”Sir, this looks bad.”
Clint’s—Barton’s—voice was tense in Phil’s comm. He smiled widely and nodded enthusiastically at the mark in front of him, knowing Clint would see it as the agreement it was.
’Bad’ didn’t even begin to describe what was going on. What should’ve been a decently straightforward recon mission had gone from boring to FUBAR the moment Valavor walked into the full bar and his beady eyes locked in on Phil. They’d crossed paths previously and there was no way Valavor didn’t recognize him. And Phil was just supposed to be on the lookout while Tasha hacked the server in the bar’s backroom—the one that just happened to be hooked up in the intranet of the syndicate they’d been tracking for months. He and Clint were just supposed to talk shit to pass time and now—
”You!” Valavor mouthed, his lips drawing to a sneer. He cocked his head and squared his shoulders in the way that probably was meant for intimidating and scary but that was mostly ridiculous. Except for now.
”Sir…I’m gonna do something. Please don’t kill me,” Clint said suddenly.
A sound of something ripping, jumping, running, and then the door to the bar slammed open and Clint sauntered in. He’s ripped the sleeves off his t-shirt and is now wearing the black uniform pants and sleeveless top with his arms bare and Phil might’ve phased out for a moment there.
”Hello, gorgeous,” Clint murmured as he prowled to Phil, completely ignoring Valavor and his entourage. ”I thought we were supposed to meet in the bar down the road? You know, the one that doesn’t try to kill people like us on sight.” He cocked a brow and then stepped closer into the vee of Phil’s legs, making room for himself like he was always meant to be there.
Valavor let out an outraged sound but Clint barely hushed him over his shoulder like a toddler with a temper tantrum and then—
Clint’s eyes were heavy-lidded and dark as he bent close and kissed Phil like a man starved, cradling his face in his calloused hands. Phil’s hands spasmed and then he grabbed a hold on the front of Clint’s torn shirt, hanging on for dear life.
”Fucking faggots,” he heard Valavor spit out, disgusted.
”And yet, you’re still watching us,” Clint drawled out and climbed on Phil’s lap, diving in for another kiss.
Valavor hissed something under his breath and stormed out, making Clint smile against Phil’s lips.
Having Clint there, warm and willing and perfect in his arms was everything Phil had ever dreamed of but never had the courage to pursue. Without his consent (a blatant lie) his hands splayed low on Clint’s back, massaging his hips and ass and he let out a pleased sound straight into Phil’s mouth. He was growing rapidly hard and so was Clint and he hissed as Clint shuddered and ground down and it felt glorious.
They should stop. Valavor was gone and there was no reason to continue but—
He didn’t want to stop. Dear God, he didn’t want to stop.
And then, they were doused with cold beer.
”Hey!” Someone yelled and shoved at someone else who yelled back and in the resulting brawl, Clint vanished from Phil’s lap and into the crowd. He tried pinging him but his comm was on silent, either because it was out of his ear or (more likely) Clint had turned it off.
”I’m out,” Tasha said on a private channel. ”He left through the side door and took the first corner to the right.”
Phil nodded and dodged a blow haphazardly thrown his way, staggering out like he was drunk. The alley was dark and smelled like piss and vomit but he didn’t really pay it any attention, scanning the area with practiced ease. There was no point in trying to run after Clint because sooner or later, he’d round back to get the gear he left behind in his nest. It would be easier to catch him there.
Some while later, as Phil was calmly leaning on the wall next to the ladder to Clint’s nest, he saw Clint slink in from the shadows.
”Sir—”
”Clint—”
There was a beat of silence, then Clint said in a quiet, resigned voice, ”I’m sorry.”
”About what?”
Clint didn’t meet his eyes. ”About kissing you.”
There were several options to choose from. Phil could nod and say, ”Apology accepted.” He could shrug and say, ”No need, you made a split-second decision and it saved the mission and probably my life.” He could cock his head and ask, ”Are you?”
Instead, he swallowed and braced himself. ”I’m not,” he said softly.
Clint’s head jerked up. ”What?” He asked, eyes wide.
Phil shrugged, a bit helpless, and smiled.
”Really? But…why didn’t you say anything?”
”Power imbalance, mostly,” Phil said. ”You’ve been taken advantage of so many times. I refused to add to it. Still do.”
He didn’t ask why Clint never said anything because he already knew. That would’ve meant revealing a weakness and Clint had grown up knowing that showing weakness of any kind meant courting death.
”So,” Clint said. ”What now?”
”Now? We get your gear and wrap up the mission,” Phil said easily.
”You do know I could’ve gone up from the other side,” Clint said slowly.
”Yep.” Actually, there were at least four different routes to the nest, and only one was guaranteed to lead Clint past Phil.
”And after?”
”That’s up to you.”
Clint bit his lip and looked up at him from under his lashes. How a stone-cold assassin and a level 7 specialist could look so adorable was beyond Phil, but somehow Clint managed. Phil wanted to wrap him in a hug and pour him in his bed and just hold him until the haunted shadows in Clint’s eyes went away for good.
”So…” Clint said as he took a hesitant step forward. ”if I said I wanted to kiss you again, what would you answer?”
Phil smiled. ”I’d ask what are you waiting for?”
Clint huffed, shook his head, and took another step. ”I’d say I’ve been waiting for you.”
Phil tilted his head and let out a noncommittal hum. ”And I’d say, I’ve been here all along.”
”Sorry it took so long,” Clint whispered.
”You took exactly the time you needed,” Phil murmured against his lips.
This time, they were both starved but their hunger was tempered in the knowledge that they’d get this, get each other, that this wasn’t just for the mission.
In his ear, Phil heard the comm click several times in a rapid code, letting him know that Tasha was around, looking out for them and promising she’d never let them live this down.
Phil smiled and let himself sink into another kiss.