Clint | Pietro | Nat


WED 20 MAY

For a moment, he's worried that Pietro's fallen asleep on him. But the silence doesn't last (it's hardly ever quiet, not when Pietro's right in his ear, chattering away about this and that, and Clint can't help but listen). Pietro makes a noise that's something between a laugh and a yawn. It's all mangled and just downright ridiculous, and Clint really shouldn't find it cute. He shouldn't, but he does - oh, he really, really does.

"You are not serious."

"Aw, come on." Clint says. "What reason would I have to lie to you? Especially about something like this."

"There are plenty of reasons, actually. First, perhaps you are trying to impress me."

Clint stifles a yawn, and rolls over onto his back. He's sprawled out on the mattress, with Lucky curled up near his feet. "Seriously? You think I'm trying to impress you by telling you I was in the circus? You think that story works on people? If I was trying to impress you, I'd-" the words catch in Clint's throat.

"You would, what?" Pietro asks.

"I - nothing. It was a slip of the tongue."

"I do not believe that you were in the circus," he says, carrying on easily. "Unless you were a clown. That I would believe."

"I wasn't a clown."

"Probably too grumpy to be a clown anyway."

"Yeah, that's exactly what they said when I applied. So. What was the second reason? Why would I lie about this?"

"Well, first you are trying to impress me. Or, second, you are lying to hide your true story." Pietro says, in between yawns. "What trick did you perform? Did you train the lions? Were you the one who played with fire, or did you dance with bears?"

"Mhm. That last one." Clint hums. "I danced with the bears. They gave me a tutu and everything. You know, you sound pretty tired. We can call it a night. Pick up where we leave off tomorrow. It's," he cranes his head back to look at the digital clock on the nightstand. "Yeah, it's getting late. You probably got shit to do tomorrow anyway."

"What have I said? I am never too busy for you, Barton."

"You're seriously full of shit."

"So you've said." Pietro laughs.

"You're, you know. Young. You should be out doing stuff. Not talking to me." Clint says, then quickly adds: "Not that I mind. At all. I mean, I like talking to you. You should know that by now. It's just...you shouldn't miss out on things. I don't want you to miss out on things."

because of me, Clint thinks, because I'll hold you back.

Pietro laughs again, but it doesn't sound quite the same. Beyond sounding tired, he sounds mildly pissed off. "Who says I am missing out?" he challenges. "I am missing out on nothing. I am happy. Should that not make you happy?"

"It does. Come on, you know it does."

"So? Enough with this old man nonsense." Pietro says. "You are not that old."

"I sure feel it sometimes."

"I will hear no more about this."

"Hah. You know, apart from Nat, I've honestly never had a friend as bossy as you. It's different. I mean, sure, Steve's kinda bossy but not in an obvious way. Steve just gives you this look and you immediately feel guilty, so yeah, of course you'll help him move all his shit over to Bucky's apartment even if it is all the way over in Brooklyn. Then there's Tony, and he's more of a pain in my ass than you've ever been. Don't even get me started on Tony. Sam's nice, yeah. He's a good - right up there with the rest of 'em. Up there with you."

"You sound happy," Pietro says. "When you talk about your friends."

"You're one of 'em."

"And you are sure about that? You are not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?"

"I'm not doing that. Cross my heart, and all that."

"Will you work tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Me too."

"Better let you get some rest then," Clint sighs, sitting up a little in bed. Lucky remains peacefully asleep, down by the end of the bed. Clint reaches down to pat him softly, smoothing a hand over his fur. He hears movement on the other end of the line. A soft rustle, before Pietro's voice returns.

"We will speak tomorrow?"

"Mhm. I'm sure we will. Can't live without you, obviously."

"Obviously." Pietro says. "Sleep tight, Agent Barton."

Clint laughs softly, and mutters under his breath, "Yeah, you too, you smart little bastard."

"What was that?"

"Nothin, babe. Go to bed. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

It doesn't really hit him until after hangs up. Clint brushes his teeth, washes his face, and climbs back into bed. He's losing. Lucky's sleeping next to him now, snoring away happily, and Clint's still losing. Losing a stupid, ridiculous dare. He reaches for his phone and sends a text off to Nat, knowing that she won't be awake, but he still needs to send it anyway and get it out of his damn system.

Even if she can't help, at least she'll take him seriously. Maybe.

[03:51AM]:

its not urgent but i need your help nat.

[03:53AM]:

im losing

Clint tosses his phone somewhere down near the end of the bed, and sinks further into the pillows. "Pull yourself together, Barton."


WED 20 MAY

[9:21AM]:

again, Barton? is this why Laura left?

[9:24AM]:

look, just message me as soon as you're conscious

[9:25AM]:

we'll figure this out, together.

[9:34AM]:

What?

[9:34AM]:

You know why Laura left.

[9:37AM]:

actually I don't know.

[9:40AM]:

what happened, Clint?

[9:42AM]:

We've had this talk a million times before, Nat.

[9:45AM]:

I changed. Laura changed. I wasn't there. And when I was around, I wasn't what she wanted.

[9:47AM]:

You know that already. All of it.

[9:51AM]:

that's an amazingly vague answer.

[9:52AM]:

but I'm not talking about Laura. I'm talking about your debt.

[9:54AM]:

who do you owe, Clint? and how much?

[9:57AM]:

....

[9:58AM]:

What?

[9:58AM]:

I'm not in debt. I paid it all back.

[10:05AM]:

you said you were losing, Clint. how much did you bet, and on what?

[10:08AM]:

I didn't bet a dime, Nat. I was talking about something else.

[10:13AM]:

I'm losing a dare.

[10:15AM]:

So I've only just realized how stupid that sounds.

[10:18AM]:

a dare?

[10:20AM]:

you sent me a text at 4 in the morning asking for help

[10:21AM]:

and it turns out you're talking about a dare?

[10:22AM]:

A stupid, stupid dare. Very stupid.

[10:23AM]:

do you even realize how worried I was?

[10:25AM]:

next time, I'm just going to forward the message to Tony and let him give you advice.

[10:30AM]:

Nat, c'mon. Don't threaten me with Tony.

[10:32AM]:

I'm sorry, alright? It was dumb. Just a stupid text.

[10:33AM]:

Please don't involve Stark.

[10:37AM]:

if you ever do that to me again, Barton, I will kill you.

[10:40AM]:

or I'll involve Tony.

[10:43AM]:

That's actually worse than death. Can we go back to the killing me thing?

[10:45AM]:

At least Death wouldn't hit on me.

[10:46AM]:

It'd be quick and easy.

[10:48AM]:

quick and easy, like that little fling you and Tony had?

[10:50AM]:

Yup. I was right. This is worse than death.


WED 20 MAY

[11:14AM]:

you were in my dream

[11:16AM]:

Oh boy.

[11:16AM]:

This should be interesting.

[11:18AM]:

promise it is not as bad as it sounds

[11:20AM]:

arent you even a little curious

[11:24AM]:

Ok. Lay it on me.

[11:27AM]:

so you were in the circus

[11:30AM]:

You know, it's funny, you said it wasn't a bad dream, yet I already hate where this is going.

[11:32AM]:

stop talking you are ruining my story

[11:34AM]:

i am trying to set the mood

[11:35AM]:

you are in the circus and you have one of those tiny pink bikes

[11:37AM]:

I was right. This is bad.

[11:40AM]:

you do not ride the bike instead you train the elephant to ride it which is strange

[11:40AM]:

the elephant is so big and the bike is tiny

[11:45AM]:

What happened next?

[11:48AM]:

that was it

[11:50AM]:

it was actually a very good dream

[11:52AM]:

very entertaining

[11:54AM]:

I was an acrobat. Not a lion tamer, or a clown.

[11:57AM]:

And I definitely didn't go anywhere near the elephants.

[12:05PM]:

for the sake of the story i am going to pretend that you did

[12:06PM]:

i also picture you breathing fire

[12:11PM]:

Nope. Didn't happen. Not a dragon.

[12:14PM]:

Have you even been to a circus? Like once, in your entire life?

[12:17PM]:

no

[12:17PM]:

not yet

[12:19PM]:

You gotta go. At least once.

[12:23PM]:

do you miss it?

[12:25PM]:

Sometimes, yeah. Miss it like crazy.

[12:27PM]:

and the other times?

[12:29PM]:

Not so much. There were good times. Some really good, some really bad.

[12:34PM]:

what did your family think?

[12:37PM]:

....

[12:41PM]:

Never had the chance to ask.

[12:45PM]:

So, what kinds of trouble have you gotten yourself into today?

[12:48PM]:

all kinds of course

[12:50PM]:

Of course.

[12:50PM]:

You sleep alright? I know we had a late one.

[12:52PM]:

it wasn't so bad

[12:52PM]:

the last thing I remember before falling asleep was the sound of your voice

[12:54PM]:

See? I can play nice. I had a good time.

[12:56PM]:

you called me a smart little bastard

[12:59PM]:

Ah. So you heard that.

[1:03PM]:

i also heard you call me babe

[1:06PM]:

Did I? I don't remember.

[1:08PM]:

....

[1:13PM]:

i am going to the store

[1:15PM]:

want anything?

[1:17PM]:

Already ate, I'm good.

[1:20PM]:

oh

[1:21PM]:

that was meant for wanda

[1:25PM]:

That's how we got ourselves into this mess in the first place, remember?

[1:27PM]:

A text meant for Wanda.

[1:30PM]:

i remember

[1:34PM]:

you were much grumpier back then...perhaps i have rubbed off on you

[1:37PM]:

Go buy some damn pancakes, kid.

[1:40PM]:

that's more like it

[1:44PM]:

Go on. I'm not going anywhere.


WED 20 MAY

[5:13PM]:

Is it safe to talk to you yet?

[5:18PM]:

depends on what you want to talk about.

[5:20PM]:

How about that dare?

[5:21PM]:

Promise it's not as stupid as it sounds.

[5:24PM]:

ok, but I'll be the one that decides whether it's stupid or not.

[5:26PM]:

start talking, Barton.

[5:30PM]:

So I met someone. Kind of.

[5:32PM]:

?

[5:32PM]:

Seriously? You too? What's with the?

[5:34PM]:

how do you 'kind of' meet someone?

[5:35PM]:

details. now.

[5:38PM]:

We're not exactly seeing each other.

[5:40PM]:

I don't see him that often. We do talk a lot. Calls, messages, etc.

[5:43PM]:

talking already? this early on? make sure you wear protection.

[5:46PM]:

Remind me why I talk to you about this stuff.

[5:49PM]:

because Tony's no help, and Steve's with his childhood sweetheart.

[5:50PM]:

which leaves just me, and Sam. want me to ask him?

[5:53PM]:

Right. I forgot you were a thing. And no, I don't want you to ask him.

[5:56PM]:

he wants to know where you met the mystery man?

[5:59PM]:

In the park.

[6:01PM]:

you picked up a complete stranger in the park

[6:04PM]:

Forget I said anything.

[6:05PM]:

Also, that's a pretty judgy tone, considering you met Sam in a park.

[6:07PM]:

that was different. Sam was running with Steve. I know Steve, and Steve knew Sam, therefore Sam wasn't a complete stranger.

[6:08PM]:

it's not the same thing. also, not judging.

[6:10PM]:

when do I meet him? ;)

[6:13PM]:

After I do

[6:15PM]:

?

[6:17PM]:

After I get to know him more and decide whether it's worth it

[6:23PM]:

because that's totally your style

[6:25PM]:

I'm kinda offended. I can take things slowly.

[6:28PM]:

you don't exactly have the best track record.

[6:30PM]:

Are you forgetting Laura?

[6:32PM]:

the longest relationship you've ever been in lasted just over two years.

[6:34PM]:

the rest are all too similar to that thing you had with Tony.

[6:37PM]:

There was no "thing" ok?

[6:39PM]:

And I thought we promised we weren't going to talk about said "thing" like ever again. Remember?

[6:40PM]:

actually, you promised. I just smiled and nodded along.


WED 20 MAY

Clint fidgets with his sleeve, toying with the frayed edges restlessly.

He'd bounce his knee up and down, if Lucky weren't splayed across his lap. Clint combs his free hand through Lucky's fur, scratching behind his ear, before smoothing down his back. It's late and Clint's bored, and Pietro still isn't answering. Clint can't stop checking his phone, which really, really isn't like him. About 10 or so minutes ago, he text Pietro asking if he was finally ready for the picture Clint "owed" him.

And in reply, Clint got nothing. No answer. No wink face or innuedo. Nothing.

He took the photo before Lucky crawled into his lap and dozed off. He hasn't been able to set it yet though - it's still on Snapchat, waiting to be customized, sent, and agonized over. His phone gives a soft bzz from where it's resting on the armrest, then another. Clint scoops it up a second later.

[11:27PM]:

i ran into a friend n we went for drinks

[11:29PM]:

would be home sooner if i knew u were sending it

[11:32PM]:

I'm having second thoughts.

[11:35PM]:

cold feet already? and here i thought we had a good thing

[11:37PM]:

and yes i always enjoy drinks

[11:40PM]:

what awre u waiting for? send away agent

[11:45PM]:

Alright, fine. I'll send it.

[11:47PM]:

I'm also preparing myself for the onslaught of old man jokes.

[11:48PM]:

I know they're coming, it's just a matter of when.

[11:52PM]:

promise not to laugh

[11:54PM]:

Who said anything about laughing?

Clint closes his messages and opens up Snapchat. Thankfully, the picture is still there. The timer's set to 10 seconds (a little too long for Clint's liking), there's a black and white filter on the picture because, well, he liked it better that way, and there's a simple message written across the image: happy?

Because if anyone is going to be happy about this, it's going to be Pietro.

He stares at the picture for a moment. Feels his phone vibrate, but doesn't check the text.

And it's not that Clint's not comfortable with himself, because he truly is. It's not that he's out of shape (not by any means) it's just he's not a 20-something year old anymore. He's not. Pushing that thought away to the farthest corner of his mind, Clint clicks the arrow that takes him to the next page where he ticks the box next to quicksilver007 and hits send before he can stop himself.

He stares at the Snapchat home page for what feels like a very long time, when in reality it's just a matter of minutes. The little red arrow next to quicksilver007 suddenly changes, and keeps on changing - Clint's barely able to keep up with it. Doesn't understand half of it, if he's being honest.

And then it goes blue, and luckily, Clint knows what that means. Kind of. Clint swipes the message open.


A/N: I haven't asked yet, but would any of you be interested in seeing Clint and Pietro meet? I've been thinking about it ever since I started writing this fic actually, and I've got a few solid ideas about what I could do, I guess I'm just wondering if that's something you'd be interested in reading.