Reliable Plans

"What would you do if you came home and found the first aid kit empty?"

Clint shrugs, wincing as Bucky presses an iodine-soaked piece of cotton wool to a gash on his forehead (which now feels bigger than he initially thought it was… huh). "Borrow a neighbour's?"

"I'm not sure they'd have one to cater for your oh-so-varied needs." Bucky brushes Clint's hair aside, sighing through his nose as his mouth adopts a disapproving curve. "How you aren't concussed, I'll never know."

"Thick skull," Clint jokes, smile fading when it doesn't seem to lighten the mood much. "Look, I had a plan, okay? I knew what I was doing."

Bucky's eyebrow raises, though he continues dabbing at Clint's forehead. "Really? And how detailed was this 'plan'?"

"Detailed enough." Bucky gives him a look. "It had stages and everything!" Steve would've approved of that, right?

"So tell me."

"Uh…" Clint swallows. "Stage one: find the bad robots. Stage two: stop the bad robots doing bad robot things. Stage three: go home and sleep."

"Of course," Bucky mutters, turning back to the medical kit strewn across the bed-side table.

Feeling dejected, Clint lets his shoulders drop, his bruised left one throbbing momentarily. "If you're gonna be mad at me," he says, "can we get it over with?" He looks up at the sound of a plaster being torn open but can't quite keep his gaze on Bucky as it's gently pressed to the cut on his forehead, Bucky's fingers lingering on the sides of his head.

"I'm not mad, Clint," he says, voice as gentle as his touch. "These days I can get through the pissed-off stage in five seconds. Well - six this time." Smiling, he steps closer, hands drifting down to the sides of Clint's neck. "Just…" Bringing his lips to the freshly-placed bandage, he kisses the material firmly but tenderly, breath hot against Clint's skin as he asks, "Call for backup next time?"

"Alright," Clint agrees, curling his fingers around Bucky's wrist. Smirking, he glances up at him. "But only if backup agrees to step three of the plan." Bucky chuckles, exasperated, but Clint knows the deal is sealed when he receives a proper kiss, his aches and pains receding for that one, blissful moment.


AN: Prompt: "Bucky patching Clint up after a reckless mission and kissing him better is something I desperately need in my life."