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

[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.

[mediumdrip]

There's a yelp of surprise and cursing as Clint easily pulls the man up.

[from_a_distance]

He drags the man around the couch and throws him to the floor, crouching to get in his face. "I told you not to lay a hand on him."

[mediumdrip]

"What the fuck are you doing in my house?" Blaine's dad yells, so stunned and terrified to even really listen to what Clint is saying.

[from_a_distance]

"You should learn to listen to warnings," is all the answer he gets before Clint hauls him to his feet and punches him in the face.

[mediumdrip]

The punch shocks the man into silence. After a moment he tries to fight back, but he's drunk and not nearly as skilled as Clint.

[from_a_distance]

Very few people are as skilled as Clint, and it isn't so much a fight as a beating. Clint is careful not to make enough noise for Blaine to hear outside, but he takes no care not to leave visible marks. That's for people who are ashamed of their violence, who prey on the weak and force their victims to carry their shame for them, and Clint promised himself a long time ago he would never be one of those people.

Before he finishes, he makes sure to break the man's fingers. He did promise he would never lay a hand on Blaine again, and he wants to make sure the message sticks this time.

[mediumdrip]

There's little that Blaine's dad can do to defend himself. He ends up curled up on the floor crying in pain.