Chapter Text
Several years had passed since Clinton Francis Barton had ceased to be an active subject in his own life. His days had become a constant routine that involved waking up, this being the most complicated and tortuous part of the day; ingest liters and liters of coffee until becoming relatively functional; travel to SHIELD and pray that he has some mission waiting for him; coming home disappointed from a new day at work without important tasks; repeat. Few and miraculous were those days in which his boss gave him some difficult and long-solving field mission, those where he used to spend weeks, or even months, away from his department, because he was destroying illegal HYDRA installations or other enemies in strange places in the world.
But the best part of these indeterminate adventures? was to be able to carry them out together with her partner and best friend within the entire organization: Natasha Romanoff. Together, they had been part of the famous and admirable Strike Team Delta team for more than seven years. Together they could face any absurd mission that was put in front of them.
And, perhaps, that was the reason why his last mission had failed so drastically: because he hadn't done it together with the spy; because they had changed his co-worker; because he had practically been forced to deal with legend James Buchanan Barnes.
Clint would never forget that day.
Bucky neither.
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Several years had passed since James Buchanan Barnes had ceased to be an active subject in his own life. His days had become a constant routine that involved… um, well, I'd say waking up, but the reality was that he almost never slept. He couldn't do it, he considered it a valuable waste of time and an opportunity to be defeated by his nightmares, his memories as the Winter Soldier. Nor did he use coffee as an elixir to get through the heavy days, he just did what had to be done, he acted on autopilot. Overcoming old habits was a really difficult task. He couldn't finish separating the soldier from Bucky. He couldn't forgive himself, move on.
So, his life revolved around two simple actions: being functional; repeat. If he found the opportunity, maybe he'd smile a little while hanging out with Steve Rogers. However, she was not allowed to go on missions with him...or without him. The truth was that Barnes was not yet cleared for fieldwork.
Until that day. That morning that changed everything. That morning where, he was notified, his first mission within SHIELD would be carried out alongside the infamous Clint Barton.
Bucky would never forget that day.
Neither does Clint.