How To Not Eavesdrop:

I'm getting déjà vu right now, Clint thought with a messed up sense of humor. He would've said it out loud, but his throat was extremely dry and feared that his voice would come out hoarse. Every breath that he managed to squeeze through his nose or mouth ached by his ribcage, and Clint figured he had a broken rib. Maybe two. A thick wad of bandaging was around his left lower leg, ankle, and abdomen area.

Without moving, he felt his surroundings and realized he must've been lying in a hospital. The fuzzy linen sheets on the bed were itchy, and Clint tried to get up. He needed to tell Carson what happened! And where was Barney and Annie and... That thief, Jacques? For all Clint knew, Jacques could be out of the state by now. What state were they in?

He flickered his eyes open. Everything was white — the curtains hanging around a window where light spilled in, tiles making up the floor and ceiling patterns, all the machines and wires Clint was attached to... He almost would've thought he were dead and inside Death's homestead if it wasn't for a soft snore from beside his bedside.

Annie sat in one of those uncomfortable hospital chairs (also a boring beige tone) and had her head down, supported by her elbow. Her eyes were closed, but Clint noticed how red and puffy they looked. He also suspected she was sleep deprived from the way her cheeks seemed to be more hollow than usual and topped off with dark bags beneath her eyes.

Hesitating, Clint decided not to wake her up. Annie needed the sleep after worrying too much about him. At the thought, Clint immediately felt guilty. Everything was always his fault, and this was no different. His life was crashing around him like a train on a railroad, but Clint wasn't certain he had tracks to begin with.

Footsteps from down the hall alerted him to someone else coming into the room. Clint closed his eyes again and tried to lie on the bed as still as possible. Just an instinct, he guessed with no real reason backing it. Then again, guessing worked most of the time.

"Hey," Eddie greeted.

Clint wasn't sure if Annie and woken up, or if Eddie was just really good at knowing when people were faking sleep in the hospital. He was about to move, when he heard someone yawn.

Annie replied, "Hi, Eddie." There was an awkward silence for a second before she quickly added, "If you're here too ask me if I'm fine... Again—"

"Nah, I mean, sorta." Clint could practically see him shrugging casually. "Sorry it took me so long to get here. I had to run a favor for a friend."

Annie laughed. "Yeah, I'm that friend."

"Maybe they're more than just friends," Tony teased.

Natasha groaned. "Why do you care so much about people's love lives?"

"Well—" there was a rustling of papers— "I got the papers for you!"

Clint heard the creak of the chair and knew that Annie had gotten up to hug Eddie.

"You're a lifesaver! Thanks," Annie said. "And, uh... Did you remember my offer?"

Eddie sighed. "I did... Look, Ann. I really want to come with you and head back to school, but I also want you to be able to go. College is expensive and we lost most of your fund to hospital bills."

"I guess your right," Annie murmured with a small smile, "besides, we still have to study for our GEDs, hm? We can study together. Unless—"

Eddie chuckled and wrapped an arm around her. "Is that even a question? Of course we're studying together! Both of us can be super smart and get into the same college."

A few minutes went by and eventually the pair started discussing something that Clint had never heard of. Hell, he didn't even know what a GED was! He was happy, however, to hear that Annie and Eddie were making plans for what he assumed to be community college. They could finally be happy without Clint — a total nuisance. Resisting the unexplainable urge to scratch his nose, Clint found it easy to lie completely still, despite likely having broken ribs. Nobody suspected a thing.

"—but that's what the book says!" Eddie was saying. "Two and two with another two is equal... Wait, what page are we at?"

Annie jokingly scoffed. "That's actually called an inequality, Air-Brain, so it's less than. And that number is negative."

"Yeah, I knew that it wasn't positive. But honestly how is the domain an infinity? That's not even a number!"

"Page 394. Look at the notes."

He flipped through the yellowish pages and gasped. "Oo! I remember doing this back when I was in, like, junior high! Did you ever do this?"

"Kinda. I was homeschooled for most of my life, I mean. Mom was a terrible teacher."

"How ’bout your dad, if I'm allowed to ask," Eddie said, before frantically adding, "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to! I was just, uh—"

"You're cute when you're flustered," Annie teased.

Eddie made a small sound with his tongue. "Only then? I like to think I'm pretty hot, personally."

"Puh-lease! I'll give you this though: you're way better than the women my dad always brought home. That's what eventually got me running from that awful home." Annie looked over at Eddie. "I can tell by the look in your eyes that something similar happened to you?"

Eddie half shrugged and started playing with a corner in the textbook they were reviewing. "My parents actually stayed together — surprising, I know. But then they drank and smoked and... I couldn't stand to be in the house much longer. I knew money was running out, so having one less mouth to feed seemed easier on them."

They continued working and talking about whatever the hell it was. Clint kept a mental note to ask what a GED, maybe lie and say he overheard someone else talking about it instead if Annie prompted a question. He was just thinking about how tired he was when Eddie's voice carried over from where he was seated on the white tiled floor, louder than usual.

"—I'd say we can go now, but then again: someone is awake as he's been for the past hour or so."

Clint finally opened his eyes, grateful for the chance to stretch the muscles, grinning widely despite the amount of effort it took him. Looking at Eddie's red tipped ears and Annie's pink cheeks, it didn't take Clint long for him to realize what was happening. She jumped about a foot to the left and shifted uncomfortably.

"Ew," he joked with a smirk, "are you guys making out next to my bedside? Not that I'm against this..."

Eddie nudged Annie playfully. "You're cute when you're flustered."

➳

"A broken rib, fractured ankle, and bruises," Annie summed up, looking at Eddie for confirmation. "We found you a few minutes after and feared we were too late, but luckily, you seemed to land in a pretty good way."

Clint frowned. "But how'd you know where to find me? I bet you have a super-secret telepathic link with me. That'd be pretty cool."

Steve and Eddie laughed. They assumed he'd be alright if he could crack a joke.

Annie shrugged. "It's a mystery."

"Yeah," Eddie added, "we heard yelling in by the ring and headed over there. Ann and I were going back anyway."

"From where?" Clint inquired.

"We went to the store, and everyone else was being weird. At an — ahem — adult entertainment session, payed for by Carson." Seeing his confused look, Eddie said, "No, I won't be explaining further, ’cause Annie might kill me for that!"

Clint snorted through his pouty face. "Well, she can be scary at times."

"Hey!"

"So, uh..." Clint went silent, mainly from a new wave of pain after attempting to move his ankle. He was tempted to rip out the IV in his arm, but didn't in the end. "Why are we in a hospital?"

Annie and Eddie shared a look before she reminded him, "You just fell at least twenty feet and are seriously hurt, Birdbrain."

"Wait, so he's Birdbrain and I'm Air-Brain?" Eddie asked.

Clint ignored him, and muttered, "Hospitals are expensive, Annie."

"I know."

"Then why are we here? Why bother with me when you could—" he motioned at the pair of trapeze artists— "both be having the times of your lives in college? Together."

He just didn't get it. Clint would've been about as good as dead without medical attention after his fall, and even still: he couldn't just walk out right now and go back to the circus. That would've been suicidally idiotic; well, that actually perfectly described the Amazing Hawkeye and the neverending cascade of what-ifs and his dumb ideas. After all, where had he ended up now—? Clint was in yet another seemingly impossible situation. He was starting to fear that he would run out some day.

He'd beat the impossible before, but neither Clint or Hawkeye suspected they could pull off that same trick; their magic streak had finally faded out into the unknown. He didn't want to, but realized that it was time to pack up and pick himself outta of the dirt — time to move on to something else; say goodbye and let go of Carson's Carnival of Traveling Wonders for good.

Hawkeye was ready to spread his wings, but not fall this time. Besides, there'd be nobody to catch him if he did.

"We're your family, Clint," Eddie said. "Of course we care about you."

Annie cleared her throat. "Someone close to you's safety should always come first. Birdbrain, I don't care about the fees, we can pay any price for you."

Clint wiped tears from his eyes that had started to form. He did feel a lot better, but his guilt had also increased tremendously. Abandon Annie and Eddie, the exact same people who had stuck by his side for all these years—? Yup, he'd done that and barely cast them a second look. But then again, here they were — giving up their money, a collection likely gathered over the past few years, just for Clint's stupid mistakes.

Annie continued talking, Clint only half paying attention. He was just too numb with his thoughts of loathing. Apparently, Annie and Eddie had lied by saying she was Clint's sister and Eddie was a close friend. The hospital was suspicious, of course, but eventually warmed up to the idea of Clint having visitors. One nurse also kept asking about their parents; Annie didn't have a story for that one yet.

Eventually, darkness fell outside the window and all light disappeared. Another nurse came in and insisted on Clint staying another night, much to his dismay. Annie and Eddie both  reluctantly agreed and were forced to say goodbye before they were really ready to. The nurse bid him goodnight while doing something to his IV and Clint was glad to finally have some time with his thoughts; becoming reacquainted with a familiar silence. Sure, there was the occasional echo of a conversation carrying down the hall, but anything was good enough for Clint at this point.

The silence didn't last. Unfortunately, the nurse had added something into the IV that made Clint want nothing more than to close his eyes. He felt his eyelids close without him telling them to and shut out any light or sound from entering — including the window latch sliding open with a soft click. Someone hesitated before putting a sealed envelope next to the sleeping boy, right underneath the sheets.

The Avengers glared at the culprit: none other than Barney Barton.