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]

"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.

[from_a_distance]

Clint looms over him. "When Blaine asks, you're gonna tell him you were in a car wreck and it was your fault," he says slowly and distinctly.

Then he hauls the man up over his shoulder to carry him out the back door, pulling out his phone to call a cab to meet them on the opposite corner.

[mediumdrip]

Blaine's dad doesn't protest. He doesn't even try to fight anymore. He knows this guy could kill him and might, even despite him telling him to say when he sees Blaine again.

[from_a_distance]

He gets to the corner about the same time the cab does, and he shuffles the man into the back seat. He gives instructions to the driver to take him to the nearest emergency room and pays him generously for it before leaving to head back to Blaine's house to get the kid some dinner.

[mediumdrip]

Blaine comes back into the house a little bit after Clint had left. He's confused and looking for his dad by the time that Clint comes back.

[from_a_distance]

Clint comes in the back door so it looks like he might have been there all along.

"Hey, Blaine," he says when he finds the boy.

[mediumdrip]

This doesn't help Blaine's confusion at all. "What are you doing here? Where's my dad?"

[from_a_distance]

"He had to run an errand," Clint says, lying easily. "What do you want for dinner?"