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]

"It's just some of the guys at Miss Emma's," Blaine explains quietly. "They call be bad names and play mean games."

[from_a_distance]

Clint frowns. "What kind of games? What do they call you?"

[mediumdrip]

"Like who can pinch me the hardest... Games like that." He's too comfortable talking about this to answer the second question.

[from_a_distance]

"And what kind of names do they call you?" Clint asks again, seeing that it is probably the worst part of the situation.

[mediumdrip]

"Umm... Fag?"

[from_a_distance]

Clint's frown deepens, and he touches Blaine's hand lightly. "How come they're calling you that?"

[mediumdrip]

"Because I am one?"

[from_a_distance]

Clint pauses a moment, and then says, "You're a cigarette?"

[mediumdrip]

"Maybe?"

[from_a_distance]

Clint nudges him, smiling a little. "Maybe you're a cigarette?"

[mediumdrip]

"Yeah. Maybe."

[from_a_distance]

"What makes you say that?"

[mediumdrip]

"I don't know."

[from_a_distance]

"That's what that word means. It's just a thing people call cigarettes. People only use it on other people when they can't think of something smart to say."

[mediumdrip]

"Well, they aren't very smart then."

[from_a_distance]

"Exactly," Clint says. "And who cares what stupid people call you?"

[mediumdrip]

"I do."

[from_a_distance]

"How come?"

[mediumdrip]

"I don't know," Blaine repeats, getting frustrated with the questioning.

[from_a_distance]

Clint sighs and shakes his head. "Okay. It's okay.

"Can you tell me which boys it is?"

[mediumdrip]

"It's just some of the other ones from the house."

[from_a_distance]

"Which ones?"

[mediumdrip]

"Won't that make me a tattletale?"

[from_a_distance]

"No. It's like what we were talking about earlier with secrets. If someone's getting hurt, it's okay to tell. Even if that someone is you."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine nods and then names a couple of the boys who live at the home with him.