"I see Bruce has an excellent taste", Tony had materialised at Clint's elbow and was watching the same spectacle as he did.
"Bruce is over there", Clint pointed to the opposite end of the room where Bruce had taken to hiding behind a large, exotic plant.
"I meant him", Tony gestured towards Coulson and the other guy. "Bruce Wayne is as rich as god and fantastic in bed on top of that although not as good as I am. But as I'm off the market I have to say that Phil has an excellent taste in men."
Clint scowled as Coulson laughed at something Bruce Wayne had said while Clint observed that Wayne had his hand on Phil's arm, his thumb caressing the inside of Phil's wrist.
"Jealous?" Tony grinned.
"None of your business"; Clint growled since Wayne had chosen that moment to lean closer to Phil and whisper something into his ear.
/
"You're a masochist", Tony commented casually when he sat down next to him later that evening.
"You only notice that now?" He asked dryly but didn't take his eyes off Phil and Bruce Wayne who were still dancing even though the band had switched from a fast jazz piece to a slow swing song.
Phil had even ditched the tie for tonight and Clint had caught a flash of Coulson's naked collarbones earlier. It shouldn't have been as erotic as it was.
"What's stopping you from going over there and cutting in?" Tony asked as if doing what he had just proposed was the simplest thing in the world.
"If he wanted me he would have asked. Coulson doesn't wait for things, he makes them happen", Clint said, watching as Bruce Wayne's hands slid lower, resting just above indecent.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but technically Coulson is your boss, right?"
"So what?"
"If he's asking you out he's putting pressure on you because he's your boss."
"Phil and I have been working together for years."
"Work is not the same as love. Believe me, I know."
"What are you trying to say?" Clint asked impatiently because all that was separating Coulson and Bruce Wayne was a very thin layer of air between their mouths.
"Go, get them tiger?" Tony offered with a grin.
Clint glared at him.
"Look, just go over there and kiss him. Then you'll have your answer. It's better than always wondering what could have been. And Coulson doesn't strike me as the type who would hold one single kiss over your head."
Clint was about to reply but then he saw Coulson press his lips to Bruce Wayne's. With a determined look he drained Tony's whiskey and marched over to the dance floor where he said something to Coulson and Bruce and finally gripped Coulson's arm to drag him out onto the deserted balcony.
Tony smirked. Mission accomplished.
/
"Clint, what –"Phil started in an annoyed voice but Clint didn't let him speak.
"I've made you laugh, I danced with you on that stupid masque ball in Budapest, I'm your friend, dammit and everyone in there from Bruce fucking Wayne to Natasha can line up behind me because I was here first! I get a chance before Wayne does." Clint stood there and waited to be inevitably shot down because if Phil was interested in him then he could have made a move ages ago. He didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell.
Instead Phil smiled, smiled like Clint was the most amusing, adorable thing he had seen in a long time.
"I've been waiting for this", he said, laying his hand over Clint's heart. "I didn't imagine it would take a speech from Tony to make you act but-"he shrugged as if to convey a general, opportunistic worldview.
"You planned this?" Clint asked disbelievingly.
"No", Phil admitted, "but I saw it as an opportunity to either make you jealous enough to act or to have a good time with a charming and very attractive man."
"You evil, opportunistic, scheming bastard!"
Phil looked unimpressed. "It's cold out here, Barton. So if you're not going to kiss me I'll go back inside to Bruce and – "Clint kissed him firmly. He would have liked to curse him a little longer, too but not at the danger to make him go back to Bruce Wayne.
"It's still quite cold out here", Phil smiled persuasively. "Let's go back inside."
"I've got a nice bedroom two floors down", Clint offered.
"If you can still tango like you did in Budapest, we have a deal", Phil whispered into his ear. It took Clint a moment to understand then he groaned.
"That was a horrible pun."
But Phil laughed unrepentantly and opened the glass doors to go back inside.
Clint grinned. Tango, he could.