Chapter Text
Clint looked at his phone for a few more moments, trying to build up the courage to actually press ‘dial’. He had already been here for about 10 minutes, weighing his other options before he realized that he didn’t really have any others . He had known that he would be going to this wedding for months, and he’d RSVP’d that he would be there with his plus one. However, it wasn’t until now, a week before, that he remembered that he would actually need to find a date. Nat had already RSVP’d herself, so she was out, which left Clint with no other choice but the one person he was about to call
Taking one last deep breath, Clint pressed ‘dial’ and put the phone to his ear; he could feel his hand shaking. He stood up from his seat and started pacing in his living room as he listened to the dial tone, and, just as he was about to give up, the phone was picked up.
“What did you do this time?”
“Heeeeey, Jamie, how’s it going?” Clint said nervously.
“I repeat… What did you do this time?”
Clint sighed. “Why do you always assume that I’ve done something when I call you? I could just be calling to catch up.”
“Because you usually have done something. If it’s not that… What do you need this time?”
Clint let out a nervous laugh. “Am I that predictable?”
Clint’s friend, James, always answered the phone like this; honestly, he had every right to. Whenever Clint called him, Clint had usually gotten himself into some kind of trouble, and there was something that he needed help with, like: bailing him out of jail that one time… Or the time that Clint was being chased down by that gang and he needed some backup.
“Yeah. You are. Now, what do you need?” James asked, his voice still a little flat, but Clint could hear the glimmer of amusement and knew that Jamie was smiling just a little.
“Right, yeah, so… You know that wedding that I have to go to next week?” Clint began.
“Your friend from college? Yeah. What about it, you need a date or something?” James laughed, but that died when he didn’t hear Clint’s laughter on the other end of the phone. “Clint... That’s why you called, isn’t it?”
Clint sighed. “Yeah, I guess so. I didn’t plan this all very well, and now it’s next week, and I need you. Please, Jamie,” Clint begged.
“I dunno…”
“Come on! There’s amazing food and a free bar.” Clint pouted; even though he knew James couldn’t see him, he knew that his words were dripping with desperation.
“You’re doing that dumbass pout of yours, aren’t you?” James was silent for a few moments until he let out a huge sigh. “Fine. I’ll be your date.”
“THANK YO-”
“On two conditions,” James cut in. “One: You buy my suit, and not one of those shitty ones you would no doubt choose. And two: I get full creative control over this relationship of ours. Whatever I say, you go along with it, ok?”
“Yes! Anything! You have no idea how much I appreciate this,” Clint said, feeling a huge weight lift off of his shoulders.
“Oh, I do, and your wallet will work it out, too.” Clint could hear the smirk in James’s words. “We’re going shopping tomorrow, I’ll come over to your apartment in the morning.”
“Morning? How early are we talking?” Clint asked.
“You’ll see, tomorrow. Bye, sweetheart.”
James ended the call before Clint could say another word. He felt better knowing that he now had a date, and James was one of his best friends, so at least he knew the person, and Clint knew that he would have a good time. There was a little tiny voice in the back of his mind reminding him that he had given James the OK for whatever he wanted to say and do, and, knowing James, he would find the most awfully subtle ways to embarrass Clint throughout the whole thing. However, Clint was trying to ignore that voice. He was just glad that he didn’t have to tell the bride and groom that they had wasted their money on a non-existent plus one. Besides, the chances were slim that Clint would see anyone who was there again for another few years.
Everything would be fine.
“So, I’ll meet you there, yeah?”
“Yeah, Nat,” Clint agreed, checking himself in the mirror once more. “I’ll be leaving in a minute, so I won’t be too long.”
“Great, I’ll wait for you outside.”
Clint said his goodbye and put his phone in his inside breast pocket, pausing to admire himself once again. When James and Clint had gone shopping, Clint hadn’t just been made to buy James a suit… James had made Clint buy himself a better one because he had seen what Clint was planning on wearing and gave Clint an ultimatum; he threatened to back out unless Clint got something better. It worked, of course, and Clint’s credit card racked up one hell of a bill.
While he hated the shopping, and the looming payments that he’d have to make, Clint had to accept that the suit he was wearing was incredible. While not as bright as he would usually have it, the deep purple fabric made him feel more comfortable than he had expected - it was so much better than black, and he didn’t feel like he was going to a funeral! It was a wonder that they had gotten them off the rack, because the three-piece fit like a glove, anyone would think that it was tailored. Sure, James liked to be seen in denim, leather, and ripped t-shirts, but the man sure knew how to pick formal wear. James had also picked out the black shirt, tie, and pocket square together with a collar pin; thankfully, he had left Clint with instructions on how it worked.
Before Clint would get lost in his own reflection, there was a knock at the door. Clint headed out, and when he opened the door, his jaw dropped. James had opted to tie his long hair up in a purposefully messy bun, with a few loose strands falling in front of his eyes. Clint stared with his mouth wide open as James passed him and walked inside the apartment. When Clint turned, he noticed that James had an undercut with an intricate metal plate design shaved in. Had he always had that?!
Clint’s eyes continued downwards, and he couldn’t believe how good James looked in a suit. Just like Clint’s own, James’s was not the standard black, but blue. Also, the checked suit was expertly cut, fitting him perfectly and accentuating every single one of his sculpted muscles. And James’s ass!? FUCK! Clint knew that he probably shouldn’t be looking at his friend like this, but when it was there, right in front of him, there was nothing that he could do! Clint just prayed that he could keep his thoughts rated PG for the night; his suit was already pretty tight, and he didn’t need everyone to see his undoubtedly awkward boner in the middle of a wedding.
Clint took a deep breath... He could do this.
“Hey, man, looking good,” Clint said, watching James duck his head into the fridge he’d moved to as he pulled out a couple of beers.
“What can I say?” James smiled, handing Clint a beer. “I gotta look good if I’m gonna be your arm candy.” James winked at Clint as he opened his beer and tossed the lid in the trash.
Clint tried not to choke on his saliva as James’s tongue darted out to catch a stray drop of beer. Instead, he opened his own beer and took a deep swig. The good news is that the saliva he almost choked on helped hydrate his ridiculously dry mouth, which he was glad about.
“I really do appreciate this, Jamie,” Clint said, holding out his beer for James to toast.
“No problem, really. We’re gonna have fun, right?” James replied, clinking their bottles together. “So, how many people do you know who will be there?”
“Well, I know the groom from college, and I think a few of our other college friends will be there too… Oh, and we’re meeting Nat when we get there.”
James nodded.
The men finished their drinks quickly before they decided it was a good time to leave. They easily hailed a taxi, and their journey to the venue was filled with general chatter. James also reiterated that, as part of their deal, Clint had to go along with whatever story James decided to cook up about their relationship, which Clint semi-reluctantly agreed to.
“So, what are we gonna be like with the whole hand holding, affection kinda thing?” Clint asked.
“Oh, I’m a very affectionate boyfriend, darling ,” James smirked.
The last word was purred in a way that made Clint go a little light headed, and he let out a shuddered breath that he couldn’t help. What made it worse was the fact that James seemed to notice and started laughing.
“Man, you’ve definitely got that lovestruck look down! Tonight's gonna go perfectly!”
James clapped a hand on Clint’s thigh and returned to facing forward. Clint let out a quiet, yet, nervous laugh of agreement. For some reason, James’s hand didn’t leave his thigh, and Clint was trying to not let his knee bounce; his nervous energy needed to get out somehow. When James’s hand squeezed his knee slightly, Clint then realized that he had completely failed in stopping his knee shaking.
“It’s gonna be great, Clint. Try not to worry, we’ve got this,” James reassured.
Clint smiled and placed his hand on top of James’s, giving it a squeeze. James then let go of Clint’s thigh, so that he could turn his hand over and link their fingers together. Clint stared at their joined hands, feeling both confused and content as heat crept over his cheeks. He and James had been friends for years and had been through some crazy ups and downs, but they had never actually held hands before. It felt nice.
Clint looked up and saw James looking at their hands with almost the same look on his own face. It felt great to have a friend that he could be close with and rely on in times like these. So, if Clint’s stupid-ass, very obvious, friendship ruining attraction could just kindly fuck off, things would be perfect.
It’s for only one night, then they could get back to normal.
One night.
When they pulled up at the hotel, there were a few more well-dressed people walking in who were obviously wedding guests. Clint didn’t recognize any of them, for which he was thankful. It meant that there were just a few more moments before he had to pretend that his friend was the love of his life, and it was all he needed. James stepped out of the cab first before he bent down to hold out a hand for Clint. He gave Clint a smile and a wink, which Clint couldn’t help but laugh at as he reached out and took James’s hand.
Clint looked around again for anyone he knew, and he must have had a strange look on his face because James wrapped a hand around his waist and leaned in to whisper in Clint’s ear.
“Breathe, we’re gonna have fun.”
Clint took a deep breath and smiled. Yeah, they were gonna have a great time.
“Hey!”
Clint turned to see Nat walking down the street toward them, looking stunning as ever. Her dress was probably something that any other bride would hate their guest wearing, because she would absolutely be upstaging everyone in attendance. The silky red fabric was draped over her slim frame and clung to every part of her more than it should, and, paired with the thigh high slit, she looked devastatingly gorgeous.
Clint pulled away from James for a moment so that he could greet his friend. Nat wrapped her arms around him tightly before she pulled back and did the same to James.
“James! What are you doing here?” Nat asked, pulling back from the hug with a slight look of confusion.
“Our friend was left finding a date until the last minute, so I’m filling in as arm candy for the evening.” James smiled, slipping his hand into Clint’s.
Nat’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Well, I RSVP’d with a plus one and completely forgot until last week, so I had to find someone, so…” Clint held up his and James’s joined hands. “...Here we are.”
“Clint, I thought you were going to be my date,” Nat stage whispered.
Clint blanched. “But… you never said anything, so I thought…”
Nat sighed. “Well, I thought it was just the assumed thing with us… we both know the groom, and are single, so why not go together?”
“Well, you could have said that!” Clint countered.
Before the two could get into one of their usual arguments, James stepped between them. “Hey, hey, calm down, both of you. There’s an easy way to deal with this… We can just go in there, the three of us.”
“The three of us?” Clint questioned.
“I know you haven’t been living under a rock, sweetheart,” James smirked. “The three of us, together, like a couple… but with three…”
“What!?”
“Okay.”
Clint looked over at Nat after she spoke her agreement. “You’re really okay with this?”
Nat shrugged. “Sure, why not? It’s not like James is a complete stranger to me, and you gotta admit…” Nat turned the three of them so that they could see themselves in the reflection of the glass door. She tucked herself into Clint’s side, and James did the same on the other side. “We make a pretty hot throuple.”
Clint focused on the glass, and he had to admit that Nat was right. Both she and James were ridiculously hot.. Like, it should be illegal how hot they both were, and, while Clint wasn’t big headed, he knew that he was a decent looking guy… especially in one of these rare moments that he wasn’t covered in cuts and bruises from god knows where. They looked like a rich as fuck power throuple.
“Well, the guests of the wedding will be in for a shock,” Clint smiled. “Think we’re gonna steal the attention from the happy couple?”
“I was planning on it,” both Nat and James said before looking at each other with identical smirks.
It was in that moment that Clint knew that tonight… he was fucked.
Of course, they were some of the last guests to arrive, and as they walked down the aisle to their seats, they locked eyes with the groom, who was standing nervously by the altar. As soon as he noticed them, and saw the three of them with joined hands, he shot them a confused look. Nat gave their friend a little wave, and Clint could only give a shy smile and a little shrug as they moved to take their seats. Thank god they had the ceremony to sit through before they came into contact with people who would ask questions; it would give James a chance to re-work their cover story.
It wasn’t long before it was time for the bride to walk down the aisle and for the wedding to start. Clint would have probably enjoyed the whole thing a little more if he didn’t have Nat’s hand on his thigh, rubbing gentle circles, or have James’s arm around him with his fingers trailing over Clint’s shoulder. All Clint could focus on was not getting hard, because fuck, their hands felt so damn good on him. Come on, this may be pretend, but he was a warm-blooded male who had his hot friends touching him in ways that they definitely shouldn’t.
Clint was so lost in his own mind that he was late to join the applause as his old friend kissed his new wife. Clint only really realized that fact because the damning hands were gone from his body, so that Nat and James could clap along with the other guests. Clint should have been relieved that their hands had left him, but he found himself missing their touch.
With James’s hand in his, and Nat’s in the crook of his other arm, they followed the rest of the guests through the hotel to the reception hall. Clint could feel everyone’s eyes on them, and he honestly wanted to curl up and hide. His dates , however, were eating the whole thing up. They had the biggest shit-eating grins on their faces, and they just couldn’t help but smile and wave at anyone and everyone who looked their way.
They found their seats at their table and, as soon as they sat down, James lifted their joined hands to his lips, kissing the back of Clint’s hand softly. As Natasha scooted her seat closer to him, Clint had no choice but to wrap his arm around her, resting on the back of her seat. Everyone else around the table just seemed to be looking at them as though they were trying to work out their relationship, but no one knew them well enough to feel like they could ask; Clint could see it on all of their faces.
Nat and James pulled Clint into a general conversation, catching up privately, as the two of them hadn’t seen each other in a little while. With the chatter of everyone else filling the room, Nat and James both leaned in close enough that they could speak without really being heard by the others. While James told Nat his plan that he had their whole cover story worked out for them, and that he would take the lead on it, just in case they were asked, Clint found that they were both pressed against him in a way that definitely should be illegal for polite company. Nat’s hand currently rested on Clint’s thigh, way higher than appropriate in a public setting, and James was leaning on Clint’s shoulder, resting his face on his hand with said face far too close to Clint’s throat.
Clint could just barely keep up with the conversation; the words were a distraction from what was actually going on in his mind. Just tonight, he just needed to get through tonight. These guys were just laying it on thick so they didn’t look like weirdos who came to the wedding as friends, that was all. There was nothing else to read into this, and Clint just needed to get his stupid brain on track with the both of them, and it would all be fine.
Once the food started to be brought out, Cint felt better. Having a little reprieve from their touches was all he needed to get into the right frame of mind. They were pretending, that was it. He took drama class once, he could keep up with them.
When Nat held out her fork for him to try some of her food, he gladly leaned over and took the proffered food without hesitation. When Nat’s thumb ran over his bottom lip to catch the small amount of sauce that had dribbled from the food, he took the digit in his mouth and sucked it clean. Between courses, when James’s fingers toyed with the hair at the back of his neck, Clint leaned into the touch while his hand continued holding onto Nat’s at the same time. Sure, they were probably hamming it up a bit too much, but from the outside, they did look like they were probably in the honeymoon stage of their relationship.
The free wine that was constantly being poured definitely didn’t help either.
By the time the dessert course was over, it was time for the speeches. Nat turned in her chair and moved herself back between Clint’s legs so that she could lean back against his chest. Clint wrapped an arm around her waist and splayed his hand on her stomach. James moved his seat around so that he could sit beside Clint to rest his head on Clint’s shoulder while Clint’s free arm wrapped around him. It was cozy, and, for some reason, it didn’t feel strange. It may have been the booze, but honestly, none of them cared one bit.
They laughed and cheered along with the speeches, which were equal parts funny and heartwarming.
“He looks so happy, doesn’t he?” Clint spoke quietly in Natasha’s ear about their friend, the groom.
“Yeah, he does,” Nat agreed, linking her fingers with Clint’s, pulling his arm tighter around her.
Once the speeches were done, James pulled away to stand. “I’m gonna head out for a smoke,” he said, pulling his jacket back on.
Nat pushed herself up off of Clint. “We’ll come, too. I need some air.”
Clint laughed. “Ah, you say that now, but as soon as the air hits you, you know you’re gonna regret it.”
"Fuck it," Nat laughed.
The three of them walked through the room and out into the lobby, holding onto each other in some way; it was partially for stability - they had already made their way through a few bottles of wine - though Clint found that he just wanted to keep close to them in any way that he could. His alcohol-addled mind craved them.
When they finally stumbled their way outside, they headed away from the entrance and down the street a little. James sparked up his cigarette, and Nat instantly held out her hand expectantly. James plucked the lit cigarette from his lips and held it out with the smallest of lift at the corner of his mouth. Nat took the smoke with her delicate fingers which - Clint wasn't sure if it was just his drunk brain seeing things - lingered far longer in James's hand than necessary.
James sparked up another cigarette and held it out for Clint with a question in his eyes. Clint shook his head and declined; he sometimes smoked when he had had a drink, but, right now, he was pretty sure he didn't need anything else to add to his light-headedness. Look at him being some kind of responsible… There was a first time for everything, right?
While James leaned back against the wall with one leg up, like all those movie bad boy heartthrobs did - Clint definitely wasn't enjoying that view - Nat pressed herself back against Clint, resting her head on Clint's chest. Clint wrapped his arms around Nat's waist and gently pressed his cheek against the top of her head, taking comfort in their embrace.
They stood in companionable silence while Nat and James smoked, just enjoying being with each other and not needing to say anything, for now. James reached out with his free hand and placed it on top of Nat and Clint's joined hands, squeezing gently with a small smile. Clint wasn't sure if he was imagining things again, but he thought he felt Nat relax slightly at the contact. He knew that he had relaxed, but he really wasn't sure why Nat would have as well.
They weren't left alone for much longer as the groom made his way over.
"So, here you guys are," he said, taking a place next to James, sparking his own cigarette. "You sure know how to steal a show, guys. I thought my mother-in-law was gonna explode when she saw the attention you were getting."
Clint shrugged with a laugh, "Yeah, sorry about that. We didn't exactly plan an entrance like that."
"And when do you ever plan your entrances, Clint?" Their friend laughed. "I’m pretty sure the frat house ceiling already had enough holes that needed repairing when you didn't plan on falling through. What is it with you and the crawl spaces?"
James looked over at Clint with amusement, and he could feel Nat vibrating with her own laughter; he couldn't help the blush that crept across his cheeks. He hoped he was flushed enough from the alcohol that it wouldn't be that noticeable, but judging by the look that James gave him, it was very noticeable.
"You'd think the contractor would know to make it stronger after the first couple of times," Clint mumbled.
"You'd think that you'd learn to use a door," Nat countered.
"Thanks, let's all gang up on Clint, as usual," Clint groaned.
Their friend laughed and nudged James. "Glad to see they haven't changed. Hey," he held his hand out. "Phil Coulson, nice to meet you, and thanks for being part of the big day."
James flicked his cigarette away and shook Phil's hand. "James Barnes, it's a fantastic wedding, thanks for having us."
Phil smiled. "We may not see each other much, but I couldn't get married without these two here."
"Aww, Phil, you sap," Nat crooned.
"Shut it, Romanoff," Phil shot back with a smile. "Now, you two," Phil held a hand out to gesture at Nat and Clint, "I kind of expected to get together, eventually…"
Nat turned to look back at Clint with a smile that he was pretty sure he had never seen before. Her expression was both a genuine kind of happiness and full of… love(?) that was so foreign between them, but it felt so right. Clint returned the smile and tightened his arm around her waist.
"...but you have to tell me the story of how you ended up all together," Phil finished.
Clint expected James to speak first, telling everyone whatever crazy story he had decided to concoct, but it was Nat who chimed in instead.
“Well, you know Clint and I have known each other forever, and we’ve always been close,” she began, glancing at Clint. “Do you remember how we used to get annoyed that people would always assume that we were together? Well, it took a long damn time, but I think we both worked out that we were definitely more than just friends.”
“I don’t believe that. I don’t think Clint has the brain to work that out on his own,” Phil jumped in.
Nat grinned. “Okay, well, maybe I did do all of the hard work, but he felt the same… I knew he did. We were out having drinks and doing our usual commiserations over our recent bad dates, and I just decided to go for it. I kissed him, and he honestly thought that I only did it because I was drunk and lonely.”
“There we go, that sounds more like our Clint,” Phil laughed.
“Oh come on! I’m not that bad!” Clint groaned.
“Anyway, we’ve been together for a while now and, to be honest, it’s been like nothing changed.”
“I’m really happy for you guys. I could have called it, and I’m pretty sure that if the bets were still going on that you’d have made me a very rich man,” Phil grinned. “So, how do you fit into this, then?” Phil asked, turning to James.
“Well, I’ve known Clint for a few years. He came into my garage with his beat up hunk of junk that he was trying to get me to fix. He didn’t like when I told him it would cost more than the car was worth to even possibly get it running again, and, after a very long verbal sparring session, I backed down and agreed to fix the car.” Bucky grinned at Clint, remembering the day that they had met.
“Well, it was a huge job, and I gave him my number so that we could keep in touch and to give him status updates on his ride. What he didn’t know was that that wasn’t exactly common practice and that I had actually given him my personal number because I thought he was hot as hell,” James paused and gave Clint a wink that made Clint’s knees wanna buckle.
“So, once his car was fixed, I invited him out for a celebratory drink and we became great friends from there. I guess I spent a long time trying to work him out; I had no idea whether he was into guys or into me, so I kept my place as his ‘friend’ while I figured things out.” James pulled out another cigarette and sparked it up. “By the time that I had worked up the courage to just go for it, Clint brought his new girlfriend to meet me.”
James looked Nat up and down and took his lip between his teeth in that way that should be goddamn illegal. “I mean, look at her. I thought there was no way that I could compete with such an incredible woman, especially one who knows Clint as well as she does. So, I went back into my little friend box again.”
James smiled as Phil clapped a hand on his shoulder in understanding as James continued his story. “Over time, the three of us would hang out, and I started to notice the way that Nat and Clint looked at me; it wasn’t ogling or anything like that, but I could see something behind their looks. So, when I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that there was no way that I was breaking them up or choosing between the two. What kind of idiot would pass up the chance to be with both of them? So, I went for it and… here we are. We haven’t been together, the three of us, for very long, but we’re happy.”
“Shit, that sounds like something out of one of those cheesy romance novels,” Phil exclaimed. “Well, I’m really glad that my two friends are happy, and, again, it’s great to meet you, James. Now, I think I’ve been away from my wife for too long, and I better head back inside.” Phil started to walk back in, but stopped to turn back to them. “Hey, you all need to meet her properly. Come on!”
As Clint, Nat, and James joined him, Phil added, “But try to stay away from my mother-in-law… I wasn’t joking about her being a little pissed. She’s a… formidable woman.”
The group laughed and headed back inside. As the night continued, the drinks continued to be had and the party truly began. As time went on, the three kept acting like a throuple; hands wandered, pet names were uttered, and the story of their relationship was constantly to be told. While he kept going along with it, Clint couldn’t help but constantly think about the ‘story’. So much of it was true… the only differences were that no relationship had happened after it all.
Clint’s mind ran over all of his interactions with Nat over the years: their time at college, being as close as they were, and also their time together after college; the night that Nat said that they got together had actually happened. He can remember it perfectly with them together in that bar laughing over the horror stories of their most recent dates, but nothing had happened after that. Had he been so blind that he didn’t notice? Did Nat even think about doing that or was it just an easy moment to latch onto to create their fake relationship? Honestly, Clint was confused.
And Jamie?! Hearing the story of how they met from his point of view was… overwhelming, to say the least. Clint had genuinely thought that some cock and bull embarrassing story that included a gay bar, dark rooms, or some shit would have been what James would go for. Clint definitely didn’t think that James would take their actual meeting and add a shit ton of feelings and attraction to it. It couldn’t be real… Jamie was a purebred stud who always got what he wanted. Clint had seen enough times when Jamie would sweet talk a guy or girl into his bed, or the backseat of his car, so, if he had wanted Clint the way that he had described… surely he would have just gone for it like he’d claimed he had. Right!?
Toward the end of the night, James pulled Clint onto the dancefloor while a slow song was playing. James linked his fingers behind Clint’s neck and pressed their bodies together; Clint’s hands were locked at the small of James’s back. As they swayed to the music, Cint couldn’t help but feel so ridiculously comfortable in that moment. They were together, without judgement from anyone, and he could admit that he was insanely happy.
“Hey.”
Clint snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at James, who was smiling up at him. “Huh? You ok?”
“Yeah, of course I am, sweetheart. I was asking you that… but you were lost in your own mind with this adorably goofy look on your face.”
Once again, James’s use of a pet name sent something primal through Clint. He honestly didn’t know what he would do if he didn’t hear them anymore after tonight. He had half a mind to tell Jamie that even after the party, he could keep calling Clint things like ‘baby’, and ‘sweetheart’, because fuck Clint loved it so much. Once again, he came out of his thoughts, only this time, he found that James was smirking at him.
“What? I was just thinking,” Clint said with a roll of his eyes.
“What about?” James asked quietly. “Me? Nat?”
For a moment, Clint wasn’t sure how to answer. Though his mind was a little lost, his body supplied an answer with a nod.
“It’s been fun, hasn’t it?” James said, obviously taking control of the conversation. “You’ve got some great friends, and they sure as hell know how to throw a party.”
Clint laughed. “Yeah, they do. Look, I really appreciate you doing this for me, I’ve had an amazing time and…”
“Hey, there’s one thing we haven’t done yet,” James cut in.
Clint gave him a confused look. “What?”
Instead of responding with words, James pulled Clint down into a kiss. At first, Clint was still in shock, but it didn’t take long for his brain to kick in as he tightened his arms around James’s waist and returned the kiss. It started out slow, like they were testing the waters a little - which really, they were - as their lips moved together softly and carefully.
Clint didn’t know what to do. James’s lips were perfect ; They were just how he had imagined, now that he was drunk enough to admit to himself that he had thought about it - many a time - and just thought that it was a complete no-go. James was firm in what he wanted and was happy to take it, but Clint could feel that little bit of James that might be holding back. There was a small part of James that wanted Clint to take control and have his way with him.
Overthinking, Clint was about to pull back, fearful of ruining his friendship by taking a fake kiss too far, when he both heard and felt James moan. It was just a small one at the back of his throat, but it was enough for Clint to throw caution to the wind. He let go of James’s waist and placed his hands on either side of James’s face. They stopped swaying to the music as Clint tipped James’s head so that he could deepen the kiss. James instantly moaned, opening his mouth, and opening himself up to Clint completely.
Feeling James’s tongue against his was like heaven, and Clint had been right about James… he knew him so damn well. James’s hands moved from the back of Clint’s neck to grip Clint’s lapels as he allowed Clint to take whatever he wanted. James kissed back with as much fervor as Clint was giving, pulling him close like he didn’t want to stop. For a moment, Clint completely forgot that they were in a room full of people, and that, right then, it was only the two of them as they drowned in each other like they were the only things keeping each other alive.
Eventually, the need to actually breathe won out, and they pulled apart. Clint rested his head against James’s while both of them breathed heavily.
“Fuck, Jamie,” Clint breathed. It was the only thing that he could think of saying at the time because his mind was wiped by the incredible kiss.
“That sure was somethin’,” James grinned in response.
They continued to stand in the middle of the dance floor, unmoving, in their own little world. It wasn’t until they both felt a small hand on each of their shoulders that they snapped out of it.
“Mind if I cut in?” Nat asked, looking at James.
James pulled away from Clint and gave an exaggerated bow. “My lady,” he smiled. “I’m gonna head outside again.”
Clint nodded, and Nat immediately took James’s spot. She placed a hand on Clint’s shoulder and took his other hand as Clint wrapped his arm around her waist and started to lead their gentle sway to the music. For a while, they danced together in silence with Nat’s head on his chest. It was pretty obvious that Nat was shorter than Clint, but being this close made Clint realize just how much of a difference there actually was. She was always such a powerful, larger-than-life woman, but in his arms, she felt so small and delicate.
Due to their closeness, Clint could feel Nat humming along with the song; the sound vibrated through him much stronger than it should have. Clint suddenly had the inexplicable urge to show off, so… he did. Clint let go of Nat’s waist and, keeping their hands linked, held her at arm’s length. He then tugged gently, prompting Nat to spin into his body. He could hear her laugh as she came back to him before he spun her back out again. As he pulled her back in, Clint spun her under his arm and pulled her close, leaning down into a dip.
The both of them were laughing when he lifted her back up, and they resumed dancing as they had before. This time, Nat decided to speak.
“We really should get better at this whole communication thing, shouldn’t we?”
Clint laughed. “Yeah, I guess we should. Well, I always thought that you were good at it, but here you are just assuming I’d be your date.”
“Shut it, asshole,” Nat smiled, playfully smacking Clint on the chest. “Well, it didn’t work out too badly, did it? James is great.”
“Yeah, he is,” Clint smiled.
“That was one hell of a kiss,” Nat winked.
Clint couldn’t help the blush that crept over his face. “You saw that?”
Nat rolled her eyes. “The whole wedding saw that.”
Trying to keep his cool, Clint replied, “Well, yeah. Gotta make this whole relationship believable, haven’t we?”
Nat let out a small laugh and nodded. “Of course. So, does your girlfriend get the same?”
Clint took in the serious, yet playful look on Natasha’s face. Being this close, he had the time to properly look at her, and he found himself more blown away than usual. The dark, smokey makeup around her eyes just enhanced the ‘come hither’ look that she always seemed to have - no wonder she always had both men and women staring at her whenever she went out. Clint’s eyes traveled down over her sharp, high cheekbones, and her small, perfect nose, to land on her lips. They were painted the same deep red as her dress, and the color just seemed to want to drag Clint in. There was a small voice in the back of his mind that desperately wanted to see that lipstick smeared all over their faces, but there was another part of him that wanted to savor the moment that was being held out to him on a silver platter.
Clint let go of Nat’s hand and ran his fingers through her short, loose curls, coming to rest at the base of her neck. He tilted Nat’s head up so that she could look at him properly, and he leaned down. The first press of lips caused a reaction that was… unexpected. Not in a bad way, quite the opposite, in fact In all the time that Clint had known Nat, he had pushed away thoughts of doing something like this for fear of ruining their friendship - just like with James.
When he felt Natasha’s soft lips against his, it was like electricity coursing through his veins. Through his mind, a series of regretful thoughts started to flow. Pissed at himself that he held off on this for years , he also felt regret that this was only for one night. After this, things would be going back to normal, which meant no more kissing for them. There was confusion at every one of his feelings that he seemed to have ignored for Nat and James; feelings that he couldn’t ever act on. They were pretending today, so, after this, he would have to pretend for a much longer time. Well, if this was his one chance, he was gonna take everything that he could get.
Clint wrapped his arm tightly around Nat’s waist as he pulled their bodies flush together, and he couldn’t help the sigh that fell from his lips as Nat wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips moved together as though they had been doing this same thing forever, like it was meant to be, and Clint genuinely didn’t know whether he would be able to go back to being just friends.
Nat was the first one to slip her tongue into the kiss, dragging Clint’s in to join. Clint’s fingers tightened in Nat’s hair way more than they probably should have, considering they were in the middle of the dancefloor at a friend’s wedding, but judging by the moan that came from Nat, she didn’t care; Clint was too lost in the moment to think about it properly.
When they pulled apart, breathing heavily, Clint looked down at Nat with a smile, which was easily returned. Clint’s smile dropped a little, however, when he noticed that Nat’s red lips were completely unscathed. Clint lifted a hand and dragged his thumb across her spit-slicked lips with a look of confusion on his face.
“Lip stain, dumbass,” Nat laughed.
“Oh. Right,” Clint replied slightly nervously. His regular brain caught up moments later as he added, “Some people would think that you planned for something like this.”
Nat smirked. “Maybe I did… Or maybe I just didn’t wanna keep reapplying all night. You’ll have to work that out for yourself,” Nat said, punctuating her words with a wink that headed straight for his cock.
“Ok, I think it’s my turn for a dance with our gorgeous lady,” James said as he sauntered over.
Clint reluctantly stepped back and was a little shocked when James leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.
Clint nodded, shaking away the dumbfounded look that was definitely on his face. “Yeah, I need to sit down, these shoes are pinching my feet.”
James smacked Clint playfully on the arm. “Hey! Those are expensive shoes.”
“Yeah, I know,” Clint laughed, “I paid for them!”
Nat’s hands creeped up both mens’ chests. “Ooooh, have we got a sugar daddy, James?”
“Maybe, though it is only the first night,” James replied. “There’s still plenty of time to find out.” James looked up at Clint and gave him a wink.
Nat pushed Clint’s shoulder. “Go sit down and rest up, let me have this dance.”
Clint nodded and went to go sit down. He found a seat on the edge of the dancefloor where he had the perfect view of Nat and James. He looked at James’s hand, which was pressed on the small of Nat’s back. He studied their joined hands and how their fingers were wrapped around each other’s hands like they were meant to be there. They looked beautiful together, and there was absolutely no denying it, despite the fact that they had only met a handful of times, it looked like they really were together; like they had always been that way. Clint tried to ignore the pang in his chest that he wasn’t quite sure if it was jealousy or want, but he chose to ignore it all the same.
The music was faint in Clint’s ears as he focused on the two swaying together with their heads bent close. He could tell by the way that their heads moved that they were talking, but one of them was always blocking his view so that he couldn’t read their lips. It was almost as if they didn’t want Clint to know what they were saying. The feeling got heavier in Clint’s chest as he thought of the possibilities of what they could be saying to each other. Were they planning to run off together? Were they making fun of Clint? Were they just talking like normal people? Clint seriously wished he knew.
Clint tried to keep his jaw from dropping when he watched James lean down and kiss Nat. Sure, they needed to do this because they were in a ‘fake’ three-way relationship, but somehow Clint was still a little shocked to see it in front of him like that . His confused and self-doubting thoughts were instantly pushed away as he watched their lips move together. It was familiar, and it was almost as though he could feel it on his own. They kissed exactly how it had felt when each of them kissed him, and his brain ignited in a need to be between the two of them; a part of them.
Clint continued to watch them from where he was sitting, thinking about how he could go over there and interrupt; to possibly get a few more of those incredible kisses himself, but, before he could, they pulled back and turned to look at him. From the looks on their faces - their devious smirks that looked alarmingly identical - Clint felt ridiculously exposed. He had no idea what was going on in their minds. However, there was something he was hoping they were thinking, but he was almost sure that wouldn’t happen. Yet, if it were to happen, it would probably only be a one night thing, and he didn’t think he would be able to do that... Not with them.
Clint was pulled from his thoughts by Nat and James taking seats on either side of him. Nat placed her head on Clint’s shoulder, and James’s hand rested on his thigh. He could feel their shoulders lifting, their breathing heavy from the dancing and kissing, and he was pretty sure he was doing the same just because of their proximity.
“Hey, how ‘bout we get out of here? Party’s starting to die down,” James suggested.
Clint looked around and realized that he’d been so engrossed in the two of them that he hadn’t noticed that several of the guests had left or that the DJ was playing the usual wind down songs.
“Sure, sounds like a plan,” Clint agreed.
The three of them stood and said their goodbyes to the happy couple before they headed outside; it was late and had already started to get cold. Clint saw a small shiver run through Nat as James walked to the curb to hail a cab, so he took his jacket off and draped it over her shoulders.
Nat looked up at him with a smile. “Thanks, darling.”
Nat bumped against Clint, and Clint wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t mention it, baby,” he replied. “Though, don’t think you’re keeping that jacket. I actually like this suit.”
“You? Like a suit?” Nat gasped, laughing slightly at Clint’s flat look.
“Yeah, Jamie has pretty great taste,” Clint smiled.
“Yeah, he does,” Nat agreed.
James had finally managed to hail a cab down, and he held the door open for them; Nat got in first, followed by Clint, with James getting in last.
“So… where are we actually going?” James asked.
“Well, my place is probably closest, so… me first?” Clint asked, looking to James and Nat to see if they agreed. At the joint nods, Clint gave the cab driver his address, and they headed off.
On the journey, Nat somehow managed to weasel her way under Clint’s arm while James leaned against him, linking their fingers. They talked about the events of the night and laughed about the funny things that had happened. It was nice, but Clint just couldn’t understand why they were still playing along. No one other than the cab driver was here.
As there was a lull in conversation, Clint decided to address it. “Uh, you guys do know you don’t need to pretend anymore, right?”
“We know,” Nat said quietly.
“Who says we’re pretending?” James asked in an equally as quiet tone.
Clint almost choked on his saliva. “What?” he asked, extracting himself from them both.
James laughed. “Well, when we were dancing, Nat and I talked.” James took a deep breath. “While I embellished some of that story of how we got together… a lot of it was true.”
Clint looked at James for a moment in disbelief before he turned to Nat. “And you…?”
“I really had thought about taking my chance that night, but I didn’t. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t,” Nat admitted.
“But… What about you two?” Clint asked nervously.
“He’s hot/She’s hot,” they said at the same time.
The three laughed at Nat and James’s response. When their laughter died down, they all sat in a heavy silence. Nat and James both took one of Clint’s hands in theirs, linking their fingers and resting them in Clint’s lap. Clint sat and looked at their joined hands with a small smile on his face. He was almost sure that he must be really drunk and that this was some kind of fever dream; this couldn’t be real.
“Look, this is all probably super fast…” Nat began.
“Not to mention, it could ruin our friendship completely if it doesn’t work out,” James added.
“But, we’d both really like to give this a try,” Nat finished.
When Clint didn’t respond for a few moments, James nudged his shoulder and gave him a nervous smile. “So, what do you think?” he asked.
Clint paused before his face broke into a huge grin. “I say, thank god we’re heading to my apartment. Your beds sure as hell aren’t big enough for the three of us.”