I'm Alive 2
Author's note: The idea for this one shot came to me while I was listening to song "I'm Alive" by Shinedown off of The Avengers soundtrack. ~Enjoy.
It had been three months since Tony had last seen Clint. Three months of searching and hardship. Everyone had given up, but not Tony. Tony refused to accept Clint was dead. Clint, who had saved him after Pepper left. Clint, who had given him back his peace of mind. Clint, who he loved. Who he couldn't live without. Tony decided to try one more time.
It wasn't hard, forcing his way into the cave. It wasn't hard to blow past all the men dressed in black, the men who were shooting at him. It was hard to be unsuccessful again. It was hard not to see Clint one more time. It was hard to say goodbye. It wasn't hard to give up or to fall on his back. It wasn't hard to close his eyes and let the men attack him without defending himself. It was hard to be shaken back to reality and to open his eyes to a ghost.
"Tony! Tony what are you doing?" Clint yelled leaning over him.
Tony laughed, "So this is what heaven is like, or is this hell? No, it's definitely heaven if you're here."
Clint blinked, "Tony, what are you talking about? I'm here. I'm alive."
Tony shook his head, "That's impossible. You disappeared. You didn't come back. You were gone. You left me." He whispered.
Clint reached down and grabbed Tony's metal hand and pressed it to his face, "I would never leave you."
Tony choked back tears as he wrapped his arms around Clint, bring the archer closer to his armor, "You promise?" He mumbled into Clint's neck.
Clint pulled back and look at Tony, "I promise."
Tony hugged him again before gunshots brought them back to the situation. "Can you fight?" Clint asked look down at the Iron Man suit that looked as if it had been to hell and back.
Tony's visor folded back down, covering his face. The systems looked okay but his weapons were offline, "I can fight, but I don't have anything long range."
Clint smirked and stood up and snapped open his bow, "I've got it covered."
Clint helped Tony up and they backed against the wall. "On the count of three," Clint said, "One, two, three." And he let off and explosive arrow that blasted the iron door off its hinges and into multiple people behind it.
Tony fought around Clint, keeping the men from getting close and giving him room to fire off arrows. They moved from one corridor to another, the same way Tony had fought through initially until they reached the mouth of the cave. Clint stuck an arrow above the opening and it detonated, causing the rocks to cave in and seal off the entrance.
Tony flew them back to New York; they were silent for the entire flight. Back at the tower they were greeted by the rest of the team along with Fury, Hill, and Coulson. Tony stood back and watched everybody as they hugged Clint. Especially Natasha, who hugged him longer than anyone and almost cried. Tony almost cried to but he kept a smile. A sense of relief finally flooded over him and he left the room for a shower, leaving Clint to explain himself alone.
Tony laid in bed and waited for his archer. It was almost an hour before Clint crawled under the covers next to him. The genius rolled over and laid his head on Clint's chest, listening to his heartbeat, feeling his chest rise up and down with every breath. "Are you going to explain?" He asked after a long time.
Clint sighed, "I don't even remember what happened. One moment I'm helping Cap and then the next thing I remember is waking up in that cave. They didn't even take my weapons, they just kept me there. Time seemed to blur together as the days warped into months and then there was a disturbance and next thing I know I hear your repulsors and then I don't. I finally make it out and you were laying there. You had found me. I was alive again."
Tony felt Clint's breaths stagger as he told his story, "I never gave up. You saved me once and when you disappeared I almost fell apart again but I kept looking even after no one else would help. I'm just glad you're okay."
Clint kissed the top of his head, "I love you." He whispered into the genius' dark hair.
Tony smiled into the archer's chest as his breaths became even and slowed as he drifted off into unconsciousness, "I love you too."