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Phil Coulson could only stare at the item in his hand, his face a mixture of wonder and confusion.
“I noticed you collect these and happened across this one…hope you don’t already have it, Sir.” Barton’s voice sounded far away.
Phil was looking down at the Captain America trading card he had been trying to find since he was 7 years old. It was exactly like the one he had received that Christmas years ago and had so carelessly lost only a short time later.
The card, itself, seemed unremarkable – a stock photograph of the super soldier in a hero’s pose – but it was his search for this one card that had begun his earnest collection. It was now the only card he needed to make the set complete. Or, had been, rather.
“Barton…where did you get this?” The question came out in a whisper, causing Clint to take a deep breath before answering.
“Oh, you know the internet these days…” came the flippant reply. The truth was, Clint’s stomach was in knots. He had spent the better part of the past six months and more money than he thought rational to get his handler this gift in time, his only wish being that he had chosen the right one.
Although he had caught Coulson going over the cards on more than one occasion and even knew how to get them out of his locker, Clint had not been able to bring himself to have a look. He couldn’t help but imagine these as the last thing his handler looked at before going to bed at night and there was just something too familiar about that image.
It didn’t occur to him that there might be something too familiar in spending that much time and money on his handler in the first place. Instead, he stood there and waited in the silence, each moment making his heart sink lower.
When Coulson finally looked up at him, it was with warmth in his eyes. Clint let out a small breath.
“Thank you, Barton.”
“Merry Christmas, Sir.”
2)
“She’s still been unable to get him to trust her but thinks he would be open to the conversation – particularly if there were a third party involved.”
“Great! I’ll be sure to emphasize that point with Fury. Is that the full report from Tasha?”
“Well, there is one more thing, Sir. Unofficial.” Clint closed the file he was holding and handed it over to Coulson.
“Oh?”
“Well, she caught a glimpse of something. Something we both believe would be of interest to you.”
Barton offered nothing more, causing Phil’s eyebrows to raise higher and higher as the silence stretched.
“Yes, Clint?” Coulson prompted. The use of his first name caught Barton by surprise and he paused a moment longer before answering.
“Just that you might want to take a look yourself, Sir.” With that, Clint got up and made to leave the room.
Phil sighed audibly, becoming annoyed at the game Barton seemed intent on playing. “Well, what am I supposed to be looking for, Agent?”
Clint turned back around and gave Phil his lop-sided smile. Phil’s annoyance vanished almost instantaneously.
“You’ll know it when you see it,” said Barton. “I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.” With that, he left the room.
A few days later, Coulson found himself in Tony Stark’s workshop – the man hard at work at who knows what. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. But, no, it couldn’t be.
Coulson bent down and picked up the object slowly. Yes, this must have been what Barton had been talking about. It was an early prototype of Captain America’s shield. But what was it doing in Tony Stark’s workshop? He turned in confusion.
“What’s this doing here?”
Stark turned and his eyes lit up in delight.
“That’s it! Bring it to me!”
“Do you know what this is?” Amazingly, Phil found this to be even more fascinating than the shield itself.
“It’s exactly what I need to make this work!” At the confident tone in Stark’s voice, Coulson handed over the precious item…only to find it crushed beneath the steel coil running the length of the workshop just moments later.
Phil tried to hide his disappointment. Stark never took him seriously and always tried to play him for a fool. He would not give him his disappointment in this.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
At the end of Barton’s subsequent report, he sat there in silence until Coulson looked up.
“Anything else, Agent?”
Clint gave him his half-smile. “So were you able to visit the workshop?”
“Yes.” Coulson looked steadily at Clint but couldn’t bring himself to tell the rest of the story. Not only was the wound still fresh but a small voice in the back of his mind told him Clint would not appreciate Stark’s handling of the shield.
“Stark needed it for a project he’s been working on,” he finally finished. Barton’s eyes narrowed, minutely and seemed to pierce his. He fought hard not to look away.
“Ok, well, if he needed it,” Clint finally said and got up to leave.
“Clint?” He saw Clint pause momentarily before turning back around.
“Yes, sir?”
“Thank you.”
“Happy Friday, Sir!”
The two smiled at each other for a moment before Clint turned to go.
3)
Coulson noticed the flurry of activity after lunch but had not yet been called by Fury. Figuring he had a few minutes, he made a small detour to stop by his office and found an agitated Barton pacing the room.
“Finally!” Barton near-shouted and grabbed Phil by the shoulders, steering him toward his desk.
“Agent…?” Phil got out before Clint jumped onto the desk and began unscrewing the bolts off the cover of the air vent.
“Agent, what are you doing?”
“I found a way in! They’ll never know we were there!” Clint either didn’t hear Coulson or was willfully ignoring him.
“Barton! Clint! Calm down and tell me what you’re going on about!” Clint looked down at him, incredulous.
“They haven’t told you? I can’t believe they haven’t told you!”
“Told me what?”
Clint jumped off the desk and grabbed Coulson by the shoulders once again.
“It’s him!”
“Who’s him?”
“They found Captain Fucking America, Phil! He’s alive!”
So, Coulson found himself crawling through an air shaft behind Barton. It was cramped and sweaty but he was pumped full of adrenaline and felt as giddy as a schoolboy.
Captain America was alive? How could that be?”
When they finally got to the room, there were people bustling about but Coulson and Barton had the perfect unobstructed (and undetected but, yes, cramped) view from the vent overhead. This snag in Shield’s security should have bothered Phil but he just couldn’t bring himself to care.
And there he was! Phil’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.
“Beautiful, isn’t he?” The awe in Barton’s voice made Phil look up. Clint looked back at him and broke into a delighted smile. Phil’s heart filled with warmth at the sight of it.
“And on your birthday, too, Sir!” Phil had no words so he reached out and squeezed Clint’s hand.
They stayed like that for a long while – watching the sleeping form beneath them and listening to his heart beat.
4)
Clint had found the item online, of course, and bought it before he could think twice. He and Phil were still new to each other so, Clint was a bit hesitant. However, as with all things Phil, he found himself giving in to the idea only too readily.
Five minutes before Coulson’s scheduled return, Clint lay down on the older man’s bed and closed his eyes. He was much more comfortable than he thought he would be and tried not to doze off. When he heard Phil’s key turn in the front door’s lock, the butterflies rushed back in to his stomach and he tried not fidget.
What if this was a bad idea?
Oh, well, too late now.
He heard Coulson walk in and go through his usual ritual:
Jacket in the entry closet.
Briefcase underneath his desk.
Groceries in the fridge.
Slowly, Phil made his way through the apartment to his bedroom. As the doorknob to the bedroom door turned, Clint realized he was biting his lip. Quickly, he stopped and tried to lie very still. He heard Phil open the door and take one step before stopping. Then, just silence.
Clint fought hard to keep his eyes closed.
Finally, footsteps made their way toward him and he felt the bed dip as Phil sat next to his arm. A few moments later, he felt the bed dip again against his left shoulder and a warm breath greeted him before he was graced with a small, sweet kiss. At this, he opened his eyes.
Phil looked down at him, a warm smile gracing his lips and heat behind his eyes.
“Hello,” he said, simply.
Clint returned the greeting and reached up for another kiss. Phil seemed hungry for it but stopped them before it could get too heated. Instead, he reached forward and peeled back the cowl of the Captain America costume, revealing Barton’s face.
“Aha! I knew it!” Phil said, faux-surprised.
“And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for you pesky kids!” Clint joked back. It was lame but he didn’t care. He was wearing a Captain America costume!
“This looks great,” said Phil, his eyes looking Clint up and down. “It’s very authentic to his late model uniform.” Coulson felt for the tag behind Barton’s neck, pulling the fabric, slightly. “Where did you get it?”
Clint laughed. “Oh, you know the internet these days…”
Phil let the tag go and smiled back.
“Merry Christmas, Phil!” he said, and went in for another kiss.
Once again, before it could get too heated, Phil staid him. Clint let out a frustrated sigh.
“Is there something wrong?” he asked?
“You know, Clint,” Phil finally said. “I like Captain America.” Clint opened his mouth for a quick jibe but stopped when he saw the quiet sincerity in Phil’s eyes.
“I like Captain America, a lot,” Phil continued. Always have and probably always will. And this,” he motioned the costume, “is wonderful. Really wonderful. But, you’re Clint Barton and I…I choose you.”
It felt like something Clint didn’t even know he was holding beneath his chest was released and he let out a small sigh. He wanted to say something but found that he couldn’t find the right words.
“Merry Christmas, Phil,” he repeated instead, looking deep into the other man’s eyes. After a moment, Phil nodded and resumed their kiss. This time, they didn’t stop.
5)
Phil sat on the couch and watched the lights twinkling on the massive Christmas tree sitting in the middle of the room. The tree was so tall that the star was tilted at the top, blinking down at them. The number of lights on the tree made Phil certain they were in violation of some fire code. To top it off, so many presents lined the floor, there was barely any room for anyone to walk around. Coulson suspected with naughty glee that each gift was secretly both to and from Tony Stark.
Tony is such a show-off! he thought with a chuckle as he slowly sipped his hot chocolate. Judging by the expressions on the others’ faces as they entered the room, they also thought as much but no one made comment. After all, it was because of Tony that many of them had a place to call, “home,” and people to call, “family.” Putting up with his showmanship was a small sacrifice.
Turning towards the entryway, Phil seemed to sense Clint’s entrance a second before the archer finally stood in its frame. Coulson’s heart filled with warmth at the sight of him.
He had walked in with Steve and rolled his eyes at the sight of the tree and gifts.
Clint made eye contact with Rogers and pointed at the tree. After a second, they both burst into laughter. This warmed Phil’s heart even more. It had only been a little over a year since he had invited the archer into his life but, oh, what a year! They were still trying to make sense of life after Loki but each day was getting better.
The worst was over for Phil and he wished he could say the same for Clint. However, he was present for the weekly nightmares that plagued the archer and knew it was a long road ahead. At least Clint was still with him and that helped him to feel comfortable in claiming triumph over Loki’s supposed legacy.
When Clint finally made eye contact him, a look of fondness washed over his face. Phil was surprised to see it in so public a place. Steve noticed Clint’s look and turned around, also catching Phil’s gaze. Surprisingly, the same fond expression was mirrored by the taller blond and Phil felt his face turn quickly red with the heat of his blush.
He turned his eyes down, embarrassed at just how much his crush still affected him. When he looked back up, Clint was making his way towards him, a drink in his hand.
“You don’t have to be so shy!” Clint said loudly, as he plopped down next to Phil.
“Stop it!” Clint’s volume was doing nothing for Coulson’s embarrassment and he really did want Barton to change the subject. Clint took pity on him and lowered his voice.
“Okay, okay! No teasing!” he said with a laugh. “It’s okay, though, Phil. I mean, look at him! Who wouldn’t understand?” They both turned to watch as Steve took his turn about the room, greeting everyone as if he had not just seen them only hours earlier. When he turned and caught them staring, he gave them his “aw shucks” smile (as Clint had termed it) and both Coulson and Barton had grinned back like idiots.
“Remember when you told me that you liked Captain America a lot?’ asked Clint.
“You mean that time you wore that form-fitting piece of wardrobe and surprised me at my apartment?” Phil answered, taking another sip of his warm drink. Clint smiled and drank some of his own.
“Yup, that’s the one. Well,” and he turned to Phil, “I kind of like Captain America a lot, too.” Phil placed his hand on Barton’s knee.
“I know.”
“You do?” Clint only betrayed a momentary startle at this piece of information.
“Worst kept secret, Barton. At least with me.” Clint’s grin came back.
“Well…just remember that when I give you your Christmas gift, later. Okay?”
“Okay...” Phil said slowly, intrigued.
~~~~~
Things were winding down. The party had ended up a bit of a glorified movie night but those were really the best kind of nights so it was, in a word, perfect.
Despite his earlier suspicion, Coulson was not surprised that Tony was actually pretty thoughtful when it came to gift-giving. All of the Avengers were, actually. The only person he had not received a gift from was Clint but he figured the other man had wanted to keep it private.
“About that time?” asked a voice behind him. He turned to find Barton looking down at him and he nodded, allowing himself to be pulled up off the couch. They said their goodnights and made their way to their rooms.
Right before opening the door, Clint stopped Phil and brought him into a sweet and affirming kiss.
“Phil,” he said, finally pulling away. Coulson was surprised to see uncertainty in Barton’s eyes. “Just, don’t freak out.” That was the only warning Coulson got before the door was opened and he met with the sight of Steve Rogers.
“Phil Coulson. Captain Rogers.” Clint said, in mock introduction.
“Hello Phil,” said Steve. “I hope you don’t mind that we didn’t discuss this with you, beforehand, but Clint wanted it to be a surprise. Hopefully, I haven’t overstepped, here, but I would definitely like to accept Clint’s offer and can only hope you will be extending the offer, as well.”
Phil’s insides did a somersault. This man! He turned to Clint in disbelief and received a cheeky, though affectionate, smile in return.
“Merry Christmas, Phil.”