Blood In The Water
stevethortony. mcu. rated t. 1.8k words.
based on this fanart i commissioned from @justlous-art
also on ao3.
*****
Press conferences, in Clint’s opinion, are one of the worst things he has to experience.
Every time the Avengers has to host one (which is usually almost every fucking week), it’s always the same old reporters throwing accusations, the same old debates being tosses around, the same old headaches and boredom creeping into his mind. They always end with everyone in a shitty mood.
The only upside Clint could see is that he only needs to speak up if a question’s directed his way. Otherwise, it’d be their co-leaders’ job to fend the wolves off.
Their co-leaders who are currently and unfortunately answering another stupid question from the press.
“Yes, Stark Industries will be footing the bill,” Steve says tiredly.
“We always do,” Tony chimes in. “Now, you with the green-striped tie. You’re up.”
The journalist in question straightens, fixing his tie. Clint doesn’t remember seeing him at any of the conferences but he looks awfully familiar.
“He’s from Fox News,” Natasha supplies next to Clint.
It takes everything in Clint to not bash his smash his face against the conference table. “Shit.”
“Shit indeed.”
“It is no secret that Mr Stark is, to put it lightly,” Fox Man begins, his reedy voice making Clint’s skin crawl, “promiscuous—”
“What does this have to do with the giant squid we took down?” Steve interrupts.
“—and have been known to get into relationships with men, women—”
“What is the point of this?” Thor cuts in, his cool demeanor now turned irritated. “We are deviating from the—”
“My question to you, Captain,” Fox Man continues, unperturbed, “is, what are your thoughts regarding Mr Stark and Mr Odinson’s…relationship?”
Tony stills as murmurs begin to fill the room. Pepper immediately whips her tablet out.
It’s not the first time Clint’s heard of rumors of the Avengers dating amongst themselves but it’s never been brought up during their press conferences.
First time for everything, he supposes.
Thor jumps to his feet, slamming his hands on the table. Outside, thunder crackles.
“You dare—”
Steve isn’t doing much better to rein his temper in, leaning forward with a dangerous glint behind his eyes. “I’d be careful with what you say next. Rumors of the Avengers fraternizing isn’t new so—”
“Oh, this isn’t just a rumor,” Fox Man says coolly. He jumps to his feet, holding out his phone. “I happen to have…proof.”
In a flash, Happy strides over, most likely to block the man’s path like the good Head of Security he is. Steve waves him off, beckoning for the device to be handed over to Clint.
On the phone is a picture of Thor and Tony kissing in a dimly lit alleyway. Or at least, men who are supposedly Thor and Tony. It’s hard to tell since the quality’s crap.
Then again, they’re both bathed in a soft blue glow. A soft blue glow that Clint’s come to associate with the arc reactor.
“That isn’t photoshopped,” Fox Man claims. “If you swipe left, you’ll find a video.”
True enough, there is one of Thor pushing Tony against the wall and god, that’s so gross. Who knows what’s on that wall—
Natasha snatches the phone out of Clint’s grasp, giving it a long once-over.
“Thoughts?” Clint murmurs.
“It looks authentic,” she admits.
Well, then. Fuck.
When the phone ends up in Steve’s grasp, Clint swears cracks form on the screen.
“I would like to know if there have been…issues between you and Mr Stark,” Fox Man continues like the oblivious idiot he is. Clint’s ready to reach pluck an arrow from his quiver and pin the asshole to a wall. “You come from a different time, a time where traditional and wholesome American values are valued. Mr Stark isn’t known for possessing such values. And it is widely known that you and Mr Stark did not get along. And with this…alien—”
“I get it,” Steve growls. It’s been a while since Clint’s seen in this furious. He looks ready to pounce, if Tony hasn’t stilled him in place.
Steve’s features meld into something soft, a look that Clint’s privately coined as the ‘Tony Look’. Oddly, it’s the same look he flashes Thor. The three of them trade glances, glances that only a super soldier, a god, and a genius would know. Tony’s lips curl into a reassured smirk. The other follow suit.
Clint wonders if that’s how Natasha and him are like. Because damn, he gets why people think it’s eerie.
“First of all, let me be clear about this,” Steve begins, “I will not let you or anyone disrespect my friends like that ever again. This is a warning to the rest of you all as well. You, however, I’ll make sure you’ll be banned from the next conference. And don’t think I won’t remember your face. Because I will. I have a good memory. As for your question, I don’t have anything to say about that. But I do have something to show you.”
Without hesitation, Steve leans over to capture Tony’s lips in his.
Clint would’ve toppled over if Natasha hadn’t steadied his chair.
“That’s…”
“Bold?”
“I was gonna say unexpected,” Clint says. “But yeah, sure. Let’s go with that.”
It’s an open secret among the Avengers that Steve and Thor have been hopelessly pining for Tony for months, even going so far as trying to outdo each other with their efforts of wooing Tony.
Judging by the way Tony’s cupping Steve’s face as they make out and the shit-eating grin Thor has plastered on as he saunters over to the two, it seems like they’ve come to a mutual agreement. A silent mutual agreement.
How the fuck did this escape the rest of their notice? Of Clint’s notice? Steve and Thor are two of the least subtle people around. The fact that they and Tony could keep their relationship on the downlow is blowing Clint’s mind.
Steve and Tony part with a quiet smack. Tony turns in his seat to fist Thor’s shirt to give his own kiss.
“I think my brain’s short-circuiting.”
Natasha scoffs. “You’re acting as if you’ve never seen two men kiss in your life.”
“Well, I’ve never seen my friends kiss each other,” Clint hisses. “You gotta cut me some slack here. I mean, look at Bruce.”
“Bruce looks fine.”
“His eyebrows look like they’re gonna climb off his forehead.”
Steve’s cheeks are flaming red when he shyly turns back to the stunned crowd in front of him. His expression quickly turns icy when he meets Fox Man’s eyes, who looks torn between hiding in a hole or lighting the rest of them on fire.
“Does that answer your question?” he challenges. “Or do you need me to give you another demonstration?”
Thor doesn’t let Fox Man reply, smirking as he inches over to Steve. “I dare say we have not finished his question, my love.”
And with that, he seals Steve’s lips with his.
Clint almost passes out.
“Okay,” Natasha says. “Now, that? That I didn’t see coming.”
Tony’s all smiles as he watches his boyfriends (boyfriends!!!!!) make out in front of everyone. It’s the smuggest and proudest he’s ever seen him.
“Suck it,” he says into the microphone, casually flipping off Fox Man, who looks like he’s ready to explode.
For some unexplainable reason, the rest of the journalists zero in on Clint after that.
“Don’t look at me,” he says, hands held high. “I ain’t kissing them.”
Natasha smirks. Bruce covers his grin behind his sleeve.
Out of the corner of Clint’s eyes, Pepper rubs her temples and pops a pill.
*****
The next day, Clint and the rest of the Avengers pile into one of the stuffy conference rooms on the helicarrier because according to Tony, ‘Eye Patch is in the mood to ream their asses’. Which is so, so unfair since Clint wasn’t the one who made out with his boyfriends in front of the press. Why the hell did he need to face Fury’s wrath when he wasn’t the one to out himself to the press?
Much to no one’s surprise, said boyfriends don’t show up.
Fury’s scowl is much more steely than usual when he storms in, slamming a newspaper onto the table.
Emblazoned on the front page is a picture of Tony flipping the camera as Steve and Thor make out in the background. Avengers: Gay Orgy?!, its heading screams.
“Is there something you people wanna tell me?” Fury begins icily.
“There is no orgy going on between the six of us,” Natasha immediately answers.
“Or five,” Bruce adds.
Clint nods his head, gesturing towards the newspaper. “Yup, yup. The only Avengers having an orgy are them.”
Fury raises an eyebrow. “And what the hell do you call this, then?”
“A threesome,” Natasha replies.
Clint frowns at her. “But that’s not even a threesome. They weren’t even having sex.”
“Threesome could mean three people as a group,” Bruce offers.
“Ah.”
“Speaking of threesomes, where the hell are Stark and—”
A resounding crash cuts Fury off, jolting everyone in their seats.
Everyone hustles out and makes a beeline for the conference room next door. Clint gets into position, readying himself to let his arrow fly.
He expects AIM beekeepers, HYDRA goons, or even Doombots. Instead, they’re greeted by the sight of the conference table cracked, the room in disarray, and the other half of the Avengers in a tangle of limbs.
Tony has sandwiched himself between his boyfriends as he sucks the soul out of Steve. Next to them, Thor glances up at Clint and the rest, beaming and flashing them a thumbs-up before Tony drags him into a kiss.
Clint’s going to need bleach for his eyes when he gets home.
“Are you sure the squid didn’t spray them with sex pollen or something?” he begins tentatively.
“Nope,” Bruce replies. “We got checked over, remember?”
“Twice,” Natasha adds.
Steve has the decency to look ashamed when he catches sight of them. He pries his boyfriends apart before jumping to his feet in haste. “Director! I– We were just—”
“Late,” Tony continues for him. “Sorry about that but—”
“We were distracted,” Thor declares.
“I’ll pay for everything,” Tony adds.
Fury looks absolutely murderous.
Clint clasps his hands. “Well! I think it’s safe to say that we all need a break. Or bleach. How about we adjourn this meeting for a while and—”
“Three of you are dismissed. But you three,” Fury jabs his fingers at Steve, Thor, and Tony in turn, “stay. We need to talk.”
Steve’s cheeks darken. Thor puffs his chest. Tony grins lazily. Their hair is disarray, their clothes wrinkled, their lips red and puffy and— Clint is not going to think about that. Nope. Not at all. Not if he wants to sleep at night.
Natasha immediately makes a beeline for the door. Bruce wipes his glasses with his shirt, following after her.
Out of the corner of Clint’s eyes, Fury rubs his temples and pops a pill.
*****
True to his word, Tony ends up paying for all the damages incurred on the helicarrier. All twenty thousand dollars’ worth of damages.
Clint couldn’t look at Conference Room Three the same way ever again.
*****
also on ao3.
