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“So, according to my research, the ghost haunts… recently broken up couples,” Phil said, looking over at Clint.
Clint frowned and shifted in his chair as he took in the look Phil was shooting him. “Why are you looking at me, we’re not broken up.” He paused, thinking of the thousand little things that Phil had asked him to stop doing since they moved in together. Things Clint was trying to be better about, but failing in so many ways. “Are we?”
“No,” Phil said, softening his features. “But if we want to catch this ghost, we might fake it?”
Clint felt his frown deepen. “Do we have to?”
Phil sighed and turned back to his books. “I’ll look into it some more, but it’s an option…”
Clint nodded. “Yeah, uh, Phil?”
“Hmm?” Phil asked, not looking up.
“I’m sorry I’m not great to live with…”
Phil snorted, looking up at him. “Clint, I love you, but we both have our quirks. I’m not going to dump you, because you didn’t put the laundry in the right hamper. I know how you’re used to living and… I don’t think you owned a hamper before me.”
“But I don’t fold ‘em right or…”
“Clint, I‘m sorry I let my frustrations build and didn’t speak to you in a calmer fashion. I’m more than a little neurotic about some things and I need to learn to calm down some. I’m not going to dump you over clothing!”
“Not just clothing, but the dishes, the bathroom…”
Phil stood, going over and leaning in to kiss Clint into silence. “Are all just things. You’re important to me and we have to learn to make adjustments, okay? I’ll try to not to get upset and remind you before I get so frustrated I sound angry or wait until I’m calmer.”
“I’ll try harder to be better.”
Phil slid into Clint’s lap, a welcome weight, which Clint quickly wrapped his arms around him. “And we’ll try to find a compromise for some things, like maybe I get a third hamper for you to dump your things into and then when I do laundry I can just sort it into my loads?”
Clint blinked and smiled. “Yeah?”
Phil nodded.
“Can it be purple?”
Phil laughed, resting his forehead against Clint’s. “How else would we know it’s yours?”
“I like purple!”
“I know!” Phil said, kissing him quickly.
“I know I’m a screw up, Phil, I don’t…” He was cut off by Phil poking him in the side.
“You had an unconventional upbringing. You are brave, smart, and kind. I am lucky.” Phil put his finger over Clint’s mouth to silence his objections. “Lucky to have you in my life. I love you. I’m not leaving you for anything.” He paused. “Well, maybe if you started doing things completely out of character and all the various exorcisms I know, didn’t turn you back into the man I love, but really I think I’d just be looking for new exorcisms to try.”
Clint kissed Phil’s finger. “Dork.”
Phil looked back down at him and smiled.
“I love you,” Clint said.
“I say we ask Tony and Steve to pretend to break up, they argue enough as foreplay that I think it fool anyone that’s not aware of their quirks into thinking they were ex-lovers.”
“Except Tony doesn’t believe in ghosts,” Clint pointed out.
Phil’s grin was sharp and dangerous. “I know.”