Story Title: Enforced Time Off

Author: Mathais

Rating: T

Fandoms: The Avengers (2012 movie), Marvel Cinematic Universe

Warnings: None, possibly slashiness if you squint.

Pairings: Phil Coulson & Jasper Sitwell, Phil Coulson & Natasha Romanoff, Phil Coulson & Clint Barton

Summary: Clint feels raw when he opens the door to one of the safest places he's ever been.

Disclaimer: I don't own the elements and characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; I'm just here to play.

Notes: The working title for this chapter was "I accidentally did a fix-it".

OoOoO

Clint feels tired and raw when he finally digs the key out of his pocket.

Two weeks spent laying low, recuperating from the battle at Manhattan and then cleaning up some of SHIELD's loose ends, all while hurting the entire time, and Clint can't take it anymore. He can't stay away. Though it physically pains him, the house of his handler, of his friend, is still one of the safest places he's ever been in, and it's far enough off the grid that he and Natasha can hide there until Fury calls them back in.

He almost doesn't come, waffles over it for a week, but the lure is too strong, even if it isn't—will never be—the same without Phil himself there.

But it is safe, it is warm, and Clint thinks he'll finally be able to grieve there.

Natasha's hand is warm against his back, a brief but reassuring touch. She's tougher than he is, but he knows that this place is about as safe as things'll ever be for her as well. Not enough to completely relax, there's no place that Natasha hasn't made herself that fits that criteria, but close enough.

And so it's with a heavy heart that he unlocks the door.

His hand goes to the gun at his back when he hears the sound of the television on.

Then he hears Sitwell give an aggravated sigh from the couch and unwillingly relaxes. "It took you guys long enough."

The click of Natasha's gun reassures him though as Clint tightens his own posture. "Explain."

And then Phil, goddamn Phil, raises his head from the couch, and Clint nearly drops his gun. "Death didn't exactly take."

"What the fuck?" is the first thing out of Clint's mouth, because, seriously, what the fuck?

His life is never this good.

"Fury lies," Natasha growls, but Clint can also hear her putting the safety back on her gun.

"He didn't, not exactly," Phil admits, but Sitwell is motioning silently toward the two of them with stop motions. Phil, damn him, doesn't even look at Sitwell as he says, "Quit it, Sitwell. I can speak."

"No, you can't," Sitwell snipes back. "You have a goddamn hole in your chest, and the only reason you're here instead of in a hospital is because you won't stay put."

And then Clint can suddenly see how Phil is still laying back in a makeshift cot in the living room, the way that Sitwell still has an eye on Phil.

The way that each breath causes Phil to wince.

"You should have stayed in the hospital," Natasha says, but she is striding over to Phil while Clint remains in the doorway like a fool.

Phil gives her a small smile and says, quietly, "I needed to be home."

"And he was bitching the entire time, because he expected you to be here already," Sitwell says, annoyed, but Clint can hear the undercurrent of affection in his voice.

It feels like a punch to the gut, but this one has Clint smiling, a little brokenly but still warm.

"I have to head back now that you're here," Sitwell says, "but your next mission is to make sure that this idiot—" He jerks his thumb over at Phil. "—doesn't hurt himself further."

"That's insubordination, Agent Sitwell," Phil says mildly.

"You're off the clock, Coulson, so bite me," replies Sitwell with relish.

Clint exchanges a long look with Natasha. He can feel his lips twitching though, and though Natasha is too good to give that kind of tell, she allows a little bit of humor to flitter over her eyes.

"Mission accepted," Clint says with a grin.

Phil is not going to leave his sight until he is sure that he will not leave again.

Natasha obviously feels the same, because she perches on the edge of the couch and summons a book from nowhere.

Clint smiles as he lands on the other side of the sofa from Sitwell, steals the remote, and switches the channel.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Sitwell protests.

"Yeah, well, I'm not watching a cartoon about hamsters," Clint shoots back.

"You obviously don't understand the genius of Hamtaro," Sitwell says loftily.

"I don't need to. Ooh, hey, My Little Pony!"

"Oh god, you're a brony,"

"Shut your face, My Little Pony's awesome!"

Clint counts Phil's huffs of laughter during the exchange and marks it as a victory.

OoOoO

Yeah, I dunno, this scene was always in the back of my mind when I wrote the earlier parts. The key scene, in particular, but I only just now got around to writing it, because: #CoulsonLives!

This chapter has been edited since its original posting.