Chapter Text
Manip courtasy of Ozhawk.
Clint was doing his best to have a nice sleep in his favourite air vent above a rarely-used visitor’s lounge in the Tower’s residential levels when the argument erupted below him. He squeezed his eyes tighter shut in irritation and debated shouting at the culprits, but they’d probably finish soon enough. He didn’t know the woman’s voice, but the guy was the Brit who’d tagged along with Foster and Lewis when Thor brought them back from England. Hunter, he thought the guy’s name was. Lewis’s soulmate, seemed a decent enough bloke. Although possibly not, considering the argument going on beneath him…
“Hunter, enough,” Bobbi said finally. “Look, it was over between us even before you met Darcy. We both knew that even if we never admitted it out loud. I’m not pining away for love of you, you vain idiot. She’s your soulmate, and we’ve both seen instances of people trying to break those bonds. It rarely ends well for anyone concerned.”
“I’m not trying to break the bond, I’m just saying that I’d never want to hurt you, Bob,” Hunter said in irritation. “Darcy understands that I cared – still do care – about you. She says she’s willing for me to come back and work with you and SHIELD if that’s what the agency needs. She’s willing to trust me.”
“It’s not necessary. And it’d create friction between the two of you, come on, Hunter. Darcy can’t seriously want you working with your ex-wife. She said that because she wants you to blow me off and choose her.”
“She…does?”
“God, you’re such a fucking idiot,” Bobbi sighed affectionately. “Yes, Hunter. She wants you to choose her, and she wants you to be clear and probably public about it. Don’t you dare fuck things up with that girl because you’re worried about my feelings. She’s the best thing that ever happened to you.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you still here talking to me?”
Hunter laughed, kissed Bobbi’s cheek and left. She flopped onto the couch in the small lounge where they’d been arguing and cast her eyes up at the ceiling.
After a moment she said “You can come out now.”
Clint nearly fell through the vent from shock. “How the hell did you know I was here?” he gasped, dropping down to land agilely before her.
Bobbi blinked as the solidly muscled man landed lightly in front of her – and said her soulmark words. Blond-haired, dressed in a pale grey sleeveless shirt that showed spectacularly muscled arms and old, faded blue jeans that clung lovingly to strong thighs, he was about her height – and utterly gorgeous.
“How did you know I was here?” he repeated.
“I heard you breathing, once Hunter had gone – oh my God, you’re Hawkeye,” she gasped.
“And apparently you’re Bat-ears.”
Clint cracked the joke to cover up his shock. Because she was easily the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, long-legged and lithe, sprawled casually across the couch in black leather pants so tight they looked as though they were painted on and a tight black T-shirt. Dark blonde hair tumbled around a stunning face, and ocean-blue eyes examined him curiously.
She smiled. “Actually, they call me Mockingbird.” Long-fingered hands gathered the hem of her T-shirt, edged it up to reveal a smooth, flat stomach. With his messy, dyslexic squiggles across it. “I don’t suppose this looks familiar?”
“Unh,” his brain was scrambled by all that smooth golden skin. “The writing, yeah. The gorgeous woman, not so much.”
A smile curved that gorgeous, kissable mouth, and then she was getting up off the couch in a ripple of sinuous movement that completely fried any remaining brain cells Clint might have had left. He just stood there and stared.
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He was watching her from intent blue-grey eyes, his laser focus a little unnerving – and incredibly arousing, entirely focused on her as he was, Bobbi found herself shivering a little as she moved closer, lifting her hand to touch his chest, looking directly into his eyes as she murmured;
“So where’s yours?”
“Hmm?” he blinked at her. “Oh. Mark. My mark.” His hands went to his waist and then he was peeling his T-shirt off, showing her neatly printed words in a short line just above his right nipple. You can come out now.
“Yes,” Bobbi murmured, a little overwhelmed that Hawkeye should be her soulmate. One of the Avengers. Her soulmate.
Her thoughts rapidly dwindled down to one, running on a loop, that one thought was I mean, I know I’m badass, but that’s a whole ‘nother level.
Strong hands lifted a little hesitantly to her waist, and she realised, suddenly, looking into his eyes, that he was just as nervous as she was. Just as off balance. She smiled at him encouragingly, even though her heart was beating fast enough she thought for sure he must be able to hear its pounding.
“I don’t even know your name. Mockingbird,” Clint murmured softly. She was so close he could actually feel her sweet breath on his lips, but he wasn’t going to kiss his soulmate until he knew her name. “Hunter called you Bob?”
“Asshole does that. It’s Barbara, Barbara Morse – but please call me Bobbi.”
“I’m Clint…”
“I know who you are, Barton.” Her long-fingered hands landed on his chest, and he could feel the calluses there. She handled guns and – swords? Something like that. He tightened his grip, curving his hands further around her slim waist.
“You’re really fucking gorgeous, Bobbi,” he muttered thickly.
“Snap,” she whispered back, leaning in closer, her fingers sliding up over his shoulders, testing the resilience of the powerful muscles. Exploring his scars, mapping them with tender care.
“I’m gonna kiss you now.”
“Good,” she smiled against his lips; felt his returning smile before the intensity of the kiss drove away all rational thought.
Clutching at his muscular shoulders Bobbi moaned into the kiss as Clint began backing her towards the couch she’d previously been seated on, her brain wasn’t functioning anywhere near well enough to figure out exactly how Clint managed to manoeuvre them onto the couch.
The weight of Clint’s muscular body pressing her down into the couch was far from uncomfortable and unwanted. When he finally pulled back from the kiss enough to allow them both a chance to catch their breath Bobbi shifted slightly beneath him, moving her legs to either side of Clint’s, a smirk curving her lips as he groaned.
“I’m not at all opposed to more of that,” Bobbi murmured as she slid one hand from Clint’s shoulder up to curl around the back of his neck.
“I’m definitely happy to oblige, gorgeous,” he whispered while sliding one hand from Bobbi’s waist up beneath the hem of her T-shirt to settle on her ribs as he dropped his head to reclaim her mouth.
As was her norm Bobbi lost herself to the sheer pleasure that was coursing through her body, revelling in the sensations of Clint’s mouth on hers, the way his teeth nipped at her lower lip until she finally relented and allowed him the access he sought to her mouth.
The tender, exploratory kiss soon turned fiery and all consuming, if she could have Bobbi would have moaned but as it was her tongue was otherwise occupied in a heated battle with Clint’s. Bobbi hooked her left leg over Clint’s hip pulling his body flush with hers even as his hands and callused fingers stroked along her ribs almost in perfect synch to his tongue stroking hers.
With the alignment of their bodies as they were it was impossible for Clint to resist temptation, not when temptation was all golden skin, lithe muscle and full of fire, it was likely possible he was going to get burnt but he threw caution to the wind and shifted his lower body just enough to bring their groins into perfect alignment before starting to gently rock his hips into Bobbi’s.
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Why was it whenever anyone needed to go find Clint he always wound up with the job? Granted Steve knew with his serum enhanced body he could survive just about anything Clint threw at him, but that doesn’t mean he had to like that the rest of the team, with the exception of Natasha, always sent him in first.
The entire team was used to Clint disappearing to sleep in the oddest of locations, as well as the fact he somehow had convinced JARVIS to not bother him until otherwise requested. Thankfully JARVIS would still give them a rough location for Clint, which was precisely why Steve was now making his way towards one of the rarely-used visitor’s lounges.
As Steve stepped into the lounge his eyes had been locked onto the ceiling, he was assuming as per usual that Clint would be in the air vents, however when he saw the open vent covering Steve’s gaze lowered to sweep the room. At first glance nothing had seemed out of the ordinary, he’d checked each corner and perch within the room with no sight whatsoever of his fellow team mate.
It wasn’t until his enhanced hearing caught the sound of two sets of rapid heartbeats; that his gaze darted in the direction of the couch where he suddenly spotted the two forms entangled intimately on the couch. Steve felt his neck heat with embarrassment at having caught Clint in such a private interlude, he knew he should probably avert his gaze and yet for some reason he couldn’t identify he simply couldn’t, and it took those few brief moments for him to put together the identity of Clint’s companion.
If he wasn’t mistaken, and that was a rare thing in itself for Steve to be mistaken about anything, the woman currently lying beneath and entangled around Clint was the woman from the team Hunter belonged to, though the Brit had been very cagey about who exactly he reported to. What was her name again? Moth? Morth? No that wasn’t right, Morse, that was it, Barbara Morse, she’d seemed like a decent lady in the brief introduction he’d had before she’d been whisked off by Hunter to parts unknown.
“Barton, that’s no way to treat a lady,” Steve growled without really meaning to.
Lifting his head suddenly, thereby breaking the kiss he’d been thoroughly enjoying, Clint turned his head towards the door of the lounge where the proper voice of Steve had emanated from. He soon found himself looking at Steve’s stern face of disapproval, and that was a look he was now truly wishing he hadn’t seen. There really was nothing worse than having Captain America giving you a look of utter disapproval.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever been called a lady before,” Bobbi chimed in suddenly as she rolled them off the couch, Clint letting out a loud huff as the wind was partially forced from his lungs. As Bobbi sat up he let his hands slide out from beneath her shirt, bracing them on the floor he forced himself to sit up and look back to Steve.
“It’s not like that Cap, she’s my soulmate,” Clint could tell as Steve’s brow furrowed further into a deep frown that that particular reasoning hadn’t done him any favours, which now that he thought about it Steve might have a point about treating Bobbi like a lady.
All his previous relationships he’d jumped headlong into bed with the women almost immediately and things had never lasted long or ended well with them, deep down he knew that was not something he wanted happening with his soulmate.
“You know it’s rather disconcerting to have Captain America frowning at you in disapproval,” Bobbi murmured against Clint’s ear as she got her feet beneath her, braced her hands on her knees and pushed herself to stand.
When Bobbi leant forward and extended a hand he looked up with one brow arched, taking the offered hand Clint rose and turned his gaze back to Steve who was still watching them intently. Clint suddenly felt as though they had just gained themselves an unofficial chaperone. “Steve, were you after something?”
“Ah, yeah, lunch is almost ready.” Steve said tersely.
Bobbi watched silently, her ocean-blue eyes darting between the two men. Clint hadn’t let go of her hand, and his fingers tightened on hers now as she made to move away.
“You’re invited,” he said almost tersely, his eyes meeting hers. “We need to work this out, and I can’t make decisions about who stays and goes in the Tower without at least Stark’s agreement.”
“And if I said I can’t stay?” Bobbi asked uncertainly her gaze dropping to their hands.
“I’d ask why?”
As Clint started walking and tugged gently on their conjoined hands Bobbi’s gaze lifted as she fell into step, looking between both men she debated over how to respond to that. She knew that Thor, Dr Foster and Hunter’s soulmate Darcy all know about Coulson but she honestly wasn’t sure whether or not that information had been passed onto the rest of the Avengers.
“I’m a SHIELD agent Clint, you know what that’s like. My team is small and we just lost Hunter,” Bobbi said carefully.
“As far as I know ma’am, SHIELD no longer exists after we burnt it to the ground.” Steve imparted with an almost casual ease.
“Yes, you and Romanoff did an extremely thorough job of that Rogers, and we are still cleaning up your mess in more ways than one. We are working to rebuild SHIELD, make it better than it was before, but we have very limited resources and personnel,” Bobbi snapped as her eyes jumped to Steve, easing her hand free of Clint’s she stepped back to cross her arms defensively over her chest, her expression and body language daring Steve to question her.
“SHIELD let HYDRA grow within their ranks,” Steve started but found himself promptly cut off as fists curled into his shirt and slammed his shoulders back against the wall of the elevator.
“Not all of SHIELD were HYDRA, when you and Romanoff burnt it to the ground you left a lot of good people out in the wind with nowhere to go,” Bobbi snarled leaning as close into Steve’s face as she could given the height difference.
"Hill and Stark Industries would have taken them in," Steve said matter of factly as he stared down into furious blue eyes.
Bobbi was vaguely aware of Clint moving in her peripheral vision, though her gaze never moved from the national icon as she growled "and how pray tell were they to know Hill wasn't HYDRA? Not everyone wants to be private contractors, Rogers."
If he wasn't currently concerned for Bobbi's safety Clint would probably be filming this scene, while laughing his ass off over the fact Captain America was currently being pinned to the wall and read the riot act by a woman.
"Bobbi," Clint called gently as he reached out to settle one hand on her shoulder.
"No Clint, he needs to understand what he's done, by burning SHIELD to the ground he left the world open for the new HYDRA to terrorise. The UN attack blamed on SHIELD was them. Director Coulson," here Bobbi watched as both men's faces fell into a twisted mixture of grief and regret, she suddenly realised Thor and Coulson obviously hadn't gotten around to informing the rest of the Avengers of his not dead status, so wound up finishing her rant with "is going to kill me."
"Coulson is dead," Clint and Steve muttered simultaneously as their eyes locked onto Bobbi's.
"He was..... until Fury somehow had him brought back to life. Thor found out in London and Coulson was supposed to tell you guys or he was going to. Hill knew as well, but she was under orders from Fury not to reveal it to you, I think." Letting go of Steve's shirt Bobbi took a step back from both men, if she was reading them right both of them were torn between relief and anger.
His hand that had been on Bobbi's shoulder shot out before she was out of reach to curl around her wrist, with a firm tug Clint pulled Bobbi against him. Turning he pinned her between the elevator wall and his body his free hand coming up to curl lightly around her throat, his eyes locked with hers as he growled "You're not lying to me are you, Bobbi?"
"Clint, I'm trained to lie, but I'm not lying to you about this. I swear, ask Hunter if you still don't believe me," Bobbi said quietly, though she knew she could probably break free of Clint’s hold if she wanted to she also knew that would be counter productive. “I don’t want to lie to you. Not ever,” it came out a whisper as her soulmate’s body pressed against hers provoked a reaction again. Her hands slid around his waist, knotted in his shirt at the small of his back.
“You two are doing this again, seriously, now?” Steve’s voice broke the spell, and they both looked away to see Steve standing with his arms folded and a wry expression on his face.
“It’s a little bit difficult not to,” Clint attempted to excuse himself. “Not only is she my soulmate but she’s the most beautiful goddamn woman I’ve ever seen.”
Bobbi found a ridiculously sappy smile spreading across her face. Well. Now she understood how Hunter had turned even more idiotic since finding Darcy.
At that moment the elevator doors pinged open.