Clint had broken a rule and made a call, it had been too long since he'd heard his husbands voice and he could care less that he was supposed to remain off the grid and out of contact.

"Hello," His husband had said curiously,

"Tony, it's me."

"Tut tut, Mr Barton-Stark, you're breaking a rule."

"Had to hear your voice," Clint admitted quietly,

"I miss you too."

"How are things back home?"

"They're alright. I've been having this weird dream at the minute, but other than that nothing out of the ordinary. Are you alright?"

"No major injuries. Couple of bruises and cuts." He remembered Tony sighing, he hated to hear about injuries no matter how small. "Tell me about this dream."

"…We had a kid. It was always so real. I've been waking up and turning to your spot, telling you to go check on the baby, but…then I wake up more and realise we don't have one."

"Oh, Tony." He whispered,

"Clint, I want a kid. I really want a kid to call our own…just…with our line of work, it would be dangerous and we're always busy and I…I…"

"Worry you'd be like your father." He finished for his husband, "You know you'd never be like him right? I swear to you, Tony, you'd never be like that man." There was a faint sniffle and Clint could all but see the shy and delicate smile gracing Tony's lips. It was a smile only a handful of people got to see and Clint was one of the lucky few. "Tony, sweetheart, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I know for a fact that Vision looks to you as a dad, he calls you it. Then with Peter, I can guarantee that you're a father figure to that kid. I have a feeling Pietro feels the same way."

"I know. And I love them all. It's just…"

"You'd like to raise one and be there for everything?"

"Yes." Tony's voice was like a breathless whisper and Clint wanted nothing more than to hug the man.

"I've got to go, I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Come home soon though."

"I will. I love you."

"And I love you."

—LINE BREAK—

Clint made his way to Laura's as she was closest to him after his mission . He was exhausted, injured and mere seconds away from collapsing and passing out, the second he was shoved into the guest room by Laura with orders to shower, change, before shouting for her to help sort his injuries out, he all but ignored her and fell onto the bed unconscious.

"Hey, Tony. This is Laura, your beloved sister-in-law. Just calling to tell you your man's at mine with mild injuries. I've told him to shower and all but I doubt he listened to a word I said, he was exhausted and has probably collapsed on the bed. Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you called to tell me you were on your way instead of just showing up like you normally do, but we're all here for when you undoubtedly come and pick up your missing stray." It was a little inside joke the two of the, "Love you and miss you, the kids do too, see you shortly." She said leaving a voicemail before settling down on the couch with the kids playing/reading nearby as she watched the TV.

He woke to a blood-curdling scream. His mind didn't register where he was at first so he instantly reached out to the other side of the bed with the intention to wake Tony from his nightmare, only he wasn't there and his eyes widened as he realised it was his sisters scream. Racing downstairs, Clint saw her staring in horror at the ground where a pile of ash stood.

"Laura?" Clint whispered reaching out to her in confusion but before she could say anything else, two terrified shouts echoed in the room,

"Mum!" Turning the siblings watched as Cooper and Lila turned to dust before them,

"Oh my god, what on Earth is happening?" Clint gasped holding Laura tightly as she stared in frozen horror and shock. She turned to dust in the archer's arms and he stared morbidly at the four piles of dust surrounding him. He looked at his own body and nothing happened. He waited -though he was paralysed in shock and confusion to really do anything else. His phone rang and he grasped for the answer button, almost dropping it in the process.

"Tony!" He exclaimed not looking at the caller ID, he heard a sigh on the other end.

"Sorry, it's me, Natasha."

"Nat, what's going on? Laura…and the kids they just…just turned to…"

"Dust?" She took the choking sound as confirmation, "I know you have a Quinjet on the farm, I need you to get in it and come to Wakanda. I'll explain once you're on your way." He could hear the tremors in her voice as she spoke and knew better than to argue,

"Have you heard from…"

"No…Clint he went to space."

"What?" He croaked in surprise,

"I'll explain everything once you're on your way. Please, Clint."

"Okay." He sighed heavily, pretending that his hands weren't shaking and that his legs weren't seconds away from failing him, "Okay."

—LINE BREAK—

"Their ship is here. We can use it to go to Terra." Oh. Right. Tony wasn't completely alone on the dying planet known as Titan in space where he totally wasn't still terrified of because of the wormhole six years ago. There was another…woman who looked like a robot. She helped Tony to his feet. "You require medical assistance immediately." She said pushing him onto a bed in the Milano.

"What's…your name?" He whispered pain slipping into his voice as he spoke,

"Nebula. You are Tony Stark the destroyer of the Chitauri." It wasn't a question but Tony nodded. "I found this on the floor. I believe it is yours." She murmured once the ship was on its way to Earth, Nebula handed him a ring and Tony's eyes widened in horror as he realised he had almost lost his wedding ring. Taking it back gently he cradled it in his hands and let the tears fall. Was Clint still alive? He couldn't help but think.

—LINE BREAK—

He sat in a cream-coloured room surrounded by the remaining Superheroes and some Wakandans such as Princess Shuri and Okoye. No one spoke. They just stared unseeingly at the walls around them lost in thoughts and memories as their minds wandered to their loved ones. Almost everyone held a glass of alcohol, some slowly sipping from it absentmindedly, others rushing through more and more in the hopes to forget everything. Clint fell into the former group. He couldn't stop thinking about his sister and his niece and nephews turning to dust. He couldn't stop thinking about his husband being in space, he couldn't stop thinking that Tony could be dead and he wouldn't know.

His mind wandered back to his last conversation with Tony only a few days ago. The one with Tony's dream and he couldn't help but wonder how heartbroken his husband would be to learn that Pietro and Vision were dead. Hopefully, Peter was alright.

"Someone's entering Wakanda from the sky." Clint didn't know who stated it but everyone rushed outside grabbing whatever weapons they could find. The ship came into sight and the racoon grinned, shouting that they were his teammates. Two people exited. One was blue and was assisting an all too familiar man, who was holding his bleeding side. Chocolate eyes met greenish blue ones. Relief washed over them both and they ran to each other. Falling to the ground without a care as sobs fell from their lips.

"You're alive. Thank god. You're alive." They both whispered running their hands and eyes over one another's body in further reassurance. Tony hissed as Clint's hand landed on his side, pulling the appendage away quickly as though it had burned. Looking down, Clint saw crimson staining it. Horror crossed his face as he watched Tony with wide and worried eyes. His husband gave him an apologetic grimace before his eyes rolled back and he slumped down into Clint's arms unconscious. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, like it was a movie. But, no, this was reality. A reality where Tony was dying. Long after Tony was rushed off to medical, Clint stayed there on his knees frozen as he stared at the blood painting his hands and the ground.

"He'll be fine. He's stronger than anyone we know." Rhodey murmured pressing a hand to Clint's shoulder before helping the man up, "I've known him since he was fifteen. The little shit won't go down without a fight." They shared a weak smile.

—LINE BREAK—

"He's awake. We've stitched him up and he's in the clear. But, he's insisting he be let out of bed." A nurse informed him, "Against better judgement, I'm going to let him, but he can't be up and about, he needs to rest." She disappeared for a few seconds before reappearing with a pouting wheelchair ridden Tony. Despite everything including the situation, Clint couldn't have held back his snort of amusement even if he tried.

"Don't laugh at me." The man mumbled attempting to cross his arms, only to give up when it hurt.

"Despite being in pain, you still manage to look adorable." Clint murmured pressing a kiss to his husband's cheek,

"Sexy. Not adorable. Sexy." He corrected and Clint just chuckled before all fell silent as the archer wheeled him to the room where everyone else was sitting in mourning.

A racoon walked up to him and somehow, it didn't surprise Tony when it began to speak.

"Is it true? Are they all dead?"

"Yes." He whispered watching sadly as Rocket stumbled away in horror before he turned to the rest of the silent room, "So is Dr Strange and…and the…the kid. Spider-Man." Clint's grip on Tony's hand tightened at the fact and noticeable hitch in his voice.

"God. We've lost everyone." Steve whispered, his voice slightly hysterical, "Bucky's gone, Sam's gone, Wanda too, King T'Challa, Pietro, Vision. They are all…gone."

"What?" Tony exclaimed his head snapping in Steve's direction so quickly that Clint feared he'd get whiplash, "Pietro and Vis? Oh god…" Tony looked at his husband, "Clint…we've lost them all."

"We'll fix this Tony. You know we will."

—LINE BREAK—

"They're gone too. Aren't they?" He whispered into the silence of their bedroom in the palace,

"Who?"

"Laura and the mini agents."

"Yes." Clint whispered, pain and sorrow echoing in his voice, he felt Tony grab his hand and squeeze it,

"God, Clint. I'm so sorry. I've been so caught up in my grief that I didn't let you…have a shoulder."

"It's not your fault. I didn't want to give you more grief." Clint didn't expect his husband to sit up suddenly and smack him harshly on the shoulder, only to wince as he pulled at his stitches,

"Don't say that! You're just as important and if something's wrong with you, tell me. Who cares if I'm sad, I need you to tell me if you are too. You're just as important."

"I'm sorry, love." Clint whispered moments later pressing a loving kiss to Tony's lips before falling back onto his back and staring at the ceiling lost in thought alongside Tony, "We've lost so much."

"We have." That was all it took for the dam inside to break, tears streamed down Clint's face as he hid gently against Tony's side, the latter shedding tears at the sound of his husband's heartbreaking sobs and the fact that everything was wrong.

"If the world is to end, do I fight or go quietly as long as I am in your arms and by your side," Tony whispered into the dead of the night, not expecting a response from his husband who had passed out a while ago after crying himself to sleep, yet Tony could not sleep and chose to lay in bed staring at the ceiling and stealing the comfort and heat from the body beside him.

"If the world is to end, I would fight to be by your side and have you in my arms. I would shield you from the crumbling world as it burned beside us." Clint whispered back completing their vowed words, Tony sniffled and smiled,

"I love you. Until death do us part, after all."

"Sweet cheeks, you'll still love me when we're dead and haunting the shit out of people together." Clint murmured back making them both chuckle before falling quiet, leaning over his injured husband, Clint pressed a gentle but passionate kiss to Tony's lips before staring into his eyes and whispering against his lips, "And I love you."

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