#and if they ever fought about anything it'd more than likely be money-related

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

Did Kai and Nya ever have a serious fight with Kai even shouting at Nya before the storie or in between?

If they ever did, it'd be moreso Nya flying off the handle due her own frustrations blinding her from seeing the fuller picture, while Kai of course would get really worked up from the stress and/or knowing that something's wrong, but rarely would let it escalate to the point of him taking it out on her (similar to their festering animosity at one another during Book 2 that accumulated in B2Ch27)

[izzysarchivedblogs]

HE KNOWS IT'S MAYBE NOT THE BEST TIME ⸺ Or perhaps, someone else might judge that. Clint knows he's about to be talky for the next few hours at least. UNLESSS KATE DECIDES NO. It could go short, which he thinks will be a bad thing more than a good thing (or perhaps it goes well, but it's that too well kind of way).

However, he needs something to distract him from KATE RELATED STRESS. Talking about the building felt like the perfect thing. They'd have a limited amount of time to talk this out, can't get too heated because of Brandy (not that he thinks it'd get heated; his anger was more overwhelm and misguided). THAT SEEMED, MAYBE GOOD. Forces him to be objective with what he needs to say.

TONY HAD SUGGESTED SELLING IT. That's a suggestion he hadn't liked, but as he knew even in an instant. It's not like he could do anything about that, besides be anger and hurt.

It's touching in a way that makes Clint's gut twist with guilt as Tony explains I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO FEEL THAT WAY. Little moments of wonder, that maybe there was a lot more to them already than they had admit, and Tony did that PRE-APOLOGY, after the last time they had seen each other, two weeks prior; THEY FOUGHT.

It hadn't gotten physically violent, no hands on each other, but Clint had thrown a mug of sentimental value, after taking it from Tony's brownstone (HERE ⸺ he remembers the shelf, how he picked it out) after the man had taken him home, Clint completely wasted from gin and any other drink he could get at the FEAST gala after his showboating. TONY BOUGHT HIS BUILDING AFTER THAT, BEFORE CLINT WAS EVEN WORKING ON HIMSELF.

From the sounds of it, before he he couldn't even MAKE it single day without drinking before he went in. THERE IS A FEELING OF HUR THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW. A small bit of anger because Clint was preparing himself to go to Bed-Stuy with an eviction notice on his front door and he's homeless and broke, the reserve avenger stipend he normally lived on frozen. HE HAD CHECK WHEN TWO DAYS AFTER HE HAD GOT HERE.

His avengers status was a big question, and his ID had been limited access (something he had quietly noticed without mentioning).

❝ I couldn't buy it back any time soon, so really me asking you not sell it or do anything with it? I have no power or say, it's not mine. So do whatever you want with it. ❞ EVEN IF THEIR HAD BEEN MEANING IN OWNING IT. Tony could, and it's scary, do anything he wanted because what right did he have.

IT'S IN BETTER HANDS WITH TONY THAN IT EVER WAS WITH HIM.

❝ You should have told me, you should have told me that first call at rehab. I'VE BEEN TORTURING MYSELF over what I did and what happened; lived here like I has gonna go home to an eviction notice and add another list of things I had to worry about. Homeless, broke like... have you even looked into my finances? It's... Not good, could not in fact afford to hire a good accountant to sort it. ❞

GOD. AND HE KNOWS TONY WOULD HELP WITH THAT. ❝ And Don't. Don't help with that, it's my mess to unfutz, like I know I'm going to have to talk to Carol, she's chair right? ❞ At least she knows his situation, and is more sympathetic than he expected from her in all honestly. She's got about the similar Captain Righteousness that Steve had. ❝ Gonna... have to figure that out. ❞ THE FACT WAS Clint's not been the MOST clean about his money. Tracksuit dracula fortune became his until Barney took most of it to buy a private island. OTHER THINGS.

Never traditionally made money or cared about it.

❝ So I am going to have to go to the Avenger, one of these days and ask them to call a meeting. ❞ AND TONY WOULD BE EXCLUDED BECAUSE PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT AS HIS BOYFRIEND. ❝ Vote on my status, make my case cause I had for quite a few years, and still got by with the stipend and pension. ❞ WHICH IS NOT ALL IT'S CRACKE UP TO BE, but when there was over fifty avengers members (still counting), any of whom were on reverses or active (a few inactive exceptions to the rule) that's a lot of people to receive any sort of financial compensation (if they so chose, not everyone took it) but guys like Clint whose literal only job ever had been the Avengers. IT'S WHAT THEY LIVED ON. A small stipend that got most through the month but not necessarily something to write home about.

Clint sighs, and there's where the twisted feelings about Tony buying the building. ❝ You should have told me. . . It's a lot, Tony, and I don't deserve or have earned that kind of grace or kindness. ❞

Tony's head snaps around when Clint mentions the building. He hadn't expected to have this conversation now. Clint was so caught up in his head about Kate and then who knows what needed to be said about Tony keeping secrets. Tony had figured that the Kate thing would happen. It would take forever, and there would be shouting and then crying and finally they'd be friends again. Then the next day when all the dust had settled, Clint would tear into Tony about lying and doing too much and whatever else he was rightfully upset about.

He expected Clint to tell him that he couldn't trust him anymore and that they'd break up.

And things are not going the way Tony had expected at all. Clint's thanking him? Why is Clint thanking him?

Tony shakes his head. "I won't sell it then," he said. "I didn't buy it as an investment though. I just - it's your building and I know why you bought it. I've made huge mistakes when I was drunk where I woke up and wished I'd never done it. I didn't want you to feel that way."

He turned and looked at him, taking a steading breath. "I should have told you. I was going to tell you. I just wanted to wait until you were on more steady footing. I didn't want you to stop asking me for help because you thought you'd used up all my help. But it's not excuse. I still should have let you know. And I was never planning on keeping it. I thought you could buy it back when you were ready. If you want to do that, we can work something out."

He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to hold him in his arms and just have everything be okay. But that wasn't up to him. So he just waited for Clint. It was Clint who had been hurt. It was up to him to decide when and if they were okay.

He picked up Brandy. He needed something to ground him and without being sure if Clint was ready to be that, he'd use the baby who was still babbling like she was part of the conversation that was happening.