Clint was missing. Natasha was angry. Very angry. No, Loki didn't have him. No, it was much worse than that. Hydra had him. And they were probably torturing him for information.
Tony was kind of mad, too, though he wouldn't tell anyone that. He had grown to like the agent. Like, really like. He had been working up the courage to ask him out, but now he was gone. They needed to get him back.
They snuck to the abandoned Hydra base. They were sure Clint was here. They left him to die, probably. The team split up to look for the archer.
Tony walked through the building, opening and closing doors. He froze when he opened one, seeing Clint in this room.
The younger man's arms were chained above in and his feet shackled beneath him. His back was a mess of scars and deep cuts from being whipped endlessly. Tony moved around to the front of the other man and almost cried out for the man he loved.
He hadn't been whipped much in the front, but he'd been branded. With the Hydra symbol. Tony let his armor fall away from him as he reached up and set his hand on Clint's side, brushing his finger softly over it. His eyes fluttered slowly opened and he looked at Tony.
"I didn't-" he gasped out. "Tell them anything."
"You didn't deserve this."
"Maybe not, but it was better me than someone else."
"I'll get you out of here." Tony spotted the keys in the corner of the room. He grabbed them and came back to Clint. He unshackled his feet first and moved onto his arms, catching him as he didn't have the strength to stand.
"I found him," Tony said, pressing his finger to his ear. "Meet me back at the jet." Tony picked the younger man up and started walking back to the jet. When he got there, he carefully set Clint down on a cot. No one else was back yet.
Tony looked down at Clint and ran a hand through his hair. The archer leaned into his touch.
"Go to sleep, okay? It'll help with the pain." Clint looked up at him for a moment before closing his eyes. Soon, he was asleep and Tony started to treat his injuries.
Tony's POV
"He's asking to see you," Bruce said, walking out of the room. The others gave me questioning looks, but I just walked into the room and sat down on a chair next to Clint's bed.
"Feeling better?" I asked. He nodded, running a hand through my hair.
"Was it just my imagination, or did a handsome man save me last night?" he asked, a smile plastered on his face. I felt my eyes widen.
"Are you flirting with me?" I asked, probably sounding stupid. He nodded. "So, you like me too?" He rolled his eyes.
"Is it not obvious?" I looked down.
"I was just...kind of afraid you didn't. I was gonna ask you out, but then this happened. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. But there's a way you can apologize, if you so feel necessary." I looked up at him. "You can kiss me already." I rolled my eyes as I stood up and placed my lips on his.
