They're both running through the woods, gasping for much needed air but they can't afford to stop. Steve's blond hair flows in the wind and his black tie is pulled around his neck with the speed he's running at. Clint is behind him, obviously going at a much slower pace but is still managing to keep up.
It was a simple op with the team in order to get intel from a suspected mole from Shield. The agent was suspected to do a handoff today at a gala so the team came prepared. What they didn't expect though was for someone to pull the fire alarm and then all get separated because of the men with guns that were currently not only chasing Steve and Clint, but also shooting.
Steve quickly turns around when he hears a grunt and a hard thud followed by a rustle of leaves. Without wasting any time, Steve picks up Clint and hauls him to the nearest shelter he finds, a barren and cold stone cave that seems most likely uninhabited.
Steve can already feel the blood slicking up his hands but he knows nothing can be done until the shooters are gone. It takes about 5 minutes for even Steve's super-hearing to not be able to hear the steps and muffled shots of the masked men, who were probably shooting at everything that moved. These 5 minutes were way too long when it came to Clint's condition.
Clint is shuddering and gasping on the floor beneath Steve's hands. "Clint I gotta get the bullet out and then stop the bleeding. You hear me?" Steve's already tearing Clint's top away from his body in order to access the body.
"Jus' do it Steve." Clint grunts out. Steve doesn't hesitate. He takes off the leather belt that was holding up his suit pants and puts an end of it in between Clint's teeth. The bite down is immediate.
Steve digs his fingers into Clint's flesh and searches for the metal piece that was currently inside of him. Clint can't even bite back the scream that tears it's way out of his throat. He leaves indents in the leather wad between his jaws.
A few agonizing seconds later, Steve fishes the bullet out and Clint trembles for another moment before most of the pain leaves his system. Tears leak down the sides of his face and his head rolls listlessly to the side.
"Stay awake Clint, I need to close the wound. Please just wait a little longer." Steve is already starting a fire that he carelessly forgot to start when they settled. As the fire gets started he makes Clint apply pressure to his stomach as Steve takes out the Swiss Army knife resting in his back pocket.
Hovering above the heat m the fire, the metal turns red and starts glowing. "I'm so so sorry Clint." Steve says quietly, heavy with guilt.
The second the scorching hot metal touched skin, Clint's body convulsed and his back arched off the stone ground.
A sharp and shrill shout came out of Clint before he cut it off because it seemed like his lungs stopped working. Pain coursed through his entire body and Steve, who was in the corner of Clint's vision, seemed to get covered by a black curtain that suddenly enveloped his vision.
The stench of burning skin filled the air and made Steve gag, but he didn't stop until new burn marks clotted the blood that used to be leaking out of Clint's wound.
Steve and Clint both sag in relief when the knife is lifted off of his stomach. Steve is worried to note that Clint's eyes roll back but is quick to react by tapping Clint's check repeatedly.
"Clint! Clint wake up now. C'mon Clint." There was a groan as response before Clint's greyish and clouded eyes opened slowly. "St've" he slurs drunkenly.
"Yeah yeah yeah, it's me. Do you think you can stay awake? I think by now Tony should've realized what happened and maybe they stopped the handoff if it actually happened. They'll be on their way soon."
Clint nods before trying to push himself up with shaking arms but Steve easily and gently pushes him back down onto his back. "Just relax Clint, stay down. I got your back." Steve says in a low tone, forcing Clint to listen.
Clint nods shakily but his eyes still dart around wildly, his senses are jumbled and he doesn't quite believe that there's no danger.
Steve starts to question if what he did was needed, especially with the risk of infection. But he was slowly convinced that it was the right thing to do when it takes almost two hours to find them.
"Tony!" Steve shouts once he hears the familiar clunking of his suit on the stone ground.
"Steve?" A muffled voice replies. A flashlight illuminates the room, glistening off the dried blood on the floor.
Clint squeezes his eyes shut when the light increases the pain his headache gives him. A soft groan slips past his lips. "Jesus." He murmurs.
Tony picks up Clint softly and tucks Clint's head into the crook of his metal shoulder when it lolls back over his arm. Steve is greeted by Thor and all four of them fly back to the jet where the rest of the team is waiting.
Steve and Thor return to the quinjet and Steve doesn't hesitate to take the piloting position Once they get in the air, Jarvis takes over. Steve goes back to the main room to find Clint lying on a gurney and Bruce leaning over him checking the IV lodged in Clint's left hand and the blood bag inserted into his wrist. Natasha stood next to Bruce, hovering over Clint. Thor and Tony both watched from a distance. The last thing he noticed was the man laying in a heap in the corner with a bag over his head and his hands tied behind his back.
"Did you guys ever stop the handoff?" Steve quietly asks Tony.
"Of course we did." Tony replies smoothly and confidently. "There's our mole right there." He gestures lazily to the man in the corner.
"I figured." Steve sighs. "How's Clint doing?" Steve points out the elephant in the room.
Tony looks at him out of the side of his eye. "Just missing a little bit of blood but he'll live. Good choice to cauterize, you probably saved him if I'm being honest. He's slowly creating more blood but he would've died without a doubt if you hadn't done that." Steve nods solemnly, still keeping his eyes on his semi-unconscious teammate on the bed.
Tony places his hand on Steve's shoulder. "You did good Steve, don't beat yourself up over this."
With little reaction from said man, Tony walks away and towards Bruce with the intention of getting the verdict.
…
Once the team gets back and Clint is laid out in Dr. Banners lab with Dr. Cho and her team hustling around and confirming that Clint is okay. Once all is reassured, everyone calms down and the adrenaline crash causes the team to be asleep within the hour.
That's how Clint finds himself when he wakes up an hour after that, aching but feeling good because he feels safe due to being surrounded by his team. He closes his eyes again with a smile on his eyes.