Tony few quickly up into the sky, Clint limp in his arms, clinging uselessly "JAY, blow the SUV he used. I don't want people finding it. " "Yes sir." Within seconds the SUV Clint drove was in a ball of fire, black smoke billowing. Tony flew fast as he could, ignoring the fear that Clint may die in his arms. The worry. Why did he worry so much about this feather head? His Hawkeye? Wait, where did that come from? He pushed that thought to the back, landing quickly on the top of the tower. "JAY, Get Gage up here." He looked down at Clint worriedly. His face was nearly frostbitten, red and beyond numb. Frost had formed on his eyelashes and hair. His tears were still frozen to his face. He trembled and shivered violently in Tony's arms. It broke his heart seeing how scared Clint looked. "T-tony...I—I'm...s-s-sorr-" Tony carried him carefully, cutting him off. "Don't you start saying goodbyes birdbrain. Your just a little cold. You'll be find once your under a blanket." He smiled weakly to Clint as he heard the door to open along with rushed footsteps. "Damnit..Clint!" Tony looked up worriedly to Gage. "Help me get him to the lab. Bruce should still be down there." Gage wasted no time, helping his brother limply walk.
Tony had enough time to takeoff the suit, helping Gage with Clint. Damn, Clint was getting heavy. Tony took that as a bad sign, he was starting to become a dead weight, meaning he was having a harder time even limping, depending on Gage and Tony. Once they got to the elevator, Clint lost his consciousness, nearly falling onto Tony, nearly making him fall in the process before he got his balance and Gage quickly helping and cursing. Tony held onto Clint carefully, keeping balance as the elevator doors opened. Tony spoke to Gage quickly. "Run down to the lab, get Quinn out of there. She doesn't need to see this." Gage gave him a questioning look before Tony smiled weakly, knowingly. "Shes still down there. Go get her out." Gage nodded. "Yes sir." He took off, running down to the lab, nearly taking two steps at at time as he ran. He hated how he had to ignore Kim and her broken look as he ran down to the lab. He knew she at least had an idea of what was going on. Damn connection.
He quickly ran into the lab, JARVIS opening the doors automatically. Bruce looked up from his spot on the floor with Quinn with a worried face. "Whats going on? Is the baby ok?" Gage nodded. "It's not him. Its Clint. He going into hypothermia, damn idiot. Tony's bringing him down now." Bruce nodded before quickly getting up, getting medical supplies ready. Gage went to Quinn quickly, ignoring her work. She whined as he took her upstairs. "Where are you taking me?" Gage kissed her head before getting to the top of the stairs to the upper level. "Clint is really hurt,Uncle Bruce is gonna work on him." She seemed to accept that but he hated the look she had in her eyes. Like she knew, she felt and was already able to hide it fairly well. She was certainly a Stark.
The elevator dinged as Bruce stood, going over to it. Tony was kneeling on the floor, holding Clint to his chest, looking a bit panicked and worried. Bruce gasped, kneeling down to him. "What exactly happened?" He started to help lift him, Tony standing, helping as well. Tony spoke lowly and full of guilt. "He took the news too hard. Went and got himself wasted then wanted to kill himself out in this weather. I found him standing in the middle of the local lake." Bruce shook his head, helping get Clint onto the medical table. Bruce spoke to JARVIS. "JARVIS, I want the lab to be up to 85 degrees, make it humid" "Yes ." Bruce turned to Tony. "Get me as many rags as you can along with a bucket of Luke warm water." Tony nodded, going around the lab, picking up every fucking rag he can get his hands on, then getting a bucket and filling it like Bruce said. Luke warm. He brought them over and he had to keep his eyes from going over Clints red, frost bitten and numb body. Bruce was quick in cutting his cloths off which was difficult since they were nearly frozen. How had he never noticed just how built the archer was? No, now was not the time to think that. He vaguely heard Bruce for him to soak the cloths and place them on his body, waiting for his body to absorb the heat then reheat them.
He knew he shouldn't expect Gage back down here for a while. He knew Quinn and Kim would both be worried. Hell he was worried and he wondered why he was so damn worried. It was a five minutes later that Clint groaned, head shaking back and fourth slowly. Tony went to speak with him quickly. "Cltnt, hey,talk to me." Clint groaned. "mmm whre.." "Your down in my lab you damn idiot you gave yourself hypothermia. Pretty severe if you ask me." Clint seemed to accept that. "Who are you?" Tony was taken a back by this, looking to Bruce for an answer. "Bruce he didn't hit his head.." Bruce sighed. "Being this severely under temp messes with you. Memory loss can be normal and temporary." "t-that..didnt answer my question." Tony heard the slight slurring and stuttering. He wondering if it was the severe temp or the alcohol. He sighed. "I'm Tony and this is my fiend, Bruce." Clint groaned in acceptance and boy Tony was glad to see that shivering return. He knew that was a good sign. He was starting to warm up. He was taken off guard when Clint smiled weakly, in that crocked way he does."Your p-pretty d-damn hot T-tony.." Tony raised his eyebrows. He knew that had to be the alcohol an severe temperature drop. Bruce tried not to be amused by it as he continued to warm him up with the cloths. He spoke quietly. "Along with strange behavior but it may be the amount of alcohol still in his system."
Tony chuckled nervously. "Uh thanks?" Clint smirked before hissing in pain, shivering still. "w-why was I o-out in the cold like that?" Tony sighed. "You kinda got drunk. Really, really idiotically drunk. Then decided it would be the perfect time to imitate Elsa." Clint raised an eyebrow. "Elsa?" Tony sighed. "It's a movie, matter a fact it's one of your favorite." Clint shivered violently still. "W-what movie?" "Disney's Frozen." "w-whats it a-about?" Thats when Tony had to pull up a chair, talking about Frozen, the plot, songs, the princess's then slowly moving on to everything in between. Bruce was glad Clint had something to keep his attention, to keep him awake if he fell back to sleep, it may be difficult to wake him back up.
Clint started feeling sleepy, eyes starting to close. "Mmm I'm sleepy.." Bruce signaled for Tony to keep him awake. Tony went to Clint's face, holding it, gently slapping him. "Hey,no sleeping. Can't have you sleeping on the job." Clint chuckled weakly, his head lolling in Tony's hands. "Is t-that an o-order?" Tony smirked weakly, forcing back every bit of worry. "Your damn straight it is." "N-not the f-first time I've d-disobeyed an order." Clint smirked softly, keeping his gaze on Tony. "But I t-think I c-could listen for t-that pretty face." Tony couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him. Just relived Clint was gonna fight to stay awake. "Great. Perfect. Just stay awake. Talk, about anything."
It was an hour later that his temperature was near enough to normal were they didn't have to worry. "His core temperature is stabilizing at 97 and rising." Bruce breathed out in relief. "Good. Thank you JARVIS." Tony had gotten his lab chair, making sure to listen to every word Clint was saying. They both had fallen asleep, Tony's head resting near Clint's shoulder. Bruce chuckled softly, taking the cloths off him and emptying out the now cold water. He got a blanket off the couch in the lab, bringing it over Clint, tucking him in securely, making sure it would be warm. "JARVIS, alert me if Clint wakes." "Yes ." Bruce took his leave, going up stairs to the living room, missing the way Clint moved his arm from the blanket, around Tony's shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world. Upstairs, Quinn was in Gage's arms, frowning, looking like shes cried.
He saw Kim holding her infant son, her eyes red and face tear stained as she fed him a bottle. She looked up. "Bruce..is he ok?" She asked, her mind fraught with worry. He sighed. "He's gonna be fine. Just a matter of warming him back up. Both He and Tony are asleep now. Tony was actually a great help, kept him from sleeping when it was dangerous. Kept him talking." Kim smiled, relived. "Thank goodness. Thank you." Quinn spoke up. "Clint is gonna be ok?" Bruce smiled sadly, going over to her in Gage's lap. He gently petted her hair. "He's gonna be fine. He was just really cold." She looked like he was thinking. "Him and daddy like each other now." Bruce smiled, not wanting to speak about clints behavior. "Yeah. There getting along now." He ruffled her hair before sighing. This family sure kept him busy. He wouldn't have it any other way.
Somewhere in another realm the elders were in consul. Six figures of bright energy, looking in the body of a human body. One spoke as they watched Kim Clint and Tony thru portals.
"The protector is growing weak."
"I agree. He's going soft, how will he be able to protect her if he becomes weak?"
"Her husband is making him soft. Starting to get in his mind. This can't go on."
"This spell must be stronger. It must never weaver away from her. The flame of his soul is wavering in this...Tony's direction as well. This can't happen."
"But what if this results in this Tony's death?"
"Then so be it."
An: please review :D