IronHawk Part 2 (Chapter 9)
Holy long chapter guys. No way to cut this down. Everything about it is important lol —————————
Clint woke up to Natasha sitting on his bed, cross legged, silently watching him.
“I feel like I’ve told you before how creepy this is.” He complained, rolling onto his back with a yawn.
“Mmm.” Natasha didn’t really reply, just continued sitting, hands folded non threateningly in her lap.
Clint sighed. “Come on then.” He held one arm and a wing out, making room on the bed. A quick smile flitted across her face before Natasha unfolded her frame, stretching out next to him, head on his bare chest. Clint would never call the soft rumble coming from the other Alpha a purr, but Natasha was absolutely purring as she snuggled close. Clint just closed his eyes again , more thankful for the physical contact than he would admit, and stroked a hand down her back.
It had been a long time since he’d woken up to Natasha wanting to sleep next to him. It had happened often in the beginning, after he had recruited her to SHIELD, when she was still fighting against the effects of her brainwashing, and needed someone else to keep her together. It had even happened once after she had first been assigned to Tony Stark by SHIELD. She had slipped into bed next to Clint and they had lay together all night. No questions asked, no answers needed.
Clint could barely see the outline of a bite mark that matched his teeth, there on the right side of her neck. Once, back at the beginning, Natasha had reverted back to her training, and had nearly killed two different SHIELD handlers, and tried her hardest to kill Clint before he had pinned her to the ground and bit her viciously.
While bonding bites were placed on the left, above the scent gland, he had bit her in the right side, growling low in his throat, demanding absolute obedience. Shocked into submission, Natasha had immediately stilled. That had been the last time she had ever acted out with her handlers. And the first night they ended up naked together, both fighting for dominance, nearly destroying his room in the process. But after that, most nights Natasha had to come to his room had been purely platonic, just needing the touch of a friend.
Clints arm tightened around her at the memory, and Natasha hummed contentedly.
“It’s been a long time since we did this, Tasha.” He said softly, breathing in her spicy scent.
“Yeah well Pepper would flip out if I left our bed to be in yours. But she’s not here. And I thought you could use some company.”
“Oh this had nothing to do with you wanting to be near me?” He teased and Natasha tensed and growled low. “Hush.” He chuckled. “I’m just teasing.” He kissed the top of her head, urging her to relax against him again.
When Natasha came out of Clints room, absolutely reeking of the other Alphas scent, everyone sitting at the kitchen table all stared, then swiveled to look at Tony. He kept typing away at his tablet, able to mostly ignore the co mingled scents with his new spray. But only mostly.
Natasha caught the split second of sheer panic when Tony picked up on her scent, and switched paths to walk past him.
“It’s not like that.” She said into his ear, bending over to get an apple. “I just wanted to see him, just sat in his bed.”
Tony’s entire body sagged in relief, and she touched his shoulder briefly in reassurance.
Just because she thought Tony was in the wrong for everything that had happened didn’t mean she was going to be cruel. She wasn’t heartless. Not anymore. *********
The team fell back into a spot of normalcy with Clint back at the Tower. Coulson had only called once to check in, making sure that Clint was indeed happy there, before leaving them be. When missions came up, Hawkeye suited up with everyone else, shooting out the window on his way to help save the world. He attended all the movie nights and team nights out, and was back to his sarcastic, easy going self. He and Tony simply moved in the same circles, not seeking each other out, but not avoiding either. Even Banner had managed to return, even though the first time he and Hawk had been in the same room, he’d been so tense his eyes hadn’t once changed from green back to brown. Clint had finally plopped next to the scientist on the couch and handed him a beer. When Bruce had looked up, confused, Clint had simply shrugged, clinked his own beer with Bruce’s and kept right on drinking. And everything was fine.
Tony’s new hormone spray kept him from any fits of overt emotion, which in turn kept Clint very balanced, since he could feel almost every emotion Tony had through the bond mark. He and Steve and Wilson spent most days training and sparring, with Clint eager to show off how much Better he’d gotten, and the routines he and Logan had worked out.
It was one day after training, after Clint had managed to pin The Captain not once or twice but three separate times, that Clint actually sought Tony out. He was feeling good, amped up on adrenaline, his Alpha needing to stretch it’s wings and do something fun. So he went looking for Tony.
Clint missed Tony, so much that it ached. He had gotten used to it, being away, but now that they were sharing the same space again, it was physically uncomfortable for Clint to not be close to his omega. He wanted him back, wanted their lives back, wanted so desperately to Renew their bond that it was keeping him up at night. But every time he even smiled at Tony, or looked too long, the omega always found a reason to move, to leave, and it hurt.
But Clint couldn’t blame him for any of that, either.
The genius was in the lab, like usual, and Clint knocked before coming in, giving a quiet thank you to JARVIS for unlocking the door.
“What- what are you doing here?” Tony asked in surprise. Clint hadn’t set foot in the lab since that awful day when Tony had had a panic attack. He was suddenly nervous, and backed away a step.
“Just got done sparring with the guys.” Clint answered, grinning despite the awkward tension, wings fluttering forward towards Tony. He was just happy to be in the same room as the omega. “I was going to get some lunch, do you want some?”
“I’m fine.” Tony answered,dismissing Clint, turning his attention back to whatever was bubbling in a beaker in front of him.
“I’m asking you to have lunch with me.” Clint clarified after a moment of silence, and Tony took a deep breath. Even with his spray, so he could feel the hope coming from his Alpha. Was Clint still his alpha? The thought made his breath hitch in pain.
“Nows not a good time.” He finally said.
“Well when’s a good time?” Hawk persisted. “I can wait.”
“What, what are you asking me on a date? What is this?” Insecurity made his voice sharper than usual.
“Yeah. Yeah sure.” Clint smiled, liking the idea. “Let me shower and let’s go on a date.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m really not.” Clint shook his head. “We never get to spend time together, and I know things are…” he waved his hands non committedly, “but nothing's… nothing’s changed for me Tony. I came back because you needed help. Well, you and the team. But I’m staying for you. So if taking you in a date is the way to get some time with you then let’s do it. Where do you want to go? Do I need to wear a suit?”
Flustered at the thought of Clint in a suit, of Clint working to date him, to win him back, Tony just grabbed the next test tube, trying to move on with his experiment. But when he poured the vial of into the boiling beaker too quickly, it started frothing, bubbling and expanding until with an impressive bang, the mixture exploded all over the table, splashing boiling hot liquid over Tony’s arm. “God fucking DAMMIT!” Tony howled, and Clint moved fast, darting up and over the table, moving Tony to safety across the room. “Jesus H. Christ why would you ask me on a date while I’m working!?” Tony was swearing and yelling, holding his arm close to his chest. “Why the hell are you even here distracting me? I swear Birdbrain it’s like-”
“I’m sorry.” Clint interjected calmly, straightening Tony’s arm so he could see the burn damage. “Is this just a heat thing, or chemical?”
“Just heat.” Tony replied through clenched teeth. “The chemicals are safe.”
“Okay. One second.” Clint headed for the first aid kid while Tony gritted his teeth against the pain. “Ok, hold still.” Clint pulled a tube of Aloe Vera and rolls of medical wrap from the kit and started pouring the aloe into Tony’s arm, working the cooling liquid into the burned skin. He worked in silence for a few minutes, wrapping the arm tightly to avoid any contamination to the sensitive area. “I was serious, you know.” He said as he worked. “Nothing’s changed for me.” Tony’s heart- traitorous thing- gave a hopeful flutter at the words. Then he frowned.
“You said Bruce could-”
“I know what I said.” Clint nodded firmly. “But I think we both know how things said in the heat of the moment can be.” Tony couldn’t argue with that.
“I suppose that’s true.” He agreed reluctantly.
“That should hold.” Clint smoothed the bandage down and stood up, holding a hand out to help Tony. “So what do you say?”
Tony accepted the hand up and stood to his feet slowly. “Can I think about it?” Clints face fell, but he was already nodding, already always willing to give Tony what he needed.
“Whatever you need, Tony.”
“Will you-” Tony started to speak, but stopped when he realized Clint was leaving.
“Will I what?”
“Will you stay for a minute?” Tony’s eyes fell shut as he asked, embarrassed to be giving into his Omegas need for touch. But it had already been a long day, and then Clint had started being nice all the sudden, and then the accident. And really when it came down to it, he was worn out pretending the Alpha didn’t affect him at all. Really just exhausted pretending to be strong when all he wanted to do was fall asleep next to his Alpha.
“Where do you want me, Tony?” Clint asked quietly, arms loose, wings folded close to his back, trying to look as unthreatening, as unAlpha as possible.
“Maybe…” Tony pointed to a padded office chair that sat against the wall. Without a word, Clint sat in it, leaning back slightly to make room for Tony.
The omega crawled into his lap, starting to shake as the shock of the burn wore off and the pain really set in, whimpering when the Alphas arms came down and around him tightly.
“Is this okay?” Clint asked, and Tony tucked his head into his neck, trying to breathe in his Alpha’s scent, but it was too muted under his spray.
“And wings.” He demanded, muffled. A second later both of Clints wings settled around him, and Tony breathed a shaky sigh of relief. The previous six months seemed like some sort of awful nightmare as he sat cradled in his Alphas arms. Tony had specifically designed the spray he wore to lessen his need for his Alpha’s touch and scent, but it only seemed to work if Clint wasn’t around. As soon as Clint had come home to the tower Tony found himself desperate to be close to the Alpha, craving his arms, his smile, and just…. him. Tony whimpered again as a wave of longing crashed through him. He needed Clint, whether he wanted to or not. Whether he hated being an omega or not. He didn’t hate being Clints omega.
“Alpha.” He whispered, and felt a shudder roll through the man beneath him. “Shhhh omega.” Clints voice was rough with emotion. “I’m right here.” ************ “Chinese is good.” Tony said sometime later, lifting his head just an inch or so so Clint could hear him.
“What’s that now?” Clint asked, fingers coming up to pull through Tony’s hair.
“For a date. We can just order Chinese and play video games.”
“Is that what you want?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay then.” —————- @harmonialcollisions @ironhawkisverygay @blueglassesfromda @tisfan @deanwinchestersgirl-4-life