This happened late one night. It just sort of wrote itself like my stories so often do. Read away, darlings.
Of Late Nights and Take Out Chinese
Philip Coulson was the type of man that led two lives, neither of which ever crossed paths until Clinton "Hawkeye" Barton. Coulson had been living two lives since his first couple of years out of college. He'd come out of university thinking that he'd be doing office work for a small organization and landed himself as a trainee for S.H.I.E.L.D. He still isn't sure how that happened quite honestly, so don't even bother asking. That was when Agent Coulson became an entirely different person from Phil Coulson. You can't exactly tell people that you are a special agent for a secret government facility.
For over ten years, Coulson quickly moved up the ranks and eventually became a handler himself. That was when he met Hawkeye and realized that his double lives may not get to stay as separate as they had been before. Over months of training Hawkeye became Barton, and Sir became Coulson. A few years in, Barton became Clint and Coulson became Phil. The two had formed a strong friendship over nights of paperwork and cold take out which led to 'That Night' as the two had taken to calling it.
It's a few years before the Avengers Initiative is started, and the two men have just finished the paperwork for a mission that involved a trip to hidden islands and Clint spending a few nights on the roof of a well known hotel to gather intel. The two are sharing a few containers of Chinese take out while lounged out on the couch. Clint has his head in Phil's lap and is flipping through one of the magazines that Phil keeps in his office for Agent Romanova who likes to flip through them during her weekly meetings. Phil occasionally gives the archer a few bites of food, not even having to wait for the other agent to ask for more. Things like that have been happening more often. Things are passed without words being spoken or even a glance in the other's directions. Clint has even dropped a kiss to the older man's head before leaving the office one night, neither man is really phased by it.
Somehow the conversation progresses to office gossip in the break room, specifically the rumor that Agent Hill and Directory Fury are going over more than just paper work over in their nightly meetings. Clint finds the idea revolting and has to sit up after choking on a piece of sweet and sour chicken when his over active imagination runs wild. Phil laughs and hands him a drink, his hand rubbing soothing circles on the other's back. Clint regains his breath and falls back against the other man muttering 'I hate you' through a final cough. Phil knowingly chuckles 'No you don't' and slips his arms around the other. It isn't a deep proclamation of love. There are no huge romantic gestures or passionate touches. However after that, there are exchanges of kisses, hands being taken as they walk to their favorite restaurants and 'me' slowly becomes 'we'. It isn't long after that Phil finally lets someone from his 'S.H.I.E.L.D life' into his 'family life'.
Okay so here we have it. Let me know what you think if you do so wish. I'm thinking about making a follow up of Clint meeting Phil's family and maybe some snapshots of their lives after the Avengers Initiative, but I'm not completely sure as of yet.
Thanks for reading,
Cassie.