Snowblind

”ETA of the extraction team is three minutes.”

”Copy that,” Steve said.

”How’s Agent Coulson?”

Steve glanced at the man he was holding in his arms. ”Stable,” he said. ”His temperature is normal. I don’t like the sound of his breathing, though. I’m guessing he’s developing pneumonia.”

”Copy that,”  the contact said, crisp and professional. ”SHIELD out.”

Steve sighed and poked at Coulson. It would probably be a good idea that the Agent was awake when the extraction team came in, if only for his own sake. Coulson could be funny like that. Steve didn’t mind as much. It wasn’t like this was the first time he had had to use shared body heat to keep someone in his team alive.

Coulson sighed and snuggled closer. His cheeks were tinted rosy and his hair was plastered on his forehead. Steve frowned and pressed the back of his hand on Coulson’s skin. It was hot. The man was probably running a fever. 

No wonder, really. The mission had started out as planned, but they had had no idea that the former Soviet town had built a waste water line into the river. It had been an exceptionally unpleasant surprise when the ice had cracked under their feet and Coulson had fallen through. Steve had barely managed to throw himself to the side, and then crawl back to haul Coulson out of the freezing water.

It had been a six mile hike to the safe house. The distance would’ve been okay, if they both had been dry and warm. As it was, Coulson had soon stumbled on his feet, the grueling cold seeping into his bones. When he had started to shiver uncontrollably, Steve had picked him up.

When he had tried to strip his cap and mittens off and started to mumble about how warm he was, Steve and gritted his teeth and picked up speed.

” ’m okay, Steve, really,” Coulson said sluggishly. ”Can walk.”

”Sure,” Steve managed, jogging steadily forward. ”Just hold on tight, sir, we’re nearly there.” 

Actually, they were only halfway there, but Steve didn’t think Coulson would need to know that. He could keep on the steady comforting chattering, to keep Coulson speaking and conscious.

He cursed his own stupidity for not checking the town’s blueprints beforehand. Sure, he had been there before, but that had been 70 damned years ago. If the river had then been frozen solid enough to use as a truck highway, he shouldn’t have assumed it would be the same now. He should’ve realized!

”Hot,” Coulson mumbled and tugged at his cap with his free hand. 

”Hey, no, stop!” Steve snapped, barely fast enough to get a better grip of Coulson’s flailing hands. He had the Agent in the fireman’s carry, and as efficient as it was, it left Coulson’s other hand inconveniently free to act on the stupid impulses hypothermia induced. 

Steve swore under his breath. He needed to get inside and warm Coulson up.

The noise from the door indicated the team’s arrival. Steve had barely time to brace himself when the door slammed open and Barton charged in.

”Rescue’s here!” He chimed cheerily, stomped his feet, and snatched the beanie off his head. Then he raised his head and the grin froze on his face. 

Steve frowned.

As the myriad of emotions flickered on Clint’s face, Steve’s unease spiked. Surprise was understandable, because it wasn’t every day one walked in on one's handler snuggling practically naked against a teammate. However, it was the flash of raw longing and resignation that made Steve’s mouth go dry.

Oh, shit, he thought. 

It only lasted for a split second, enough for the rest of the team pour in. Then Clint blinked slowly, and when he opened his eyes again, he had his professional mask on.

”Okay, sir, time to stop cuddling and go home,” Clint quipped, making way for the medics and their space blankets. 

”Clint—” Steve started, and Clint nodded, not quite looking him in the eye.

”Good job, Cap. Thanks.”

He turned sharply around and went to clear the way to the gurney carrying Coulson, shoulders tight.

Oh, shit, indeed.

Back in the Tower, Coulson was hurried into the medical and hooked into monitors. Steve stayed to watch over him until he knew everything was alright, just like he had done to each and every one of his team back in the day. He hoped he would see Clint, but the archer stayed away. Steve figured he felt awkward and decided to give him some time.

As time went by and Coulson recovered, it became more than obvious that Clint was avoiding them both. He had always been reclusive, but now it was almost pointed. Steve would’ve been amenable to brush it off, but it seemed Coulson didn’t understand what was going on.

”Did I say something to him?” Coulson asked him one day in the kitchen. ”When I was hypothermic, I mean. Did I offend him?”

Steve swallowed, thinking what to say. He really didn’t think it was his place to say, well, anything really, but he didn’t like it when two of his teammates were miserable. Which they were. Clint did his job, but he was snappish and irritable, although he made sure he was always a consummate professional around them. And Coulson on the other hand… he was somehow frail in his confusion. It was heartbreaking to see how his face lit up whenever he saw Clint, and how he deflated when Clint left.

Sighing, Steve put his hand on Coulson’s shoulder. ”I think you two should talk,” he said softly.

He looked up at a soft sound at the door and saw Clint. He dropped his hand from Coulson’s shoulder, but it was too late: Clint had already seen it.

”Uh, sorry guys. I’ll just grab some coffee and leave you alone,” Clint said quietly.

”Hello Clint,” Coulson said with a tentative smile.

”Sir.” Clint nodded as he passed Coulson.

Steve watched the two of them and resisted the urge to smack their heads together.

”Come on, sir, I need to get you warm,” Steve said, trying to pry the frozen clothes off of Coulson.

”No, Steve, no,” Coulson protested feebly. He was swaying on his feet, his lips blue and eyes vacant. ”I’m flattered but I’m not into you.” Then he paused and frowned. ”Or I am, because you’re Captain America, and I guess everyone’s into Captain America, but… Steve, I can’t.”

”Coulson, please,” Steve pleaded, frustrated. 

He managed to wrangle Coulson’s clothes off and without further ado, he carried him into the lumpy bed in bridal style. The blanket was thin and smelled musty, but it was big enough to cover them both. Steve climbed in after Coulson and wrapped himself around the other man, tugging his jacket to cover Coulson’s head.

”This isn’t right,” Coulson mumbled as he slowly started to thaw. ”I shouldn’t…”

Steve rubbed his back, both to get the circulation going and to soothe him. ”It’s okay, sir. This is a mission gone south, and I need to keep you alive. Nothing more.”

”You’re not Clint,” Coulson muttered, oblivious to Steve’s words.

Steve’s hand faltered for a moment and then continued, more slowly.

”No, I’m not Clint,” Steve said carefully.

”You should be Clint,” Coulson sighed. 

In the middle of the second week after the busted mission, Steve decided it was getting a bit too ridiculous. Both Clint and Coulson were dancing around each other, pining like pros, and Steve didn’t have time or energy to deal with any of it.

He decided to amp up the game and asked JARVIS for help.

”Agent Barton is currently in the vents over the communal kitchen,” JARVIS said. ”It appears he has been sleeping there.” He paused for a moment, then continued hesitantly, ”If I may say so, Agent Coulson hasn’t been sleeping well since he was released from the medical.”

Steve nodded. ”Thanks, JARVIS,” he said, formulating a plan as he left his quarters. ”Please, don’t alert Clint. And don’t be alarmed by what I say. Just… play along, will you?”

”Very well, Captain Rogers.”

Steve strode into the communal floor, and was satisfied when he saw the kitchen empty. He would’ve done this regardless of the company, but for Clint’s sake, he was happy the place was empty. He looked up, trying to figure out where exactly Clint was hiding, and blinked when one of the ceiling panels flashed purple for a second.

Thanks JARVIS, he thought as he moved a chair right under the panel and climbed on it. Then he smacked the panel once with a fist.

”Get down here, Barton. We need to talk! And don’t even think about running away, or I’ll have JARVIS gassing the vents.”

A short moment and a lot of muttering later, Clint dropped in front of Steve with a scowl.

”Okay, ’m here. Talk.”

”It’s about Coulson,” Steve said.

Clint blinked and his face morphed into a carefully impassive mask.

”I have no idea how I can help you with that,” he said flatly, looking somewhere over Steve’s left shoulder.

Steve took a deliberate breath. ”You can help by talking with him.”

”Sure,” Clint said calmly. ”If there was nothing else…” he turned to walk away.

”Shut up and listen, Barton,” Steve barked, annoyed about this whole damn thing. ”Did you know that when he was hypothermic, he talked about you?”

”What?” 

”He’s not the first man I’ve stripped to keep alive with shared body heat, you know. He’s not even the first not-straight man I’ve warmed up. But he’s the first man who straight-out offered the name of the person who was the reason why he didn’t think he could share the bed with me.”

Clint stared at him, mouth agape. ”What?” He asked again.

”Clint,” Steve said gently and stepped closer to take a hold of his shoulders. ”He said it should’ve been you, not me.”

Clint looked lost. ”But— that’s— ”

”More importantly, I saw your face when you came to extract us,” Steve said seriously. ”It hurt you to see him in my arms.”

Clint dropped his eyes and swallowed. ”Yeah, well,” he said hoarsely. 

Steve wanted to shake him, but he kept on the steady hold of his shoulders instead. ”So, how about you man up and, you know, talk to him?”

”But… what would I say? ’Hi Phil, I’m ridiculously gone for you, wanna make out?’” He let out a small self-deprecating laugh and shrugged.

”I think that would be a good start, yes,” Coulson said quietly from behind Clint.

Steve closed his eyes and let out a relieved breath. He would thank JARVIS  for the impeccable timing later.

After they’d talked things through right there in the communal kitchen (by Steve’s insistence and under his supervision — yes, he took his position as the team leader seriously), it took Clint and Coulson a couple of days to emerge from Clint’s quarters. They were ridiculously cute to the point of being gross, but Steve didn’t mind. He would take Clint’s shy smiles and the look of blissed-out awe on Coulson’s face over the mutual pining any day.

Besides, Tony’s expression when he had walked in on them kissing in the elevator had been priceless.