Your muse hears mine screaming in their sleep. How does yours react?
Her hand shoots out, snagging Clint’s wrist. The fear-haze of the dream still clouds her mind, but she can feel him, his concern, and drags in a deep breath.
“Okay. I’m okay. I’m awake now, I’m okay.” Having that physical touch, to ground, helps. It’s odd that it’s Clint, not Tony or Loki, but that’s fine. He’s made it pretty clear he wants to belong with them. “Stay with me?”
“No, actually. I haven’t been to many places at all … I keep wanting to travel, but I don’t want to go alone, and Tony’s always so busy these days.”
“Oh yeah? Were there specifics? Did you leave him with plenty of caffeine?” Summer glances up from her laptop, grinning. “Or is this him doing that thing where he’s afraid he’ll screw it up if he tries to … make his friends be friends?”
“Thank you.” Clint sits down and leans back on the cushions. “Well, he’s familiar. I was very close with Tony,” he responds. “So, what’s the other me been doing, do you know?” Is he still working with SHIELD. Should I be hiding again. Those are few what he wants to ask but he does not want to reveal too much yet. “Is there a problem with me getting close to him? Has he spoken of me?” he inquires instead.
Summer shakes her head. “I honestly couldn’t tell you what Agent Barton is doing. Not only is he higher level than I am, but the stuff he does and the stuff I do doesn’t remotely overlap. The last rumour I heard put him with Agent Romanoff and the Captain, though.”
She studies him, chin in her hands. “Tony talks about everything,” she says, deliberately evasive. “He’s talked about you before, but so much has happened … I don’t mind you getting close to him, but,” she hesitates. “You do know who the other member of our little trio is, don’t you?”
Clint listens to her attentively and is only little disappointed at not finding out more, as he wasn’t really expecting much to start with. The hawk lets out a small sigh, running his fingers through his hair, pondering on his choices. “It’s okay, I wasn’t sure you’d know. We are not in the easiest job to be found out much of,” he answers, ignoring her mention of the Black Widow and Captain completely. The way she avoids telling him of Tony stings a lot but he knows she has no reason to offer trust or information for him, especially when he’s practically a stranger to her.
Clint doesn’t like admitting his lack of knowledge but can do little else currently in his situation. “I don’t know who your third is or that you even had one but I have nothing against triads. I was happily part of one myself. Our triad was not well received mostly due to the third person being who he was. We had our troubles but stayed together through them all until..” His voice trails off and he turn his head away to hide the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
“Hey, hey,” she says softly, and puts a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. Maybe you can find them again. I’m sure Tony can help with that.” She squeezes, mildly bemused at the muscle under her hand.
“You might not want to stay here, after all. You see … Loki lives here.”
The assassin freezes at the touch and mention of Loki at first then breaks out in nearly hysterical laugher. The tears he was holding in before now run freely from his eyes. “Of course… no matter what dimension we are… they- ” The hawk holds his mouth for a moment, his body shaking as the laughter nearly breaks out again. “Those two always manage to find each other, no matter what. I wonder how different Loki is or if he’s like the one I fell in love with. I would like to find out if none of you have anything against it.” Clint turns to her with questioning eyes as he finishes speaking.
“But — I — you what? You were in /love/ with — Clint Barton, I demand to hear this story right now!” She’s shocked and amazed and rather pleased — if Loki takes to Clint the way Clint seems to have taken to Tony … but then she realises what that might mean for her. Fear rockets through her, and she shoves it away. If they’re happy, what right has she to interfere?
“Oh yeah? Were there specifics? Did you leave him with plenty of caffeine?” Summer glances up from her laptop, grinning. “Or is this him doing that thing where he’s afraid he’ll screw it up if he tries to … make his friends be friends?”
“Thank you.” Clint sits down and leans back on the cushions. “Well, he’s familiar. I was very close with Tony,” he responds. “So, what’s the other me been doing, do you know?” Is he still working with SHIELD. Should I be hiding again. Those are few what he wants to ask but he does not want to reveal too much yet. “Is there a problem with me getting close to him? Has he spoken of me?” he inquires instead.
Summer shakes her head. “I honestly couldn’t tell you what Agent Barton is doing. Not only is he higher level than I am, but the stuff he does and the stuff I do doesn’t remotely overlap. The last rumour I heard put him with Agent Romanoff and the Captain, though.”
She studies him, chin in her hands. “Tony talks about everything,” she says, deliberately evasive. “He’s talked about you before, but so much has happened … I don’t mind you getting close to him, but,” she hesitates. “You do know who the other member of our little trio is, don’t you?”
Clint listens to her attentively and is only little disappointed at not finding out more, as he wasn’t really expecting much to start with. The hawk lets out a small sigh, running his fingers through his hair, pondering on his choices. “It’s okay, I wasn’t sure you’d know. We are not in the easiest job to be found out much of,” he answers, ignoring her mention of the Black Widow and Captain completely. The way she avoids telling him of Tony stings a lot but he knows she has no reason to offer trust or information for him, especially when he’s practically a stranger to her.
Clint doesn’t like admitting his lack of knowledge but can do little else currently in his situation. “I don’t know who your third is or that you even had one but I have nothing against triads. I was happily part of one myself. Our triad was not well received mostly due to the third person being who he was. We had our troubles but stayed together through them all until..” His voice trails off and he turn his head away to hide the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
“Hey, hey,” she says softly, and puts a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. Maybe you can find them again. I’m sure Tony can help with that.” She squeezes, mildly bemused at the muscle under her hand.
“You might not want to stay here, after all. You see … Loki lives here.”
We just started playing! How can you be so excited?!
“Oh yeah? Were there specifics? Did you leave him with plenty of caffeine?” Summer glances up from her laptop, grinning. “Or is this him doing that thing where he’s afraid he’ll screw it up if he tries to … make his friends be friends?”
The assassin looks relieved at not needing to explain it. “That’s mostly it I think, not sure yet. I went to sleep one night and woke up here. I have never met you before and Tony’s different, that I should know.” He ponders for a while about what to ask before coming up empty. “I don’t know what to ask to be honest. I’m not a friendly nor social being really.” He looks at her a bit awkwardly.
“Well, why don’t you sit down, and if you come up with something, I’ll be right here, and you can ask.” Summer pats the couch beside her, giving Clint an appealing look. “Tony tells me you’ve been getting very close to him,” she says, implying with her tone what kind of ‘closeness’.
“Thank you.” Clint sits down and leans back on the cushions. “Well, he’s familiar. I was very close with Tony,” he responds. “So, what’s the other me been doing, do you know?” Is he still working with SHIELD. Should I be hiding again. Those are few what he wants to ask but he does not want to reveal too much yet. “Is there a problem with me getting close to him? Has he spoken of me?” he inquires instead.
Summer shakes her head. “I honestly couldn’t tell you what Agent Barton is doing. Not only is he higher level than I am, but the stuff he does and the stuff I do doesn’t remotely overlap. The last rumour I heard put him with Agent Romanoff and the Captain, though.”
She studies him, chin in her hands. “Tony talks about everything,” she says, deliberately evasive. “He’s talked about you before, but so much has happened … I don’t mind you getting close to him, but,” she hesitates. “You do know who the other member of our little trio is, don’t you?”
Clint shakes his head dramatically. “Why does it have to do with me every time there’s something going on with SHIELD? I don’t even work with them anymore..” The hawk grins at Tony for his question. “We’re friends then?”
She twitches, heavily. “You … don’t? Well I’m an idiot. Sorry, I just — you,” she pokes Tony, “keep forgetting that I don’t /know/ your superhero buddies. Sidelines girl, here. I don’t get to work with the heavy hitters. So, sorry, I assumed he was here because something was going on out of my league.”
Tony shrugged one shoulder lackadaisically. “It hasn’t really come up. He was trying to explain something the other day, but he was a bit sloshed, and I haven’t had time to sit down for a rain check.” He flashed Clint a brief, apologetic grin. “The last hawk I met was still part of SHIELD.”
“It’s okay Summer, there’s no way you could have known. Me and SHIELD parted ways few years ago.” He turns to Tony, not really wanting to tell him but knowing he has to if he’s actually planning on staying around. “I guess it’s good news for me then that he is still there. I don’t have to watch over my shoulder every minute and dodge or kill the assassins they send after my ass.” The hawk manages to sound indifferent and calm but he’s readying himself to escape just in case.
“I hate multiple dimensions,” she grumbled. “Especially when I don’t even — can we, like, tag people so I know if they’re from this worldspace?” She buried her face in Tony’s hair. “I promise assassins won’t get you here. Is he staying?”
“Oh yeah? Were there specifics? Did you leave him with plenty of caffeine?” Summer glances up from her laptop, grinning. “Or is this him doing that thing where he’s afraid he’ll screw it up if he tries to … make his friends be friends?”
“Oh right, of course he wouldn’t drink anything else.” Clint sighs. “How expensive is it? Should I even think about ordering it? “The archer thinks for a while before getting up to start pacing.”This is where it gets weird if you don’t know what I’m talking about. I know lots about Tony but not this Tony. And SHIELD I don’t know what to say about it.” He grimaces just at the thought about SHIELD.
“Let me guess,” she says. “This isn’t the worldspace you were born in. You’ve got hurled through dimensions somehow.” She considers him for a minute. “Tony will tell his own story. You’ll have to ask him. But what do you want to know about me?”
The assassin looks relieved at not needing to explain it. “That’s mostly it I think, not sure yet. I went to sleep one night and woke up here. I have never met you before and Tony’s different, that I should know.” He ponders for a while about what to ask before coming up empty. “I don’t know what to ask to be honest. I’m not a friendly nor social being really.” He looks at her a bit awkwardly.
“Well, why don’t you sit down, and if you come up with something, I’ll be right here, and you can ask.” Summer pats the couch beside her, giving Clint an appealing look. “Tony tells me you’ve been getting very close to him,” she says, implying with her tone what kind of ‘closeness’.
“Oh yeah? Were there specifics? Did you leave him with plenty of caffeine?” Summer glances up from her laptop, grinning. “Or is this him doing that thing where he’s afraid he’ll screw it up if he tries to … make his friends be friends?”
“I just called him genius and mentioned that I wouldn’t want to get between him and his coffee. Don’t know, I would like to know you better though, both of you. I didn’t leave any coffee actually. damn. What’s his favorite brand? ” Clint’s planning on dropping by the shop before going back to bother him.
“You might need to go a bit farther afield than the corner shop, honey,” Summer teases. “Tony gets Kona coffee delivered from Hawai’i every couple of months.” She closes the screen down and folds her hands under her chin. “So what do you want to know that you can’t find in the SHIELD files?”
“Oh right, of course he wouldn’t drink anything else.” Clint sighs. “How expensive is it? Should I even think about ordering it? “The archer thinks for a while before getting up to start pacing.”This is where it gets weird if you don’t know what I’m talking about. I know lots about Tony but not this Tony. And SHIELD I don’t know what to say about it.” He grimaces just at the thought about SHIELD.
“Let me guess,” she says. “This isn’t the worldspace you were born in. You’ve got hurled through dimensions somehow.” She considers him for a minute. “Tony will tell his own story. You’ll have to ask him. But what do you want to know about me?”
Clint just laughs and waves at Summer as she comes in. “Okay, I’ll believe in you. Hey Summer. ““Prophet? What? Tony, are you spouting nonsense again?” She drapes herself over his back, kissing his cheek, and adds, “Something going on with SHIELD? Clint’s been around a lot lately.”
“Not that they’ve told me.” He peered over his shoulder to pout dramatically at her. “Can’t I just have friends without the world ending?” He turned back around to face Clint. “Do something, Birdy. She thinks I can’t have friends.”
Clint shakes his head dramatically. “Why does it have to do with me every time there’s something going on with SHIELD? I don’t even work with them anymore..” The hawk grins at Tony for his question. “We’re friends then?”
She twitches, heavily. “You … don’t? Well I’m an idiot. Sorry, I just — you,” she pokes Tony, “keep forgetting that I don’t /know/ your superhero buddies. Sidelines girl, here. I don’t get to work with the heavy hitters. So, sorry, I assumed he was here because something was going on out of my league.”