Chapter Text
After almost dying in the fight to defeat Ultron, Clint decides to call it quits while the quitting's good. Bucky is pleased to have someone else to help wrangle the children. Everything is domestic bliss for two solid weeks....Then 'the visitors' start showing up.....(Unannounced)
Steve came first, riding in on his motorcycle in casual clothes and waving at Clint who was retiling the roof.
Bucky, who was playing catch with Cooper and Lila, turns to him and accidentally gets hit in the head with the ball.
"Sorry, Bucky!" Cooper calls out, running after the ball as it rolls away.
"It's fine," Bucky answers, turning away from his old friend to smile at the kids. "You guys play with yourselves for a while, okay?"
"M'kay!" Lila nods, waving her arms in the air at her brother, "I'm open! I'm open!"
Steve parks his ride in in the barn and strides over to the house that Clint is expertly climbing down from. As Bucky gets closer to the house as well, the archer grins and calls out, "Trust exercise!"
Clint leaps the rest of the way off the house and Bucky catches him without missing a beat, eyes only glancing over to the armful of man before returning to their guest.
"You know Steve," Clint pats his partner on the chest before rolling out of his arms. "You don't have to stare at him like he's going to attack us."
Bucky nods, but that's all the indication he gives that he's heard the archer.
"So..." Steve awkwardly puts his hands in his pockets as he finally stops near the other two men. "Trust exercises?"
"This is going to be a long day," Clint sighs, rubbing at his face. He points to Bucky, "You, stop acting like a soldier and shake the Captain's hand."
"That's not necessary-"
Clint turns the pointed finger to Steve, effectively interrupting the soldier, "You, take his hand and shake it like a man. I'm tired of you dancing around each other like you're going to break the other guy."
In one jerky movement, Bucky offers Steve his hand. The blonde takes it and they shake a few times before letting go.
"Progress," Clint nods at them, then turns his head towards the open front door. "I think little Nat is crying."
"I'll get her," Bucky offers but the archer puts up his hands.
"No! No-no, no excuses for you," Clint walks backwards to the open door. He motions between the soldiers. "You two...Hug? Talk? Chest bump? Whatever you need to do? Do it and move on in life. Got it?"
Bucky nods once and Steve curiously looks between the two as the archer takes off into the house at a slight jog.
They stand there in silence for a few moments while the two older Barton kids shout and laugh with each other.
Eventually, Steve gathers the courage to speak, "I don't mean to make things....difficult for you, Bucky," he starts, nervously rubbing at the back of his neck. "I just....wanted to make sure that you were okay. I mean, I trust Clint, he's a great soldier, I was just...." He shrugs. "I'm not really sure, actually."
Bucky turns a hard look to Steve, "I'm sorry I tried to kill you. Several times."
"You were being controlled by HYDRA," Steve tells him seriously. "I don't hold you accountable for anything they forced you to do. You had no idea and suffered at lot at their hands. AND," he lifts his voice when the other looks like he's about to counter his words. "You ended up saving my life during our last fight, so I think that should count for something. It counts for a lot to me at least."
His friend smirks humorously and looks over to the two children as the girl tackles the boy for the ball. His voice is soft when he says, "Clint isn't a soldier."
"What's that?" Steve frowns, having missed the words.
Bucky turns to stare at him with a much softer expression, "Clint isn't a solider. He's a father and the best man I've ever known."
"I'll try not to take that to heart," the captain jokes lightly. He clears his throat when the joke falls a little flat. "You two, ah, you're...happy? Together? Not that it's any of my business-"
"It's not any of your business-"
"Sorry, just my worry showing-"
"I thought you said you trusted Clint?"
"I do!"
"So it's me you don't trust?"
"I didn't say that."
"Then what did you mean?"
"I just meant," Steve sighs as the guarded look returns to his friends face. Dang it! He put that there. "I just wanted to hear it from you. That you were happy, I mean. It's obvious that things look great for you here, but....I can't help but worry about you Bucky. It's just the type of guy I am. I worry about everyone."
"It's true," Clint joins the conversation, happy baby girl in his arms as he walks down the stairs to them. "It used to get REALLY annoying during missions. I'd beg Fury to send me out solo just to shake off the 'mother hen' feeling I kept getting around Captain America."
"You weren't complaining when my 'mother hen' attitude saved your butt," Steve counters without any bite in his tone.
"Yeah, but how often did that happen?" the archer rolls his eyes.
"From what Natasha has told me, quite often."
Steve stares at his friend, surprised at the joke while Clint barks out a laugh, causing his daughter to giggle along with him.
Bucky smirks at his partner before turning back to the other super soldier, "Yes, Steve, I'm happy."
"Well," Cap smiles big and bright at him, relief flooding over his surprise in huge waves. "I'm glad to hear that."
"Fa-a-antastic!" Clint sings, walking between the two to get to his other kids. "Hey you two! Wanna play tackle football with two old war heroes?"
"Clint," Bucky groans as Cooper and Lila shout out their enthusiasm for the idea.
"Is that a good idea?" Steve adds his own worry to the mix. "I don't want to hurt them."
"Don't worry about what you'll do to them," the other super soldier shakes his head sadly. "Worry about what they will do to you."
Clint turns back to them and winks with a toothy grin. Steve swallows nervously.
---