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It’s cold when they first meet because it’s winter in New York, and as much as it’s a beautiful, glossy snow, Clint hates it. He hates that it messes with his eyes, that everything has that weird gray tint to it. The sky isn’t as blue.
He doesn’t like blue so much, but he does like it when this new guy comes and sits next to him on the tower’s roof; he’s also bundled up, almost more than Clint, but through that, the archer can see it’s Barnes. He’s read the file. He knows the stats. Clint also knows he’s apparently friendly now, which isn’t quite as evident when Barnes goes, “Fuckin’ hate New York.”
“Don’t we all?” asks Clint while throwing a half-smile to Barnes because winter in New York is the worst.
--
This may be one of the first guys he’s met in a while who doesn’t want to just talk business because while Sam and Steve are discussing HYDRA tactics and different plans, Bucky’s asking who Glen Coco is and why he’s been called it twice, both by Tony for whatever goddamn reason. And he’s asking about how much New York has changed, and he’s wondering what actually happened to the farmers during the Depression.
Clint is more than happy to stop talking shop for five minutes and give Barnes a rundown of the universe as it is today. There’s the sun, the moon, the stars, some astronauts, the sea, and everything in between, and Clint isn’t a smart man, but he knows enough to give rough details of the world the way it is.
Nothing better to chat about over cold beers.
--
He’s shivering because he’s just been hauled out of cryo. How they got him back, he doesn’t remember, but he does know he falls into Steve’s warm arms, and damn, that man is a human furnace. Bucky wishes he remembered Steve from before.
Steve, bless his heart, checks on Bucky, makes sure he’s alright. Bucky is alright, he’s just cold. But as soon as that check is done, Steve is all business and “blow this place” and “let’s get out of here”. He’s rushing. He’s upset.
Clint plays mental health doctor. “Hey,” he says lowly, cupping Bucky’s chin in his warm hand. “Hey, they won’t get you again. I promise.”
--
Clint doesn’t like hospitals. They’re gross, and they’re cold, and everything smells like sickness or death, two things he definitely isn’t a fan of. And he’s bitching about this aloud to what he’s pretty sure is an empty room for all of two seconds before there are lips on his.
He likes those lips.
“For fuck’s sake, Barton,” breathes Bucky over him, those brown eyes worried beyond belief. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”
--
There’s a cold nose on his face, and what the fuck- There’s a dog licking Bucky now, and he shoves the mutt away, but there’s laughing. He can hear Clint laughing. So after another careful shove just to keep the dog away from him, Bucky props himself up on his elbows and goes, “You didn’t tell me you had a dog.”
“You didn’t ask.”
Bucky blinks the last of the sleep from his eyes, and he can see Clint standing in the doorway to the bedroom, two coffee mugs in hand. They both have Hawkeye logos on them. Before he can ask for one of those, the dog is on him a second time. Again with the licking.
--
Bucky is apparently a hopeless romantic because he thinks it’d be great to propose to Clint in the snow on New Year’s Eve beneath all the fireworks because that’d be nice, right?
When he gets down on one knee, his nose is running, and he’s tripping over his words. He’s shivering, and Clint is too. It was a stupid idea, Bucky realizes after it’s already too late. It’s too cold out here.
It feels even colder when Clint says no.
--
It takes them over a month to fully recover from that as a couple, and that’s when Bucky finally finds out about Bobbi. Clint takes Bucky to her grave on Valentine’s Day.
He tries not to sound cynical when he asks, “You visit your dead ex-wife on Valentine’s Day because it’s the day you got divorced?” When Bucky sees Clint nod slightly, he shoves his hands deeper in his pockets. “Why not on your anniversary or somethin’?”
Clint shrugs. “I don’t remember our anniversary.” His eyes haven’t left her headstone. “I don’t remember much of our marriage at this point either. Just that it was bad.” But then he looks up at Bucky, and he looks as if he’s just weary of the world. “And I don’t want to do it again.”
--
Clint’s glad when Bucky gets a kitten. It may seem stupid to everyone else, having both a cat and a dog, but to Clint, it’s reassuring. Like Bucky’s trying to make a home here with Clint. Them and some animals. That sounds like a good life.
“You gonna name that cat eventually?” They’ve had her for two weeks now. Still nameless.
“Dunno.” Bucky’s cold because the end of March is a bitter bitch, so he leans into Clint a little more, but he’s petting the kitten. His kitten. Their kitten? “But I like her. She snuggles better than you.” Bucky’s clearly trying to start shit, but Clint just kisses his hair and laughs.