Wednesday September 5, 2018
(Grey day)

"So," Natasha started as they both walked to last block Psych together.

"Hm?"

"You spent the night at Bucky's?"

"Yeah," Clint tried to play it cool but just the way she said it made it seem like something provocative happened. "How did you know?"

"I have never seen you wear those pants and that's his hoodie. There's the bleach stain from when he helped me with my hair," she pointed to the orange-y mark on the elbow of the left sleeve. Clint glanced at it and huffed.

"Yeah, we were working on homework and watching a movie at his and I just.. crashed." It would've been believable if he wasn't talking to Natasha of all people.

"Then why did your mother call me to check on you this morning?"

"Fuck, Nat, you know she'd kill me if she knew I was at a guy's house.. she'd think I was whoring myself out," Clint groaned.

"You're lucky I covered for you. We watched Mean Girls and did face masks by the way."

"Thank you so much."

"No problem," Nat smiled as they took their seats beside eachother. Yeah, they were early, but they could talk up to the bell. "Now about the Bucky thing."

"I swear, if you start with that I will shove my pencil into my ear and I'll go completely deaf."

"That's fine. I'll just sign it at you," Natasha smirked. "But I want to be serious for a minute. You guys are like best friends, you've known eachother since 7th grade, you guys are always together and then at lunch when you said what you said and he put his hand on your leg, am I missing something or are you two-"

"I don't know, Nat." Clint pressed his palms to his eyes. "We're friends, there's nothing more to it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Whatever you say," She huffed as the bell rang and Mrs. Foley began her instruction.

»·~*°*~·«

"I saw that back there."

Bucky rolled his eyes, not even giving Steve a glance.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You just lit up when Clai-Clint started-"

"Steve, don't start this. You know we're close and that's it. I'm not-.. I'm not gay, I think it would be," He groaned.

"You don't have to be gay to like him," Steve pressed on, following Bucky into their German class. "Not everyone needs a label, y'know. Like Peggy, she says that she likes a personality not a gender. I thought that was being pansexual and she said technically but she doesn't like la- ow, God!" He winced as Bucky knocked him into a desk.

"I don't like him. I'm not gay."

"Whatever you say, Romeo.."

"You're a punk."

"Jerk."

»·~*°*~·«

"Hey, Claire."

It was Laura, someone Clint had been kinda friends with for a while but never gotten real close to. She was the kind of person you hang out with when you don't have your go to crowd. He had to admit though, she was a cute girl and a nice person.

"Oh, hey, how are you?" Clint mumbled as he paused his route to the busses.

"I'm good," She grinned, her skirt fanning out around her legs. "Uhm, so, I was just wondering.."

Clint's brows pushed together and he gave her a curious look.

"Well, I know you may not like girls and all but.. I'd love to hang out sometime.. get some coffee?"

"Oh. Oh, uhm.." He didn't know how to respond. He was just now being able to be slightly visible and here was another person asking him out because he was a girl.

"You can say no, if you'd like," She smiled, but it was a sad smile.

"No, uh, I'd love to," He grinned back at her. "You have my Snapchat right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Laura nodded.

"Just text me there and I can give you my number, okay?"

"Yeah!" She looked so happy as she backed up a little and waved. "See ya, Claire!"

"See ya!"

Clint turned and climbed into the bus, dropping into the farthest back seat. His seat. He put his earbuds in, turning Arcade Fire's Everything Now album on at 3/4 volume.

Yeah, he was happy. He'd gotten a date, and with a great girl for God's sake! The only issue was is that she seemed to like him because he was out as a girl, not himself. But hey, maybe he could trust her. Maybe she'd accept him and like him for him.

He spent the bus ride with a racing mind, thoughts swirling around wether or not he should take Bucky's advice about coming out to everyone. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"Hi, sweetheart, how was your day?" Clint's mother, Edith, asked as he entered the living room and kissed her cheek.

"Fine, Mom," He smiled and moved down the hall to his own bedroom.

"Excuse me, young lady. Who's sweatshirt is that?"

He froze and looked down, adjusting his bag.

"Uh, it's James'. I got real cold in third block and he let me borrow it," He mumbled, turned ever so slightly to face her.

"And those pants? I know I would never buy you those."

"They're Natasha's. I forgot to pack pant's for today when I spent the night and she let me borrow these.."

"Well," His mother huffed disapprovingly. "Don't let your father see you in them. You know he hates it."

"Yes, Mom," Clint nodded, nearly running past his brother's room and into his own. His phone buzzed safely in his pocket and he tugged it out.

Laura Hitch is typing...

He opened Snapchat, clicking on the conversation as her message popped up.

Hey!

Hi, what's up!

Nothin much. Could I possibly.. get your number, like you said?

Yeah!

Clint sent her his number and the two texted for a good 20 minutes, just catching up and learning more about each other. He still hadn't told her though.

"Claire! Dinner!"

"Coming!" He yelled back, sending one last text to Laura, then quickly swapping his sweatpants for a clean pair of jeans. He also put on one of his own shirts rather than getting a lecture from his father about wearing Bucky's.

He jogged out to the kitchen and took his place in the seat on the side of the table, between his mother and father. Edith placed a full plate in front of him and he thanked her graciously.

"How was your day, sweet pea?" His father, Harold, asked as he popped the cap off a bottle of beer and took a swig.

"Bernard!"

"It was fine," he shrugged, poking the chicken with his fork. His mother's food was never something you could trust.

"That's good," His dad grunted and dug into his own full plate.

"Bernard!" Edith yelled again and soon enough Barney was seated across the table from Clint. The scolding commenced and Clint pretended to not hear it. He didn't look up at his brother either.

"Are you listing, young lady?"

The voice of his father startled him back to the table and he nodded quickly.

"Your mother asked you a question."

"S-sorry, can you repeat that?"

"You got any boys besides James running after you?"

Clint choked on his bite of food. He took a drink of water and looked up at her, bewildered.

"James?! Gosh, no!" He shook his head quickly. "No, no.."

"Is James that boy on the varsity football team? The one in the papers, got a full ride to Butler they said, yeah?" Harold asked, lips on the alcohol again.

"Yes, but-"

"Go for it, sweetheart! No girl of mine is gonna settle for just any boy. You got a man who plays varsity then you got everything!"

"She doesn't have any guys after her, have you seen her, doesn't even wear makeup.." Barney mumbled, dragging his fork across his plate idly. Clint's face heated up and he looked down.

"Yeah, well, if you tried you could have any man after you, eh?" His father laughed. Clint sighed but gave a small nod, or else he'd never hear the end of it.

The conversation about Clint's love life continued and he just sat and took it. Towards the end of dinner, he stood and gathered all the dishes, turning to the sink to wash it all. The only thing he had to look forward to was soon being able to hide away in his room and text Laura again. And maybe see how Kate was doing.