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rhodestoruin · 2 years

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one single thread of gold | warhawk

@justlikethenamesays

canon-typical triggers, brief NSFW content

The saying that time healed all things was absolute bullshit. Some things, time made infinitely worse. Secrets were on that list, and there was proof of that in the scattered wreckage of the Avengers. The fear that came with time, the silence, that all got worse. If it hadn't been for Natasha, he wasn't sure how he would have made it through the wreckage of it all, piecing together a life for himself in London with a giant hole in the center of it. He couldn't fill it, no matter how he tried, how close Nat stayed. She couldn't fill that particular hole, just like he couldn't fill hers.

When she had told him she was finally going to see Sam, he was happy for her, encouraging. There was no reason Sam wouldn't listen to her, she just had to actually talk. She didn't pick a man that would put her in second place to someone else. He had done it, knowingly, and never once regretted his choice. Even when they'd stood on opposite sides, James Rhodes never fell on his list of regrets.

In their hunting for a way out, their quiet tabs on the others, he had known Rhodey was here, was with Stark. He hadn't expected anything else. Choosing to place himself on the opposite side from the two people who meant the most in the world to him hadn't been an easy choice. But he had known, from the moment the line had been drawn, where Rhodey would stand. Natasha hadn't surprised him at any point, and they both knew that.

He tried to stay away, not to torture himself with could-have-beens. He made sure he was safe, unharmed and tried so very hard not to give in to that deep well of wanting that no longer had a safe home. One thing Clint Barton never left, though, was loose ends. So he set pen to paper and wrapped it around a brilliant purple arrow shaft. He'd left that arrow embedded where he knew Rhodey would find it, because there were some people in the world that were never meant to just be left in the past. Rhodey, I hope that you're doing well, that you and StarkTony are finding something like peace. You both deserve that, after all you've both given and done for the people around you. I always knew that I would come second in your life if you had to make a choose. I never regretted choosing you anyway. I still don't.

I understand your choice, I always have. No answer is an answer, and I will understand if it's yours. I miss you, Rhodey. I would like to see that you're okay, and I will be here until 5pm today if you choose to come. map attached Always, Clint

He hated himself for the weakness, doubt creeping in as he sat on a purple blanket in the park. He knew better than to hope. Hope and love were for children, or had been for a long time before Rhodey had wormed his way into the cracks of his heart. Friends first, he hadn't even wanted to fight the way he felt. Even after everything, he still didn't want to. The pain reminded him of everything good he'd had, and he wouldn't give that up for anything.

Peace wasn’t exactly what Rhodey was finding in London. But he’d never expected to. It was ironic that he’d been on the side who'd chosen the law and still found himself trapped. Maybe not on something as confining as The Raft, but no less a prison, at least as much in his own mind as physical. Knowing their friends were there but he wasn’t allowed to see them was a constant, low-level ache. Knowing Clint was too was a deeper hurt. He told himself it was exactly what he deserved.

It should have been easier having Tony there, but Rhodey didn't have any sympathy left over for his best friend's pain. Not after he’d tried everything he could think of including begging to keep him from starting a war with their friends. It had all vanished the moment Tony forced him to choose a side. Everyone who knew him knew he'd always pick Tony. Rhodey knew it too. That loyalty ran too deep for anything else, but it was the first time he'd ever felt damned for it.

He understood Tony's feelings about it, of course he did, but the rest--the Sokovia Accords, the secret identities--it wasn’t that simple, and he’d argued alongside Bruce for a more moderate approach. He knew it had been the wrong call. He’d known it at the time. Loyalty wouldn't let him make a different one, but it had shifted into something else since then. For the first time in his life, he was deeply, scorchingly angry at Tony Stark, and at himself, and he didn’t know how to deal with that any more than he knew how to deal with missing Clint.

So, no, it wasn't peaceful here. He didn't deserve peace. He deserved to live with the consequences of the choices he'd made, and that meant keeping his goddamn distance from the one person he most wanted to see. There was no reason on earth Clint should ever forgive him for this, and he wouldn't put him through anything more by asking for it. He knew more or less where he was and stayed clear of that part of town. There was no way to casually check on a couple of sp ies. If he occasionally felt like someone was watching him from a distance, he told himself it was wishful thinking.

He'd stared at that arrow for a good ten minutes before he had the courage to unfurl the note wrapped around it. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what Clint had to say to him that he couldn’t say to his face. There were tears rolling down his cheeks by the time he'd read through it a second time, and he scrubbed them away and grabbed his keys. He hesitated for a second on grabbing the arrow and decided to leave it. It was stupid, but he selfishly didn't want to give it back.

He had plenty of time to get to the park, more if he flew, but it felt better somehow to make the trip on foot, like he needed to earn it. Besides, it wasn’t War Machine going to meet him. It was Rhodey. It was well before the deadline by the time he reached it, his gaze immediately drawn to the bright flash of purple. He couldn’t help the way his eyes drank him in after so long, safe and whole and handsome as ever. He paused at the edge of the blanket, still not totally sure of his welcome despite being invited here, the little tilt of his head a question.

The Raft had just been another nail in the coffin of the Avengers, not that it really held him. He stayed, sure, because he refused to put his friends through any more shit than they had been through. He’d slipped in and out, breaking into the other cells to give his companions company, for however long he could manage. Every time with Wanda had made him see absolute red, the collar a cruel taunt that he would have taken vicious pleasure in seeing around someone else. It was a harsh reminder for all of them that the law wasn’t always right.

His thoughts easily went maudlin these days and he missed when things were easier. He missed laughter and love and cuddly couch time. All of those were in short supply these days. He plucked idly at a thread in the blanket, the world around him silent where he had turned off his hearing aid. More and more, he chose to live in silence and he knew it worried Nat to see but he just didn’t have anything to say, so why listen. His words had fallen on deaf ears when it had mattered most. Why speak now when it wouldn’t change a thing?

He didn’t even watch people anymore except for quick threat evaluations, which was why he had to tamp down the jump when shoes were at the edge of his blanket. He hadn’t expected Rhodey to actually show, his resignation taking over everything. Looking up, the sight of him made his throat go tight. Even now, he was distressingly, unfairly beautiful to look at and he wasn’t prepared for the vise around his heart to tighten.

“Rhodey,” he murmured softly, his eyes trailing over his face to drink in the sight of him. It wasn’t a conscious thought as he launched himself up from sitting, tears rudely obscuring his vision as he all but threw himself at him to wrap his arms around him. He was firmly expecting to be shoved off, at the very least, once it registered that he was actually holding him.

Seeing his friends locked up and having a role in putting them there had made Rhodey seriously question his commitment to the law. He was an Air Force man through and through, and it meant everything to him. He couldn't even imagine another life for himself. He valued law and chains of command and protecting and serving. But that didn't mean it was always right. What was happening to them was very, very wrong, and it made him wonder whether he could continue being War Machine if this was what it meant. He was never supposed to be fighting his own people.

There was nothing so soft in his life at the moment either. It was mostly the distraction of trying to find a way out of this place and figure out what the hell was going on while he and Tony tip-toed around their feelings. He'd never had trouble calling Tony on his shit before, but this went so deep he didn't even know how to begin addressing it. He was just as angry with himself as with his best friend. There was only so much he could blame Tony for a choice he'd made himself, even with his arm twisted behind his back.

If he wasn't mistaken, Clint looked startled to see him, and that was... not normal. You couldn't sneak up on a spy. He hadn't even been trying. It made him worry there was something more going on here, some other trouble he didn't know about, not that they needed more. There was never a chance he would turn this down, not least of which because his note made it clear he'd been reading the situation wrong all this time. He didn't know how wrong. He wasn't prepared to see Clint of all people crying, and his heart gave a sick lurch of guilt and grief.

He definitely hadn't prepared himself for a hug either, but he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around him. It was the most natural thing in the world to pull him close and try to comfort him, even with self-loathing churning in his gut. He'd done this to one of his favorite people. He swore to himself that he would fix this in any way he coul d, in any way Clint needed, whether that hurt or not. "I'm sorry I stayed away. I thought you wouldn't want to see me," he murmured, fingers running soothingly through his hair. He didn't even know if he could hear him, if he had the aids turned off. He'd never minded signing with him, but his hands were busy right now.

If there was one thing in the world that anyone would know about James Rhodes, it was that he was a good man through and through. His loyalty to Stark was admirably unshakable, but he’d always called him on being wrong. Clint wondered how they were doing sometimes, if the strain of it all had even gotten to them. He’d had no way of knowing because he refused to let himself get too close.

He would vehemently deny any tears if they were brought up. Did it feel like a missing piece of him was back? Absolutely. Could he say that yet? No. It was all too much at once, the feeling that he might not have to carry on with a hole in his chest.

Tucking his face into his neck, he could feel the soft rumble of his words, but it was the fingers running through his hair that told him everything he needed. He didn’t want his hands to stop what he was doing so he quickly slid a hand to turn his aids back on before wrapping back around him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, trying to brace himself to pull away when it was the absolute last thing he wanted to do. “I’m sorry, I’ll just…” he trailed off and took a deep breath, his lungs filling with the comfort of home and love, of Rhodey. Nothing that had happened had changed the way he felt about him, never could.

Rhodey already regretted leaving him alone for so long. It had obviously hurt him more than it had helped, and he wasn’t walking away again as long as Clint wanted him there. He was fighting down the dangerous hope that there might be some way they could fix this, but the realistic part of him didn’t see how it was possible. At most, Clint might allow him to be his friend again. It would hurt like hell to keep that distance, but the important thing was being there in whatever way he needed him.

"You don't have anything to apologize for," he assured him softly, when it was clear he could hear him now. He’d made no move to pull away, so Rhodey didn't either, continuing to hold him tight and pet his hair. He was the one who should be sorry, and he was. Every damn day. "I'm sorry I left you alone, Clint. I thought you wouldn't want to see me after that." His voice went tight with suppressed emotion. If Clint kept crying, he couldn’t promise he wasn't going to fall apart too. He missed him. He missed this. He felt like home.

He could understand Rhodey staying away after everything that had happened. He had chosen to stand on the other side of the line from not only Rhodey but Natasha too and it didn't really lend to people having much faith in him. Most people already wouldn't think he was the most loyal, but then, most people didn't really know Clint Barton. He needed him in his life like he needed to breathe, and that was something he had learned in the hardest way. He'd known what he meant to him, the place he'd filled and the way he'd taken his heart and he was happy to let him. He hadn't known how to keep going without that when it was suddenly gone.

"I do, though," he said softly. He would never apologize for where he stood in everything, not ever, because there had been a lot that had been wrong on the other side of the line. A soft sound escaped him and he burrowed a little closer when he knew that he wasn't getting pushed away. "I thought you wouldn't want to see me," he admitted quietly, "that you couldn't forgive me." He wasn't sure how to process Rhodey hating him.

Taking a slow, deep breath, he closed his eyes and forced the wetness to stop because he couldn't stand it. Quickly, he wiped at his face because that was the last thing Rhodey needed, really, was his ass weeping on him. Picking his head up, he looked at him carefully, his hand raising tentatively with the need to touch and still unsure of how much he was allowed. A hug was one thing. He hated not knowing where he stood with him, especially when he always had.

Rhodey knew Clint better than anyone except maybe Natasha, and he knew that he was loyal through and through. It was something they had in common, although it showed itself in different ways. He knew exactly why he'd chosen the other side, and as much as it hurt, he couldn’t hold that against him. His arm tightened around him when he snuggled closer. He didn’t know what he was going to do when he pulled away. "There's nothing to forgive. You did what you had to do. We both did," he said, the words soft with regret.

He gently swiped a thumb beneath his eye when he lifted his head, brushing away tears. It took conscious effort not to lean in and kiss him now that they were face to face. His body remembered perfectly the way they fit. He badly wanted Clint to touch him, and he also didn’t know if he'd survive it if he didn’t get to keep him. He took his hand and pressed it gently to his face, unable to deny him no matter what it cost him personally. "I'm sorry I couldn't put you first," he said quietly. "More than you know. We both know you deserve better than that."

The last thing in the world that Clint wanted to do was pull away from him, not when it was the place he had most wanted to be for months. Especially not when it was the one place he never thought he would get to be again. "We did, and look what it got us," he sighed softly, all of the heartache clear in his voice. He had never felt the need to hide with Rhodey, not any part of himself. The only other person who got that from him was Nat, and she'd been there for years before that was entirely the case for her.

He leaned into that soft touch, his breath hitching at it. Everything about him screamed home to him, even now, and he just wanted to sink into the comfort of him again. A quiet, ragged sound escaped him when Rhodey pressed his hand to his face, his fingers curving gently to cradle it. "Stop," he whispered, shaking his head, "Stop that." He hated hearing him like that, an echo of the pain in his own chest.

Tipping his head, he pressed his lips to the corner of his mouth, wanting to kiss him, needing to kiss him, but not letting himself. "I've always known I would come second," he said quietly, "That if it really, really came down to it, that was where I would fall. And I still chose you, chose us, because I was okay with that. I would still choose us, every time. You will never be on my list of regrets." His words were quiet and fierce, his eyes on his to make sure he understood, that he knew exactly where he stood. "We just never expected the line you had to pick a side on to be so... harsh."

He didn't know what to do with a Clint who didn't even seem to be mad at him. Hurt, yes, and there was plenty of that to go around, but he’d spent months thinking he’d never forgive him for choosing Tony over him. Why should he? Couldn’t Clint see that he deserved a partner who could put him first? The frightening truth was that Rhodey didn’t know what choice he would make if he had to do it again. Taking Tony's side had cost him something dear, with Clint and in himself. He wasn’t sure he had it in him to do it again.

He groaned softly at the press of lips, a pained sound when all he wanted to do was sink into him, and instead he was fighting both of them. "Goddamn it, Clint. Are you hearing yourself? That's not okay. You shouldn't be anybody's second choice. Why would you forgive me for that? Why would you risk it happening again? You shouldn't. You're better than that." It sounded like a warning at the end, one he both wanted and didn't want him to take. Rhodey would always selfishly want him, but it was clear now that he wasn't good for him. He should let him go, let him find someone who could actually give him everything Rhodey wished he could give him.

Clint stayed quiet, listening to everything he said and especially everything that he didn't. He read the tension in him, the exhaustion. He sighed softly, hearing the way he was trying to push him away and he swallowed hard at it. It just further twisted that pain in his heart that had been there from the moment he'd had to look at him standing next to Tony while he demanded for them to sign their safety away, their ability to be something other than the job, to make their own decisions about the job.

It felt more wrong than a lot of things to slowly pull himself back, because he would do a lot that was bad for himself, but staying where he wasn't actually sure he was wanted wasn't really one of them. "Would you do it again?" The question was soft as he looked at him, his face as serious as it had ever been aimed at Rhodey. "Knowing everything, everything it costs, how wrong parts of it were... would you do it again?" He knew that he would stand on the exact same side if faced with the same decision.

He didn't want to let him go, even knowing he’d said the words to make it happen. He told himself it was better that way even as his heart twisted in his chest. He slowly took his hands off him, shoving them in his pockets where it would be safer and he wouldn't be so tempted to reach for him again. That wasn’t his place anymore, and it wasn’t fair to pretend like anything had changed.

Anger flared in him at being asked to choose again. He was tired of that question. He was tired of running it over in his head and coming up fucked no matter which way he answered it. It should never have been a choice he had to make in the first place. He knew the answer Clint wanted, and he knew he couldn’t give it to him.

He sighed softly, the anger draining out of him as he shook his head. "I don't know what I would do anymore. I'm so goddamn mad at him for making me choose. But I did, and that's on me. I know it was wrong. I knew it then. But I can't stand by and let him get killed. I won't." It was the thing that kept him from walking away now, even as angry as he was. He’d spent half his life trying to keep Tony Stark from self-destructing. Sometimes Rhodey felt like the last thread holding him together.

Clint made a soft, quiet sound, shaking his head and stepping forward to curl his fingers gently around his wrist. "I'm angry that you had to choose," he said softly, the words careful like every single on of them were being weighed. They were, and in ways that he would probably continue to question himself for. Rhodey was one of the most genuinely good people that he knew, and nothing about it had been fair to him.

"I would never, ever have let that happen," that much he knew for certain. As angry as he'd been, it wasn't anything he could have stood by and let happen. "That love, that friendship, that loyalty, it's all part of you. I am angry as hell that it put you where it did. I am. Don't think I'm not. But all that anger has done is make me fucking sad." Clint sighed softly and shook his head, because there hadn't been an answer that he wanted. He just wanted the truth. He got it.

"I could have chosen you," he reminded him, "I could have put myself somewhere I know I didn't completely stand. We both made our choices, Rhodey." His eyes drifted over him. "I'm so fucking sick of being sad and missing you like you're the air I need to breathe and I"m drowning. We can both make a choice now, and it doesn't have to be anything dealing with all of that absolute bullshit. I"ve already told you which one I make. What's your choice?"

Rhodey had always believed he was a decent person. Not perfect, of course, but more good than not. He wasn’t sure he could say that about himself anymore. He didn’t know how to handle Clint being so nice to him when he couldn’t manage to be very nice to himself lately. "You can say it. He was a dick. He's still being a dick." He was still capable of being objective about his best friend, even if that didn’t ultimately affect where he stood in the end. Tony still stubbornly refused to hear why he was wrong, and Rhodey had pretty much given up trying to make him see it. He’d never just shut him out so hard. They always listened to each other, even if they made their own choices in the end.

"I know you wouldn't," he assured him softly. That fight was clear as anything in his head. He and Clint had been standing on opposite sides for it, but they'd essentially been doing the same thing: trying to keep anyone from being seriously hurt. It had been far more defense than offense, and he wouldn't apologize for that, not even after being reamed out for pulling his punches enough that Rogers and Barnes had escaped. He’d known their Captain would come for their friends on The Raft. It was the only thing that kept him from doing it himself.

"I'm glad you didn't. You did the right thing even when it was hard. Our team, the world-- it needs that kind of integrity from you." It would have killed a part of him to see Clint sacrifice some of that goodness just to stand by him, the way Rhodey had for Tony. He was so good, so loyal, so sure of where he was standing. He was a little afraid to touch him now and tarnish some of that shine. But he also knew he wasn’t strong enough to walk if he really wanted to do this. He’d just have to do better for him. It felt like the first good decision he'd made in months. He met his eyes, that pretty sky blue he wanted to fall into. "If you really want this, then I'm not walking away, Clint. I would never. I love you. I never stopped."

There was no reason for him to be unkind to Rhodey. Just because they had stood on different sides of a very large fight didn’t change everything that he knew about him. He knew that he hadn’t agreed with the whole of it, the Accords, the Raft. He also knew that, like him, he had tried to be a voice of reason, a voice of moderation and balance. Nothing about it was black and white, nowhere near. “I’m less inclined to tolerate him being a dick to you than I’ve ever been,” the words were quiet and edged in mean in a way that people rarely heard but made it very clear his opinion on the subject.

The closest he had come to really hurting anyone had been the one person dumb enough to actually try and go after Rhodey. His exploding arrow had conveniently landed between the two and he’d shrugged it off like ‘whoops’ and because he was who he was, they’d bought it. Idiot. Getting caught and tossed in the Raft hadn’t bothered him, knowing Barnes and Rogers were out in the world. He’d turned it into his own game.

“I hated it. Every moment of it when all I wanted was you,” he sighed and shook his head. It had been the first time where he’d wished he didn’t have as strong of conviction as he did because he knew what it was going to cost him. What was one man though, against so many others that he could protect? He stepped back closer to him, closing some of that space as he reached up to slide his fingers along his jaw. “I love you, Rhodey. I don’t want to have to keep figuring out how to live without you.”

"What he's doing to me is really the least of it." He shook his head, beyond any defense for Tony at this point. It wasn't like he was going out of his way to be an asshole to him, but he was still stuck in the same stubborn mindset he'd been in since before the fight. As long as that was the case, he didn't see any way of repairing things with the team. Before Clint contacted him, he hadn't thought there was any chance of that. He'd fought as hard to keep anyone from going after his partner in that battle as he had to protect Tony. He knew the arrow hadn't been accidental, and anyone who thought it was was an idiot. Clint didn't miss.

Unfortunately, it hadn't been about them. Rhodey halfway wished they'd been selfish enough to make it about them, but they weren't. He thought maybe he could be now though. Maybe Clint was right and they could make the choice they actually wanted to now. It wasn't like the politics of the Avengers' Civil War mattered in this place. He'd ripped his life in half for nothing. Clint was telling him it didn't have to be like that, that he could come home because home had been him for a long time. "I'd much rather figure out where we go from here, together," he murmured, reaching out to pull him close again.

“Not to me,” he murmured darkly, because Rhodey was on the same level as Nat in his world and had been for a long time. They had tried to get everyone to listen before they’d imploded their worlds. He saw no reason to keep talking themselves blue in the face with anyone who didn’t want to listen to them any more now than they had then. All that mattered to him was that Rhodey heard everything he was saying.

Maybe they should have been more selfish, but that wasn’t who they were at the end of the day, not when there was so much more than them at stake. Now, though? Things were entirely different. He shifted happily into his hold, pressing close to him and sliding his arms around his shoulders. “I want that too,” he agreed softly. “Together sounds perfect. Gonna kiss me now, or what?” His eyes were soft and slightly pleading, knowing that it would help for him to hear and see that he was still so very wanted.

That protectiveness made him ache. He'd missed Clint so much that he couldn't even let himself fully acknowledge it or he would have cracked and shown up at his door, but it was more than that. He'd missed having someone on his side, and it made him realize how much he really didn't feel like Tony was lately. He'd picked Tony in the war, and Tony had picked Tony ever since. It would take a lot more for Rhodey to walk away from that friendship, but something had to change.

Some inner tension ran out of him at having Clint pressed close again. It was a lot different knowing he got to keep him this time, but it didn't make him any more inclined to let go. He wrapped his arms tightly around his waist and breathed him in, the first real breath he'd had in a long time. Rhodey wasn't sure he deserved a second chance at this, but he was selfishly taking it. He couldn't stand the idea of Clint being sad without him anyway. He never wanted to give him a reason to cry again. "Every day for as long as you'll have me," he promised, tipping his head to catch him in a soft kiss.

There were so many things about their life together that Clint had missed, and terribly. He hadn’t been able to think of them in terms of forever for a very long time, the unfortunate reality of the lives they led. That had started to switch before their lives were ripped apart by shit that didn’t even have a place here. He wanted to be on Rhodey’s side, at his side, and giving him that person that was as firmly on his side as he was on Stark’s.

There was no reason for him to have to let him go if he didn’t want to, not how. He sank into that hold, that warmth that was pure home to him. His fingers slid in soothing, gentle strokes along the line of his neck, as reassuring as he could be. He knew he was risking more hurt, coming in second over and over. He didn’t want to change him, but he wanted him to have more for himself instead of always giving to Stark. Did he want to be one of those things? Absolutely. He wasn’t selfless. “Forever,” he said softly, shifting to meet that kiss. He had stuck through this. He couldn’t imagine anything more threatening to their relationship.

Rhodey didn't know if he could go back to the way things had been. He’d never imagined Clint would want to give this another try. They could say all they wanted that the fight didn't matter, but it did. Something had shifted inside him, and he didn’t know exactly where it would settle yet. Maybe it was something that should have happened sooner, but he didn’t think he could go back to putting Tony's needs ahead of everything, including his partner's and his own. Tony wasn't the one willing to bend, or looking for a compromise, or caring about other people's feelings. Clint was standing here in front of him doing all of that.

It made him feel like things could actually be different instead of the hopeless dread that had settled over him since he’d gotten here. He wasn’t happy. It was startling to realize because he hadn’t really been willing to look at that misery or its source too closely. He had another chance at this, and he wanted to do better for both of them. The word sent a shiver of longing through him. They’d just been starting to think about forever before it was ripped away from them. He’d like to believe it was possible again, and that he was actually worthy of it. He kept the kiss slow and sweet and loving because they were in public, even if there was a lot more he wanted to say with that.

The fight mattered because of everything it had laid clear, the divisions it put between them, the hurts that it caused. The politics of it didn't, but the fallout was real, sadly so. He wanted everyone to have the chance to heal from it, if they could, however they could or needed to. If he knew how deeply rattled Rhodey's relationship with Stark was, there was a soft part of his heart that would want to try and help fix it, even though it wasn't his place. He hated to see anything hurt Rhodey, though, and that included the people he loved most.

He couldn't imagine going into a second chance with him and holding anything back. He'd started to want forever before, to think about their life in those terms. There was no reason to hold it back now, not if this was what they really wanted. A soft sound escaped him, the vise in his chest tightening at the gentle love in that kiss. "Come home with me," he murmured against his lips, "Even if its just for tonight... we can figure it all out later." He didn't want it to just be for the night, but he would take what he could get for now. He'd rolled over enough and accepted too little before, even before Rhodey. He didn't really want to anymore.

Rhodey had zero desire to return to Stark Tower, or what passed for it in this place. There had been a lot of construction and upgrading since Tony took over the London branch of Stark Industries. It had been years since they lived together, and he wasn’t cut out for it anymore, especially with so much unresolved between them. It had seemed best to stick close until they knew what was going on here though, and maybe he was punishing himself a little too. This was the side he'd chosen. Live with it.

Clint had no idea what he’d done. It was like Rhodey couldn’t see it clearly until he was there, reminding him that things could be different. Better. "You are my home." It came out more raw and honest than he meant it to, but he knew Clint of all people wouldn't mind honesty. He kissed him again softly before he pulled away to retrieve his blanket off the ground. He loosely folded it and tucked it under his arm, sliding his free hand into Clint's. "We'll figure it out. Let's get out of here," he agreed.

When it came to Rhodey, there was never any planning, compartmentalizing, or anything he had a tendency to apply to other people in his life. He'd always gotten him at his most open once they'd gotten close. He saw no reason to change that now, not when he got the feeling that he needed someone who was going to be open with him and let him be equally open in return. It was the way things were supposed to work when you loved someone.

His heart ached at those words and his arms tightened gently in response, unable to trust his voice. As a general rule, he wasn't an emotionally responsive person, but they were all riding so high at that moment. Letting him go to grab the blanket, his heart was soft at the knowledge that he was willing to go with him, despite everything. Twining their fingers together, he led him to the car he'd tucked a block away, windows dark enough to fuck with even Stark's ability to see into it. Yes, he had trust issues. Again. More? Either way.

Rhodey had never done serious commitment before Clint. He thrived best in casual relationships, where he didn't have to pretend that Tony and work and the Avengers weren't going to come first. Nobody wanted to be fourth place on someone's list, and he couldn't blame them. Clint was different. He'd known it was something real even before it started, that he would have to do things differently with him if it was going to work.

He thought they'd done a good job of it until he was forced to choose a side. That wouldn't be a good question to ask him right now, when he was on the outs with Tony, and Clint was here offering him a home and forgiveness. He'd meant it when he said he didn't know what he would do if he had to make it again, but he had the feeling that if Tony pushed him right now, something was going to snap. Clint's hand in his felt like comfort and safety, and he'd have gone just about anywhere he wanted to take him at the moment. He didn't so much as blink at the windows as he slid into the passenger seat. He knew his partner always considered safety, even if he ultimately decided to ignore it.

They had always danced a careful line, preserving their relationship while maintaining the commitments they’d had long before they’d had each other. He had never felt any less in Rhodey’s life for coming where he did, because when it was the two of them, he got absolutely everything he needed from his partner. He could have survived him taking a side, if everything that came with it hadn’t cost them all contact. He would never want to be the one that came between him and Stark, even now, but he’d fight for Rhodey to be able to have his middle ground.

Sliding into the car, he started it and immediately reached over for Rhodey’s hand. It didn’t matter that they were in the same car. A part of him needed that small contact to be reassured that this was real, that he was actually with him. He wouldn’t be the one to tell Rhodey that this car was specifically to keep him safe from his best friend because that would help absolutely nothing. He drove through town, making his way to the place he and Nat had settled into, knowing she wouldn’t be there and hopefully not any time soon.

As always, Clint was too easy on him. He settled for too little, and Rhodey didn't want that to happen anymore. It wasn’t like Tony always came first in everything. It depended on the situation, the severity, where he was most needed. But by comparison, Tony asked for a lot and Clint asked for almost nothing. He’d like things to tip in his partner's favor more often, and he was the only person who could make that happen. The battle was internal.

He asked for so little that Rhodey couldn't bring himself to deny him much, even if he hadn’t wanted the contact just as badly right now. He wrapped his hand in his, the other gently gripping the back of his neck and sliding into the hair there. It was a silent reassurance that he wasn’t going anywhere. The distance and the silence had hurt him too, but unlike him, Clint didn't deserve it.

He wasn’t an idiot. He knew what the windows meant, although it would be helpful against a number of threats besides an iron suit. He also didn’t think Tony was holding grudges to the point of tracking down their old teammates here. But he hadn’t thought he’d start a knock down drag out fight that ended with half of them in prison either, so what the fuck did he know about it.

He'd never cared about coming second to Tony, knowing that of the two of them he just needed less. At least, in his mind he did, but he could never be sure how he translated to other people. But Tony, War Machine, the Air Force, all things that Clint had known would come before him and he'd gone into their relationship knowing that.

He wanted to melt into that soft touch but wanted to get him out of there and home, somewhere secure where they could just be as soon as he could manage. He knew that it would take time to stop second guessing everything but he hoped that he could get there. Zipping through traffic, his thumb slid gently across Rhodey's hand, giving gentle love and comfort with every stroke to tide them both over until they got home.

Pulling into the garage across the street from the apartment, he put it in park and leaned across the center console to kiss him softly. It was hard to love someone and be apart and silent for so long, and it felt like a dam had burst in his chest and he couldn't reel it all back in properly. "Com'on," he murmured softly, forcing himself to pull back when all he really wanted to do was crawl into his lap and stay there.

He didn't want Clint to be that far down on his list anymore. He’d already started thinking of him in terms of forever, but they had a chance to build something separate from the Avengers here. If they could get through this? He'd never worry about something coming between them again. They could get through anything. He wanted to fix it, only better than it had been before.

He was there meeting him halfway for that kiss, and it took effort to pull back. They’d almost made it inside though, and he was ready to have Clint all to himself, a closed door between them and the world, for a while. He got out of the car and let him lead since he didn’t know exactly where they were going.

He texted Tony that he was staying with Clint for the night and turned off his phone without waiting for an answer. It wasn’t something he wanted to explain right now. He wasn’t positive Tony would notice if he didn’t come home, but given how weird things were here, he wasn't taking any chances about him tracking him down.

For the first time in a very long time, Clint was actually giving consideration to a life away from the Avengers, from anything resembling S.H.I.E.L.D. or S.W.O.R.D.. If he could have Rhodey in that? There was nothing stopping him from it, no reason for him to stay in it all day in and day out. There was time to figure it all out, to work out what they wanted now, where they wanted to go from here.

Tucking his hand into Rhodey's once they were out of the car, he led him through the underground tunnel that connected the garage to the apartment building. Ignoring the out of order elevator, he led him up the stairs to the fourth, top floor. He was as serious and focused as he would be on a mission, wanting to get him where none of the rest of the world had to matter until they were ready for it to.

When they got to the door, he let go of his hand to pull out his keys and let them in, immediately tossing the keys into the bowl sitting in the hall. He stepped in far enough to let Rhodey in and shut the door behind him, turning so he could watch him. The desperate need to pounce was being tightly reined in for a moment, "It's not much, but it's home for now."

Rhodey was taking in the vibe of the place, the concrete and the out of order elevator. London wasn't a place he’d have ever chosen to live. Too gray and British for the Air Force Colonel. He couldn’t decide whether it suited Clint or not and guessed that meant probably not. The tunnel and the top floor, though, he could see. Mostly, he just didn’t like the idea of Clint being alone and sad here.

"I've been living in a half-built tower. This is practically homey." He gave a small smile. He was the last person to judge somebody's space. His didn’t really feel like his at the moment, although he and Tony were usually good about giving each other space. He opened his arms, sensing the barely suppressed urge to pounce. Clint was always welcome in his space, and it hurt that he'd given him any reason to think he wasn't.

He kind of liked the halfway exposed brick of the apartment, but they hadn't really done much with the space itself. London itself was just so.... not New York. Too many grey days for the archer and there was a lamp in the corner to attest to his protesting of that grey. It had only added to that lonely sadness, the weather a terrifying exact copy of his mood, making it impossible to shake it felt like.

He immediately pulled a face at the idea and shook his head, "That just sounds gross. Is there all that construction happening all the time?" When his arms opened, Clint immediately practically leapt on him, wrapping his limbs around him, legs curling around his waist. He buried his face in his neck for a moment and took a second just to breathe.

Clint was so vivid. He could blend in anywhere because that was the spy in him, but Rhodey couldn't imagine him ever truly fitting here. He’d already brought more color into his life in an hour than in the whole rest of his time here. He was even starting to rethink the black and chrome of his suit. It was too goddamn depressing against all the other gray. "Pretty much. It wasn’t in great shape when we got here."

He'd braced himself to have a snuggly human koala flying at him, so he barely shifted under the weight, arms sliding around him and tucking him in close. He pressed his face into his hair and breathed him in, the familiar warmth and weight of him grounding. This was exactly where he belonged. "I missed you too, baby," he murmured, nuzzling gently into his hair.

There was a comfort to the black and chrome of War Machine, but then, that was probably just the association with Rhodey. One didn't exist without the other, really, but at the heart of it, always, was Rhodey and his instinct to protect. To Clint, there was nothing dull about it, but he wouldn't have blamed him for the thought process behind changing it. "I bet. SI was always New York or California, really," he muttered, because that was always where Stark had been.

He loved the way that he just took all of his weight and held him close, not even rocking when he caught him. Always so steady, his Rhodey was, and he felt like home. He sank into his hold, his lips brushing softly against the skin he'd buried his face in. Being heard so clearly when he didn't say a word was just one more way he felt more at peace than he had for so long. "Never again," he murmured, picking his head up just enough to kiss him.

He let the subject drop there, not because it was off limits but because the last thing he wanted to talk about right now was Tony. He wanted to put all of his focus on Clint, the way he hadn’t been able to do for months even before they got here. He didn't think a night was going to be enough for him after so long apart, but they'd cross that bridge when they came to it. He wasn’t even going to think about leaving until at least this time tomorrow.

He braced one arm to hold him, the other sliding gently through his hair. He’d missed him so much, and holding him again felt more right than anything had in a long time. "No way," he agreed softly, tipping his head into that kiss. He knew better than to think Clint wanted that distance from him now, whatever might have gone down between them. He’d stay, and they could figure it out together like they always did.

Clint was completely happy to let the subject drop, wanting to focus on them instead. They hadn’t had the chance for it in entirely too long, and he was trying to push away the hurt of it. It didn’t have a place when Rhodey was finally right here with him. There was no part of him that even remotely wanted to consider him leaving him, however temporary it might be.

He could stay under his hands forever, those soft touches soothing the ragged edges of the last months slowly. Kissing him slowly, he let all of that missing him slide into it, the happiness that they were back together mingling into it. He wanted to figure out what their life could be here, even with everything that had happened. It didn’t change that he wanted Rhodey in his life permanently.

The hurt was there, and it wouldn't be pushed aside forever. Rhodey was happy to focus on the good things for right now, knowing how much they both needed it, but there were issues they'd need to work through too. He was just glad to have the opportunity to do that. At least they were together, and they were trying. That empty place in his life where Clint was supposed to be wasn’t so ragged.

He made a soft sound at the bittersweetness of that kiss, so much hurt in there with the happy. He pressed him gently against the wall so he could kiss him properly, slow and deep and steady the way Rhodey always was. It was a promise he wasn’t going anywhere this time, that he had every intention of staying right here with him where he belonged, and that he'd be glad to do some making up for lost time.

Actually processing the hurt together was something he was absolutely willing to do, he just didn't want to right then. They had been without one another for entirely too long for the issues to take precedence when they just wanted a moment to finally be happy. He had been trying to protect himself from the ragged edges where Rhodey had always fit for too long to let the sadness reign when they were finally together again.

A soft sound escaped him into the kiss when his back met the wall and he tightened around him. That kiss was everything Rhodey to him, and he wanted to just sink into what he was offering. He had every plan to keep him there as long as he could manage, wanting to live in that happy feeling. He'd felt like home to him for a long time now, and this was everything he needed.

Everything about him was a temptation to keep going, from the soft sounds he made and the familiar warmth of him wrapped around him to the way he kissed. He wanted to sink into everything he offered, all the love and safety and home, but not before he knew what Clint needed. Rhodey would do everything he could to keep him in this happy space, after all the hurt he'd caused.

"What do you need, baby?" he murmured against his lips, unwilling to get far from him. He’d gladly take him to bed right now, but it wasn’t the only option. He just didn’t want to get too distracted if they were going to do something with clothes on, like make dinner or cuddle up with a movie. All three of those sounded like things he wanted out of this night, just to start.

Everything about this helped soothe the ragged edges of the months he'd spent without him. Just having him close was so much to help. He hadn't been sure he would ever get any of this again, so already he felt like he was ahead of the curve. If they could sink back into that happy place they'd been in before, even just a little, they were already winning.

Clint just wanted Rhodey, any way he was allowed to have him, every way he had missed having him. He wanted their life together back. The question pulled a soft sound of unsurety out of him and his limbs tightened around him. "I need you," he admitted softly, "I need our life together to be an option again. But I think if you try to put me down right now, I might have a tantrum." The teasing was light and he skimmed his lips over his gently.

Rhodey knew he had making up to do to reassure him that this was real and he was staying. Only time and attention could undo the damage that had been done with distance and begin to repair that trust, but he could make a good start of it right now. He wanted him so happy he didn't know what to do with all of it. He could have him any way he wanted, and he doubted there was anything he'd deny him now.

His hand soothed gently through his hair. He hated that he'd put that uncertainty there, that Clint wasn't sure of his place in his life anymore. "That's not an option, Clint. That's a fact. I'm not going anywhere. And the only places I'm going to put you down are in bed or on that couch. Your choice." He tipped his head, keeping the kiss soft and gentle. If he needed cuddles and closeness more than he needed heat, then he was there for it. Whatever would reassure him that he was here to stay.

There had been no stopping that distance once everything had started, and it was an unfortunate reality. They could change their lives now, though, and that was really mattered. They couldn't change the past, but maybe, just maybe, they could build something great from it.

He wanted to purr under that gentle hand, feeling soft in the heart at having him back so close. His throat went a little tight at his words, wanting to believe them more than anything. "Take me to bed," the request was soft, needing to feel him close.

Rhodey hadn’t been expecting a chance to turn this around, and he wasn’t going to waste it. He didn’t know if he deserved forgiveness, but he wanted to be worthy of it. He wanted to try. He wanted Clint back in his life, the happiest part of it most days, and he wanted to know his partner was safe and happy too. The distance was a mistake he wouldn't make again.

His hands tightened on him as he lifted him back into his arms and headed for the bedroom. A glance through both open doors made it obvious which one was his. Natasha’s looked like nobody had ever lived there. He nudged the door shut behind them with his foot and pressed him against it, hands sliding over the warm skin beneath his shirt as he sank into another kiss.

Never, in everything that had gone down, had Clint taken even a moment to blame Rhodey for a single thing. It didn't matter how much his heart ached at him being gone, he'd understood. He hadn't liked it, but he'd understood. It was hard for him to so desperately want him to choose him, even knowing where he'd agreed to stand in his life. Clint Barton wasn't a man to ask for anything from anyone.

His limbs tightened around Rhodey when he picked him back up, pressing soft kisses to the line of his neck. He hoped that Natasha could learn to just live and let herself stay but that was a worry for later when he didn't have Rhodey carrying him to bed. Gasping softly, he tugged at the back of his shirt, wanting it off so he could feel him again.

Rhodey blamed himself as much as anyone. He’d broken his own heart, choosing his best friend over his partner, even knowing that Clint was the more likely of the two to understand the choice. Just because he’d accepted being second in his life didn't mean it was right or fair or that he should keep doing it.

He wanted to chase every soft sound he made now that he knew it was wanted. He shifted enough to pull his shirt off, Clint's quick to follow. His hands skimmed along his sides, and he groaned softly at being pressed against him again after so long. He kissed him again, deep and hungry, not bothering to hold back anymore.

In Clint's mind, what mattered more than anything was how they moved forward. Already, things were better than they'd been because they were together even after it all. The knowledge that they'd work on it, that they could figure something out, helped soothe so much. Rhodey didn't lie to him, and he was certainly never careless with his love.

He'd wanted him for a long time and he couldn't imagine it going away after he'd had him. Pressing closer when both of their shirts were gone, he groaned to match, the heat of him threatening to make his head swim. Clint sank into that kiss, matching the heat and hunger of it with his own, unable to put it all back in the bottle he'd crammed it into.

He hated that he’d ever put Clint in a position to have to bottle his feelings. That wasn’t what they were to each other. He was supposed to be a safe place for him. He was supposed to be his home, and instead he'd left him to deal with all this shit alone. Of all people, Clint didn't deserve that. He hadn’t even wanted there to be a fight in the first place.

Showing his partner exactly how loved and needed he was had moved into top priority. His body was a welcome line of heat against his, the best thing he’d felt in months, his voice a quiet rumble. "I hope you don't think I'm ever letting you go again." His hand slid to his jaw, tipping his head to kiss him more deeply, the need to absolutely devour him not one he was sure he wanted to tamp down.

Reality was very rarely good to a relationship for people in their positions. They had responsibilities and loyalties that were always going to tug at them. Their best hope had been that it would be in ways that didn't pull them apart. Through everything, he knew he could have gone to Rhodey, that he would have done his best to be there for him and protect him despite everything going on. He hadn't wanted to put him in that position. He still didn't. He hated that there had ever been a fight to begin with.

He'd forgotten (because he'd had to for his sanity) just how damn good Rhodey felt pressed against him, how his voice dark and rumbling sent shivers down his spine. "Please don't," he murmured, not ever wanting him to. He moved for him, sinking into that kiss and the need that was rising. He would happily be devoured, didn't want him to draw back on anything tonight.

He'd seen the way few of the Avengers managed anything like stable relationships. He’d never thought they were exempt from that, and it took its own toll in the way they often had to privilege other responsibilities over each other. He hadn’t been prepared for the team itself to be what tore them apart though. Maybe he should have been. The signs were there, but hindsight and all.

It had been easier not to think about him this way, and since he couldn't stop himself from thinking about Clint altogether, he could at least do that much for his own sanity. The missing him was hitting him now, translating itself into need that he didn’t want to bottle or channel another way. "Here or bed?" He murmured, nibbling softly at his bottom lip.

They had hoped that they could survive anything the world threw at them because they had each other, at least Clint had. He'd hoped that the team, that the job, would never be what pulled them apart. He'd hoped that Tony would never actually put Rhodey in a position to choose. He'd always known that hoping wasn't something he should do.

Thinking about Rhodey had been all that kept him going some days, knowing that he'd been so well-loved. He could let himself feel how desperately he had missed him now, how much he'd needed him to be there. A soft sound was pulled out of him at that nibble. "Bed, because I want to keep you there for a while," he admitted against his lips, kissing him softly.

He wanted every soft sound he made, every brush of hands and lips, every warm point of contact. He felt like he was starving for him, not even necessarily for the heat that was so easy to call up between them, but just him. His voice and his hands and his body, and that shit-eating smile, and those sky blue eyes, and the thousand things he loved about Clint Barton.

"As long as you want," he promised, knowing he wouldn’t have the strength to tear himself away any time soon. There were things he needed to deal with, but right now, the only one that mattered was reassuring his partner that he was loved and wanted. He lifted him away from the wall, not hesitating to follow him onto the bed as he set him down.

He had no reason to hold any part of himself back from Rhodey, never had. It had been hard, so very hard, to stay away when it had been the last thing he had wanted. He had missed everything about him, everything he loved and could recite on a list. He had been safety and love for a very long time.

He knew better than to ask for his instinctive answer of 'forever'. That wasn't something he could have, he knew that, because his partner was responsible and cared so very deeply. Feeling his bed hit his back, he wrapped his limbs around him with a soft, happy sound.

Rhodey knew better than to offer forever right now. That wasn’t something he could just say to him, and they had things they needed to work out before that felt like something that could actually happen instead of something he longed for. He wanted it though. He wanted to be able to choose Clint and their life together and stay with him.

He settled over him on the bed, hands running over soft skin. He hadn’t let himself think about how right he felt under him, the familiar contours of his body shaped to his, and he set himself to kissing him out of his damn mind. They had all night to start, and he wanted every minute of it.

After all of this, there was a part of him that didn't trust the idea of forever actually being on the table at any point. If it wasn't Stark, it could be something else, their careers, the lives they chose to lead. He knew the risks of what he'd always done, but he wasn't so sure that they were worth everything anymore. That was something else for him to contend with.

There was no stopping that ragged sound that escaped him when he finally had Rhodey over him, arching into his strong, clever hands. It would have driven him insane in a terrible way if he'd let himself think about how right this had felt for so long and how much he had missed it. All he wanted now was to enjoy it again and he sank into those kisses quite happily.

Things had shifted, and Rhodey didn't know exactly where they were going to land. He only knew that a change had taken place the moment Clint's arms had wrapped around him like he didn’t have a thing to forgive him for. It was a realization that life could be different, and maybe it had to be if they were to keep going. It wasn’t working the way he had it. He was moving toward all that love and warmth to guide him.

He couldn’t help chasing that ragged sound, kissing him deeply, hands sliding over soft skin to hold him as he arched against him. His hips rolled against him in response, and there were too many layers between them. He pulled back enough to stare into those darkening blue eyes, already breathless with needing him, a thumb running under the band of his pants, less teasing than promise. "What do you want?"

More and more, Rhodey had become worth so much more to him. He'd given him the closest thing to home and safety he could really remember ever having. It had made losing him that much worse. When Nat had found him, he'd been grateful but it hadn't healed the hole. Maybe now, that could come with time.

His hands clung to him, digging into hard muscles wrapped in the softest skin and shuddered at the roll of his hips. His eyes locked on his, his hands sliding over him in encouragement. The question made his breath hitch and his hips shifted up into him. "I want to feel you, Rhodey," he murmured softly.

He'd never intended for it to be like this. He’d never meant to fall for Clint or to make him fall for him, or to build a home out of each other. He’d had relationships before that, and he’d even had people that he loved, but there was always a measure of distance put there by work and the Avengers and Tony. Somehow, that distance wasn't there with Clint. He loved him so much more than he’d ever expected to, more than he'd even realized he was capable of, and he’d thought these last few months that he'd lost that forever.

"Perfect," he murmured, tracing out the lines of him and letting his gaze follow. He’d missed the sight and feel of him, everything that told him he was home. "Alright, baby. You got anything?" He tipped his head to kiss him, unable to resist those tempting lips. He wasn’t sure what answer he wanted. Seeing other people had felt like an impossibility to Rhodey. He could barely tolerate the people he knew. But he couldn’t exactly hold Clint to that when they were broken up. He wouldn’t. He deserved to be happy.

Going into this, he had never expected what they turned into. He'd never expected for Rhodey to turn into the person he loved most in the world, that he couldn't stand to live without. It was nothing like he'd ever had with anyone else, and he didn't want it with anyone else. It wasn't anything he was going to let go without a fight now, but he'd had to know there was still something to fight for.

He shivered lightly under that touch, wanting more of him. Everything about Rhodey told him that he was home, that he was safe. Leaning up into that kiss, he poured every bit of love and need into it. "I don't," he admitted quietly. Seeing anyone that wasn't Rhodey had never occurred to him. It was nothing he had wanted, or even considered trying to want.

His gaze softened as he took in that so-loved face, brushing another soft kiss to his lips. "Me either," he assured him softly. He wouldn’t have wanted Clint to be alone and sad, but he understood it. Rhodey had done his share of casual hookups when he wasn't in relationships, but the want for anyone else since they'd broken apart just hadn’t been there. The only person he wanted was right here under him.

"Means I get to take my time with you," he practically purred in his ear, hands tightening on him as his hips rolled, slow and deliberate. "I think I want to see you fall apart under my tongue first, before I have you nice and slow and sweet." They had all night, and Rhodey had every intention of taking advantage of that and letting Clint know every way he’d missed him.

There was very little he liked more than being the subject of all of Rhodey's focus, of his patience. Being under him was nothing short of heaven for him, and letting him drive him over that glittering edge turned him into a boneless puddle under him. He felt every bit of missing and being missed, and felt every bit of it start to be soothed away.

His hands trailed softly over warm, slick skin, his lips pressing to his shoulder. "I love you," he murmured softly against his skin, once actual thought and words were possible again. He made it very clear that he didn't want him to move any time soon.

They'd always been great like this, a form of communication that had only gotten better with time until he knew Clint’s body as well as his own. It was easy to lose himself in everything he wanted to say like this, all of the missing him and needing him and wanting to stay and do better finding its outlet as he kept every promise growled into his ear or pressed against his skin.

Feeling the warm, familiar shape of him blissed out and relaxed under him just reinforced the feeling that he was home. Rhodey had no intention of moving any time soon, even if his body had been in the mood to cooperate. His hand traced idly over soft skin, and he pressed a gentle kiss to his jaw. "I love you too, baby."

This was communication that he always understood with Rhodey. He believed every bit of what he said with and without words. Those growls, those murmurs, they were all just part of the conversation they needed to have to settle and soothe both of them.

There was no stopping the soft shivers of delight and bliss that were running through him. This was home, for him, and it was finally back. He slid a hand to curl around the back of his neck, tipping his head to catch his lips in a slow, lazy kiss.

That possessive streak in him liked the way he shivered for him, liked the feeling of Clint pinned under him, safe and happy where he belonged. Rhodey had never known he had a possessive side before him. He’d never looked at anyone and gone mine even when he was in a relationship.

He tipped his head to kiss him, slow and sweet and lingering. This was just as necessary as all the heat or more. He needed these gentle, cuddly moments with Clint to know they were okay and that they could still be soft with each other. It was a reassurance that this was real, and it would last because they'd make sure it would.

There had never been a time before Rhodey that Clint would thought he liked someone being possessive over him. But he liked seeing it on his face, in his eyes, when his claim on him was so clear and happily on display. Being Rhodey's was one of his favorite things to be, and he liked being able to say that Rhodey was his.

His other hand ran in slow, lazy paths over the length of his spine as they kissed. Every touch, every kiss, all reminded them that this was real and they would be okay. He didn't think he could ever hold any part of himself back from Rhodey again, especially not the softness or the love that wholly belonged to him anyway.

He was happy to drift for a while, the whole world shrinking down to holding Clint and trading soft touches and kisses. It was comfort when he felt like he hadn’t had any comfort in months, and he was in no hurry to leave the bed or him. Rhodey wasn't looking at what waited for him outside right now. This was about taking care of what was right here.

There were serious conversations to be had. He knew that. Rhodey was even pretty good at those. But damn if he couldn’t bring himself to start one right now. He didn’t want to do anything to put that sadness back on Clint’s face. He knew the cozy bubble wasn't a long-term solution, but just once he didn’t think he could stand to be the one to break it.

Taking these moments for just them, to have softness and comfort with each other that they had been so desperately missing. He wanted to take care of Rhodey for a little while longer. As much as he put on the act for most of the world, he wasn't stupid. He knew they had things that had be to discussed, reality to face. Neither of them would really be able to rest until they'd settled at least some of it.

He was happy to press soft kisses into his skin and stay just as they were until his own restlessness kicked in. Tipping his head, he kissed him, soft and slow, a reassurance that he wasn't going anywhere. "I love you, Rhodey." That was the most important thing for them both to remember, he thought, because that could make the difference now that it couldn't before.

Rhodey had never thought of Clint as stupid. He also knew his partner knew him better than probably anyone, and he would know that his mind could never really settle if he didn’t have a plan. Some of it hinged on whatever happened in his next conversation with Tony, and Rhodey couldn’t fully predict what that would be.

There were things they could talk about though, things they needed to clarify between them. "I love you too, Clint," he said, soft but firm. It hadn’t changed things before, but it did now. He wasn’t going anywhere either. "We can't go back to how it was, babe," he murmured, pressing soft kisses against his skin. "How do you want to move forward?"

He would never be able to bring himself to just blindly hope. That wasn't responsible or realistic for someone with his life and experiences. He knew that Rhodey would have to contend with Tony on this, that how that whole thing went would determine so much that he wouldn't have a say in. It was part and parcel of what he'd agreed to when he had chosen Rhodey, when he'd gone and fallen in love with him despite himself.

His hand slid gently over the back of his neck, relaxed and happy under him despite the impending seriousness. "I know," there was no stopping the sadness at the loss of what they'd had, but there was a careful hope for what they could make instead. "I want to be with you, wherever and however we have to make that happen. I'm not letting you go again, Rhodey, and I'll stare Tony in the face and tell him that if I have to." He pressed his forehead to his lightly, "We lost enough time."

"No." His voice was gentle but firm. "That's exactly what I mean. We're not going back to me and Tony setting all the terms. He is going to be a factor, and I don't know what that's going to look like yet," he admitted. He couldn’t keep putting Tony ahead of Clint though, and that was on Rhodey to do better.

"But this is about you and me, Clint. I want to know what kind of life you want for us. What's the ideal scenario? We'll start with that and compromise where we have to." He wasn’t idealistic enough to think their best case scenario was going to work out, but it was a starting place to giving Clint more of what he needed.

He shook his head, "Oh no, that wasn't meant as me letting you. Not anymore. Either Stark deals with me being around, or he deals with sharing you in another way, because I won't be silent anymore." He knew he needed to talk to Tony, but he also wanted to make it very clear that he wouldn't be the way he was before. He wouldn't make him choose between them, not ever, but he was going to start pushing back when he felt he needed to. "It isn't fair to either of us if I don't speak up too."

Brushing his lips over his lightly, he met his eyes. "I want to live with you, to wake up with you and go to sleep wrapped up with you as often as we can. I want to build a whole life with you, Rhodey, that's about our happiness, together." He slid his thumbs gently over his cheekbones his eyes drifting over him before he said the next part. "Eventually, I hope I can marry you."

"Goddamn, baby. It's so sexy when you take charge." He grinned, nibbling gently at his collarbone. He was teasing a little, but it was true. He liked this version of Clint, who knew what he wanted and was prepared to fight for it. If his pants hadn't already been off, they'd have been well on their way. Not that he needed more reasons to find the man he loved attractive.

His breath shook slightly at the words, at those pretty eyes so serious and sincere on him. "I want to live with you too," he said softly, his heart giving a tug in his chest. He’d wanted it from the second Clint’s arms wrapped around him in the park. Going back to the tower and all the unhappiness it held for him here sounded unbearable after this. He could do it now, knowing it wasn't permanent.

His gaze went soft at the admission, something he'd only just started thinking about before everything went to shit. "I thought about it too, before all this," he said softly, a thumb brushing gently over his cheekbone. "But when I marry you, it's gonna be right. I've got some things to prove to you first."

He laughed softly before his breath hitched at the gentle press of teeth and he shifted playfully under him. Before, there had been every reason to stay okay with coming fourth place, and he was sure if it would have been better or worse if he'd started fighting for more before everything had happened. "Glad you like it, because you know it's going to cause some problems." It was just an acceptance of absolute facts.

There was no part of him that wanted to let Rhodey go back to the Tower, even if he knew that he had to. He wanted to keep him where he could protect his heart and make him happy. "Then we'll start with that, baby." It was a start on a life they could build, living together somewhere that wasn't in Stark's Tower or anywhere else they had to share each other with anyone else.

The way his eyes went soft sent his heart skipping before his words made it just stop altogether for a moment. He swallowed the knot that the words made rise in his throat and he had to close his eyes for a moment to pull himself together before opening them and meeting his again. "You thought about it?" The question was soft and he hated how unsure it came out, but that knowledge only added to the banked fury at everything they had lost. "You don't have to prove anything, Rhodey. I hope you know that."

Rhodey didn't have the answer to that either, and he tended not to torture himself with what ifs. They’d made their choices. They could only make different ones moving forward if they wanted things to change. "Not more than the ones we've already had." He'd already lost Clint. Whatever was next couldn’t be worse than what they’d already been through.

"We can start looking for a place as soon as tomorrow." Rhodey could live just about anywhere, and this would have been fine. He didn’t want Clint staying somewhere he'd been so unhappy though, didn’t want the sad memories lingering when they were trying to make a fresh start. He sure as hell didn’t want to live in Stark Tower anymore, hadn’t wanted to in the first place.

His fingers slid softly through his hair, soothing while he processed that. It wasn’t something they’d ever said out loud before, but that soft uncertainty still put a crack in his heart. He hated that he’d given him any cause to doubt himself, but it was more than fair. "Did I think about being with you forever? Of course I did, baby," he said softly, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "I do though, to you and to me."

Gently, he ran a soothing hand over the back of his neck. At least they knew now exactly what not to do if they wanted their life together to work and survive through anything that came their way. "No, but it's still problems," he murmured. The worst had come to pass and they were still here, wrapped up in one another, even if it had taken painful time.

"I'd like that," he admitted quietly. He liked this place, but he'd lived through his pain and loneliness in it and he wasn't sure he could look around it and not remember every bit of it in more clarity than he wanted. He wanted them to have a fresh start. "I want us to have something that's ours, that we chose for ourselves," the words were quiet but firm, wanting that for them nearly desperately.

He didn't mean to hurt him any further with his uncertainty, with the ache in his heart that he knew would take time to fully go away. He tipped his head up into that kiss, the gentleness of him soothing that ragged piece that had risen. "One day," he was sure of that, "I believe in us, more than anything."

As tempting as all that soft skin was, he tipped his head up to look at him. He didn’t like anything that made Clint sound sad, even if that thing was him. Rhodey knew he wasn’t as immune as he pretended to be, but it was far from his natural state. His hand slid soft and soothing through his hair, eyes on those pretty blues. "I want all your problems, babe. You've taken on all of mine. I'm with you, whatever you need to do." Rhodey didn't need him to fight Tony for him, but if he had some things he needed to square with him, that was reasonable after everything they’d been through. He wouldn’t stop him.

"I like that. We can make a new start here." He gently kissed the corner of his mouth. He could see how badly he wanted it. Rhodey did too, but mostly he wanted to give Clint what he needed. He’d been too long without it already. Some things just hurt because they were true, and that wasn’t Clint’s fault. Rhodey would rather know than have him hide it, even when it was painful. "One day," he agreed softly. "I believe in us too, sweetheart." He wasn’t afraid they were going to break apart again so soon, not now when they were both working so hard to repair. But he didn’t want to go into something as important as marriage as a reaction to this disaster. He wanted it to be because they were both happy and ready and it was what they wanted.

A part of him was sad when all of the soft kisses stopped, loving the gentle affection and the reassurance in it. Rhodey wasn't who made him sad, not by a long shot. He had always been the one to make him nearly incandescently happy, despite everything else. Soaking up all of those gentle touches, it was easy to be soothed. "I just need to build my life with you. I've taken care of anything else that really matters," he assured him. He'd said what he needed to say to Tony before, it wasn't his fault it had fallen on deaf ears. He was sure that it would again if he reattempted, and he didn't care to try in that case.

"Exactly," he agreed, a soft sound of protest escaping him purely because he wanted a real kiss. He wanted to be more honest with Rhodey when he didn't like a choice, but he'd never wanted him to feel like he was getting in the way of the most important relationship he had. "We're going to be just fine. What do you want, baby?"

"We'll do that," he assured him softly. Rhodey, on the other hand, did need to have a conversation with Tony, if only to let him know that he was moving out and that he and Clint were giving things another try. It bothered him that he no longer knew how that would go, or if he would even care if he left. Before London, they hadn’t lived together in a long time anyway. He might be glad to see him go. It was who he was going with that had the potential to be an issue.

He chuckled softly, shifting closer again to kiss him properly, slow and lingering. He would always be glad to kiss Clint, as many as he could possibly want. He believed they could find a balance between being more open and managing Tony, although a lot of that depended on Tony's willingness to tolerate Clint being back in their lives. He knew his best friend wanted him to he happy; he wasn't a monster. He just hadn't been at his most reasonable lately. "I want to live with you. I don’t want to go back to the tower except to pack and talk to Tony." He kissed him again softly, thoughtful. "I think I want to spend less time fighting and more time having a life."

He knew that Rhodey would have to have a serious conversation with Tony, hated that he made it necessary at all by having been on the opposite side from them. The only thing that made him angry in all of this was how unsure he seemed over Tony, his reaction, and how much he seemed to dislike being in the Tower. He only ever wanted Rhodey to be happy, really, even if that had been without him, he could have lived with it.

A happy sound slid out of him at the kiss, a small smile making its way into it despite himself. They had months of lost kisses to make up for and he was all too happy to keep on going. He worried that Tony's unreasonableness was going to stick, that he wouldn't listen to anything that didn't suit his plans. Again. Maybe it was unfair of him, but he didn't have anything good to go on when it came to Stark. He brushed his hand gently along his neck as he listened to him, tipping his head to meet that kiss. "We can make all of that happen. There's more than enough people to protect London, and we can step back unless we're really needed."

Rhodey had been far from happy lately, but maybe worse was the way he’d convinced himself it was the only option. He’d brought it on himself, and he deserved to live with those consequences. He’d have clawed his way out of it eventually, probably, but Clint made the whole process faster and easier. He’d always made him happy, and Rhodey was clinging to this chance with everything he had.

He nodded, the words coming slowly, but he knew he could trust Clint with them. He trusted him with everything. "War Machine belongs to Tony. Might not be any heroing left for me, if this goes worse than I think." He wished he could say with confidence that it wouldn't come to that, but he didn’t know what Tony would or wouldn't do anymore. He’d made Steve drop the shield. Rhodey knew if he drew another fucking line in the sand and made him pick a side, he’d walk away from whatever he had to this time. He couldn’t keep living like this.

Clint stayed quiet and listened carefully, keeping his face clear of any fury or judgement at everything that had gone down. There was nothing sensible about it, not on any side, if he was being honest. Convictions, he could understand, but there had to be understanding, or at least empathy, too. He would give Rhodey a safe, happy place, as much as he was able, because he loved him and knew that he would do the same for him.

Gently, he rolled them, his knees settling on either side of his hips, his hands resting against his chest as he gazed down into that beloved face. "War Machine isn't what made you a hero, Rhodey," he murmured softly, shaking his head in denial of it. "You were a hero long before you ever put on that suit, and you'll stay a hero if Tony takes it away. You always tell me I'm no less because all I use is a bow and arrows. Why should you be any different, baby?" This, he would stand firm on, and he would go toe to toe with anyone who tried to tell him differently. "You are not made by anything that Tony Stark gave you or did for you. Not now. Not ever."

His hands wrapped around his waist as Clint’s familiar weight settled over him, thumbs gently tracing his hip bones. "I like it when you get fierce," he said with a soft smile. All teasing aside, though, he knew it was at least mostly true, even if it didn’t always feel that way. It was something he knew Clint could understand, how hard it was to be the lone humans fighting gods and monsters.

"I know that's not all I am," he assured him softly. War Machine was undeniably a part of him, one it would hurt to lose, but he would still be Rhodey without it. "I can't really bring guns to the fight, and I'm shit with a bow," he teased gently. "It's alright though. I can live without it." Having a life that included the Air Force and Clint in it sounded plenty good enough to him. He didn’t really believe he could have everything. Life just didn't work that way. He’d tried living without him and didn't care for it, so it was time to try something else.

He shivered at that soft brush of his thumbs, but he loved that smile on his face. Leaning down, he kissed him lightly in approval. "I'll always get fierce where you're concerned," he pointed out with a soft laugh of his own. He didn't have very much in his life that he insisted on defending and protecting, but Rhodey had been at the top of the list for a very long time now.

His hands slid gently over his chest, soothing and a connection for both of them to enjoy. "I don't know if Stark is so far gone to make you stop being War Machine, though," he admitted softly. It was no small thing for him to say because he had no reason to be in Stark's corner, not by a long shot. Reason wasn't something they had seen much of out of the man, but dealing with Rhodey was far different than dealing with Steve for him, and they all knew that. He hoped that his presence in his partner's life wouldn't make that much of a difference.

"I know," he said softly. Clint was fierce about protecting the people he chose to call his. It would be hard to find a more loyal friend. Rhodey was just grateful to still be on that list. He knew his partner didn't give up on people easily, but nothing about the Avengers' Civil War had been easy or small.

The hands on him were grounding, reminding him of what he stood to gain in all of this. He needed Clint back in his life. Living without him had been hellish. He’d just have to wait and see about the rest. "I don't either." There was more sadness in the words than he’d let out since he got here. It might have been manageable if he felt Tony was still on his side, but he barely recognized him right now. He didn’t trust himself to say what his best friend would or wouldn't do anymore. He didn’t know if he'd see this as a betrayal, if it would just push him further over the edge. Not knowing was a little worse.

It didn't matter how much he was gaining. The last thing in the world that Clint ever wanted was for Rhodey to be sad because of someone he loved and needed in his life. Hearing that sadness in his voice then yanked his heartstrings and he brushed his hands gently over his jaw. "Oh sweetheart," the words were soft and full of sad understanding. He would have been his own version of a mess if it had been him and Natasha, he knew.

"I'll be waiting close by when you go," he assured him. He knew better than to attempt stepping foot into that tower, but he wasn't going to let Rhodey just go, knowing how uncertain everything was. "No matter what, I've always got you." That much he could solemnly swear to because if this hadn't ripped them apart permanently, he'd make damn sure that nothing did.

"You don't have to do that," he assured him softly. He wouldn't fight him on it, but he didn't want Clint to have to do anything else that was hard for him either. It was enough knowing he got to come home to him, not just tomorrow, but every day for the foreseeable future. It was more comfort than he'd had since he got to London.

"I know, babe. I've got you too. We'll figure this out together." His hands ran gently along his back, enjoying the closeness. He could handle a lot with Clint by his side. He didn't want to lose Tony either, but he knew something had to change if they were going to continue. It shouldn't have taken him so long to act, but admittedly he hadn't been at his best lately.

"I know I don't, but I want to," he assured him gently. It wouldn't be hard for him to be close by while his partner did something that might not be easy. He wanted to take care of him, as much as he could, even in the little ways. If it meant that he was right there when Rhodey left with his stuff, it was even better.

"We will. I love you, Rhodey, and you and Tony will be okay." He had to have faith in that, for Rhodey's sake. He wanted him to have his best friend, to get through their rough patch the way that the two of them were going to. He would do a lot to support him to that end because he knew how much life could suck without that person and he didn't want it for him.

"Alright. We can grab my stuff and start looking at places, if you want." They’d lost too much time already. He didn’t want to waste any more in rebuilding their life together. Knowing he’d come home to Clint every day, fall asleep next to him, wake up in his arms, it was a bit of grace he hadn’t expected. He wasn’t going to let it go again.

"I love you too. I have you, Clint. I can handle a lot as long as that's true," he assured him, kissing him softly. He’d always thought that would be true with Tony too, but everyone had a breaking point. It had just taken him months to realize he was past his. He’d fight like hell to keep Tony in his life, but he couldn’t be the only one fighting.

"That sounds like a good way to spend our day," outside of how sideways Rhodey's conversation with Stark might go, that was. His hands slid gently over him, a comforting reminder that they were together and could stay that way. "What do you really want in a place?" It was a valid consideration for both of them, and he wanted them to work on the best footing.

"So can I," he agreed. Rhodey was the most stable thing in his world, even now, and he wanted to do that for him, if he could. He'd fight right alongside him, and he hoped that Stark could see reason. He hadn't before, and Clint wasn't really one to hope in the way some people were. But for Rhodey, he could do a lot that he normally wouldn't.

"It'll give me something to look forward to." He'd need it, knowing Tony as well as he did. He may not know exactly how he was going to react, but he knew parts of it weren't going to be pretty. The only question was in degree: a little sideways, or a full-on clusterfuck. Seeing reason hadn’t exactly been one of Tony's strengths lately.

"I don't even care," he chuckled softly, fingers sliding through his hair. Rhodey had never cared that much about his living space. He was military; he could make it work on practically nothing. His apartment in New York was middlescale, nice enough but not flashy. "I think we'd both be happier in the city than on the edges. Nothing too fancy. How about you?"

"We'll find a good place to go eat, too," he murmured, trying to make the best of what he knew was going to be a rough start to say the very least. He wanted to do everything he could to make it easier on him, if he could. He wasn't foolish enough to think that he could fix all of it, but he could try to soothe the ragged edges at the very least.

"You're allowed to start caring, though," he pointed out gently, "That's kind of the point of what we're doing, baby." Just because he'd lived that way for most of his life before didn't mean that it had to keep going. "Definitely need to be in the city or I"ll be bored out of my mind," he agreed. "Definitely not fancy." Fancy was nowhere near anything Clint could handle being in for too long.

"That'll take some doing. British food is kind of the worst." The corner of his mouth pulled up in a wry smile. They had a whole relationship to tea, pudding, and gravy that he didn't understand. It would have been funny if, you know, they hadn't been stuck here. The only good restaurants were the ones that featured food from other countries. Fortunately, London was a fairly big city, so they could find it if they looked.

"Alright, then. You answer that question and see how easy it is. Name one thing you want out of a place that we haven't already mentioned." His teeth scraped gently over soft skin with the teasing challenge. It was hard to go from a mindset of survival to actual living. He was way out of practice, since he wouldn't call what he'd been doing in London so far 'living.' He didn't want to just get by anymore, but it wouldn't change overnight.

He laughed, the sound freer and easier than any time he'd laughed in the last months, as rare as those had been. "I mean, that's true," he agreed, still shaking with chuckles under him, "They've got decent beer, though." It helped make up for it a little bit, but then he could live on absolute trash food and be alright. His opinion shouldn't be counted for a whole lot when it came to food.

The request made him smile a bit because he had thought about it, the scrape of his teeth making him shiver. "Not a studio, a place with separate rooms. Ruins sightlines for us, but minimizes echo for me," he admitted. There were times that the Tower and the Compound had felt like hell, all of the smooth, shiny, wide open spaces. He wanted to be able to relax, to enjoy the life that he and Rhodey wanted to build.

The sound of his laugh made something ache in his chest. God, he’d missed that. He’d missed everything about Clint, but hearing him happy like that in spite of everything meant a lot. It gave him hope that they really were going to be okay. His hand ran gently through his hair, his expression soft and affectionate. "Silver lining," he agreed, not caring about the food or the beer in the face of that happiness.

"Worth it," he said softly. He always wanted Clint to be comfortable. The reminder of how much his partner had compromised to stay with him was a slow twist of the knife, but it just meant Rhodey needed to do better now. He would. It was long past time that he made him a priority. At the very least, he should be able to relax in his own home.

He absolutely knew that they would be okay. They were back together in a world where he had never thought that could be the case. He had missed him, fiercely and desperately, but he hadn't been able to actually imagine a world where he got him back. That look on his face though, so soft and just for him, made his heart melt and firmed his convictions. "Exactly," he murmured, tipping his head to brush his lips over his.

He had made every single one of his choices in his life with Rhodey before, accepting a lot of things just so he could keep him. He hadn't cared where he had lived, as long as he'd had him close. Most places he had lived had been shit for him, long before they'd involved his partner too. "And really soft furniture," he mused, "I'm getting too old for anything else." His lips twitched with the teasing words.

Rhodey tried not to even think about him or their friends here. It hurt too much, and it was nothing he could change. He’d thought, anyway. Now, he wasn't so sure. Clint had forgiven him because he loved him, and he didn’t imagine the rest of the team would be so easy. But... Steve and Sam were the forgiving type. So was Thor. If he could repair that, even a little, then he wanted to try.

He gave a soft, teasing hum, lips skimming over his collarbone. "I think your stamina says otherwise, but you deserve some pampering." He’d love to spend some time just spoiling the shit out of Clint. They had a lot of time to make up for, a lot of sad weeks he’d like to replace with happier memories. "Big bed," he added after another moment's thought.

He knew that if Rhodey tried, if he reached out a hand to the right people, there was nothing permanently broken between him and the other Avengers. Their relationship, their choice to try again, would go a long way to helping with that, too, he knew. It wouldn't always be smooth or easy, but he knew that it was possible, and he would happily help him.

Laughing, he rolled them and sank against Rhodey with a teasing look. "I'll accept the compliment and the pampering," he grinned before tipping his head to kiss him. They both deserved a chance at some softness and happiness that wouldn't be interrupted at every turn. "With those really soft sheets that I like the way you look wrapped in," he agreed.

He wouldn’t have believed it was possible before today, but... a lot of things seemed possible now that hadn’t before. Rhodey didn't expect things to go back to the way they'd been, but for the first time he thought there might be a chance of building something new. The question was whether or not he'd ever get Tony to budge on that.

"You deserve both." He grinned back as Clint’s weight settled over him, smiling into that kiss. He hummed softly in approval. "Fluffy pillows," he added to the list in between soft kisses. The place they were describing sounded more like a home than anything he'd had in a long time. Not just a place to crash in between missions, but a place where they actually lived.

Feeling him smiling into their kiss served to relax him further. He had always loved knowing that Rhodey was that happy and that comfortable with him. "So do you," he murmured against his lips. His partner made him happier than anything else had for a very long time. "I want to take care of you and spoil the ever loving shit out of you."

He hummed happily at the idea of fluffy pillows. "Big screen tv for movie nights," he decided with a grin. He loved movie nights with him, wrapped up together on the couch with snacks and no responsibility but to simply enjoy it.

"As long as I can do the same," he chuckled softly, the sound warm and easier than he would have believed possible just a few hours ago. Clint had always had a way of making him feel safe and happy and comfortable. Next to Tony, he was the person he trusted most in the world, and Tony wasn't doing a lot on those three qualifiers lately. He knew his best friend was lost right now, but Rhodey had been lost too.

"Alright, baby. Sounds like a good start to me," he murmured, fingers sliding gently through his hair. He wanted Clint to have everything he wanted, even if it was hard to imagine it being a real thing right now. He wanted it so much, a life with him that was more about happiness and each other than the fight.

"I think that can be arranged," he mused happily. Hearing him laugh like that gave him hope for everything ahead of them. He wasn't always the most responsible of people to most, but he would always guide Rhodey home when he needed it. Figuring out a way to give him a home, a happy place, that was just the start of it for them this go round.

He sank into those soft pets with a content sound and kissed him, slow and lingering. "We can always build as we go," he murmured, knowing that they couldn't do it all in one go. It was as much a promise that this was going to last and he was going to do everything to make it work.

Clint might drink his coffee straight out of the pot, but he wasn’t irresponsible with people. Rhodey had never felt like he wasn’t in safe hands with him or like his thoughts and feelings weren't valued. He was home, and he wasn’t planning to give that up again any time soon.

He wanted all of those slow, sweet kisses to make up for the ones he'd missed. "I like that," he murmured against his lips, unable to resist a soft nibble. "I want to build a home with you, Clint." It didn’t matter that it would take time. It was better that way, really, since then they’d know it was real and stable and just what they wanted.

There was no reason they couldn't spend plenty of time on slow, sweet kisses if that was what they wanted to do. He certainly had no objections to it and was looking forward to every single one of them. There was no way he couldn't love this man, every bit of softness and kindness he gave him only adding to it.

A soft sound escaped him at the press of teeth and he shivered lightly. "And we're going to," he promised firmly. That much he knew for absolute certain because it was what they both wanted and there was no reason for them to not have it, not anymore. "I love you, and I want to spend every day showing you that."

#chat: clint #justlikethenamesays #one single thread of gold #london!verse

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