#clintxphil

Clint/Coulson OTPillowcases by @thereddestglass!

Like all of the worst things in Clint’s life, it started because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

He and Coulson had shared smaller rooms and that one at least had a bed. Their mission had been screwed from the get-go, and it was only the way Clint fired arrows quicker than he breathed that meant either of them were alive. Coulson had bruised ribs and multiple cuts from a window exploding all over him, so when he tried to insist on sleeping on the floor, Clint didn’t bother answering. Coulson refused to give in. When Clint told him that he’d slept on nothing more than bare ground before then, something flinty flashed in his superior’s eyes and the crinkles around them looked just a little deeper.

“I’m taking the floor, Barton. End of discussion.” It was the same tone he used when ordering Clint to stay quiet over comms or that his position had been compromised.

Still, Coulson couldn’t hide his wince as he twisted to drop his pillow onto the cheap carpet floor.

“We could just share,” Clint blurted, his chest spasming at the sight of Coulson in pain.

Coulson eyed him.

Clint twitched.

Story Summary: In the vents above Phil’s office, Clint curls himself up into a ball. The blanket he keeps up there is his favorite, dark purple and washed-soft, and he lets it cover him like armor. Inside this little cocoon, he is safe. When he falls asleep barely a minute later, the rhythmic clacking of a keyboard lulling him into unconsciousness, it’s with the thought of Phil’s arms wrapped around him instead.

~~Note: I can't really see Phil as someone who actually yells, so it's more him ranting to Clint about Clint being reckless. Any comments or critiques are welcome. And feel free to send more prompts my way~~

“You cannot run into a hostile’s location without my order, Specialist.”

Looking up into Phil’s face there were only four things Clint knew right then.

One, Natasha was safe. So no matter what Phil said in his half hour rant about his slightly reckless method of barging into a terrorist cell armed with only seven remaining arrows and his three knives, at least Tasha was safe. No one was hurt. (As long as the four terrorists being courted back to SHIELD headquarters weren’t counted).

Two, Phil never called him specialist. It was always Clint or Barton or Hawkeye in the field. The last time anyone had called him ‘specialist’ was six months ago when his last handler dumped him on Phil. Shit, Phil was probably going to do the same thing now.

Three, Phil was really angry. His lips were pressed firmly together in a slight frown and a thin line formed between his eyebrows as he focused his glare on Clint.

Four, Clint’s heart was racing. It was beating frantically like it wanted to jump out of his chest and run a goddamn marathon. It was so loud that it filled his ears and he was forced to just nod back at Coulson dumbly.

“Barton are you even listening?” Phil questioned, his irritation seeming to grow.

Clint continued to stare blankly at Phil before giving an empty “Yes, boss.” Clint gave his knee a small slap and hoisted himself off the couch in Phil’s office. “I’ll let you work on your reports. Sure, you’ve got plenty to work on,” Clint monotone as he walked out of the office and to his quarters on the SHIELD headquarters, ignoring the stunned silence of Phil as he sat back behind his desk.

In his room Clint threw his bow on his bed none-too-lightly and sat on the comforter, head in hands, trying to breath deep and slow like he was setting up to take a shot. And then his thoughts started.

They unfurled from inside him and took up all the space into his head. The doubt leaked out of his skull and filled his lungs as he tried to find air. The pain pressed against his heart and it beat and beat and beat and beat and he stood up.

Making a beat with the way his boots pounded on the floor, giving his fears a rhythm to their cry. You’ve done it again. You put everyone you cared about at risk. Tasha. Phil. Everyone. Thump. Thump. Thump. Not even Phil can deal with me, I don’t know how he’s put up with me for so long. Thump. Thump. Thump. This was a mistake. Phil didn’t know what he was taking on when he became my handler. My partner. My boyfriend. Thump. Thump. Thump. It’s too much. I’m too much. I can’t fix it. He shouldn’t have to fix it. Thump. Thump. Thump.”

Clint dropped to the floor, sitting with his head between his knees. The thoughts surrounded him, his heart beat masked him. He didn’t even notice the click of the door as Phil entered the room, immediately sitting beside him and wrapping an arm around his distraught boyfriend.

“Shhh,” Phil murmured quietly, stroking Clint’s hair. “It’s okay. You’ll be okay. Everyone’s safe. Natasha is safe. You’re safe. I’m here. Shhh. It’s okay. You’re safe in your room at SHIELD.”

Clint looked up at Phil, heartbeat slowing to something reasonable, but breaths still coming in ragged. Phil continued his whispers, wiping the tears Clint didn’t know he shed. Phil continued to hold the marksman until Clint decided to speak.

“I’m sorry,” Hawkeye began. “I shouldn’t have run in, but I had to help Natasha. There wasn’t time. And you shouldn’t have to deal with this. All of this. A reckless specialist. A mess of a boyfriend, I—“

“Stop,” Phil interrupted firmly, but softly. “Yes, you’re reckless. And yes, I hate it when you needlessly put yourself in danger, but this is what I choose to deal with. I love you. You running into danger without warning, god, Clint. I can’t stand to see you hurt. I don’t know what I’d do without you. What I would be without you.”

Clint nuzzled his face in the crook of Phil’s neck, letting the man’s words wash over him. “I’m sorry, Phil. I’m sorry.”

Phil took Clint’s jaw in his hands, bringing his face into view and kissing his lips lightly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn't have…I know I shouldn't have argued with you so soon after the mission. I’m sorry.”

They break-up.

Tony, in a panic, starts throwing beautiful men and women at Clint, to help him get over his mystery boyfriend.

Finally, almost resigned, when Tony is hacking into SHIELD...You know, to cheer himself up...he finds out, everything.

He recruits Natasha and Steve, and makes everything okay.

After a round(or ten) of make-up sex, Clint emerges, punches Tony and says "You're the best pimp I've ever had"