Chapter 2
When Clint wakes up the following morning, he has no idea how he got into his bed. It's weird, he hasn't actually made it into his own bed for weeks, but now that he's in it he doesn't want to leave...
And not remembering is almost fun, has him trying to connect the dots and recall what he did last night. What startles him though is the sight of Phil- Coulson- sitting there, eyes open and alert, and focused on him completely.
"We need to stop this, Barton."
His voice isn't up to speaking yet, and he doesn't try.
Just lying there, he soaks up the presence of his boss which he hasn't experienced for so long, and lets himself be happy and satisfied, knowing Coulson- no, Phil, because he's in Clint's bedroom for fucks sake, he can't not call him Phil- is watching him.
It’s something he hasn't felt for a long time, and he revels in it. But then he worries about what Phil saw and why he’s here at all, and hopes he didn’t do anything stupid in front of the man. Clearing his throat, he attempts to speak, managing after a few squeaky tries.
“Stop what, Sir?”
“You’re working too hard.”
It’s not an accusation, it’s a statement of fact. And Clint knows that Phil is right, as always.
He’s surprised by what follows though.
“So am I.”
Clint hasn’t been close enough to Phil lately to notice any increase in workload or exhaustion, but if Phil says it, it’s probably true. And now that he looks closer, he can see the dark rings under his eyes.
Clint wonders why Phil would be working more than usual.
There had been a time, of course, where Phil had been pretty close to the robot agent many at SHIELD take him for, working day and night, getting four hours of sleep in his on base quarters, letting his plants in his flat wither and die and having no actual social life to speak of.
But Clint thought Phil was long gone from that kind of self-destructive behaviour.
Not knowing what else to say, he asks “Why are you here, Sir?”
“I was worried.”
Clint lets that sink in, and is sure he doesn’t really want to know what Phul saw that made him worry, so he doesn’t ask.
Phil tells him to go shower and dress, and then takes him downstairs for breakfast. They don’t speak much, or even at all, until, one after the other, the team drops by.
Clint notices that he has never been there in those early morning hours before, because he definitely would have noticed the way Bruce zooms in on the coffee machine, Tony acts like a Zombie, and Steve's adorble bedhead.
He also, apparently, missed out on getting a kiss on the cheek by Natasha, and the old familarity of that alone is nearly worth the socialising.
Phil gets flustered by sight of Cap, but Steve is too tired to notice so it's okay. And Clint doesn't even feel jealous, not with how Phil stays by his side thr entire time.
And Phil only leaves his place standing next to Clint when he notices how surprised Clint is at Nat's slight PDA.
If even those two haven't been communicating as they used to lately, it's really been bad.
Clint of course notices how Phil goes to talk to Nat, it's quite obvious with her being the only one in the kitchen...
But when Nat comes back out and goes to hug Clint, calling him a silly little birdie, he just feels grateful for Phil intervening.
He knows Nat has her own problems with socialising, it's not her fault that they haven't seen much of each other lately... Their ways of coping just didn't fit together for once.
While the rest of the team goes to whatever hideyholes they have, the three of them sit down together and eat, and it's so calm, so familiar and domestic, Clint could cry.
After, Nat excuses herself, Clint has the feeling she just wants the two of them to talk.
Once it's just the two of them, Phil gently takes Clints wrist in hand and checks the bandages. Clint lets him.
Then, in unspoken agreement, they leave the tower. Clint notices that, except for when they assembled, he hasn't left the tower together with someone else in ages.
They go to Bed-Stuy, to Clint's apartment house, Clint checking on his tenants and being warmly greeted by everyone. It's weird, that they didn't forget him yet. But a good weird. Judging from some f the comments about him being busy lately, he suspects they even know that he is Hawkeye, but no-one asks for autographs or seems to have told the press, so he lets his slide.
His own flat is the last they enter. Before turning his key, he checks his booby-traps, and- one's definitely missing, but there seems to be something else- yep, he nearly electrocuted himself there.
Motioning to Phil that they're not alone, he enters the flat.
The first thing he notices is that the TV is running.
The second he definitely can't miss: a giant one-eyed dog jumping up from his place by the couch and nearly running him over. He knows that dog, having rescued Lucky from the Tracksuit Mafia a few years back and it living in the building, being fed by most tenants, ever since.
The figure lying on the couch starts moving and a girls blinks at them bleary-eyed.
"Katie-Kate?? You living here now, or what?" Clint asks perplex, and Phil puts his gun away again.
"Uh, hey Hawkeye, hello to you too" Kate rubbs at her eyes before motioning for Lucky to let go of Clint.
"And pizza dog listens to you?! What's going on in my life" Clint shakes his head and goes into the kitchen, he needs more caffeine for this. Thankfully, the coffee maker is still in its usual spot and it seems like Kate even bought new fancy coffee beans.
"Well, you haven't showed your face round here for ages, no wonder you're missing things" Kate calls after him. And shit, there's definitely hurt in that voice.
"Aww, Katie I'm sorry, there just has been so much going on..." He knows it's a weak excuse and he knows that she knows it.
"You could've at least said goodbye, if you planned on just moving out! I had to find out by the new guy that you're not here anymore, you know that? And don't call me Katie"
"Alright, Hawkeye, I'm sorry" He goes to hug her, and it feels good to initiate physical contact with someone again. Burying his nose in her hair, he hopes she knows just how sorry he is. Katie's like a little sister for him, and he really shouldn't have let his issues become so bad that he neclegted her as well.
"But really, you living in my flat now? As in, all alone?"
Phil, having let them have their moment, hands him the cup of coffee that's ready and dissappears into the kitchen again. Clint hasn't even noticed that the man moved away from the door. Damn, that competence...
"Who's the suit guy?" Kate asks, pointing at Phil's back.
"He's SHIELD, we used to work together, you can thank him for dragging me out of the tower today, and don't deflect we were talking about your living sitution young lady"
"Thanks secret agent man!" Kate calls in the direction of the kitchen before flapping back down on the couch. Phil's laughter is music in Clint's ears.
He sits down next to Kate, legs up on the coffee table, and Lucky comes over to cuddle under his legs.
Absentmindedly, Clint tangles his hands in the dog's fur.
Kate's squirming next to him, probably waiting to get grilled about basically running away from home again.
But honestly? He doesn't mind so much. She's 19, and mature for her age, and while it's shitty that she had to grow up so fast, he can't deny that she knows how to take care of herself. Probably better than he himself does.
"I really am sorry, Kate" he says, glancing over at her.
She must have noticed something in his voice, as she scoots over to pull him into a hug again.
"I know you've got issues, Hawkeye, but don't we all?"
"Do guess so, Hawkeye" he chuckles and holds her close, vowing to himself that he'll ask her more about why exactly she chose to move in here the next time they're alone.
Lucky uses their distraction to get to the coffee, and they quickly pull apart as he pushes the mug to the ground, landing with a clonk and spilling coffee everywhere.
"Aw coffee no!" Clint groans, jumping up and hurrying to the kitchen to get a paper towel or something, carefully stepping over the wet spot. Phil already fished one out of the cupboard, and Clint goes back, muttering "Thanks Phil- Lucky, you know you don't like the stuff! Bad dog, ugh"
Only way later does he notice that it's the first time in ages he called Phil by his first name again out loud.
Phil does notice, of course, and can't help a small smile spreading on his lips.
They have to wipe down the floor, and then Lucky, too, because of course the dog lay down in the one spot where there was coffee left...
But with Phil and Kate around, Clint thinks it's a much better problem to have than the loneliness of the weeks before.
They'll be alright.