Maybe it was because he saw himself in this girl. Or maybe it was because he'd just taken wads of cash from a gang, but something in Clint made him feel for this girl. No older then 16, and robbing him in broad daylight. Or trying to, anyway. She was skinny, scared, and just a kid.
"You shouldn't steal yknow. Its bad." Clint said calmly, turning to face her.
"Sorry." The girl said quietly, looking down.
How was he meant to get angry at her?
"Tell you what kid. Hungry?" Clint asks, sighing.
The girl nods keenly.
"You like pizza?"
"So, what. You just had a happy life, and ended up on the streets. I call bull." Clint sips on his drink, watching the girl closely as she devoured her food.
"I never saw any issues growing up. Everything was behind closed doors I guess. Turned 10, and dad made me do these trainings with these... fighters? Not sure. Never knew why, but it was fun, so I didn't care. Then one day was I was 14, I got home to an empty house. I didn't know where my parents were. Still don't know. I stayed in my house for a year, hiding, before the police deemed it unoccupied and sold it off. I was scared of what might have happend to my parents, so I never went to the cops. So I've been on the streets for a couple months now. Foods pretty easy to steal, but I dunno. I wanted some cash. My parents never really kept any cash around the house, and I couldn't find their wallets. I'm pretty shit at stealing. You... looked... tired, so I figured I'd give it a go. Guess I'm that bad." The girl mumbles her story, mouth full of food. Clint sighs.
"Whats your name kid?" He asks, sounding tired.
"Sarah. But I never really liked that name." The girl replies.
"My real names Clinton, but no one calls me that. Everyone calls me Clint, or Barton. Or Hawkeye." Clint talks into his food.
"I... you... Hawkeye? Like AVENGER-" Sarah stutters.
"Yeah, yeah, keep your cool, I'm no hero." Clint mutters, sounding annoyed.
"Well shit." Sarah exclaims, sitting back.
Its quiet for a moment, before Clint speaks up;
"Y'know, most people don't apologise so sincerely after attepting to mug someone." He points out, looking right at Sarah, who shrugs.
"I felt bad. I didn't want to steal, but, I gotta eat, y'know?" She mumbles.
Clint is silent for a minute, before groaning and standing up.
"Come with me before I change my mind."
"Unfortunately a second hand couch is all I can spare you. Oh and, y'know, this whole place." Clint grunts, pushing the couch into place.
It was a small apartment, 1 main room, a second room that was basically a large cupboard and a tiny bathroom, but it was cheap and for sale. After a long afternoon of helping Sarah clean it up, both of they lay on the floor, staring at the stained roof.
"Thankyou. Again" Sarah says quietly.
"Say the t word one more time and I'll out you back on the streets." Clint grumbles, but there's no real meaness to it.
He stands up and scribbles something down on a notepad, before tearing it off and handing it to Sarah. It reads;
HOUSE RULES
-You go to school.
-You do NOT commit any more crimes.
-You start a part time job at the coffee shop across the street.
-You let me crash here whenever I want.
-STAY OUT OF TROUBLE.
"Whats this?" Sarah asks.
"Pretty simple kid. Rules for this place. Break 'em and... I dunno. You'll wish you didn't I guess. You go to school. I can get a friend to help you with enrolling if you need. You stop stealing, pickpocketing, all crimes. None of that. You need something you ASK. You go to work and you commit to it. You let me crash here if I need to, no questions asked. And most importantly, you STAY OUTTA TROUBLE. I bought this place with... borrowed... money, and you should have turned yourself into the cops and been put in the system months ago, so it is VERY important you keep low. You do all that, and consider this place yours." Clint explains, before turning to the door.
"You right if I get going? At 6pm, go next door for dinner, the old lady... uh... Mrs... you'll learn her name. Anyways, she said you are welcome for dinner. I'll drop off groceries sometime tommorow. Here's $20 bucks, my phone number, a pocket knife JUST IN CASE, I don't wanna see any red wrists, and a Walmart watch so you have the time." Clint says, giving Sarah a small purple bag.
"Rahrah, do you still have that hearing aid charger thing?" Clint mumbles into the couch.
18 months later, and, for the most part, Sarah had stuck to the rules. She'd enrolled in school, and passed most of her classes. Stayed on the right side of the law, and earned a solid wage at the coffee shop. Clint crashed at her place, sometimes multiple times a week, sometimes not for months on end. He was like that. But staying out of trouble? That had proved tricky.
"Katniss, I know you're meant to be the deaf one but I cannot hear you over the sound of Parker." Sarah yelled, competing with a crying baby. "Are you sure you wanna stay here?"
Clint groaned, fully lifting his head from the couch and turning to look at Sarah. "Yeah it's fine. Why the hell are you up at this hour though?" He asks, concerned.
"Baby's don't really have sleep schedules," Sarah groaned. "Shut uuuup, I have school tommorow." She says, bouncing the screaming baby on her hip.
Clint chuckled tiredly, and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair.
"Yeah, you do, don't you? You even gonna be awake for it?" He smirks, knowing he was no better himself.
"No. Little shit. Still can't believe I didn't beat teen pregnancy."
Clint couldn't help but laugh out loud at this.
"Real shame, isn't it. Who's the lucky dad again?" He asks, instantly face palming. "Sorry, sorry, I know. Touchy subject. I'm really tired." He sighs.
The baby screams, and Sarah looks close to tears. "Shut up, please Parker, shut up, just for a little bit." She begs.
Clint can tell she's on the brink of tears, and the babies constant cries are definately not helpful. He stands up from the couch, going over to Sarah and placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, it's alright." He says softly. "She's just a baby, she doesn't know any better. You're doing your best kiddo. Just hang in there." Parker screams again, and Sarah face is pure fear. Clint sees this and gently takes the baby from her arms, cradling her.
"Shhhh, shhh, baby girl," He murmers softly, rocking the bub. "It's ok, you're ok, you just need a bit of shushing, huh?"
"Thankyou." mumbles Sarah, already on her way to the bathroom.
Clint nods and continues to rock the baby. He knows Sarah needs a minute, so he sits on the couch with Parker, gently bouncing her.
"It's ok kiddo. I'll be there soon, just hang on."
When Clint got the call from Sarah just 6 months into the new apartment, it was not what he expected. She called alot, often to ask about school, or his work, or if she could have friends over, as Clint was working hard to keep her past in the past and the cops away. So when she balled her eyes out about a missed period, it was most definately jarring to say the least. The first 6 months had gone so smoothly. Sarah had started to collect furtniture, and was doing well in school and her job. Clint had crashed there a couple times, and everytime she was polite and welcoming, even if it was midnight on a Tuesday and he was hungry, or grumpy, or bleeding all over her couch after a mission. He never could have imagined having to rush over in the night, with store bought pregnacy tests, and even less so for one of them to be positive.
"What am I gonna do?" Sarah sobs, burying her face in Clints arms on the shitty bathroom floor.
"I dunno kiddo. I won't lie. This is shitty." Clint responded blunty.