Captain Steve Rogers had never backed down from a challenge in his life, but when he entered into a relationship with both Tony and Clint, he knew he was in for trouble. He knew he couldn't keep up with both of them; honestly, he really, really wanted to, but he didn't think he could stand Tony's sarcasm and Clint's quiet way of getting into your head for an extended period of time. And yet here he was, sitting between them and listening to Fury drone on and on about radiation and other possible causes he had no hopes of understanding.
"You still haven't fully explained them," Natasha's voice rang out from the other side of Clint. "What are they?"
"They are people, to put it simply. People with genetic mutations that give them special abilities ranging from telepathy to regeneration to control of the weather. They have requested our assistance on a classified subject and I told them I'd send you all. You will go, and you will attempt the mission Xavier gives you to the best of your abilities. Are we clear?"
Fury nodded after the team muttered an agreement. "Then you are excused. You will be ready to leave tomorrow morning before dawn."
Fury left, leaving the five of them to stare at each other unhappily.
"This is bullshit," Natasha broke out. Everyone stared at her in surprise. She was usually the so composed that any outbreak of emotion was rare and usually explosive. She looked around wildly. "Well? Isn't it? We save the whole fucking world and then get shoved into the darkest corners of the earth on 'missions' that keep us away for months and then the second we get back, it's something else! This is utter shit and you all know it!" She stopped, breathing heavily and not making eye contact with anyone. Steve watched Clint stand up and take her hand, pulling her out of the room and closing the door behind him.
Tony stood up and turned to Bruce. "What do you say we try to finish that experiment before we go?"
Bruce slowly nodded. "Yeah, okay."
They walked out together, already talking about science stuff that Steve had no hope of understanding. He sighed and stood, wishing more than ever that he had something in common with one of the Avengers.
Steve went to the training room to blow off steam, hanging a circle of punching bags around himself and wailing on them. After about twenty minutes of contant abuse, half of them had fallen to the floor and the rest of them had sprouted leaks or had holes torn in them. Steve sighed and started to clean them up.
"Care for a hand?" Clint's voice rang out from near the door.
Steve turned toward Clint, an unexpected warmth running through him when he saw his not-quite boyfriend eying him from across the room. "Yeah, sure. Thanks."
Clint loped over, a small smile breaking out on his face. He helped Steve drag the broken bags to a corner for later disposal and then got a couple brooms and a dustpan from the closet and they cleaned upon the spilled sand.
"Is Nat okay?" Steve asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah. She had a rough mission. Doesn't really want to do anything at the moment. She was looking forward to a week or two kicking our asses at blackjack and drinking games. Now she can't."
Steve nodded. "Understandable." He paused to look right at Clint, willing him to tell the truth. "What do you think about this mutant thing?"
Clint sighed. "I dunno. Logically it makes sense; the whole evolution thing, but hell, I can't imagine being able to read minds or something like that." He looked up at Steve. "Then again, we aren't exactly the most normal group of people, are we?"
Steve laughed. "No, not really. Especially you, me and Tony."
Clint's small smile slipped from his face. "Yeah, especially us."
Steve noticed the change in Clint's demeanor and frowned. "You okay?"
Clint looked right at Steve. "I dunno. This is a weird relationship, you know? I mean, we're a weird group of people but this, this is really, really fucking right?"
Steve frowned. "I suppose. Do you want to talk to Tony? Together?"
Clint nodded. "I'd like that."
Steve took Clint's hand and they walked to Tony's lab together.
Clint wasn't quite sure how it happened. He had come here with Steve fully intending to break this relationship off, yet somewhere along the way he had forgotten that and he now had his face pressed against the wall, an erection of massive proportions in his ass and Tony Stark on his knees with a mouthful of Clint.
Clint gasped for breath as Steve landed a particularly hard thrust and Tony swallowed him whole.
"Jesus, Steve, again!" Clint groaned, subconsciously thrusting his hips and gasping when Tony growled. "Fuck. Harder. Christ, I won't break! Harder!"
Steve groaned and doubled his efforts, trying unsuccessfully to contain his orgasm as he felt Clint clench his inner muscles and groan.
Tony, on the other hand, felt left out as Clint spilled into his mouth and Steve spilled into Clint's ass. He let Clint's softening prick fall from his mouth and sat back, rubbing his own erection at a furious pace.
Steve, noticing what Tony was doing, immediately sank down and took Tony in his mouth, bobbing his head and sucking around Tony's prick. Tony groaned and thrust upwards into Steve's mouth until he came into Steve's mouth. For a minute they stayed like that, catching their breath.
"Hey, Clint? Toss us a towel, will you?" Tony called. When there was no reply, he called out louder. "Clint?"
Steve sighed heavily. "He's not here."
Tony glared at Steve. "What the fuck do you mean he's not here? Where the hell is he?"
"I- I don't think he's happy with, you know, this," Steve gestured uncomfortably between them. "He's a bit weirded out, I think."
Tony stood angrily. "And just when were you going to tell me, Rogers?" He ignored Steve's flinch at his last name. "Just wanted to make a fool out of me, is that it? Wanted to see the great Tony Stark taken down a few levels?"
"No, Tony, of course not! He was going to-"
"Shut up, Capsicle, and get the fuck out. I'm calling Pepper and she's going to move into Stark tower. And you can fuck yourself since neither me OR Clint will anymore."
Steve nodded emotionlessly. He pulled his jeans on and grabbed the rest of his clothes and walked to the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. "You know, you push us all away. Maybe that works for you, but what the fuck about me?" He shook his head. "What happens to everyone else?" He turned on his heel and left, leaving Tony all alone.
Clint sat on Natasha's floor, his knees bent and his head in his arms. He looked up at his best friend and sighed. "I'm a royal fuckup, Nat."
Natasha's eyes narrowed. "Shut up, Barton, or I'll shave your head again. You're not a fuckup and I didn't let you in to listen to you bitch about Stark and Cap. You will eat these waffles and you will sleep and not be annoying and grumpy tomorrow. We clear on that?"
Clint smiled humorlessly. "Yes, ma'am," he said, feeling slightly better about his situation.
Tony, true to his word, called Pepper. She said she would move in temporarily once the Avengers got back from meeting the X-men. Of course, that wasn't all she said- she cursed a lot and called Tony a bunch of names, but eventually agreed to it all the same.
Tony smiled, sitting back in bed and feeling slightly better about his situation.
Steve couldn't sleep. Tony called Pepper and she was moving back. Steve had passed Tasha's room on his walk of shame and had heard Clint's voice. He was the only one alone.
Who could he go to? Not Bruce. He and Bruce had never been great friends. Thor wasn't here; even if he was, Thor had enough problems of his own.
So Steve grabbed one of Tasha's energy drinks from the refrigerator and turned his game system on. He thumbed through his games, trying to find one he hadn't played with Clint or Tony. He eventually settled on trying Skyrim.
As he played, his mind kept straying back to the first time Clint had gotten him to play video games, how he had laughed good-naturedly at him when he failed or when he got them both killed. That Clint hadn't been worried about anything.
His mind wandered to Tony, how he had been able to teach Tony how to play only because Clint had taken the time to teach him. Clint had been a great friend, and Steve had ruined everything. Tony hated him. Clint was uncomfortable around him. Tasha was indifferent. Bruce was neutral. Thor liked everyone, but that was just how he was.
Steve paused the game and put his face into his hands and focused on his breathing. He remained this way until he felt someone approach him. He turned to find Thor behind him, watching him warily.
"Are you unwell, Captain? Should I call for someone?" Thor asked, concerned.
"Nah. I'm fine," Steve said, putting on a false smile. "Just fell asleep."
"Well! It's good to see you again, friend! Where are the others?"
"Getting some rest. We're going on a mission tomorrow. I'm not entirely clear on what's going on; you could ask Tony what's up if you'd like."
"Excellent! Well, it's good to see you, friend!" Thor smiled and wrapped Steve in a bone crushing hug.
Steve watched him go, loneliness filling him up. He shut off the console, walked to his room, walked in and sat with his back against the door, tears finally falling down his face.
"Cap? Twenty minutes to go time. You up?" Bruce's voice rang through the door, rousing Steve from his comatose state.
"Yeah, I'm up."
"Good. See you in a bit." Bruce walked away and Steve forced himself to his feet. He threw his already packed Duffel bag onto his bed and walked into his bathroom. He purposely avoided the mirror and jumped in the shower, taking only five minutes before getting out. Once again avoiding the mirror, he toweled off and pulled on jeans and a plaid shirt. He grabbed his bag and left the room.
Natasha Romanoff was a very strange kind of friend; when Clint had come to her room dishevelled and smelling of sex, her first instinct was to open the champagne in her refrigerator and hand him a glass. At a second glance, though, she noticed his eyes were red and his hands were shaking. She had made him waffles in her toaster and let him crash on her floor, but she knew that he wasn't okay. They were each other's rock; she fell apart in front of him and vice versa. But when she saw Steve the next morning, she kind of wanted to strangle Clint.
His eyes were bloodshot and were surrounded by the dark circles she knew came from a sleepless night. He hadn't shaved and his hair wasn't styled. She eyed him as he pulled an MP3 player from his pocket and put earbuds in his ears.
She stood and walked over to him, pulling an earbud from his ear and turning him to face her. "Rogers. Are you okay?"
He smiled humourlessly. "I'm fine, ma'am."
She nodded slowly. "No, you're not." She reached into her pocket and handed him her MP3 player. "Here. Trade. Listen to some angst. Nine Inch Nails is good. Okay?"
Steve's smile turned a bit more real. "Thanks, Tasha."
Natasha smiled and turned away. "We're leaving now. Get your patriotic ass to the plane."
Steve smirked and turned her MP3 player on, feeling slightly better about his situation as he walked out the door and onto the plane.