Pietro woke up alone and confused. It took him only a moment to realise where he was and what had happened. The memories of it all quickly rushed into his head and his face flushed as he remembered the proximity between the two. He quickly pushed the thought away and sat up slowly, stretching out his muscles and glancing around the room to try and find a clock. There was a small one on the bedside table next to the bed which told him the time was about 6 o'clock. They had probably gotten back from shopping around 3, so Pietro came to the conclusion he had been asleep for about two and a half hours give or take. He frowned to himself before twisting his body and sliding off of the bed. He stretched again before glancing around again and headed towards the door. Upon opening it the boy stopped, listening for a moment. There was the faint sound of voices and then laughter which told Pietro that Clint was most likely watching the TV. The Sokovian bit his lip softly before making his way down the hallway towards the living room area.
Clint was sitting on the sofa, Lucky laying next to him with her head in his lap, eyes on the TV but most likely not really taking in what was happening. As Pietro walked into the living room the old dog lifted her head and barked at the boy. Pietro jumped and bit his lip, stopping in the doorway. Clint looked up and smiled softly when he saw the other standing there.
"Hey... You're awake." He said and shuffled on the sofa slightly, patting the space next to him invitingly. Pietro hesitated before walking over slowly and sitting down on the other side of Clint. "You feeling any better?" The brunet modded.
"Yes. Thank you, for uh..." He trailed off, gesturing with his hands as he didn't know what to say. Clint gave a small smirk at the Sokovian who currently looked like a flapping fish.
"Yeah, no problem. Just trying to help." He shrugged, taking pity on the kid. Pietro sighed a little and nodded, giving a shy smile towards the blond. Clint gave a big smile and patted the brunet's shoulder gently. He then turned back to the TV and continued watching the old episode of Friends that was currently playing. Pietro watched Clint for a moment, studying him. He noted the creases by his eyes when he laughed and the dimples of his bright smile. He looked so carefree and happy. It brought a small smile to Pietro's face at seeing the other man smiling and it made him think about how lucky he was. He didn't know how he would ever be able to thank Pietro enough, but he would find a way. He had to.
~•~•~•~
After a couple of episodes, Clint muted the show to stop the sound and started riffling through the random papers and leaflets on his coffee table.
"So what do you fancy?" He asked the young Sokovian, not taking his eyes away from the table as he seemingly searched for something. Pietro looked over at the blond and rose his brow in confusion.
"What?" Clint paused and glanced up at the other, a small smirk on his face.
"For food, what do you want? I'm gonna order takeout." He explained before then going back to looking through all of the papers, soon finding a couple of take-away menus and pulling them out. The brunet stared down at the papers in his hand, not remembering the last time he had a takeaway.
"I, uh... I don't really mind. I'm not fussy." Pietro decided to say. He didn't really 'fancy' anything in particular, and he didn't want to choose anything just to find out it was the most expensive, therefore making Clint spend more money than necessary. The blond nodded and looked through the menus before pulling out a Chinese takeout menu. He glanced over it for a second before setting the others down again on the table.
"Okay then, Chinese it is." Pietro nodded numbly and shuffled on the sofa, leaning back to watch the other open up the menu and flick through it swiftly to find the section he wanted. The Sokovian stayed silent as Clint searched for his order and occasionally glanced over at Lucky who was now sleeping soundly in her doggy bed just outside the kitchen area against the wall. "Did you want me to just order something for you or do you want to choose?" Pietro jumped a little at his words, replying that he didn't mind. He nodded again and watched as he found something in the menu before then quickly calling the number and placing the order.
About half an hour later Clint and Pietro were both sat on the sofa, legs crossed as they ate away at the assortment of Chinese food that had been ordered. Clint had decided to just order things he thought the other might like and then they could both just take whatever they wanted instead of each having a separate meal. Then whatever wasn't eaten could be placed away in the fridge later to warm up and use as a meal tomorrow. It saved time and money and Clint often used to do it with his old flatmate, Tony.
The two men sat quietly as they ate their food, the TV no longer on mute so they could have some entertainment with their feast. The atmosphere was peaceful and calm and Pietro felt safe and strangely warm. It reminded him of how Clint used to sit with him in the little cafe before he made him move in. Sometimes they talked and sometimes they didn't, but it never felt awkward. Not for Pietro, not with him. The brunet smiled to himself as he thought back to those times before suddenly another thought invaded his mind.
"You have work tomorrow..." He stated randomly, staring down at the plastic tub of rice and curry he was currently eating from.
Clint looked over at the boy beside him, frowning at the look on his face. He looked more disappointed than anything, but he could see the fear hidden in the other's eyes.
"Yeah, I do. But you're welcome to just stay in the apartment. It's not like you're gonna trash or steal anything, right?" Clint smiled as he teased the younger, nudging him gently before going back to his food. Pietro only frowned more, biting his lip at the idea of being alone in the apartment. He felt a little awkward being in the apartment with Clint, but being there without him would be worse. Not to mention the fact that he would be alone with Lucky, who, in her defence, was a very nice dog but that didn't stop Pietro from being afraid of her. At least a little. But he also didn't want to be alone. He felt safe with Clint and he didn't know how he would deal without him.
"What would I do all day?" Pietro asked, staring down at his food to avoid looking at Clint. He didn't want him to see the look on his face. Clint shrugged.
"Chill out, watch TV... Do whatever you want really as long as you don't break anything." Clint replied, shovelling another mouthful of noodles into his mouth. Pietro sighed a little to himself, deciding not to think about it for now as he just continued to eat.
~•~•~•~•~
The next day came and Pietro walked down the same hallway into the living room, mind groggy and hair messy. He let out a small yawn and stretched his arms out above his head before then letting them fall to his hair to try and brush out the mess. When he looked around he saw Clint in the kitchen, currently bent over as he filled Lucky's bowls. He was dressed in jeans and a black tight shirt with a purple bow and arrow silhouette in the centre of it. It was then that Pietro remembered he would be spending the day alone in the apartment. A small frown settled on his lips as he walked further into the room. Clint stood back up, rolling his shoulders and sighing. He turned, picking up his mug before looking over at Pietro who stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room area.
"Morning, Pietro." He smiled and slowly walked out of the kitchen.
"Morning." Pietro smiled back and tugged awkwardly at his shirt. "What time do you have to go to work?" He asked, trying not to seem too disappointed. Clint looked down at his watch for a second.
"Now, pretty much." He sighed and quickly finished his coffee, setting the cup down on the coffee table and rushing to his bedroom to grab a jacket. Pietro could only watch as Clint returned, pulling the sleeves over his arms swiftly and checking for his keys once the jacket was on. He then looked up and frowned at Pietro. The Sokovian was holding his arm, his gaze cast down at the floor and Clint couldn't help but think he looked like a small child. Just a scared, vulnerable kid who didn't want to be left alone. Clint paused a moment to just look at the younger male before then walking over to him. He placed his hand on the other's shoulder, causing his head to snap up. Bright blue eyes stared up at Clint with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Clint smiled and patted his shoulder gently. "You'll be fine." He said softly and Pietro seemed to relax somewhat but still seemed rather frightened. "I won't be gone long. I'll be back before you know it." The smile stretched into a grin, his hand not leaving the other's shoulder. "Until then, make sure you eat something. Even if it's only small, okay?" He asked, hand tightening a little over the frail shoulder. Pietro gave a small nod and attempted a smile in return. The two then paused, and something passed between them. Neither male knew what it was, but there was a sudden feeling between the to, a sort of warmth. Blue met blue as they both stared at each other, eyes studying and searching, but for what neither knew.
However, the moment was gone as soon as it came and Clint quickly pulled away, leaving them both with a somewhat cold feeling. Clint smiled awkwardly before bidding the young brunet goodbye and left quickly as to avoid being late. Pietro stood frozen in the living room, staring at the door. He didn't know how long had passed before he shook his head and snapped himself out of his thoughts.
Pietro spent the morning showering and then searching in the kitchen for hours for something to eat. He didn't want to take anything Clint would miss and didn't know how much he would be able to take. In the end, he found some cheap-looking cereal and poured some into a bowl with a little bit of milk. He got himself a glass of water and sat down on the sofa. The TV was off and he didn't bother turning it on as he ate in silence, drifting into thought. More specifically, thoughts about Clint. He had always thought the blond was attractive, ever since he met him at the cafe. But he had never truly thought about him. Now that he was alone he had the chance to really think about everything. Clint was amazing in Pietro's eyes. Not only because he had been feeding the homeless boy for almost two months and had also homed him for the past couple of days. No, Clint was an amazing person besides that. He was funny, incredibly kind, attractive, outgoing, skilled, understanding, patient. The list could go on. Pietro could think of a million different reasons why Clint was amazing, maybe even perfect.
Pietro whined softly and rubbed his face, his bowl untouched in his lap. The Sokovian sighed and bit at his lip, ripping the skin nervously. He had a crush on Clint. Not a big one, but enough that he'd probably start getting distracted now that it was on his mind. He had noticed how his stomach fluttered with Clint, but he always put it down to nerves. Pietro huffed and started to eat the cheap cereal, scratching his head and tugging the brown strands, irritated with himself.
It was then Lucky decided to come over. The old dog stood from her bed, stretched out her front legs before padding over to the young boy on the sofa. Pietro looked up and watched nervously as the dog placed her head on his knee. She gently sniffed the bowl before walking past him to the free side of the couch. She looked at the brunet for a second before then jumping up. Twirling in circles a couple of times she then settled down finally, her head resting on the arm of the sofa. Pietro shuffled away from the dog and pushed himself against the other arm. The dog watched the Sokovian boy before closing her eyes. The young male sighed and looked down at his cereal.
"Well, Lucky..." Pietro tentatively reached out and stroked the golden retriever's back, knowing she wouldn't hurt him like the other dogs he had met. "Looks like I've got a bit of a crush on your dad... Great..." He sighed, glancing off into the apartment. He just hoped this wouldn't affect anything. He liked living with Clint and he didn't want it to end.