Morning After: A/B/O AU

[cfbhawkeye]

It's nearly a week before either Clint or Steve regain some sanity and sobriety. The archer is up and about, cleaning away what remains of the water and snacks. He hits the shower for a hot soak before finally heading for the kitchen.

He's positive that Steve will be ravenous. He starts in on mi\aking some pancake batter and frying bacon and eggs while the coffee brews in the machine.

He calls in to SHIELD to let them know the situation, then checks in with the team. Natasha's kind enough to take over handling the explanations to everyone else in the Tower and Clint promises her a dinner of her favorite pasta and garlic bread in return for the help.

He fills a mug of coffee and then pours the first puddles of batter onto the griddle to cook.

Comments

[doesntrunaway]

He huffed a soft laugh at the first, shaking his head, "Suppose that's true, and probably why they've got it set up that way."

A nod followed at the rest, "Sounds like a plan." He preferred his bike, or one of the smaller vehicles, but he wouldn't have any trouble with the SUV.

[cfbhawkeye]

The archer smiled and nodded as he ducked down the hall, he quickly stripped the bed and shoved it all into a hamper to be cleaned, then dug up some clothes and headed for the shower.

He scrubbed and washed his hair, he didn't like that Steve's scent was washing away but there was nothing for it.

Once cleaned up and dressed, he tugged on a pair of purple chucks with his jeans and strapped a Baretta to his hip before heading to the kitchen to meet Steve.

[doesntrunaway]

Steve had changed as well, and as he'd suspected, it was a little strange to be back in his own clothes again, though there was an odd sort of comfort in realizing that they smelled like Clint's detergent and not his own. He was slowly starting to realize that he might be more than a little smitten.

He smiled at the archer's return, having been leaning back on his hands against the counter, though his brow furrowed, just a little, as he nodded towards the weapon on Clint's hip, "Expecting trouble on the drive over?" Mostly he wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not, since he was unarmed and while he knew how to use one, he didn't particularly like guns.

[cfbhawkeye]

Clint gave a sheepish shrug and patted the holster. "Old cop habits, thats all. Rather be with it than without, yanno? To many horror stories about needing it when its not there."

The archer grabbed the two sets of keys, turning one over to Steve and led the way out of the door, down through the building and to the garage where the SUV and the Challenger were sitting in parking spots.

[doesntrunaway]

He made a quiet, affirmative sound in his throat. He could understand that, and while he didn't exactly like it, he wasn't going to argue it, either.

There was a small smile as he spun the keys around his finger, "Lead the way." He knew the way back to HQ himself, his sense of direction wasn't that bad, but following Clint there just felt like the right way to do things.

[cfbhawkeye]

The archer smiled, he hesitated just a moment before lightly brushing a hand over Steve's wrist and heading for the Challenger. He slid in behind the wheel, gunned the engine to life and pulled out of the parking spot.

He waited until Steve was behind him before setting off down the route through Brooklyn to Manhattan and the SHIELD HQ. Dropping from the street into the parking garage, flashing credentials and finally sliding into a spot near the elevator. He climbed out and stood waiting for Steve to park and bail out.

[doesntrunaway]

One of the things Steve had caught onto quickly was modern vehicles, and automatic transmissions where he was used to manual. He couldn't really say which he liked better, one was easier, but the other was what he was used to, and in the long run he was always going to prefer a motorcycle.

It wasn't long before he'd parked tidily in the next empty spot, conscientious as ever about making sure the lights were off and the doors were locked before joining Clint, "Okay."

[cfbhawkeye]

The archer gave Steve a reassuring smile and a slight nod. He felt a little anxious. No doubt by now words got around what happened and he was worried about the reaction. Not for himself but for Steve.

He was anxious and fiddled a little nervously. He might have hovered a little to close to Steve, a little over protective in this first venture into the world after their seclusion. It didn't help that they were going to medical. His LEAST favorite place in the world.

[doesntrunaway]

Honestly, Steve had never been that fond of medical himself, and he didn't mind the hovering such as it was.

His brows both lifted, just a little, studying Clint a moment, noting the fidgeting -something he wasn't used to from Clint- and the apparent nervousness, "Are you ready for this?"

[cfbhawkeye]

"Yeah. Yeah... I'm just a little twitchy is all. I'm fine. I get jittery after holing up for a while. No matter what." Clint smiled a bit. He drifted his fingers over Steve's elbow then down to his wrist before pulling back a bit.

The small alpha fidgeted and stayed back in a corner when they were guided to a room. Steve sat on a bed and to wait for a once over from a physician. Clint couldn't help a soft growl at the medics.

[doesntrunaway]

That, at least, was something he could relate to, and so he just nodded.

Honestly he was thankful for Clint's presence, though his brows both lifted, looking over at the other man at the growl, fairly certain that the medic hadn't even heard it, and not surprised that he'd heard it himself.

He'd been right in his guess that they wouldn't have found a dosage that would work on his system without throwing everything else out of whack, but they were working on one, and hoped to have it done before he cycled again.

Other than that, he was determined to be in good health, and was released to light duty for the next 48 hours and back to regular duty after that.

[cfbhawkeye]

Clint hung his head a little as he followed Steve out of the office. His face was a little flushed in shame. "...I can't believe I growled at him."

Clint prided himself on not being one of those, bullying, territorial and aggressive alphas. It wasn't as if Steve couldn't take care of himself. "...I'm sorry."

[doesntrunaway]

"It's okay." Steve said, fingers catching at Clint's elbow, giving it a brief, reassuring squeeze, "We're both still coming down a little, and neither of us likes medical, much." The growl had made sense, even if it had surprised him a little.

"What kind of interference has Natasha been running?" Because he knew it had to be her that Clint would contact first about something like this, and he wanted to make sure they were on the same page as far as who knew what, and what they were telling everyone else.

[cfbhawkeye]

"I'm not really sure. I'm guessing for the most part she just told them the truth and to leave us the hell alone. And you know how she gets...scary... I'm betting we'll get about four free days before Tony is down our throats."

Clint led Steve down through the building, into the garage and the Dodge. He fiddled with the keys. "I'm sure you're probably ready for some alone time but you'll still do movie night with us all tonight right?" Clint was already anxious for their lunch date later that week, though the idea of being to far from the super soldier unsettled him. He knew it was all the ride down from the endorphins and hormones.

[doesntrunaway]

"Of course." He replied, smiling broadly, the kind of expression that could only be described as 'beaming', "I wouldn't miss it. Besides, it's my turn to bring the drinks." Which meant that it would be soda, most likely, and maybe milkshakes if he ran other errands that took him past the corner diner he still liked to go to every week or so. Mostly because it was easy for him to get the caloric intake he needed for a single meal without it looking like he was eating a huge amount.

[cfbhawkeye]

"Gonna go for those peanut butter malts again? Those things were insane." Clint latches onto the change of subject. Trying to turn his attention away from his own discomfort at his behavior. He's trying to settle himself down. Find that internal balance that had been lost in the week they had been locked away.

[doesntrunaway]

"Sure, if that's what you'd like." He replied with a soft laugh. That offer was just Steve being Steve, it didn't have anything to do with wanting to provide for his Alpha. Mostly. Maybe a little.

He would have made the same offer to whoever he was talking to, but it might have come just a little more readily because it was Clint after the time they'd just spent together.

[cfbhawkeye]

"Kinda have a thing for peanut butter. Pretty much grew up on the stuff and nothing else... wonder if that's why I'm such a runt." He laughed softly and shifted a bit so their shoulders bumped as they walked.

[doesntrunaway]

"You know, there might actually be something to that theory." He said, head tilting, "I ate a lot of it as a kid too, peanut butter, oatmeal, potatoes, eggs, the kind of stuff that fills you up without breaking the bank."

Which had definitely been something they'd had to worry about when he was younger, especially with how sickly he'd been in other ways.

[cfbhawkeye]

"Poor, small kid food." Clint gave a little nod. "Did fine by us I figure. We're here. Too bad our mommas couldn't see us now..."

Clint quieted a bit. He fidgeted then reached out and laid a hand on Steve's shoulder. He gave a squeeze. Rumbling softly.

[doesntrunaway]

He made a quiet, lowthroated sound of his own in response, somehow both an agreement and a sort of sympathetic commiseration. The reminder didn't bother him, not really, though at the same time he felt like it probably should.

[cfbhawkeye]

Clint squeezed gently then rumbled softly back. He reluctantly dragged his hand back. He gave the super soldier a gentle... possibly playful nudge... if he thought that Steve might go for it he'd try and coax him into a romp...

Maybe the next time they went running in Central Park together...

Clint flushed a little. "... yanno... this is my first try at something like this... relationship and all... I feel stupid but I want to do all that ridiculous stuff that puppy love teenages do."

[doesntrunaway]

Steve's smile could only be described as 'beaming', open and bright as he nudged Clint's shoulder back. He probably wouldn't agree to a romp where anyone could hear him, not yet anyway, though he wouldn't turn it down flat.

"Not like I've got a whole lot of practice at it either, Clint." He replied, amused, "Not many people were interested in a 98 pound weakling. And after that..." He shook his head, "There was a lot else going on, things got busy, and there hasn't been a lot of time since I came off the ice."

[cfbhawkeye]

Clint caught his arm and tugged him around. His face suddenly serious. "Steve. You weren't weak. You were never weak, got it? Hell the fact that you lived... you being sick makes you about as weak as me being deaf and you yourself called that bullshit plenty of times. ..."

Clint squeezed his arm tightly. The offered a lopsided smile.

"...besides you know how many people out there would kill to be 98 pounds. KILL for it."

[doesntrunaway]

He was surprised by the sudden, almost-aggressive pep talk, but he smiled about halfway through, catching Clint's arms in turn, just above his elbows, giving a squeeze in return, "I know. I didn't mean anything by it. It was just a descriptor."

His brow creased just a little at the follow-up, looking briefly concerned, "It wasn't a healthy thing. Wouldn't be healthy for someone else, either."