Time to go

Miss you too

Clint had been waiting for this question ever since he met Bucky. But after it he hadn't even asked how he ended up in Russia Clint brushed it off and figured that Bucky either already knew everything or didn't want to know. So when the question surfaced it knocked him straight on his heels.

What should he do?

Should he tell him the truth?

Should he risk Bucky calling him a coward and hating him like Clint hated himself?

Or should he lie, tell him that there was a threatening letter that told him to leave or they would destroy everything he loved?

Would that be better than the truth?

Was that better than telling him that he was a ticking time bomb,a weak link, a coward, a disease that infected anyone who got too close to him?

Clint got close, so close to lying. He had himself built up, he had his story down pat. But then he looked Bucky in the eyes.

Even though he could hardly see them in the dark apartment he could clearly see the pain in them. Bucky's entire world had been built on lies for so long, and now all he wanted was the truth. To not be lied to by a person he was beginning to trust a whole lot more.

Damn it! Clint felt himself cave under the stare, his lies and half truths melting to sludge across his brain.

"I, I left because I wasn't needed anymore. Honestly I don't think I was ever needed by the avengers." Clint wasn't sure exactly what to say anymore.

"Ever needed? Did you not see yourself at the circus? You took down half of those Hydra agents with a weapon from the Stone Age and you are saying you weren't really needed? What are these guys, gods?" Bucky snorted.

"Yah, they are. Well Thor is a god. Tony created a suit more powerful than any machine I've ever seen. Bruce is insanely smart and his alter ego, man you don't want to be in front of that dude when he's angry. Steve survived seventy years in a ice bath, a world war and is still mostly sane. Natasha was trained by the KGB since she was a child to kill and is good at what she does, simple as that. Next to them I'm nothing worth while. I'm just a human with a stick and a string that got lucky."

"So you're human,so what? Do you know what happens when you mix unstable chemicals? They explode. They needed you to stay stable, without you they would fall apart. If they are so good on their own why were you ever there?"

"I don't know."

"Clint, listen to me, they needed you. They still need you."

Clint's face held a look of pure hatred, but not to Bucky, to himself.

"After what I did to leave, they'll never want to see me again, their 'need' to have me around won't trump their hate."

Bucky frowned. "Yah, I never asked how you got away. How did you?"

Clint looked him straight in the eyes. "You don't want to know."

"Tell me, I've done a lot of regrettable things in my life. Nothing is quite as bad as it seems."

Just wait until you hear this. Clint thought drearily. You'll drop me so quick and you'll hate me just like the rest should.

But he sighed and started anyway.

"It was the night after some big fight that we won, I don't remember most of it. The avengers were all partying away in the living room, and I was in a really dark place. I kept telling myself I didn't belong, that it was just a matter of time before I was no longer needed. I kept thinking about everyone that had ever gotten hurt because of me. I thought of everyone I still cared about, how they were going to get hurt if I stuck around. So I had to leave. I-I faked my own death."

Bucky's head snapped up. "You did what?"

"I faked my death."

Bucky looked enraged. "Why would you do that? People loved you, Natasha loved you!"

"That's why I did it! If I were dead no one would come looking for me, they could all move on with their lives."

Bucky was about to retort when they heard a thump, and a giant ball of fur with one eye came bounding down the stairs. Stopping on the last step and falling into a fighting stance, a grow rolling deep inside his throat.

Bucky instantly went for his gun, but Clint stopped him.

"Lucky?" He asked his voice barely above a whisper. "Its me boy, it's Clint."

The growling stopped and in exactly 3.9 seconds Clint had been all but tackled to the ground, Lucky standing above him and showering him with slobbery kisses. His tail was wagging so fast Bucky was sure it was going to fly off and hurt someone. But Clint didn't think twice of it, he was too busy hugging his dog.

"Oh Buddy I've missed you so much! You know I've been all around the world and I haven't found a better dog!" Clint laughed and kissed the dog's nose.

This made Bucky grimace, but even he couldn't hold back a smile. This was the happiest he'd seen Clint. Ever.

But there reunion was cut short by a half sob, half shout that echoed across the room from the top of the stairs.

"Clint!"

It was Kate. Her hair was a mess, her eyes had huge bags underneath them and her pjs consisted of stained sweatpants and one of Clint's shirts, but none of that mattered. It was Kate. It was Clint's Kate and he wouldn't of cared if she was dressed like a clown and had shaved off half her hair, because she was Clint's Kate.

"Katie!" Clint stood up and opened his arms.

In all of Bucky's nearly ninety years he had never seen someone move so fast. Kate basically flew down the stairs and flung herself into Clint, sending him stumbling backward.

"Katie!" Clint said in almost relief and if it was even possible hugged her tighter.

Together they basically collapsed to the floor, arms wrapped around each other in a death grip. For a minute they just sat there, Clint not letting go, Kate crying and laughing and smiling and sobbing all at the same time.

When they pulled apart slightly Bucky could see that Kate hadn't been the only one crying, Clint had long tracks running down his face and his eyes were bright red.

"Clint," Kate said once again, it seemed to be the only word she could say anymore.

"Its me Katie, I promise. And I missed you too." Clint laughed slightly and tried to wipe away a few of her tears.

"Clint."

Bucky fully expected Kate to start up the water works again, but he had never been so wrong. Instead Kate wound up and smacked Clint so hard there was a handprint forming on his cheek.

"Ow!" Clint whined, "What did you do that for?"

Kate tugged him back into a hug. "That's for leaving without telling me what the hell was going on. But I missed your sorry face too."

Clint laughed, but Bucky could hear all the emotion that came out with it. He was inches away from full out sobbing."That's my girl, I'm glad you didn't change." He wrapped one arm around her and the other around Lucky and for the first time in a very long while Clint felt like he was at home.

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A/N) Okay, so that's the end. Just kidding! I actually have some stuff planned, but it may have to wait a little because I start school on Monday. I'm sorry it's a little short and it is more of a filler, but I hope you enjoyed it. Please comment with your suggestions if you have anything you want to happen and please vote if you liked it. Thanks!

-Brokenrook