Let him out

Late at night, shortly before midnight, in the Avengers Mansion.
All Avengers were asleep, well not all of them.
Two where arguing in the corridor before there rooms.

"Let him out!"
"No!"
"Let Bruce out!
"Hulk won't! Hulk want be free!"
"So, you want to be free? Fine. I bet with you, Bruce wants the same! You didn't let him out for a week, do you think that's fair?" Clint stood there with his hands on his hips and looked angry at Hulk, who returned the look with crossed arms.
"Hulk and Banner have deal, Banner stays inside Hulk, Hulk helps Avengers!"
"Oh, and because of that deal Bruce hasn't the right to be out sometimes?", the Archer shook his head in disbelief. "Do you know what, Jade Jaw? You act like a little child, who doesn't want to go to bed."

The green one grumbled: "Why want Cupid Banner out?"
"Because I have to tell him something very important!" insisted Clint.
"Tell Hulk!"
"No, Hulk isn't Bruce and what I have to say is only for Bruce, not for you," the blond-haired sighed and turned around, "I'm feeling like I'm talking to a wall."

Before Clint could take a single step toward his room, two green arms grabbed him and lifted him up.
"Woah! Jade Jaw what are you doing?" he gasped, surprised and held tight onto Hulks arms when he lost the ground under his feet.
"Tell Hulk! Hulk wants to know!" growled Hulk and laid his chin on Clint's head.

Stunned, the Archer took a deep breath, he never expected the Hulk to pick him up. Ok, Hulk gave him many piggy-back rides, but he never'd hold him like that. He could feel Hulk's chest rise with every breath the green one took, could hear Hulk's heart beat like a kettledrum and felt the movements of his jaw when he gritted on his teeth.
"Cupid scared." Hulk's voice sounded disappointed, but Clint answered: "No, but your head's heavy."

Hulk raised an eyebrow and moved his head off of Clint's.

The other used this moment to rub his hurting head and to turn around in Hulk's grip. "You know, my head's not a head-rest, Jade Jaw."

"Why Cupid won't tell Hulk? Banner will hear it, as soon as Hulk hears it." the green one mumbled and grimaced in annoyance.
Clint saw Hulk in his green eyes and laid, with a knowing smile on his face, a hand on his big green cheek.
"I know, I know Bruce would hear it if I say it to you, but it's not that simple big guy. There are words which are only meint for one person and that's the reason why I can't say them to you. Those two words are only for Bruce."

Hulk looked very disgruntled at the blond-haired Archer in his arms. "Hulk won't share Cupid!"
At first, Clint was taken aback by Hulk's words, then he smiled at him, stroke his cheek and said: "You don't have to share me, Jade Jaw. Cupid's only there for Hulk, but, Clint is there for Bruce."

Hulk's eyes widened in surprise, he didn't expect such an answer from Clint, or even to be stroked. Unsure how to react, Hulk only pressed Clint, as careful as he could, at his big green chest and laid his head on Clint's shoulder.

Clint just tried to lay his arms around Hulk's neck, or at least on his shoulders, when Hulk started to shrink.

Actually this shouldn't be something new to the blond archer, but it was different then usual. Usually, he watched Hulk changing back to Bruce, from further away and not in his arms.

This was completely new for him and he watched astonished as Hulks big muscled arms went thin and soft under his own, and shortly after Clint had solid ground under his feet again and was holding a heavy breathing Bruce whose head still was resting on Clint's shoulder.

Clint couldn't stop himself from smiling, "Hey."

Slowly, Bruce raised his head and looked at Clint, "What's so important to make you talk with him for over two hours just for letting me out?" But instead of an answer, the archer only laid his index finger on Bruce's lips and grinned at him.

The scientist blinked in confusion, but stood still and did nothing, beside looking at Clint and letting himself being infected by his smile.

There was no sound in the corridor until the clock stroked midnight and as the sound of the last strike faded, Clint moves his Finger away from Bruce's lips and whispered: "Happy Birthday."

Bruce was totally caught off guard, "Eh, what?"
"Have I mistaken the date?" murmured Clint, pulling out his phone to look at the display. "May 17th," he said and looked questioningly at Bruce.

The brown haired blinked "No, you didn't get it wrong," he answered and added after a few seconds, "...wait, you only argued with him because of my birthday?"
"Sure, do I need another reason?" asked Clint and laid, after he'd put away his phone, his hand on Bruce's cheek.

"But, my birthday isn't that important Clint." mumbled Bruce unsure, but the archer shook his head.
"Your birthday is more important than Christmas to me! If you hadn't been born, we'd never have met! I'm glad you exist."

As he listened to Clint's words, Bruce started smiling, in a way Clint had never seen him smile before. Without anymore hesitating, his hand moved from Bruce's cheek to his neck, pulling him closer to kiss him.

It was their first kiss since a week. No. Wrong. Since a month. Yes, they saw each other the last time a week ago, but they could only say "Good morning" to each other, before they got a call to assemble and Bruce had to hulk-out so that the Avengers could fight against some stupid Hydra Robots.

So they had now to make up for one month without kissing each other.

Clint nibbled on Bruce's lips, until he opened them a little so that Clint's tongue could slip in. Bruce's hands moved to Clint's shoulders and he chuckled when the blonde started to tickle the roof of his mouth with the tip of his tongue. When their tongues finally met each other, it was like the time had stopped for them.

Eventually when they ended the kiss, the archer grinned at Bruce, "So, this was your birthday kiss, now you get your birthday present. A day with me."

"Oh nice," Bruce laughed, "where's the gift bow around your head?"

"I thought about it, but then I would have spoiled the surprise."

"That's true," chuckled the scientist until suddenly his legs started shaking.

Clint just managed to hold Bruce before he completely lost his strength.
"Bruce! You're okay?" he asked worriedly and Bruce nodded tiredly, "Yes, it's just the after-math from de-hulking, I can't stand upright anymore."

The blonde took one of Bruce's arms and put it around his shoulders to give him support, "Well, I think I should put you to bed before you collapse."

"I'm sorry. Thank you," Bruce replied soft-spoken when they slowly walked to Bruce's room. When they stood in front of his room door, the brown-haired scientist looked at his feet, "Ehm...would you......stay..."

As an answer, Bruce got a smile and a kiss on his temple from Clint, "Sure." The archer opened the door and closed it behind them.



After Bruce and Clint had disappeared into the room, two persons stuck their heads around the corner of the corridor.
"So, what do you think?" asked the young woman, while she flew around the other.
"Well, on a kiss scale from one to ten, I would say seven... No, eight." answered the man, scratching his beard.
"Yeah sure, on a Tony Stark-scale maybe. But on a Bruce-scale, I would say 15. Have you seen his face?" Jan smirked, flew to the keyhole and peeked inside, "Oh man, the key's in, I can't see anything!" she pouted and turned around, "By the way Tony, what's with the party, is everything ready?"

Tony showed his finest Tony Stark-throws-the-best-parties grin, "Sure, what are you thinking Jan? That will the best party Bruce ever got!" And then, in front of Bruce's room door, he mumbled, "Hmm, maybe I should install some security cams, just in case..."

Jan raised an eyebrow, grinned gleefully, "I think, I should tell Steve about your idea with the cams." and flew off.
Tony winced when he heard those words and chased after her, "What? Jan, wait! Don't tell Steve!"