:D :D :D

Yess, exactly. She's avoiding "I love you," there because Clint's just said he knows she loves him so she's kind of attacking the concept sideways (ninja).

I'm really glad Clint's insecurity works for you -- he doesn't really have the words to say it, because he's in the middle of it, but he feels kind of like... a summer love, I guess. Like it's true, strong, encompassing, honest, and in the long run inconsequential. He was ignoring it until Bucky showed up, and now he's like ):!

:DDD re the going out line. At this moment, James just means it as a less-slangy version of "hanging out," but I definitely see OT3 as a possibility in this universe given awhile for them to work stuff out! I can also see it not going that way, depending on how Clint and Bucky end up hitting it off (as friends or as friends + interest), but yes! Feel free to read it that way, hee hee.

Thank you so much for these lovely comments!! They've seriously made my day :D.