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Steve was trying to decide on a tie when Clint appeared in his bedroom doorway. “Hey Clint.” He smiled at his fellow avenger.
“Hey, Steve. Nat says you've got a hot date.” Clint grinned at him.
“I've got a blind date.” Steve replied holding up two ties in Clint's direction.
Clint pointed to the one on the left. “Where you taking her?”
Steve discarded the tie in his right hand and set about putting on the one in his left hand. “Some place called the Olive Garden.”
“Oh cool.” Clint nodded his head. “Bring me back some breadsticks.”
Steve frowned at him. “You want breadsticks?”
“Trust me Steve.” Clint chuckled. “When you see them you'll know why.”
Steve shook his head but smiled at Clint. “Okay, I'll bring you some breadsticks.”
He went to pass Clint to leave the room but as he drew level with him, Clint reached out and straightened his tie before brushing imaginary fluff off his shoulders. “Good luck.” He winked at Steve and Steve felt himself blush slightly as he ducked his head and left.
---
“Here.” Steve thrust a folded up napkin into Clint's hands a few hours later before throwing himself onto the sofa beside him.
“Didn't go well?” Clint asked unfolding the napkin to reveal four breadsticks.
“She spent the whole evening telling me how amazing she thought Iron Man was. Finishing up with how she once had sex with Tony in an elevator.” Steve rubbed his hands over his face.
Clint made a sound. Could have been a laugh, could have been a snort but his mouth was stuffed with breadsticks so it was hard to tell. He reached out and gave Steve's thigh a comforting pat.
---
Three weeks later Steve shoved another napkin bundle of breadsticks into Clint's hands as he slid onto the stool beside Clint in the communal kitchen.
“What happened this time?” Clint asked before stuffing a couple of breadsticks into his mouth.
“She kept calling me Captain.” Steve sighed.
Clint tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.
“No, I mean constantly, she worked it into nearly every sentence.” Steve frowned and Clint nodded in understanding. He patted Steve's shoulder as he shoved the last breadstick into his already full mouth.
---
“That's a lot of breadsticks.” Clint informed Steve as he took the bundle Steve was holding out to him.
“She was on a diet.” Steve replied.
Clint grinned. “Awesome.”
Steve smiled fondly at Clint as he snarfed down the breadsticks.
---
“You're back early.” Clint commented as Steve handed him the breadsticks.
“She said Bucky was a war criminal and I should turn him over to the authorities.” Steve growled.
“Oh, so you left.” Clint nodded in understanding.
“No, I tried to explain to her how Bucky was a victim of Hydra.” Steve replied.
“Ah, so she left.” Clint stuffed a breadstick in his mouth.
“Yeah.” Steve shrugged. “More breadsticks for you though.”
---
“I didn't know you had a date tonight.” Clint raised an eyebrow as Steve handed him a bundle of breadsticks.
Steve shrugged and didn't tell Clint that he had gone to the Olive Garden and simply asked for the breadsticks. He didn't want to look too closely at why he felt the need to bring Clint breadsticks since it had been weeks since he had been on a date.
“Oh wow, these are still hot.” Clint stuffed two breadsticks into his mouth and the obscene noise he made had Steve's cheeks flushing bright red as he vowed to himself to get Clint more warm breadsticks.
---
“How about a double date?” Natasha suggested. “I know someone I can set Clint up with too.”
“A double date with Clint?” Steve frowned in confusion. He wasn't sure why the idea of Clint dating bothered him suddenly. “Uh, sure.”
Natasha smirked at him. “I'll text you the details.”
---
Steve had assumed that since he and Clint lived in the same building they would leave for the date together, but when he asked Jarvis if Clint was nearly ready to go, Jarvis informed him Clint had already left to collect his date.
“Huh.” Steve said aloud. Natasha always arranged for Steve's dates to meet him at the restaurant.
Steve had been making awkward small talk with his date for five minutes when Clint strode up to the table, a pretty brunette on his arm. He was wearing a silver grey suit with a matching tie over a crisp black shirt and Steve was struck by how handsome he looked. His usually unruly hair carefully slicked to lie flat, his blue eyes sparkling in the low light.
When he sat down beside Steve their shoulders bumped. It was a small table and Steve could feel the heat of Clint's thigh pressed the length of his. Clint turned and grinned at him. “Are those for me?”
Steve blushed. Mortified to realise that he had bundled a pile of breadsticks into his napkin while he waited for them to arrive. “Uh, yeah.” He stammered sliding the bundle across to Clint. “Force of habit.” Clint chuckled and dumped them out onto his plate groaning contentedly when he popped the first one into his mouth.
They had made it through their starters when the ladies excused themselves to go to the bathroom. “They're not coming back.” Clint whispered, leaning in close to Steve.
“They, they're not?” Steve turned slightly and felt his cheek brush against Clint's nose.
“Nope.” Clint replied, popping the P and not pulling back. “My date has spent the entire evening so far eye fucking you and your date is annoyed because you kept giving me breadsticks.”
“Huh.” Steve frowned. He hadn't noticed any of this. “You wanna leave?”
Clint snorted a laugh. “Hells no. The mains will be here any minute and this way we get two each.” He bumped his knee against Steve's and Steve couldn't help but laugh at the cheeky grin on Clint's face.
After the meal, the two of them decided to walk back to the tower. It was only a few blocks from the restaurant after all. Clint happily regaled Steve with some of the more comical mission stories he and Nat shared and Steve told Clint about some of his antics with Bucky.
“I had fun tonight.” Steve smiled at Clint as they wandered into the communal area of the tower.
“Yeah, me too.” Clint grinned turning to face him. “What does it say about our chances when the best date either of us has been on, was with each other.”
“Maybe it says Natasha has been looking in the wrong places to set us up.” Steve pondered, stepping closer to Clint.
“You mean she should have been looking to set us up with hot guys?” Clint quirked an eyebrow at him, edging subtly just a little bit closer to Steve.
“Or maybe she should have just cut out the middle men and ...” Steve paused and closed the distance between them, not touching Clint. “Set us up with each other?”
Clint grabbed for Steve's arm and swayed forward, tilting his head so that when Steve moved, their lips met perfectly. Steve wrapped an arm around Clint's waist, hand on his lower back and pulled him in tight against his front.
Clint opened his mouth and Steve's tongue darted inside making a home for itself twirling around Clint's.
After a few moments, Steve pulled back and grinned at Clint. “I have something for you.” He pulled his other hand out of the pocket of his suit trousers and Clint laughed when he saw the napkin bundle. He lifted his hand, but instead of taking the breadsticks, he grabbed Steve by the back of the head and pulled him in for another kiss.
---
“Oh, breadsticks, yay!” Tony exclaimed the following morning when he found the napkin bundle sitting on the kitchen counter. He pulled two out and took a bite, sighing happily.
A delicate hand darted into his line of sight and before he could react, snatched away the other two breadsticks.
“Guess your plan to get those two idiots together worked then?” Tony chuckled turning to look at Natasha.
“My plans always work.” She grinned slyly back at him and took a bite of the breadsticks.