Chapter 16
::::::::::::::::
The night passes with games of go fish and some talking and a little bit of rest. Clint’s sleep is light, maybe a couple of hours and he isn’t sure Bucky sleeps at all but that is something he can ask him about later. Right now, they are both back in the kitchen, Clint making them some coffee and that is when he gets a message on his phone, Steve letting him know that he is here.
“Hey, Steve is near the door, I’m going to let him in. You can stay here if you want.”
He says this and Bucky gives a little nod, doesn’t move from his chair and Clint just heads to the door. It hasn’t been that long since he has seen Steve but it feels like a long time and Clint is looking forward to seeing him even if he is a little bit nervous. There is no way to know how all of this is going to play out and Clint just hopes things won’t go to crap soon as he gets to the door, opening it to find Steve on the other side.
“Hey you.”
Maybe it is a bit simple of an opening statement but Clint knows that they will have plenty to talk about later and Steve just gives him a smile as he walks in, his bag being dropped on the floor and his hands grabbing Clint then and bringing him close.
“Hey yourself. I missed you.”
Clint should probably point out that it hasn’t been that long but damn it, he has missed Steve too and so instead he just leans in and kisses him. It is a soft kiss, just a brush of lips but Steve smiles at in and moves his hands to Clint’s neck, pulls him in for another kiss. It feels good but Clint can feel someone else entering the room now and he knows Steve feels it too cause he pulls away now, looks past Clint just a bit and Clint can see his eyes widen, can feel his hands move away from his neck and Clint wonders if he is going to be in trouble for not saying anything before this.
“Bucky?”
The name is spoken softly but with so much care behind it and there is a momentary flash of jealousy before Clint can push it down. He knows how much Steve cares about Bucky but it is a little different to hear that care in his voice and Clint has to remind himself that he means a lot to Steve too.
“Hey Steve.”
Bucky says those words and Clint turns and sees him in the doorway, not moving forward quite yet, just watching them. There is a tension in the way he stands there, one that Clint notices but he doesn’t think Steve does as he starts to move towards Bucky. Bucky tenses up just a bit more and Clint reaches out and puts a hand on Steve’s arm, a sign to let Steve know to wait and he does, stops and turns to look at Clint.
“Didn’t think I should tell you about this on the phone.”
He says this, hopes it is enough explanation and it seems to be as Steve just shifts and grabs one of Clint’s hands, gives it a little squeeze.
“You found him.”
Steve says this now, has a little smile and Clint just sort of shrugs.
“More like he found me then ate most of my mac and cheese.”
“You let me.”
Bucky says this from the door way, is easing up just a bit now that Steve isn’t moving forward and Clint just gives a little nod. There are a few moments of quiet now, the three of them just standing there, Steve still holding Clint’s hand but just staring at Bucky and Clint knows that the two of them need to talk and so he thinks up an opening so he can give them a few minutes alone if they want it right now.
“I got breakfast stuff yesterday and I think scrambled eggs sound good right now so I’ll get that started, you guys can come to the kitchen when you’re ready.”
He says this and Steve gives his hand one more squeeze before he lets it go and Clint moves towards the kitchen, to the doorway Bucky is still standing near. Bucky moves as Clint gets closer, still not quite towards Steve but not really away from him and he lets Clint pass and Clint is in the kitchen alone.
He starts going about making breakfast like he said he was going to, starts pulling stuff out of the fridge but he pauses to pour himself some coffee. Clint takes a big drink once he has it ready, needs it right now. He has a feeling it might be a long day or even a long week depending on how everything goes and he tries to start preparing himself for it as he starts making breakfast.
There is so much that needs to be talked about, between Bucky and Steve and even just between Clint and Steve. They have talked about how much Bucky means to Steve before, about his relationship with Steve, talked about getting him to stop running but they really haven’t discussed what will happen when he does. Is Steve going to want to rekindle everything he had with Bucky? Is that something Bucky would want? If they do rekindle, is that going to change how things are now? Clint knows that it has always been a bit of complicated situation, what with him and Natasha, and now Natasha and Steve, and Natasha and Sam and if Bucky comes back with them, it may complicate things a bit more and Clint isn’t sure how it will complicate things just yet. All these questions are making his head hurt just a bit and he makes himself focus on finishing up breakfast first, can worry about everything else after they have figured out what is going on.
Clint is starting on the bacon now, decides he should probably go ahead and cook the rest of what he has. It will probably get ate between the three of them and he does it in the oven, glad that this is one of the safe houses with sheet pans and more than one skillet since he needs more than one to make enough eggs for the three of them. It should be enough and everything should be ready soon and Clint just sips his coffee and waits and he doesn’t wait too long till Bucky and Steve are walking into the kitchen. Bucky comes in first, Steve a few steps behind, watching Bucky like he is worried to have him out of his sight just a bit.
“That smells good.”
Bucky says this and he sits down at the table and Clint wonders if they have figured things out yet but he will ask about it later. Steve just comes to stand by Clint, close enough that Clint can feel his body heat and he doesn’t mind.
“Clint makes great scrambled eggs, makes good breakfast food in general. ”
Steve says this and his voice is warm with just a little pride in it, like he is bragging on Clint and it eases some of the tension Clint has been feeling so he jokes now.
“Knew you were only dating me for my French toast.”
Steve smiles just a bit as he shakes his head, brushes a quick kiss against Clint’s cheek.
“It isn’t the only reason but it is probably in the top five. Need help with anything?”
He asks and Clint tells him to get plates and stuff down, to get coffee if they want it. The next few minutes pass with Clint finishing up cooking breakfast, Steve getting stuff out for it, and Bucky just watching both of them. Clint wonders if it is a little weird for him, to see how affectionate Steve is with Clint and he hopes it isn’t too weird but it is something to think about later. For now, the food is ready and they all get their plates loaded up, sit down and eat some breakfast.
Conversation is light for the most part, Steve and Clint doing most of it with Bucky just listening and occasionally adding something in. The subjects vary a bit, there is talk about food, about movies, just some random things and Clint thinks it is helping them to relax a bit, especially Bucky. They don’t talk about what he has done, what Hydra made him do, and Clint knows that after Loki sometimes he needed that, needed a chance to not have to think about it and he thinks maybe Bucky might be the same. They finish eating and cleaning up and that is when Bucky moves towards the door way of the kitchen and Steve tenses up just a bit.
“I think I’m going to shower, if that is alright. Do you have anything I could borrow?”
He asks and Clint answers, has moved just a bit closer to Steve to hopefully help ease his tension.
“I’m sure between the two of us we can find something for you, we’ll set it out in the room next to the bathroom in a bit. Towels are under the sink, have shampoo and everything in there, hope you don’t mind smelling like mango orange and beach sunset. “
He arches a bit of a brow at Clint and then says thanks and heads to the bathroom and Steve almost looks like he wants to follow him but Clint just puts a hand on his arm and leads him back to the table, makes him sit and pours them both some more coffee and asks a question.
“You brought a few sets of clothes, right? I have a feeling your shirts may fit him better and I have some sweats that should work. We can get them out for him in a bit, the bathroom doesn’t have windows here so you don’t have to worry about him climbing out of one.”
“I wasn’t thinking that he would climb out of a window.”
Steve says this and Clint just gives him a look, an eyebrow raise that says what Clint wants to say without words and Steve just gives a little sigh.
“Ok, I was thinking he might leave but I figured he would just use the door, not a window. “
Steve says this and then just a few seconds after they both hear the shower turning and Clint can see Steve just relax a bit.
“Are you really worried about him leaving?”
Clint asks now and Steve thinks about it for a moment.
“A little bit, he’s here now, told me earlier that he wanted to see me but didn’t feel like he could do it before now and I’m just worried that he won’t stay. I don’t want to lose him again, just got him back.”
Steve says this and Clint reaches out and takes his hand, holds it and makes a promise.
“We’ll figure it all out, just might take a while. We should get him some clothes.”
Clint doesn’t promise that Bucky will stay, doesn’t promise that Steve won’t lose him again, he knows that those aren’t things he can promise but he does think that they can figure this out. Steve just gives a little nod and gets up and they do get some clothes for Bucky, lay them out like Clint said they would and then they go back to the kitchen, wait for him to join them again. He does after a bit, hair wet and feet bare, but Clint knows he has tucked one of his knives in the sweat pants, can see the little bulge of it when Bucky sits down. Clint doesn’t say anything about it and neither does Steve, just asks if Bucky wants more coffee and gets him some more when he gives a little nod. Bucky takes it, adds more sugar to it than the two spoon’s worth Steve already put in there and Steve shakes his head a bit but he is smiling.
“You still put too much in there, don’t know that you even taste the coffee anymore.”
“Hey, considering the coffee you used to make, I had to put this much in it so it wouldn’t taste like tar. It’s a defense mechanism.”
Bucky says this and Steve’s smile grows just a bit and this must be an old argument between the two but Clint is focusing on something else.
“Are you saying my coffee tastes like tar?”
He asks now and there is a little insult in his voice. Clint knows he brews it a little strong sometimes but his coffee is great damn it, he knows coffee and Bucky shakes his head a little.
“No, your coffee is good, very not tar like but it is just a habit and I can put as much sugar as I want, just like things sweet sometimes.”
Clint takes this explanation in stride and takes another sip of his own coffee.
“I left hot water, if you want a shower, Steve. The soap smells good by the way.”
Bucky says this and Clint replies before Steve says anything.
“Nat picked it out, she always picks out the best bathroom stuff. Maybe I can steal some of her bath salts for you sometime.”
“Maybe.”
Bucky says this and Steve’s smile dims just a little bit but isn’t completely gone, just a little guarded right now.
“He took some for me once, her bath salts are nice. I’ll go see how this soap is.”
He gets up now, leaves Bucky and Clint in the kitchen together and they just sit there for a few moments in quiet before Bucky breaks it.
“He is different than I remember, not bad, just different.”
He sounds a bit relieved and Clint gives a little nod.
“Told you he might be. He still cares for you lot though.”
Clint says this and Bucky is quiet for just a moment as he takes a few more sips of his coffee.
“He does and he cares for you, I can see it. I don’t know how I would fit into all this.”
Bucky says this now and Clint takes a moment to think about what should say, has a feeling it is important that he says the right thing right now.
“I’m not sure yet either but we could find out, make a place for you. Steve would like that and I think I would too.”
He says this now, means it even if he still worries about it a bit, about how things are going to change. Bucky just gives a little nod and takes another drink of his coffee and then gets up to get more, gestures to Clint’s cup. Clint hands it to him, takes the gesture of him filling it up as a good sign that things are going to be alright. The cards are still on the table from last night, put off to the side when they were eating earlier and Bucky grabs them when he sits down, starts shuffling them now.
“Want to play again?”
Buck asks and Clint just gives a nod and they start to play and that is how Steve finds them when he comes back in after his shower, playing go fish and he sits down.
“Deal me in on the next hand.”
Steve says this and Bucky just gives a little nod.
“Ok, I think I’m going back with you, if that is ok.”
Bucky says this causally and Steve smiles, gives a little nod and nothing else is really said about it, they just play cards and Clint thinks maybe things will be ok.
:::::::::::::::