Last one for LAST year's prompts hahaha at long last!

Prompt: Tucked In

"When was the last time you slept?"

It took a moment for the words to filter into Clint's brain, but once they did he pulled his gaze up from the laptop and blinked blankly at Phil.

"What?" he asked, not bothering to pull the headphone speaker away from his left ear.

"Sleep. When was the last time you got some?" Phil asked, eyebrow arched.

Clint stared at him then glanced around at the coffee cup next to him and the crumbled, empty energy drink cans piled off to the side. He looked back at Phil.

"I'm fine."

"You need to sleep."

"What I need to do, is find her."

Clint turned his attention back to the laptop, pressing the headphones to his ear and scanning for any sign of her on any frequency. Natasha's comm had gone offline seventy-two hours ago. He'd been searching for a sign from her ever since.

"Clint. I can take over. Go sleep."

"No."

The headphones were snatched abruptly out of his hand.

"What the hell!" he snapped, glaring up at Phil.

"You're dead on your feet."

"I can handle it."

"You're going to miss something," Phil accused. "You haven't taken a break since she went offline. Even if she sends up a signal, in your state, you might miss it."

Clint glared at him, then glared at the laptop. He drew in a slow breath and realized his hands were clenched into fists. He forced them to relax and looked back at the laptop.

"I'll take over. I'll keep looking," Phil promised. "Go."

Still, Clint hesitated. Every instinct he had was screaming that she was out there, that she was waiting for him.

"Clint," Phil's hand landed firmly on his shoulder. "When we find her, you need to be ready to move if she needs an extraction. You won't be if you don't get some sleep."

Clint knew he was right. But there was no way he could just go kick back and take a snooze while she was still missing.

"I didn't want to have to do this…"

It took a second too long for Clint to process Phil's muttered warning. He had only just turned his head in question when he felt the sharp sting of a needle in his bicep.

"What the hell?" Clint stood, shoving the offending needle away. Immediatley, the world wavered around him and he had to reach for the table to steady himself. "What the hell…"

"A sedative. It's mild, but in your state, it wouldn't take much to knock you out anyway."

"You son of a bitch…" Clint muttered, pressing a hand to his forehead when his vision started graying around the edges.

"I need you functional and sometimes you're just too goddamned stubborn," Phil explained, latching onto his arm and pulling him away from the table. Away from the table. Away from Natasha.

"Wait…"

"I'll keep looking. I promise," Phil pledged. "If I find her before you wake up, I'll hit you with a stimulant."

Clint wanted to keep arguing, but suddenly he found himself sitting on his cot. He felt himself tip sideways, body suddenly feeling too heavy. Phil caught his shoulder, guiding his descent until Clint had sprawled onto his back on the cot.

"Sleep," Phil instructed.

Clint distantly felt his boots be pulled off his feet then the light weight of a blanket being draped over him. He blinked heavily, eyes refusing to focus properly. He frowned, willing the encroaching gray to recede. Phil's hand rested against his sternum, a familiar, comforting weight.

"Stop fighting it, Clint."

Might as well ask him to lasso the moon. All Clint knew how to do was fight.

"Do you trust me?" Phil's voice ghosted around him.

Clint forced his eyes open one more time.

"Do you trust me, Clint?"

He did. More than anyone.

"Then sleep."

When Clint's eyes closed this time, he didn't try to force them open.

Clint waded his way through the clouded fog around his mind and fought his way back to consciousness. He blinked, impatiently watching the world take focus. He was in the safe house, on his bunk.

"Hey sleepy head."

Clint sat up so fast his head spun.

"Jesus…" He pressed his palm to his forehead and doubled, willing the world to stop spinning.

"Easy tiger," Natasha soothed, dropping down onto the cot next to him. "You've been down for the count for eighteen hours."

"You're here," he realized, blinking blearily at her. "Where were you?" he asked, confused.

"Got into a situation. Couldn't get a call out, but managed to get myself out of there eventually."

"I tried to find you."

"I know you did. Phil told me. He also said he had to sedate you after seventy-two hours. No more coffee for you, mister."

Clint peeled his palm away from his forehead and squinted at her properly.

She had a stitched cut in the edge of her hairline, but otherwise appeared no worse for wear.

"I'm fine," she assured. "Mostly worried you'd gone all Sleeping Beauty on me."

"What?" he wondered in confusion, rubbing at his eyes.

"Eighteen hours, Clint. Phil said the sedative should have worn off after four."

"Jesus…"

"Yeah," Natasha agreed. "You still look like shit though."

He snorted.

"Thanks."

Her answering grin chased away the last of the cobwebs.

"Come on, up you go. Phil is out on a food run and you need a shower."

"Phil's out, huh?" he wondered, letting her pull him to his feet. "Don't suppose you need a shower too?" he asked with a smirk.

Natasha laughed, pushing him towards the bathroom. He figured her lack of answer was answer enough. He rubbed the last of the sleep out of his eyes as he went into the bathroom and flipped the shower on. His back was still to the door when he heard it shut softly and the interior lock engage with a 'click'.

He couldn't quite help the goofy grin that followed.

So instead of locking myself into ANOTHER 31 prompts (really it's 62 because I post in two fandoms), I'm going to forgo this year's Whumptober and focus back on other stuff. Like Not So Ancient History, and the highschool AU I've got going on, and more of the one-shot series I have in the VPU, and some stuff in my other fandom that's been nagging my muse. Not to mention, I want to start legitimate work on an original novel. Oh and I'm a mom of 2 boys with a military spouse that's never home and I work part time...sooooo, life's crazy! haha but I love it! That, of course, doesn't mean I won't use the inspiration from this year's prompts in other ways ;)

Thanks for sticking with me for the YEAR it took me to get all these posted!