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.

Comments

[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."