"Are you ready?" Phil eyed his lover. It was the first mission Clint was permitted to take where he wasn't confined to a roof. He was finally able to throw himself into a fight, literally.

"Hell yeah," Clint beamed with joy. He hated watching his friends getting hurt while he wasn't able to leave the roof. He could have disobeyed but he was aware that he would have been a liability instead of a help; and in addition to that Phil would have grounded him for weeks.

"Take care," the older man gave him a brief kiss. "Go and get them."

"Have fun," Clint grabbed his bow and hurried out of the room, I'm glad Jasper invited Phil to grab a drink.

Phil wasn't accompanying him today. It was his day off and he trusted Captain America enough to place his lover's life in his hands. Rogers was a good man and experienced leader.

He looked at his watch and cursed, I'm running late. He grabbed his jacket and texted his friend while he walked down to hail a cab.

It was a little awkward at first but after their second drink they started talking about their work. It was a safe topic both men were comfortable with.

"I have three new recruits," Jasper sighed. "They're driving me crazy." It felt good to talk with Phil. I missed him.

"Sloppy reports and smartass attitude?" Phil grinned while he sipped on his beer.

"Yes," Jasper played with his bottle. "That's not the way we learned it. Can't we just sit this one out, we aren't ready. Was that even legal?" He imitated their voices.

Phil had to laugh at the last part, "nothing we do is legal. Sometimes it borders on legal but that's it."

"You're probably right," Jasper smiled happily. "Fury assigned me a new mission today. He finally lets me play with heroes, too. There are a bunch of kids with mutations and special abilities. It's my job to train them. We need their skill sets and it's safer for society when we keep them on a leash."

"Keeping them on a leash is not enough. They need a purpose and a home. You can't train loyalty, that's something you have to earn or else the next best villain with a great offer will lure them away. But I think you'll do a great job. The kids need someone like you," Phil praised.

"Thank you but I think I need your advice from time to time," Phil was famous for handling lost causes.

"My door is always open."

"I don't know how you do it," Jasper stared at the label of his beer. "You handle people like them with ease. They're dangerous, insane and maladjusted but you…. You take them in, you train them and in the end they act according to your wishes. They trust you and most of them would never betray your trust. And I wonder why."

"That's a good question," Phil put his beer down and rested his arms on the table, giving Jasper a thoughtful look. "I try not to treat them like the nutcases they are. I put my trust in them from the beginning, asking for their opinion and worries. Oh, don't think I'm stupid enough to trust them but they believe I do, well a little part of me truly does. I have trust in their skills and I think that people are able to change. They chose the wrong path but their mistakes shouldn't define who they are. Most of them just need a chance."

Is that the reason you trust Barton so much? "How can an agency like S.H.I.E.L.D. be considered as home?"

Phil smiled at his friend, "It's your home too. Your wife is an agent. Your children's nursery teacher is an agent. Your house is S.H.I.E.L.D property. Your friends are agents as well."

"Oh, now that you mention it," his friend was right. That's awful. When did I that happen?

"I think so too," he smirked. Phil knew Jasper well enough to know what he was thinking.

"You're creepy. I can't get used to it no matter how much time passes."

"Experience," Coulson shrugged.

"I missed you," Sitwell blurted out before he could stop himself. Fuck.

"Why did you ask me out?" Phil used the breach in Jasper's defense to ask the question he didn't dare to ask until now.

Jasper tilted his head, "Because Barton asked me to."

"What?" Phil looked at him in surprise. He didn't see that coming.

"A few weeks ago he cornered me and what he said got me thinking," he fell silent.

"Has he threatened you?" That's not like Clint.

"What, no." Jasper shook his head. He didn't like the archer but he wouldn't lie to get rid of him. "No. He asked me to be your friend. He told me to ignore his presence in your life, because I'm your friend and not his. You know, he's right. I am your friend and I should act like one. He has nothing to do with our friendship and your relationship shouldn't bother me. Phil, I'm just scared he'll hurt you again. Being a bad friend was never my intention. I don't want to get between you two and I'm sorry you felt like you had to choose."

Thank you Clint, "You are a good friend. I think it's my fault too. I overreacted and hurt both of us in the process. I'm glad to have a friend like you. If our roles were reversed I'd probably act the same way." He raised his bottle and waited for Jasper to do the same, "Friends." He bumped his bottle against Jasper's. I'm sorry.

The heartfelt smile on his friend's face told him everything he needed to know.

Jasper would always be his best friend.

"Friends," Jasper agreed wholeheartedly. Thank god.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"I know what you did," Phil put his arms around his lover while the younger man stirred the sauce.

"The incident with Tony or begging Jasper to play with you?" He tried to hide a smile.

"What have you and Tony done this time?" Phil huffed.

"Well, he built a color bomb arrowhead. Just for fun."

"Uh-hu," Phil had a vague idea.

"Let's just say Nat's bike looks awesome in pink. We should paint a Hello Kitty on the front. What do you think?"

"Does she know it was you?" He chuckled softly.

"She still feels guilty so I got a free pass on this. Tony's favorite car on the other hand spots a beautifully knife-crafted painting of a pig. Or it is a Hello Kitty I'm not too sure about that. Painting was never one of her strongest suits."

"You're an idiot, Barton."

"I know, sir. But you love me anyway," he turned his head to flash his lover a big smile. "So you're date with Jasper went well?"

"Don't call it a date, he's like a brother and the thought alone gives me the creeps," he shuddered dramatically.

"So it went well," Clint pecked him on the cheek. "I'm glad."

"So am I," Phil ruffled Clint's head before he sat down on the worktop. "Thank you."

"People need friends," Clint stated. "And Jasper is a good friend. He takes care of you. I like that."

Phil smiled at his archer, "You're the best boyfriend ever."

Clint blushed furiously, now that's a surprise.

Phil placed his hand on Clint's chest to feel his heartbeat, I thought so. "Still allergic to compliments?"

"A little," he smiled, avoiding Phil's eyes.

"How do you manage Cap's constant praising?"

"I don't. I hide behind arrogance but that doesn't work with you," he sighed. "But I fear Cap will figure it out one day. He's a little dense at times but far from stupid."

"If he figures out how adorable you are beneath your hard shell he'll coddle you even more," Phil mused.

"I'm screwed," Clint shuddered.

"You'll get used to it. Steve loves you," Phil shrugged nonchalantly. "To be honest I'm surprised."

"And so am I," Clint had no idea what Captain America was seeing in him.

"You're a good person; I think that's probably the main reason. After I got to know you I was surprised about how kind you truly are. I knew your bad-ass attitude was just for show. A protection mechanism if you want to call it that. But I didn't think you're constantly worrying about people, especially people you don't even know." It was about the time I realized that you don't value your own life.

Clint smiled despite his melancholic feeling, "I always cared. I don't know why. Funny, given that I'm an assassin."

"Well you're not a mindless killer and you fight for a better world, which makes it alright in my book."

"You always know what to say," the archer chuckled. "Dinner is ready," he put the sauce on top of the noodles.

"Your mom's recipe?"

"Yep," Clint beamed. They talked so often about his parents that it didn't hurt anymore.

He had many mental issues because of his past which intensified over the years but with his past by itself, he was at peace.

Thanks to Phil, Natasha and Nick.

"I love your cooking," he took their plates. "Thanks," he kissed his archer's cheeks.

"You're welcome."