, looking up to see the Legolas poster didn’t help things. He remembered bringing Clint and Natasha their new toys, but after that was just a shady blur. He’d been so tired that he barely remembered anything. Even their reactions, which was just depressing.
Looking around, he saw that he was definitely in Clint’s room. A warmth spread through him that he quickly squashed. On the desk were his gifts to Clint, opened and clearly looked at. The clothes were nowhere to be seen, but Tony tried to not view that as a bad thing. For a moment he just wanted to keep laying in the bed, surrounded by Clint’s scent. But he knew that was creepy. He wasn’t Clint’s alpha.
Of course, that begged the question of how he ended up in Clint’s bed...
And that was how Natasha found him, Bruce behind her looking like he was waiting for a show. The man might as well be holding popcorn.
“Tony Stark,” she stated, hands behind her back and looking more military than Rhodey ever had in front of him. “I am here to demand your intentions on the omega under my care. And no, not the behemoth behind me.”
Bruce gave him a bright smile, like the whole thing was hilarious and awesome to him. Tony glared, which had no effect whatsoever.
“Um, what?” Tony finally said, a little annoyed that he was the only confused one in the room.
“What do you want from Clint?” she said, her tone so intense that Tony was very certain he wasn’t awake enough for this.
He blinked, trying to process her question, before just saying, “Everything.”
Natasha smirked at him. “Submission, then?”
“What? No, he’s not like that, why would I want that?” Tony quickly said, feeling even more confused. “Does he think I want that?”
“He’s an omega,” Natasha replied, eyes narrowing. “What do you think every alpha has asked of him?”
Tony felt a mix of anger and panic rush through him. “No, no. I don’t want that. That wasn’t what all this was. I wanted to show how I love how strong he is. Shit. Did I fuck this up? I fuck up everything. I’m not surprised. I won’t bother him anymore.”
“You can’t stop talking for your life,” Bruce said, actually rolling his eyes.
“I-what?” Tony asked, clutching the comforter that was wrapped around him.
“Here’s what you are going to do,” Natasha said, kneeling in front of the bed with a slow smirk that honestly scared the shit out of Tony.
***
Tony cleared his throat for the fifth time before stepping out of the elevator onto the roof. Just as Natasha had told him, there was their Hawkeye perched on the edge. He was wearing the new armour Tony had made and seemed comfortable, satisfied even. From the little stories Thor had given them, Tony wasn’t surprised. The fighter type omegas seemed as keen on maintaining a safe perimeter than others, even on Earth. It was almost satisfying to watch.
Tony had figured that out long ago, though, when he saw Pepper brutally demolish any barrier around her. For Pepper Potts a glass ceiling was just future weapon material.
He felt a moment of hesitation, before he remembered Natasha was down there and having her judge his weakness was scarier than being turned down by his intended omega. At least with being turned down it would be final, he’d know where he stood. With Natasha? She’d string the pain out as long as she could.
“So this is where the birds hang out?” he found himself asking, wincing at the obvious reference. He managed to not curse, knowing he could have done better than that.
“Only the best ones,” Clint replied, looking over his shoulder with a small smile. Hesitant and small, but evident enough.
Tony could work with that. He walked over and stood next to Clint, resting his elbows on the cement wall that Clint was so happily crouching on. “Ever want to really fly?”
Clint paused, before snorting. “Gonna give me my own Quinjet?”
“No, fly,” Tony emphasized, straightening up, watching with a building glee as Clint tilted his head and swallowed.
“I’m not letting you carry me. Pepper is still mad about that, you know,” Clint pointed out, turning on the building’s ledge and dropping his feet down to stand to his full height. Which was not much taller than Tony’s, but enough for them both to notice.
“She told you about that, huh?” Tony asked.
“Called you a reckless, crazy man.”
“Yeah, I am that,” Tony agreed, easily.
Clint fully moved from the ledge and crossed his arms. “So go on, then.”
“I wasn’t thinking of carrying you. Unless you crash, then I might have to,” Tony said in a cheerful voice. “Hey, Jarvis, bring them up.”
***
Clint knew Tony liked his surprises and at least this time he knew the man had actually slept for a full night. That did not explain why the roof’s floor was opening up and two Iron Man suits were rising, the actual damn moonlight glistening off them. Clint had a lot of questions, for one whether this platform had actually always been there.
Tony had an odd habit of altering the building to fit his need and Clint had bets with Natasha on how the man actually managed it, because they never actually saw any construction crews this far up.
But the two Iron Man suits were distracting him from asking anything. One was Tony’s usual fare, with it’s red and gold colors. It even had a small dent from their last fight that Tony had clearly ignored in favor of the weapons and clothes he had made instead. The fact that Tony had put him priority over his suit was a little overwhelming. The other suit, however, was simply silver. It was sleek, it’s chest already glowing. It was the same color as the War Machine suit Rhodey wore, but nowhere near as bulky. Honestly, it looked like a start-up.
“Before the bells and whistles,” Clint found himself saying out loud, walking around the platform.
“Oh, yeah, that one doesn’t have all the neat little weapons. It’s more a husk, flyable and with emergency defenses, but no offensive capability,” Tony quickly agreed. He raised a small little remote and hit a button, which opened up both suits. “It can still be flown by a person. As long as you’re okay with not being able to shoot down those pesky pigeons.”
“They interfere with my aim, Stark,” Clint grumbled, before he realized what Tony just offered him. “You’re...these are your kids.”
“Yes,” Tony said, grinning and petting his suit on the shoulder. “But you’ll take care of her. We’ll just go around the block, or along the waterfront, if you’re afraid of crashing into a big building. I just...figured a hawk should really fly at least once.”
“You’re sure,” Clint said, halting half a step. Tony came over and nudged him. “Tony, but-”
“I trust you to land on my damn back in the middle of battle, use me as a surfboard for ten seconds, and then leap off like nothing happened,” Tony said. “I trust you. You won't damage my baby and I will refrain from taking advantage of how hot this is going to be.”
Clint bit his lip, feeling a rush of warmth. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and let Tony guide him into the silver suit. “Will-?”
“Jarvis will connect us, okay, you can talk to both of us,” Tony quickly reassured him.
“Okay, holy shit, okay,” Clint whispered as the suit enclosed around him. For a moment a sense of pure claustrophobia tried to set in, before the entire helmet space lit up and he could see what Tony normally saw in his suit. Schematics flashed to his left, which he quickly ignored since he wouldn’t understand them. The fact Tony did raised Clint’s opinion of the guy. Otherwise, he could see a symbol indicating oxygen, another for sea level, and finally two noise patterns. “What?”
“Good evening, Master Barton,” Jarvis greeted, his single vocal line moving in tune to his tone. “Sir is now connected.”
A little screen appeared above the other vocal line. Tony grinned at him from the tiny, inch by inch box. “Ready to get the party started, Legolas?”
“I’m going to be okay with you calling me that, just this once,” Clint breathed out, already feeling overwhelmed.
“Hey, Jarvis, give him a little cool air. Don’t need any omega dramatics,” Tony quickly said.
“Oh, fuck you,” Clint snapped, even as he enjoyed the sudden blast of cooler air inside the suit.
“Okay, propulsion, ready for a rapid lesson on how to fly?” Tony asked, grinning again. “Do you trust me?”
Clint swallowed. “Yeah, yeah. I trust you.”
***
Clint took to flying just as Tony had. Tony wasn’t surprised, a man who leapt off buildings and crouched still on the most dangerous parts of said buildings loved the dangerous things in life. And while it took Clint longer than it had Tony to get a hang of things, once he had the man was flying loops around Tony, never venturing too far for safety.
“How do you not stay like this forever?” Clint said through their comms, his voice coming through like a purr. An omega well satisfied.
“Alas, I like some people,” Tony said with a heavy sigh. He aimed for a tall, empty warehouse north of them, not minding when Clint dived to the side and down to touch the water before following him. Clint couldn’t actually feel the water in the suit, but Tony thought it was cute he had the urge regardless. “You, Natasha. Hell, even Captain America.”
He landed on the roof and disengaged his suit, deciding he needed some true fresh air. Clint could decide on his own, that suit’s communication was fully up and running. He wouldn’t have let Clint in it if it wasn’t.
Clint landed, tilted sideways for a second before stabilizing. “Why do you say his name that way? Like Captain America isn’t what he is?”
Tony winced, realizing he actually let more emotion than he intended out. He walked over and sat down on a series of stacked pallets. He wasn’t expecting it, so he tensed even more when he heard Clint’s suit open up and the footsteps leading him over. Clint sat next to him, but not close enough to touch.
Tony cleared his throat. “He’s not a captain. They gave him that title for the media. Do you know how much work a soldier has to put in in order to gain that title? How much work Rhodey put in? More than selling bonds, that’s for sure. I guess it bothers me. Oh and, well, Howard spent more time bragging about him than me and, yes, I’m spoiled enough to be a brat about it. But let’s go with the captain thing, okay?”
“Oh, yeah, of course,” Clint said, nodding and looking a little amused. “It has nothing to do with Steve trying to over talk you or argue with you about everything. It’s all the things you just said.”
“Hey, my trauma!” Tony exclaimed.
He felt fingers along the back of his head, threading through hair he knew was standing up at all ends. His hair always did after being in the suit. He straightened, looking up at Clint with wide eyes. Because he had no idea what to expect here. He honestly didn’t. He was wooing the man, but he was pretty sure that Clint didn’t even realize he was being wooed. Clint’s hand massaged the back of his head and, god, Tony just wanted to rumble and curl up against this omega.
“I think,” Clint said softly, which Tony had to struggle to pull up from that happy little void to hear. “I think that you feel all those things, but what annoys you the most is that Steve Rogers is an annoying little shit that won’t stop telling you no.”
Tony blinked, a little sluggish. “You’re a very mean omega, Clint Barton, going around and telling truths.”
The laugh that Clint let out made the blood in Tony’s viens practically soar. He swallowed, staring at Clint, trying to figure out what he should do next. Making Clint laugh roused him a bit, he was able to straighten his back again and look around them. Look away from Clint.
“So, uh, you want to head back?” Tony asked.
“Hmm, in a bit,” Cllint said, scooting closer.
Tony felt for a moment like he was back in MIT with a girl much older than him, flirting heavily while giving him drinks the whole night. It had been a mess of virginity loss and definitely illegal activity on her part. This was nothing like that, but he felt just as confused and awkward when Clint’s hand went to the back of his head again. He wanted to say something, maybe he should say something, maybe.
“You really are clueless,” Clint muttered, before he was tugging Tony’s head forward and…
Tony didn’t even realize he was being kissed until he felt himself growl. Oddly, Clint made a chuckling noise and wrapped his other arm around Tony’s waist. Tony had never felt held like that, not in a way that was almost sexually, because omegas never went that far. But Clint did, he was holding Tony to him, their bodies pressed against each other. And somehow, desperate to just feel him, Tony was crawling into Clint’s lap. Their kiss intensified, Clint biting down on his lower lip.
“Fuck,” Tony whispered, pulling back because they both needed to breathe. He started kissing along Clint’s jaw, who made that purring sound he had made forever ago.
“You realize you’re in my lap, right?” Clint asked a little breathlessly. “Not very alpha of you.”
“Oh, I’ll pin you down when you want me to, but shit,” Tony said, moaning when one of Clint’s hands drifted down to cup his ass. “I just want…”
“What do you want from me?” Clint asked, clearly trying to ignore all the stimuli and how Tony was arching his back to give Clint more space to grip his ass. Tony wasn’t sure who it would make it worse for, him or Clint, when Clint squeezed his ass. Tony let out a whimper and, no, he wasn’t ashamed of it. “Tony, what do you want from me?”
Tony stared down at him, eyes scanning his face. Clint was more than an omega. The man could kill him if he wanted, probably should already have. Tony rested his arms on Clint’s shoulders and didn’t care at all how weak this position would be to other alphas. He brought a hand down and pressed it against Clint’s chest.
“Tony?”
“I’m not normal,” Tony finally whispered, dropping his head down to rest against Clint’s shoulder. “Never was. So when I met you, I thought ‘wow, so fucking cute.’ Then I went about my business. And I saw you fight. Fuck, giving you that ride and every one after was such a turn on. I didn’t realize you were an omega until you were moving in and Jarvis added it to your profile.”
“And then?” Clint asked, even though he pretty much figured out the answer, if Tony could read his expression well enough.
“I went into protection mode. You had to be protected, no matter what. But you can protect yourself, so that means…” Tony winced, remembering the sleeplessness building as he just couldn’t stop perfecting those arrows.
“How did you get my size? These fit better than anything SHIELD gave me.”
“That blame goes on Jarvis,” Tony insisted, suddenly looking panicked. “He scanned you for your measurements.”
“Tony, calm down, I’m not mad about anything,” Clint whispered, leaning forward to kiss Tony’s nose. He then laughed when Tony’s nose scrunched up like it was tickled. Clint then gently guided Tony off of him and stood. “Let’s head back, okay?”
“Uh, yeah, sure,” Tony replied.
Clint turned to him, his eyes scanning him up and down. Then Tony found himself yanked forward. Lips pressed against his own and Tony moaned, reaching out to grab Clint’s bicep. But just as quickly Clint stepped back, a small smirk on his face as he walked straight toward the silver Iron Man. “Race you there.”
Tony had to clear his throat to hide how husky it would sound. “You’re on.”
***
“Are you planning on killing him?” a soft baritone voice asked. Clint blinked from where he was sitting on the couch, watching Tony mock Steve in the kitchen. Bruce settled next to him, a book on his lap just waiting to be opened. “You’re zoning in pretty intensely. He might look happy, but he is waiting. You’re literally all the eggs in the basket for him.”
“That scares me,” Clint admitted, reaching for the remote for anything to cover up the conversation they were having.
“I’m just going to admit,” Bruce said, pausing before he opened his book. “Waiting for the one to decide is torture. You don’t know if they are deciding if you are good enough, or if they aren’t worth it. The worst thought of all? Is wondering if they need to know they have other options, like you just aren’t good enough they need to compare you to so many others.”
“Natasha sent you in here,” Clint muttered.
“Yes, but only because we have experienced a lot of similar things.” Bruise sighed and rubbed at his brow, like a headache was coming on. “We don’t want you to suffer that.”
“And Tony Stark is the cure?” he replied sarcastically.
“For you, maybe. Only you can make that leap,” Bruce replied, before fully opening his book. “I’ve said what I’ve needed to say.”
“You’re kind of an asshole, you know?” Clint told him, rolling his eyes when all he got back was a small smirk. God, the man was built for Natasha.
Clint spent the next two days wandering around in a confused state of mind. Occasionally, Tony would be there with his own confused expression. And Clint felt bad, the least he could do is turn the guy down. But...he didn’t want to. And that was what freaked him out.
Then Tony got kidnapped.
Because naturally, that was how things went.
Fury showed up, presenting a video of Tony with his kidnappers. Clint sat, silent but tensing up, as he watched Tony beat and choked. Clint leaned in when they brought the water. He knew what happened to Tony in Afghanistan, of him being waterboarded over and over again. That was the one torture he knew Tony would last going through.
“Where?” Clint demanded.
“We need to wait for their next connection, hopefully the demand in order to figure out the exact location. We don’t have it narrowed down enough,” Fury replied.
“Javis, nearest triangulation,” Clint snapped out, already standing and heading for his room. He was pulling on his uniform and gathering his new arrows and bow when he finally got an answer.
“I have within a four block radius,” Jarvis replied.
“Ready to go,” Natasha piped up in the doorway, Bruce behind her.
They all slipped in their ear buds to communicate with Jarvis and headed to the elevator.
“We don’t have an actual location,” Fury pointed out..
“I’m sorry, sir, but that doesn’t really matter here,” Steve piped up from behind them, full uniform and shield in his hands. “You wanted us to be a team. The house alpha is in trouble. You want to fight us all over saving Tony Stark’s life?”
***
Tony was damn tired of people expecting shit from him. He was also sure that he’d never take a shower ever again. Clearly water didn’t agree with him. Baby wipes didn’t smell the best, but maybe he’d have to go with those.
He felt himself lifted out of the bucket of water, allowing him a moment to gasp for air. Then suddenly he was thrown to the side, head hitting the wall. Cause, you know, that was exactly what he needed. He was completely out of it by that point. Pretty sure the totally awesome rescue was completely in his head. No way was that sparkly guy actually Captain America.
Tony felt his head cupped by gentle hands and was pretty sure he was imagining Clint Barton hovering above him. “Clint.”
“You don’t think I am who I am?” Clint replied, making Tony wonder if he was muttering his thoughts out loud. Clint pulled back for a moment to shoot an arrow. Suddenly the other side of the room was on fire. He stayed poised as he scanned the room, like he was checking on the others, before dropping back down to Tony. “How are you? I need to know if you’re injured.”
“Breathing hard...lots of bruises,” Tony said, staring up at the most perfect omega in the entire universe. God he was so pretty. “Head, yeah, concussion.”
Clint looked up and shot off another arrow. The other side of the site, though Tony didn’t have the chance to see how big it was, exploded. Clint looked back down at him, a soft look on his face. “Don’t color it.”
“Huh?” he asked, curling up, head pounding.
“The baby suit. Don’t color it,” Clint said casually.
“But it should be your colors,” Tony said automatically. Clint was talking nonsense.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Clint said, reaching out to caress Tony’s jaw. Tony stared at him, watching as Clint began to grin as he glanced back and winked. “Here’s to saving your ass, you idiot.”
***
Like the mother-hen he secretly was, Clint guided Tony toward the medical bay despite the man’s protests.
“I’m just saying, I have band-aids in my bathroom,” Tony insisted, letting out a squeak noise when the doctor started pulling his shirt off. Clint rolled his eyes at the sound, before he found himself staring at Tony’s chest. It took Tony a second to notice, before the man made an aborted move to cover himself and then finding the idea a lost cause. “Yeah, let’s look at the old man with the glowy chest.”
Clint blinked. “Muscles. Wait, what?”
Tony squinted at him, looking confused.
“I’m going to…” Clint walked backward, pointing at the door. He bumped into something that made a clattering sound, face turning red. He was not staring at Tony Stark sitting there half naked and looking adorably baffled. “Oh, good, the doctor has needles.”
“What?” Tony yelped, giving Clint the desperately needed time to rush out of the room.
Clint strode down the hallway, paused and turned to head back, before turning again and rushing to the elevator. Standing in that small space, Clint closed his eyes, heart hammering in his chest as he finally gave in and spoke up, “Jarvis, take me to Tony’s floor.”
“Workshop or living space?” Jarvis’ calm tone did wonders to soothe Clint’s nerves.
“Can you take him to his living space, even if he asks for his workshop?” Clint asked. “The doctor is going to order him to get some sleep. He won’t do it in his workshop, we know he won’t.”
“Hmm, indeed she will,” Jarvis replied.
The elevator dinged and opened up to a near sparse living room. Clint let out a breath, wondering if he was invading Tony’s privacy to the point where he’d never forgive him. But the room he was looking at had no personal touches. Even the paintings on the wall were more Pepper’s style than Tony’s, which meant he hadn’t bothered to change anything since they broke up. That was...oddly unsettling, but also just plain sad.
Then again, his workshop was the complete opposite, so Clint supposed that really told him where Tony spent most of his time. Not tonight, though.
“Sir should arrive in ten minutes,” Jarvis announced.
“Thanks,” Clint replied, making for the bedroom. He knew Tony was not going to want a shower or bath, not after what happened to him. So Clint found a small bucket and filled it with hot water and the bodywash Tony had in the bathroom. He put a small tarp - not bothering to wonder why Tony had tarp in his hall closet - down to prevent spills.
Then he rushed back into the living room in time to watch the elevator door open. Tony was clearly arguing with Jarvis, saying his workshop was a fine place to nap, before his eyes spotted Clint and his jaw actually snapped shut.
“Hey, get in here, you need to get clean,” Clint said softly. He could see Tony sense. “Sponge bath only, nowhere near the bathroom. I promise.”
Tony remained tense for a while, his eyes staring at Clint. It’s not until Clint is gently cleaning the dirt and grime off Tony’s upper arm that the man seems to just go lax. Clint glances up and is pretty sure he’s never seen anyone look so lovingly at him like that before. It’s intimidating, but just the push he needs to be honest. “I’m glad we found you. Even Steve gave Fury a talking to. He was more ready than the rest of us, I think.”
“Faster than you?” Tony asked, his voice low.
“You’re not allowed to die,” Clint muttered, turning to rinse and resoap the wash cloth. “Not on my watch.”
“Well, obviously.”
Clint glanced up, eyes not leaving Tony’s even as he stretched out the man’s arm to scrub at a grease mark under his bicep and Clint knew it was from before the man’s capture. Then he surged up, dropping the cloth in order to grab Tony’s head, and kissed the man. The stupid, ridiculous, wonderful man.
“So that’s how you feel,” Tony said in response, voice almost raw.
“Yes, you idiot,” Clint snapped. He grabbed the wash cloth and started cleaning a bit of blood on Tony’s side. He ignored the overly fond look Tony sends him. “Such an idiot.”
***
“You are such a slow poke,” Tony lamented, squeezing Clint hand as they walked home from the movie they just brutalized via commentary much to the annoyance of everyone else in the audience.
“Excuse me?” Clint replied with an eyebrow raise.
“We’ve been dating for five months now!” Tony exclaimed.
“Congratulations, you can count time,” Clint practically drawaled, which really was just insulting.
“Most couples have bondmarks by now!” Tony said, waving his free arm around, because he felt he had the right to be dramatic. “We haven’t even spent a heat together...I guess.”
“You’re wondering how much longer I’m going to make you suffer,” Clint summed up, his lips twitching like he wasn’t about to smile, the asshole.
“Well...yeah,” Tony admitted. “Do you need a ring? Cause I’m wanting it all and I know I’ve been babbling about this for the past couple weeks so don’t look at me like I’m the crazy one. But I’m pretty sure I can get my hands on that vibranian stuff. Be hard to resize if you gain weight-”
“Tony, stop,” Clint advised, which was why Clint was the smart one.
“Sorry,” Tony muttered as they came up to the tower. He felt his stomach drop when Clint just looked at him. Clint knew him well enough to know that little speech was the best proposal that would probably be able to leave his mouth. And if that blank stare was any indication, he failed heavily. “I’m going for a walk. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“What? Tony,” Clint said, but Tony walked away, his body tense. He could feel Clint staring at him, Clint always had that kind of intense stare. It was usually the kind to give him the tingles, but right then he felt a little worried as it grew stronger. “Stop right there.”
Tony turned and jumped when he saw that Clint was mere inches from him. Tony raised his hands jokingly, hoping to make things less awkward, and said, “I’m not the one you’re looking for, agent.”
“No, you’re exactly the one I’m looking for,” Clint replied, his eyes doing that weird, extra soft thing they did that Tony still wasn’t confident in what it meant. But the man was gorgeous, so Tony kept staring anyway. “You’re an idiot and I love you. I was, uh, planning on asking if you wanted to spend a heat with me. Ugh, I’ve been planning to ask for two months now but then those weird droids showed up and then Nat and I had that covert-ops thing.”
“So, I’m not an idiot for thinking we’re at that...place, right?” Tony asked, feeling a rush of emotion flood through him.
Clint bit his lip, looking just adorable, and nodded. “We just need to coordinate better.”
Tony took a step closer and placed his hand on Clint’s hip. “We can always do other stuff, you know, in the meantime.”
“You just want to see me naked.”
“So much, baby, please?” Tony replied, not even ashamed of his begging tone. Sure people were looking, but his omega was so hot and he’d only got to see him shirtless. Groping over the pants didn’t count.
“Hmm, maybe,” Clint replied, before turning away and walking back to the tower. And, yeah, Tony followed. He had to. His omega kept glancing at him and Tony was not stupid, he knew to let his omega take what they wanted.
Tony made a mental note to actually try to find vibranium, because his adorable Hawkeye really should get that ring. Even if he had to melt down Steve’s shield to get it.