A Soldier, An Archer, and Some Wrapping Paper

The Wrap

It had been some time since Clint met Bucky in that Starbucks.

Two years to the month.

On the other hand, it wasn't Christmas when they'd met.

Bucky was out grocery shopping, simultaneously testing the cloaking device Tony had made to make his arm look less... metal.

Clint was taking advantage of his alone time to wrap the near impossible number of presents he got for the super-soldier-turned-barista (Bucky had zero desire to return to combat - a wish the team respected, half out of kindness, half out of fear). He was determined to make this Bucky's best Christmas since 1945.

Just as Clint had put the last piece of tape on the final gift box (a teddy bear that was just too cute to refuse) wrapped in the most vibrantly purple wrapping paper he could find, a knock came at the door.

Setting the box under their extravagantly decorated Christmas tree, Clint walked to the door.

"Forget your key, Buck?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. He didn't open the door.

He was answered by a strained grunt from the other side, as if the other man was holding something heavy. "No, can't reach it. C'mon, open the door, idiot."

Clint did nothing.

"Please?"

He opened the door.

To see his boyfriend standing there with a mountain of bags from several different stores, ranging from Kroger to - a store most definitely not appropriate for children. Or anyone under 18, for that matter.

"Bucky, what the hell," Clint asked partly because he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Well, I was just going to get groceries like you asked, but then I got carried away," Bucky looked guiltily at the floor.

Clint rolled his eyes, "C'mon, let's get this inside."

With that, Clint grabbed the bags that were on the floor, making sure not to look (Bucky informed him that if he did look, he would pay with his life), and set them down in their proper places.

"Okay, now get out of the room," Bucky ordered.

"Bucky, is that a-" Clint thought he saw a very high quality coffee-maker in one of the bags.

"OH MY GOD CLINT DON'T LOOK GET OUT I HAVE TO WRAP YOUR PRESENTS JESUS CHRIST OH MY GOD DO NOT RUIN CHRISTMAS!!!" Bucky was passionate about keeping the presents a secret, throwing himself in front of the bag in question so Clint could no longer see.

Clint weighed his options and, deciding that Bucky might actually cry if he stayed in the room, went to the kitchen to make himself some more Extra-Special-Super-Caffienated-Peppermint-Surprise-Christmas-Coffee.

That was Christmas Eve.