Their arrangement worked very well. Then again due to work, they were used to being without one another for a certain amount of time. Still, the thought of Tony alone at the Tower with the Maximoffs and Vision didn't make him happy. The twins still disliked Tony, but at least they had begun to realise that the man wasn't all bad and with Vision there to keep things from blowing up, it wasn't technically bad. Except Clint knew Tony hated Vision. The android himself was lovely, but every time Tony heard him speak all he could picture was JARVIS there as an android wearing a suit with blond hair and blue eyes along with a gentle and loving smile. He had FRIDAY now, but despite loving his girl, he missed J dearly. Clint knew that his husband probably cried himself to sleep at night and that just made his heart hurt.

—LINE BREAK—

"How are the mini agents and agent sister?" Tony asked as he hugged Clint, who had come to visit him in New York,

"They're great. Exhausting, but great. More importantly, how has my gorgeous husband been?"

"Fabulous."

"Tony."

"Not so great." Tony relented and slumped further into Clint's chest, "I can't sleep. Can't eat. Avoid the troublesome threesome." They spent the rest of the day snuggled into each other, soaking up the others comfort as they reacquainted themselves both verbally and physically.

"Any word from Banner?"

"Nope, Bruce-Bear's gone."

"Bastard."

"Clint!" Tony exclaimed apparently hearing the man's muttering,

"He left you to clean up! Let you take the blame for Ultron and all that, despite the Witch's fault in it all, you both did build him and that's what the public look at when they blame people. And now he's fucked off leaving you to clean up the pieces!"

"Can we…can we not do this again, Clint. I'm tired." Taking a good look at the smaller man, he spied the exhaustion and knew it went deeper than lack of sleep.

"Okay." He murmured pressing a kiss to Tony's forehead, "I love you."

"And I love you."

—LINE BREAK—

"Why is Cap telling me to join him and free the Twins?"

"Because he's a fucking idiot who decided to tear the Avengers apart and ignore the Accords," Tony answered when Clint arrived at the Compound unannounced. The sandy-haired man took one look at the defeat and exhaustion on his husband's face, "So, you here to let me down nicely before grabbing them and going?"

"No." His answer seemed to confuse Tony and he clenched his fists, "No, I'm going with you. We're going to talk to the wonder twins, then we're going to pull Rogers head out of his fucking arse."

"I love you." Tony murmured as he pressed a kiss to Clint's lips,

"And I love you."

They were too late. Vision had been thrown through multiple floors of the Tower and the Twins were gone. Though there was a note.

'I don't have long to write this but a man called Sam Wilson came and got us.
I didn't want to go but Wanda did so I've had to follow and make sure she stays alive.
I'm sorry for what she did to Vision and I will try to talk some sense into her.
I understand that we need the Accords and when this is over I would like to sign them if I'm allowed.
If there's a fight, I will join your side, Mr Stark. Even if it means going against my sister.
-Pietro'

"That's…nice." Clint murmured,

"Out of both of them, Pietro's the only one who's actually taken the time to talk to me. He's even apologised. Wanda isn't happy with our arrangement, but she blatantly ignores it."

"I repeat, that's nice," Clint said again only this time without hesitation.

"Yeah. It's…odd having someone on my side, who…"

"Isn't your husband, brother or CEO slash almost mother?" Tony chuckled as Clint referenced Rhodey and Pepper.

"Yeah. Exactly."

"Let's go get 'em."

—LINE BREAK—

It was five against seven. Tony told Pietro, who had blatantly stood beside the older man much to the disgust of his sister, that he should go home, but he refused. They had T'Challa, the King of Wakanda aka the Black Panther and almost went to get Spider-Man to join, but as the battle turned south, Tony was glad he didn't bring the kid in for backup. They had the upper hand. They still lost. Fighting escalated from a simple talk, just like Tony knew Steve would do.

The Super Soldier's got away and Vision was busy holding an unconscious Wanda as the archer handcuffed Scott. Clint froze when he heard Tony scream.

"Rhodes!" Turning he found the War Machine suit plummeting to the ground, Tony rushing after him as one of the Rogues followed. The distress on Tony's face at the sight of his unconscious and critically injured best friend would forever torment Clint.

—LINE BREAK—

"Are we going to Siberia then?"

"I am. You're not." Tony muttered, "Please." Whatever Clint as about to say froze at the pleading voice of his husband, "I need to do this alone and I need you to stay with…with Rhodey."

"He'll be alright. I promise you, Rhodey will be alright. I'll stay here, just know I'm not happy about it."

"I know." Tony leaned into the hand that was cradling his cheek,

"Be careful."

"Always am." Clint snorted but leaned in and kissed him gently conveying his love for the smaller man. They separated and Tony turned to Pietro, who had been standing awkwardly in the corner of the room, "Pietro. I'm sorry about your sister, but I am ever so grateful that you did what you felt was right and not what she did."

"It's…it's difficult I will admit and I'm not happy that she's been given such treatment but…"

"They won't be staying there. I'll try and get her back to the Tower or something. But I don't condone nor did I know that they'd end up on the RAFT."

"Thank you, sir."

"Tony. Call me Tony."

—LINE BREAK—

Hours later Clint arrived at the bunker in Siberia. Heart plummeting at the sight of his motionless, bloody and almost blue husband. Tony was rushed to the closest hospital, unaware that his husband was crying at the sight of him.

"We lost him twice. Once on the way here and during surgery. He's out of danger now." The doctor told Clint, who was waiting in Rhodey's room. "You can go see him now Mr Barton, but please be quiet, he hasn't woken yet."

"Thank you."

Inside the hospital room, Clint couldn't help but stumble back against the door at the sight of his unconscious and wounded husband. He was bruised, cut and covered in wires. No one wanted to see their loved ones in such a situation. The sandy-haired man clutched Tony's free hand tightly. Pressing his lips to it as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"God, Tony. You should've let me come. I should've pushed. I'm sorry." He sobbed into the hand,

"Don't blame…yourself…sweet…cheeks." Came a quiet murmur and Clint's eyes snapped up to find his husband's cinnamon ones squinting at him,

"I should've gone."

"No…one…could've predicted…the outcomes." His voice was hoarse and the archer urged him to have a bit of water. "Thank you." Tony coughed, "I started…the fight."

"I don't care! It was two Super fucking Soldiers against a human in an armoured suit! Then they fucking left you there to die! Also, even if you did start the fight, there would be a reason because I know you and you don't just start picking fights willy-nilly! Especially when you make promises because you promised Sam you'd go as a friend and I know you wouldn't break it."

"I…" Tony moved a shaking hand and wiped at his eyes before coughing and changing the subject, "How's Rhodey?" Clint, for once, accepted the conversation change, but both knew that it wasn't over.

"He hasn't woken up yet."

"But he's going to, right?"

"Yes. But, he's…Tony, he's paralysed in the legs." Clint tightened his grip on Tony's hand as he told his husband the truth, tears welled up in the genius' eyes and this time, he let them fall. Tony's free hand, that had wires attached to his IV, came up to cover his lips in the horror. He tried to silence his sobs, but Clint removed the hand in a gesture that simply told Tony to let it all out. His husband ended up crying himself asleep and Clint could do nothing but stare at him, one hand covering his lips as he leaned on it and the other clutching Tony's firmly as he too shed tears. For Tony. For Rhodey. For the fools that split the Avengers.

—LINE BREAK—

Tony and Clint spent the rest of the week holed up in Rhodey's room waiting for the man to wake up. The room was always silent save for the occasional hitch of breath as one of them cried silently and the whirring of the machines, even the nurses were quiet as they tried to be as respectful to the two (and Rhodey). Tony had been working nonstop on a tablet, Clint didn't know what it was but he had a suspicion it had something to do with his husband's hospitalised best friend.

Unsurprisingly, he was right.

—LINE BREAK—

"Oh thank god, you're awake." Tony all but cried in relief when he entered the room after being forced against his will sent home to have a shower. Rhodey was there somewhat awake talking to Clint.

"Tony -what happened to you?" Seemingly more awake now that Tony was there, Rhodey got straight to the point,

"I'm sorry, I wanted to be here when you woke up too, but Clint stuck Pepper on me and forced me to go home and-"

"God, Tones, I mean your injuries, what happened?"

"…I had a fight. Two Super Soldiers against Iron Man." Tony muttered but Rhodey gestured for him to come over and hug him, that's when the black man realised something was wrong with his own body.

"…what…is wrong with my…my body?" He whispered eyes wide, "Tony. Why can't I feel my legs?" Tony's own legs stopped working and the genius fell to the floor, a waterfall of tears streaming down his face,

"I'm sorry! Oh god, Rhodey, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. Please don't hate me. Please. Please. Please. I couldn't catch you. I roped you into this and you got hurt because of …because of me! I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Please. Don't hate me. Please." Before the sobbing man could ramble anymore and fall further into a panic attack, Rhodey interrupted him,

"Tones. Come here." Obediently, the genius did as told, his head bowed and eyes wide and wet, he looked like a kicked puppy. Rhodey opened his arms and Tony all but fell into them, "I don't blame you. No, I'm not lying. I chose to go. I believe in the Accords too." Clint smiled as the two stayed there hugging each other, tears silently trickling down both of their faces and the archer rubbed his husbands back before giving them some privacy.

—LINE BREAK—

"Halfway through December in 1991. Howard and Maria Stark die in a car accident." Tony stated into the silence of the night as he and Clint lay on their backs exhausted. The archer said nothing and the genius continued, "Or rather I should say a planned car accident. The Winter Soldier was sent by HYDRA to assassinate Howard and kill any witnesses." Tony's voice became slightly choked as he spoke, Clint clutched his hand. "I was shown…I saw…there was this…this video…of the soldier kill…killing my dad…of him strangling my mum!" He swallowed the sob that was threatening to come out, "Rogers knew. He fucking knew and didn't tell me!" Clint pulled him in close, hugging him tightly to his chest, "I…I don't blame Barnes…but all I could see was him killing my parents! Then Steve tried to lie and say he didn't know…but…but he did and…and I just fucking lost it."

"Ssh. It's okay. Let it out. Let it all out."

"All these…years I blamed my dad. I fucking blamed him…saying he killed her, but he didn't." Clint continued to murmur reassurances into his husband's ears as the man grieved all over again -even though a few months ago, Tony had just gotten over his grief for his final moments with his parents and now this had to happen. They eventually fell asleep with a final murmur to one another.

"I love you," Clint whispered,

"And I love you," Tony responded tiredly.


I hope you don't mind what I've done with Pietro and Tony, I don't like Wanda, but considering he died in the movies, I never had a problem with Pietro and I thought it would be cute to have them be friends...hopefully, you see it like that too!

Next chapter is more or less like a peaceful interlude before pain.

Anyway,
Thank you for reading,
Hope you enjoyed this,
Please review,
No hate -don't like, don't read

Bye~