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There’s a persistent rumor around headquarters that Clint and Natasha are secretly married. The first time Natasha hears it (a junior agent who didn’t know he was being hazed), she’d actually laughed. Clint, who’d been standing next to her when the agent had approached, had damn near fallen over he was laughing so hard.
No matter their reaction, the rumor carries on, and with it comes a weird sub-set of people who don’t believe it but do believe it holds some weight as to Clint’s type. Female agents approach Clint and ask him out for dinner while looking flinty-eyed. Male agents try to overtake him in hand-to-hand and then ask if he wants to get drinks. Clint complains to Natasha exactly once.
“It must be terrible,” she replies. “To have this single preconception getting used to try and see you naked.”
Clint doesn’t wince, but it’s a near thing. He nudges her shoudler with his, instead, and she smiles, accepting his apology.
“You could always just kiss Coulson where people can see you.”
“Don’t think I haven’t considered it,” Clint replies. He has considered it, but Phil has requested they not be so drastic, needing the preconceptions of himself to help him do his work as much as Natasha needs it for her work.
It’d be easier, Clint thinks, if the preconceptions people have of him were actually something he could use.
A few months later, an op goes bad, and Clint ends up with a nasty leg wound. Phil’s doing the emergency work to keep him stable until they get back to base when a junior agent asks if he should contact the Widow.
“Widow’s for covert ops that don’t go to hell,” Phil says in a growl as he whips off his belt and uses it to hold pressure on Clint’s wound.
“I just thought she’d want to meet him at medical,” the agent persists. “I mean, given that they’re married.”
“We are not married!” Clint yells, but he’s ignored as Phil turns very slowly and glares down the agent.
“I assure you Barton’s spouse is well fucking aware of his injury, and if you do not get away, I will give you a matching one.”
The agent backs away, and Clint can’t help grinning when Phil looks back at him. “Was that a proposal?”
Phil rolls his eyes and crouches next to Clint, touching his face for a moment before helping him stand. “Would you accept?”
“Of course I would.”
Phil smiles with just his eyes, and Clint pecks him on the cheek as they move towards the evac coptor.
The rumors of Clint’s marriage finally get corrected.