start a brand new colony with theshield_agent and <user site="l

[beenunmade]

Things went according to plan. Exactly to plan which had Clint paranoid over things working out as well as they had. There had to be a catch, Phil was a sleeper agent now. Phil was actually dying. Phil had been turned into some sort of cyborg and was being reprogrammed to be one of SHIELD's top agents. Even more better than he was before. But none of that had happened and Phil seemed legitimately, right in the head. There was nothing wrong with him he was just...Phil Coulson. A sigh of relief left Clint the moment he had motioned for Hulk to get them out of there before SHIELD actually sent people who would tear them to pieces. Something that was sure to happen if they didn't keep moving without looking back. They would keep moving without looking back once Bruce had come back to himself and they were both able to access what had happened to Phil during his time captured by SHIELD. Being on the run was something the trio of them were capable of doing without being too overtaken by the fact they had been virtually invisible to the public eye for so long. They all had their talents and knowledge, Clint didn't see how they couldn't make it work.

Phil had been kept in a covert medical facility in Iceland, go figure. Clint had been there once or twice for training. Guard duty and boring crap that never suited him that well. It happened as they had planned. Bruce hulked out. Clint just walked in right after him, taking out the SHIELD agents who the Hulk missed. Between the two of them, they had left quite a mess. Clint hadn't even thought much of putting on a mask to hide his identity just in case Fury didn't need anymore evidence to know Barton had gone rogue. Bruce didn't have a mask. They would know. Clint would put himself out there just the same way when the duo had gotten to the room that housed Phil. Clint smiled up at one of the security cameras in the less demolished corner of the hallway, flipping his former boss off before they got what the needed. No doubt with a puzzled expression on the agent's face before making a break for it. Explaining to Phil why he was working with the big green guy to break him out was last on his list of explanations. If Clint was ever going to give him one that was.

Jade Jaws did well with taking Clint's direction -- the big guy had been his buddy. He didn't fear him anymore, even if he didn't think he feared him at all from the beginning. The yelling in his face just tended to tense Clint up a bit.

One of his and Tasha's safe houses in case anything happened was a small-ish island just off of the coast of Norway. Which was pretty much like a step for Hulk. It would be enough for them to gather their wits about them. Gauge the situation and what Coulson remembered before moving on. It was cozy, a cabin really. One of the safe houses Clint had chosen for the super assassin duo. They had plenty of them across the globe that not even SHIELD knew about. Not even Coulson. That's what made it perfect for them to hide for a little bit until the worst of the storm they had brought to the medical facility in Iceland moved over them. He expected the helicarrier and the other Avengers had already made their way there. After all, Bruce had been involved. A couple of them could think it was something more devious at work other than two men who shared something in an alternate dimension, going after the third member of their trio. The place was large enough that each of them could have their own private rooms, but paranoia set in deep. Beds were moved to the main living area that when Hulk receded back into the doctor's mind, he had laid him on one of the cots in the corner. Protected until he came to. Phil got similar treatment. Clint's bed was still unused as he just sat at the window for a couple hours. Watching the world around them as well as the two others.

Someone had to stay awake, after all.

Even through the fatigue, hunger eventually set in before he moved to gather up some food. Nothing like Bruce could make. But...peanut butter and jelly sandwiches wasn't exactly rocket science. He could pull it off as he tossed a piece of bread over his shoulder for Margarita to begin pecking at it, setting out a couple plates and humming under his breath.

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[theshield_agent]

Phli had woken up in a hospital bed some time after Loki had stabbed him and he'd accepted that he'd been about to die. He'd made peace and then... he'd woken up, groggy and in pain. He had no idea how long it had been, but it seemed to be a miracle that he was even alive.

For a while, he couldn't stay awake very long, but when he finally could, he started asking for Clint and Natasha. Things were still fuzzy. It took a while for him to remember that Clint had been brainwashed, that Natasha had been fighting him. Maybe when they were telling him that his friends were unavailable, what they meant was that they were dead. That was the first time he tried to escape, but he didn't even make it to the door before he collapsed from the pain. So he waited until he was a little better and tried again. He had to be wrestled down by three junior agents. After that, they strapped him down for his own safety.

When Clint showed up, he wondered if they had switched him to the good stuff. They must have because the Hulk was there, too, and he was listening to Clint. That couldn't be right. In any case, he just let himself go with the delusions. They were better than reality. They had Clint and a Hulk that wasn't trying to kill either of them. It was almost nice...

He startled awake in the safe house, but he didn't sit up right away. Even mostly healed, he was still sore all over and incredibly groggy. "...Clint?" He pushed himself up on his elbows slowly. "Clint, what's going... Is that Doctor Banner?" Oh, God, it was real. He stared at Bruce. "Was the Hulk actually listening to you?"

[greenisnteasy]

As usual, the Hulk is better behaved when Bruce actually lets him out; he still had some reservations anyway, but he maybe wouldn't have if he would have known how keen the Hulk would be on getting Phil out. The Hulk remembers Phil, the one with the soup who'd sat with him and been nice, and he's all too eager to follow Cupid's direction. They're mostly directions he's happy to follow, and he transports them here easily.

It's actually hard for him to hold on once all's said and done and the adrenaline wears off. Banner claws his way back out with more determination than usual, and he and the Hulk slip into unconsciousness to battle it out. Bruce is the victor ultimately, as he always is has been so far, and though his head is pounding and he feels weak all over, he's up and staring around him as soon as he comes to.

He registers the important things. They aren't in SHIELD custody. He's physically okay. Clint's here. And Phil. Phil is here, and talking, and conscious, and whether or not he remembers what he was to Bruce so doesn't matter right now.

"Phil!" He starts to swing his legs out of bed, but is he wearing pants? No -- oops. He ducks down on the other side of his bed, shielding himself mostly from view, as he pulls on the pants sitting on the foot of his bed, the ones he knows Clint left for him.

"Yeah, Clint, fill me in on what happened too. The other guy did his job?"

[beenunmade]

He actually fought every instinct in his body telling him to run to Phil's side the moment he started pushing himself up on his elbows. When the questions spewed forward Clint's heart sank. Phil didn't remember. He didn't remember Arkham, he didn't remember being with him, he didn't remember his and Bruce's friendship, he didn't remember being with Bruce. Immediately, he started distancing himself even if all he wanted to do was hold Phil in his arms and possibly cry a little. Emotions, Clint had them. He just didn't show them as much. The archer turned to face the other two men, shrugging a little. "Call me Clint Barton: Hulk whisperer." Because Phil wouldn't know that they actually spent time in close proximity with the doctor's other half. Clint could make this as business as possible for a while, he knew. Bruce would catch on eventually and he didn't think he would like to find out on his own that Phil didn't remember as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"Jade Jaws did fantastic. The SHIELD agents didn't see what hit 'em. Of course, if the big guy didn't hit 'em, I did." He smiled cheekily. Clint was proud in his contribution to watch the Hulk's back even if he didn't really need someone watching his back at all. "'m pretty sure it puts you on SHIELD's radar in a bad way though, freckles." Clint really didn't mind where he was on SHIELD's radar but he was sure they could tell by the deliberate moves they possibly caught on camera that Clint had been the one to orchestrating the entire event. What could he saw? He did make one hell of a performer. Clint turned back to Phil, offering him a little smile. "'n everything's fine, boss. We jus' decided to liberate you from SHIELD's grasp. They told us you had died."

[theshield_agent]

Phil rubbed at his temples. "Jesus, Clint, I thought you were dead. They kept telling me that you and Nat were unavailable and last I saw, neither of you were in great shape."

He pushed himself out of the bed, wobbling a little on his feet as he moved towards Clint. "I'm still not sure how I'm alive. They weren't exactly forthcoming with details after I kept trying to leave and they strapped me down." He rolled his eyes as if it was an obvious given that he was going to try to leave. "But thanks for busting me out. It was getting a little less for my own good and a little more great disturbance in the force every day."

He kept looking between Clint and Bruce. There was a familiar air between them. He couldn't help wondering how long he'd been out. "So... what did I miss? And one of you tell me Nat's okay before you tell me anything else."

[greenisnteasy]

"I've always been on SHIELD's radar. Good or bad doesn't really make a lot of difference."

Bruce has been quietly reading Phil as much as he can, letting his words sink in, that Doctor Banner and the unfamiliar air to the way he talks about the other guy. It's definitely news he needs to accept slowly, let it wash over him and let it hurt until he can tell himself it's okay. Okay. He knew this was a possibility, and here it is, and that's just how it is. The urge to run swells up, but only for a few moments before it's gone again. Clint won't leave him. Even if Phil is ready to have something with Clint again, Clint wouldn't abandon Bruce. It's rare for him to be that convinced of something, especially when it comes to someone's chance of happiness with someone else, but after everything they went through, he just knows -- he and Clint are in this together now.

And Phil too. Bruce will just have to insinuate himself back into Phil's life. So there's no point in feeling so crushed, Banner. There's just no point at all, so cut that out right now. Phil's alive. That's the most important thing.

"She's the one who told us where to find you." Well, Clint, but he thinks of himself and Clint as a unit now and doesn't want to censor that for Phil's sake. He pulls his shirt on as he comes around the bed and moves toward them both, his arms itching to pull them both to him and just hold them. He holds off.

"And what you've missed..." He trails off, his eyes drifting to Clint. How are they going to break this news? Any of it? "It's hard to know where to start, really. How are you feeling -- both of you? Were either of you hurt?" Clint. He gives him a hard look and then sweeps his eyes more carefully over Clint's body before doing the same to Phil's.

He's also not so subtly shifting the burden of Phil's question onto Clint. Whoops? But the way he sees it is that if Phil really doesn't remember who Bruce is, then whatever he has to say won't mean as much than if it comes from Clint. What it comes down to actually is Bruce's continued feelings of being the third wheel in something that he shouldn't have been getting into, but all of that's way more complicated now that there's Arkham between them all. He doesn't know where or how to begin to figure it out. He can handle making sure they're both in one piece, though.

[beenunmade]

"News of my death has been greatly exaggerated." Clint offered up with a cheeky smile. It was really the best disguised hurt look he had ever managed in front of the two people he had told himself never to lie too. To never pretend with, because the both of them were everything Clint Barton loved in the world and more. Arkham had allowed him to open up instead of hide away what SHIELD told him to hide. It wasn't something he ever wanted to give up even when he had returned home to find everything just as it was. Phil "dead", Bruce out in the world again, he didn't really think anything of the others because as much as they had grown closer during their ordeal in Arkham it had never really amounted to anything Clint had with Phil and Bruce. In his mind, it'd made him realize that Phil was his soulmate and Bruce was the closest friend he would ever have.

They complemented each other with their different strengths and different backgrounds. He was sure not a lot of people had that in their lives. He knew the friendship Bruce and Phil had was pretty much going to be a given at some point if Phil didn't exactly blow up over the fact that they'd both abandoned SHIELD. More so Clint than Bruce. Or that he wanted to be returned home. Clint wouldn't blame him. But he wouldn't go with him. His eyes were on the both of them, switching because he really couldn't handle the hurt realization in Bruce's eyes that Phil didn't remember. A part of him just wanted to bypass Phil altogether and move closer to Bruce to reassure him that he wasn't going to leave him just because Phil was back.

Another part, the one that watched Phil force himself out of bed and wobble towards him wanted to reach out and hold him forever. He was quietly torn between hurting one and holding the other. It took everything in him not to favor one over the other at this point. Clint blinked when Bruce looked over to him at the question, looking a tad bit shocked. "Pah! 'm...I already took care of the massive amounts of ouch I received when I was popping caps into some stupid SHIELD agents heads. One got the idea that they could've used a traq gun on Jade Jaws...'n 'm pretty sure me trying to crate the big guy out would've given everyone a great big laugh right before they caught me." Just a couple of superficial wounds and bruises. Nothing that would have Clint hiding in a closet because he didn't want to worry the others. "I'll let you look at 'em a little bit later, freckles." Clint winked, trying to keep...everything else about this situation from weighing him down before he moved to Phil's side, holding the other man up with one arm and still it was just enough to drive him over the edge.

He wanted Phil back so much that having him back finally he didn't know what to do with himself. He didn't know what he was going to do. The three of them were probably now SHIELD's most wanted. Mostly Bruce and Clint rather than the man they took from the medical facility. He just wanted Bruce right by his side now so he could just...hold his hand or something. Something that might go unnoticed by Phil but still give Clint the physical affection he liked having. He was a simple sort of guy after all. Clint shot a look when Bruce bypassed the question about what he'd miss. Well, there was a lot. There was a lot he had forgotten as well. None of that was a good thing in his mind as he reached out a hand for the doctor. Fuck it. Whatever. Clint's focus was on making sure both of the men he loved were, well, equally loved. "Well...SHIELD allowed freckles to go into the wind. So they kept their promise for once. I haven't seen Tasha since Egypt cos apparently she's a bloodhound 'n can track me where ever I go." He flashed a grin at his ex-boss. "'m unemployed. But it's a good look on me. 've learned to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so I pretty much stay home while freckles brings in the money. How he deals with me is kind of weird but it works."

Clint wanted to tell Phil of Arkham, but he figured that conversation would've been better after the initial confusion over what was going on had faded away.

[theshield_agent]

Phil wasn't stupid. He might not have had Clint's eye, but he was hardly oblivious. He was seeing a lot of things between the other two men that weren't being said along with the things that were. The nickname was hardly subtle. The idea that Clint was with someone--another man--left Phil with a hollow feeling in his chest. He'd often consoled himself with the idea that Clint was straight, that he'd never be interested in Phil like that because Phil was a man. Even if they could be together, Clint wouldn't have wanted him.

He let Clint take some of his weight. Clint was one of the few people that Phil would allow himself to be vulnerable like this in front of. If he trusted Banner... if Banner had Clint's back the way it seemed like he had, Phil could trust him, too. Phil supposed that at least it was someone he knew enough of to know that he wouldn't mistreat Clint.

Finally, he let himself smile at Bruce. "I'm just sore. I don't think my many escape attempts helped the healing along. Did they really think I was just going to lie down for months without word from anyone? They didn't even let me talk to my sister." And that had really been the final straw. He hadn't known if Clint or Nat were alive, but he knew that his sister was fine and that she would want word from him. She hadn't even known that his job was particularly dangerous. He'd needed to get home to his family.

He eyed Clint. "You quit? What did they tell you about me? What did Hill say?" Because at this point, he was more concerned with her than Fury. After being stuck in that bed with no outside contact, he really had no question as to who made that call. He and Hill were on the kind of terms where this would have gone a lot differently if any of it had been her call. He was sure of that.

[greenisnteasy]

While he's grateful for the reassurance from Clint and for the chance to take his hand, he can't help a half-guilty glance at Phil because he knows -- he knows this has to hurt for him too. He thinks he's in Bruce's position, but at least Phil's side of this will get a happy ending relatively soon, he thinks. He knows Clint's probably even more eager to pull Phil to him and just breathe him in than Bruce is, and Bruce is determined that they should have that. He gets close to Clint, squeezes his hand, but keeps his side of the PDA to a minimum, for Phil's sake.

"All we knew is that you had died on the helicarrier, Hill included, all the way up until just about a week ago. I don't know how Natasha found out, but once she did, she found Clint and me when we were in Egypt, hiding from SHIELD, because yeah... Clint quit." He tries to shrug to appear casual, and he wonders what Clint will say to explain why, when as far as Bruce knows it's because of Arkham. "I'm on the lam too."

He tries a smile out on Phil, but it's uncertain and a little sad because he knows how he would be smiling if Phil were his Phil, but he isn't and instead Bruce has to deal with Phil looking at him like he barely knows him.

"We don't know why they were holding you. Did they say anything to you?"

[beenunmade]

Clint was...he didn't know what he was if he was honest with himself. The time in Arkham made him renounce his straight-dom when he finally just allowed his feelings for Phil to take over and guide him along that path. He could honestly stand there now and say he didn't care about the gender of his partner(s) as long as he felt comfortable around them. He felt comfortable around Phil. He felt comfortable around Bruce. But to put it lightly, everything that they had and the short, brief history that he had with Phil -- had only been because they were somewhere else. He wouldn't have acted on his feelings for Phil here, with SHIELD looming over them. He didn't act on those feelings and Phil died not knowing much deeply Clint cared for him. He actually died thinking Clint was still the mind-slave of their newest enemy but...still. When he feels Bruce squeeze his hand for a brief moment, it's all that's holding him from tipping over the edge of insanity at the moment. He had Phil there...but without that knowledge, Phil might as well have been on Mars.

Any sign of the affection he might have shown him would probably push him away. He didn't want that. Clint wouldn't be able to live with that.

"Fury...pretty much had us all fooled. He used your death to get the team together before Tasha knocked some sense back into me. Then I went on to be a badass and save the world. All by myself." Clint grinned cheekily, wanting to move even closer to Phil until he was physically attached to him. "Not so much as...formally quit as much as...I jus' couldn't deal with them anymore. They may or may not think 'm a rogue SHIELD agent right now." Which meant, he was. It also meant he had a target that grew on his back with every passing day. He knew if they ever got cornered getting Phil and Bruce off was going to be easy. They took Phil by force. Bruce just happened to be around, by coincidence usually. He'd figure out a way to explain what they probably saw on the cameras when it came to Clint directing the Hulk. But he would make it seem as Bruce was the hapless victim.

And then he would probably be never seen or heard from again. If it meant taking the bullet for them. He would. Every second, every moment of his life he would. "I dropped your sister a line, jus'...she wanted me to come over but that was before I left the helicarrier. I need to write her a long letter apologizing for not coming over." I missed you so much, Phil. and I love you. were lingering on after every sentence. Again, awkward. So he didn't say it.

[theshield_agent]

Phil was about to tell Bruce that they didn't tell him shit. He had no clue what was going on or why they were holding him. He's a little caught, though, on Clint being considered a rogue agent. "Jesus Christ, Clint. Couldn't you have bothered a two week notice before you ran off?" Because they were going to come after him, especially now that he'd effectively stolen a senior agent with the help of a person of interest.

Of course, Phil wasn't going to let anything happen to Clint. He wasn't going to let anything happen to Bruce, either. He wasn't sure how he could protect them when he was a mess and obviously not quite in a position of much power, either, if they were tying him to beds and isolating him. He would find a way, though. He wouldn't let anything happen to them. They'd rescued him and it was Clint and he cared about Banner, so he had to matter, too.

He was still processing slow. He was probably still a little doped up, honestly. Clint talked to his sister. He couldn't ask for a better friend. He couldn't imagine one up at all. He just gave in and hugged Clint. It was stiff. He was still in pain and still leaning on Clint a little, but he just needed to hug him.

"Thank you." He was practically shaking. "I'm sure she understands." She probably didn't. She was probably so confused. She'd thought he'd had a boring desk job with the FBI. Of course, he couldn't call home now. Not yet, anyway. He wouldn't dare do anything that could give Clint and Bruce away to SHIELD. He wasn't so sure he wanted them to have his own location, either, after what had happened.

[greenisnteasy]

God there's so much unspoken between the three of them that really needs to be said. Should he and Clint tell Phil about Arkham? Bruce's instinct says yes -- once Phil has calmed down and processed a little more. He thinks the two of them can trust Phil with that, that he wouldn't treat them the way the others had, that he'd rather believe them than think them crazy. He'll cling to that, honestly, because he needs Phil.

As he stands back and watches him hug Clint, he struggles with how much he wants to join in on that hug, but he doesn't. He stays just where he is, allowing them their moment, before he steps in and smiles gently at Phil. There's emotion in his eyes; far too much, and he can't help that at all, though he wishes he could.

"Why don't you lay back down? Are you hungry?"

[beenunmade]

"Oh, you know me sir. I don't really think ahead." Which was a lie. It had all been premeditated from the fifth or sixth psych evaluation he was forced to undergo for talking about Arkham, talking about Loki like he was some sort of friend rather than the enemy. For distancing himself from his team. "I got everythin' handled." In regards if SHIELD ever caught up with them. Phil was the easiest. They kidnapped him. He had hinted in the psych evaluations his affections for his deceased handler, but never expanded on other the fact that he missed having him around. He was on the same page as Bruce of telling Phil about Arkham only after he calmed down and processed what was going on a little more before he...froze up.

His arms came around Phil, struggling to keep his emotions in check. Struggling to stop what typically would follow, possibly a quick kiss on the cheek. A whispered conversation between the both of them, even though Clint (or Phil) would eventually tell Bruce what they spoke of. Or just invite him into the conversation. Clint wanted to break because it had been so easy around Phil. Just as it had been with Bruce but he still told himself he needed to steel himself around the doctor because of everything he had to deal with. Clint's mental anguish would never compare to Bruce's.

"I made sandwiches...but Bruce here is actually a way better cook than myself. I don't think any take-out joint delivers to Norway." Clint could feel that Phil was stiff. The way he moved was a big indication that he was in pain. "You should probably listen to the doc." Clint Barton: Backing Bruce Banner up since Arkham '12.

[theshield_agent]

"Alright." Phil could tell how much was in the air. He couldn't tell what it was, but it was something. He would push it later when moving around wasn't quite as much of a struggle. He loosened his hold on Clint, but still kept some of his weight pressed against him. He hoped it was more the drugs than the injury that he felt this wobbly.

"I'll lie down, but if either of you try to strap me to the bed, I will shoot you both." Probably just in the foot or something, though. No big deal. He was just a little sick of feeling trapped.

Finally, he pushed away so that he could wobble his way back to his cot carefully. "I guess I should probably eat, huh? Anything sounds better than remote bullshit hospital food, to be honest."

He sat heavily on the cot and took a deep breath. "I guess I'm just lucky that one of my kidnappers is a doctor, huh?" He sounded fond, more than he would have expected, actually. He gave Bruce a smile. "Whatever they had me on is really... My head's swimming a little." He scrubbed at his face.

[greenisnteasy]

Bruce can forget about all the emotional baggage between the three of them when he realizes how bad off Phil seems to be. He watches him walk back with concern, and then comes over to examine him. The fondness in his voice doesn't go by without Bruce noticing, but he'll pull that out later, once he's checked Phil out. It occurs to him to worry that Phil is actually sick, and what if they had him on something that was keeping him alive? There's a terrible thought to have after the fact. Some doctor.

"A sandwich would probably be good for now. We should probably avoid anything too heavy or upsetting until your system has resettled." That's your cue, Clint. Fix the patient up a plate.

He hesitates for only a moment before he touches Phil's chin lightly, directing his face up so Bruce can look at his eyes. His hands slide under his jaw and to check his lymph nodes. He realizes he's holding his breath, and he lets it out on an exhale.

"We'll get you some water too," he says thickly, and he steps away. His hands come together in front of him, fingers locking together. "It'll help flush your system. As far as you know, did they have you on anything that you need? Clint and I can run reconnaissance and get it for you. If it comes down to it, if you describe the pill, I might be able to figure it out."

[beenunmade]

"Well, damn. I guess 'll go toss the fuzzy handcuffs I brought with me."

Clint snapped his fingers as if it had any real impact on him. It did not. The notion that Phil actually might have been at the medical facility for his own health didn't cross his mind at all. Not until Phil said his head was swimming and he noticed the slight shift in Bruce's posture. None of it was good in his mind. But then again, suffering the wound he had received from Loki. But he also would have been put on the heavy drugs. Getting cut off from those without weaning could mess with a guy. He knew. Medical liked to cloud his mind with that sort of stuff when he broke a bone or something of the like as he nodded when Bruce offered up a sandwich.

There was really nothing he could do but just stand around like an idiot, truth be told. He did all the work already. All of his part at least. Clint flexed his hands a little before shaking out his arms and moving to grab one of the plates he had already set out for the three of them before grabbing a glass of water and the plate before walking back over and taking a seat next to him. "I could...always get in touch with Tasha to get us what we need." Clint offered up a little. "It'd probably be better if we lay low a little. Lower than usual, at least."

[theshield_agent]

Phil let Bruce check his throat. He was normally pretty anxious about being this vulnerable in front of someone, but for some reason, he wasn't now. Maybe it was just the drugs.

"I don't know what I was on. I think it was just for pain, though, and probably to keep me out of it so I'd stop trying to leave." He smiled at Bruce. "I'm not in too much pain, though. I'm just sore... really sore." He sighed. "And dizzy." But Banner was a good doctor and Clint would take care of him, too. He knew he would be okay. He trusted them to keep him safe. They'd rescued him and he knew that that couldn't have been easy.

"Bruce..." He caught himself. Where had that come from? Since when did he think of Banner as Bruce? "Sorry, I--Thank you. I think I just need to rest." He just needed a sandwich and to lie down and sleep this off. Once the drugs were out of his system, he would be fine. "If we need to stay mobile, I should have a few safe houses that are uncompromised." He had two that only he knew about and another that only he and Clint knew about. Natasha knew the others and even if he trusted her, he'd rather not put her in a position where she has to risk her own career for them.

[greenisnteasy]

Normally when Bruce slips into doctor mode, that's just it; he's in doctor mode, and he keeps his mind on medicine. Otherwise things are creepy and inappropriate and he feels like a gross person, honestly. But just then? He definitely wandered out of appropriate thought levels, and it's good that the examination didn't have to go on any longer than that. Once his hands are to himself again, he can focus on Phil's assessment of himself with something approaching propriety. Even through the smile, which he writes off as just polite.

But that? His name? Bruce's head picks up and his eyes are wide and bright when they settle on Phil for a long few seconds -- and then they immediately jump to Clint. That had been weird. Significantly weird. What if it's just the drugs? What if he remembers Arkham, and they were drugging the memories out of him? It's a wild theory and only one of many possibilities, but that it's at all possible is something to appreciate.

They'll know more once the drugs have worn off. No point in getting excited about it. He shakes his head, almost shaking the excitement away, and backs up another step, giving Clint room.

"Then that's what you'll do. Eat what you can and drink that water, then rest. We'll keep the fuzzy handcuffs safely locked away." And he almost tacks on a 'for now' but literally bites his tongue to keep it back at the last second. "We're safe for now, and when that becomes an issue, we'll think about moving, but right now I think we could all use a breather."

[beenunmade]

The smile was the first thing that tipped Clint off, if he was honest with himself. But then again, he was used to reading both men's facial expressions by now it might have just been hopeful wishing on his part. Still, he was pleased with just sitting back and watching them interact. It was better for Bruce if it went like this. Phil not pushing him away but rather accepting his help. Even if it wasn't the way that he wanted it to be. The perfect scenario was Phil remembering and they all skipped off -- happily ever after. Reality was always crueler than fantasy. He didn't want to think about was going to happen to them, he didn't want to think that their relationship was never going to be as it was when they lived in Arkham since they had to build from the ground up once again. Bruce and Phil's friendship, what it turned into. His an--well, he was more focused on getting Bruce and Phil back to the level they were. He could come later.

Clint set the plate and glass down, wanting to crowd around Phil as much as he could but telling him it might make his handler a tad bit uncomfortable. He sat on the nearest bed to him, folding his arms before side-eyeing Bruce a bit at the fuzzy handcuffs comment. His mind probably going to the same place Bruce's did for a second and smirking. "Is there anything else you need, boss? 'm pretty sure Bruce can sing you a nice lullaby. He has excellent bed-side manners or whatever." He offered Bruce a grin at that before reaching behind him to grab his own pillow before moving it to Phil's bed. He had a contingency plan so he'd be good for it. "'m planning to go out in a bit to check around the place." He was going to do it anyway. Even if he was exhausted himself. Their safety was top priority. "But I think we've got plenty of time to rest up...which I think both y'all should be doing. Freckles, I made you a sandwich too." He motioned to the lone plate on the counter.

[theshield_agent]

Phil took the sandwich with a silent smile and began to eat. Whatever he was on, it must have been strong, because he was clearly high as a kite. He couldn't make heads or tales of his feelings right now and he kept seeing flashes of things that were clearly not real. One particularly cruel one involved lying in bed with Clint. Another involved Loki... some girl who seemed to really like eyeliner... Banner smiling at him like an old friend... a redheaded woman about his age. He was really looking forward to this stuff just being out of his system. Jesus.

He paused to drink some water. "Be careful out there. Who knows what Fury was keeping me for? He's probably pissed off at you." He looked to Bruce. "Both of you. We need to watch each other's backs until we're absolutely sure we're in the clear." They rescued Phil. He was already in one hundred percent before he could even walk straight. That was how he worked, especially where Clint was concerned.

[greenisnteasy]

Poor Phil. Clint is determined to fix Bruce and Phil, while Bruce is determined to get Clint and Phil together. He knows Phil's already there and just needs to know that Clint is too; he wants them to have that happiness, and he feels bad that his own baggage might get in the way of that for Clint. It just goes to show how willing each one of them is to take care of the other, and Bruce has a warm, amused smile for Clint that he made him a sandwich too. Were things different between the three of them, he would touch Clint's shoulder on his way to eat, but instead he lets his warm look do the talking. He doesn't want to make things weirder for Phil.

"If there's one thing we're good at, it's watching each other's backs." It's maybe too much of a reference to what the three of them had before, but he thinks it's no less true even now. He starts in on his sandwich, grateful for it; he is pretty hungry, now that the weariness of waking up from being the Hulk has started to wear off.

"We're pretty pissed off at Fury, and he might have an army of trained assassins or whatever, but we have a Hulk."

[beenunmade]

Clint already knew he had Phil in his pocket because they had worked together long enough. Phil had said it himself, he felt for him way before Clint decided to kiss him that night. He didn't see the point on attempting to push himself and Phil closer when that bond was there. It was fixing the bond that Bruce and Phil had which was his primary cause. Clint tightened his fists for a brief moment as he met Bruce's eyes. If he was really, more than just an archer. Clint would have possibly went to take on Fury by himself without the others there with him. Or if they didn't have any knowledge of it going down for a matter of fact. But he was just a man...and he would probably be shot the moment they set eyes on him.

He looked over his shoulder at Bruce when he moved to grab his sandwich, a smirk tugging at his lips as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "Sometimes...not all the time." Clint would like to point out, jokingly almost. Because it was a lie. There wasn't much he wouldn't have done for either Phil or Bruce. He would do everything for them if he could that standard recon was something that was next on his checklist. Clint walked over to sit on the bed Bruce had been sleeping on, tempted to just lay over and sleep for a couple hours. Or minutes. He knew it showed too.

"Fury can suck it, sir." Clint bit out before just giving in to lay down on Bruce's bed, putting his head over his arms as he laid there for a moment. "He probably saw it coming from miles away regardless. Probably didn't see Hot Archer Guy and Hulk takin' you. But he probably expected someone to find out sooner or later." After all, Natasha had come to Clint first meaning she knew there was something up initially. Fury wouldn't have told her Phil was alive. Not without locking her up first to make sure she didn't try to kill him.

[theshield_agent]

Phil smiled and if it didn't hit his eyes, if there was sadness behind it, that wasn't really important, right? "I'm glad you have each others' backs." Really, he was happy that Clint had someone he could count on and who counted on him. It's what he deserved. Phil couldn't completely ignore the ache in his chest at the idea of Phil not being part of that, though. Strangely, he wasn't even sure if he was only jealous of Banner in this situation. He'd look at that more later.

Now, he just had to rest, because his head was swimming with more strange images and feelings and it was too much for him to really process any of it. His fists clenched with the effort.

After a moment, he took a deep breath. "I have no idea what Fury is playing at with any of this. Be careful, because he's probably a few steps ahead of all of us."

[greenisnteasy]

"Not far enough ahead that we can't take a well-deserved rest." From a doctor's standpoint, he really thinks Phil ought to lie down and stop thinking about things and hopefully sleep for a good solid while until he's feeling a little better. He's still worried about what those drugs are and what side effects they might have; what if he goes into withdrawal or something from whatever they are? Probably it isn't anything they can't handle, but that's when the boyfriend-lover-kind-of-thing comes in that doesn't want to see Phil suffering.

The boyfriend-lover-kind-of-thing side of him also wants to see Clint rest, since he's flopped out on Bruce's bed in apparent need of it. Bruce isn't ready to run a marathon, but he just slept and if the other two want to rest, then now's a good time for it. He nods at the both of them.

"You two take your naptime. I just had mine; I can keep an eye on things this round."

The silence is nice, too. Bruce eats and tries not to stare at the two of them overmuch until it's clear they're unconscious, and then he does watch them with a kind of faraway stare. Bruce could use the social recuperation time too, to absorb what's gone on and the fact that they're all three together again, sort of. What's missing can be recovered, he thinks. It might depend on his ability to seduce Phil, and just thinking that kind of makes him laugh at himself so that's not a good sign, but he thinks they'll pull through. It's one of the few things Bruce can be optimistic about anymore without feeling guilty or pointing out to himself that he's probably wrong or hoping for too much. A lot could go wrong here, but any of the three of them actually not being invested in this seems like a complete impossibility. They're too tight of a unit, like -- like electrons coming together to form a compound. Covalent bonds. Shut up, he likes the analogy.

It's highly likely he's still staring at them, his gaze distant and a fond smile on his face, when they do resurface from their sleep.

[beenunmade]

Clint really isn't sure what he and Bruce were, he sort of decided boyfriend worked when he found himself sitting around one of the apartments they had managed to get in some third-world country wearing the man's shirt and honestly contemplating what to do that day because Bruce was off doctoring. Or he just decided contemplating titles was stupid. Everything seemed to have a mind of it's own whenever the question of Phil and Bruce was involved. He didn't really have any second guesses about what he was doing with them -- he felt relaxed around the both of them. He was interested in the intellectual conversations that Bruce tended to have with himself and even researched some of it so he could join in the conversation when he wasn't really doing much of anything. His skills as an assassin left much to be desired in the normal work-field. But his skills as a thief and pick-pocket and liar had gotten them enough to keep them going.

Still, not to be desired. But he wanted to help where he could. He would help where he could. Clint had waited it out until Phil had fallen back to sleep before motioning Bruce to join him after he had fallen asleep for an hour or so. Sleep didn't come easy for SHIELD agents. It didn't come easy for Bruce. It didn't come easy for Clint. He was sure it didn't come easy for Phil either. The fact of the matter was, Clint had grown attached. He wished he had the mentality of Natasha in this sense. That love was for children.

But he didn't. He wouldn't even try.

When motioning towards Bruce to come join him, especially under sleep-induced conversation about how there was plenty of room for him to just sit next to him while he slept. Clint had rolled out of bed, out of habit. Moving towards his handler before dropping to his knees on the mattress and scooting Phil over. Forcefully, but not enough to cause the other man some pain. It was just a mere silent suggestion really as he moved up behind him. Pressing his face against Phil's back. If Bruce was there it might even feel a little complete for once in the months they had been back in the 'real world'. Bruce's analogy worked in Clint's case. He was an electron and the pull to form a bond was almost impossible for him to ignore as he dropped his arm around Phil, grinning as he breathed him in and pretended like everything was back to normal.

He was just going to wait for the other shoe to drop. But as of right now...not really.

[theshield_agent]

Phil drifted off easily, between the drugs and the physical exhaustion. He could trust these two to watch his back. It was strange, but he just knew that he could trust Banner the same way he trusted Clint. His gut was usually right and when his gut agreed with Clint, that was always a good sign for both of them. He could figure out more of this after he got some rest. Likely, he'd be in pain once the drugs wore off, anyway.

He stirred a little when Clint moved him, but settled easily again once he could feel Clint's warmth against his back. Somehow, even in sleep, he just knew that that was Clint. In his sleep, his hand found Clint's and he sighed, content for the first time since he'd woken up in a hospital bed. Clint was here and he wasn't trapped anymore. They could work with this. They could figure it out.

He smiled in his sleep. He felt like he was finally home.

He didn't stir for several hours until the stiffness settled in and the ache was too much to really sleep through. The painkillers must have been wearing off. He'd have to look into getting more when he could, but for now, he would make do. Better he was in pain and with Clint and Bruce than stuck back there.

When he woke up, he was still holding Clint's hand. It took him a minute to orient himself as he shifted around, hissing when he stretched the wrong muscle. "Huh." What else was he supposed to say? The man he'd been in love with for years had crawled into bed with him while his--what? Boyfriend?--was keeping watch. It was more than a little confusing, especially when paired with the not-quite-PG dream he'd had about the three of them.

[greenisnteasy]

Of course he wasn't going to hop into bed with Clint like that, even though he wanted to, and then when Clint crawls into bed with Phil... Bruce can't really stop him without causing a scene, and then, that's just Clint, isn't it? It's why they both -- Phil and Bruce -- care about him, and even though there's a lot to be worried about with Clint doing that, Bruce can't help but smile to himself. They're going to have to broach the emotional situation between them at some point, so why not now, and it should start with Phil and Clint. He just hopes he doesn't make it extra awkward.

Also, he's sad he can't join them. Seeing them together brings Bruce a good deal of satisfaction, of comfort, but it hurts that he doesn't get to have that now, or that Phil might not understand their arrangement.

Bruce is in fact watching, a fact that he doesn't feel bad about until Phil wakes up, and then Bruce clears his throat and tries not to look so nostalgic about everything as he leans forward in his seat, resting his arms on his thighs.

"He missed you. We both did." If his smile is sad he can't really do much about that. Bruce still misses Phil. He isn't sure how much more of an explanation for the situation Phil finds himself in he can give without... going into a lot of detail.

"How do you feel? Is the stuff wearing off?"

[beenunmade]

Walking on egg-shells would get them...where exactly?

Clint had it on good confidence that Phil wanted him way before they ended up together in Arkham. Something about the way Phil said it himself made him feel a little validated with the feelings he carried before Arkham as well. He knew Phil wouldn't lie to him about that. He didn't lie to Phil when he said the same thing. It'd always been Natasha and Phil, both individuals he loved dearly. The emotions he had for them were never acted on because of the professional aspect of everything. There had been little professional aspect of anything in Arkham and there was not a lot here right now. If Bruce had decided to join them...Clint would've scooted over. He didn't really mind being sandwiched between the both of them. But knowing they were both there and alive...was enough to get him into a restful sleep.

Which he was. Sleeping, not even that much of a reaction when Phil took his hand. Only a reassuring squeeze until Phil had started to wake up. Clint was close behind in that, far too comfortable to want to be pulled out of a good sleep. But far too paranoid to let them both be awake while he was asleep. If something were to happen, Clint had already labeled himself the first line of defense. He was stealthier than Bruce's Other Guy and in better health than Phil right at the moment. The choice really made itself as he blinked a bit. Far too comfortable in this moment to pull himself out of sleep as he usually did -- it was more of a slow rousing. Still stuck half-way between being awake and half-way of being asleep, mostly in dreamland. He vaguely caught onto Bruce's conversation, something about them missing Phil. "Mmm...I missed you a lot, good lookin'." He mumbled a bit, still pulling himself out of sleep-mode before his brain finally registered the slight hiss of pain from Phil.

The fact that Bruce was across the room. The fact they were in a safe house and not where his dreams took him every time he allowed himself to wade off into them. Clint propped his head up on his hand, looking around at the two of them. He could play that the fuck off. He was a SHIELD agent. He would offer whatever painkillers Natasha had hidden around the place but he wasn't sure if it was advisable. They were trying to get his mind cleared after all. It'd probably do more harm than good.

[theshield_agent]

"I'm feeling a little better, thanks." He sounded distracted as he looked up at Clint. He was still sleeping, right? Clint just called him good looking and Bruce--Banner--missed him and it was just like he was still in that dream where they were both pressed up against him. Fuck.

He was still staring up at Clint as he mumbled. "I missed you, too." Something in his chest clenched, because part of him knew that he'd missed Bruce, too. Some part of him screamed at him, but it was incomprehensible. "I... missed both of you."

He needed to get up. He needed to get up and move away from Clint before he did something stupid, like kissing him. Maybe he needed to just remove himself from this situation before he ruined whatever was forming between Clint and Bruce. He knew that if he stuck around he would eventually. Neither of them deserved that. As soon as he was better, he would find a reason to go his own way. Loving someone meant letting them go, no matter how hard it was.

Still, the idea of leaving them left his blood running cold. He probably couldn't do it, not really. It wasn't as if he could right now, anyway. He was still sore as Hell and a little fuzzy from the drugs, even if it was less fuzzy than before.

[greenisnteasy]

Well, this definitely isn't awkward or difficult to explain. Bruce isn't sure if it should happen now, if they should wait until Phil's 100%, but then he knows he's just putting it off. There will never be a perfect moment to tell Phil about their... arrangement, about what happened, and obviously they're doing a really terrible job of not making moony eyes at each other. How are the three of them so used to keeping confidential secrets, and then when it comes to each other it all falls apart?

He says he three of them. He's still not letting himself really believe that Phil might remember, but it could still be on the table. There have been the clues -- the little moments where Phil looks at him, or just now when he says he missed Bruce too -- that are either the greatest thing to happen to Bruce all day, or the worst.

"Phil, we... have something to tell you. It's probably going to sound crazy, but just... go with it. Trust us. This isn't something we'd lie about." There's no sarcasm, no wry twist to his mouth; this is Bruce laying out the facts. At first he was just going to stay in his chair over here, but then he decides to get up, walking slowly toward the bed. Maybe he's just drawn to the sight of the two of them in bed. He looks to Clint for confirmation that this is okay; maybe he should wait until Clint's fully conscious, but Bruce just wants to rip this bandaid off at this point.

"Clint and I were in this... place for several months. It was called Arkham. It used to be a school, but then there were these mystical artifacts, and then... everything went to hell, basically. People got pulled in there from random places, all different kinds of people, and it was..."

He trails off. What was Arkham in one word? Terrible, sure, but look at how much it gave him, too. In the end it wasn't any better or worse than the live he was living here.

"Well, a lot of terrible things happened there. A lot. But those of us there did a good job of banding together. Tony, Steve, Thor, Natasha... Maria, at the end. None of them remember being there, though. So far it's just me and Clint who do." Bruce tilts his head, evaluating Phil. "You were there too. Phil, you were there with us."

[beenunmade]

Great, leave Clint with the even more awkward part of this conversation.

If they were going to have this conversation Clint knew he would have to wake up a little more. But Bruce was already half way in the middle of the story to tell him 'hold up, I'm still waking up'. Even if he didn't actually want to stop this from happening because it was bound to happen. It was probably better that it was sooner rather than later because he didn't want this to continue -- whatever that keeping them apart. The memories Phil lacked. The possible feelings he might be lacking as well. Clint couldn't live with that. He didn't think Bruce could deal with that either. The wonderful ice-breaker to that was Clint crawling into bed to be closer to Phil. To pretend they were like that again because there had been plenty of dreams where he would wake up in their dorm room with Phil laying beside him. Sometimes the dreams would take place in the middle of Clint just watching while Phil as he slept beside him.

He did that in Arkham. He did that with Bruce as well. Most of the time just waking up in the middle of the night to remind himself he wasn't alone because Bruce wouldn't leave him. Or back in Arkham, that Phil wouldn't just disappear into the night. Clint had gotten so used to people coming in and out of his life -- he was clinging to the idea of Bruce and Phil staying. "It's...mainly why I ditched SHIELD. In Arkham you were there...when we got back, you weren't. I couldn't live without you or Bruce, Phil cos...yeah, there was terrible crap. A lot of it. I died. Possibly stabbed Bruce..." Clint winced inwardly at the not-so-fond memory. He paused for a moment as he sat up in bed, running his hand down his face for a moment.

"Me and you were together...at one point we were all together; you, me, and freckles there." And Clint loved Phil very much. Clint wanted to say that he loved Phil but the words failed him at the moment. It had taken a while for him to say it in Arkham and ultimately it jinxed everything up until this point in their lives. He didn't want to say it again and risk the chance of losing Phil. "Oh! You were head of SHIELD...bonus?" Not really. "You lost an eye in a terrible accident...not so much of a bonus. But it made the role of you as leader of SHIELD much more homey.'

[theshield_agent]

It was a lot to take it. Jesus, it was just way too much to deal with. Everything they were saying was so complicated and his brain could barely keep up. He was still processing the idea of all of them being trapped somewhere strange when Clint went on to describe what had happened. Clint died. Phil couldn't imagine himself taking that well at all. The idea of losing Clint or Nat scared him. He knew he would fall apart a little, even being aware of the risks they all took in their jobs.

When Clint said that they'd been together... Phil's heart jumped into his throat. If it happened, why couldn't he remember it? It was entirely too cruel to give him that and then take it away and not even let him remember it. He fought back the sudden urge to kiss Clint, because for once he knew that Clint might actually want to be kissed by him.

He took a deep breath and reached for Clint's hand again, looking away to Bruce, unsure. He didn't remember, but he wanted to. God, he didn't have words for how much he wanted to remember all of that, even the terrible parts. He wondered if that was where all the fond feelings and familiarity came from. And the dream...

The dream. Not just the sexy parts, but the others.

"I think..." He wasn't sure what to say or how to articulate it. "Was there someone with too much eyeliner? She dressed like my niece." He frowned, sitting up, but keeping Clint's hand in his. It was slow-going. He must sound like a loon.

[greenisnteasy]

He can't imagine what it must be like in Phil's head right now, but he's glad they're getting this out of the way now. He hadn't meant exactly to leave Clint the awkward parts, but he still feels like it almost isn't his place to talk to Phil about anything romantic. Surely that would be less awkward for Phil if it comes from Clint, right? Especially if he doesn't know what he and Bruce had.

At the missing eye thing, Bruce shoots Clint a look. It's a good look, a well-practiced Really? He'll have to straighten that point out, but there are more pressing matters right now, like... how Phil will take the news of the three of them together, if he remembers Arkham after all. His eyes land on Phil's and Clint's coming together, but then he feels Phil's eyes on him and looks up, throwing on a quick reassuring smile.

At least, it's a quick, almost-nothing of a smile until Phil says that, and Bruce's eyes widen. His pulse doesn't pick up in excitement due to years of practice suppressing those kinds of things, but that's the point he's at. Not even because he might get Phil back, but just to know there's someone else out there who remembers.

"Kenzi. Her name was Kenzi. You two were close -- well, she was pretty close to all of us. She was..." How to describe Kenzi? "Unique. Energetic." Thinking about her has his excited shock fading away to something more nostalgic, and he smiles softly. "She called you Philliam. And Philociraptor."

God, he misses her.

[beenunmade]

Clint returned the 'really' look Bruce had shot at him with a smile tugging at his lips. He didn't really hold Bruce at fault for giving him the opportunity to explain the romantic nature to their relationship. Phil was closer to Clint in this sense anyway. They had known each other much longer. The smile didn't fade, especially when Phil reached for his hand. It was much more than just an accidental movement or Clint just playing it off to them sleeping in the same bed because he couldn't deal with the space between them. He couldn't. Everything Clint needed and wanted was in this room. He twisted his hand a bit before entwining his fingers with Phil's.

He missed this. The sudden realization of how much he missed this suddenly struck him deep. For the most part he just wanted to reach his arms out and pull Phil closer to him and just close off from the rest of the world. But he knew it wasn't a good move considering. He didn't want to be selfish in this moment especially since Bruce was there too.

Clint's thumb ran along the side of Phil's hand, not even showing a reaction to the fact that Phil remembered Kenzi. Because that wound was just as deep as losing Phil was for him. Kenzi was...after all, his best friend. "She acted like your niece too. I went to your memorial...it was eerie." Clint shook off the feeling that he would never see Kenzi again either. They had found Phil. There was a possibility now before grinning at Phil before looking over to Bruce and giving a little shrug. "How much do you remember? Other than Kenzi? Do you remember anything else?" If he sounded like some kid at Christmas it was because he felt like it.

[theshield_agent]

Phil closed his eyes, focusing on how nice it felt to hold Clint's hand. He tried to think about what else he remembered. It was all so disjointed. There were quick flashes, but nothing really solid or tangible to it.

He took a breath and leaned in to kiss Clint's cheek. It wasn't quite what he wanted to do, but his head was a mess, so he settled for affection, because it wasn't really that far a cry from their usual banter or the way that they looked out for each other, if he was really honest.

"There was a woman with red hair." He opened his eyes again. "I can't tell what's a memory and what's a dream. I keep thinking about tentacles. It's like a Japanese woodblock printing... one of the dirty ones." Maybe he shouldn't have admitted that he might have had a dream like that, but he couldn't remember ever having a bizarre squid fetish before.

"And I think I might remember us... I think--No, I do." He looked over at Bruce. "I remember. Sort of. At least, I remember parts of it. I..." He sighed. "I remember lying in bed with both of you."

[greenisnteasy]

There's really no word for how excited Bruce is to hear that; probably it's too excited, maybe a little insensitive, because it's clear Phil's still struggling with this, but Bruce's luck isn't such that he really expected Phil would remember. He isn't going to rush over and kiss Phil or anything, but just knowing that he doesn't have to feel like an outsider anymore, that's... That's worth a lot. Bruce is always an outsider, even felt like one when he was with these two in Arkham, but now he thinks there'll be less of that, for him. Haltingly, he joins Phil and Clint on the bed, adding himself to the mix with some nervousness but also some relief.

"If there was tentacle sex, I missed that one. There were some tentacle attacks, and then some sex unrelated to tentacles, but related to the three of us." He smiles a little crookedly and glances at Clint before he reaches for his hand. Just being near Phil, his knee close to but not quite touching him, can be enough, if Phil's not ready for anything more. That's okay. Bruce is patient; he can be patient. But he's too happy to keep his hands to himself.

[beenunmade]

Clint held his breath when Phil leaned in to kiss his cheek.

This wasn't what he expected but it was really everything that he wanted. He didn't even realize he felt as paranoid or stiff then the moment Phil decided to do that and his body sort of relaxed even more at the touch. The only woman with red hair that Clint honestly paid attention to in Arkham was Natasha and then she died.

Obviously not that lady with red hair. He knew that. Bruce didn't need to reach his hand out to him. Clint was already doing so to the doctor. It helped that Clint thrived on physical contact -- even more so that he had gotten used to it after being in Arkham. The time apart had nearly driven him insane simply because the fact he couldn't have the little touching. Handholding was always a particularly odd thrill for him.

"If there was tentacle sex I wouldn't miss that place as much as I do." Clint did miss Arkham. He missed being surrounded by the people he allowed in. He didn't get that here because the people who were close to him saw him as a weapon more than a friend. "It was all fantastic sex, in case you were wondering." Clint didn't mind that both his hands were preoccupied by holding Bruce and Phil's hands. It felt more natural like this. He felt better like this.

"This seems weird to you, doesn't it sir?" The 'sir' was affectionately chirped out. It was said more like it was when they were in Arkham and sir became more of a substitute for 'baby' then being actually considerate of the other man's standing over him.

[theshield_agent]

"No." He didn't even have to think about it. There was nothing weird about being with Clint and it didn't feel strange for it to be the three of them, either. Clint obviously trusted Bruce and Bruce cared about them. That was just as clear. The only thing that seemed weird was that Phil knew that he should have remembered more. "I just wish I could remember all of it."

It was hard to picture how it all came together. He could only remember bits and pieces of it all, but the more he thought about it, the more obvious it was that the feelings were still there. The baseless fondness he'd felt towards Bruce--even the fact that he thought of the man as Bruce and not Banner now--it was all starting to come together. He just needed to figure out how to get the rest of it back, because it had to all be in there somewhere, right?

It was clear, though, that the two of them hadn't been sure of Phil would remember anything. He could tell in the tightness of their movements. He'd had years of reading Clint and while he couldn't remember a lot of what he knew about Bruce, he didn't doubt that it was in there somewhere.

His free hand moved to rest on Bruce's knee. He needed that connection. He needed to feel both of them, because they'd risked themselves for him and that hadn't even been sure if he would remember all of it. For Clint, he would have know that Phil would always have his back. No matter what he could or couldn't remember from Arkham, he'd always had Clint's back. Bruce couldn't have been that sure, not after everything he'd been through with SHIELD.

"Of course the sex was fantastic. I was there." He smiled. Kissing both of them would be weird, wouldn't it? He couldn't even remember all that much about the three of them.

[greenisnteasy]

Under the circumstances, there wouldn't be anything awkward about a reunion kiss, or kisses, but Bruce is still thrilling over Phil's hand on his knee to even consider that Phil might want to kiss him yet. His eyes are lit up now in a way they hardly ever are, free from cynicism and that weariness that nearly always wears him down. He settles his hand on top of Phil's, just so relieved to be able to do that again. His heart's racing just from this, but they're still okay, of course; he's just happy.

No, Bruce doesn't really trust SHIELD all that much, but he and Phil had fallen into an easy and surprising trust almost immediately upon Bruce's arrival to Arkham, so he knew that the Phil he -- well -- loves would be there. Whether or not he knew he cared for Bruce too was the real question. Honestly, Bruce misses Arkham sometimes too, or at least the people, the bonds he'd formed.

"Your memories seem to be slowly coming back. Give your mind some time to recover and detox; they'll filter back in eventually."

He smiles, a real smile, and squeezes both hands -- Phil's and Clint's.

"And we have the opportunity now to make new ones besides. Not necessarily sexy ones." His smile twists into something wry, comfortably so. "You still have to meet Margarita. She makes the best eggs."

He grins wickedly over at Clint.

[beenunmade]

Clint was all for letting things happen naturally. He was all for Bruce and Phil taking their sweet-ass time with everything just like he was sure he was going to have too. He felt the sudden need to dial down on the smiling because he was sure he was smiling like a dumbass right about now.

But he didn't feel like it.

The archer tried not to laugh as loud as he could when Phil spoke, giving a little shrug. "Well, that's true. But then again...nothing tops it like when I'm there. Even if I was kinda bad at it." Mostly in the beginning. Clint was proud of himself to be able to open up to Phil the way he had. To be given the chance to open up to Bruce as well. He never truly considered himself a 'kept man' until he had gotten to Arkham and had a taste of what that could off.

Even if it did involve two people. And even though people in this place would typically find it odd. Clint said 'screw 'em'. There wasn't very many things that made him happy. Bruce and Phil? Mentioning either of them was a sure fire way to get him smiling. "She's my baby...I won her in a poker game while we were in Egypt." Clint pointed out with a matter-of-factly tone in his voice. He was proud of his little chicken. Unconventional pet and all. He'd wanted some sort of pet since he was a kid -- it figured it'd be something weird like a chicken.

"All the best memories are made when you're on the run from a secret government organization." Clint felt like he needed to point that out for a moment as he leaned forward a bit, against Bruce. "I finally mastered killing people with my thighs. That's a memory to tell the grandchildren." He chuckled a bit before invading Bruce's space a bit, pressing his lips against the doctor's. He broke the kiss before turning his head towards Phil's, giving his boss a wink before kissing him.

Just call Clint Cupid...he was sure Hulk did. He broke the kiss with Phil before sliding his hands up both men's arms to the back of their necks. He started moving their head's closer together. He was tempted to shout out 'NOW KISS', but figured it'd be somewhat inappropriate.

[theshield_agent]

Phil was eager to figure this stuff out. The idea that he could not just be with Clint, but be with two people who he knew he cared about and who he knew cared about him and had his back was amazing. It was more than he could have hoped for. He knew, of course, that somewhere in there he really must care about Bruce a lot if the fondness he felt now was coming through with most of his memories blurred away. He must have cared about Bruce a lot because he obviously trusted Bruce with Clint. That wasn't something he would do lightly.

Of course, then Clint had to go and mention that incredibly hot thigh thing, as if he didn't know exactly what that kind of thing would do to Phil. He licked his lips as he watched Clint kiss Bruce, watching with obvious interest. He leaned in without any resistance when Clint moved to kiss him. He might not remember more than flashes of this, but his feelings for Clint have always been there and this wasn't some timid first kiss he was giving.

Phil was a good soldier and a good... whatever they were. Boyfriend? He let Clint lead him after the kiss broke, but he looked to Bruce for some sort of confirmation before getting too close. He wouldn't kiss Bruce if Bruce didn't want him to, but memories or not, at least some of Phil's feelings were there, confused as they were. He was attracted to Bruce and it wouldn't be hard to give into that if it was what Bruce wanted, too, especially not with the grounding feeling Clint's hand gave him.

[greenisnteasy]

He's all too happy to return Clint's kiss; he feels less conflicted about it when he knows he and Phil are getting affectionate too, and now that Phil knows the situation, he's less timid about leaning in to Clint's touch. He does have to wonder what's going through Phil's mind when Clint turns to kiss Phil, wonders if it feels like the first time or if it triggers a memory. Really, he's just missed Phil, missed his conversation and their openness.

Where would they be without Clint, really? Bruce would've been hovering at the edge, waiting to see what Phil wanted from him, if he was ready, for who knows how long, and considering how Phil hesitates, even when he's not resisting Clint, he wonders how long it would've taken them if Clint weren't shoving them together. Bruce certainly doesn't resist. As soon as he can tell Phil's checking with him, not looking for a way out, he cups his chin lightly and pulls him in.

God, it's a relief. Like kissing Clint had been then, like something that was missing coming back to him. He's tempted to be timid, but he doesn't give into that; he kisses him soundly before leaning back, a grin all over his face that he can't possibly stop. He ducks his head and comes up still grinning, his eyes flicking between them.

"Just... for the record. Killing people with your thighs, kind of creepy to watch. But he was my knight in shining leather that day, and I can dig that."

[beenunmade]

A part of Clint was glad that neither of them had skirted around him pushing them together. Another part of him has self-deprecatingly calling himself Cupid for shits and giggles. He knew the both of them were likely to be amused by the nickname he would have eventually said. But at this moment? He was more in the moment than about making stupid quips about what was going on. The fact that Phil was being so accepting of this and Bruce seemed happier than he had in months. They both felt happier but Clint didn't exactly lie to himself. Things would have been different in Arkham if Phil hadn't grown closer to Bruce. He had...himself grown closer. But Arkham changed the dynamics to everything in his life that he didn't really want to think about the life he could have had if it had not been involved. Sure, it sucked.

But it changed them. Clint chuckled a bit as he watched them, running his fingers along Phil's neck and running his hand along Bruce's arm. Just...gentle reminders to tell them both he was still there. Not that there needed to be that much of a reminder as a smirk crossed his lips as he looked over to Bruce.

"Noted. I just know what the thigh thing does to Phil when Tasha uses it." He winked over at his (former?) handler with an amused expression on his face. Clint paused for a moment before moving to his feet. It had been...too long since they had even checked the parameter and for all he knew? They were all surrounded right now. His body had other ideas...still aching from whatever he was hit with during the rescue mission. He was moving just a tad bit slower to the door. All of it was easily ignorable in his eyes as he tucked his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall by the door. "Shining leather works better than armor anyway." Paranoia struck as he peered out the window for a moment to check what he could see from here before shaking out his arms. "What do we do next, gentlemen?"

[theshield_agent]

Kissing the both of them really did feel like coming home somehow and it was amazing. The familiarity was there, even if it was fuzzy. He remembered bits of this--just enough to know that they're telling the truth. He wished he could remember more. He wished he could lose himself in this and not have to think about the fact that he knew just how good the men who would be hunting them were.

He watched Clint move away, leaning into Bruce just a little subconsciously as he did. "We run. They're going to come after us. All of us. At least together, we can watch each other's backs, though." And, of course, Phil was still recovering from some pretty bad injuries himself.

"Also we don't use Phil's weakness for thighs against him. It's not fair." He grinned at Clint. It really was just cheating for Clint to have brought that up. He was playing dirty. Phil was probably going to let him win, though, because it was... incredibly hot.

[greenisnteasy]

Naturally out of the three of them, it's Bruce who's the least injured. Bruce, who barely knows how to use a weapon at all -- kind of has an anti-weapon thing, if he's being honest -- and whose best defense strategy is really more of a last resort and the farthest thing ever from "stealthy" or "subtle." The burden of that hits him pretty heavily as he watches Clint move to the door without that spring in his step -- not to mention, of course, Phil's general state of well being. They need time to rest and recoup, and will they get that? And what if something happens and Bruce can't save them?

Since he and Phil are okay, or okayish, or something along those lines, he moves to sit beside him properly, and he sets his arm gently around his shoulders. That's okay, right? Phil had kissed him, and this is far more innocent than that.

He's so far past personal space with the two of them, and he just wants to be near Phil, near to the both of them. Hopefully neither of them is too sore for their typical cuddle pile tonight. Also hopefully that isn't too much of an optimistic thought.

"In between the running, we're also going to sit and take our medicine and let ourselves get better." Clint. Bruce smiles is smiling fondly behind his stern doctorly gaze though. "At least we know what we're up against. That'll help. And maybe we have some inside help, too."

God, Natasha. Hopefully she isn't catching anything for what happened.

"He's probably just looking for some proper appreciation of the technique. It was pretty impressive, after all. I just wasn't really in the mindset to enjoy it at the time as I thought he was SHIELD coming after me."