Fury told him to stay away. Don't let the Avengers see you and stay out of the public eye. Simple but emphatic instructions. But that didn't stop him from listening. Always tuning into reports and different news about the movements of the Avengers. He still cared a great deal about each of them. Some more than others.
Certain archers tended to draw his attention the most. He was one of the ones that recruited Barton. one of the ones that acted as his Handler and sat by his bed when he got hurt and ended up laid up in the hospital. He spent hours doing paperwork through the night listening to nothing but a heart monitor. Some assets were never just assets. He cared just as much about Natasha in a lot of ways.
So when he got word of the taking of Barton's wife that he never breathed a word about, he decided he couldn't stay away. Landing on the carrier, his small team looked hesitant as they half followed him and half lagged behind. They didn't know why he was there, just that he got that look of seriousness that they took just as seriously. He told them it was personal. He wouldn't lie about that. Coulson learned his lesson about lies and withholding information. But he also knew that the nature of the visit... that was not his business to share.
Carefully sidestepping Natasha, he moved to places he knew Barton would linger and finally found the archer. His feet froze just ten yards from his former asset and close friend and he felt the ice in his chest. Finally he shifted, moving closer to slowly kneel to one knee in front of Clint Barton as he saw each tear fall to the floor and land on hands that shouldn't be shaking like that.
Brow furrowing, he finally reached out and wrapped his hands carefully around the shaking calloused fingers of a practiced archer. Hands that could drag him out of danger and save thousands... and he did't want to know how much it hurt not to save one person that was the center of your universe.
no subject
Certain archers tended to draw his attention the most. He was one of the ones that recruited Barton. one of the ones that acted as his Handler and sat by his bed when he got hurt and ended up laid up in the hospital. He spent hours doing paperwork through the night listening to nothing but a heart monitor. Some assets were never just assets. He cared just as much about Natasha in a lot of ways.
So when he got word of the taking of Barton's wife that he never breathed a word about, he decided he couldn't stay away. Landing on the carrier, his small team looked hesitant as they half followed him and half lagged behind. They didn't know why he was there, just that he got that look of seriousness that they took just as seriously. He told them it was personal. He wouldn't lie about that. Coulson learned his lesson about lies and withholding information. But he also knew that the nature of the visit... that was not his business to share.
Carefully sidestepping Natasha, he moved to places he knew Barton would linger and finally found the archer. His feet froze just ten yards from his former asset and close friend and he felt the ice in his chest. Finally he shifted, moving closer to slowly kneel to one knee in front of Clint Barton as he saw each tear fall to the floor and land on hands that shouldn't be shaking like that.
Brow furrowing, he finally reached out and wrapped his hands carefully around the shaking calloused fingers of a practiced archer. Hands that could drag him out of danger and save thousands... and he did't want to know how much it hurt not to save one person that was the center of your universe.