Chapter Text
Tony hardly paid attention during the investors meeting, actually checking his phone more than normal to check the security feeds to see if that kid had showed back up. He had only guessed at the weight that would set the sensor off based on what he had seen the first time. He couldn’t explain the worry that he felt for this scrawny brat that had broken into his apartment just to sleep it had seemed like, but he wanted to help even if it didn’t make any sense.
Pepper nudged his leg when he completely missed a question and reached over to try and take the phone out of the man’s hand. To which Tony only moved it out of her reach and looked across the table to the investors on the other side, one eyebrow raised for them to repeat their question.
“Are you finally going to join us, Mr. Stark?” One incredibly unremarkable bald man asked, arms crossing over his chest as he met his eyes.
“Uh.. I mean, yeah, I’m here aren’t I?”
“Would you rather be drowning yourself in alcohol?”
Tony narrowed his eyes, annoyed at the accusation and looked to his phone when it chimed as an alert. “Y’know as fascinating as this several hour long meeting has been I do actually have to be somewhere else. And no, as much as you would like me to choke on a scotch I am not going out for drink.” He stood, straightening out his shirt and giving them all a fake and small smile. “I believe Miss Potts is more than qualified to answer in my place.”
Pepper held a hand over her eyes as she listened to Tony’s equivalent of ‘go fuck yourself’ and only looked up after she heard the conference room door shut behind the retreating man. “I apologize for his words and I do hope he didn’t offend anyone.”
Tony made his way as quickly as he could through the Tower, that feeling of worry building as he read over the alert that Jarvis had sent him. The kid had apparently slipped in through the same window as last time, setting off both the cameras and the reset weight sensor. From the look of it the boy wasn’t doing well either. He hadn’t been the last time either but this seemed worse.
He sat in the seat of his car for a moment as he switched to the live feed he could only see the scattered objects from the coffee table the kid was collapsed over. Obviously he hadn’t seen it. Tossing his phone into the passenger seat he started the car and took off a little too fast out of the parking structure under the Tower.
Realistically he should call an ambulance but there would be a huge PR nightmare to deal with during and after surrounding the malnourished near dead teenager that had now broken in twice. Granted Tony had let is happen the second time to see if he would come back.
“Jarvis I want a scan of his vitals and the closest EMT’s contacted. Make sure it’s known they cannot take that kid out of the apartment until I get there.” Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair as he swerved around traffic. He really should just start living in the tower. Maybe his life wouldn’t be crazy all the time then. Though that was unlikely.
“Of course sir. The closest team will arrive in ten minutes, the doors will be unlocked for them. Also sir, are you sure it is wise to draw attention to yourself.”
“Y’know, I don’t think I wanted that asked J. Don’t startle the EMT’s when they arrive, just let them work on the kid.”
“Of course sir.”
When Tony arrived back at the apartment an ambulance was parked out in front of the building, lights on but the EMT’s clearly not sitting inside. “Could get stolen like that.” He said to himself and parked his own car before heading up to his apartment. Inside it was clear that the kid had run into the coffee table and passed out soon after, knocking everything off and hurting himself further in the process. Though the EMT’s had him sitting on the couch now, not that he seemed all that alert as one of the flashed a small light in his eyes.
“Hey, what’s your name?” The other EMT asked, checking the boy’s blood pressure and heart rate. “Can you tell me your name, son?” Repeating the question when he didn’t answer the first time.
The teen raised one hand to try and get the light out of his eyes only to have his arm pushed down by the EMT in front of him. “Clint. It’s Clint, can you get that light outta m’face?” His speech was slurred and the vibrations he had gotten used to feeling didn’t feel right as he spoke. He tried to sign that his name but his hands were shaking too much to be of any use.
The first EMT shut off the light and took Clint’s chin her hand and turn his head to either side, letting go she let him refocus on her before holding her hands up. ‘Are you deaf?’
Clint frowned but nodded, rubbing his left arm when the other EMT took the wrap off his arm. The black dots started to form at the edge of his vision again and he must have looked like he was about to pass out again because the one that had signed to him held his right shoulder to keep him upright.
Tony dropped his keys on the kitchen counter and came around the back of the couch to stand next to the woman keeping the teen upright. “What’s the verdict.”
“I highly recommend that you let us take him to the hospital. He is incredibly malnourished and if he passes out again he may not wake up from it again.”
Clint looked up at Tony when he appeared next to the EMT. He regretted showing up here again, he should have just let Marcus beat him up. He was loath to admit that he felt scared, after all of this and he might still end up in jail. Pain radiated all over his boy and felt ridiculously thirsty and all he wanted was something to drink.
The other EMT came back over with a bottle of water and a juice box from one of the bags that had been brought in. The teen took them both, hands still shaking completely drained the water bottle in a matter of seconds.
“I have an associate who I personally trust better than a hospital.” Tony replied, watching as Clint drained the juice box in much the same way as the water. “Is he injured anywhere?”
The first EMT sighed and let of Clint, standing slowly. “I’m sure he’s covered in bruises, we saw a few when he was unconscious and we replaced the soiled bandages on his back. Where ever you found this kid he needs attention from a doctor.”
It hadn’t occurred to him that the boy was shirtless and white gauze was wrapped around his upper torso, though it was clear he was covered in bruises and old scars. Maybe letting them take him to the hospital was for the better. “Hm.. She’s a little better than a doctor.”
“If you’re really going to keep him here then he needs more fluids and to eat, start something light and move to heavier foods once he has adjusted to eating properly.” The second EMT gave the advice and packed their stuff up back in the bags. “Come on, Sadie. If he’s refusing we take the minor we don’t take him.”
“That is..” She shook her head, giving Tony a dirty look before leaving with her partner.
Clint watched them leave, uncertainty filling him as the door shut behind them and left him with the owner of the apartment. He looked back to Tony who was still standing near the couch in front of him. “Gonna kill me aren’t you?”
Tony looked confused and a little worried at the question before shaking his head. “Going to call a friend of mine and have her take a look at you, but in the meantime let’s get you dressed and something to eat before you do pass out again.”
“The juice helped.”
Tony nodded and moved into the kitchen to get him a glass of orange juice and sent a text out to Natasha for her to come over and help him with a small problem. “And what do you like to eat?” He spoke a bit louder after having found out the poor kid was also deaf. He’d have to make something to help with that, what Clint had looked cheap and more than likely hardly worked. Though he didn’t understand why he wanted to help him so badly.
Clint found that he didn’t know the answer to that and turned on the couch to look where Tony had gone. He half expected him to call the police if he wasn’t going to kill him. It didn’t make sense to be that paranoid here when the guy had let him go the first time but he couldn’t shake the fear. “Whatever I’m just starving”
“Can see that.” Tony said to himself and had Jarvis simply order from a variety of places, the kid would probably eat anything set in front of him currently. “Well, until food and my friend does get here how about some crackers? That’s light, yeah?” He grabbed the box out of a cabinet and brought both the box and the juice over to the teen. “My name’s Tony. Funny seeing you here twice.”
Clint gave him a funny look and picked up the crackers, eating a few to try and stop the sick feeling in his stomach. Today had been a mess and presently nothing made sense. “Why help me?”
Tony shrugged, sitting in a chair off to the side and turned the tv on to cover the odd silence that filled the room. “Consider it charity.”