I was going to wait before putting this out, but it's so short I thought, what the hell? Happy Sunday. Have an overprotective Clint.

Public Displays of Affection:

Meaningful Relationships

"So. You and Stark."

It really was only a matter of time before someone said something. Steve was amazed it took as long as it did. Tony said it was because no one really wanted to question Captain America on… well, anything he did.

When Clint came up to him one evening while he watched the news, it was something of a relief. It was not as if their dating was a secret. Clint, Natasha, and Banner had been there when Tony first asked Steve out. This tiptoeing around it was just ridiculous, and Steve felt it put a strain on their working relationship.

Clint sat on the couch next to him, kicking his feet out to rest on the coffee table. It was glass, and Steve doubted Tony ever intended for it to be a footrest, but he refrained from commenting. If it bothered Tony, he would say something. After all, Tony never shied away from saying something that could be potentially uncomfortable.

"What's that like?"

That was not precisely the question Steve had been anticipating. He looked over at the marksman, curious at the wording.

"I mean… billionaire playboy, right?" Clint waggled his eyebrows. "Is he as good as they say?"

Steve was instantly offended.

"I think you have the wrong impression," he said sternly, and Clint's eyebrows froze high on his forehead.

"You mean you're not banging that?"

"I mean what Tony and I do in our private time is not really your business," Steve replied, cooling considerably toward his teammate. Clint was a smartass. On a good day, he was even a match for Tony. Steve just did not appreciate it when it was aimed toward his intimate life.

"Holy shit, you're not," Clint sat up, looking at him as intently as he might a target in the distance. Steve frowned.

"I don't see…"

"Oh, it's completely relevant," Clint interrupted. "It's revelatory! You two have been dating for—what—two months now? I thought Stark would have talked you between the covers after the second date."

"I'm not sure I care for what you're implying," Steve admitted. "We haven't discussed… sex."

Actually, there had been one incident, and it was that memory more than this conversation that had a flush on Steve's cheeks. It wasn't sex, not exactly, but it was intimate. Because kissing Tony was pushing the boundaries into sex on its own, and as he had told Tony, he sometimes just couldn't help himself. One moment Tony had been babbling about the engine of one of his cars, the next… Steve really could not be held responsible when it came to Tony. The man had made such lovely noises when Steve shoved him against the wall and palmed his crotch.

"Stark has the reputation of being a huge slut," Clint said, squinting at him out of the corner of his eye. "And you haven't… And he's been so subdued lately… Captain. You broke him!"

"Contrary to popular belief—" Steve would never admit it, but he was gratified to see Clint jump at the smooth drawl behind him. Of course, he had jumped too, but that was completely beside the point. He had never considered Tony to be particularly good at stealth, but he just might have to reevaluate that conclusion. "I am actually capable of forming meaningful relationships."

"Is that what this is?" Steve bristled again when Clint rounded on Tony, dismissing the scare and bringing the topic back to front. "Just say it, Stark. I'll drop it, I swear. You are a great many things, but you're not a liar."

"Protecting Cap's virtue, are you?" Tony asked, neatly sidestepping the issue and the men at the couch. He stopped at the bar, pouring himself a drink one-handed and looking at the tablet in his other hand. "Pretty transparent."

"Just morbidly curious," Clint retorted, eyes darting from Tony to Steve and back again. "Now that I lost the wager—Bruce won, by the way. Not even Thor believed you two hadn't done it yet."

Bruce? Steve thought, a little surprised. Was this a common topic around the tower?

"I can't believe you guys have nothing better to do than discuss my sex life with Steve," Tony sighed. "Actually. Yes, I can. I'll install a new entertainment system downstairs. Just tell Thor he can't use it if he's going to crush this one too."

"You're avoiding the subject," Clint said. While it was true, Steve felt completely justified in glaring at him.

"It's still none of your business," he murmured.

"Relax, Cap," Tony said, and that smile went straight to Steve's gut. Then his gaze shifted to Clint, calm and cool (and okay, a little silly with that smudge of dirt over his eyebrow). But Clint was not laughing. Not really. That half-smirk was still there, but he was not laughing at all. "He's worried, right? That I'm ruining a good thing here."

All the amusement suddenly drained from Clint's eyes, and Steve was reminded why this man was an Avenger. Not that he really needed reminding. Even so, Steve could not believe they were having this conversation. He had been taught that it was impolite to kiss and tell as it was in this day's vernacular. Unfortunately, Clint seemed intent upon forcing it all into the open.

Though Steve would have to admit there was actually very little to share.

"I know you don't think so, but I am actually able to form relationships that do not revolve around sex," Tony said, smiling like this was a perfectly normal thing to say.

"You don't have a good track record," Clint reminded him, and Steve flinched because it was true. It must have stung Tony something fierce.

"My record is full of failures that are far outweighed by spectacular successes," Tony announced, already leaving the room. Clint, of course, could not leave it rest.

"You're calling this a success?" he called to Tony's back.

The door slammed behind Tony, and it was just Clint and Steve again. Not a good thing for Clint, Steve thought darkly.

"Clint," he growled, clenching his fists on his thighs to refrain from punching the man right there.

Naturally, they were again interrupted. As big as Stark Tower was, it was difficult to ever find peace in this place. The door opened, and Banner stepped in, bearing a striking resemblance to the way Tony had looked not five minutes ago with a tablet in one hand, a mostly-empty glass tumbler in the other. But while Tony had been distracted, Banner just looked confused, staring at the items in his hands as if uncertain what to do with them.

"I just ran into… oh," Banner stopped, looking at Clint, then Steve. There must have been something telling on his face because Banner frowned and set the tablet and glass on a table by the door. "What happened?"

"Uh…" No matter his ire, Steve was aware that he did not faze Clint at all. However, when faced with the scholarly frown Banner aimed his way over scratched glasses, Clint looked like he would be happy anywhere else.

"Never mind," Banner cut him off, turning to Steve. "You might want to make sure your boyfriend doesn't get lost in his own head for too long."

Steve was over the back of the sofa and running toward the door before the words were completely out of Banner's mouth. He could kick the crap out of Clint later, during their morning training exercise.

Bruce must have had one hell of a chat with Clint. While Steve was particularly harsh on Clint when they next sparred, he felt a bit less malice than he had after that strange argument in the living room. It may have had something to do with the fact that when he next saw the marksman, he had an arm slung over Tony's shoulders, and the two were bantering over something Steve did not have the wherewithal to comprehend.

"I'm just saying, I know you like shiny new toys, but the N-64 is still the best system ever made," Clint announced.

"You say that because Thor beat you playing Wii tennis," Tony retorted. "And you haven't seen my upgraded PS3."

"You… modified a PS3?"

"Hacked the network, upgraded the software, made Final Fantasy graphics look like the original 8-bit Zelda," Tony said, smug as ever. "And I look forward to hearing you beg me to let you use it."

"You're killing me here, Tony."

"No, I think that's for Steve to do," Tony broke away, grinning and pointing off to a corner. "I will be over here, stretching and definitely not getting my ass kicked by you guys with overly developed muscles. And scary ninja women," he added for Natasha's benefit. She smirked.

"Tony," Steve protested immediately. They had talked about this. Tony needed to train outside of the suit as well as in.

"Oh look. My phone is cool. I need to upgrade it. Bye."

The door was closing behind him before he finished talking. Steve sighed and looked at Clint. Clint offered a perky smile. It disappeared when Steve offered a single raised eyebrow in return.

TBC...