A Fool's Dance

Chapter Twenty Four

"Are you trying to get yourself killed!" James screamed at Clint.

Clint blinked awake, finding himself in the windshield of a car. He blinked a few times and lifted his head to look at Barnes. Everything ached and his head throbbed.

"What happened?" Clint groaned.

James grabbed the younger man by the front if his now bloody field suit and yanked him up out of the car. His eyes scanned over the archer, searching for any injuries that could be considered deadly.

"We told you to stay on the roof," James snapped.

James could feel Steve coming up behind them, but he didn't release Barton from his grasp.

"You were supposed to stay away from the fight, you asshole!" He yelled.

Clint frowned at him, unsure what he was talking about. All Clint knew was that his head really hurt and most of his body did too.

"But no, you had to-"

James broke off as Barton slumped against him. He cradled the back of his head carefully with his flesh hand and glanced over his shoulder at Steve and the others. His fingers brushed something hot and sticky on the back of Clint's head and he immediately lifted the other man into his arms, careful to keep Clint's head as still as he could manage.

"We need to get him back to the Tower."

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"Are you alright?" James asked for the third time.

" 'M fine," Clint mumbled tiredly from where he was lounging against Steve's side.

"You've gotta stay awake, Clint," James ordered, "No sleeping with a concussion."

Clint didn't reply, just nodded slightly as he leaned further against Steve. The Captain stirred slightly in his sleep, but otherwise didn't respond. James grabbed a beer from Clint's fridge ad settled down on the couch beside him.

"Didn't mean to get hurt," Clint yawned.

James shot him a sideways look as he popped the cap off with his metal hand. Clint was suddenly sprawled across his legs, face buried in his stomach.

"Don't go to sleep."

"I know."

James dropped his metal fingers down into Clint's hair and ran them through it a few times.

"My head hurts."

"Sit up," James ordered.

Clint complied sluggishly and James had Jarvis pull up some movies for ten to pass the rest of the night with.

"Still don't remember what happened," Clint said at some point during the third Lord of the Rings movie.

"All I saw was you falling through the windshield of that car."

They fell silent again, and Clint settled against James's side. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that James's metal arm was around his shoulder. Despite their best intentions, both snipers managed to fall asleep.