Clint
Clint while always seemingly acting like an ass and a sarcastic bird, he was actually quite lonely. Lonely in the sense that he missed his family, he missed playing with his daughter. He missed teaching her how to use his very famous bow and arrow. He missed his sons, he missed watching them play rough with each other, he missed helping them wash up after they rolled around in the mud for hours.
His family was far, not gone, but far.
Peter, Peter wasn't his kid, he was Tony’s, he got a little bit jealous every time he saw them together, he saw what he so very much wanted back, so when he started patrolling just a little bit more, he started going to his room just a little bit too often, he started leaving voiceless voicemails to his family, no one was surprised, concerned, yes, but not surprised.
Clint was just going back to patrol while leaving, he saw for the hundredth time, Tony gracefully picking Peter up, ready to take him back to bed. He had just left another voiceless voicemail and to be frank he was having a rough day. So when he left he might have just slammed the window in which he was ready to jump out of just a little too hard, which did not go unnoticed by Tony.
Clint was sitting on a random billboard, just watching, letting the air sway him, and maybe he was hoping the wind would say him a little too hard.
He was a little startled to hear Tony fly right next to him. Tony coughed before stepping out of the suit and sitting next to clint
“So big bird, what's with the ‘tude? You've been pathetically depressed, you won't talk to anyone, you barely spend any time out of your room or doing anything else besides patrolling, so common tell big boss what's wrong”
Clint wouldn’t look at him, he felt embarrassed that he felt jealous over what tony had, tony had long deserved a loving relationship with his kid, and his kid deserved to have his dad.
“Nothing Tony, just go back, i'll be at towers in a few hours”
“No, I'm serious. I don't need your harsh actions affecting anyone right now, especially not Peter, so fix your attitude or atleast fake it”
“Tony just drop it”
Clint was starting to get up, Tony however was not going to just drop it, he grabbed Clint by the arm and forced him to stay standing where he was.
“No i'm not going to drop it, what the hell has been going on with you”
“God damn it Tony, why the hell can’t you just let shit GO, Its not FAIR, not one fucking bit. I lost my ENTIRE DAMN FAMILY, and there you are with Peter happy as can be, and trust me I get it, I really do, but you can’t blame me for missing my kids”
Tony looked lost, he didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know what was up, Clint's ass but he definitely didn’t expect this.
“Really this is why you've been acting like such a priss? Laura has offred time and time again to come over with kids, I have offered time and time again to move them to a remote location, I have offered everything under the moon and you keep saying no, and I get that you're trying to keep your family safe, but there hasn't been any threats in MONTHS, your family is safe to come over and, Peter, look im not his dad, i'm not even his uncle, but he makes me happy, he…., he, gives me something to look forward to everyday. Peter cannot replace your children, but he's always up to learn something new, He doesn't bite, he is more than happy to rant your ear off”
And with that Tony stepped back into his suit and then left, leaving Clint there, just thinking.
• - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It was a few days of Clint doing the same routine again, locking himself up in his room, going on to many patrols, calling and then hanging up, that was until he saw Peter, by himself in the living room, he just so happened to be building a new lego whatever.
He sat down next to Peter, not knowing what to say, Peter stopped and looked at him with a confused expression coloring his face
“Hey Mr, Barton……. what …. What do you need?”
Clint just looked at Peter, and Peter looked back.
“Did…. Did you know that I have 3 kids?, I miss them a lot, but I can’t see them right now, It's not safe for them”
“ I didn't know you had kids, why is it not safe for them?”
“There’s always going to be another threat, another person trying to take the things and people I most care for away”
“But If you keep the people you most love away when will you ever get to truly love them? I mean if you never get to see them, what happens when they choose to stop waiting?”
Clint didn’t know what to say, he knew that there was some truth to what Peter was saying, but he couldn’t accept that maybe, just maybe his family….., his family was safe, to be a family again.
“The first time I lost my family I spent years looking for them. I knew they were gone and that no amount of looking will ever make them appear, but I couldn’t bring myself to accept that. If….. if I ever lose them again, it would be my fault”
Peter was listening, he didn’t really understand what was happening but he knew that there was someone who needed him, and for now he was ok with not understanding, right now he was just being a good friend.
“I lost my uncle, he never came back. If he ever came back I'd spend every second with him. Even if it meant at the end of the day I would never see him again, I would choose to spend one amazing day with him over knowing he was 20 minutes away but never getting to see him”
Peter didn’t know what else to say, but he hoped that what he said was enough, was important enough to make Clint feel better.
Clint didn’t look at him, but they both knew Peter's words dug deep into his ears, into his thoughts.
“Thanks kid”
And with that Clint stood up and left.
– - - - - - - -
A few days later Clint walked in with his wife and three kids. Clint had a look Peter had never seen before, one of relief, one of happiness.
Peter watched from the couch, he watched as Clint came over to him, he watched as he was introduced to his three kids, and he watched as for the first time in quite a while, Clint seemed to finally be able to breathe.
Peter
Peter wasn’t his kid, and he can’t replace his kids, but he did bring them back, so to him, to him Peter was a pretty damn good kid