A Fool's Dance

Chapter Twenty One

Clint woke up screaming out for Coulson. He slid out from under Barnes's arm and stumbled into his bathroom. He shut the door behind him, tuning out the other man when he started asking what was wrong. Clint sank to the floor slowly and focused on controlling his breathing. He's dead and it's all my fault, Clint thought to himself. He pulled at his hair sharp enough to bring tears to his eyes. Phil's dead and it's my fault.

"Clint, you've gotta tell me what's wrong. Let me in," Barnes was saying.

"You've gotta talk to me. Open up."

Clint leaned his head back against the door and wiped his eyes. He knew that Barnes could probably rip the door off the hinges if he got desperate enough, but Clint couldn't seem to move enough to open the door. He could hear Barnes talking to someone else. There was a loud banging on the door and Clint flinched slightly.

"Clint, come out. We're here for you," he heard Steve say.

Clint reached up blindly with one hand and unlocked the door. He leaned forward slightly so that he wouldn't fall over when the door opened. He felt Steve's under his arms and he allowed himself to be pulled up.

"It's alright," he heard one of them say.

Clint reached out for Barnes. The man pulled him against his chest and Clint forced back a sob.

"I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't-"

"Clint, stop," Steve ordered.

Clint shivered slightly as Barnes's metal fingers trailed up his back. He couldn't muster the energy to protest as Steve lifted him up and carried him back to the bed.

"He's gone."

"I know," Steve replied softly.

Clint found himself reaching out for Barnes again. The bed dipped as the other man slid in beside him, and Clint moved against his side. He grabbed Steve's wrist when the man tried to leave.

"No, please stay," Clint whispered.

"But Bucky is-"

"Steve, just stay," Barnes interrupted.

Clint tugged Steve down onto the bed behind him and buried his face into Barnes's shoulder. He felt Steve shift awkwardly behind him, so he reached out and wrapped his fingers around Steve's wrist. He tugged the man's arm around him and closed his eyes.

"Wake me up if I start having a nightmare. I don't want to see it again," Clint whispered.

"Okay," Barnes replied.

"Go to sleep," Steve told him.

Clint nodded tiredly and allowed himself to drift off again.