[MCU: Fiction] "Allies" [Clint/Coulson, G]
Title: Allies
Author: Ami Ven
Word Count: 1,227
Rating: G
Fandom: MCU (Avengers)
Pairing(s): Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Summary Steve has some old-fashioned ideas about same-sex relationships, but not in the way Phil and Clint think.
Allies
It started when Phil came back from the dead.
Of course, he hadn’t actually been dead, just badly injured enough that death was still a possibility. Fury had used the lie of Phil’s death to motivate Tony and Steve into leading the team, and he hadn’t wanted the truth to come out until he knew that New York was safe, that Phil would live, and that Clint was in his right mind again.
Clint understood the logic behind it, but he still made it clear that Fury owed him for it.
Phil had looked so pale and still in the hospital bed, until he’d spotted Clint and smiled, bright as the sun. Clint had been afraid to touch him, but Phil had grabbed his hand and pressed it to the bandages over his heart.
“Loki has terrible aim,” Phil had said, and Clint had still been laughing when Natasha let the rest of the Avengers in.
Clint had moved to the chair beside the bed, Phil’s hand firmly in both of his own, as Phil talked with everyone else.
Natasha had pressed a kiss to Phil’s cheek and rested her hand on their joined ones, as good as jumping for joy from a lesser mortal. Thor had boomed his pleasure that the Son of Coul would not yet join the valiant dead in Valhala. Tony had begun a rant about ‘reckless stupidity’ which did absolutely nothing to hide how clearly elated he was about Phil being alive. Bruce had introduced himself - he and Phil had never actually met before.
Steve had glanced at Clint and Phil’s clasped hands, then studiously kept his eyes somewhere over Phil’s shoulder as he said how pleased he was to see Phil’s alive and well.
Clint hadn’t thought much about it at the time, but after Phil was well enough to move into Clint’s floor at the newly-renovated Avengers Tower, things like that just kept happening.
For the first few weeks, Phil hadn’t done more than sleep and eat. The spear had damaged his lungs, which were healing slowly and made even walking across the room feel strenuous. But the stronger Phil got, the weirder Steve seemed to be acting.
And it was definitely weird.
Even SHIELD had its share of people who didn’t approve of same-sex relationships, but Clint and Phil weren’t especially expressive people, so everyone just went about their jobs as usual, whether they approved or not, and they’d never had any real problems.
Phil was a little heartbroken that his childhood hero was apparently homophobic, but he’d been trying to reassure himself (by reassuring Clint) that Steve was from a different era, when society hadn’t been so accepting. And Steve hadn’t done anything that was even rude, let alone hostile, just… weird.
When Phil had still been in rough shape, Steve didn’t bat an eye at him sharing Clint’s floor at the Tower, or Clint spending most of his time within arms’ reach in case Phil needed anything. But as Phil got better, Steve started asking when he was going to get his own space. Clint shared a confused look with Pepper, who had spent an hour with them the day before, going over the plans for Phil’s custom-built office/library in their apartment, but didn’t say anything.
At dinner a few days later, Tony, who was teasing Clint and Phil about something else entirely, had called them ‘lovebirds’ and Steve had immediately commented, out of the blue, about their friendship and loyalty, then abruptly changed the subject.
There were a dozen other seemingly-meaningless incidents over the next few weeks, until it was just too much for Phil.
Clint wasn’t even sure what Steve’s remark had been, something offhand about personal space. Phil had been leaning against Clint’s side, sharing the same large armchair, as he chatted with Steve and Pepper, and Clint raced Thor and Bruce in Mario Kart. Clint had felt him tense up a few moments before, then Phil stood and said politely, “I have some reports to read before dinner, I’ll see you all later.”
Clint waited until the end of that round before pausing the game and standing, too. “I could go for a snack. Who else wants popcorn? Steve, you can come and help me.”
“Um, sure,” said Steve, a little too quickly.
“Okay, what is your problem?” Clint demanded, the moment the kitchen door had closed behind them. “I don’t care what you say to me, but Phil-”
“You have both got to be more careful!” Steve interrupted. “I know Tony says this part of the Tower is secure, but it’s still mostly a public building. And Phil might be Director Fury’s ‘one good eye’, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be able to do anything if someone turns you in.”
“Wait,” said Clint, as his understanding of this entire thing was dumped unceremoniously on its head. Steve wasn’t upset about the two of them being together, he was worried about the two of them getting caught. “Wait, wait, wait, have you been covering for us?”
“Of course I have.” Steve sounded hurt that Clint could even think otherwise. “We’re a team. And the law should have no say in who a person loves.”
“I…” Clint began, then, “JARVIS?”
“Yes, Agent Barton?”
“Could you ask Phil to come in here, please? It’s important.”
“Of course, sir.”
A moment later, Phil appeared in the kitchen doorway. Clint smiled and held out his hand. Phil gave him a sideways look, the one that meant I’m suspicious about your plan, but I trust you, and took it.
“Phil,” said Clint, slowly. “Steve didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know what?” said Steve.
Phil smiled, understanding what Clint meant, the way he always did. “That Clint and I are married.”
“You’re-” said Steve, then asked softly, “That’s allowed?”
“In several states,” said Phil. “Including New York. There are still some people who are opposed to the idea of two men or two women in a committed relationship - often violently opposed - but they are rapidly becoming the minority.”
“That’s what I thought the future would be like,” said Steve, sounding awed. “Acceptance, understanding, and…” He paused. “Does everyone else know?”
Clint shrugged. “We haven’t made any announcements, but we haven’t kept it a secret, so… Yeah.”
“Oh,” said Steve. “Then I’ve been making a fool of myself. And you! I’m sorry, I never meant to-”
Phil rested a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “There’s no need to apologize. What you were trying to do for us, you could have gotten in real trouble for that in the nineteen-forties. So, we should be thanking you.”
“I should definitely be thanking you,” added Clint. “Phil was so bummed when he thought Captain America was homophobic.”
“I don’t know what that means,” said Steve. “But I’m pretty sure I don’t like it.”
Phil smiled. “I’ll get together some things on the history of gay rights and send them to you.”
Steve smiled back, but was interrupted from answering when Tony burst into the kitchen.
“Where’s that popcorn? We’re getting hungry.”
“Coming right up,” said Steve. “Phil, why don’t you go sit down while you’re waiting? Your husband and I can handle making popcorn.”
“Sure,” said Phil and left, tugging Tony out with him.
As the door closed, Clint heard Tony ask, “Is Cap being weird?”
“No,” said Phil. “Everything is just fine.”
THE END
Current Mood:
cold
Author: Ami Ven
Word Count: 1,227
Rating: G
Fandom: MCU (Avengers)
Pairing(s): Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Summary Steve has some old-fashioned ideas about same-sex relationships, but not in the way Phil and Clint think.
Allies
It started when Phil came back from the dead.
Of course, he hadn’t actually been dead, just badly injured enough that death was still a possibility. Fury had used the lie of Phil’s death to motivate Tony and Steve into leading the team, and he hadn’t wanted the truth to come out until he knew that New York was safe, that Phil would live, and that Clint was in his right mind again.
Clint understood the logic behind it, but he still made it clear that Fury owed him for it.
Phil had looked so pale and still in the hospital bed, until he’d spotted Clint and smiled, bright as the sun. Clint had been afraid to touch him, but Phil had grabbed his hand and pressed it to the bandages over his heart.
“Loki has terrible aim,” Phil had said, and Clint had still been laughing when Natasha let the rest of the Avengers in.
Clint had moved to the chair beside the bed, Phil’s hand firmly in both of his own, as Phil talked with everyone else.
Natasha had pressed a kiss to Phil’s cheek and rested her hand on their joined ones, as good as jumping for joy from a lesser mortal. Thor had boomed his pleasure that the Son of Coul would not yet join the valiant dead in Valhala. Tony had begun a rant about ‘reckless stupidity’ which did absolutely nothing to hide how clearly elated he was about Phil being alive. Bruce had introduced himself - he and Phil had never actually met before.
Steve had glanced at Clint and Phil’s clasped hands, then studiously kept his eyes somewhere over Phil’s shoulder as he said how pleased he was to see Phil’s alive and well.
Clint hadn’t thought much about it at the time, but after Phil was well enough to move into Clint’s floor at the newly-renovated Avengers Tower, things like that just kept happening.
For the first few weeks, Phil hadn’t done more than sleep and eat. The spear had damaged his lungs, which were healing slowly and made even walking across the room feel strenuous. But the stronger Phil got, the weirder Steve seemed to be acting.
And it was definitely weird.
Even SHIELD had its share of people who didn’t approve of same-sex relationships, but Clint and Phil weren’t especially expressive people, so everyone just went about their jobs as usual, whether they approved or not, and they’d never had any real problems.
Phil was a little heartbroken that his childhood hero was apparently homophobic, but he’d been trying to reassure himself (by reassuring Clint) that Steve was from a different era, when society hadn’t been so accepting. And Steve hadn’t done anything that was even rude, let alone hostile, just… weird.
When Phil had still been in rough shape, Steve didn’t bat an eye at him sharing Clint’s floor at the Tower, or Clint spending most of his time within arms’ reach in case Phil needed anything. But as Phil got better, Steve started asking when he was going to get his own space. Clint shared a confused look with Pepper, who had spent an hour with them the day before, going over the plans for Phil’s custom-built office/library in their apartment, but didn’t say anything.
At dinner a few days later, Tony, who was teasing Clint and Phil about something else entirely, had called them ‘lovebirds’ and Steve had immediately commented, out of the blue, about their friendship and loyalty, then abruptly changed the subject.
There were a dozen other seemingly-meaningless incidents over the next few weeks, until it was just too much for Phil.
Clint wasn’t even sure what Steve’s remark had been, something offhand about personal space. Phil had been leaning against Clint’s side, sharing the same large armchair, as he chatted with Steve and Pepper, and Clint raced Thor and Bruce in Mario Kart. Clint had felt him tense up a few moments before, then Phil stood and said politely, “I have some reports to read before dinner, I’ll see you all later.”
Clint waited until the end of that round before pausing the game and standing, too. “I could go for a snack. Who else wants popcorn? Steve, you can come and help me.”
“Um, sure,” said Steve, a little too quickly.
“Okay, what is your problem?” Clint demanded, the moment the kitchen door had closed behind them. “I don’t care what you say to me, but Phil-”
“You have both got to be more careful!” Steve interrupted. “I know Tony says this part of the Tower is secure, but it’s still mostly a public building. And Phil might be Director Fury’s ‘one good eye’, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be able to do anything if someone turns you in.”
“Wait,” said Clint, as his understanding of this entire thing was dumped unceremoniously on its head. Steve wasn’t upset about the two of them being together, he was worried about the two of them getting caught. “Wait, wait, wait, have you been covering for us?”
“Of course I have.” Steve sounded hurt that Clint could even think otherwise. “We’re a team. And the law should have no say in who a person loves.”
“I…” Clint began, then, “JARVIS?”
“Yes, Agent Barton?”
“Could you ask Phil to come in here, please? It’s important.”
“Of course, sir.”
A moment later, Phil appeared in the kitchen doorway. Clint smiled and held out his hand. Phil gave him a sideways look, the one that meant I’m suspicious about your plan, but I trust you, and took it.
“Phil,” said Clint, slowly. “Steve didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know what?” said Steve.
Phil smiled, understanding what Clint meant, the way he always did. “That Clint and I are married.”
“You’re-” said Steve, then asked softly, “That’s allowed?”
“In several states,” said Phil. “Including New York. There are still some people who are opposed to the idea of two men or two women in a committed relationship - often violently opposed - but they are rapidly becoming the minority.”
“That’s what I thought the future would be like,” said Steve, sounding awed. “Acceptance, understanding, and…” He paused. “Does everyone else know?”
Clint shrugged. “We haven’t made any announcements, but we haven’t kept it a secret, so… Yeah.”
“Oh,” said Steve. “Then I’ve been making a fool of myself. And you! I’m sorry, I never meant to-”
Phil rested a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “There’s no need to apologize. What you were trying to do for us, you could have gotten in real trouble for that in the nineteen-forties. So, we should be thanking you.”
“I should definitely be thanking you,” added Clint. “Phil was so bummed when he thought Captain America was homophobic.”
“I don’t know what that means,” said Steve. “But I’m pretty sure I don’t like it.”
Phil smiled. “I’ll get together some things on the history of gay rights and send them to you.”
Steve smiled back, but was interrupted from answering when Tony burst into the kitchen.
“Where’s that popcorn? We’re getting hungry.”
“Coming right up,” said Steve. “Phil, why don’t you go sit down while you’re waiting? Your husband and I can handle making popcorn.”
“Sure,” said Phil and left, tugging Tony out with him.
As the door closed, Clint heard Tony ask, “Is Cap being weird?”
“No,” said Phil. “Everything is just fine.”
THE END
Current Mood:
cold