Different Roads Challenge#10

Title:  Inventive Punishments
Author: Ladyholder
Challenge #:  10
Fandom/Original: The Avengers (2012)
Genre (slash/het/gen/etc): Mostly Gen, some really broad hints of slash if you look at it right
Warnings:  No
Concrit (yes/no): Off list/off line ONLY  

 

“I can’t believe you slept with her,” Tony muttered in a low aside to his escort of the night. Steve had been dragged into a last minute meeting with Coulson and Fury and had to bow out of the ‘party’ they had been required to attend by Pepper. Tony thought he had gotten the better part of the bargain and had tried to duck the whole mess too. Pepper had shot that down and told him to take Clint.

 

Thankfully the other man was involved with someone who had an even bigger suit collection than Tony did and was outfitted with enough high end threads to cover any occasion. Just because Clint liked to run around the Tower in jeans, a battered wife-beater and combat boots didn’t mean that Coulson was going to let him look like a slob all the time. And there was no way in hell that Steve’s suit would have fit him. The archer had agreed to come and they had spent the first fifteen minutes of the party sniping softly at each other before they had spotted their hostess.

 

“Sorry! She was a job and I was using her to get close to one of her circle,” Clint explained softly.

 

Tony looked over at his friend and sighed. “So, does she know your name? Or an alias?”

 

The face Clint flashed him was frustrated and pissy all at once, “She is gonna call me Frank since I used that. And she is gonna think I am a high classed escort.”

 

“I can work with that,” Tony said amiably.  Shooting the other man a teasing look, he asked, “Does Phil know about this?”

 

The frustration was back as Clint turned to look at him, “Hell yes. Why do you think Pepper suggested me? This is his way of getting me back for getting shot last month.”

 

Eyes twinkling in suppressed laughter, Tony smiled. “Go Phil for the best revenge.”

 

“Yeah, he does.” Clint said, sulking slightly at the thought. “And no maniacal laughter to warn you how evil he is.”

 

Snickering slightly at the tone, Tony smiled at the hostess as she came their way, “I am guessing that he has studied the Evil Overlord List?”

 

“Studied hell, he makes it standard reading every quarter,” Clint confirmed.

 

“That so figures,” Tony agreed. “Marsha, lovely to see you. I understand that you know my companion of the evening? Frank, you remember Marsha, don’t you?”

 

The look in his eyes promised retribution, but Clint played his part well, “I do indeed. Lovely to see you here, Marsha.”

 

The look on their hostess’s face was confused and slightly wary as she stared at Tony and then the man she knew as ‘Frank’. Voice faint, she quickly air kissed Tony’s cheek and with a muttered, “Got to go, dearies!” she was gone.

 

“If this is what happens when I bring you to these things, I am going to bring you to all of them.” Tony said softly as he placed his hand on the small of Clint’s back and started moving them over to the bar. God, he wanted a drink.

 

“Don’t think so. But you are buying. “ Clint muttered right back and then jumped slightly against Tony’s hand. “Someone just pinched me.”

 

“Better you than me, Cupid.” Tony said with a smile. “Two whiskeys.”

 

Clint rubbed the sore spot on his ass and accepted the drink, “I don’t get paid enough for this shit.

Tony just laughed and clinked their drinks together.