Eye in the Sky | Clint Barton x fem!Reader SFW fluff/angst
Hey there, it's me. Ya boy!
Soooo, Avengers Tower fics anyone?
Summary: You are the 'eye in the sky' for the Avengers. Years ago, you were arrested by SHIELD for accidentally hacking one of their servers. Fury personally offered you a job working for SHIELD after seeing your potential. Years pass and you and Hawkeye have a connection as you're always watching “from above” at the tower, while Clint is watching the Avengers’ backs in the field. One day, a mission goes awry leading to a storm of emotions.
Tags/warnings: angst/fluff, reader is referred to as "kiddo" at some point, but no real age gap is specified, feelings of intense guilt, there's an explosion, brief non descriptive injuries, idk it's pretty tame compared to canon, happy ending!!
Wordcount: 5.8k
@reginaphalangelobster Thank you for inspiring me!!!
-Please don't copy, translate or feed to any generative ai website or program, thank you-
~
Eight years ago
“Do it!”
“Are you sure?”
“C’mon, you’ll never know if you can pull it off unless you try.”
You shake your head at your friend as he tosses his terrible fringe hairstyle out of his face, he was a terrible influence, but then you’re one to talk, this was your idea.
Hacking into a black site, presumably government, was not your brightest idea, but just to prove that you could? At your age? C’mon, the clout alone was worth it - especially in the hacking community.
You nibbled at your lower lip, staring at the rows of zeros, ones and prompts, waiting with that little line flashing at the end of your code; all you had to do was hit ‘enter’ and you would know. You would know you could pull it off, after months of hard work - you could hack the government!
*click*
You and your friend laughed in unison as redacted files began pouring onto your computer screen - easy as downloading music. Smacking each other’s arms and giggling, neither of you even notice the shiny black suvs pulling up outside.
The men in tactical gear were on you and your friend before you could even try to run.
~
You blinked rapidly as a bright light assaulted your eyes, being under the darkness of a hood for the last few hours, you were disoriented to say the least. As your surroundings came into focus, you could make out that the room was gray and featureless, the bright light casting harsh shadows in every corner. The chair beneath you was cold and uncomfortable, in front of you sat a metal table and another chair.
As you looked around, trying to orient yourself, a deep voice from the shadows made you jump. “So, the master hacker is just some kid…”
You frowned into the darkness, and the source of the voice appeared from the shadows. Dressed in black, he stood tall and intimidating, the eye patch adding to his whole creepy vibe. He continued to speak in your stunned silence, “Ya got skills kid, even I can see that.” He took the seat across from you at the table, folding his hands together on the surface, “That site you hacked? Belongs to the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or, S.H.I.E.L.D.”
“Huh?” You stared at the man with a frown, still trying to figure all of this out. What the hell was that word salad? Where was your friend? What was this place? And who was this guy?
He chuckled, “We get that a lot. I expect you have a lot of questions. I can give you answers, but it's up to you to understand.”
You nodded slowly, studying him suspiciously. He carried himself with an air of authority - you’ve never much liked authority, and yet, he didn’t seem to pose you any danger… at least not at the moment.
“My name is Nick Fury. I am the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. And, I have a proposal for you.”
~
Present
“America’s ass is lookin’ good down there!” You chuckled into the coms as you watched Steve Rogers lead the Avengers into the latest compound - an old, but still active, Hydra base that housed several hostages - about which, you’d hacked a good amount of intel.
Tony Stark’s laugh patched through back at you, making you grin proudly from your perch halfway across the country in the Avengers Tower. In eight years, you hadn’t lost a bit of your sass, skill or hacking ability - in fact, you’d possibly gotten better with all three.
As of now, you were seated in front of several monitors, each one tasked with satellite, radar and security cameras - all of which you had hacked under the watchful eye of Director Fury. Working with S.H.I.E.L.D. was never boring, especially since you were the Avengers’ Eye in the Sky (an honorary Avenger position), watching their backs no matter where they were in the world.
Clint Barton’s voice patched through as well, a bit choppy through the wind as he was higher up than the others. “Keep your eyes on your radars, Y/n. We got a job to do here.”
You couldn’t help but cackle, eyes shifting from one monitor to another, “Aww, am I looking at the wrong ass, Barton?” He stayed silent in response, but you knew he was rolling his eyes.
Clint, now there’s an interesting guy. A former super spy, raised in a circus, hyper accurate aim, can turn anything into a weapon, incredible arms, handsome face, sparkly blue-gray eyes, he has it all. You’re harboring quite the crush and maybe a little more than that…
“Focus, guys!” Steve’s voice snapped you out of your daily Hawkeye spiral and you leaned into the satellite monitor, watching as the team moved into the facility at speed.
Checking the radar, you read off several heat signatures, “Cap, two in the left hallway, Nat, one straight ahead - two more right behind him.” On the opposite side of the compound, Tony and Clint were sneaking into a back door, “Tony, Clint, you’ve got three just behind that door you’re breaking into, hit ‘em hard and fast.”
“Always do!” Tony replied, to which you smirked. And you could just see Clint rolling his eyes again.
And that’s how things were, Clint watched their backs from a distance in the field and you watched out for him and the team from an even further distance. The banter was always fun, and the hangouts were even better. End of mission celebrations are some of the best memories you’ve made in your whole life.
Every time the team made it back safe and sound, thanks to you they’d always say, you would have a big welcome waiting for them. Food, drinks, and a big hug and kiss for each of them.
Tonight, everyone was back from the hostage mission, sweaty and dirty, but with smiles on all of their faces - none of them could help it, not when it’s you greeting them at the helicarrier landing. One by one, you hugged and kissed the cheeks of Steve who bent down to hug you tight, Tony who let you kiss his helmet, Nat who kissed you back and Clint who lingered just a little longer than the others. (Bruce had stayed behind in the Tower to work in the lab and Thor was on Asgard.)
“I smell food!” Tony announced before jogging into the bay doors and towards the elevator with Steve and Natasha in tow.
Clint stayed behind to walk more slowly with you, his arm slung in a friendly way over your shoulder. “Thanks for watching our backs out there.”
“No problem, Clint. Glad everyone came home safe.” You replied easily, your arm around him in return.
“Me too.”
~
The night was easy, drinks came and went, good food was shared, war stories were passed back and forth. You were where you usually were, with Clint, in your own little world, a good distance from everyone else. Oftentimes, Nat would join the both of you, making a little trio of introverts in the corner. But this time, she was hanging out between Bruce and Tony, leaving you and Clint on your own.
Not that you minded.
Sometimes, you can’t help but stare at Clint, watching as he watches everyone else - it seemed your job description bled into your off hours as well. His intelligent gaze locked onto each person in the room, before moving onto the next, reading them all like open books; he couldn’t help it, as a spy, if he wasn’t alert, he was dead.
You were crosslegged on the wide windowsill beside him, both of your backs pressed to the floor to ceiling windows behind. Below, the city lights illuminated the sky, like stars fallen to earth. You let out a tired sigh and plopped your head on Clint’s shoulder. “I’m tired, but I don’t feel like sleeping.”
He chuckled quietly, sipping his drink before leaning his head on yours. “That means you should sleep.”
You rolled your eyes, “You’re one to talk, Mr. Insomnia.”
Clint sniffed a short laugh and fell silent. After a few minutes, you were almost dozing on his shoulder. He turned his head, barely brushing his lips to your temple - being half asleep, you weren’t sure if you were dreaming or not. Then he pulled away and shook you lightly, making you blink awake fully. “Mm?” You murmured sleepily, turning to him.
He looked down at you with a grin, “You wanna get some air? Wake you up a little?”
You nodded. Honestly, you’d go anywhere with him if he asked you.
He stood first and offered his hand to help you up - sitting cross-legged that long was never a good idea, so your legs were a little jelly-like, but luckily, Clint’s strong arms steadied you as you both snuck away from the party giggling to yourselves.
~
The icy wind sheer whipped you in the face the moment you crawled through the last of the vents to reach the roof of the Avengers Tower. You gripped Clint’s offered hand tightly as you finally popped out of the vent door and stood up straight.
Well, he was certainly right about the air waking you up some - sobered you, too. Chills erupted through your skin, “Brr, damn it’s cold. I should have brought a blanket.” You wrapped your arms around yourself in a hug, rubbing them with each hand to generate any heat you could.
Clint’s arm wrapped around your shoulders with a blanket you hadn’t realized he had indeed snatched for this very occasion. You grinned gratefully at him and approached the edge of the building to look out into the night. The city lights glowed as though a billion stars had fallen from the sky and been planted there just for you to see.
You stared out into the vastness with wonder and a soft smile on your face. The warmth of the blanket and the lingering buzz from the night’s drinks had settled into you - keeping the chill of the wind away. Clint’s presence was certainly a help.
He leaned on the railing, barely glancing at the city lights before his gaze returned to you - he studied the way your eyes glittered, reflecting the shine of the fallen stars. He couldn’t keep a smile off his face and turned towards you with one arm still leaning on the barrier. “Awake now, kiddo?”
You rolled your eyes and smiled as you looked up at him, “Kiddo?”
Clint shrugged, an easygoing grin on his face.
“Yeah, I’m awake now.” You said quietly, wondering just what it was about Clint that made everything feel so easy. Like everything made a little more sense just because he was in the room with you.
You sighed and stretched, feeling your muscles extend and relax in quick succession felt good after being cooped in your “ergonomic” chair. Clint shifted a little closer to you, his shoulder brushing yours and sending butterflies erupting in your stomach. He spoke, his eyes out in the distance again, “I never get the chance to really thank you for watching m- our backs.”
You glance at him, smiling somewhat nervously, “Of course, that’s my job.”
He smirked and nodded, “Yeah, I know, but I mean... I’m always watching the others, it's just good to have someone watching my ass too.”
You giggled, and shifted your hips to bump him, “Good thing it’s a nice one to watch.”
Clint barked out a laugh, shaking his head, “But, I heard you like Rogers’.”
You scoff, “I was joking.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
After that, you fall into silence. A quietly charged, but not uncomfortable silence, like you both want to talk, but neither are sure what about - all you know is, neither of you want to leave the moment.
~
A few weeks of downtime gives the Avengers a good opportunity for rest, and a fair amount of boredom, but luckily for you, you’re working on something. Something big.
After many unsuccessful hacking attempts, you had finally managed to locate several previously undiscovered Hydra black sites - you wasted no time alerting Fury who immediately mobilized the team. Within a few hours, the Avengers were loading once again onto the Quinjet with you just behind them to see them off - this time, Bruce was joining them - as you could only gather so much intel on such a hush hush type of thing. Fury wanted extra muscle for this one, just in case.
You followed them out onto the tarmac watching as they all continued to tighten up straps and secure weapons. Clint was the last one on the jet, stopping with one foot on the jet and one on the tarmac, he turned back to you with a smile, “What’s for dinner tonight?” He called over the sound of the engines starting up.
You laughed, “Whatever you want, Hawkeye!”
He grinned, “How about pizza?”
“You got it.”
He smiled brightly and hauled himself into the jet, sending a small wave to you as the door slid shut. You waved back and jogged away from the powerful engines as they raised the heavy machine into the sky.
Then, with a nod to Director Fury, you approached the elevator that would take you to your dark little hacker room. Once there, monitors up, big light off, led room lights lit, (coffee in hand), you were as ready to roll as the Avengers.
“Testing all comms.” You stated, watching as green lights went up next to each Avenger’s name on your screen.
Cap: “Here.”
Tony: “Loud and clear, kid.”
Nat: “Gotcha.”
Bruce: “Yeah, I can hear you.”
Clint: “I hear you, Eyeball.”
You smirk proudly and watch the Quinjet’s progress across the map. “Great. All systems are go. You’ll be in the drop zone in approximately twenty minutes.”
Steve replied, “Sounds good.”
Nat piped up, “What’s it look like on the radar, hon?”
You squinted at the radar monitor, there were no heat signatures, nor movement on satellite. “Uh, well… There’s zero movement on all fronts… So, that’s not good.”
A collective sigh crackled through the comms, as everyone came to the same conclusion. It was a trap.
Your heart sank a little at the knowledge that you could very well be leading your beloved friends into a literal deathtrap. Sure, you had schematics, blueprints and an incredibly powerful satellite-imagery processor, but you couldn’t see everything, no matter how badly you wanted to. “I’m sorry guys…”
Steve spoke, “Hey, it’s alright. We’ve gone in blind before. You can only do what you can do.”
You nodded silently to yourself, trying desperately to put down the sense of dread slowly crawling its way through your mind like a coming storm. You never could ignore your gut - especially when it’s currently telling you to hack the Quinjet and turn it around right this second. But you can’t, like it or not, this is what each of the Avengers (including you) signed up for.
So you sucked it up and narrowed your eyes; despite not knowing what is beyond the doors of the Hydra site, you can still guide them through it to the best of your ability.
~
The landing went along without issue, everything seemed routine. But it was quiet, far too quiet for how well the place had been hidden all this time. Still the team forged on, clearing every room, documenting what was found, but what they were finding was close to nothing.
Finally as they cleared the last room, you breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, people, that's the last of it. Now pack up and get the hell out of there.” You silently hoped they couldn’t pick up how nervous you were.
Bruce piped up, “Don’t have to tell me twice.”
And with that, you watched, holding your breath as they all headed back to the entrance, with a clear way back, they were home free, except… What the hell is that?
Red blips of heat signatures began to cover your screens, lighting your tiny workspace in an eerie glow, so sudden, you could hardly comprehend what you were seeing, much less warn them. “Uh, guys?” You said, uncertain, “It looks like there’s-”
BOOOOOOM!
An intense sound crashed through your headset, deafening you in such a way that had you throwing the set across the room with a shout. Before you could even think, your eyes skimmed the live satellite feed and instantly found the source of the sound.
You watched in horror as an explosion rocked through the building, sending debris and thick plumes of smoke into the air. You couldn’t move for a moment as you watched, almost unable to believe what you were seeing. Moving on nothing but instinct, you reached down to your headset and placed it carefully back on your ears.
The line was silent, crackling with lack of pick up.
“Guys?” You called quietly, your voice cracking with utter fear as the explosion continued to unfold onscreen.
“Hello? Clint? Clint?” Still nothing, just the faint crackle of the speakers. “Tony? Nat?”
“Steve? Bruce? Barton!?” You began shouting as desperation started to take over, your heart thundered heavily in your ever tightening chest as fat tears began to bead up in the corners of your eyes, “Clint, please… Please. Oh god.” Voice fading, you screwed your eyes shut, letting the tears fall as you sat helplessly still - miles away from where you could do anything at all.
Fingers still slow from shock, you sent for Fury. In minutes, he was leaning over your shoulder staring at your screens with an intense eye, “Talk to me, Agent. What are we looking at?”
He sounded so strong, so steady. Like he was looking at an already finished mission report, not at the death of the Avengers, thanks to your incompetence. “It… I didn’t see…” You stuttered out, not even sure what you were looking at.
Fury’s hand clutched your shoulder, making you jump. But when he spoke, his voice was notably softer. You realized you were grateful for his calm, “Kid. Tell me what happened.”
You nodded, trying, with difficulty, to breathe. “The buildings looked empty, we th-thought it was a trap, so I told them to be careful.” You huffed a little, forgetting entirely to breathe between words, “I didn’t read any h-heat signatures until right before- before…”
Fury nodded and straightened up, “Go rest.” An order. Then he left the room and you, in silence.
You knew he would call in backup S.H.I.E.L.D., medivac, anyone. Anyone who could help. Anyone who wasn’t you. Anyone who hadn’t failed already.
You got up from your chair and left the room, an intense cloud of guilt worming its way through your body, clutching at your chest with its terrible claws. You were nauseous, almost dizzy and in utter shock. Your footsteps echoing in the empty hall as you walked, not even sure where you were walking to.
Your mindless steps drew you to the elevator and before you knew it, the icy wind at the roof of the Tower was whipping you in the face. You meandered to the edge of the building where you and Clint had lingered together just weeks ago and now, he might be gone forever. His absence in this place felt like an icy stab wound to your chest.
Your Hawkeye, your superhero. Gone forever. Just like that. Like it was nothing. He never even knew how much you loved him.
Not just him, all of them. The Avengers, the people you had come to know as your family. And it was your fault. You should have known, you should have had the intel; made sure before ever, ever telling Fury about the discovery. They were gone. Gone and it’s your fault.
~
You were curled tightly into a ball in your room when a soft knock on the door reached you. It had been almost six hours since the explosion and you had heard nothing. No voice had come through the headset that was still glued to your head with hope and no cellphone had rung. Clint’s hoodie hung loose around your body, keeping you physically warm while the cold formed within you.
You slowly uncurled yourself and went to open the door. A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was on the other side, back straight like posture mattered when your whole world was blown to hell. “What?” You whispered, voice cracked and untrustworthy.
The agent stared at you with sympathy you didn’t want and spoke, “Director Fury has requested you in the Medbay.”
You watched the agent retreat down the hall with utter confusion before following them. The Medbay? Could someone have survived? Tony’s suit could have saved him. The Hulk might have spared Bruce, but everyone else… You curled Clint’s sleeves into your fists and made your way to the elevator. The agent held the door for you and thankfully, remained silent on the ride.
Soon enough, the sterile smell and pure white of the Medbay assaulted your senses, in equal parts making you wince and fill with the slightest bit of hope that some of them survived. Fury rose from a nearby bench to greet you with a hand on your shoulder. His roaming eye missing nothing of your disheveled appearance, “Kid,” he spoke softly to you once again, “They all made it.”
At first, you weren’t sure if you heard him properly. How was that possible?! You were just about to ask him to repeat himself when a familiar head of messy hair came into view just beyond Fury’s shoulder. Your mouth opened in silent shock and Fury wordlessly stepped out of your way as you stared at him. Clinton Francis Barton, alive and well.
He bore a few extra bandages and appeared to have a limp, but was otherwise no worse for the wear. He grinned that silly, lopsided little grin he has, just for you and opened his arms slightly; an invitation. “Hey, sweetheart, where's the damn pizza?”
Staring at his open arms blankly, you could hardly think past how you wanted to run to him and bury your face in his chest, breathe him in and never let go. But something from within stops you.
The pizza. You'd forgotten. He'd meant it as a joke. Obviously it was a joke, but it somehow hit you like a blow to the chest and you felt both faint and overwhelming nauseousness.
You blinked at him for a long moment and just as his smile faltered slightly, you turned around and practically ran away from him, causing his face to fall into one of shock and sadness. He looked to Fury as you disappeared, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “Wh-what did I do?”
Fury frowned after you and turned to Clint with a grim expression, “I don't think it's anything you did, Barton. But, I'd still go after her if I were you.”
Clint nodded and did just that, the slight limp in his gait as he started to search for you.
~
You had made it all of two hallways before your nausea had finally gotten to you; you barely made it to a nearby garbage can in time. Straightening up, you heaved for breath and pushed yourself onwards back to your room, not knowing that Clint was close behind.
After what felt like ten miles between the Medbay and your room in the tower, you finally swung the door shut and sagged against it, deeply breathing in the familiarity of what had become your home.
With your thoughts a jumbled mess, you could hardly think of things to calm yourself down, like making some tea or laying down in bed.
After a moment of standing stiffly in the entryway, you realized your mouth didn’t taste very good, so you went to brush your teeth.
Oddly enough, the simple act of brushing your teeth was the thing that managed to calm you, at least a little bit. The act is so mindless and simple, it makes you slow down and settle your racing mind.
Eventually, one question manifested itself; if everyone was home, alive and safe, then why did you feel so guilty?
Finishing up, you run a warm washcloth over your face and exit the bathroom only to find Clint sitting at the foot of your bed, not ten feet from you.
You stiffen and halt in the doorway, staring at him almost as one would when assessing a threat. Only he wasn’t a threat, quite the opposite… and yet.
He looked at you with that same spark of happiness he’d had as a sparkle in his eye back at the Medbay, though it was somewhat dulled now. His voice was quiet, yet it felt as loud as the explosion against the silence of the room, “Hey, Sweetheart.”
You blinked at him and then looked down, silent tears had snuck up on you and fell down your face. You watched as they soaked into the carpet between your feet. “H-hey.”
Curse that crack in your voice.
A strong pair of arms is around you before you can say another word. You try to hold the dam, try to keep from embarrassing yourself, but… you break anyway.
Tears and sobs wrack your whole body as you wail into Clint’s chest while he holds you tight, one hand rubbing circles in your back, while the other cradles the back of your neck. “Shh, shh, I know.” He whispers, pressing his lips to the crown of your head, “I got you. I’m here.”
You wail, “It’s my fault! It’s all my fault. I’m sorry.” You hiccuped, “I’m- I’m so sorry!”
“Sorry?” Clint echoed in confusion, his arms releasing you slightly, though he kept a hand on your shoulder while the other lifted your chin so you would look him in the eye. “What the hell are you sorry for?”
You shake in his arms, the guilt eating you alive, so much so, you can barely find your words, “I’m sorry I didn’t know about the explosives. I-I knew it had to be a trap and I didn’t- I didn’t…” You trail off, letting your head sag despite him trying to keep it up.
Clint frowns at you, “Are you seriously blaming yourself for what Hydra did?”
You shake your head slightly, “No, what I did.”
“And what did you do? Your job?” He says, still aghast.
You huff and try in vain to wriggle out of his arms, but he holds fast and you glare at him, feeling frustrated. Can't he see? “Clint. I almost got everyone killed! Don’t you get it? This whole mess is all my fault. And you got hurt…” You raised your voice at first, but it had faltered to a pathetic sob and you gave in, falling forward into his chest once more.
He shook his head in disbelief and wrapped his arms around you once more. To your surprise, his arms travelled lower and he lifted you up and carried you back to your bed. Laying you down upon your comforter before getting in beside you.
You let him move you until you were on your side and his chest was pressed to your back, with one of his arms as your pillow. His other hand set gently on your waist, hesitant in a way that let you shift away if you wanted to, but you leaned back against him instead. He smiled softly, tucking his nose into your hair, where he breathed in the scent of home.
The pair of you hadn’t ever done anything like this before. Hugs, sure. Holding hands, all the time. But this, this was different, this was intimate and raw. The thing unspoken between you now didn’t seem to need words at all.
“Y/n.” He whispered, tickling your ear just slightly.
“What?” Replied your tiny voice.
“I don’t blame you. None of us do.” You opened your mouth to argue, but one of his fingers pressed to your lips to cut you off, “I know you’re our… You’re my Eye in the Sky and you think you need to know everything, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this job; even when you think you’ve got all the details, something will still come right along and bite you in the ass.”
You remained silent, taking in his words as they slowly, carefully broke down your turmoil into something a bit more manageable. He continued, “I don’t want you to blame yourself for a damn thing. You hear me?”
You sucked in a breath, trying not to cry, even as tears still left tracks down your face.
“Hey,” Clint said, sounding impatient. The hand on your waist rose to your face and turned you to look at him. You suddenly realized just how near he was to you. His eyes are even more beautiful this close. “You hear me, sweetheart?”
You nod slowly and he smiles for you once again, “Atta girl.”
And then he kisses you on the cheek; an action so tender it brought a different sort of tear to your eyes. You sniffled slightly and he smiled against your skin before pulling away.
Feeling an ache in your neck from having it twisted to face him, you turn, wriggling around until you’re facing him completely. He smiles upon seeing your face and brushes his knuckles along your cheekbone before his hand goes to rest on your hip. “I was only kidding about the pizza.”
“I know…” You look up at his eyes, which are shining in the low light of your bedroom. “I’m still sorry I forgot.”
He fought a grin and shook his head at you, “Oh, stop that. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. I’ll survive.”
You let your head plop against his bicep with a soft smile, the corded muscle feeling softer and one hundred times more comforting than any pillow. You sigh in contentment and he sighs too, shifting slightly to get nice and comfortable beside you.
You were just starting to drift when he grinned in a smug sort of way that had you wanting to swat his chest, but you didn’t have the energy. “Say, is that my hoodie?” He asked, looking down at your body appraisingly.
You feel your ears heat, “Y-yeah. I got scared when I thought you were gone… I wanted to feel like… Like you were here with me.”
His smug grin falters and his free hand comes up to rub your arm. “Well, I’m here now.”
“Yes.” You agree, laying your head on his chest, a steady, albeit quick, heartbeat greets you as if to confirm the statement. “You’re here now. And you’d better not go anywhere.”
He leans forward to press a soft kiss to the center of your forehead, “I won’t.”
~
The smell of coffee rouses you from one of the most comfortable sleeps you’ve ever had. You felt warm and safe, wrapped in the scent of home and him. However, when you reach for the safety of Clint’s arms once more, you find nothing but an empty bed beside you.
You blink your eyes slowly, clearing away the tiredness that keeps them shut. “Clint?” You murmur. His presence is one of the only clear things you remember from the day before and him being gone out of nowhere again made a hint of panic rise in your voice, “Clint?”
Movement from your bedroom door draws your attention, he’s just returning to you with two cups of coffee in hand and a smile on his face. “Hey, I was just getting us some coffee.”
You nod and take a breath. “Thanks.”
He places your mug on the nightstand and sinks a knee into the mattress beside you and you feel it dip towards him. His face comes closer to yours, smelling like coffee and warmth. One of his large hands caresses your face, “Are you feeling any better?”
You scoff lightly, feeling embarrassed about the whole ordeal. He’d gone through hell and back on a mission and here you were bawling while safe at home. “I don’t know, Clint. I feel like I made a fool of myself. You’re always out there, risking life and limb and I… I had a crying fit.”
He frowned, “Don’t be like that. I think we both had a hard time yesterday. One person’s battle is another person’s war.”
You can’t help but stare at him and before you even realize it, you’ve leaned a little closer to him. You hear his breath hitch as your eyes flutter shut, lips barely grazing together in the small space between the two of you.
But then he pulls back.
You open your eyes once again, finding his own staring deeply back at you; shockingly blue in the morning sun and clouded with intense emotion. You flush, worried you misread the whole situation, “Clint…”
He shushes you and stands up, reaching for your hand to help you up with him. “Not here. Uh, come with me.”
You wordlessly agree to follow him, hand in hand as he pulls you out of the bedroom and towards the hallway. You quickly slide on some shoes, still looking at him in confusion, “Where are we going?”
He smiles, “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” Your reply is immediate and true.
After a short while of crawling through vents and giggling all the way, you both pop out at the top of the tower again. He helps you out of the vent door and pulls you to the edge of the building once again.
You can’t help but shiver, the windsheer always a pain in the ass up here, but Clint pulls you close, one hand wrapping around the small of your back, pressing you into his warm chest. His other hand reaches up, and you watch him all the while, the storm of emotions in his eyes ever present.
That hand reaches up and caresses your face, beginning with your cheek, around to your jaw, fingertips teasing over your ears and hairline, before his other hand joins in and frames your face perfectly. You couldn’t help smiling the whole time, despite your confusion, you giggle as his thumbs brush across your cheekbones, “Clint! What are you doing?”
He laughs then too, as though realizing how strangely he was acting out of nowhere, “Sorry, I just… I wanted our- our first kiss to be, I don't know, more special. Like it’s on purpose.”
Your smile falters into an expression of wonder, rather than confusion.
He continues, blushing now, “I- oh god, that sounds so corny.” He looks at you almost shyly, “Did I just wreck this?”
You smile again and shake your head, standing up a little taller to reach him, “You could never wreck this.” And then feeling bolder than you ever have, you smash your lips onto his and kiss and kiss and kiss him until you both need to come up for air, laughing and smiling and neither of you can wait to do it again.
End~
Thank you for reading! Feedback is welcome and appreciated!
Sorry for any mistakes of if the pacing was weird at any point... It will happen again.
