Fractured

Eight months.

That’s how long Tony had been sober. Eight months, twelve days and seven hours, but who was really counting? If you would have asked Tony eight months ago if he could go that long without a drink he probably would have laughed and gotten a whisky just out of spite. But now, he had to admit, it was a good feeling to be able to go so long without thinking about when the next time he could open a bottle. It was also saving him quite a bit of money. He had no idea how much he was actually spending on alcohol until now. Not that money was ever an issue but he could use that towards other projects, like helping the wonder twins get their citizenship, outfitting Barton’s new protégé with top-of-the-line gear because let’s face it, she needed something better than the bow she brought with her, installing new security that the obnoxious Deadpool couldn’t get past and taking Natasha out to the ballet.

As well as a little thank you present he had for the man who had helped him to get sober.

Clint had taken some time off after Ultron to help Laura with the new addition to their family but after a month of paternity leave he had returned to the complex, saying something along the lines of needing to keep an eye on the team, especially with Steve still out of commission. Needless to say, it was clear to Tony how being away from his family was still painful and despite the number of times Tony offered to bring them to New York and insisting that it would be safe, Clint kept telling him that it wasn’t worth the risk. Sure, he was distracting himself by basically adopting the Bishop kid and the twins but Tony knew that look in Clint’s eyes.

He was hiding his pain, as he always did.

It had taken some considerable string-pulling and a good chunk of money, but Tony had pulled it off. Now, all he needed was to give it to Clint. He headed to common room where Natasha, Kate and Wanda were watching as Clint and Pietro were playing Mario Kart. “You’re still slow, old man,” Pietro taunted, clearly in the lead with Clint trailing behind.

But Clint just smirked as he lined up behind Pietro and fired his green shell, hitting Pietro’s cart and passing him to take first place. Wanda and Kate laughed at Pietro’s face as Clint just leaned back in his seat. “You were saying, kid?”

“Did no one tell him it was a bad idea to play Mario Kart with Clint?” Tony asked of the girls while pointing to the two in question.

“Oh, Natasha and I tried,” Kate offered as she picked up her coffee, “But he didn’t believe us.”

“My brother only learns by doing,” Wanda laughed as she ruffled Pietro’s hair.

“You want next turn, Tony?” Clint asked as Pietro mumbled something in Sokovian. Tony laughed as he shook his head. “No, I know better. Actually, I wanted to give you something.”

“If it’s another over-complicated coffee pot, thanks, but no thanks.”

“Hey, that coffee pot is Barton-proof. I even had Barnes test it out before installing it in your room,” Tony explained as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. Clint raised his eyebrow skeptically before standing up and walking towards Tony to grab it. “What is this?”

“Consider this a thank you for being one of the biggest pains in my ass,” Tony teased. Only three people in the room knew about Tony’s alcohol addiction and he intended to keep it that way. Not that he didn’t trust the kids that Clint had basically adopted (“I could make it official, you know. Get the paperwork all set up for you and add to your ever-growing family.” “Please don’t.”) but he wanted to keep some of his private downfalls just that – private.

Clint took the envelope and opened it, pulling out the tickets to Disneyland. “Figured you and the family could use a little getaway. You spend way too much time away from them and I also promised my favorite niece that she would get to see Tomorrowland in all its glory.”

“Tony, you know I can’t do this,” he said, stuffing the tickets back into the envelope to hand back to him, “I appreciate it, but I can’t be seen with them…”

“You really think I haven’t taken their safety into account?” Tony asked, almost offended, “The whole park is shut down whenever you want to cash them in. It will literally be an empty park with fully vetted attendants to run the rides and the food stands. Oh, and security will be turned off so there’s no video footage of them and you but that is not an excuse to climb the Matterhorn, okay?”

Clint could hardly believe what he was hearing. He was almost sure that the aid in his ear was malfunctioning. He gazed at Natasha was now standing a couple steps behind Tony with a questioning look and she just nodded as if answering him. His gaze now looked down at the tickets and he felt something warm inside of him. An actual vacation with his family. A normal one – well, as normal as it could be without risking their lives in the process. “I really appreciate it, Tony. Coop and Lila are gonna lose it when I tell them.”

“It’s no trouble…well, it was a little to get it coordinated, but I’m still in competition with Fury for favorite uncle.”

Clint laughed as he pointed to the two of them. “Well, you’ll have a chance to earn brownie points if you two come with. I can’t very well accept this unless the person who made this happen comes with and I know Laura and I could use an extra hand with the kids.”

Tony was unsure until he turned and looked at Natasha who simply gave him a nod. “Well, I guess I can’t say no. Especially with all the strings I had to pull.”

There was a blur and the envelope was yanked out of Clint’s hands as Pietro sped around and grabbed the tickets from him. “Disneyland? That’s the place with the castle, no?”

Clint looked exacerbated as he yanked the envelope out of Pietro’s hand. “What did I tell you about doing that?”

Wanda and Kate were giggling in the background as Clint tucked the tickets away. “I need to make a phone call to Laura,” he excused himself, heading towards the balcony and pulling out his old school flip phone that he only used for her.

From inside Tony watched him and felt how Natasha moved to stand next to him. “Since he’s bad at saying it, thank you. I know this means a lot to him.”

“Well, it’s the least I can do for his family after they took us in during Ultron.”

“He was terrified afterwards, you know. Worried that he risked them by doing that.”

“Well, I can’t blame him. If the roles were reversed, I would probably be the same way. I’m just glad he trusted us with that secret.”

“Trust with Clint is not easily earned. We’ve been friends and partners for years and he still hasn’t told me everything about himself.”

Tony eyed her in confusion. “Really?”

Natasha nodded. “He’s been burned too many times, I think. Especially by his brother.”

Barney. The name had popped up many times since Tony had read Clint’s file. It is as a topic that Clint actively avoided. Come to think of it, he actively avoided a lot of topics about himself. Tony couldn’t really think of much that he actually knew about the man known as Clint Barton except what he had read in his file and the few tidbits of information that Clint had given him freely. A very confidential, redacted file that only raised more questions than answers. “He really needs to get better at the whole sharing thing, doesn’t he?”

“That’s what I keep telling him,” Natasha replied with a smirk, “but then again, I could say the same about you.”

“I have no idea what you mean, Romanoff. I am an open book.” The look on Natasha’s face when he said that was enough to tell him that she knew he was lying. “So then you’re ready to tell me about those secret projects you have been working on?”

“Well, if I told you about them, then they wouldn’t be a secret, now, would they?”

“Tony…”

“You know, you sound like Feathers when you say that.”

“Where do you think I learned it from?” Tony paused as he glanced back at Clint for a brief moment. “I’m telling you the same thing I tell Clint out there,” Natasha continued, bringing Tony’s gaze back to her, “This team only works if we stop keeping secrets about things. You didn’t tell the team about Ultron and look how that ended.”

Tony resigned himself to the fact that Natasha was right. “You sure you don’t want to be the lead of this team?” Tony asked.

Natasha smirked, thankfully saved from answering as Clint came back in. “Laura and the kids are excited. They also asked if we could invite the three stooges over there,” Clint said, pointing to Kate, Wanda and Pietro who had gone back to playing Mario Kart – this time Kate kicking Pietro’s ass.

Tony shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

The alarm blared and everyone looked up as Friday dropped a holographic screen. // I’m sorry to interrupt, Sir, but you need to see this. //

It was a news station and everyone felt their stomachs drop out from underneath them.

“We’re reporting to you live from outside the White House where the Presidential Ball has just been interrupted by Hydra personnel. According to witnesses, agents of Hydra had infiltrated the ball as staff and various guests before taking the President hostage inside the Oval Office.”

“Tony,” Bucky announced as he ran into the room, already geared up with Sam Wilson in tow. Everyone looked at each other as Tony gave them a nod. “Suit up. Disneyland can wait.”

Everyone nodded as they started running to their respective rooms to grab their gear. Bucky and Sam were heading to the quinjet as Sam asked Bucky, “I feel like we’re missing something.”

“Join the club, Sam.”

TBC…