surrounded (and up against a wall)
Clint didn't like how skinny Peter was nowadays. A boy of his age shouldn't weigh so little. He was sure Peter didn't weigh more than 110 pounds.
While the life they were living wasn't ideal, it was better than any 'life' they could be living if they didn't meet ten years ago.
Other than his weight, Peter was a healthy teenager. He was smart too. Clint had been teaching the boy when he was younger, but he quickly surpassed any knowledge Clint still had from his unfinished high school years. Anything Peter learns now, is from a library textbook.
"Pete! I'm home!" Clint places the bag of groceries on the table, waiting for the teenager to come bounding out of their shared room, ready to share whatever information he learned today.
But he didn't.
"Peter?" Clint calls out, and again, no answer comes.
The man flips out his pocket knife, and turns into the next room.
No one.
He slowly makes his way to the final room of their apartment. Clint holds out his knife in front of him as he enters the bedroom.
His heart stops.
"Let him go." Clint's eyes are glued to a blond muscular man whose holding Peter back without a problem. Peter's brown eyes are filled with fear, and it takes everything in Clint to not charge the guy
"Drop the knife and he'll think about it, Barton." A voice comes from behind him. A woman steps out, holding a knife in each hand.
Clint stares at the red haired woman in front of him.
"Natasha?"
The woman smirks.
Clint places the knife on the ground. "Let him go."
The blond releases his hold on Peter, who immediately tumbles into Clint's arms.
"You're okay. It's okay." He kisses Peter's head, reassuring the boy, "He didn't hurt you?"
Peter shakes his head.
Clint focuses back on to the two in front of him.
"Why are you here?"
"You're not really in the position to ask questions." Natasha points at him with a knife.
"You broke into my house and scared the crap out of my kid, I think I at least deserve the reason why you're here." Clint arches a brow.
The blond sighs. He looks to Natasha, then back to Clint and Peter.
"We're here to recruit you." He says.
"To what?"
"The Avengers."