"Already Been Chewed"

Clint enjoyed baking and cooking, a pastime encouraged by all the inhabitants of Stark Tower. The number of residents grew over time, and Clint always ensured that there was plenty of food to go around, especially with Thor's and Steve's respective appetites. He liked the pleasure it gave people, the challenge of finding and creating new recipes, the glow of success with each victory in the kitchen.

It also had something to do with the words on his chest: 'Thanks, I needed that. And they look delicious.' If he kept baking for new people, one day someone would say that to him. Either that, or his soulmate was a cannibal or a vampire. Or a zombie. Yeah. He tried not to think about that particular option.

Nerves had overtaken him today, and it was entirely his own fault. His first question, when Steve said that he was bringing Bucky Barnes, the ex-Winter Soldier, was 'Does he have any allergies or dietary preferences'? ("No, he doesn't. That's really all you want to know?" "Steve, he needs to eat.")

But Clint was probably pushing it with the 'Welcome to the Tower' snacks he had made.

"You're not just giving us vegetables and fruit, are you?" Natasha asked, poking at one of the bowls on the table. It contained celery and carrot sticks. "And… cheese?"

"The cheese had to get to room temperature," Clint said, smacking Sam's hand away from the cheese plate. "Come get the crackers. And there's a cake."

"Chocolate?" Tony asked, lighting up. Clint rolled his eyes.

"Plain," he said. "With vanilla and chocolate frosting, so someone with steady hands can bring that out. It's in the refrigerator."

He heard the clank of the plate as Tony placed the cake on the table, and the rustle of plastic as Sam brought the empty cracker packets back into the kitchen. Clint shooed him out while he arranged the cookies on a plate, and hoped that he hadn't miscalculated. Steve said that Barnes was getting better, but maybe this had been a stupid idea? Well, they had arrived, and he couldn't put it off any longer. He said a prayer as he lifted the platter, and went out to the table.

Sergeant Barnes certainly looked healthier than any of the recent pictures Clint had seen of him. He'd had a haircut; not the same style it had been before the accident, but shorter. While his skin was still pallid, his eyes looked less sunken in. He kept flexing his metal hand. Clint hoped it wouldn't end up around his neck.

He cleared his throat, and Steve turned around.

"Hey," he said. He elbowed Bucky, who turned as well. "Clint, this is Bucky. Bucky, Clint."

Bucky nodded, and Clint moved forward. He held out the platter of cookies to show him. Each cookie had an arm missing, with pre-made teeth marks where it had 'already been chewed' off. He'd drizzled melted dark and white chocolate in criss-cross patterns over the cookies, because who could resist chocolate? But it was the missing arms that worried him, and Barnes's possible reaction.

"I thought they'd be cute, so please don't kill me," he said, proud that his voice didn't waver. Steve tensed.

"Clint, that's in really bad taste," he said through clenched teeth. Clint frowned at him, and opened his mouth to argue. He noticed that their friends were looking at each other, and Natasha was reaching for her knives.

Then Bucky burst out laughing. Clint nearly dropped the plate in shock. He glanced at Steve, who was staring at Bucky, open-mouthed. Everyone else was looking at the former Winter Soldier with wide eyes. Bucky was almost bent double, hugging his stomach as he laughed until he almost lost his breath. He steadied himself against the nearest dining table chair, and he met Clint's gaze with a handsome twinkle in his eyes. He licked his lips and took the plate from Clint, placed it on the table, and stepped closer to him. Clint fought the urge to take a step back.

"Thanks, I needed that," Bucky said. "And they look delicious."

Those words were always in the back of Clint's mind; now they leapt to the front with a vengeance, and his legs barely kept him upright. He forced himself not to stutter as he said, "What?"

Bucky smiled, and began to unbutton his shirt. Clint glanced at Steve, swallowing; the captain looked just as adrift as Clint felt.

"Bucky," Steve began. Bucky waved him off, and finally bared his chest to Clint. The archer moved forward, reaching out, and traced the words in his writing: 'I thought they'd be cute, so please don't kill me'.

"They are cute," Bucky said.

"I… I already had the cookie cutters. One's missing a head, one's missing a leg, and one's… missing an arm. It…" He trailed off as Bucky cupped his face.

"Do you have my words?" he asked. Clint nodded. "Do you know how long it's been since I really laughed?"

"N-no."

"Not since before I lost this arm. And you managed it ten seconds after we met."

Clint's heart nearly broke for his soulmate. He stepped forward and brushed their noses together, wanting to hold him close and protect him from everything he'd suffered.

"I'll help you," he promised softly.

"Steve told me… you would know how I felt."

"I guess that's why we're meant to be together," Clint said. Bucky nodded.

"I'd kiss you, but we have an audience," he said.

"We could leave, but I want you to try your cookies first."

"Oh, don't mind us," Tony said. "We're good. We'll look after the food."

"It's Bucky's party," Clint reminded him. He took hold of one of Bucky's hands – his left one – and led him to the table. He hesitated, and looked at Steve, who watched them with a bittersweet smile. "You should sit next to Steve."

"He's sat next to me for years," Steve said, gently pushing Bucky closer to Clint. "Go on. You know you want to."

Steve ended up at one end, with Bucky to his left and Clint beside him, still holding his metal hand.

"I'm left-handed," Clint murmured. "In case you were wondering."

Bucky stared at him while Clint munched on a carrot stick. Then he picked up a cookie and delicately chewed off the remaining arm. Clint watched him out of the corner of his eye, and relaxed further when Bucky smiled at him, and winked.

"They are delicious," he remarked. "But I bet you're even more delicious."

Clint smirked slowly. "Soon as we're done here, I can take you back to my room, and you can find out for yourself."

"I look forward to it."

But you're not getting it, fair readers, and please don't ask. This was only supposed to be about soulmates and cookies! (Or biscuits, as we call them here.)

I have those biscuit cutters. They're actually called ABC cutters, i.e. Already Been Chewed. I imagine many gruesome decorations could be added, of the red icing variety. However, I am not that clever, nor would my mother want to eat them. No one to share creepy cookies with it. Sigh.

Please review, my dears!