Atlas Gym, Saturday

[so_hawkward]

There was a small stack of mail that Clint was going through after his workout, and the temptation to just toss all of it was strong. It was like filling out paperwork only even more boring.

Of course he didn't think there was anything strange about him sitting at the desk without a shirt on. Who worked at a gym fully dressed?

[Open!]

Comments

[justonecondition]

Bruce came in, looking tortured as always. Because of how genuinely tragic his life was. Still, when he saw Clint, something like comfort settled in his expression.

"Clint," he said, very quietly. Apparently, he didn't call him 'Barton' anymore. What a surprising development! "Hi."

[so_hawkward]

Clint looked over when he heard Bruce come in and instantly broke into a smile, looking equally comforted. Oh fangirls.

"Bruce, hey." Not 'Dr. Banner' anymore either apparently. "How's it going?"

[justonecondition]

"Not great," he sighed, coming right up to the desk, where he could gaze into Clint's eyes and stuff. "I've been thinking a lot lately. 'S never good."

He sighed some more. You could never have enough sighing.

"How're you?"

[so_hawkward]

"I'm doing okay, I guess," Clint said. He set down all the letters he was looking at so he could focus just on Bruce. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Of course he did. Guys loved talking about their problems, right?

[justonecondition]

Duh! Especially sensitive guys, which Bruce totally was. Sensitive and chatty. Yup. That was him.

"It's nothing," he said, looking a little less sure now as he let out a weary sigh. "It's just... hard to watch everyone else paired off in happy couples sometimes."

Who was 'everyone'? No one knew!

[so_hawkward]

Everyone was obviously everyone, duh.

"Aww, I wouldn't worry about that. There's got to be someone out there who's gonna make you happy," Clint said. "At least, that's what I tell myself."

Sorry Clitty fans, your storyline just got written out.

[justonecondition]

Bruce chuckled hollowly. "Yeah. Right."

It wasn't fishing for compliments because the fans made him do it!

He scratched his chin, averting his eyes from Clint. And, oh, was he blushing?

Yes. He was blushing.

[so_hawkward]

"Yeah, I am right," Clint said with a laugh. Not that he was laughing at the blushing, because that was just adorable.

Yeeeah.

"You're a smart guy, and aside from the occasional anger management issues, you're a good one too. Who wouldn't want that?"

[justonecondition]

"I'm not sure everyone sees it that way," Bruce mumbled, ducking his head. "Anyway, I wouldn't want to... saddle someone else with a relationship with me."

So many emotions!

[so_hawkward]

"Okay, that I understand," Clint said with a sigh. So much sighing! "It sucks having baggage you don't want anyone else to have to deal with."

[justonecondition]

Apparently Bruce was a tactile person now, because he was reaching out to set a hand on Clint's shoulder. "You don't mean you, do you?"

What. This man was a genius.

[so_hawkward]

Clint looked down and turned a little red. "Maybe. Let's just say I probably understand you better than you think," he said.

[justonecondition]

Bruce blinked once, then decided that Clint had to be screwing with him. "No, you can't possibly," he decided. "You save people all the time. You helped an injured dog. You're an... authentic hero."

'Unlike me,' his tone implied.

[so_hawkward]

"You saved just as much of New York as I did," Clint said. "And before you go on about how that wasn't really you, don't think I don't know what you were up to when Natasha came and got you, healing people in the middle of nowhere for next to nothing. That's damn heroic too. You were helping people while I was taking them down."

[justonecondition]

"But that'll never make up for the Other Guy," Bruce reminded Clint, looking sad. Yes, that was all the description available. He 'looked sad.' "It's not really heroism if it's mostly damage control for myself."

[so_hawkward]

Clint snorted, looking away from Bruce. "I don't think I'll ever be able to balance out all the things I've done, no matter how many people I help. You're a doctor. You're brilliant. Who knows what kind of awesome science you'll be able to do in the future?"

Awesome science was totally a thing!

[justonecondition]

"You think?"

Whoa. Whoa now. Turn off the puppy eyes, Banner.

[so_hawkward]

Awww, but puppy eyes were one of Clint's weaknesses. "I definitely think so. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

[justonecondition]

"Thanks, Clint," Bruce said. He sounded genuinely touched. "For what it's worth, I think you're a pretty remarkable hero too."

[so_hawkward]

"Really? After everything I've done?" Clint said, looking hopeful. "You don't think I'm an awful person?"

[justonecondition]

Bruce shook his head. "You're brave and dedicated and you've probably saved more lives than any of us." That wasn't based on actual statistics. "And you do all that even though you're human. That's not common."

[so_hawkward]

Clint ducked his head a little, looking at Bruce shyly, because that was totally a thing he did. "Thanks Bruce. That means a lot coming from you."

[justonecondition]

All the shy looks!

"Well, I'm glad," Bruce said. "Because you should know your worth, Clint."

Oh gosh, look at that meaningful glance. Whatever could it mean?

[so_hawkward]

Obviously, the meaning of that meaningful glance was to make Clint lean closer. "I think you should too," he said, leaning in all the way and kissing Bruce.

[justonecondition]

Bruce leaned into the kiss at once, because apparently that was just how natural it felt. Meanwhile, he nestled one of his hands in Clint's hair, settling the other one on Clint's waist.

"I've been waiting a long time for that," he admitted as he drew back a little, his voice somewhat hoarse. "Do you want to take this somewhere more private...?"

[so_hawkward]

"Absolutely." He could totally leave work in the middle of the day, that wasn't a big deal. "I've been waiting a long time for this too."

[justonecondition]

Bruce slipped his hand into Clint's, because of course Clint wouldn't be preoccupied with putting any last few papers in order before ditching work in the middle of the day. "Let's go."

Somewhere! Somewhere unspecified!