Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel comics or characters or movies, and am making no money off of this fic.
AN: Written for the April 19th Winterhawk Mandatory Fun Day prompt found here: mandatoryfunday . tumblr .com(/)post/184200327218/this-week-weve-got-another-request-an-anon-asked. (Without the spaces and parentheses.)
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Helpful Signs by luvsanime02
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There are probably a lot more interesting ways that Clint Barton could be spending his first day off in over a month, but honestly, he'd rather be here than anywhere else. Clint's standing behind the counter of his favorite pizza place, a little, privately-owned restaurant run by these two amazing grandmother types - who he's almost one hundred percent positive are retired assassins, and are definitely lovers - and he's carefully sprinkling more cheese onto the top of the pizza that he and his helper are currently creating.
Like this, he says, angling his hands so that four-year-old Todd can watch. He signs slowly, making sure that the boy's following along. More cheese is always better.
The boy smiles and grabs a handful of cheese in order to help. He's not wearing gloves like Clint is, but Dot, one of the two owners, has carefully laid out Toddples of some ingredients in bowls along the counter for them to use, and she clearly doesn't mind. Which is good, because the only gloves back here are for adults, and would never fit Todd's small hands. Clint's still amused that Dot owns a small chef's hat and matching apron, for some reason, and has to admit that the little boy looks adorable in the outfit.
Todd looks up when he's done with the cheese and smiles proudly at Clint, and yeah, this is why he does what he does. This, making a pizza with a random kid while his parents watch with smiles on their faces and the other customers - all regulars who have seen Clint come and go for years - go about their own business, is why Clint works so hard and rarely takes any time off, and struggles and bleeds and fights. For people like this. For simple moments in life like this that anyone can find enjoyment in.
Want anything else on it? Clint asks, and the little boy looks over their pizza critically. So far, they've used sausage and ham strips and lots of cheese, and sure, if Clint was in charge of what this pizza is supposed to have on it, he'd add some pineapple, but the whole point is that this isn't for him. Todd eventually nods, and signs that it looks good, and so Clint nods back solemnly.
Step back, he cautions, and then Clint puts the pizza into one of the ovens. Todd washes his hands at the sink with Clint's help, and then trots over excitedly to his parents, his hands making signs as fast as he can. Todd's dad picks him up and puts him on his booster seat, while his mom signs back just as enthusiastically as her son, and the whole picture makes something warm and soft settle deep inside of Clint's chest.
He finally strips off his gloves and thanks Dot, who winks before going back to her own pizza-making, and then Clint walks back over to his table and sits down in the chair opposite Bucky Barnes, who's been quietly watching Clint this whole time.
"Okay?" Clint asks, because sometimes Bucky doesn't like to stay out in public for too long. This is the first time that they've been able to have some quiet time together in over a month, and maybe Clint shouldn't have jumped up and offered to hang out with Todd for a while after he saw the kid signing something to his parents when they walked into the restaurant, but he honestly couldn't help himself.
Clint doesn't regret hanging out with the boy, but he does hope that he and Bucky can stay here for a little bit longer and enjoy some time actually being together while on their date. To his relief, Bucky smiles and nods at Clint's question.
"That was cute," Bucky says, and it could be sarcasm but it's not.
Clint huffs. "I'm not cute," he retorts. "That's you."
Bucky stifles a snort. "Right," he says. "I'm not the one who helps out random kids. I scare them away."
Rolling his eyes, Clint stretches out his legs under the table so that he can hug one of Bucky's legs in between both of his. "Says the guy who found a kitten out in the rain and is now her owner," he says.
Bucky smiles again, and Clint loves to see him happy and relaxed like this. "The guy who owns a one-eyed dog that he saved from the mafia shouldn't talk. Guess we're both not so scary, as far as snipers go," Bucky replies.
The two of them are infamous in their line of work, though Bucky's reputation is definitely darker than Clint's. A fact which impresses him, really. He's been a part of some pretty messy ops during his time. Not that either of them is actually the scariest person they work with, in Clint's opinion. That honor belongs to Natasha, and she defends her status ruthlessly.
"Guess so," he says, just as casually. The two of them then spend the rest of the afternoon eating some pizza and snarking at each other. Clint signs goodbye to Todd when he and his parents leave. The kid smiles and waves, and doesn't look the least bit intimidated by Bucky when he hesitantly waves back. Clint's going to tease him about this for forever.
He can't imagine a better day off than this, to be honest.