Chapter 2 – Stop Holding Back

'I've only just got him to leave his room for anything other than meals or work, I am not going to start this now,' Bucky glares at Steve across the table.

'Look, Buck,' Tony sits at the kitchen table, taking the seat between the two friends, 'I get why you don't want to just yet, but you've really had a lucky escape with Carol. I mean if her and Rhodey hadn't already had that thing from when they were in the army together then you could have lost him. Again.'

'I get why you're scared,' Steve cuts him off before he can respond. 'We've known him since we were teenagers, we've been through a lot together, hell you two have been through more together than the rest of us. You don't want to lose that. But Bucky he deserves to be happy with someone, and so do you. You've been in love with him since we were fifteen. Don't wait until you're having to drown your sorrows in vodka with Nat again to be able to watch him walk down the aisle with someone else.'

'Well he wouldn't anyway,' Tony waves the concern away, 'he'd be doing it with me and we'd be doing it with the best whiskey money can buy.'

'Tony,' Steve says warningly.

'Oh come on!' the inventor throws his hands in the air. 'When I first met you guys I thought you two were going out. Pretty sure all the others did too, otherwise we wouldn't have ended up with who we're with now. Well I would have done,' he shrugs, 'I mean who can resist being told they're an arrogant ass the first them they meet someone?'

Steve groans. 'You're never letting that go are you?'

'In fairness I did call you a self-righteous prick.'

'It's the reason Natasha loves you so much,' Bucky grins, 'I would have preferred it if you'd called him a punk instead, but I'm happy with what I got.'

'Thanks,' Steve rolls his eyes.

'The point is, Buckaroo,' Tony continues, 'you two act like you're together. Even when he's bringing other people to our games nights it's you he's constantly looking over for, it's you he tends to team up with, it's you he wants the opinion of. And you look at him like he's your world. I honestly was shocked when I found out you two weren't together.'

'Wait,' Bucky's brain is struggling to keep up. 'Are you telling me you think he likes me? The same way I do him?'

'Are we back in school now or something?' Tony rolls his eyes. 'Yes he likes you the way you do him. Now are you going to do something about it or are you going to let someone else run off with your man?'

Bucky blinks a couple of times then looks at Steve. 'We should let him do the inspiring talks at work, he's much better at it than you are.'

'Screw you,' the blond laughs.

Bucky Barnes does have one advantage in his mission to convince Clint Barton to go out with him. Well two if you're being technical. One: he knows that Clint is a secret hopeless romantic. Two: he loves a good mystery. Which is why the plan he has concocted with Steve and Tony, and Nat when she found out what they were doing, is absolutely fool proof.

At least that's what he keeps telling himself.

'Bucky!' Clint yells as soon as Bucky opens the front door. 'You will never guess what arrived today?'

'A new set of hearing aids? I might need them after that screech.'

'Very funny,' Clint rolls his eyes. 'No! I got a special delivery. A box of chocolates, Belgian chocolate I might add, which is amazing because you know how much I love Belgian chocolate, but this note came with it.' He thrusts the note into Bucky's hands, not that he needs to read it but he guesses he should otherwise that would ruin the surprise.

'A note? "Something sweet for the sweetest man I know. M." Well isn't that corny as shit?'

'Oh shut up, I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff no matter how corny or tacky it might be,' Clint huffs, snatching back his card. They'd decided it should be typed as Clint would recognise any of their writing. 'Who do you think 'M' is? It has to be someone we know otherwise how would they know today was my day off?'

'Maybe you have a stalker?'

'Bucky! Stop ruining it,' Clint pouts.

Bucky laughs. 'Ok, ok, I'm sorry. I don't know? Does anyone have a middle name beginning with 'M' they might use to throw you off?'

Clint frowns. 'I've been thinking all day and I can't work it out. Not even Nat's been able to help with this mystery.'

'Maybe that's what it stands for,' Bucky suggests, heart pounding with nerves, 'maybe it's 'M' for 'Mystery'. What do you want for dinner? Chicken alright?'

'Yeah that sounds good,' Clint answers, tone distracted. 'Let's stick with 'Mystery' for now until we can come up with something.'

Bucky breathes a sigh of relief as he reaches the kitchen and fishes his phone out of his pocket. He rolls his eyes at the group chat name Tony came up with and sends them a message.

Bucky: Operation Get Clint to Love Bucky? Really Tony? Well in case anyone is wondering part one went according to plan. He's currently stuffing his face with the chocolates as we speak, and he's loving the mystery and cheesy comments.

Natasha: Of course he is. He's more of a girl than I've ever been.

Bucky: Thanks for organising the chocolates, Tony.

Tony: No sweat, Buckaroo. But I'm calling dibs on godfather for the first kid.

Natasha: Is Steve going to give him the birds and the bees talk or can I be the one to disappoint him?

Tony: Never heard of a thing called adoption my dear Ms Romanov?

Natasha: Look out Steve! Tony has plans.

Steve: No he doesn't

Bucky: Ok guys the lightsabers were a huge success. Except I now have bruises, and I didn't think it was possible to get bruises from plastic toys. Plus I think he's more excited about the toys than he is with trying to work out who his mystery person is.

Natasha: He gave you bruises from toy lightsabers? Maybe I should give that boy a bigger cut of the takings.

Tony: You definitely are a big harsh on him considering how many extra classes he does for you.

Natasha: Who asked your opinion Mr Billionaire?

Steve: Mr Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist I think is the correct title, if memory serves.

Tony: Considering I'm dating you honey, I think we need to remove the 'playboy'.

Steve: Guys we should be much more supportive of Bucky. Has he calmed down enough to talk about the mystery gift giver yet?

Natasha: Why isn't he replying?

Tony: Oh my god did Clint work it out early and now they're getting down and dirty?

Bucky: Definitely not. He just got a good shot. Let's just say it's a good thing we wouldn't be able to have kids anyway.

Tony: I swear I am not laughing right now.

Steve: Serves you right for all the times you'd get me to stop fighting by putting me on top of a wall.

Natasha: I'm doubling Clint's paycheck.

Bucky: I hate you all.

Bucky's back on the sofa when Clint returns home from work. 'Good day?' he calls, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.

'I got another delivery,' is his reply, Clint sounds excited which he's taking as a good sign. 'This one got delivered to work. Had a hell of a time getting it out in one piece.'

'Oh really? What was it?'

Clint enters the living room, hair a mess from where he's been teaching, a box under his arm and flops down onto the couch. 'You're not going to believe it,' he warns Bucky before opening the long box and revealing the bottle inside. 'Somehow this mystery person knows I'm partial to a bottle of whiskey. And this bottle is the kind of price tag I've only ever seen in Tony's private collection that he thinks he keeps securely locked away where no one can get to it.'

'And you've stolen a couple of glasses from without his knowing?'

'Of course,' Clint grins. 'This is the best stuff you can get and it's amazing. Look at the note that came with it as well.' He passes over the note.

'Let's see what soppy crap they've come up with this time. "A man as special as you deserves all the finest things in life." Ok so not as bad as I was expecting,' Bucky laughs.

'Hey shut it you, this is my mystery person you're talking about!'

'No ideas yet?'

Clint shakes his head, face slipping into a disappointed frown. 'Not really. I mean it's obviously someone who knows me really well, but who do I know who's single and has enough money to spend to get me a bottle of whiskey like this.' He shakes the bottle to emphasis his point. 'I mean Tony's the only one I know who'd spend this much on a bottle of whiskey and it's not going to be him. Oh god unless he and Steve want a weird threesome situation. Please tell me that's not what's happening.'

Bucky can't help but burst out laughing. 'Clint I think you're safe there.'

The blond sighs with relief. 'Well how about we both have a glass? I think I owe you from yesterday's injury,' he smiles guiltily.

'Why not? We can crack open some beers later and see if we can work out who your mystery person is,' Bucky winks at him.

'Alright, two glasses of the finest whiskey coming right up!' Clint jumps up from the sofa and heads towards the kitchen.

Bucky looks down as his phone vibrates.

Tony: Barnes it's day three, third gift has been delivered as confirmed by Nat. Where the hell is our update?

Steve: Sorry Buck, I left him unattended at home while I went in to cover the evening shift for Scott.

Tony: You make me sound like a child.

Bucky: Well he had a freak out that you two wanted a weird threesome situation thing with him, but I talked him out of it.

Steve: Oh thank god! I don't think I could look him in the eye if he still thought that when we next saw him.

Tony: Well I mean that would all depend on how well he cooks…is he a good cook?

Steve: TONY! WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?

Bucky: He's a shit cook. I cook all our meals.

Tony: Aw damn there goes that pipe dream.

Steve: TONY!

Tony: I'm joking, chill out.

Natasha: This is why I love you Tony.

Day four's gift is the one Bucky is most worried about. Not because he thinks Clint won't like it, but because it could get the most emotional reaction out of him.

'I'm back!' Clint calls as he walks through the door. 'Man classes today were tough, my kids class were all over the place. No idea what they were on, but man I need some for the tough days.'

'You've got another parcel,' Bucky tells him as he appears in the kitchen doorway. 'I put it in the living room for you. It's quite big.'

'Really?' Clint frowns. 'Why is this person going to all this trouble? I mean this is the fourth day now and there's been no more clues as to who they are.'

'Whoever it is obviously wants to show you they care about you,' he supplies, throat suddenly dry. 'You not enjoying it any more? I thought you liked the mystery element?' Oh god what if they'd gone too far. There was only one more gift to go, should he stop it and just tell Clint now?

'I guess I just want to know who it is, at the moment it feels like I'm never going to find out and I just want to say thank you if nothing else and see if we can maybe be something. Right now it just…I don't know, maybe I'm thinking too much about it.'

'Why not wait until the end of the week?' Bucky suggests. 'If there's no more hints or anything then send one of them back to the sender with a note saying they have to deliver it in person or something.'

Clint nods, his expression a little more relaxed and a smile creeping onto it. 'Yeah that's a good plan. At least I have a back up and it means I can enjoy the mystery a little longer. Come on let's go see what 'M' has sent me this time.'

Breathing a sigh of relief Bucky follows him out into the living room and watches from the doorway, trying his hardest not to fidget from nerves and give himself away. When he final gets into the box, Clint's eyes go wide and he freezes.

'Clint?' he asks after a few moments of silence.

'I…I can't…I don't know what…how…' Clint reaches into the box and pulls out a bow and a set of arrows. 'There's a target as well,' his voice is quiet. 'How did they…who…why…'

Bucky doesn't say anything, just let's Clint take it in. When they were at school Clint had been an amazing archer and had taken part in loads of competitions, he continued after school and had been a contender for the Olympic team but he'd given it up to marry Laura. When she'd left him for Barney all of his archery kit had been left at the house and Clint had never wanted to go back there to get it, even though Bucky knew it was one of the things he regretted the most: leaving it all behind.

'The note,' Clint's voice is strained, 'it says: "You hit my heart with your first shot. Time to take back your own heart, Cupid." How did they know I didn't have my stuff anymore?'

'They must really care about you, Clint,' he replies quietly.

Clint nods. 'I think…I'm going to need a bit of time to process this one, Buck, you mind if I-'

'Go to your room and take all the time you need, Clint. I'll leave something in the microwave for you,' Bucky smiles at him.

Natasha is sitting at the kitchen table with Clint and Bucky when the doorbell goes.

'You'd better get it, Clint, it's probably your latest parcel,' Bucky grins at him.

'Alright. Here goes nothing,' the blond replies, jumping up from where they've been eating dinner and heading down the corridor.

'He seriously still has no idea who it is?' Natasha asks with a raised eyebrow.

'Nope,' Bucky grins.

Clint enters the kitchen with a happy cry as he opens the box and spies the contents. 'Aw yes! I love baklava! And its dessert time too!'

'You're still halfway through your dinner,' Natasha scolds him.

'Oh shush you,' Clint waves her off. 'Here read the card, that'll make you happy.'

She takes it from him and reads it out loud. 'Here goes. "Something sweet for the sweetest man I know" ugh really? You enjoy this garbage?'

'Shut up and carry on,' Clint frowns at her, liking the syrup off his fingers as he indulges in some of the baklava.

She rolls her eyes and continues. 'Why am I even friends with you? "I know the suspense is probably driving you crazy. If you're willing to give me a chance meet me for dinner at the following address tomorrow at eight. Don't be late and make sure you bring a tie."'

Clint's paused mid-chew. 'They want to meet me?'

'This is like one of the swankiest places in town!' Natasha passes him the card. 'You're going right?'

'Umm…'

'You're not?' Bucky asks, panic gripping him. 'Why not?'

'This is going to sound crazy but…I don't want to meet them and them be disappointed you know? I don't want this to end up like all the others.'

'Clinton Francis Barton,' Natasha scowls, 'if they have gone through all of this trouble just to get you to go on a dinner date I very much doubt they are going to be disappointed in you. Now we are going to work out what you are going to wear and we are going to get it ready for tomorrow night. Do you understand me?'

'You're not giving me a choice are you?' Clint asks.

'No I am not,' the red head responds.

Thank god for Natasha, Bucky thinks as he watches Clint get dragged out of the kitchen.

A/N: Hi everyone. I hope you enjoy this week's update - please do let me know what you think. There's only one more chapter left!

Love always,

L x