InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Bite the hand that feeds!"

likeyourwheels (likeyourwheels) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2012-07-19 23:47:00

Entry tags:

canton everett delaware iii, clint barton

WHO: Canton Everett Delaware III & Clint Barton
WHAT: It's not a date, but the mistletoe has other ideas.
WHEN: July 20th; Evening
WHERE: The Roadhouse
RATING: PG
STATUS: In Progress

Canton had to admit that he was more than a little encouraged. Clint seemed to be coping a lot better than he had been. Whether it was the arrival of Coulson, the rearrival of Agent Romanoff, or just the fact that he had finally allowed himself to get the feelings that he'd been holding back out, Canton couldn't say for sure, but the results were still relief enough. Certainly not a sign of a full recovery from what had happened to him. Canton didn't expect that for quite some time, if ever, but it was enough to soothe some of the worries that he had been harboring over the other man. Seeing him act a bit more like himself, without the seeming strain of trying to keep up the front of everything being fine, had allowed Canton to relax into the situation. The offer of drinks had really just been to get the pair of them out for a bit, to let them get the chance to actually enjoy themselves without it being official or heavily emotional, and Canton had just had to laugh when Clint had assumed it was a date.

He was kidding, of course, Canton was more than certain, but at the end of the day, Canton didn't want Barton walking away thinking that he was going to end up felt up the second that he'd passed his tolerance limit, whatever it was. It was just a drink, an evening out, a bit of fun, maybe a friendly game of darts that he was bound to embarrass himself horribly at. Probably more than horribly considering he was actually contemplating playing a game of accuracy with an expert marksman, but it would still be enjoyable at the end of it all.

It hadn't taken much more convincing to get Clint to agree, sans his friends though since they apparently 'needed some alone time' (another joke that Canton just had to laugh and shake his head at), and a handful of drinks in, Canton was grinning across the table at Clint, "So," Canton asked, glancing towards the window and nodded at the snow that was visible outside, "when do you think Santa and his elves are going to show up?" He asked, a hint of amusement on his features. "Because I wouldn't put it past this place."

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tobeunmade
2012-07-22 07:28 am UTC (link)

Clint wasn't sure what had changed really, but it was like a switch had been flipped in his head. He wasn't back to one hundred percent, and he honestly doubted he would be for a long time, but he was better. And better was all he could really hope for right now. He'd been through a lot, logically he knew that. Most people couldn't survive all the shit that had been thrown at him in the past few months. But he was managing, and he was coping better than he had been. Not that what he'd been doing before could really be called coping. Honestly, a large part of why he was doing as well as he was was thanks to the man across from him. Canton had been there for him, had forced him to accept help when he hadn't been willing to let anyone help him, and he was immensely grateful to him for that.

Somewhere along the way, and he genuinely wasn't sure when it had happened, he'd started to trust Canton. It was a strange feeling and one he didn't have all that often. He trusted Nat, because she was his person and he knew without a shadow of doubt that she would always have his back. He trusted Phil, because Phil had trusted him when it mattered, had taken him off the street and turned him into someone worthwhile, because Phil was his handler and that was a special sort of bond. He trusted his team in an abstract sense, trusted that Steve would make the right calls in the field and that Tony would have his back and that the big guy and Thor would fight at his side. He didn't trust Fury because only an idiot trusted Fury, but he respected him and followed his orders for the most part. Beyond that small circle, he'd never had much reason to trust. Life had never given him much reason. But with Canton, he just knew he could believe him. It was new and different and ever so slightly terrifying, but he liked it. He was pretty sure Canton was his friend, and it was kind of a kick in the teeth because he'd never really had one in any traditional sense. He had people he trusted, allies in the field and the kind of bonds that were closer than blood and forged in the fires of experience, but he'd never just had a friend. It was nice.

But that didn't mean he was going to let him win at darts. Clint had one hell of a competitive streak, and he wasn't really the type to let people win. No, Canton was going to get his ass thoroughly handed to him once they got around to darts. But maybe Clint would use his off hand. No reason not to give himself a little bit of a challenge. Snorting at Canton's question, he shook his head. "Kidnap Santa?" he asked in mock indignation. "I don't think even Asaph would do something like that. Who would feed the reindeer? And Mrs. Claus would get lonely. Not to mention the elves would panic in their little curly toed boots. No...I think Santa's safe from Morgan Freeman's machinations."

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likeyourwheels
2012-07-22 07:55 am UTC (link)

"You have more faith in his kindness than I do, champ," Canton said with a laugh, having settled on that endearment for the moment, at least until he managed to sort out a decent replacement for 'hotshot' that still measured up. As it was, Canton wouldn't have put it past the utterly unbenevolent deity that ran this place to kidnap the whole of Santa's village just so he didn't have to expend more energy than necessary giving out gifts once this thing was over. That was, if he planned on handing out gifts. Canton wasn't entirely sure how this thing was supposed to work as it was. A sudden chill in the air, a massive shift to winter in the middle of the summer months, with everything suddenly turning into a holiday would have been unnerving to most people, but the residents, local and the non-locals that had been here for awhile, all seemed to be acting as though this was normal. So really, what else was he going to do but roll with it?

Finishing off the beer that he'd been working on, Canton pushed back the glass with a bit of a grin, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes, "Or he could turn us into the elves," He said, quirking an eyebrow at Clint. "I could see it. Suddenly one morning, we all wake up, and we're 3 feet tall and dressed in ridiculous outfits with the overwhelming urge to build and be cheerful." God, that was a frightening thought. Standing, picking up his empty glass, Canton stepped over to his friend and nodded to Clint's drink. "Want me to get you another?" He asked, the words having barely crossed his lips when he was suddenly frozen by the swift arrival of a floating green bough and an overwhelming urge that he wasn't able to shake.

Canton had always thought Clint was attractive. It was an undeniable fact of the man's existence, being good to look at, and Canton had seen no reason to try and deny it. But this was new, a thought that he never really crossed his mind beyond offering comfort, and as his body shifted almost of its own accord and his lips were pressed firmly and intently against Clint's, hand moving to rest on the back of the other man's head, fingers trailing through his hair, the only question in his mind about what was happening was why he hadn't done it sooner.