FIC: Celebratory Cookies (MCU, Sam Wilson/Steve Rogers, Clint Barton/Phil Coulson), PG
This is a birthday gift for the amazing lil-1337 ♥
Title: Celebratory Cookies
Author: Megan-Moonlight
Date of Posting: August 11th, 2016
Rating: PG
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Characters/Pairings: Sam Wilson/Steve Rogers, Phil Coulson/Clint Barton, Bucky Barnes, Natasha Romanov, JARVIS, Other Characters Mentioned
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. I make no money from this.
Summary: "Dude, just admit that you're hot for him."
In which: Clint knows that Sam has a crush, cookies make an appearance, and it's difficult not to be curious when other people are curious as well.
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Beta: lil-1337
Author's Notes: The fic was inspired by lil-1337's amazing prompt (from my *Holidays Gifts Requests 2015*), which was: "Clint/Coulson, Sam/whoever you want or not paired: Dude, just admit that you're hot for him."
At first I thought it'd be a drabble, but then it turned into a longer fic, because I loved the idea. Enjoy!
Mentioned at: At AO3 *HERE*
*CELEBRATORY COOKIES*
“Hey, Wilson, wanna spar? Stevie looks like he could use a break so…”
“Nah, I just ate, man, thanks. It wouldn’t end well. I don’t think anyone would want to clean up the mess afterwards.”
“Right. And you, Barton?”
“I thought you got enough bruises last time, Barnes?” Clint stepped further into the room. He walked up to Sam and watched as Barnes patted Steve on the back gently, a soft smile appearing on Steve’s face at the gesture.
It has been almost two months since Barnes and Sam moved in. Or actually since Barnes did, because Sam was still spending nights at his place more often than not, even though he did have his own bedroom in the Tower. However, Sam had been spending a lot of time with Barnes and Steve anyway. Barnes still needed all the support he could get, as the situation and the surroundings were still rather new to him.
“In your dreams, maybe,” Barnes turned to look at him briefly before he helped Steve get up from the floor and handed him a towel.
“Sorry, my dreams are pretty much occupied already.”
“Yeah, Coulson is getting back tonight, right?”
“Yup. I can’t wait,” Clint couldn’t help smiling at the thought. Phil went on a mission two weeks ago and they would finally see each other that evening. It was really difficult not to get excited when he thought about holding Phil in his arms. “I even prepared a surprise for him.”
“Do we want to know?” Barnes kept smirking and Clint raised one eyebrow at him.
“You wish.”
“Sure I do. Because I can’t resist your charming personality, Barton,” as Clint snorted Barnes turned to look at Steve again. “Stevie, how would you feel about improving the training room?”
Steve and Barnes started talking about possibilities of a new training program, something more demanding that he could do by himself and Clint just listened to their ideas, which would actually be quite helpful if they worked out. Suddenly Barnes leaned closer to Steve and whispered something, while briefly looking in Sam’s direction. Steve just shook his head gently in answer, looking down at the floor as if he was embarrassed. Clint adjusted his hearing aid and then squinted, trying to catch what they were saying, but he didn’t have a clear view of their faces.
It was… weird. Why was Barnes observing Sam? And what were they talking about?
Clint looked at Sam from the corner of his eye. While Sam was smiling when he listened to Steve and Barnes talk, and he was joking about waiting to spar for three hours after dinner, Clint could see the look on his friend’s face.
“Dude, just admit you’re hot for him.”
Clint whispered that, but he knew Sam heard him, even if he did not acknowledge him at first. Only as Steve and Barnes left the room, saying that they were going to find Tony and discuss the new ideas with him, Sam turned around, leaning against the rails. Clint noticed he did not deny anything.
“He has better things to think about right now,” Sam said, walking towards the lift, Clint following him. “He has his best friend back. The friend he was searching for… well, you know for how long.”
“And he still makes time for everyone else, so what’s your point?” Clint raised one eyebrow at him and Sam just shrugged, putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“We’re friends and he’s happy now that Barnes’s back. It’s fine.”
Clint frowned and after a moment he said: “You know what? We’re going to the kitchen. Come on.”
Sam blinked, surprised, but didn’t protest when Clint asked J.A.R.V.I.S. to take them to the common floor.
“Why are we going there, exactly?” Sam finally asked. “You ate an hour ago. You can’t tell me you’re already hungry, man.”
“Nope. Well, not really. But don’t worry, you’ll like it.”
“If you tell me you have some sort of super-soldier metabolism, too, I’m leaving. Just so you know.”
Clint only smirked as he led Sam to the kitchen. As soon as they entered the room Clint took out a baking tray from the top cupboard, one in which he usually kept the pastry. Clint was sure no one had touched anything, because the brown paper he had wrapped the tray in looked just like he had left it, and besides, J.A.R.V.I.S. was under orders to let him know whenever anyone touched the cupboard.
He put the tray on the table and started unwrapping it carefully, as Sam stared at him. Clint had baked about two dozen peanut butter cookies in the morning to surprise Phil, having received a message saying that he would be back from Milan in the evening.
“Here you go,” Clint put the tray in front of Sam and sat down next him.
Sam looked at the tray and then at Clint. “Wait, are those the special cookies everyone tells me about? Those no one can eat without authorization, because you make them for Coulson?”
“That’s right,” Clint agreed, grabbing one cookie. “I made more than enough and Phil thinks pastry is a great way to cheer people up, so, dig in.”
Sam took one cookie and as soon as he bit into it, he moaned quietly.
“Damn, they really weren’t exaggerating,” he said after a while, still chewing. “These are the best cookies I’ve had in… in a really long time, actually.”
Clint smiled at the comment as he finished his pastry. He put a few more cookies in front of Sam before he wrapped the tray again and hid it in the cupboard, asking J.A.R.V.I.S. to keep an eye on it.
“Seriously, Sam, I think you should talk to him,” Clint said after a while, when Sam was just finishing his second cookie. “I mean, you’ll do what you want, it’s your decision and all, but at least think about it. What’s the worst that can happen? It’s Steve we’re talking about.”
“That’s exactly it. It’s Steve and he’s my friend,” Sam leaned back against the chair, sighing, and looked at the last pastry.
“I know what you mean,” Clint leaned back in his chair as well and looked at Sam briefly. “Just think about it, okay? Things worked out for me, so why not try?”
“Yeah, why not,” Sam murmured, before grabbing the last cookie and taking a small bite.
They sat in silence, and Clint already knew that the next time he would be baking, he would make a batch of extra cookies for Sam.
A few hours later Clint and Sam were sitting in the common room with Steve, Barnes and Natasha, still discussing the possibilities of improving their training program, because apparently Barnes and Natasha managed to convince Tony to give it a try. Clint was very curious about the outcome, so he decided to stay with them and listen. Not like he had anything else to do.
He was sitting next to Sam, Steve was on Sam’s other side, Natasha took the whole chair for herself and Barnes was sitting on the opposite couch so he could observe everyone in the room, one thing he always did while being in the room with more than one person. Clint understood that. Barnes wanted to make sure he had everything under control and be prepared. Clint and Natasha did the same when being around people they didn’t know. However, this time Clint noticed that Barnes was especially paying attention to Steve and Sam, a slight, barely-there smile appearing on his face from time to time, something that could be easily explained as a twitch, but Clint still saw it. It appeared every time Sam and Steve talked. Clint wondered if Barnes was thinking about the same thing he was.
The thing was, Clint wasn’t a matchmaker type at all. It just wasn’t him. He wasn’t very comfortable with getting into other people’s business like that, because he preferred to keep many things to himself, too. However, when he was looking at Sam and Steve, he really wondered why they haven’t talked about their feelings yet. Or, well, he actually could, a bit, he just wondered how it didn’t came up just yet. Clint had been insecure about talking to Phil at first, too. Seeing Sam so down bothered him, though.
At some point Sam and Barnes got into a heated discussion about routines and training in air, when they were interrupted by J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice.
“Agent Barton, Agent Coulson just entered the building and asked me to inform you that he has obtained a reservation for dinner.”
Clint looked at the nearest camera, the one he knew was hidden in the corner of the video screen they were sitting next to, and smiled at it. “Awesome. Thanks, J.”
“You are quite welcome, Agent Barton.”
“Can you also tell him that I expect a huge, expensive meal, including a dessert, after this mission? He owes me.”
“That won’t be necessary, thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S.”
When Clint heard the amused voice, he turned around to see the door of the elevator opening before Phil, closely followed by Pepper and Rhodey, walked out of it. Phil stepped closer to the couch and pressed a kiss to the top of Clint’s head before he greeted everyone else, while Pepper and Rhodey went to search for Tony after they said hello.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked, looking at Clint then at Natasha, and Steve smiled at him.
“No, we were just discussing plans for a new training routine for Bucky.”
“Yeah, that. And now, I’m stealing you,” Clint winked at him, catching his hand quickly and leading him to the kitchen.
As soon as they were out of the team’s sight Clint pressed Phil against the kitchen counter and kissed him, fisting his hands into the lapels of Phil’s suit.
“Hello,” he murmured, and when Phil smiled against his mouth, Clint sneaked his hands under Phil’s jacket and around his waist, pressing his face against his neck while Phil put his hand on Clint’s forearm, his thumb caressing his skin gently.
“You did tell Nick that I’m keeping you here for at least two days, right?”
“He was the one who got me the reservations, actually,” Phil said, moving his other hand up and down Clint’s back. “I left some of my paperwork for Maria and Felix, so we should have the weekend for ourselves.”
Clint smirked, moving away from Phil. “If you keep that up we won’t go anywhere, so just tell me if it’s casual or formal and we can go.”
As they walked back into the common room on the way out, Clint noticed that Barnes and Natasha still discussed their ideas, while Steve and Sam listened. They were sitting close together, and Clint thought he noticed Steve smiled at Sam as he murmured something, Sam’s face lighting up right away.
He really hoped things would work out for them.
***
They just came back from another mission and despite the fact that it was supposed to be an easy one, it ended like they usually did, with unforeseen complications.
Clint had a sprained ankle, so he’d have to stay in the Tower for a few days, Tony had to repair one of the arms of the armor and Sam had been shot down when he had been flying, which resulted in a few bruised ribs, since his landing could have gone much, much worse, but it also could have been better. He even had managed to snag Steve from the collapsing building and safely deposit him on the ground after the fight was over. However, they all definitely could use some rest after that, looked like.
When they came back to the Tower, Steve helping Sam walk, supporting his weight as Sam leaned into his side, they all ended up sitting in the common room. Barnes was already there, walking up to them right away, as he sneaked his metal arm around Sam’s waist to provide additional support.
“Let’s get you on the couch,” Steve said and Sam groaned.
“I’m not moving anywhere else today. Damn.”
“Wait here, I’ll bring you something to drink,” Steve said, helping Sam sit on the couch.
Clint, with Natasha’s help, sat down right next to Sam and leaned back, closing his eyes. His ankle really hurt, but better that than one of his arms. At least he still could shoot, so he won’t be bored. Phil, whom Natasha had contacted as soon as they had entered the building, had been informed of the outcome of the mission, and he had promised he would come see Clint and the rest of the team after he would be done with all his responsibilities. If Clint played his cards well, he could probably talk Phil into taking a day or two just for themselves… again.
He opened his eyes just when Steve came back from the kitchen and handed Sam a glass of orange juice, looking worried as he observed him. Barnes was standing near the door, leaning against the wall and looking at them, nursing a glass of water on his own. Clint was not sure how to read the expression on his face. Barnes was kind of like Natasha like that. They both were difficult to read sometimes. He decided not to analyze it too hard. He was far too tired for that.
A few hours later Sam and Clint were sitting on the couch on Clint’s floor, watching funny videos. Natasha left to take a shower, telling him to not do anything stupid while she was away, leaving them alone, and Sam snorted at the comment.
“I don’t know how you handle falling off buildings all the time, man,” Sam said, taking a sip of his orange juice.
“Years of practice,” Clint smirked. “Just ask Nat. You get used to it after a while.”
“Right.”
After a while they were joined by Natasha, and soon also Steve and Barnes, and Clint couldn’t help keeping an eye on Sam and Steve again. He wasn’t seeing things, apparently. While Steve always made sure that Sam and the rest of the team were okay, he seemed to be making extra sure Sam was fine. It wasn’t anything obvious, just looking at him from time to time, asking if he needed anything, or sitting a bit closer to him than he usually would. The difference between Sam and everyone else, including Barnes, was that Steve has never looked at them like that.
Now that he knew what to search for, it looked like Sam’s feelings were not so unrequited after all. Clint always saw better from a distance.
***
“You talked to Wilson, right?”
Clint didn’t have to look away from his target to know that Barnes was leaning against the doorframe, observing him.
“I talk to him all the time,” Clint replied carefully, releasing the arrow, hitting the target right in the center. He took another one from his quiver, released just as quickly, and the arrow landed right under the previous one. He continued to shoot, while Barnes stayed silent until Clint put his bow down, reached for the bottle of water he had brought with him earlier, and took a sip.
“Wilson feels the same about Stevie, doesn’t he.” The expression on Barnes’ face was unreadable as he said it, but it didn’t sound like he had a problem with this discovery. And it looked like Clint was right about Steve reciprocating Sam’s feelings, too. Good. It made things a bit easier for Sam, if the man ever decided to actually talk to Steve about it.
“I’m trying not to meddle,” Clint said truthfully as he got up from the bench and picked up his bow again, and for Barnes it seemed to be the answer enough, since he just nodded, one corner of his mouth curling up in a half-smirk. This guy could be really annoying sometimes. “What’s so funny now?”
“Nothing, Barton. Absolutely nothing.”
Clint shrugged and picked up the next arrow, still feeling Barnes’ eyes on him. “You gonna stand there and keep staring?”
“Why, am I distracting you or something?”
“You wish.”
When he released the arrow, it hit right between the first two.
***
The things between Sam and Steve didn’t change, and Clint was pretty sure of that, since now that he knew that not only he and Nat were aware of what was going on, but also Barnes, he most likely would have heard about it if something did happen. He was still sticking to his “no meddling” rule, and since their chat in the kitchen he hadn’t brought up the subject of Sam’s crush on Steve again, however, it didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. Knowing that Nat and Barnes were curious about it as well might have something to do with it, too.
Being a superhero and his own love life were a good distraction, though, and it helped him not to spend all his free time thinking about Sam’s love life.
Fury had told Phil that he was sending Clint and Nat to Toulouse for about a month, interrupting Clint and Phil’s weekend off. That was just their luck. At least Sitwell had been their handler on that one. Scott and Wanda had been called in to substitute for Clint and Nat if the need arose, since they both were skilled and worked together well.
The op had taken them a few days more than they had assumed at first, but they had managed to catch the guy they had been after, along with his associate from Toulouse. As they had been flying back, listening to Sitwell talking to Blake, Hill and Fury, Clint had sighed loudly, trying to relax. He had missed his and Phil’s bed a lot. It’s been a while since they had been sent on an op that had taken them so long to complete, and because of that Clint had been a bit more impatient than he usually had been, but he hadn’t let it interfere with his mission. He was a professional, after all. Yet, the whole way back to the Tower he really had wanted to curl up in bed, preferably with Phil in it.
Soon that would be exactly what he would be doing. Once they had landed and Clint had called Phil, Phil telling him that they would see each other in the evening, he stretched his arms above his head. He snagged his and Natasha’s bags from the jet, and she smirked when she saw him carrying them all.
“What?” He asked, adjusting one of the straps on his shoulder.
“Nothing,” she zipped up her jacket and together they walked to the Tower. “I can carry my own bag, you know. I wasn’t aware you’d keep doing that after that one unfortunate accident in Tampere.”
Clint smiled back at her. “Do you mind?”
“I never said that,” she opened a bottle of water. “Are you going to Phil’s tonight?”
“We’re staying here, I think, but I don’t really care where we are as long as there’s me, him and a bed involved.”
Natasha snorted, taking a sip of water before handing the bottle to Clint. “I’ll make sure to let the others know that you’ll be indisposed for at least one full day. Would that be enough?”
“Depends on how much time we’ll spend actually sleeping.”
Natasha just shook her head, amused, before the main door to the Tower slid open and J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice welcomed them.
After leaving their belongings on their respective floors, they went to the common floor, where Clint planned to cook something for them quickly.
As they left the elevator and the door slid closed after them, Clint noticed that in the living room was busier than he expected. Wanda was talking quietly to Bruce in the corner of the room, both of them drinking what he assumed was tea, while Scott was smiling brightly as he listened to Rhodey talk, Tony observing both of them, grinning the whole time. Sam, Steve and Barnes were nowhere to be seen.
After a short round of greetings Clint told Natasha he would bring her something to eat as soon as it was done, and as he went to the kitchen, Natasha joined Wanda and Bruce on the couch.
Clint couldn’t keep himself from yawning, the long flight back home finally catching up with him, but when he entered the corridor that led to the kitchen, all traces of sleep disappeared.
He definitely did not expect to see Sam pressing Steve against the wall with his body, one hand on Steve’s hip, the other one tangled in Steve’s hair. They were kissing slowly and Steve started moving his hand from Sam’s cheek down to his chest, then up again. Clint snorted as Steve moaned quietly, and only then the two broke the kiss. Clint didn’t even feel bad when he noticed how red Steve’s cheeks were.
“Damn it, Barton,” Sam hid his face in Steve’s neck right away, his fingers tightening around the material of Steve’s grey shirt. “Seriously?”
“Hey, don’t mind me. I’m just going to use the kitchen and then I’m gone,” he smirked.
Sam and Steve did not move from where they were standing, didn’t even answer, but Clint did notice a small smile appearing on Sam’s face as Steve wrapped one arm around his waist. Clint went to the kitchen, smiling to himself. Of course they finally made a move when he wasn’t even there to ask Sam how did things go exactly, but he was happy for them.
Deciding to make omelets, easy to make but very filling, he opened the fridge, while Sam and Steve started whispering something. When he heard Sam’s short, quiet laugh, followed by more whispering, and then two sets of footsteps, which meant they were leaving, he couldn’t help himself from reacting.
“Have fun, guys!”
He didn’t expect to get an answer, but he started laughing when Sam just muttered something unintelligibly in reply.
The next time he was making cookies, he remembered to make also a celebratory batch for Sam. The expression on Sam’s face when he heard Clint calling them “celebratory cookies” was priceless.
Yes, he was definitely happy for his friends.
Title: Celebratory Cookies
Author: Megan-Moonlight
Date of Posting: August 11th, 2016
Rating: PG
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Characters/Pairings: Sam Wilson/Steve Rogers, Phil Coulson/Clint Barton, Bucky Barnes, Natasha Romanov, JARVIS, Other Characters Mentioned
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. I make no money from this.
Summary: "Dude, just admit that you're hot for him."
In which: Clint knows that Sam has a crush, cookies make an appearance, and it's difficult not to be curious when other people are curious as well.
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Beta: lil-1337
Author's Notes: The fic was inspired by lil-1337's amazing prompt (from my *Holidays Gifts Requests 2015*), which was: "Clint/Coulson, Sam/whoever you want or not paired: Dude, just admit that you're hot for him."
At first I thought it'd be a drabble, but then it turned into a longer fic, because I loved the idea. Enjoy!
Mentioned at: At AO3 *HERE*
*CELEBRATORY COOKIES*
“Hey, Wilson, wanna spar? Stevie looks like he could use a break so…”
“Nah, I just ate, man, thanks. It wouldn’t end well. I don’t think anyone would want to clean up the mess afterwards.”
“Right. And you, Barton?”
“I thought you got enough bruises last time, Barnes?” Clint stepped further into the room. He walked up to Sam and watched as Barnes patted Steve on the back gently, a soft smile appearing on Steve’s face at the gesture.
It has been almost two months since Barnes and Sam moved in. Or actually since Barnes did, because Sam was still spending nights at his place more often than not, even though he did have his own bedroom in the Tower. However, Sam had been spending a lot of time with Barnes and Steve anyway. Barnes still needed all the support he could get, as the situation and the surroundings were still rather new to him.
“In your dreams, maybe,” Barnes turned to look at him briefly before he helped Steve get up from the floor and handed him a towel.
“Sorry, my dreams are pretty much occupied already.”
“Yeah, Coulson is getting back tonight, right?”
“Yup. I can’t wait,” Clint couldn’t help smiling at the thought. Phil went on a mission two weeks ago and they would finally see each other that evening. It was really difficult not to get excited when he thought about holding Phil in his arms. “I even prepared a surprise for him.”
“Do we want to know?” Barnes kept smirking and Clint raised one eyebrow at him.
“You wish.”
“Sure I do. Because I can’t resist your charming personality, Barton,” as Clint snorted Barnes turned to look at Steve again. “Stevie, how would you feel about improving the training room?”
Steve and Barnes started talking about possibilities of a new training program, something more demanding that he could do by himself and Clint just listened to their ideas, which would actually be quite helpful if they worked out. Suddenly Barnes leaned closer to Steve and whispered something, while briefly looking in Sam’s direction. Steve just shook his head gently in answer, looking down at the floor as if he was embarrassed. Clint adjusted his hearing aid and then squinted, trying to catch what they were saying, but he didn’t have a clear view of their faces.
It was… weird. Why was Barnes observing Sam? And what were they talking about?
Clint looked at Sam from the corner of his eye. While Sam was smiling when he listened to Steve and Barnes talk, and he was joking about waiting to spar for three hours after dinner, Clint could see the look on his friend’s face.
“Dude, just admit you’re hot for him.”
Clint whispered that, but he knew Sam heard him, even if he did not acknowledge him at first. Only as Steve and Barnes left the room, saying that they were going to find Tony and discuss the new ideas with him, Sam turned around, leaning against the rails. Clint noticed he did not deny anything.
“He has better things to think about right now,” Sam said, walking towards the lift, Clint following him. “He has his best friend back. The friend he was searching for… well, you know for how long.”
“And he still makes time for everyone else, so what’s your point?” Clint raised one eyebrow at him and Sam just shrugged, putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“We’re friends and he’s happy now that Barnes’s back. It’s fine.”
Clint frowned and after a moment he said: “You know what? We’re going to the kitchen. Come on.”
Sam blinked, surprised, but didn’t protest when Clint asked J.A.R.V.I.S. to take them to the common floor.
“Why are we going there, exactly?” Sam finally asked. “You ate an hour ago. You can’t tell me you’re already hungry, man.”
“Nope. Well, not really. But don’t worry, you’ll like it.”
“If you tell me you have some sort of super-soldier metabolism, too, I’m leaving. Just so you know.”
Clint only smirked as he led Sam to the kitchen. As soon as they entered the room Clint took out a baking tray from the top cupboard, one in which he usually kept the pastry. Clint was sure no one had touched anything, because the brown paper he had wrapped the tray in looked just like he had left it, and besides, J.A.R.V.I.S. was under orders to let him know whenever anyone touched the cupboard.
He put the tray on the table and started unwrapping it carefully, as Sam stared at him. Clint had baked about two dozen peanut butter cookies in the morning to surprise Phil, having received a message saying that he would be back from Milan in the evening.
“Here you go,” Clint put the tray in front of Sam and sat down next him.
Sam looked at the tray and then at Clint. “Wait, are those the special cookies everyone tells me about? Those no one can eat without authorization, because you make them for Coulson?”
“That’s right,” Clint agreed, grabbing one cookie. “I made more than enough and Phil thinks pastry is a great way to cheer people up, so, dig in.”
Sam took one cookie and as soon as he bit into it, he moaned quietly.
“Damn, they really weren’t exaggerating,” he said after a while, still chewing. “These are the best cookies I’ve had in… in a really long time, actually.”
Clint smiled at the comment as he finished his pastry. He put a few more cookies in front of Sam before he wrapped the tray again and hid it in the cupboard, asking J.A.R.V.I.S. to keep an eye on it.
“Seriously, Sam, I think you should talk to him,” Clint said after a while, when Sam was just finishing his second cookie. “I mean, you’ll do what you want, it’s your decision and all, but at least think about it. What’s the worst that can happen? It’s Steve we’re talking about.”
“That’s exactly it. It’s Steve and he’s my friend,” Sam leaned back against the chair, sighing, and looked at the last pastry.
“I know what you mean,” Clint leaned back in his chair as well and looked at Sam briefly. “Just think about it, okay? Things worked out for me, so why not try?”
“Yeah, why not,” Sam murmured, before grabbing the last cookie and taking a small bite.
They sat in silence, and Clint already knew that the next time he would be baking, he would make a batch of extra cookies for Sam.
A few hours later Clint and Sam were sitting in the common room with Steve, Barnes and Natasha, still discussing the possibilities of improving their training program, because apparently Barnes and Natasha managed to convince Tony to give it a try. Clint was very curious about the outcome, so he decided to stay with them and listen. Not like he had anything else to do.
He was sitting next to Sam, Steve was on Sam’s other side, Natasha took the whole chair for herself and Barnes was sitting on the opposite couch so he could observe everyone in the room, one thing he always did while being in the room with more than one person. Clint understood that. Barnes wanted to make sure he had everything under control and be prepared. Clint and Natasha did the same when being around people they didn’t know. However, this time Clint noticed that Barnes was especially paying attention to Steve and Sam, a slight, barely-there smile appearing on his face from time to time, something that could be easily explained as a twitch, but Clint still saw it. It appeared every time Sam and Steve talked. Clint wondered if Barnes was thinking about the same thing he was.
The thing was, Clint wasn’t a matchmaker type at all. It just wasn’t him. He wasn’t very comfortable with getting into other people’s business like that, because he preferred to keep many things to himself, too. However, when he was looking at Sam and Steve, he really wondered why they haven’t talked about their feelings yet. Or, well, he actually could, a bit, he just wondered how it didn’t came up just yet. Clint had been insecure about talking to Phil at first, too. Seeing Sam so down bothered him, though.
At some point Sam and Barnes got into a heated discussion about routines and training in air, when they were interrupted by J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice.
“Agent Barton, Agent Coulson just entered the building and asked me to inform you that he has obtained a reservation for dinner.”
Clint looked at the nearest camera, the one he knew was hidden in the corner of the video screen they were sitting next to, and smiled at it. “Awesome. Thanks, J.”
“You are quite welcome, Agent Barton.”
“Can you also tell him that I expect a huge, expensive meal, including a dessert, after this mission? He owes me.”
“That won’t be necessary, thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S.”
When Clint heard the amused voice, he turned around to see the door of the elevator opening before Phil, closely followed by Pepper and Rhodey, walked out of it. Phil stepped closer to the couch and pressed a kiss to the top of Clint’s head before he greeted everyone else, while Pepper and Rhodey went to search for Tony after they said hello.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked, looking at Clint then at Natasha, and Steve smiled at him.
“No, we were just discussing plans for a new training routine for Bucky.”
“Yeah, that. And now, I’m stealing you,” Clint winked at him, catching his hand quickly and leading him to the kitchen.
As soon as they were out of the team’s sight Clint pressed Phil against the kitchen counter and kissed him, fisting his hands into the lapels of Phil’s suit.
“Hello,” he murmured, and when Phil smiled against his mouth, Clint sneaked his hands under Phil’s jacket and around his waist, pressing his face against his neck while Phil put his hand on Clint’s forearm, his thumb caressing his skin gently.
“You did tell Nick that I’m keeping you here for at least two days, right?”
“He was the one who got me the reservations, actually,” Phil said, moving his other hand up and down Clint’s back. “I left some of my paperwork for Maria and Felix, so we should have the weekend for ourselves.”
Clint smirked, moving away from Phil. “If you keep that up we won’t go anywhere, so just tell me if it’s casual or formal and we can go.”
As they walked back into the common room on the way out, Clint noticed that Barnes and Natasha still discussed their ideas, while Steve and Sam listened. They were sitting close together, and Clint thought he noticed Steve smiled at Sam as he murmured something, Sam’s face lighting up right away.
He really hoped things would work out for them.
***
They just came back from another mission and despite the fact that it was supposed to be an easy one, it ended like they usually did, with unforeseen complications.
Clint had a sprained ankle, so he’d have to stay in the Tower for a few days, Tony had to repair one of the arms of the armor and Sam had been shot down when he had been flying, which resulted in a few bruised ribs, since his landing could have gone much, much worse, but it also could have been better. He even had managed to snag Steve from the collapsing building and safely deposit him on the ground after the fight was over. However, they all definitely could use some rest after that, looked like.
When they came back to the Tower, Steve helping Sam walk, supporting his weight as Sam leaned into his side, they all ended up sitting in the common room. Barnes was already there, walking up to them right away, as he sneaked his metal arm around Sam’s waist to provide additional support.
“Let’s get you on the couch,” Steve said and Sam groaned.
“I’m not moving anywhere else today. Damn.”
“Wait here, I’ll bring you something to drink,” Steve said, helping Sam sit on the couch.
Clint, with Natasha’s help, sat down right next to Sam and leaned back, closing his eyes. His ankle really hurt, but better that than one of his arms. At least he still could shoot, so he won’t be bored. Phil, whom Natasha had contacted as soon as they had entered the building, had been informed of the outcome of the mission, and he had promised he would come see Clint and the rest of the team after he would be done with all his responsibilities. If Clint played his cards well, he could probably talk Phil into taking a day or two just for themselves… again.
He opened his eyes just when Steve came back from the kitchen and handed Sam a glass of orange juice, looking worried as he observed him. Barnes was standing near the door, leaning against the wall and looking at them, nursing a glass of water on his own. Clint was not sure how to read the expression on his face. Barnes was kind of like Natasha like that. They both were difficult to read sometimes. He decided not to analyze it too hard. He was far too tired for that.
A few hours later Sam and Clint were sitting on the couch on Clint’s floor, watching funny videos. Natasha left to take a shower, telling him to not do anything stupid while she was away, leaving them alone, and Sam snorted at the comment.
“I don’t know how you handle falling off buildings all the time, man,” Sam said, taking a sip of his orange juice.
“Years of practice,” Clint smirked. “Just ask Nat. You get used to it after a while.”
“Right.”
After a while they were joined by Natasha, and soon also Steve and Barnes, and Clint couldn’t help keeping an eye on Sam and Steve again. He wasn’t seeing things, apparently. While Steve always made sure that Sam and the rest of the team were okay, he seemed to be making extra sure Sam was fine. It wasn’t anything obvious, just looking at him from time to time, asking if he needed anything, or sitting a bit closer to him than he usually would. The difference between Sam and everyone else, including Barnes, was that Steve has never looked at them like that.
Now that he knew what to search for, it looked like Sam’s feelings were not so unrequited after all. Clint always saw better from a distance.
***
“You talked to Wilson, right?”
Clint didn’t have to look away from his target to know that Barnes was leaning against the doorframe, observing him.
“I talk to him all the time,” Clint replied carefully, releasing the arrow, hitting the target right in the center. He took another one from his quiver, released just as quickly, and the arrow landed right under the previous one. He continued to shoot, while Barnes stayed silent until Clint put his bow down, reached for the bottle of water he had brought with him earlier, and took a sip.
“Wilson feels the same about Stevie, doesn’t he.” The expression on Barnes’ face was unreadable as he said it, but it didn’t sound like he had a problem with this discovery. And it looked like Clint was right about Steve reciprocating Sam’s feelings, too. Good. It made things a bit easier for Sam, if the man ever decided to actually talk to Steve about it.
“I’m trying not to meddle,” Clint said truthfully as he got up from the bench and picked up his bow again, and for Barnes it seemed to be the answer enough, since he just nodded, one corner of his mouth curling up in a half-smirk. This guy could be really annoying sometimes. “What’s so funny now?”
“Nothing, Barton. Absolutely nothing.”
Clint shrugged and picked up the next arrow, still feeling Barnes’ eyes on him. “You gonna stand there and keep staring?”
“Why, am I distracting you or something?”
“You wish.”
When he released the arrow, it hit right between the first two.
***
The things between Sam and Steve didn’t change, and Clint was pretty sure of that, since now that he knew that not only he and Nat were aware of what was going on, but also Barnes, he most likely would have heard about it if something did happen. He was still sticking to his “no meddling” rule, and since their chat in the kitchen he hadn’t brought up the subject of Sam’s crush on Steve again, however, it didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. Knowing that Nat and Barnes were curious about it as well might have something to do with it, too.
Being a superhero and his own love life were a good distraction, though, and it helped him not to spend all his free time thinking about Sam’s love life.
Fury had told Phil that he was sending Clint and Nat to Toulouse for about a month, interrupting Clint and Phil’s weekend off. That was just their luck. At least Sitwell had been their handler on that one. Scott and Wanda had been called in to substitute for Clint and Nat if the need arose, since they both were skilled and worked together well.
The op had taken them a few days more than they had assumed at first, but they had managed to catch the guy they had been after, along with his associate from Toulouse. As they had been flying back, listening to Sitwell talking to Blake, Hill and Fury, Clint had sighed loudly, trying to relax. He had missed his and Phil’s bed a lot. It’s been a while since they had been sent on an op that had taken them so long to complete, and because of that Clint had been a bit more impatient than he usually had been, but he hadn’t let it interfere with his mission. He was a professional, after all. Yet, the whole way back to the Tower he really had wanted to curl up in bed, preferably with Phil in it.
Soon that would be exactly what he would be doing. Once they had landed and Clint had called Phil, Phil telling him that they would see each other in the evening, he stretched his arms above his head. He snagged his and Natasha’s bags from the jet, and she smirked when she saw him carrying them all.
“What?” He asked, adjusting one of the straps on his shoulder.
“Nothing,” she zipped up her jacket and together they walked to the Tower. “I can carry my own bag, you know. I wasn’t aware you’d keep doing that after that one unfortunate accident in Tampere.”
Clint smiled back at her. “Do you mind?”
“I never said that,” she opened a bottle of water. “Are you going to Phil’s tonight?”
“We’re staying here, I think, but I don’t really care where we are as long as there’s me, him and a bed involved.”
Natasha snorted, taking a sip of water before handing the bottle to Clint. “I’ll make sure to let the others know that you’ll be indisposed for at least one full day. Would that be enough?”
“Depends on how much time we’ll spend actually sleeping.”
Natasha just shook her head, amused, before the main door to the Tower slid open and J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice welcomed them.
After leaving their belongings on their respective floors, they went to the common floor, where Clint planned to cook something for them quickly.
As they left the elevator and the door slid closed after them, Clint noticed that in the living room was busier than he expected. Wanda was talking quietly to Bruce in the corner of the room, both of them drinking what he assumed was tea, while Scott was smiling brightly as he listened to Rhodey talk, Tony observing both of them, grinning the whole time. Sam, Steve and Barnes were nowhere to be seen.
After a short round of greetings Clint told Natasha he would bring her something to eat as soon as it was done, and as he went to the kitchen, Natasha joined Wanda and Bruce on the couch.
Clint couldn’t keep himself from yawning, the long flight back home finally catching up with him, but when he entered the corridor that led to the kitchen, all traces of sleep disappeared.
He definitely did not expect to see Sam pressing Steve against the wall with his body, one hand on Steve’s hip, the other one tangled in Steve’s hair. They were kissing slowly and Steve started moving his hand from Sam’s cheek down to his chest, then up again. Clint snorted as Steve moaned quietly, and only then the two broke the kiss. Clint didn’t even feel bad when he noticed how red Steve’s cheeks were.
“Damn it, Barton,” Sam hid his face in Steve’s neck right away, his fingers tightening around the material of Steve’s grey shirt. “Seriously?”
“Hey, don’t mind me. I’m just going to use the kitchen and then I’m gone,” he smirked.
Sam and Steve did not move from where they were standing, didn’t even answer, but Clint did notice a small smile appearing on Sam’s face as Steve wrapped one arm around his waist. Clint went to the kitchen, smiling to himself. Of course they finally made a move when he wasn’t even there to ask Sam how did things go exactly, but he was happy for them.
Deciding to make omelets, easy to make but very filling, he opened the fridge, while Sam and Steve started whispering something. When he heard Sam’s short, quiet laugh, followed by more whispering, and then two sets of footsteps, which meant they were leaving, he couldn’t help himself from reacting.
“Have fun, guys!”
He didn’t expect to get an answer, but he started laughing when Sam just muttered something unintelligibly in reply.
The next time he was making cookies, he remembered to make also a celebratory batch for Sam. The expression on Sam’s face when he heard Clint calling them “celebratory cookies” was priceless.
Yes, he was definitely happy for his friends.