Title: crash, bang
Fandom: Marvel Comics
Pairing: Clint Barton/James "Bucky" Barnes
Rating: Teen
Length: 1,154 words
Warnings: injuries and hospital stay mentioned - nothing detailed or graphic.
Summary: Clint’s supposed to be recovering at Bucky’s house but instead, he’s making a mess in the kitchen because coffee. 



“Dammit,” Clint grumbled. He’d dropped one of his crutches, knocked over a fresh bag of coffee beans, and sent an empty mug flying across the counter where it crashed onto the floor in a million pieces. He looked forlornly at the mess of shattered pottery and scattered coffee beans. He should have stayed in bed or at least taken one of his pain pills.

“Need a hand?” Bucky leaned against the kitchen doorway, arms crossed in front of his chest, and a grumpy look on his face.

“Um...did I wake you up?” Oh yeah Barton, super smooth.

Bucky raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry.” Clint looked down at the mess on the floor and frowned. “I just wanted coffee.”

Bucky sighed. “You could have just asked me to get it for you.”

“I didn’t want to impose.”

Bucky glared. He was really good at glaring. “Nat dropped you off here so that I could take care of you.”

Clint wasn't so great at letting people take care of him. He ran a hand through his hair. His leg throbbed and now he was getting a headache. The hospital wouldn’t let him go without someone picking him up, so he’d called Nat. He figured she’d be fine with just dropping him off at his place, but no, she decided that he wasn’t capable of being on his own with a broken leg. She’d dropped him off on Bucky’s steps, told him to let his boyfriend take care of him, and drove off before he could get back in the car.

Bucky wasn’t his boyfriend. He didn't think he was. Clint wasn't sure what they were to each other. They’d started something but then Clint had taken a bad fall off a roof and ended up in the hospital. He hadn’t even called Bucky to tell him why he never showed up for dinner. It wasn't like he didn’t have a good excuse or anything, it was just that he was in surgery and by the time he was out and in a room it felt like it was too late. He’d fucked up. Again. And now here he was in Bucky's house, staying in the guest room, and neither of them had talked about any of it, yet.

Bucky pushed himself away from the wall and grabbed the broom. He swept quickly and efficiently and soon the floor was clear, and the coffee was brewing. “Sorry about the mug,” Clint said.

“It’s fine,” Bucky said.

Clint hopped over to one of the kitchen chairs and sat down. “It doesn’t sound fine.”

Bucky got two mugs out of the cabinet and put them on the counter. “That’s just the way I sound.” He filled both mugs with coffee and brought them to the table. “Milk? Sugar?”

Clint shook his head and breathed in the fresh coffee scent. “Hmm…”

Bucky sat down. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Clint blew on his coffee. He really needed to be caffeinated for this conversation.

“I was worried,” Bucky said when Clint didn’t say anything.

“I was fine,” Clint lied.

“Natasha told me you fell off a building.”

Clint laughed. “It’s not like it was the first.” Bucky glared at him.

“When did she call you?” Clint asked.

“The first time was when you were in surgery. After that, she updated me daily.”

He'd known? "You could have come to see me," Clint said.

"I didn't know if you wanted me to. You didn't even tell Natasha to let me know you were in the hospital."

Clint looked down at his coffee. “I still have her down as my emergency contact.”

“Yeah, she told me to tell you to change that.”

“Whatever.” It wasn’t the first time she’d asked him to change it. Not even the third. Clint tested the coffee by taking a sip. He shrugged. Cool enough. He took a big gulp and closed his eyes. So good. He could practically feel the caffeine hit his bloodstream. They sat in silence drinking their coffee for several minutes.

“I’m sorry I woke you up crashing around the kitchen,” Clint said, breaking the silence.

“I wasn’t asleep. Though I did end up having to cut my meditation session short.” Bucky leaned back in his chair.

Clint sighed. “I’m sorry I missed our dinner.” He'd been looking forward to it, along with what usually came after dinner.

Bucky shrugged. “You did fall off a building.” He pushed his chair back and stood up. “More coffee?”

Clint held his empty mug up. “Please.” It was definitely not a one cup of coffee kind of day.

Bucky busied himself with the coffee and returned to the table with freshly filled mugs for both of them. “You could have called me.”

He had thought about it, pretty much the whole time he was in the hospital. He'd wanted to. He just couldn't get himself to actually do it. “I was in surgery, remember?”

“The whole nine days?”

“I thought it was too late. I figured you thought I'd ghosted you and I felt like shit about it.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“It’s been said before.”

“Are we together?” Bucky asked.

Clint had no idea. He didn't know what they were to each other before all this went down and now it was even more confusing. “I don’t know, are we?” He wanted them to be.

Bucky shook his head slightly and took a sip from his coffee. “I thought we were, but then you ended up in the hospital and Natasha got the call instead of me. And okay yeah, we both have history with Natasha, so it doesn’t bother me until I find out you’re on the mend and I still don’t rate a phone call.”

“You’re right, I am an idiot, I’m sorry.” Clint reached across the table and took Bucky’s hand in his. “I do want us to be together. I just didn’t know how casual or not casual you wanted to be about it.”

Bucky looked even more serious than usual. It was really sexy and maybe a little scary. “I’m not looking for casual.”

Clint wasn’t either. “I’ve got a question.”

“Of course you do.”

“Why put me in the guest bedroom if you want to be with me?” Did that sound needy? Shit that sounded needy, didn’t it?

“It’s the only bedroom on the ground floor. I didn’t want you to have to deal with the stairs.”

“Huh. That makes sense.” Clint smiled.

“Why don’t we get you back into bed, you’re supposed to be resting, remember?”

“But it’s boring.”

“There’s a whole bookshelf of things to read, a big t.v. on the wall, and you also have your tablet. How can you be bored?”

“I’m lonely?” Clint tried.

Bucky stood up. “Do you want me to keep you company?” He held a hand out to help Clint up.

Clint smiled and took his hand. “I thought you’d never ask.”