House Rules
Bruce set the table for them while Maria finished making dinner. She was not a great cook… but Phil had been busy with paperwork. Once she had set the plate of roasted chicken down everybody started dishing up.
Clint watched hesitantly, torn between grabbing food but not messing up anything in case it wasn’t allowed. But at Maria’s gentle nod he reached and grabbed a bit, immediately stuffing it into his mouth and swallowing before anybody could stop him. He then finished up his entire salad, not using the fork.
“Christ, did he even wash his hands?” Tony cringed while watching him.
Clint scoffed and went back to his food.
Dinner was done after a bit and Phil had Tony on dish duty and then let the rest of the kids finish up their work while he spoke to Clint in the living room.
The man slid the barn door closed gently, leaving it cracked open before he sat down.
“So, Clint. How do you like it here so far?”
The boy shrugged in response, his teeth grazing his lower lip, chewing at the scabs and reopening the wound. “It’s fine, sir.”
“You know, even though this is temporary, you can call me Phil,” he offered while he opened a small folder, setting it on the coffee table. “This is your folder. Every week we do some assessments on how you’re doing. That’s for Saturdays. But today I’d just like it if we could get to know each other a bit more.”
“Is this how the government tricks kids into giving them personal intel?”
Phil sighed, shaking his head. “It’ll stay between us, kid.”
“Fine,” he said, not looking like he believed him though. “I’ll take a pass, what's after that?”
“Well then it would be introducing the point system here. You see, in this house we believe some privileges have to be earned. Things like getting out of chores, staying up late on a school night or having a sleep over at a friends house. So when you do things like unload the dishwasher when it’s not your day, or break up a fight instead of engaging in one, we give you points. At the end of the month everybody’s bank resets to zero.”
“Ah, so that’s how you teach the rascals to behave,” Clint noted, watching Phil closely.
“You could say that. Everybody starts here with my full level of trust. But if you break that, you will have to work to earn it back. The better you behave, the more I can trust you. You see, privileges are earned here.”
“You have said privileges way too many times for my count.”
Phil only shrugged, standing up now. “It’s time for Group. And by the way, talking in group can earn you points too kiddo,” he smiled, opening the door and calling everybody else back in.
Once they had all settled around on the couches, Maria began by starting the session off. “Alright boys, how about we go around and do some introductions for Clint? Name, age, and some stuff about you. For example, I’m Maria Hill, I’m a counselor and social worker and I’m in charge of Tony as well as Thor. Who’d like to go next?”
When nobody moved Tony gave a dramatic burst of a sigh.
“Fine I’ll go, everybody can stop the yelling,” he said sarcastically. “I’m Tony Stark. Like I said before. I’m 14 and finishing up my last horrendous year of middle school. I’m a bit of a billionaire. Inventor. Smartest kid here.” he said simply with a wave of his hand.
“Thor Odinson, my parents were obsessed with history and mythology. Uhm, my brother was Loki. and uhm. I’m 16, I’ve been here for 2 years and I quite like it,” he shrugged.
Clint narrowed his eyes at Thor before directing them to the curly haired boy again.
“Uhm.. Bruce Banner,” he murmured, eyes glued down. “I’m 9 and a half. I’m born 7 days before Christmas so there's that. And I like science.”
“Bucky Barnes,” Bucky grinned as he looked at Clint from where he lounged on the sofa. “15.”
With that Clint thought it was over but Phil went next.
“Phil Coulson, as you guys know, I’m the head of this house. I really enjoy collecting old things, and I work as a part-time high school history teacher.” he smiled softly, looking at Clint now.
He groaned in response but finally huffed out an answer. “Clint. I’m 11.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to add?” Maria asked.
“No.” he stated and so it was done.
With introductions out of the way, Phil led the group into today’s topic. Which was based on fears.
Clint stayed silent as Phil got everybody to participate, even Bucky and Tony engaged in the conversation which surprised the boy. There wasn’t much banter or taunting during this, it seemed to be a safe place. Especially with Maria and Phil watching them.
“So why don’t we go around and each state a fear and how we can help it?” Maria suggested, looking to Tony again to start the circle.
The genius sighed again like this was taking so much out of him. “Fine alright. I’m… afraid a lot of not being important,” he admitted, and Clint could note the strength it took for the boy to confess. “So I try to be really important so I don’t have to worry.”
“Good, Bruce, would you like to go?”
“Oh uhm.. Well.. I’m afraid of.. Of.. hurting others,” he murmured softly under his breath and there were a few sniffles before he continued. “I’m scared I might hurt people when I get overwhelmed and I… I don’t know what to do to deal with it really.” he admitted and Phil rubbed his back, letting the small boy cry.
“Hey, that’s alright, Bruce, alright? We can work this out. Thank you for feeling safe enough to tell us this. Do any of you guys have some ideas?” Phil asked softly as he looked around the room.
“Well you could always… warn us if you think you might get overwhelmed and break things,” Thor suggested.
“Yeah, have like a codeword or color system,” Tony agreed.
“Great ideas guys,” Phil smiled, letting the boy crawl into his lap as he soothed him. “Would anyone else like to go next? Bucky, how bout you?”
Bucky huffed and glanced at Clint across the room. “If it would be alright, I’m still thinking of mine, could Clint go?”
Clint caught the microscopic smirk Bucky gave him when Maria decided it sounded like a great idea. He remembered Phil telling him he was never expected to talk ingroup, but it was highly encouraged. With everybody’s eyes on him Clint caved.
“Fine. I’m scared of being hurt. To avoid that, I avoid pain.”
Maria nodded, saying something about how it was valid or whatever but Clint wasn’t paying attention, he was shooting daggers at Bucky with his eyes.
“Alright well. I’m scared of being in pain. So I avoid it,” Bucky said, just rephrasing Clints words.
“I fear conflict a lot when I don’t feel like I’m adequate to handle it.. So to help it, I try to stay away from big fights I can’t win.”
“Very good, guys,” Phil smiled kindly before elaborating more and then finishing the conversation with the communal time.
“Usually at the end, Clint, we give eachother time to work out any disagreements, add or request new rules, or bring up days you may be gone or need a ride somewhere.” Maria explained. “Speaking of which, we should go over personal and house rules.”
“I got it,” Tony said, raising his hand quickly. “Alright kid. Main house general stuff. Lights out at 9 on the school nights, and 10 on weekends. High schoolers can stay up later though because they’re older. Also, no electronic devices out of the main level. Don’t bring messy food out of the kitchen without permission and clean up after yourself. Unless it’s your room then nobody cares until saturday. Which is room check, where they make sure our rooms aren’t hell holes. Also, Phil and Maria and May are allowed to burst into your room whenever they want to do a check for anything you shouldn’t have. No not like the occasional soda or candy bar. More like.. Drugs, drinks, that kinda stuff. Anyway, other rules include quiet time is from lights out until breakfast, and you need to get permission before starting a locked show or movie.”
“Good job stark,” Bucky grinned. “Think you hit them all in one breath.”
“I do pride myself with my remarkable mouth,” he replied.
“And personal rules now?” Phil started.
“Don’t touch my stuff or go in my room without consent,” Bucky said right away. “And I reserve the shower by the office thirty minutes before breakfast everyday.”
“No picking up my football stuff and I always get dibs for the football game on Sunday,” Thor chimed in.
Then Tony went, “And don’t poke at my inventions because it might just explode or something.”
Bruce murmured quietly before raising his voice more, realizing nobody could decipher what he’d said.
“Please don’t try to feed Albert, he only eats in specific conditions.”
“Alberts a fish by the way,” Tony whispered to Clint. “Just so you know. He’s a bit of a weird one too.”
“Tony,” Phil said softly as a warning and Tony closed his mouth.
“Alright, I suppose that wraps the rules up. Does anyone have concerns or things they’d like to talk about?”
Nobody said anything so Phil let the night close, giving them free time as Maria and Phil went to start their 1-on-1 sessions with the kids.
Clint spent the rest of that night upstairs in his room. Phil had informed him tomorrow they’d be going to the doctors and then the school where he’d be assigned his grade and teachers. Clint hated the thought of school but he figured it would be better than being stuck alone in a house with Phil and Maria always looking over his shoulder.
He sat on his bed, closing his eyes and taking his hearing aids out, setting them on the nightstand, but out of view so they were hidden.
When he opened his eyes he blinked in surprise, he must have fallen asleep because he was laying on the floor, having fallen off the bed. With a grunt he climbed back up. It was getting annoying. Those weird periods he’d fall asleep and wake up somewhere else. The weird periods where he felt so confused like somebody had tranqed him. The even stranger periods where he felt seized by panic and his body seemed to be out of his control.
Ignoring the fear building in his gut he let out a breath.
Then he turned the lamp off and buried himself under the sheets.
He didn’t like the idea of falling asleep, but he’d been awake for over days now and exhaustion had worn him thin. His brain forced him to rest and before he knew it he was in a blank slumber.
Bruce didn’t go to bed easily that night. On his way getting ready for bed, Tony flicked some water at him for fun and the kid started screaming. When Tony yelled at him for overreacting, the situation got out of hand and Phil was called up. After a ton more sobs and screams, Bruce was in Phil’s arms as Tony was forced to apologize.
“Just say the apology, I wanna go to bed,” Bucky muttered, crossing his arms.
“I didn’t do anything wrong!” Tony screamed, angry as Maria gave him a stern look. “He’s overreacting and throwing a 2-year-olds temper tantrum!”
“A meltdown,” Phil corrected. “And you made a mistake, an accident. But the way you’re handling the situation is wrong. Apologize, Tony.”
“Fine,” he huffed in annoyance. “I’m sorry Bruce for flicking some goddamn water at you.”
At Maria’s glare, he edited his apology until he got a clear and Phil brought Bruce to his room to bunker down with him. The rest of the kids shuffled off to bed. Once Phil was under the covers, Bruce having quieted, he realized Clint hadn’t come over or heard the ordeal. He didn’t think about it much more as exhaustion pulled him to sleep.