Comic booking it

[from_a_distance]

Clint was not one to frequent comic shops. In fact, he usually stayed as far away from them as possible--not because, like the other Avengers, he was afraid he might be recognized, but because he was pretty certain he wouldn't be, and that got a little old after a while.

But Coulson had been moping because he couldn't get in to get his Captain America comics for a couple months, and Clint didn't like to see Coulson moping, so he decided to stop by and pick them up for the agent. He'd probably just drop them on his desk when Coulson wasn't around, but at least he knew it would make the man smile.

Comments

[from_a_distance]

Clint nods carefully. "And when you got home...did your dad get madder than he was at the store?"

[mediumdrip]

"A little," Blaine says warily. He doesn't want to lie, but he doesn't know how much of the truth he can tell.

[from_a_distance]

And Clint is very careful about how he asks this, because he doesn't want to spook Blaine.

"When I was your age, my dad used to get mad at me sometimes too. Real mad."

[mediumdrip]

"Yeah?" Blaine looks up from the comic book. "Were you a disappointment too?"

[from_a_distance]

"Yeah, I was," Clint says with a nod. "I tried to be good, but I wasn't always, and he'd get mad. Especially if he was drinking."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine doesn't respond to that, instead he pretends to focus his attention on the comic book.

[from_a_distance]

Clint ducks his head, leaning in a little bit. "Does your dad drink like that sometimes?"

[mediumdrip]

"I don't know," Blaine says in a small voice.

[from_a_distance]

"You know," Clint says carefully, "I never told anybody about my dad and how mad he would get. I think now maybe I should have."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine is pretty quiet for a moment. He puts the book back into the plastic. "I think I should go back to work," he says. "Will you hold onto this? I don't want to get paint on it."

[from_a_distance]

"I will," Clint says. "If you will answer one question for me."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine sighs and looks up at him. "What?" he asks.

[from_a_distance]

Clint meets his eyes and says very sincerely, "I promise you that you will not get in trouble for answering this, okay?"

[mediumdrip]

Blaine looks up at him, waiting.

[from_a_distance]

"Did he hurt you today?"

[mediumdrip]

"Yes," Blaine mumbles, looking down as he answers.

[from_a_distance]

Clint touches his shoulder lightly and takes the comic. "Thank you," he says, "for being honest."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine flinches away from the touch and then nods. "See you later Mr. Stalker," he says before moving to go back to his work.

[from_a_distance]

Clint draws himself to his feet. "Hey, what's your name, kid?"

He knows, of course, but it's slightly less weird if Blaine actually tells him.

[mediumdrip]

"Blaine," the kid answers, stopping to look at Clint again. "Is that all?"

[from_a_distance]

He nods. "I'm Clint. I'll see you around, Blaine."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine doesn't reply. It's gotten darker since he stopped to talk to Clint and he wants to get finished to get back inside.

[from_a_distance]

Clint doesn't want to worry Blaine, so he doesn't go straight up to the house. Instead, he circles around the block to come at the house from the backyard.

Because he does want to worry Blaine's dad.

[mediumdrip]

Blaine's dad is at the couch. He has some chips on the table along with a couple of beers. He's watching TV. It's on something pretty mindless.

[from_a_distance]

Clint is very, very quiet. Right up until the moment he grabs Blaine's dad by the hair and hauls him up off the couch.