Iron-Hawk Short Stories

So I'm Your First?

AN: Throwback to before they got married or even dated. Like I said, I have a million variations as to how these two-started dating xD.

"You approve of this?" Tony Stark asked as he watched from a distance. Beside him was Nicholas Fury, Director of SHIELD.

"It happens to god damn much for me to stop it" The darker toned man muttered, somewhat annoyed. The engineer's attention turned back to the 'event' at hand. There was a fight. A circle was formed by a large group of SHIELD agents. In the middle were two people fighting. "I explain it as training"

Suddenly there was an uproar. Someone had just lost. His body was pulled out of the ring and money was handed over to the betters and the winner.

"Competitive workforce?"

"Something of the sorts. They make cheap bets, agents volunteer to fight, that sort of thing." He waved it off with a motion of the hand. Tony found this somewhat amusing but it was quite entertaining to watch.

Then they dragged another person in. A person who clearly didn't want to fight. Tony Stark recognised him, they had worked together before. SHIELD's one and only archer.

"Do they also drag in people who don't want to fight?" Stark asked, sarcasm laced his voice. He watched as the blonde tried to back away from the ring. He only got shoved back in again. Fury frowned.

"No" The man sounded worried and took a step forward. He was ready to stop the fight.

The first punch was thrown, the blonde winced but remained inactive. Tony wondered why he didn't fight. He had seen the archer fight before, if he wanted his opponent could be dead by now.

"Come on carnie, fight" his opponent sneered, the blonde remained silent. He moved out of the way when his opponent threw another punch. "Show us why the Director favours a fucking criminal so much" That made the archer twitch.

Whatever was about to go down, it wasn't good. Stark followed Fury as the man quickly made his way down to the ring.

His opponent grabbed him by the shoulders. The blonde pulled him forward, kneed him in the groin then punched the other man's throat. His opponent gasped and before he could react his head was slammed against the floor.

Sudden silence spread around the room. Fury pushed past the crowd and eyed Barton. The blonde just narrowed his eyes and got off the other man.

"The hell did I tell y'all about this fight ring?" Director Fury boomed, a majority of the room bowed their heads. Stark pushed into the crowd and stood just behind the archer. His opponent slowly started to sit up.

"What are you? Some sort of dog following orders?" His opponent snickered, just loud enough for the archer to hear.

Clint Barton's expression didn't change but he clenched his fists and took a step forward. Stark managed to catch his arm before he could do further damage.

"Stark?" Barton asked, surprised that he was here. The genius pulled him out of the ring and away from the crowd. "What are you doing here?"

"Why the hell are they singling you out like that?" Stark changed the question. For once, he brought the topic away from him.

"It's...complicated"

"No. You don't get to pull the 'it's complicated' card" Stark crossed his arms, Clint just sighed and stared at him.

"They just don't like me okay? I've been here less than a year but I've risen higher in the ranks than any of them could possibly imagine. Basically, it's just jealousy" The archer tried to condense it down as much as he could.

Stark understood that feeling all too well. People will do anything when jealousy hits harder than it should. They'll sully your name no matter the cost.

"You've gone uncharastically quiet" Barton noted.

"Did you want to go out for coffee sometime?"

The question was completely out of the blue. Didn't fit into any part of their conversation but Tony Stark still blurted it out. Stark immediately flushed and buried his face into his hands.

'What the hell am I doing?' He groaned internally. He didn't even know if Clint Barton was into men. 'Look at him. Girls probably slobber all over him' He cringed internally. 'If I'm lucky he didn't take that the wrong way'

"Like the date way or as casual friends way?" Barton asked, Tony refused to look up. The jig was up. He was too flustered and too red to try and lie his way out of this. "Either way, the answer is yes"

The engineer found the courage to look up. Clint stood there, still smiling at him.

"Aren't you into girls?"

"I could ask you the exact same question."

A moment of silence. "But I think it's cute you want to go out with someone like me"

"Is it really?"

"Sure. No one's ever asked me out before" Clint said that like a sweet five-year-old child. Stark could feel his heart melt, yet he was surprised.

"Wait. You've never, ever, gone out with someone before?" Stark asked, genuinely shocked. He thought Barton would have at least had a couple of girlfriends in his lifetime.

The blonde shook his head. "I'm an orphan. In school, I didn't make any friends because I was that lame kid no one liked. Then I joined a circus and became an assassin. I don't think anyone could have asked me out. Or I could ask them out"

"You're an orphan? A circus? Wait what"

Clint laughed softly. "Soon. I'll tell you soon."

"So I'm your first?" Tony mumbled, Clint just nodded. "Man having Tony Stark as your first date is quite-"

"Bragworthy?"

"Well. I suppose so but who would believe you?" Tony smirked, Barton just rolled his eyes. "But seriously? You've never dated anyone before? You're like twenty"

"Who do you want me to date? The bodies of my victims?"

Tony smiled at the dry yet dark humour. "I'll try not to disappoint my little orphan"

AN: sorta cute to think that Tony is his first and most probably his last.