Marvel Oneshots

White Lies (Clint Barton)

Y/N's POV

It had been one of those exhausting weeks where nothing seemed to go right. Work was overwhelming, and the only thing keeping me going was the idea of spending some quiet time with Clint. We'd both been so busy lately, caught up in the chaos of our separate lives, that we barely had time for each other.

Tonight was supposed to be different. He had promised we'd have dinner together—just the two of us. No missions, no distractions. But as the hours ticked by, and the clock crept closer to nine, my anticipation turned to frustration.

I tried to push the nagging feeling aside. Clint was a busy man, and I knew that. He wasn't always in control of his schedule, but a part of me couldn't help but feel let down.

Finally, just as I was about to give up on the night entirely, the door creaked open, and Clint stepped inside. He looked tired, his bow slung over his shoulder, his expression guarded.

"Hey, babe," he said, offering me a small smile as he dropped his gear by the door.

"Hey," I replied, unable to keep the disappointment from my voice. "You're late. Again."

His smile faltered slightly, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry about that. I, uh... got caught up with some work stuff."

I narrowed my eyes, sensing something off in his tone. "Work stuff? Like a mission?"

He hesitated, just for a second, but long enough for me to notice. "Yeah. A mission. Just ran longer than expected."

I nodded, though something didn't sit right with me. I had learned to read Clint pretty well by now, and there was a tension in his voice that made me question if he was telling me the full story.

Clint's POV

I knew I was in trouble the moment I walked through that door. Y/N had been waiting for me, and I hated that I let her down. But I had panicked. Telling her the truth—that I hadn't been on a mission at all but instead had stayed behind at the base to help Natasha with some training—just felt like it would stir up more trouble than it was worth.

So, I told a little white lie. A harmless one, really. I didn't think it would matter, but now, standing in front of her, I could feel the weight of my own words. She didn't deserve that, and I knew it.

Still, I thought maybe I could smooth things over. Get through the night without her finding out.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to make amends. "I should've called. But I'm here now, and I promise, I'm all yours for the rest of the night."

I tried to step forward, to wrap my arms around her and ease the tension, but she backed away, her gaze sharp.

"Clint," she said quietly, her voice laced with suspicion. "Are you lying to me?"

Y/N's POV

The air in the room felt thick with unspoken words. His hesitation earlier, the way he avoided my eyes—it all added up to something bigger. I could feel it in my gut.

"What do you mean?" Clint asked, his voice cautious, like he was testing the waters.

I crossed my arms, trying to keep my emotions in check. "You weren't on a mission tonight, were you? Just tell me the truth."

For a moment, he looked like he wanted to deny it, to keep up the lie, but then he sighed, dropping his head slightly. "No, I wasn't on a mission," he admitted. "I stayed back to help Natasha with some stuff. It wasn't a big deal, but... I didn't want to get into it. I thought it might upset you."