Clint got back to his apartment around half past 7, feeling exhausted and aching all over. Today had been busy in the cafe, more so than usual and Clint had been non-stop walking around and taking orders. He was surprised he still had his voice from how much he had been talking. All he wanted was to get home and order take out before going to bed.
As the blond walked through the door, he threw his keys down into the bowl, stretching out his arms as he walked into the main part of the living room.
"Lucky!" A yelp came from the kitchen followed by a giggle. When Clint looked up, the scene before him surprised him. Pietro was in the kitchen, cooking what looked like pasta. The brunet was being attacked by the old dog who apparently wanted to try out some cooking herself. The young Sokovian gently pushed the dog, a bright-looking smile on his face. "This isn't for you! I'll give you some leftovers later but Clint will be home soon and I need to get this cooked." He chuckled and turned back to the food on the stove, crying out as he quickly turned down the heat. "Bad food! You're not allowed to burn, this has to be perfect!" At that Clint couldn't help but laugh, quickly covering his mouth but it was too late. Pietro had heard and so had Lucky. The golden lab came running over to the blond, barking happily as Clint quickly started to fuss her. Pietro looked over at the older male, feeling himself freeze up. Clint looked gorgeous when he smiled like that.
Clint pushed the dog away gently after giving her a sufficient amount of fusses. He made his way over to the young male in his kitchen and grinned.
"What's all this then??" He walked up behind the boy and leaned over his shoulder, breathing in the smell of the pasta and sauce being cooked. "Smells great." Pietro shrunk in on himself as he felt his cheeks burn but smiled nonetheless.
"I, uh... It's nothing special. I realised there was some food here close to its best before date and I wanted to do something nice for you so I, um.. cooked..." He turned the heat down low to stop the food burning and turned to face the blond behind him. His breath caught in his throat at the close proximity of the two. Blue met blue in a soft stare. "I hope that's okay..?" The brunet whispered, breathing softly. Clint only stood about an inch away from Pietro, their breath mixing. The older male let his eyes flick down to stare at the soft pair of pale lips before looking back up again. Pietro felt his stomach twist, heart fluttering in his chest.
"That's amazing... Thank you, Pietro." And then he stepped back and the Sokovian felt his heart hammer in his chest. If the other had just leaned in a little further... Pietro coughed gently and turned quickly, stirring the sauce and pasta before then turning off the stove completely.
"It's, uh... all cooked so you should just go sit and relax and I'll bring it over." The brunet muttered, ignoring the crack in his voice. Clint nodded slightly, glancing at the other male before then walking over to the sofa.
Pietro brought the two plates over to the sofa, laying them down on the coffee table. The brunette sat down beside Clint, knees brushing against each other. Clint muttered a thank you and picked up the place, gathering some food together on his fork and taking a bite. Instantly a moan slipped through his lips and he wanted nothing more than to stuff his face with the entire plate.
"This is amazing!" Pietro smiled a little and looked down at his plate, stirring his food around on the plate.
"I added a few herbs I found in your cupboards. Some of them hadn't even been opened. I thought it might make it a bit nicer."
"Well, it's great, oh my god!" Clint moaned with a mouth full of food. Pietro giggle softly and began to eat his own food, feeling rather proud of himself for making Clint so happy.
The TV filled the comfortable silence between the two men, playing softly as they both ate. Their thighs pressed together but neither said anything.
After a few minutes passed, Clint's attention shifted away from the food to his apartment. He looked around, frowning a little in confusion.
"Did... did you clean the apartment...?" Clint turned back to look at Pietro who stopped eating. He bit his lip gently and hid behind his overgrown hair.
"I, uh... yeah. I'm s-sorry, I just-"
"What? No, Pietro. You haven't done anything wrong! It's wonderful!" The blond turned to look at the younger male next to him, smiling brightly. Pietro lifted his head slightly to look at the blond.
"I just thought it would be nice... I wanted to try and find a way to repay you for all that you had done. And I know I'd never been able to do that, but-" His words were cut off as Clint reached over, brushing back to long brown stands to see the dull blue eyes that grew brighter every time he looked at them.
"You don't have to repay me... But thank you, for all of this." Clint cupped the younger's cheek, gently rubbing the growing facial hair there. Pietro sighed out, absorbing the feeling of warmth from the hand on his cheek. "And try and relax a little, okay?" He said softly, his thumb rubbing gently strokes. Pietro felt his eyes begin to close. He felt like a puppy and he wanted nothing more than to feel like this forever. Safe and warm. Half lidded eyes stared into bright blue eyes. Clint began to lean in slowly, feeling his heartbeat fast. He knew he had grown attracted to the male ever since then began talking in the cafe. After learning about his past and what he had been through Clint wanted nothing more than to protect the young male, create a better life for him. He knew it sounded stupid but there was something about the brunet.
Their lips brushed together softly, barely touching. Pietro felt tense, nervous and excited. His heart was going to break out of his rib cage soon enough and he gripped Clint's jeans a little, his hands shaking. The blond stopped what he was doing, watching for any signs that the other didn't want this. Though he looked nervous he looked ready and waiting. Clint felt a smile stretch his lips and leaned in further, slow and steady to give the trembling Sokovian chance to decide. When he didn't move away Clint felt sure of this and moved in. Their lips pressed together in a short kiss that sent shudders down both male's spines. Pietro felt a small gasp escape him and Clint took advantage, deepening the kiss. Strong fingers brushed brown strands and fragile hands gripped at denim jeans to stop them from shaking. Pietro felt hot all over, skin tingling under his blue hoodie. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity for the two.
Clint pulled away slowly, laughing softly to himself when he felt Pietro let out a shuddery breath, leaning forward to continue the kiss but being stopped by a gentle finger. The Sokovian's eyes slowly drew open, staring up in a case at the blond.
"Woah..." Pietro laughed softly, his face on fire but he didn't care. "Is kissing always like that..?"
Clint huffed a small laugh, "Not always..." He grinned and leaned back slightly, still brushing his fingers through the other's hair. He soon pulled away though. Pietro instantly missed the feeling but said nothing as he watched the blond pick up the plates. The after feeling of the kiss began to fade and Pietro frowned a little to himself, his mind suddenly filling with thoughts. What did the kiss mean? He didn't know and he felt scared.
Clint placed the dirty dishes in the sink, running some water over them and letting them be for now. He walked back over to the sofa and sat down next to Pietro, looking up at the boy. His smile fell as he watched the nervous-looking boy.
"What's wrong?" Pietro looked up at Clint, mind reeling over what to say.
"We just- we.. we kissed." He whispered. Clint frowned in confusion but nodded.
"Yeah, we did... Why? Is that not a good thing?" He had a headshake in response.
"No, no. It is- I think. I mean, I like you. So yeah, it's good. It's just... It's sudden and I don't know what this means. I've never kissed anyone before, let alone been with anyone. I don't know the rules, or what to do. I..." Pietro trailed over and hugged himself, looking up at the older male. Clint sighed and rubbed the back of his head.
"Honestly. I don't know either." He admitted quietly, avoiding eye contact with the Sokovian. "I just know that I like you. A lot. But... well, we've known each other for almost two months now. We know a lot about each other. You're living with me for Christ's sakes!" He paused and looked back at the brunet, offering a small smile. "We don't have to make this into anything serious. But maybe we could give a relationship a go...? And we don't have to rush! We'll go slow, take our time. And you'll never have to do anything you don't want to." Pietro stared at Clint, feeling conflicted. After a moment of thought, a smile stretched over his face, small but strong.
"I think I'd like that..." He said quietly, accent thicker with his nerves. "Does... Does this mean that we could kiss again...?" Clint chuckled and nodded, leaning in and capturing Pietro's lips in another kiss, longer than the first. Pietro smiled more and kissed back, careful and tentative but trusting. Clint took things slow like he said, making sure the younger was comfortable. The kiss lasted almost half a minute before the two were pushed apart by a golden furred head. The two males laughed and gently fussed the Labrador. Clint then looked up and grinned at Pietro.
"Movie night?" Pietro gave a nod of agreement.
"Sounds good."
The two were soon curled on the sofa, lights off and an action movie playing on the screen. Clint was on the end of the sofa, leaning against the arm while Pietro sat next to him, their legs pressed against each other and a blanket covering their laps. Lucky sat on the other side of Pietro, taking up most of the sofa and pushing the new couple together slightly. The evening went by quietly and there was a comfortable atmosphere throughout the apartment.
About halfway through the movie, soft snores began to disrupt the peaceful quiet. Pietro looked over at the older male next to him and watched as he slept. The brunet felt a smile tug at his lips as he shifted, carefully standing up from the sofa. Lucky had moved now from the sofa to her bed and Pietro had a feeling she wouldn't be much trouble throughout the night.
The young male sighed out, brushing his hair back as he tried to figure out what to do. He didn't want to wake the exhausted man, but he didn't really want to let him sleep out on the sofa. After a couple of minutes of thinking, Pietro shut off the TV and decided it would be better to wake Clint up. So he knelt down slowly and placed his hand on the blond's shoulders, shaking them gently.
"Clint...? Come on, wake up." He whispered, shaking him a little harder. Clint groaned, shuffling a little. "Come on. Can't have you sleeping out here." Pietro smiled as the other's eyes fluttered open.
"M'tired," Clint grunted, sitting up slowly. Pietro rubbed his shoulders gently before standing and helping the older do the same.
"I know. So the sooner we get you into your bed the better." Clint gave a tired nod, yawning rather dramatically. Pietro could only roll his eyes as he helped the blond to his bed, dropping him off at the door. Clint stumbled a little at the door once Pietro let go of him.
"Night, kid..." Pietro smiled a little and shook his head.
"Good night, old man." He teased, watching a Clint rubbed his eyes before leaning over and clumsily placing a kiss on Pietro's chin. The Sokovian giggled quietly and pushed the older male away.
Before long to two had gone to bed. Clint fell asleep within seconds of collapsing on his bed.
Pietro on the other hand wasn't quite ready to sleep yet. The young Sokovian decided to have a warm shower before going to bed. The shower lasted fifteen minutes before he then stepped out, creeping down the hallway to his room. With only a towel around his waist, Pietro searched for some clothes, grabbing some joggers, a plain shirt and his hoodie from earlier in the day.
The brunet dropped the towel on the floor, slipping on his joggers and underwear before grabbing the towel again to dry his hair quickly. As he did, he turned toward the full-length mirror in the corner of the room.
The same image from the store appeared in the glass. Pietro froze as his gaze met the reflection, biting his lip hard. He forced himself to look away as his chest tightened. He knew it was going to take a while for him to look normal again. But he didn't know if he could be patient enough. A heavy sigh fell from his lips as he quickly covered his body with his shirt, throwing his hoodie on and tugging to make sure it didn't cling.
As he climbed into bed, curling under the covers to hide from the world, Pietro knew he wasn't going to get much sleep that night.