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thorne93 · 3 years

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Long Lost Love (Part 6)

Prompt: Clint just lost everything. He turns to you – an old friend and an old flame – for comfort. Can you keep your old feelings at bay? Can he?

Word Count: 2611

Warnings: The Snap, grief, loss, mentions of abuse throughout series, angst will be the best friend in this fic

Note: This was written after IW, but before Endgame - so I have my own take on how certain things happened. Couldn’t have done this without @arrow-guy @carryonmyswansong @like-a-bag-of-potatoes (my amazing betttaa!) @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo

Aesthetic by @dontshootmespence

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When you awoke the next morning, you were filled with a mix of wonder, hope, and worry. You wondered if Clint would regret his actions and reject you. You wondered if he’d feel guilty or ashamed. You didn’t know how he’d react at all. You only hoped that he felt happy that he did what he did last night.

You made your way downstairs to find him making a big breakfast, whistling, with a towel over his shoulder as he prepared breakfast.

“Morning,” you softly said.

He turned and greeted you with a dazzling smile. “Good morning.” He came over and kissed you again, quick but firm and earnest. He went back to cooking.

“Making breakfast I see, need a hand?”

“Nope, I’ve got it. It’s almost done,” he assured.

You smiled, relieved that he was in a good mood and didn’t appear to regret anything.

The two of you worked on the farm all day together and he was nothing but smiles. You couldn’t figure out what had triggered the change in him, but whatever it was, you were thankful for it.

Time marched forward and the two of you seemed to fall into an easy rhythm, almost as if you’d never parted ways all those years ago on that train station platform. One night you two had a board game night to celebrate a hard day’s work. You played Scrabble with the rules that real words were not allowed, but for every word you made, you had to come up with a definition. You did this with every board game in the house. Real rules were thrown out, new rules were in. It was the most fun you’d had in… you couldn’t even remember how long. The two of you were in stitches the whole time until somehow you wound up on the couch, holding each other all night.

Another night, you two had smores, a small campfire, and both of you laid down, looking up at the stars.

“Well, this snap didn’t do anything good, at all, but if there’s a silver lining, the stars are a lot more visible with less people,” you mentioned.

“Pollution has dropped quite a bit,” he agreed. “It also helps to be in the middle of nowhere on a farm with one building that has lights,” he added.

“That too.”

“I’m glad I get to see it with you.” He took his hand and laced his fingers with yours and you felt your entire soul warm to the touch.

“Reminds me of being out at night after our acts,” you reminisced.

“Yeah, we always seemed to wind up in some amazing places,” he concurred.

“Every place was amazing so long as you were there,” you said.

So far, you and Clint hadn’t labeled what this was. You hadn’t addressed it directly since that first kiss. Part of you was terrified to say anything. That if you called attention to this, it would somehow wake him up from an illusion and he’d break it. He’d see that this wasn’t actually what he wanted. He would see you were Laura’s poor replacement, a rebound, a distraction, a coping mechanism.

You just didn’t want to face what was probably the truth: he didn’t love you - he loved the idea of you.

Allowing your fear to continue to rule you, and not let it take this precious time from you, you didn’t bring it up. You didn’t question why he wanted you now, you simply accepted it and graciously took the gift of having him be yours again.

But, when you said things like this, things that danced dangerously close to those three little words, you were afraid it would trigger the response in him you were trying to avoid.

He simply responded by saying, “I couldn’t agree more.”

It was reassuring… for now.

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One evening, while the summer air was very cool, Clint took you to a nearby water tower. He said the view was breathtaking and considering he had zero fear of heights, it made sense that he’d visit it. You followed him up to the top, and sat there, agreeing that looking out over the country side looked absolutely stunning. Of course, your fear of heights was vacant as well, because every now and then you had to do acrobatic work in the circus if you wanted to survive.

The two of you sat and talked, drinking beers, talking about nothing in particular for the longest time. After a moment of peaceful quiet, suddenly, Clint said, “You know, I wouldn’t mind seeing the team again. I know I call them off and on, but it’d be nice to actually have them back at the farm, at least once. Just to see their faces.”

You turned your head towards him, holding onto the railing as your feet dangled off the side. “I think that’s a great idea, Clint. If you want to invite them, I think you should. They’re your family after all. I know Nat would love to see you, and I know you’d love to see them.”

“You sure?” he asked.

You nodded. “Yeah. It’d be good for all of you. Not to mention, I’d like to properly meet them. I’ve done a few random patch up jobs for all of them but I’ve never said more than ten words to all of them.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I think you should meet them. You mean a lot to me and they mean a lot to me, it only makes sense to have all of you together.”

“I can make a big meal for everyone,” you said, delighted. “Fried chicken, some desserts. It’ll be a good time.”

“I think they’d love that,” he agreed. He seemed to be perking up more and more with every second you two talked about this. “I’ll call them first thing. How does this Sunday sound?”

“Any day is perfect,” you assured. “Just make sure I have enough time to get the house cleaned and to make a grocery run.”

“Will do.”

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Clint called his team and two weeks later, they were at the farmhouse, the whole group of them. Rhodey, Natasha, Steve, Tony, Pepper, their baby Morgan, Thor, and Bruce. They came early on Sunday morning and Clint introduced you to everyone.

He didn’t go into any detail about your past or your present situation. He merely said he had called you up because you were an old friend from the circus that was a vet so you knew your way around animals and the farm.

Thor seemed to be… putting on a show. You could tell he was careful not to let his smile fall unless he thought no one was looking. Tony and Steve seemed slightly tense, but with the way the world was they were trying to look past their issues.

You gave them all a moment to talk alone for a while. You and Pepper sat out on the porch, playing with baby Morgan and Lucky, talking casually for a while. Inside, you could only assume Nat, Steve, and the others Clint was closer to talked about Laura and the kids. You assumed they discussed the snap and more detail on what actually happened. You also assumed he expressed his deep regret for not going to help them.

Everyone greeted you and welcomed you with open arms and when it was time to serve lunch, everyone raved about your food. Thor and Bruce couldn’t get enough of your fried chicken. Pepper complimented you highly on your sparkling strawberry cake. Rhodey said he needed the recipe for your mac and cheese.

The entire day was spent just talking. It weaved in and out of sorrowful talk of who was gone and what had been done to try to think of ways to get everyone back, to what everyone was up to lately. Steve headed up a therapy group in the city, which made sense. Rhodey and Natasha were working almost round the clock to help police the world of any dangers. Tony, Pepper, and Morgan were just enjoying the closest thing to Tony and Pepper being retired as they could. They had a little cabin a little ways from the city on a gorgeous piece of property with a lake. Thor was working with his fellow Asgardians to rebuild their society somewhere off the coast of a Scandinavian area. Bruce had been recruited to work on ways to get resources efficiently.

Everyone was doing what they could to keep society going, to get it back to what it was, to try and not remember all the loss everyone faced every day.

Conversations flowed for a long while, well past dark. It was nice having so much life in the house and you loved seeing everyone. It was no wonder he loved these people. As dinner neared a close, you got up and started cleaning up. Everyone tried to pitch in to help too, but you simply waved them off, telling them you had it covered. Pepper refused to take no for an answer, as did Rhodey. You said they needed to spend time with Clint, but both of them said that the others should really spend time with him.

Clint said he’d get out of the way then and they went outside to the porch. Nearly everyone had a beer in hand as Tony, Steve, Nat, and Bruce followed.

“So, uh, what’s up with Y/N in there?” Tony asked in a hushed tone as he turned to face Clint. The group of them stood in a circle facing each other.

“What do you mean, Tony?” Clint asked, feigning ignorance as he stood there with his arms crossed.

“I mean, what’s the deal? You said you knew her from your circus days. You still keep in contact with all your old circus buddies?” he pressed, knowing Clint despised his past and never talked about it. The only reason any of them even knew about Clint’s past was because they’d read his file.

“No, I don’t keep in touch with anyone but her. She was the only good thing to come out of those horrible elements.”

“So she’s your oldest friend, then,” Thor suddenly said.

“You could say that, yeah. We grew up together…” he replied. All of them could tell there was more he wanted to say, more to say, but he stopped himself.

“Alright, come on, let’s give the guy some space. He’s been through enough,” Natasha tried, wanting them to drop it. Clearly he wasn’t comfortable.

“Well, whatever she is to you, if she makes you happy and keeps you sane, then I’m glad she’s here,” Steve encouraged with a half smile.

“Thanks, Cap,” he said with a head nod. “Yeah, I… When that all happened, I really thought I was just going to lose it. I sat here and stared, not knowing what to do next. Lucky snapped me out of it, but if I didn’t have him, or these animals to care for… I tell ya, my mind went to some dark places. Y/N keeps me grounded though. She helps me on good days and bad.”

“That’s good to hear, man, we're happy for you,” Bruce said.

“We really are,” Nat agreed.

“I’m not gonna say I’m not happy for you, I am,” Tony said, but there was clearly a punchline coming, “but I gotta know, what is the deal? Did you ever date or think of dating Y/N? She seems perfect for you. Knowing each other for all those years, in those conditions, and now she’s back in your life? That’s some heavy stuff man.”

“Tony,” Nat started, her face dropping down before smiling, “I think Clint loves her, but he’s too afraid to admit it right now.”

“That so?” he asked, seeming amused. “I’ll be damned.”

Clint looked at Nat with an unreadable expression. He was half-glad that she said it and he didn’t have to. He was also worried what his friends would think of him, loving you after what happened to his family.

“I don’t want you all to think I don’t love and miss Laura, I do,” Clint started, looking at all of his friends.

“None of us think that, Clint,” Steve assured, but he pressed on.

“You gotta understand, I loved Y/N when we were kids. We were teens. We had that teenage love, you know? It never went away. We never grew out of it. We had to run from our life in the circus, we thought it would be safest if we split up. We said we’d get our lives back on track… Life… life had other plans I guess and I met Laura. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to us, buddy,” Bruce said.

“No, I know. I think I’m trying to assure myself. To remind myself I’m not a bad person for loving her. She and I… we have history. Being with her… it’s all I ever wanted. It’s what I wanted for years, and now in a sick twist, I can have her. I feel guilty about it, I do, but we love each other, and I don’t see any good reason to deny ourselves of that. I mean, it may be awful to say, but Laura’s not coming back.” Tears filled his eyes and he started to break down before the group came to the rescue and consoled him with hugs and rubbing his back. When he got calmed down he said, “So I just… I don’t see a reason to put off happiness, you know?”

“We get it,” Nat stated, nodding her head with a sympathetic smile.

Clint nodded, wiping his face. “I’m glad. I’d hate for you guys to think I’m some awful human.”

“Awful for wanting to be with someone you love?” Steve asked, perplexed. “If I could have Peggy back, I’d take her in a heartbeat, no matter how the universe brought her to me.”

“Yeah, take it from Pep and me, we wanted to start our family. The world is in shambles but we’ve waited long enough to start our lives together,” Tony said.

“We’re the last people on earth to have any right to judge and at the end of the day, we just want you to be happy,” Nat informed sweetly, squeezing his shoulder.

He smiled and looked up at his friends. “I love you guys, I really missed you.”

They all smiled back at him and they each hugged. They all needed it more than they knew.

Eventually, the team came back inside and Pepper and Tony packed up Morgan and everyone started saying their goodbyes and loading into cars. Natasha was the last to leave, giving you both hugs.

“Thank you, for taking care of him,” she quietly said as she wrapped her arms around you.

You peered at her, confused at first before nodding. “Of course.”

She hugged Clint and kissed his cheek. She waved to you too, ordered that you call her more often, then got in her car and drove off.

The two of you smiled at each other and held hands as you walked in.

“That was a really nice day,” you said happily.

“Yeah, it was. I’m so glad we did this. Thank you for all you did and encouraging me to invite them,” he said as he put his arms around your waist, holding you close.

“Anything to see you happy,” you informed.

“I know, that's why I’m so lucky to have you.” He planted a firm kiss on your lips and then you two went off to bed, separately.

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#long lost love #clint barton x reader #clint barton fic #clint barton #hawkeye x reader #hawkeye fic #hawkeye

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themanwhoatethetown · 6 years

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Stephanie and I were invited to visit Honky Tonk Smokehouse to try their offerings and report to our readers (and listeners). I will say that we were very pleasantly surprised at what we found.

I actually had never heard of them before they reached out to me. I will honestly recommend folks give it a try and push that point from now on. They are located at 145 Jonestown Road in Winston-Salem. The location had been home to B&D’s BBQ and another barbecue restaurant before now-owners Sam and Susan Platt bought the restaurant and turned it into what it is today. The older restaurants were take-out only and from what I knew only had a so-so reputation as far as barbecue goes. But, the Platts have done some great things.

Honky Tonk Smokehouse Dining Room

Let’s focus for a second on the fact that we live in one of the areas of the country known for “barbecue.” In this state, while there are several unique styles, they usually fall into two categories: “Eastern” and “Lexington.” Eastern is more of a vinegar-based liquid where Lexington is tomatoed up and is a bit thicker. Personally, I prefer the Eastern style, but I do love me some Lexington as well. There are people in this town who say they are “barbecue fans” or they “love barbecue.” However, those folks will only go to one restaurant and deem it “the best.” These same folks have a propensity to not visit anything new. And, yet, they still call themselves “barbecue fans.” What they mean is that they’re “Brand X fans,” not fans of barbecue. They are closed-minded and that’s fine; not a bad thing. It just means they’re missing out on the other facilities that this area has to offer. This is the case here at Honky Tonk Smokehouse, I feel.

Let’s also get something straight, this isn’t rocket surgery. There is an art to barbecue and I will never say it isn’t tough, but it really doesn’t open to a lot of experimentation. So, when some say they’re fans of this place or that place, it is because most places do one thing and they do it well. I don’t mean they only serve pulled or chopped pork or may serve chicken or a hot dog or whatever. I mean, it’s barbecue. Now, on the converse of this, we will have to agree that familiarity can be a glorious thing. That’s where we get “comfort food” from, right?

The Parade of Sides

“Honky Tonk” Taters

Coleslaw

Mac-N-Cheese

Hush Puppies

Green Beans

Collard Greens

Jalapeño-Baked Beans

“September Special” Broccoli Salad

At Honky Tonk Smokehouse, they have all the comforts down pat. They don’t necessarily do “chopped” sandwiches as they serve at many of the area’s BBQ restaurants. That’s not saying they won’t do it, it’s just not what they do. What they do do is take regional and national staples and offer it their way; the delicious way, and yes, that does include BBQ sandwiches, just not chopped. Sam Platt hand-rubs the meats with a proprietary blend of spices, long-rests them and slow-cooks them over a hickory fire. That’s traditional, right? No rules broken, no dissenters complaining. Some of their meat offerings are baby back ribs, turkey, chicken, chicken wings, brisket, pulled pork, and smoked sausage. They also offer a wide variety of veggies and sides. All the items are made in-house.

Stephanie and I were treated to a full complement of delicious offerings both in the meat and sides department.

We had white meat chicken, baby back ribs, brisket, turkey, pulled pork, green beans, hush puppies, jalapeño-baked beans, “honky tonk taters,” mac-n-cheese, collard greens, cole slaw, and a broccoli salad that was a special “side of the month.”

To appease the good graces of my lovely wife, we started with the veggies first, each taking just a bit at a time of the same thing to compare notes to see what we tasted and if we liked it or not. We started with the broccoli salad. It was crisp, sweet and creamy with craisins which gave it a bright fruity taste, as well. Sam said they had partnered with Little Black Dressing (made locally, served broadly) which is the dressing that helps make this dish what it is. This is only for September and in October they will have another month-long surprise for you.

Baby Back Ribs

The green beans were hearty and savory. That surprised me, but I really liked it. They weren’t mushy as some can be and still had a bit of snap. I really enjoyed the green beans as did Stephanie. We both remarked about enjoying them.

The hush puppies weren’t every spiced or overly fried. They had a great flavor and it was subtle. That enabled them to be the perfect accompaniment to the selection of sauces that Honky Tonk Smokehouse has available (but more on that later). Crispy and good. They way hush puppies should be, I think.

The jalapeño-baked beans were dark and rich and the pepper wasn’t too spicy. It really just added a little kick that broke from traditional baked beans. You still got the brown sugar sweetness and the pepper helped to offset that a bit. I really enjoyed them. Stephanie who has a well-documented aversion to beans outside of black beans and green beans also enjoyed them and that was a big win for Honky Tonk Smokehouse’s recipe!

The “honky-tonk taters” were boiled red/new potatoes that were seasoned, buttered and filling. I don’t really know what to say other than they were good. I eat potatoes but they’re not my favorite thing, but I did enjoy them.

The mac-n-cheese was cheesy, creamy, thick and not overly baked. Sometimes mac-n-cheese can be too crusty and that makes the top cheese taste kind of tinny and this wasn’t like that. Again, I emphasize the thick part (I love that). Stephanie is a big mac-n-cheese fan and enjoyed these as well.

White Meat Chicken

The collards, as one would probably want, were a bit bitter, fatty and wilted but still firm. They had a great deep green color and were vinegarish-tart, which I love about collards. I never liked collards (or greens of any kind) until I was much older and now, it’s one of the things I seek out. These were good. Earthy, pungent and slightly salty.

The coleslaw reminded me of my mother’s coleslaw, minus the carrots. My mom used to put shredded carrots in hers. But, it’s fine granules and not long thick pieces of cabbage. I like that. This is a barbecue restaurant, right? That’s what goes on barbecue in this area (and yes, they do have a BBQ slaw as well). It was sweet and creamy. Again, Stephanie, who has never liked coleslaw remarked about how much she enjoyed this. Great stuff, this. But, you didn’t read this blog to hear about sides, did you? I didn’t go for the sides, so let’s talk about the star attractions.

Brisket

We started with the baby back ribs. At first glance, I thought they were going to be dry because the rub was so firm and I noticed they weren’t doused in sauce. Well, I was wrong. The meat was plentiful, it was moist and tender. I don’t like my food all over my hands so I eat with a fork and knife when I eat ribs and I didn’t have to fight this rib at all. It literally fell right off the bone. I tried it plain, with their honey chipotle glaze, and with their brown sugar glaze. The rub wasn’t overpowering but certainly enhanced the meat.

The white meat chicken had a small wing attached and that literally fell apart while eating it. It tasted so good. The breast was tender and still juicy which sometimes is difficult with white meat. The rub on it was delicious as well. We tried this with the sweet apple glaze. We tried all the meats plain before putting sauce on them to know what they each tasted like. The chicken and ribs each have their own special rub and then they are smoked. The turkey is brined and then smoked. Speaking of the turkey!

Turkey with Sweet Apple Glaze

I don’t usually get excited about turkey, even at Thanksgiving. It’s just a lackluster bird in my opinion. However, I will say that the turkey was my absolute favorite item that I tasted. It was coated in a bit of the sweet apple glaze, too. The flavor was smoky and sweet. The slices were thick and tender. Whether it was plain (with the glaze), or embellishing the turkey with more of the sweet apple glaze, the brown sugar glaze or the honey chipotle, it was delicious all the way around.

We tried the brisket next. The spicy rub created a crust and the meat fell apart as we tried to pick it up. It was so good. Not at all dry, either; very moist. Stephanie said that the brisket was her absolute favorite and we both agreed that while it was great plain, we really enjoyed the brown sugar glaze on it. Thick, meaty, sweet.

Finally, we had the pulled pork. I realized with this as with most of the other meats (except the turkey), that Sam and Susan don’t pre-sauce their meat. That’s brilliant. I know a lot of BBQ restaurants have their “sauce” that they put on the pork/beef when they serve it, but not at Honky Tonk Smokehouse. Their meats are sauceless and you are free to dress them as you like, not as someone else likes. The pulled pork was smoky and tender. I tried it with their “original” sauce which is a Memphis-style sauce that they make in-house, as well as the brown sugar glaze and the honey chipotle glaze. I could pictures that as a sandwich. Again, pulled, not chopped.

Pulled Pork

I believe Honky Tonk Smokehouse has a fantastic thing going on. They offer styles not only in the “Lexington-” style but have an Eastern dip, their ribs are kind of Kansas City-style and the brisket is definitely Texas-style. They’re touching the standards and they’re making them right. The flavors from the food and the touches the sauces bring, there are plenty of mouth-watering options at Honky Tonk Smokehouse. Their dining room is open and inviting. Don’t forget $.50 wing night Tuesdays from 5-8pm. And Wednesday night is Brisket Taco night. They also offer catering services, as well.

Again, I know that barbecue can be boring but it doesn’t have to be. This isn’t. It’s nothing flashy, though and it isn’t supposed to be. The Platts aren’t trying to dazzle you. They are trying to satisfy you with good food and a great food experience. I believe their location is good but not a lot of people know they’re there. It’s kind of off the road and unless you are coming from Country Club Road toward US421, you may miss it, but then again, you’ll be on the other side of the road. There are several other restaurants in this shopping center and if you stop for those, you can certainly stop for Honky Tonk Smokehouse. I’m putting it at the top of my list of recommendations. Is it my favorite BBQ restaurant? I can’t say, but I know it is right up there. I am a fan of barbecue and this is one darned fine place to get it. You won’t be sorry. Tell them that I sent you!!!

Honky Tonk Smokehouse: Strumming the Right Chord Stephanie and I were invited to visit Honky Tonk Smokehouse to try their offerings and report to our readers (and listeners).

#Barbecue #BBQ #hickory smoked #Honky Tonk Smokehouse #Sam Platt #Susan Platt #WSNC #WSNC Food #WSNC Foodie

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