…In the light of day.
Clint woke up groaning and certain that he would never play back up for Tasha ever again. Well that wasn't true, if she asked him to jump from the Empire State Building to save her life he would definitely do it, because it was Tasha and she'd have his back in the same way. Every part of his body hurt but it was his hand that worried him, he was feeling a weight on it, hot weight, it was weird, he moved his fingers, sighing when he had no problem doing it before realizing the weight was moving, the weight had fingers, and it wasn't Darcy or Tasha the hand was too big, he tried to remember where he was through the cloudy foggy part of his brain not totally shut down by the pain meds on the previous night.
Okay so Cap's place in DC, that's where he went, and it was easy since it's his building, Phil had help him invest some of the money he earned back when he was 'for hire' and convinced him that buying a building for SHIELD operative would pay well, which he was right about as always. 'Focus' he thought to himself, he fell on the couch because Steve was in the shower and it would have taken too much energy to explain why he joined him if he had followed through his first thought. He woke up hours later, someone had put a warm cover over him, the digital clock from the TV sound system told him it was 1:30 so Cap must have been asleep, he found a plate full of food and a note telling 'Make yourself at home' when he went to the fridge, thought about heating it up before deciding against if thinking it might wake Steve up, then instead of going back to the couch he followed the light breathing to the bedroom and got himself on the bed waking Steve up anyway and…
"Oh" Clint said remembering what they had talked about the previous night and why Steve was holding his hand in his sleep. He felt the other man's hand pull away after he talked but didn't want to open his eyes to look at him just yet.
"I thought you might not remember, just so you know we only talked." Steve said moving around to get out of bed.
"Don't go." Clint said pushing himself up until his shoulders started to protest and he grunted falling back down.
Steve looked at him through worried eyes but sat back into bed covering himself up with the sheets his back to the headboard.
"I remember what we talked about" Clint told him not sure of how to go about it. "It just took me a minute to get pass the painkillers fog."
"Shit!" Steve said trying to get up again so Clint crawled closer and put his arm around his legs to keep him from going anywhere.
"Stop trying to leave." Clint said remembering more clearly how easy it had been for Steve to get on with it a few hours before, how he seemed to have everything sorted out.
"Want to talk about it?" Steve asked with a grin on his already irresistible face.
"I might be fuzzy on some details." Clint admitted. "Did you ask me out?" Clint asked looking at Steve to see any trace of horror or surprise but only saw a bright amused smile. Clint swatted his thigh playfully. "Stop mocking me."
"I am not" Steve told him running his fingers through his short hair, making Clint regret not being able to let them grow longer. "You just have the most adorable confused face I have ever seen."
"Well you kind of caught me off guard last night." Clint tried to defend himself.
"Really?" Steve asked surprised. "Because Darcy seemed to believe I was pretty obvious since we've been left alone at the tower."
"Bruce and Betty?" Clint asked wondering if he was really the last one to know that Steve had a thing for him, he had seen him admire Darcy but who could blame the man, she looked like a pin-up right out of a 40's calendar and kept snuggling against one or the other of them.
"Bruce wouldn't see Betty if Darcy didn't put her in front of him from time to time. Betty caught me looking at the both of you but said she wouldn't tell anyone, she owed Darcy too much, and she is the one who said I should talk to both of you about it because she was tired of waiting to see which one of us would make the first move." He explained laughing.
Clint groaned into the pillow next to his head, he wouldn't deny he had been watching, gazing at Steve, but he thought he had learn to be more discreet about Darcy although maybe keeping her in his arms at all possibilities wasn't as subtle as he thought.
"You should take time, think about it." Steve told him nibbling his lips, something he had caught from Darcy a few months back and it drove Clint totally crazy especially at game night when the both of them would be lost in planning their next move and not realize the twin movement.
"Questions?" he asked and Steve nodded gesturing for him to go on. "I remember your little speech from last night, you already did that didn't you?"
"Bucky and Peggy." Steve say looking earnestly honest which was annoying. "Darcy had the same first question. Like I told her I'll explain later and none of you are replacement for them, you have some of their character traits, some of their wits, but at the same time you're all totally different."
Clint let out a breath he hadn't even know he was holding, Steve was smart telling things like that upfront, before it could become an issue but didn't mean it wouldn't end up being one someday.
"The bonds?" Clint asked because he knew it was something that Steve didn't understand didn't feel like he was a part of even though he was the one who made it happen in the first place.
"Like I said things to figure out." Steve said letting his head fall against the headboard. "I don't know how I'll react if something happens and you can feel it and I can't, I don't know if I ever be over the fact that you will forever love each other more than me, like I loved Bucky more than Peggy, you shared so much and will be sharing more in the future than either of you will ever be able to share with me." Steve explained and Clint wanted to protest but he was probably right, Clint liked Steve a lot was attracted to him like he never was of any man before but he had been in love with Darcy since the first time he heard her voice even if he only had admitted it to himself when he finally met her back at Puente Antiguo.
"We certainly can find a way to make you forget the bonds ever existed." Clint said sitting himself up next to him, not missing how Steve's gaze lingered over his bare chest, his lips between his teeth trying to get his mind back into the subject at hands.
"I don't have any doubts about it." He finally said smiling.
If they lost a few minutes just looking at each other no one had to know but them.
"I've never been with a man before." Clint told him honestly, settling himself back down on the bed snuggling against Steve thighs, not that he never thought about it but he never found someone he liked enough to give it a try before.
"I told you, you should take time to think about it." Steve reminded him, not looking as if he was in a hurry for anything.
"I think I did enough thinking, the past 4 months." Clint told him, sure he was a novice with men, never been in a three way relationship either, but if he had to choose who to get new experiences with, he would have chosen Steve and Darcy without thinking about it twice.
"You sure?" Steve asked stroking his fingers against the nape of Clint's hair trailing down to his shoulders making him moan.
"Mmm" He said nodding rubbing his nose against Steve's hip enjoying the moment for a little longer. It wasn't the first time the two of them hold on to each other and Clint had to admit it didn't feel weirder than when he was holding Darcy, maybe made him feel more curious.
"Darcy?" Clint finally asked because that wasn't a negotiable point.
"Woke up to my traitorous body one too many times." Steve said smiling, no doubt remembering the feel of Darcy's body against his.
"Tell me about it, JARVIS thought my preferred shower setup was cold for a long time." Clint told him groaning in his hands, he had quite of few of those problems himself but got it under control before Darcy could suspect anything.
"Did you really leave her alone in bed instead of telling her it was because of her?" Steve asked intrigued.
"She got that?" Clint asked thinking that maybe he could jump from the Empire State even without Tasha asking for it, it would be less painful than this talk.
"Seemed to think you were running away from her because it wasn't about her." Steve admitted and Clint was horrified.
"That's just crazy." Clint mumbled between his hands.
"I know I told her so. She said she caught on that after the first few times back at her room in Jane's Lab" Steve seemed to be amused with himself at least.
"I am an idiot." Clint grunted.
"Yep" Steve told him before he wasn't able to contain his laughter anymore.
Looked like the shy, stay back, won't touch them, or get all tense when he did have a chance to do it, Captain, was all a way to hide nervousness and anxiety, because right now Steve looked happy relaxed and like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders just by admitting what he really wanted out of life.
"God, you're beautiful." Clint heard himself say looking up at the little happy light dancing into Steve baby blue eyes.
"Need to get up, go see Peggy get back here and…" Steve stopped searching for his words one of his hands trailing up from the sheet tracing Clint's arm muscles all the way up to his collarbone letting his finger tip dance along his neck like light kisses, cupping his head in his palm and stroking his lips with his thumb looking for all the world as if getting out of this bed was the last thing on his mind, and honestly Clint could live without leaving the bed ever again as long as Steve continue to do that and Darcy was with them. As it was though he kissed the tip of Steve thumb before breaking the eyes contact looking anywhere but at Steve.
"Go!" Clint whispered, he wanted for it to sound more determined more like an order but he only managed to make it sound like 'stay' instead of 'go'.
"I…" Steve said before pulling Clint closer to him, and wasn't him being able to manhandle a grown super spy a turn on for Clint, kissing lightly his temple before getting out of bed. "Call Darcy she said she wanted to know as soon as we talked about it, she had ground rules until she got back." Steve put clothes on as if they were his uniform and they were needed for a battle, compared to the infinite time he had seen the man take after showers at the gym, he couldn't believe how blind he had been in the past couple of months.
As soon as Steve was out of the door, Clint got out of bed to retrieve his phone then took a minute to think about the 'no food in bed' policy and thought he'd get breakfast after he had talked to Darcy.
"Clint!" She cried out when she answered after only 1 ring. "So how is Steve's place?" she asked calming down suspiciously quick.
"Darce?" Clint asked curious.
"That's me." She told him clearly amused with herself.
"How do you know where I am?" He asked showing his annoyance.
"It's my job to always know where you all are." She said and for a second he thought it was logic, Tasha could have told her where he was, before he remembered he had told Tasha he was going to his place, he didn't even know why he was on the wrong floor other than he had missed Steve and knew the man would take care of him. How could Darcy know?
"I am going to need more than that." He growled at her.
"Okay, okay don't get all grr at me." She said and he could imagine her putting her hands in the air in defeat. "Steve sent me a text this morning saying you two would talk in the morning"
"Oh" Clint said trying his best to sound like he had bad news to tell her. "We did and he is gone now." Clint said putting all his training into sounding serious.
"You…" She started before audibly gulping. "Okay." She sounded actually disappointed.
"Darce? You actually thought it would work?" He asked seriously curious to know what she really thought about their possible future arrangement.
"Yes! Yes, I thought it would work! Honestly I wanted it to work, I saw how you two look at each other and I am not self-conscious enough to not see the way you both look at me too, and when Steve told me he wanted to ask me out all I could think was 'I don't want to do it without Clint' and he told me he wouldn't do it without you either and it felt perfect." She said sniffing a little which made him feel bad about lying to her. "I never even thought you would say no."
"I didn't." Clint rushed to tell her. "I am sorry I didn't know you would feel this bad about it, I just wanted to know why you said yes."
"That was really mean." She said pouting.
"Darce, I love you I can't wait for you to get home so we can be together, all three of us." Clint told her feeling really bad.
"What about Steve?" She asked because of course she would wonder about that.
"He isn't that hard on the eyes." Clint told her joking.
"You're lucky you're cute." She joked back.
"Darce, Steve said you had rules." He tried to change the subject.
"Oh yeah rules, where is Steve?" She asked.
"With Peggy." He told her "Said I should ask you the rules why he was there."
"You got something to take notes?" she asked clearly giggling.
"I think I can remember how to not screw up for once." Clint sighed.
"Yeah don't say that for starter no one is screwing this up, we've been leaving together and growing closer for 4 months we'll be fine." She scowled him.
"Rules Darce." He grew impatient, wanting to take time to shower and maybe sulk a little before Steve came back.
"Yes rules. First one, no one screws us up." She said giggling.
"Darce!" He sighed.
"What I am serious that's the most important thing." She said before continuing. "We have to talk about things, that's been a rule for me since Vegas but it has to be a rule for all of us." She didn't give him time to reply. "I didn't even get a kiss before leaving because he wanted to go see Peggy first…"
Clint had to interrupt her at that. "You can't ask me not to kiss him Darce, that's like torture, you're planning on staying with Jane for a month."
"I am not that mean, Crazy man." She said laughing. "But no sex without me."
"When are you getting back home again?" He asked suddenly feeling like maybe being in a bed where Darcy and Steve smell were imprinted in the sheets was a bad idea.
"Keep it in your pants Barton." She said clearly mocking him.
"What else?" He groaned.
"Nothing else." She told him seriously.
"Those aren't rules Darce." He said.
"Well now they are. We talk about things and no sex until I get back home. After that it's all fair game though we're free to jump the one who comes closer to us when we are in the mood even though the other isn't there but the first time should be all three of us."
"Deal." Clint said to her hearing Jane talking in the back ground. "I thought Steve said 'no telling people'?" Clint asked assuming Jane had overheard everything.
"See another rule. And Jane wouldn't even know if we were making out in front of her, she discovered the mind erasing pleasure of Day Time Television." Darcy informed him.
"Ouch! That bad?" Clint asked feeling sorry for Darcy.
"Apparently a house full of geniuses can't manage to show the resident Alien God how to use a phone, weird right?" Darcy explained to him.
"To be fair you didn't do it either." He told her.
"I know I am one of the geniuses." She whispered. "Look she seems semi-conscious I should try to talk to her."
"Darce…" he whimpered.
"Missed you too but you two could call me back tonight, if you're not too busy making out." She told him amused.
"You're night or ours?" Seemed to be a legit question until it left his mouth.
"Which ever I don't mind my boys waking me up." She told him and hearing her called them her 'boys' woke up something possessive in him, something he hadn't thought about since Sharon became involved with looking after Darcy at Culver, she was their girl. "Clint?"
"Still here." He said as she would have doubt that.
"I love you too." She said before hanging up.
When he took his phone away he saw that he had a few texts, Tasha wanting to know if he was still breathing, and if he had to be honest he wasn't sure anymore, this all morning seemed like one of those weird dreams he had whenever medicals has to put him under, and Steve telling him that he would be back for lunch, before sending another text saying he had to stop at SHIELD on his way back so to not wait for him.
Clint got up, went to make coffee, he still couldn't believe he had two serious talk about feelings before his morning coffee, than took a shower, some of his pain meds and went back to Steve's bed to sulk peacefully.
He started to wonder why those two people would actually have any interest in being with a fucked up ex-carny like him, but always ended up back to the same thought, 'I could at least try'. It's been months that they spent together and not once had he felt like he didn't belong or that they would rather do stuff just the two of them always spending free time all together, and he loved Darcy, missed Steve as deeply as her when he was away, and really wanted to know what it would feel to kiss the both of them after spending so much time cuddling and touching them.
Before he knew it he heard sounds coming from the door and rolled over to take his gun in his pack, waiting for the intruder to get inside. When he turned around the corner between the door and the bedroom he saw Steve putting his shield off his back and holding bags of groceries.
"You're going to tuck it back into your underwear?" Steve asked watching Clint with a devious smile.
Clint felt a blush rising when he realized that he must have fallen asleep when he was thinking after getting out of the shower and didn't even take time to put on some more clothes before getting back to bed.
"I have to say it's quite a sight to come home to though." Steve told him, making Clint groan damn Darcy and her rules, they clearly never saw the real flirtatious Steve before.
"Darcy said no sex." Clint told him immediately hoping Steve would turn down the bedroom eyes he was showing off, while he put his gun on the shelf closer to the bedroom.
"I know she told me before she left." Steve said smiling at him. "That doesn't mean no fun though." He added putting his bag down next to his shield and walking toward Clint who suddenly felt like his feet at melted into the floor.
"Steve…" Was all he was able to get out before the man in question invaded his personal space, his eyes following his fingers on his skin, the tip of his fingers as soft as baby skin slowly coming up from his own fingers up to his shoulders in feather light touches, making him shiver so badly he thought maybe he should take the last step so he would be able to take advantage of the eternal heat Steve's body always radiate off. But he didn't had to because Steve came closer to him playing with his thumb on his lips like he had done that morning and Clint remembered he had hands too, awesome hands that never missed their marks, so he gripped at Steve's waist getting him closer so they were breathing each other air. Clint getting back some of the brain cells he lost the moment he realized the 90 something tall blond had games, pulled the thumb Steve had left on his lips into his mouth nipping at the tip, trying to coax Steve to make the first move.
And it worked as intended because suddenly the finger he was playing with disappeared to be replaced by lips, soft, tender, full, demanding lips on his. That's how Clint realized Darcy rules sucked. Steve was an amazing kisser and Darcy had been stupid not to take advantage of the opportunities she had spending 5 nights with him not even kissing him.
Steve backed him up against the wall holding his head firmly with one hand the other stroking soothing distracting things on his hip, Steve's warm lips coaxing his open letting his tongue running over his lips gently, nibbling at his bottom lips to get him to moan into the kiss, Clint used the brief moment his moan seemed to have allow him to sneak one hand under Steve's shirt getting the other man to let go of his lips momentarily, Clint only gripping harder at him to get him back to what he was doing, not missing a beat once Steve lips were back on his guiding Steve's exploring tongue to follow his own into his mouth taking over the control of the kiss, brushing his tongue against Steve's guiding them back out of his mouth when Steve started to whimper, but not letting him pull away, super-soldier should have learned to kiss using their noses to breath in theory and Clint was having way to much fun to let go. He bite off gently at Steve lips letting himself get back to the moment gently soothing the bite with stroke of his tongue.
"Clint" Steve said in a broken moan that got Clint to let go of him for a moment to look at the men who not 5 minutes before had been all confident and teasing and who was now out of breath looking as subdued and devilish as Clint was feeling. Letting themselves get down from their passion induced high, they stayed against the wall their forehead touching, stroking kind fingers into each other skin.
"This is so not helping." Clint finally said laughing in a rough low voice.
"Lunch?" Steve asked not moving away from Clint as if he was hoping the other man would say no.
"Sure" Clint told him pushing him back just enough for Steve to think they were done before taking him back against him gripping hard at his shirt as he let his lips explore his jaw, his neck, Steve taking hold of the wall on either side of the slightly smaller man, letting whimpers and moans get out of his mouth as Clint explored what would make Steve fall on his knees, finding a spot just behind the lobe of his ear and licking it getting the super-soldier to claim his mouth back eagerly, all thoughts of lunch forgotten as Steve was brushing the tip his tongue against the sensible part of his palate.
Steve groaned pushing himself away from Clint after a few minutes getting off to grab the forgotten bag and walking around an amused Clint to get to the kitchen. But when Clint tried to join him Steve stopped him.
"No! I need like 5 min where you're not at grabbing length." When Clint started to groan too Steve look up at him. "Put on some clothes please."
"Still having fun?" Clint managed to say before disappearing to the bedroom. He pondered the effect of taking a cold shower now when he was going to spend the afternoon with Steve after it and decided against it, also deciding that he should seriously consider sleeping at his own place until Darcy got back.
"You know what?" Clint said putting his hands on Steve's waist to hold himself higher so he would be able to see what the man was cooking, even though he really didn't care.
"What?" Steve said smiling at the pan trying to ignore Clint, which did not sit well with him.
"Darcy said we should call her once you get back home" He told him placing a butterfly kiss at the back of his neck. "She said she didn't mind if it was the middle of the night in London she wanted for her boys to wake her up." Clint felt the shiver he was waiting for when he said 'her boys' and watched has Steve closed his eyes, probably not a good way to get the image of Darcy being theirs out of his mind, but Clint had no plan of helping with that, kissing the back of Steve's ear tugging at the lobe with his teeth and watching as Steve's knuckles went white on the handle of the pan.
Steve turned his head so he could kiss Clint deep and rough but leaving him breathless all the same.
"You're the one who said 'no sex' didn't mean we couldn't play." Clint teased.
"I woke up to Darcy's amazing ass rubbing against me for almost a week and didn't even kiss her. I can resist you" he told Clint putting a quick peck onto his lips. "Our girl will be back before we know it."
It was the kind of thing that would usually have Clint jump into daring mode but he had to be careful, he had to respect Darcy's ruling too and getting all riled up about getting Steve so close to the edge he wouldn't be able to resist would get the both of them in the kind of mess he never wanted to be in with them.