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"Why are you staring at your phone so intently?" Clint asked.
Phil looked up at the archer. He was sitting in a chair on the other side of the table where they were eating. They had stopped at what appeared to be a standard diner, other than it was in Gotham so there were just a few things off about it. Mainly in the the way that the rest of the patrons were looking at them and the unfriendly nature of the waitress. It was apparently a locals only kind of spot.
"I am waiting for a message," he said simply.
It was the truth, but Clint didn't need to know why at the moment. Not while they were attempting to blend into the other patrons and hide. Not that it was working. There was no way that the local vigilantes wouldn't spot them the moment that they walked past. Phil could only hope help arrived first.
"That's it? Waiting on a message? Not getting anything?"
"I wasn't expecting to have to make contact today. I wouldn't have even had to contact him if you hadn't gone and angered Red Hood."
He gave Clint a look that he knew was called the look of disappointment by junior agents. Which worked on Clint well enough to make him squirm. He wasn't even that disappointed or angry at Clint. It was almost expected that something always went wrong in Gotham and there was worse things. But he needed to make sure Clint would think before speaking to the vigilantes again.
"How was I supposed to know saying that would make them all think I was a new rogue?" he said, sounding like a kid who had gotten in trouble.
"By knowing how you would have reacted to someone speaking to you like that."
A message saying his contact was on the way came onto his screen and Phil relaxed a bit. They would get out of the situation with only a little more difficulty he was sure.
Clint grumbled but went back to eating his food. It was as peaceful as it could be until the door slammed open and not only was Red Hood there, but as was Spoiler. Phil sighed. He had heard enough about all the vigilantes to know those were the two he least wanted near Clint. There was no way that explosions weren't happened.
Unexpectedly, the pair didn't start a fight right away. They came and sat down at the table instead. Red Hood next to Clint and Spoiler next to Phil.
"We have been told to wait before we do anything," Spoiler said. "Oracle said someone was on their way and to wait and see what was going to happen."
Clint shot him a look and Phil gave him a slight smile. One that would have read as completely neutral to the others at the table.
"It shouldn't be much longer," he said.
Then went back to eating the food still left on his plate like the new guests at the table were nothing more than old friends. Clint shrugged and did the same. It wasn't the weirdest situation either of them had been in.
None of them spoke while they waited. Just sat in silence, except to talk to the waitress when she stopped by. Then the door opened again and the person Phil had been waiting for was there.
Jim looked exhausted, but then he almost always did. His suit was rumpled and there were bags under his eyes. Being the police commissioner in a city like Gotham was not an easy job. He took in the room and after making eye contact with Phil headed to their table, and pulled over a chair to sit on the end near Phil and Clint. As soon as he was seated, Phil shoved his coffee at the other man. Jim took it and drained it before speaking.
"Thanks Phil," he said. "I needed that."
"No problem Jim," Phil said.
Jim looked away from Phil and to the two vigilantes at the table. Whose body language said they were uncomfortable about what was happening, in just the same way Clint had been earlier.
"So, what exactly seems to be the problem here?" he asked them, his tone somewhere between that of an officer and that of a tired parent.
"They're in Gotham to get up to no good," Red Hood started.
"We would really like to stop that before it happens," Spoiler added.
"Less mess that way."
Jim looked at Clint and then back to Phil. He had a quirked eyebrow and the glint in his eyes told Phil just how amused he was.
"You're here and up to no good, huh?" he asked.
"Only if you ask me really nicely," Phil said with a smile.
That startled a laugh out of Jim which is exactly what Phil had been hoping for. Some of that tension released out of his shoulders. But Phil knew that wasn't actually going to diffuse the the situation so he sobered up his expression.
"In all actuality," Phil said, "we are here on intel of a smuggling ring that got a hold of some Chitauri weapons in order to get them before anyone gets hurt."
"Ah, yes, that would be a good thing," Jim said, then looked back at the vigilantes. "These two are fine, they will do exactly as he said and leave."
"To do what with those weapons?" Red Hood asked.
If he hadn't had his whole face covered, Phil was sure he would have a narrowed eyes expression on his face.
"Take them to the proper storage facility," Clint said.
"If you didn't recognize him, that's Hawkeye," Jim said. "And his SHIELD handler, Phil Coulson. You know, from the Avengers, who I know are your allies."
Phil got the distinct expression that the two were feeling very chagrined. Which made him smile inside. Though he couldn't really blame them. Clint and himself didn't have the most recognizable faces, nor was his even out there really.
"We'll just be going," Spoiler said, standing.
"Let us know if you need help," Red Hood said, following suit.
Then they were gone, leaving Phil, Clint, and Jim alone at the table getting odd looks from around the room.
"Thank you for that," Phil said. "That got things cleared up much faster than doing it myself."
"Always happy to have an excuse to see you," Jim said. "Though not pissing off the bats would be helpful."
"I've managed to avoid them so far," Phil said.
Jim rolled his eyes and settled back in his chair.
"So how long do expect to be in town?" he asked.
"A few days at most," Clint said.
Phil had noticed that Clint was looking back and forth between himself and Jim, trying to figure out just exactly what was going on. He wasn't getting it but then, he had never seen Phil interact with Jim before.
"Need a place to stay?" Jim asked.
"We were going to grab a hotel room," Phil said, "but if you're offering."
"I am," Jim said, with a grin. "The guest room should suit Clint well enough."
"What about Phil?" Clint asked, still confused.
"I'll be with Jim," Phil said.
"What?"
"Clint, you know I have been in a relationship for nearly a decade. This is him," Phil said.
Clint had a look of shock that rarely crossed his face. One that Phil took a lot of amusement in. Jim did too from the chuckle he let out.
"You didn't tell him who was coming?" Jim said.
"It's much less fun that way," Phil replied.
If there hadn't been so many people Phil might have taken Jim's hand but they were still in public.
"Fuck, Nat owes me fifty bucks," Clint said, recovering.