Clint | Pietro

SUN 17 MAY

The first thing Clint does when he wakes is curse Natasha, curse himself, and then Stark - because he knew, he just knew that he would weasel his way into their weekend somehow. It was supposed to be Clint and Nat, just like the old days. Then it was Clint and Nat, plus Steve. He didn't mind Steve tagging along, not really. Steve was a happy-ish drunk, when he wasn't talking about Bucky this, and Bucky that.

But then there was Stark, and Clint really doesn't even want to think about that right now.

He rolls over onto his back, winces at the harsh morning light spilling in through the window, and lifts an arm to his face, shielding his eyes from the blinding sun. His skull is pounding and his mouth tastes like an ashtray, and that he also blames on Stark. If the world were to end right now, right in this very moment, he'd probably blame Stark for that as well.

With a groan, he pushes himself up from the bed, knees clicking and locking along the way, and shit, he feels old, too old for Stark's shit.

Clint draws the curtains across and crawls back into bed with every intention of staying there - until his phone goes off. It keeps buzzing, until Clint groans and fumbles for it blindly, knocking it off the bedside stand and onto the floor. Clint half-groans, half-whimpers, and stretches for the phone until his fingers curl around it in victory.

[10:47AM] INCOMING CALL: LAURA

He lets the call go to voicemail. Doesn't really feel like doing that, not yet, not this early and with a hangover this bad. Clint unlocks the phone with a single swipe and stares down at the list of notifications, blinking hard to clear his vision.

(3) New Messages

(1) Missed Call

(1) New Voicemail

He flicks through the messages slowly, surprised to see that Pietro is finally talking to him. And, according to Clint's most recent messages, they've been getting rather chatty. Clint's heart lurches in his chest because he doesn't remember texting Pietro. He remembers Nat stopping by, with a somewhat apologetic look on her face as he opened the door.

A second later, Stark burst inside. Clint remembers shuddering - it felt as if a ghost or demon had crossed the threshold.

He remembers the drive to the bar, the many drinks, the way that Steve and Tony bickered for hours like an old married couple. More drinks, after that. The liqour helped loosen his tongue, made him finally break the silence and message Pietro.

Clint scrolls up until he reaches what is the very first message of the night, and it is quite possibly the worst. He doesn't even need to read the others, not yet, not when this one is so cringeworthy. Clint wants to throw his phone across the room and crawl back under the covers, but it's too late. The messages are already gone. Lost, just like the rest of Clint's dignity.

[9:56PM]:

god i miss you

[9:59PM]:

its not fair. we dont even know each other

[10:03PM]:

so why do i miss you

[10:26PM]:

so mr Im Too Pretty To Make Friends is still ignoring me?

[10:28PM]:

i dontr know what im doing

[10:34PM]:

is something wrong?

[10:39PM]:

you stopped talking to me

[10:39PM]:

does that count?

[10:45PM]:

you have been drinking

[10:46PM]:

why was I not invited?

[10:49PM]:

too young

[10:50PM]:

here we go again

[10:52PM]:

not for drunk. for me.

[10:53PM]:

.....

[10:55PM]:

there is something I need to say

[10:56PM]:

can I call you?

[10:58PM]:

yes

And just like that, Clint's headache suddenly becomes much, much worse.

The text messages end after that, much to Clint's dismay. He doesn't remember. Not that, not the sound of Pietro's voice, or whatever it is that he had to tell Clint. Something in his stomach lurches when he brings up call history and sees an incoming call at 11:03PM that lasted for 47 whole minutes. He promptly shoves his phone under his pillow and pretends that doing so will somehow make everything better.

Clint flops back down on the bed with a sigh, and drags the covers back up over his head.

Shit.

SUN 17 MAY

[1:11PM]:

are we not going to speak of last night?

[1:12PM]:

that is if you are awake

[1:16PM]:

So he's talking to me now?

[1:16PM]:

I was getting used to talking to myself. What with all the silent treatment that was going on...

[1:17PM]:

And then I spoke to Wanda, which was just delightful.

[1:18PM]:

big night last night eh?

[1:18PM]:

was there a special occasion?

[1:19PM]:

That depends on what you define as "special".

[1:24PM]:

oh?

[1:25PM]:

Beer and bad jokes. That's really it.

[1:26PM]:

that is not so bad

[1:30PM]:

Really? I figured kittens and cronuts would be more of your thing.

[1:31PM]:

well you figured wrong ;-)

[1:33PM]:

so are we going to speak of last night?

[1:34PM]:

I'm almost afraid to ask.

[1:35PM]:

But I'm going to anyway. What did I say? Was it really that bad?

[1:36PM]:

Please keep in mind that I was very, very drunk.

[1:38PM]:

you mentioned something about your undying love for me

[1:39PM]:

and how you are sorry for being such a grump all the time

[1:41PM]:

you also said that you were going to give me lucky as consolation

[1:43PM]:

Consolation? For what?

[1:45PM]:

for having to suffer your friendship

[1:47PM]:

:-)

[1:49PM]:

Nice try, brat. Lucky and I have a bond. You wouldn't understand.

[1:51PM]:

so do snowball and I

[1:52PM]:

You mean that feather duster excuse for a cat? You seriously named it snowball?

[1:53PM]:

why not

[1:54PM]:

you suggested the name

[1:55PM]:

I wasn't being serious. You realize that, don't you?

[1:56PM]:

yes

[1:56PM]:

I just happen to like the name

[1:57PM]:

also this is coming from a man that named his dog lucky

[1:57PM]:

because the dog is lucky? snowball is a snowball. it is the same thing.

[1:59PM]:

Hey, hey, it's all good. No need to get catty.

[2:01PM]:

that was terrible

[2:01PM]:

you can do much better

[2:04PM]:

Yeah, I know. I'll work on it. So, what else did I say to you?

[2:05PM]:

you said that you would buy me many things. nice things.

[2:06PM]:

also, i get your farm.

[2:08PM]:

What? Why do you get my farm?

[2:09PM]:

And how do you know I live on a farm?

[2:09PM]:

you told me last night

[2:10PM]:

Of course I did.

[2:12PM]:

Was this before or after I confessed my undying love for you, and promised you many nice things?

[2:13PM]:

after

[2:15PM]:

Anything else?

[2:17PM]:

no, you fell asleep on me shortly after :-)

[2:19PM]:

Did you really not read that before you sent it?

[2:19PM]:

Seriously, kid.

[2:20PM]:

I've seen your smile. You're not that naive.

[2:20PM]:

my smile?

[2:25PM]:

Yeah. The shit eating grin in the Snapchat you sent me of you and the fuzzball.

[2:26PM]:

ohhhh, yes. what did you think?

[2:27PM]:

I already told you what I thought of Quicksilver Jnr.

[2:28PM]:

not of her

[2:29PM]:

of me

[2:32PM]:

I'm pretty sure your ego is big enough as it is.

[2:33PM]:

you said i was not bad looking

[2:35PM]:

Yeah? So?

[2:36PM]:

so, nothing

[2:38PM]:

will I ever get to see what you look like?

[2:45PM]:

But you've already seen what I look like?

[2:46PM]:

You see me every morning, playing chess with the other old guys.

[2:47PM]:

cliiiiiiiiiiint

[2:48PM]:

pieeeeeeetro

[2:51PM]:

:(

[2:59PM]:

check your snapchat. i am making second lunch.

[3:02PM]:

Second lunch? What are you, a hobbit?

[3:03PM]:

it is called second breakfast, not second lunch

[3:06PM]:

So he knows what a hobbit is, but has no clue who Roadrunner is.

[3:13PM]:

Those pancakes don't actually look half bad.

[3:19PM]:

honey or maple syrup?

[3:20PM]:

Maple. Were those blueberries on the side?

[3:24PM]:

mmmmmm yes

[3:25PM]:

As much as I want to sit here and visualize what you look like while eating pancakes, I gotta go.

[3:26PM]:

:-)

[3:28PM]:

:-)

SUN 17 MAY

[11:29PM]:

So here's what I wanna know.

[11:29PM]:

How did you manage to get Wanda's number mixed up with mine?

[11:31PM]:

she changed her number. wrote it down for me. i read the digits wrong.

[11:32PM]:

She sure is something else.

[11:35PM]:

yes she is

[11:37PM]:

we have always looked out for each other

[11:39PM]:

I get that.

[11:39PM]:

Did she tell you about our conversation?

[11:40PM]:

we tell each other everything

[11:41PM]:

Don't tell her that I said she scares me. Maybe leave that part out?

[11:42PM]:

maybe. we will see. :-)

[11:46PM]:

what are you up to?

[11:49PM]:

Having some beers while watching the game.

[11:51PM]:

careful, old man. if you drink too much you might confess your love to me again..

[11:53PM]:

We wouldn't want that now, would we?

[11:56PM]:

are your friends still staying with you?

[12:04AM]:

Yup

[12:05AM]:

They're going home tomorrow.

[12:08AM]:

and then you will be all alone again?

[12:10AM]:

Who says I'm alone?

[12:11AM]:

you don't mention family.

[12:14AM]:

Yeah, well, neither do you. You only mention Wanda. That's it. You're not exactly open either.

[12:21AM]:

wanda is my only family. our parents died when we were children.

[12:23AM]:

Oh, crap.

[12:25AM]:

I'm sorry. Really, I am.

[12:26AM]:

I feel like a dick.

[12:31AM]:

I think of them every single day

[12:34AM]:

but I am grateful to have my sister. without her I would be lost.

[12:37AM]:

You were wrong, when you said I'd be all alone again. I'm not. I won't be.

[12:39AM]:

because you have lucky?

[12:45AM]:

And you.

[12:46AM]:

and me. xx

yes, Pietro really did name his kitten "Snowball" :-)