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During the three days they’d been at the cabin, Bucky had dealt with being cooped up with Barton by taking long walks. Alone. Many, many long walks. There were several scenic trails nearby and he was already well on his way to exploring all of them. Natasha was three days late and counting. It’d been her idea for the three of them to take a vacation together and until she showed up he was stuck here with Barton.
Unfortunately, the rain had caused him to cut this particular walk short and he had to turn around and head back to the cabin all too soon. Bucky cursed as the mud pulled at his boots and the rain rapidly turned puddles into lakes. He hated it here. Where the hell was Natasha? She’d called that morning to say she was delayed, yet again. “Hopefully tomorrow,” she’d said over the phone from an undisclosed location. She’d been on a job and it had run late. Or gone bad. Or something. She wouldn’t or couldn’t, say over the phone.
He’d agreed to being okay with having her date both him and Barton but no one had said anything about him having to spend time alone with the man. But it wasn’t like he was going to back out of this trip and let Barton have Natasha all to himself when she eventually did show up. Fuck that.
He stalked into the cabin, slammed the door closed behind him, and strode to his bedroom. For some reason, Natasha had rented a two-bedroom cabin. He didn’t like the math, but for now, he was grateful he didn’t have to share a room.
Moving quickly to avoid getting water all over the place, Bucky began to undress.
“You look like a wet cat,” Clint taunted from the doorway.
Bucky’s hand froze with his zipper halfway down. "What are you doing?”
Clint flopped down on the bed, folded his arms behind his head, and smiled. "I thought I'd lie back and enjoy the show."
He was going to have to punch the man. Natasha would be returning to a very beaten and bloodied Hawkeye and he wouldn't even feel a little bit bad about it. Bucky gave Clint his third most lethal glare.
Barton of course was not fazed by his expression at all. “Don’t be shy.”
Bucky clenched his fists. “I’m not shy. I have personal boundaries, maybe you should look into developing some for yourself.”
Barton made a dismissive sound and closed his eyes. “Go ahead, drop your drawers, I won’t look.”
“Out!” Bucky may have growled the word.
Clint sat up. “But I need to talk to you about something.”
“Can it wait until after I’ve changed into something not sopping wet?”
“I guess.” There was a hint of disappointment in Barton’s voice. Bucky did not care. At all.
Did Clint actually want to watch him undress? Was he interested? In him? No, that couldn’t be right. He was just being a pain in the ass. Bucky shook his head. “Just get out, okay? I’ll meet you in the living room when I’m done.”
“Fine.” Sighing dramatically, Barton slunk out of the room like the petulant child he was.
——
He found Clint on the sofa trying to lure Alpine onto his lap. "What are you doing to my cat?"
Clint stopped making kissy noises at her and shrugged. “Don’t you think it's weird to bring your cat on vacation?”
Bucky leaned against the doorframe. “Do you think it's weird to share custody of your dog with your sidekick?”
"Kate's more of a partner than a sidekick," Clint corrected.
"What did you want to talk about?" Bucky asked, trying to steer the conversation in a more focused direction.
"Not much for foreplay there, are you Barnes?"
“I’ll have you know—“ Bucky stilled, silently counted to ten, and shook his head. “Never mind, I don’t care.” He pushed away from the wall and turned to walk away.
“Wait!”
Bucky stopped but didn’t turn around.
“I’m sorry, okay? I don’t know why I can’t stop being a dick around you.”
“Because you are a dick?”
Clint scratched his head. “No, I don’t think that’s it.”
“If you don’t tell me whatever it is you wanted to tell me in the next thirty seconds, I’m walking away from this conversation for good.”
“Fine, I don’t think Nat’s gonna show.” Clint grabbed the plush catnip mouse that had been left on the couch and started fiddling with it. “At least not until the end of this whole vacation thingy.”
Bucky sat down on the arm of the sofa. “You think she's up to something?" The possibility had occurred to him but he’d dismissed it as unlikely.
"Of course, she's up to something. It's Nat. Saying she's up to something is just stating facts. It's like saying you're off somewhere brooding. The Black Widow plots and the Winter Soldier broods.” Clint tossed the mouse from hand to hand.
Bucky grabbed the cat toy away from him. “I don't brood."
"Broody-McBroodyPants is who you are."
No, wait. He didn't need to punch the man. He was going to kill him, dispose of his body, and later tell Natasha that he took off when she didn’t show. She might be sad for a little while, but she was a practical woman, it wouldn't take her long to get over Barton.
"Why are you smiling?"
Bucky let his smile drop. “Nothing for you to worry about. What do you think she’s planning?”
Clint leaned forward and tried to snatch the mouse toy back. “I think she’s leaving us alone so we can learn how to get along better.”
Bucky stood up and tossed the mouse into the basket of cat toys under the table. He did not like where this conversation was going.
“Come on, I’m serious here.” Barton reached out to grab him but Bucky stepped out of the way. “Sure we both said that we were cool with this thing between the three of us but I know you’re just waiting for me to give up and move on - or for Nat to choose one of us over the other.”
He wasn’t wrong. “There’s nothing between the three of us. There’s me and Natasha and there’s you and Natasha, that’s it.”
“And yet here we are on vacation together. Obviously, Nat’s hoping for something between the three of us.”
Bucky shook his head. “I don’t think that’s what this is.”
“Then why are we sitting here sharing a romantic getaway without her?”
Bucky sighed. “Is there a point to your idiotic speculation?” He was more than ready to be done with this conversation.
“Yes.”
Bucky scowled as he waved his hand in an attempt to get Barton to get to his fucking point.
“I think the two of us should try and get along better.”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
“Sex.” Clint leaned back and smiled. “We should have it.”
Bucky blinked. He could not mean what he thought he meant. It had to be some kind of joke or maybe it was a misunderstanding. “Clarify.”
“How can I make that any more clear? Did you want me to draw diagrams?” Clint patted his pockets. “Sorry, I think I left my art supplies in my other pants.”
“You think that you and I should have sex? With each other?”
“Yeah. Nat obviously brought us up here for a threesome - since she’s still not here, why not get warmed up?”
There was no way Natasha had brought them there for a threesome. Barton was out of his mind. “By having sex - just the two of us?” He had to be joking.
“Well, I wasn’t about to ask the cat.” Alpine took the time to hiss at Clint before stalking out of the room. “Sorry, didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or anything,” Clint called after her.
Okay, that was enough. Bucky grabbed his jacket and headed to the door.
“Where are you going?” Clint called out after him.
“For a walk.”
“It’s still raining.”
“I don’t care.” It was probably better than being stuck inside with Barton. It was definitely better than where this conversation was heading.
*
His clothes were thoroughly soaked by the time he walked back through the cabin door two hours later. He’d been fully prepared for Barton to give him shit about it too but apparently, it was nap time. Not only was Barton out cold on the sofa but Alpine had curled up on his chest and fallen fast asleep. She didn’t even look up when he came in the door. “Traitor,” Bucky muttered. Alpine flicked her ears back in his direction but didn’t budge.
———
The next couple of days passed pretty much uneventfully. The rain continued to fall unabated and Barton continued to be a pain in his ass. The worst part? He’d caught Alpine curled up in Hawkeye’s lap on two separate occasions. Normally she hated most people and liked showing them with her claws. This sudden affection for Barton troubled him.
In the middle of the night - their fifth one at the cabin - Bucky was hit with a nightmare. A bad one. Bad enough that whatever noise he’d made, woke Clint - who didn’t wear his hearing aids to bed. It took Bucky a minute to notice him in the doorway, holding a glass of clear liquid. “Here, drink this.”
His head still fuzzy with remnants of the nightmare, he took a few seconds to answer. “What is it?” Bucky’s throat felt raw, his voice like gravel.
“Water, it’ll help, just drink it.” Barton came into the room and put the glass down on the table by the bed. “Need anything else?”
He even didn’t need the water. Except his mouth felt dry and gross and the water looked cool and refreshing. He scowled at the glass before downing it in one long gulp. He wiped his mouth on the tangled sheet and turned his scowl on Barton. “I’m fine.”
Clint didn’t leave. “It must have been a bad one, it was the thumping that woke me.” Clint nodded towards the wall and Bucky turned. Fuck. He’d broken through the drywall. He hadn’t even realized.
“I’ve got cards. A couple games might clear your head.” Barton tossed the pack of cards onto the bed. “If you want, tell me to go away, and you can play solitaire.”
Maybe a little company wouldn’t be the worst idea. Bucky picked up the cards, opened the box, and started shuffling. “You know Gin Rummy?”
Clint scoffed. “of course.” He sat down on Bucky’s bed and made himself comfortable. “Play to a hundred points?”
“Sure, it shouldn’t take me long to kick your ass.” Bucky hoped he wasn’t too rusty. It’d been a while since he’d played. No one really seemed to play card games anymore. Everyone wanted to play games on their phones and computers.
“In your dreams.”
“I’ve been playing cards longer than you’ve been alive, Barton.”
“Doesn’t make you better, just makes you old.”
Bucky shook his head and handed Barton the cards. “Shut up and deal.”
It took only three hands for Barton to beat him. “Another game?”
Bucky scowled. “Give me the cards.” It was his turn to deal.
It was close but Bucky ended up winning the next hand. He passed the deck to Clint. “Your turn to deal.” Narrowing his eyes, he added, “No cheating.”
“Hey, I rarely cheat - and never when money’s not on the table. What would even be the point?” Clint shuffled the cards, dealt them each ten, and flipped over the ace of diamonds.
Bucky picked up the ace, discarding the king of clubs in turn. “Who taught you to play cards?” Barton was really good.
“My brother Barney.”
“You two close?” Bucky was pretty sure he’d met Barney in passing but he didn’t really know much about him. Mostly that he was bad news. Or had been. He didn’t really know what the story was.
“We used to be. Our paths kinda diverged when we got older.” Clint picked a card from the pile, stared at his cards for several seconds, and tossed the queen of hearts.
“It happens.” Bucky picked up the Queen and stuck it between two others. “I think every family has their share of dysfunction.”
“He tried to kill Bobbie back while we were still married.”
Okay, that was a little more dysfunctional than most families. “Any particular reason why?”
Clint shrugged. “To hurt me?”
“You got any other family?”
“Nope.” There was a tension in Barton’s shoulders that hadn’t been there earlier. “Parents died when we were still kids.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Clint stared down at the cards in his hand. “They weren’t exactly great parenting material.”
After that, Bucky had to remind Clint it was his turn to discard. He felt bad stirring up old wounds, especially since the man was just trying to do him a solid, keeping Bucky distracted from his own trauma. Bucky won that round and didn’t feel all that great about it.
Clint leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. “Sometimes after a particularly bad beating but one not bad enough to send me to the hospital, Barney would stay up with me, teach me something cool, like a new card game or some kind of trick. Anything to keep me distracted.” After a minute Clint’s eyes blinked open and he got up. Bucky watched Barton’s t-shirt ride up, exposing his well-defined abs, as he stretched his arms above his head. “I’m gonna grab a beer, want anything?”
“Beer sounds good.” Alcohol didn’t do anything for him, but he liked the taste and he didn’t want Clint to have to drink alone.
They played three more games and drank a couple more beers each, before calling it a night. The cards tucked nicely back in their box, he was about to kick Barton out of his bed when he heard the snoring. It was so loud he was surprised the man didn’t wake himself up, then Bucky noticed the hearing aids on the table and realized Clint couldn’t actually hear himself snore. Lucky bastard.
— — —
Strangely enough, he’d fallen asleep soon after his head hit the pillow. When he woke up, Clint was already awake, playing a game on his phone. He turned to Bucky. “Mornin’ Sleeping Beauty, you good?” Bucky nodded. “Cool, I’m gonna jump in the shower.”
Bucky got out of bed, fed the cat, and got the coffee started. His phone rang. It was Natasha. “Please tell me you’re on your way, or even better, almost here.”
He heard her hesitation and knew she was calling to delay her arrival yet again. “I’m sorry, James. I was ready to come, really, but apparently, all the rain washed out the bridge.”
Of course, it did. He should have known he’d end up trapped here with Barton. “Any guesses on when we should expect you? Or shouldn’t we expect you?”
“I still want to do this but it needs to stop raining first.”
“How long?”
“My friend who owns the place will be out of the country for the next several months.”
There was no way he was staying here with Barton for months - plural.
“I don’t expect you to wait around for months, just do me a favor and give it a few more days,” Natasha implored.
He wasn’t stuck. Bridge or not, he could find his way out of here. Barton probably could too. But Alpine wouldn’t like it and he didn’t want to risk her any harm. “I’ll wait. Barton’s not that bad.”
“You mean you haven’t killed him and hidden his body on the premises yet?” Her tone was light but her words showed how well she knew him.
“I have been a paragon of restraint.”
“I’m very impressed.” Natasha chucked. “I love you, James.”
He smiled into the phone. “I love you.”
“Give my love to Clint.”
Bucky frowned. “You can give it to him yourself when you get here.” Natasha sighed and ended the call.
A few minutes later Clint walked into the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a faded t-shirt; his hair still wet. Bucky noticed he didn’t have his hearing aids in yet. He was guessing they didn’t do well in water.
Barton made a beeline for the coffee and poured them each a cup. “Nat call?”
Bucky glanced down at his phone on the counter before looking back at Clint, he knew from past experience to make sure Barton could see his lips when he didn’t have his hearing aids in, and sometimes even when he did. “Yeah, bridge is washed out.”
Clint snorted. “Of course it is.” He shook his head. “We just can’t catch a break, can we?”
“Apparently not.”
“We sticking around or are we taking turns strapping Alpine to our backs and trying to make our way to civilization?”
Bucky shook his head. Civilization? The cabin had a big-screen TV, cable, and high-speed internet. They weren’t exactly roughing it. “Natasha asked us to stay, she has the place for the month and still wants to make this vacation work.”
“Then we’re staying,” Clint said. Bucky didn’t like it but he was glad they were on the same page.
Clint ran his hand through his damp hair. “So, hey, I had fun playing cards with you last night, wanna play another game later? Preferably not in the middle of the night but if that’s what you need, I’m your guy.”
Bucky picked up his mug. “Yeah, sure. Sounds good. Thanks.”
“Cool. I’m gonna go put my hearing aids in, and watch some TV.” Clint rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks for making coffee.” Barton left the room and Bucky headed for the shower.
———
Over the next few days, they played cards before bed every night and even played extra games during the day. It wasn’t as if there was a lot for them to do other than watch television and surf the internet on their phones. Not only had the rain not let up but it had gotten worse.
They talked while they played. Sometimes it was about general life stuff, other times they dredged up the past a little, and more often than not they argued about something that happened on one to the TV programs Barton made him watch.
The barriers between them were beginning to break down. They were getting to know each other better and maybe even growing closer in the process. Bucky hated it. He liked the walls he built up between him and the rest of the world. He doesn’t want them pulled down. It was different between him and Natasha. They’d known each other for a very long time. He felt safe with her and was okay with that. Wanted it, even. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Barton worming his way into that web of safety.
———
One night, ten days into their derailed vacation, the two of them were playing cards on Bucky’s bed when Clint started yawning. He was about to kick him out before he fell asleep in his bed yet again when he noticed water dripping from the ceiling.
Clint looked up at the ceiling and frowned. “I guess that’s my cue to head back to my room?” He tucked the cards back in their box and set them down on the table.
Of course, now Barton wanted to leave. “Want to switch rooms?” Bucky asked.
Clint shook his head and laughed. “Not a chance.” He stood up. “Feel free to move into my room though, I promise not to hog the covers or anything.”
“It’s fine. I’ll just grab a bucket. It’s not like the leak is over the bed.” It was over by the closet.
“Suit yourself. I’ll leave the door open in case you change your mind.”
Bucky found a bucket under the sink and grabbed some towels from the closet. It would be fine. If he could sleep through Barton’s snoring, he could sleep through a little dripping water.
He could not sleep through a little dripping water. Alpine glared at him from the doorway, refusing to even enter the room. She glanced towards the direction of Clint’s room, then back to Bucky, and out to the hall again. Subtle. Bucky sighed, grabbed his pillow, and got out of bed. “Okay, fine, I’m going. You happy now?” He pointed at his cat. “Whatever happens next is on you.”
Alpine let out a loud yowl and stalked towards Clint’s door, which was halfway open, as promised. The light was on, but he decided to knock anyway.
Clint sat on the edge of the bed. He looked like he was about to take out his hearing aids when Bucky interrupted. “Your offer still stand?”
“Of course, mi —“ Clint paused. “Hey, what’s the Spanish word for bed?”
Bucky shook his head. Barton was such a dork. “Cama.”
“Cool. Mi cama es tu cama.” Clint grinned and Bucky waited for him to say something inappropriate or suggestive. It didn’t happen. Barton just smiled that easy smile of his and waited.
Bucky tossed his pillow onto the other side of the bed. He should’ve just pulled the covers down, gotten into bed, and gone to sleep. That’s what he should have done. Instead, he stood there for a moment trying to figure out the best way to say what he wanted to say. “Hey, so, I’ve been thinking about about your early suggestion.”
Clint jumped off the bed. “That we should have sex?”
It felt weird. This dance — this negotiation. When what he really wanted to do was shove Clint down onto the bed and let their bodies do the talking. He wanted to show Clint that he wanted him, not tell him. He wanted to fuck him into understanding him, not have a conversation about it. This whole using his words thing felt too hard. “Yeah, that.”
Clint’s eyes went wide. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“About fucking time.” Clint stepped forward, pulled
Bucky close, and kissed him. Hard. “You have no idea how much I’ve fucking wanted you. It’s been driving me crazy.” Clint’s mouth was back on his and Bucky moaned in agreement.
—
Clint shuffled into the kitchen wearing the pajama bottoms he’d had on before they’d gotten into bed the night before. Bucky turned on the griddle but didn’t say anything. The sex had been great, but was it weird now? Should it be weird now? What was Natasha going to think of all this? Fuck. “Should we have asked Natasha about this first?”
“I already did.” Clint stood at the counter and poured himself a mug of coffee.
Bucky gaped at him. “When?”
“Remember that relationship talk we all had before starting all this up?”
Bucky gave a curt nod. He hadn’t exactly been his best self during that conversation.
“When you said you were happy with the two of us dating Nat and leaving it like that and then stalked out of the room - well I stuck around and asked Nat a little more about the other options and I asked her if she’d be okay with me and you having a thing.”
Having a thing? “And she said?”
Clint sighed. “She said that it would bring her nothing but joy and delight but to not get my hopes up or anything ‘cause she didn’t think you’d be onboard.”
Joy and delight? Bucky scooped batter onto the griddle. “Those her exact words?”
“Nah, she said it much better. That's the gist of it though.”
“You’re going to be smug about this, aren’t you?”
“What? About being right?” Clint’s grin was extremely smug.
Bucky shook his head. “You okay with pancakes?”
“Are you kidding me? That’s not a question you ever have to ask. I’m always okay with pancakes - more than okay - I’m ecstatic with pancakes. Honestly, I’m pretty much okay with anything someone else cooks for me.” Clint finished his coffee and poured himself some more. “There was this vegan lasagne thing made with nut cheese that Kate’s friend Mikka made - I ate that. Actually, it wasn’t bad. I even had seconds.”
Bucky shook his head and flipped a pancake. “So, you really want to do this - like with all three of us?”
“Yeah. It just makes the most sense. Especially now that I know for sure that you don’t find me completely undesirable.” Clint came up behind him, brushed his hair aside, and dropped kisses along his neck. “I mean, you might still hate me but you are definitely into me.”
“I don’t hate you. I just find you annoying - sometimes.” Most of the time.
Clint kissed him again, snatched a pancake from the plate, rolled it up, and stuffed it in his mouth. Bucky snapped a towel at him but Barton dodged out of the way.
When the pancakes were done, they sat at the kitchen table and had breakfast together. It was very domestic. Bucky thought about going out for a walk but it was still raining. Instead, he popped some popcorn and they watched a movie while sitting much closer together on the sofa than would have been comfortable a day earlier.
Later, at Clint’s instance, Bucky moved his stuff into his room. Was it their room now? The leak had gotten worse overnight. Bucky emptied the bucket before setting it back down under the leak and then went off to find someplace quiet to meditate.
The next few days unfolded much the same way. They played cards, watched bad movies on the television while curled up on the couch together, and had sex. Lots and lots of amazing sex.
———
Someone was in the room. Bucky’s eyes snapped open. A faint light showed through the window. Natasha smiled down at him. “So, is this a platonic bed share or something else?” The tone of her voice was light and tinged with curiosity.
Bucky pulled the sheet back, revealing his nudity. He then tugged the blanket off of Clint, who was yet again blanket hogging despite promises to the contrary. He was also naked.
“I see.” Natasha smiled. “Is this your first night waking up together or did I miss the awkward morning after?”
“Missed it by a few days.”
Clint rolled over and grabbed a hearing aid from the box on the table and slipped it in his ear. Alpine, who was curled up by his head, swatted at him but Clint dodged out of the way before getting scratched. “You’re here.” A blissful smile washed over Barton’s face before being replaced by a look of confusion. “I thought the bridge was out. How’d you get here?” Clint asked groggily.
“I called in a favor with a certain portal hopper and had her open a way. I missed my boys.”
Bucky turned to Natasha. “We missed you too.”
“Definitely,” Clint agreed.
Bucky sat up, not bothering to cover himself. “You okay with this?” He was pretty sure she was but the question needed to be asked.
She smiled. “That depends.”
“On?”
“If there’s room for me.”
“Always,” both he and Clint said at the same time. He glared at Barton before turning back to Natasha. She took off her shoes, stripped down to her undergarments, and crawled into the space between them.
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