Prompts: Forced to Kneel/Tied to a Table/"Hold them down"

Clint/Bucky

I'm apologizing in advance. This one went so far off the rails. I hope you enjoy it and I'll try to do better.

"Birdie!" Tony yelled from the lab. "Need you and Terminator in here, like yesterday!"

The team, gathered in the living room about to expose Steve and Bucky to the wonderment of entertainment that was the Bill & Ted trilogy of movies, all turned toward Clint. "Don't look at me. I haven't been anywhere near the lab."

"And I only go there when I need my arm worked on." Bucky stood and turned to Clint. "Come on, doll. Let's go see what Tin Man wants."

Clint harrumphed, but when he got that look from Bucky, he caved and followed him into the lab. "What's so important you had to take us away from an outstanding series of theatrical releases?"

"Barton, there are so many more cinematic masterpieces than those time-traveling teenagers."

"Good use of alliteration, Stark. Way to put those doctorates to good use."

Tony shook his head. "Bruce and I have been working on an invention, and we need your assistance – for science."

"That's never good when he throws that in there as the reason for our help," Clint said. But, since Stark indulged him in his trick arrow ideas, Clint chose to go along. "What's up, Tony?"

"As you know, we're trying to find a way to contain Mean Green when he loses control."

"Which isn't that often, Tony," Bruce interjected.

"Try never, Tony," Clint said.

"As I was saying, should Bruce in his larger form ever lose control and not be able to return to his scientist form immediately, we're looking for ways to keep him calm until we can get him back here."

"Surprisingly, that makes sense," Bucky said. "What's the latest attempt?"

Tony reached under a shelf behind him and tossed a set of metal cuffs on the table. "Tada!"

"So, you've come up with mag cuffs that have already been invented. You disappoint me, Stark, plus I'm still waiting on my flying car."

"Which will come after my sky cycle, right?" Clint said, ever hopeful since Tony wouldn't agree to design a jet pack for him.

"In due time, Clint. And, Barnes, that was my dad that promised flying cars, not me."

"Still holding you responsible if I don't see one in my lifetime." Bucky shot him a murderous glare, but Tony had become immune to those – he was married to one Pepper Potts, after all. In Tony's eyes, that woman could hold TED talks on how to get what you want with just the proper glance. "Fine," when Bucky saw Tony wasn't going to respond to the jab about flying cars. "How can we help?"

"I need a volunteer," Tony said. "Thanks, Clint." Before Clint could put up any protest, Tony grabbed his arm and dragged him over to a table. "On your knees."

"What? No! I'm a one-man man, Stark, plus my boyfriend is the jealous type. Right, Bucky? Bucky?" Clint looked over at Bucky, who was suddenly staring into space, apparently mulling something over in his brain. "James!"

Bucky blinked when Clint yelled at him. "What? Oh, yeah. I'm jealous, don't share, and don't play nice with others."

Clint looked at Bucky, letting him know they'd be talking about the situation later.

"Still not on your knees, Barton."

Clint sighed and fell to his knees. "The things I do for science."

"Barton, you once suggested I attach wings to your back."

"I was also delirious, so that doesn't count." Bucky looked questioningly at his boyfriend. "I'd fallen – "

"Jumped." Tony interrupted him.

"Made a hasty exit from an imploding building and was in medical for a few days."

"Two weeks."

Clint glared at Tony. "Can I tell my own story, please?" Tony rolled his eyes. "Thank you. Anyway, I was on the good drugs and was trying to think of things that would assist in my job duties."

Bucky put his head in his hands, wondering exactly how he got into these situations. As if following one disaster blond around during childhood saving him from himself, no sooner was he free from HYDRA and found himself falling for another disaster blond-haired male (or light brown-haired, depending on the light) whose job included literally falling on a consistent basis. "Can we get on with it, Stark?"

"I thought you'd never ask. Bucky boy, I'm gonna need to hold these down when I put them on his arms."

"I'm stronger – vibranium arm – so why don't you try them on me?"

"No offense to Clint, but I want to see if a regular, unenhanced person can get out of them. Don't worry. You'll get your turn to get on your knees."

Bucky shook his head. "This conversation is getting stranger by the moment." He waited for Tony to fasten the cuffs onto Clint's arms. Once he got the okay from Tony, he put his hands around the cuffs and held them down.

"Okay, Clint, try to get out of them," Tony said. "Friday? Please record this so Bruce and I can analyze the results." Tony and Bucky watched as Clint struggled to release himself from the cuffs. He tried pulling his arms around and lifting them, but they wouldn't budge. After about 15 minutes of trying and failing, Clint admitted defeat. "Good, test one complete. Thanks, boys. You may return to your movie viewing."

"Good," Clint said, motioning with his head for Bucky to move. Bucky stepped back to give Clint room to stand up, but when Clint went to stand, he found his arms were still in the cuffs, which seemed to be attached to the table. "Uh, Tony? I think we have a problem."

Tony turned around and found the cuffs were attached to each other, but Clint couldn't get his arms out of them. "Uh, wasn't expecting that."

"Tony!" Clint screamed, beginning to panic. "It's not like these are handcuffs I can slip off of my wrists. These damn things go all the way up to my elbows. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Yeah, I can see how that could be a problem." Tony stood back, tapping his index finger against his pursed lips in thought. "I know. Let me get my welding torch."

"No!" Both Clint and Bucky shouted.

"Right, arms. You need them for your job. Don't suppose you could stay there until tomorrow when Bruce returns, could you?"

"Are you gonna get me a chair? I'm not getting any younger, you know."

"Here, let me try." Bucky pulled at the arm cuffs but couldn't get them to budge. "We could call Steve, and maybe between the two of us, we could break them."

Clint dropped his head. "I can't believe this is happening."

"I have an idea." Tony walked over to another table in his workshop and returned with a tool. "It looks like a magnetic force is holding them to the table. I may not be able to get them off your arms, but I should be able to free them from the table at least. You'll just have to have your Bucky bear wait on you hand and foot." Tony chuckled to himself at that pun. For some reason, Clint didn't seem to find it funny.

"Fine. Whatever you have to do, Stark."

"Okay, give me a couple of minutes." Tony crawled under the table and was able to do something to unfasten the cuffs from the table.

"Finally!" Clint stood up and noticed Bucky had a mischievous look in his eyes. "What?"

"You've always said you wished your were my prisoner and would have to do anything I ordered you to do." With an evil grin, Bucky tossed Clint over his shoulder and carried him out of the lab toward the elevators. "Thanks, Stark."

Tony listened as Clint complained all the way down the hall. "Best twenty bucks I ever made," he muttered, putting the money in his wallet.