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Clint heard Lucky barking with joy as he slid his key in the lock, and as tired as he was, the sound and the scrabbling of paws on the other side of the door made him grin.
"Hey, boy!" he said with a laugh as he pushed the door open and dropped to a knee so the dog could jump around and slather him with kisses, still barking deliriously. "Hey, I missed you too!"
"You're home early," a voice from farther in the apartment said, and Clint straightened in surprise, looking up to see Phil unfolding himself off the couch. He was in soft jeans and a worn, faded SHIELD shirt that hugged him in all the right ways, and the sight made Clint feel like doing a little joybarking himself.
"What are you doing here?" Clint asked with a grin as he stood and nudged Lucky back into the apartment so he could close the door.
"Kate had something come up," Phil answered, "and we didn't know when you'd be back, so I offered to come stay with Lucky since I'm between ops."
Clint reeled him in for a kiss, happily filling his head with the scents of Phil-at-home: the sharp green apple of his shampoo, and the aftershave and subtle cologne he only wore in his downtime.
Phil hummed against his lips, his hands sliding to Clint's hips to hold him closer, shifting just slightly to deepen the kiss into a proper welcome home.
Clint was well on his way to discovering his second wind when a jolt against his leg knocked him out of the kiss and almost to his knees. He glanced down into Lucky's happy grin.
"He's not used to sharing me when I get home from an op," he said apologetically, closing his eyes as he rested his forehead against Phil's for one more chance to breathe him in.
"Can't blame him," Phil said, and his voice was so warm and fond that it made Clint feel like squirming, even nearly a year after finally realizing that Phil felt the same way about him that he felt about Phil.
Phil laughed quietly and took his hand, other hand reaching down to scritch Lucky behind the ear.
"Are you hungry?" he asked Clint, and Clint nodded as he toed off his boots and set his bow case against the wall. "I can order something."
"Would you? I'll just grab a shower."
"Sure. Any particular cravings?" Phil pulled out his phone and turned toward the kitchen drawer that held the takeout menus as Clint headed for the bathroom.
"Nah, not tonight. I'm good with anything. Sorry, Luck," he added as he shut the door on the whining dog. "Bathroom time is solo time, you know that."
He cleaned up quickly, growling stomach in harmony with his desire to spend as much time with Phil as possible. They saw each other at SHIELD and nearly every weekend they were both in town, but weeknights together were still pretty unusual.
Coming home to see Phil relaxed and happy in his apartment was a pretty good feeling, though. He could get used to it. He wondered if he'd be able to convince Phil to stay the night, even though it was a work night.
He was pretty sure it wouldn't take that much convincing.
Clint slipped on a pair of sweats and a comfortable (okay, maybe slightly ratty, but it was comfortable, all right?) t-shirt and took a few minutes to unpack his gear so he wouldn't have to do it later.
He was just finishing up when the buzzer rang.
"Pizza's here!" Phil called, and Clint paused mid-step, blinking in surprise. Pizza was usually a weekend treat, not a Tuesday dinner. He shrugged, deciding not to question a good thing, and continued back toward the kitchen.
Lucky, having heard and smelled his favorite food, was dancing and barking again, trying to get to the boxes Phil was setting on the counter. Phil hip-checked him away and said, softly but firmly, "Down, Lucky. No."
The dog whined but sat - in a way he never did for Clint - casting a hopeful, desperate look up at Phil as he lifted the lid of a tiny personal pepperoni pizza and set it next to their large pizza with everything. Clint eyed the small pizza curiously.
"Want to let it cool a little," Phil said as he opened the other box and slid a couple of pieces onto a plate. "Can you pour us something to drink?"
Still curious, Clint turned to the fridge. "Tea alright?" he asked, and turned to see Phil nod as he sliced the small pizza into small, square chunks.
"Did you get Lucky his own little pizza?" he asked, realization finally dawning.
Phil nodded again and hummed as he tore off the top of the box, leaving the pizza pieces in the bottom, now a wide cardboard dish.
"I think he deserves a treat today, don't you?"
"Was he extra good for you today?" Clint asked in confusion, as he poured their iced tea.
"No more than any other Tuesday," Phil said, glancing over with a smirk, "but it's a special day."
He leaned down to where Lucky was still pining hopefully, unaware that all his wishes were about to come true. "Isn't it, boy?" he asked, woolling the dog's ears and chucking him under the chin. "It's your special day, Lucky! You're such a good boy, and we're so glad Clint found you and brought you home! So glad you're here! Happy birthday, boy! Here you go!"
He set the small box down on the kitchen floor and watched with a smile as Lucky instantly started wolfing down chunks of pizza. Clint stared at them both, trying to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat.
Phil must've felt his stare because he looked up from Lucky, and whatever he saw on Clint's face made his happy grin instantly slide away.
"I'm sorry, I should have asked first. I didn't think you'd mind. I saw it on the calendar when I was looking for the menus, and I thought it'd be a treat for him."
Clint tore his gaze away from Phil's worried face to the calendar Katie had hung on his wall a while back. He never used it, but she sometimes did, and sure enough, today's date said Lucky's Gotcha Day!!! in her handwriting, inside a purple heart. He'd known it was around now, but with several ops in a row, he'd completely forgotten it. But Phil...
"Clint? Are you okay?" Phil was moving toward him, face still worried, like he'd done something wrong and how --
"I know the vet said we shouldn't, but I figured one day wouldn't hurt," Phil was saying, like Lucky didn't eat things he shouldn't all the time and --
"Marry me," he croaked, his voice sounding like he'd swallowed glass, and Phil's eyes went wide, his voice faltering to a stop.
"What," Phil breathed out, barely more than a whisper.
"Ah, hell, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask you like that," Clint blurted out, heart suddenly pounding. He felt faint. "I didn't even know I wanted it, I don't know if you want it, we've never really talked about it. I mean you know I'm crazy about you, but I didn't - it's like, coming home today and you were here and it felt so good to see you like that and -- "
"Clint -- "
" -- then you bought Lucky pizza, his own pizza for his birthday, some people don't even remember their partner's birthday, let alone their partner's dog and -- "
"Well, I didn't remember it. I just saw it -- "
"Yeah, but you saw it and you cared about it. You care about us, about me and I never thought I could have, I mean, I shouldn't have just said it like that but -- "
"Clint," Phil said again, his hands settling on Clint's shoulders. He gave a tiny shake and Clint trailed off into silence.
"Yeah?" he whispered. Phil didn't look angry, or upset, he just looked surprised, so maybe... maybe it was okay? Maybe he hadn't screwed things up?
"Did you mean it?" Phil asked, his eyes still wide, right there in front of Clint, and so, so blue.
Clint reached up to scratch at the back of his head. "Um. Yeah? I mean if you wanted. Maybe not today or even soon but maybe like someday?"
Phil let out a little sound, almost like a sob, and his eyes looked a little wet and oh god, was he crying? But then he laughed and he pulled Clint into his arms and into a fierce kiss.
He kissed Clint like maybe breathing wasn't a thing that needed to happen anymore and Clint clung to him and decided that if he passed out, Phil would catch him probably, so he was fully on board.
When Phil finally stopped to catch his breath, he was smiling so wide, his eyes sparkling and joyful, and he was so beautiful that Clint lost his breath all over again.
"I think it might be too late for today, but soon works for me."
"Yeah?" Clint asked, his voice like glass again, his hands tight on Phil's arms so he wouldn't slide to the ground.
"Yes," Phil said, nodding his head. "Very definitely yes."
"Oh. Good. I'm glad," Clint said, still not sure he wasn't about to pass out, and Phil laughed.
Before he could say anything else, there was a determined bark, and the sound of a large pizza box sliding off the counter. They turned as one.
"Aww, dog!"
"Lucky, no!"
END