Phil and Clint have a routine. Clint gets bored and Phil gets punished for it. It's how they work and much as Phil complains sometimes, he likes it. It's dependable. Since the Avengers came together, Clint hasn't gone a day without dropping by Phil's office at least once for some reason or another. Not that he didn't stop by before, but now it was a sure thing. Every day. That was how Phil knew that something was wrong. He found himself hitting dinner time without a single visit
( ... )
It was a personality of aspect that Clint loved about Phil. His optimism. Even if he didn't enjoy the sparse conversations about his hero Captain America -- Clint listened because it was fun to listen to the stories. He probably knew just as much about Steve Rogers and the Howling Commandos as Coulson did because he had spent time listening to what his handler had to say about him. Asked questions when he was bored enough to want to listen to Coulson drone on about the super soldier. Of course, he made fun of Coulson's vintage card collection. He didn't really laugh that much after he had seen the card collection ruined, covered in Phil's blood. Clint had spent the next week or so hunting down the exact same collection. It was more crisp then before. He made sure they looked exactly the same as they had before
( ... )
More than talking about Captain America, Phil had just liked talking to Clint. He liked that Clint would ask him questions and want to hear what Phil had to say. Not that his excitement for the Captain wasn't strong. He was a huge fan and he loved any excuse to talk about him. Clint just tended to give him the most excuses. Most of the other agents would try to change the subject or make it into a joke. Clint listened. Clint asked questions and even listened with a straight face sometimes. It was like he wanted to hear Phil talk about it. It was nice
( ... )
Once they got back to Clint's emptied room, he'd have to give him the set he had collected for him. It wouldn't be the same as it had been before. The lack of sentimental value might be associated with it. After all, Fury had ruined the entire first collection to bring the Avengers together. There was a good cause to it all, but it just wasn't executed as well as it could have been in Clint's eyes. Before he had found out that Coulson was still alive. He raised Hell about the trading cards and took them back to his room. He still had those until Phil came back, then he figured that it would be more plausible for Fury or Hill to explain how they got in the condition they did otherwise Clint would have just hovered over them. He had tried to clean them off anyway that he knew how. But it didn't really work as well as he had hoped they would. Hence why he had bought an entirely new set in hopes of replicating it for his friend
( ... )
He almost considered getting Steve to sign them instead.
He did mean it like that. But Phil was an fairly intelligent man. Clint figured he could come up to the conclusion himself. Clint usually wasn't so brash when it came to things like that. When it was just him and Nat, things just fell together because they both were caught up enough. It didn't seal together a relationship with them. It just sealed together their bond as partners. Phil was different. Clint never admitted his feelings for the man until he thought the man was gone forever. He still hadn't said anything about them. There was a slight fear of ruining the relationship they had built over the years. "Yeah, you're boring voice. Droning on and on." Clint chuckled, wrinkling his nose when he offered to tell him more about Steve. "Or you can tell me more about someone else. Not yourself. I know you like you know Rogers, boss." He didn't feel like it was awkward to admit that. He figured it was the same way when it came to Coulson as well. Coulson,
( ... )
Phil was well-aware that Rogers had, surprisingly, really lived up to Phil's idea of him. He was a great man, a great American hero, but he wasn't the only one. As far as Phil was concerned, every single one of the Avengers had lived up to that ideal. He wasn't surprised about Clint or Natasha or Rogers. He hadn't even been all that surprised about Stark. He'd known that there was a good man hiding under all of that alcohol and ego. Just because he wasn't surprised didn't mean he wasn't proud, though. He was proud of all of them, but he was most proud of Clint. Clint had come so far. He had been through so much. Phil had always known that he could do great things, but to see that happen? It filled him with an indescribable amount of pride. He was so damn proud of Clint, of the fact that that was someone that he'd had a hand in recruiting and training
( ... )
The problem with Phil being proud of him for being the hero that he was; both to the public and to SHIELD, was that Clint didn't see himself as a hero. He hardly envisioned himself someone who fought in the name of truth, justice, and that bullshit about the American Way. The Avengers were still the mismatched group of heroes, but they all seemed to accept their role as Earth's defenders. Clint hardly felt like he belonged amongst any of them, not because of the things he did under Loki's control (though that was a contribution to his insecurity). It was the fact that when he compared himself to the others (except Tasha) they all had better lives leading up to their heroic debut. Clint had been that kid who dropped out of school, he never even finished elementary school. He knew the basics to get him by but his only strength was the fact that he was quick to think on his feet and he would always make the shot when they needed him too. When it compared to Stark's wealth and fame. Rogers' strength and integrity. Banners's
( ... )
The way Phil saw it, Clint was just as big a hero as any of the other Avengers. He's stepped up along with them, no powers or impressive suits. He'd just had his bow and his brain and he's risked his life to stop those things. Clint was a hero, no doubt about it. Phil would never not see him that way. Clint belonged on the team. Phil couldn't picture the team without Clint. It was why he wished that Clint would let himself really become part of the team
( ... )
Clint could see them work well without him there. Not as well, but he was sure Stark or SHIELD could find somewhere to accommodate the position of sniper in some way. But it truly wasn't something Clint was going to say anything against regardless. He had become part of the team without truly realizing it. After the Manhattan incident, when the Avengers were called to deal with something else entirely. He was more than surprised to see that they sent someone to bring him into the briefing room to go over a game plan. He honestly wanted to tell Phil there was no other feeling in the world then having Captain America look dead in your eyes and tell you to suit up. Because it was a little embarrassing to admit to the fact that he was sort of looking up to him in some way. Clint respected Rogers. But he respected Phil more. Sure, Steve was an American hero. Nationally acclaimed and looked on upon as someone who would always come to save the day when it needed to be done. Clint always looked towards Phil as the true hero of the
( ... )
Oh, Phil knew that Clint had commitment issues. There were plenty of reasons why he might, so Phil didn't prod it. If Clint wanted to talk about it, he could come to Phil. Phil wouldn't enjoy it, but he would listen, because that was what friends did. They listened and they were supportive and they didn't force the subject. He would suck it up if Clint did want to talk, but thankfully he didn't
( ... )
Seeing as "I have a big hunking crush on my handler" was the primary reason behind his so-called commitment issues. It didn't exactly make coming to Coulson a reasonable option for Clint. He didn't want that to be the way he told Phil that he felt something for him. By saying every kiss with a woman lately just felt stale. The sex was just boring but if he didn't feel like gaining a reputation or keeping up with his past relationships -- then he would have just foregoed it altogether. After all, there had been a lot of moments on "dates" where he just had to think about Phil and it made things a little more better for him. Easier to get along with them even though their conversation skills (to Clint) were lacking in his mind. When it came to Phil, there was no awkward conversations about anything. They didn't need to dance around each other when it came to getting down to either business or just to pass the time. A little thing Clint had discovered after the years of working with him, talking to him over comms when he was
( ... )
Phil knew that he was competent. He was more than competent, really, and he was confident in himself. He was not, however, interesting. Aside from his job, he had pretty ordinary hobbies in what little of his free time remained. Even growing up, he'd been more interested in pursuits like Dungeons and Dragons or reading a good book than in anything that would be popularly described as fun. As such, he knew that outside of work, he didn't have much he could say that would interest most people. He honestly treasured those times that they were forced to spend talking only to each other. How else could he spend so much time talking to Clint at all? That the man even listened to him talk about Captain America or whatever else meant a lot to him
( ... )
If Clint wasn't at all in his perfect comfort zone when he was around Phil; he'd be all ears when Coulson talked about himself. Phil seemed to have the childhood he never had and enjoyed listening to stories about his family life. The fact that he was one of those kids who played Dungeons and Dragons or read instead of choosing to do anything else would have bored most people. But Clint was never bored. He even asked questions about it when he was slowly drifting off to sleep or when his mouth was full (if Clint had struck up conversation when they were having a meal together). The books that Phil raved about when it came to "his favorite books in high school" were on top of Clint's dresser because he felt as though if he knew what Phil liked -- he'd understand him even more than he did now. Answer questions and get more involved in conversations that didn't involve weapons or a mission. Not that; that was the majority of their conversations together. They honestly talked about anything that was on their mind when they were
( ... )
"Clint..." Phil hadn't planned to rebuild his collection. It had been sentimental and he hadn't thought that a new set would mean as much. He was wrong. This set, it just meant something different. Phil couldn't remember ever having a friend do something like this for him. It was too much. He smiled down at the box and placed it on Clint's dresser before turning to him
( ... )
Clint didn't even feel like he had to say it at all when Phil told him he didn't have to do that for him. Yes, he did. The archer was probably just as angry at the usage of the trading cards as Phil was when he found out. Clint didn't know...he wasn't there when Fury told him. He didn't exactly see the point in having them be a martyr as well. If Phil had truly been dead, Clint would have wanted to keep the cards in mint condition somewhere in his room. The ruined cards were, however, given back to Phil once he came back to the fold. He paused for a moment before shrugging as he watched his handler walk towards the bed. "Yeah, I did." He took in a deep breath as he scooted over on the bed to make some room for Phil to lay down. "I know they're not the same as before. I tried to get as close as the old set as before..." He didn't want to point out he was a complete loser when it came to making sure they were also in the same state as the others. He was sure Clint would notice somewhere down the line
( ... )
Phil wrapped an arm loosely around Clint's shoulder, hand brushing through his hair. He'd just hit Clint in the head with his gun. The least he could do was be comforting in the aftermath. Not that he didn't want to be here, because he did. There were few things he wanted more than to just lie here with Clint and pretend that there was something more to it. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend that Clint really wanted him here and not just because of the trust between them, but because he was the person Clint most wanted in his bed for any reason
( ... )
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He almost considered getting Steve to sign them instead.
He did mean it like that. But Phil was an fairly intelligent man. Clint figured he could come up to the conclusion himself. Clint usually wasn't so brash when it came to things like that. When it was just him and Nat, things just fell together because they both were caught up enough. It didn't seal together a relationship with them. It just sealed together their bond as partners. Phil was different. Clint never admitted his feelings for the man until he thought the man was gone forever. He still hadn't said anything about them. There was a slight fear of ruining the relationship they had built over the years. "Yeah, you're boring voice. Droning on and on." Clint chuckled, wrinkling his nose when he offered to tell him more about Steve. "Or you can tell me more about someone else. Not yourself. I know you like you know Rogers, boss." He didn't feel like it was awkward to admit that. He figured it was the same way when it came to Coulson as well. Coulson, ( ... )
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