Chapter Text
Clint couldn’t look away. The guy wasn’t swaying—so he knew he wasn't drunk—but standing dangerously close to the edge of the platform, staring down at the tracks. He kicked one foot off and then took a shaky step back. Clint finally took a breath, his gaze locked on him. He turned and looked at Clint, dark purple circles under his eyes and Clint almost gasped at how young he was. A college student, definitely. Clint himself was only twenty-one.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer," the boy said, his voice higher than Clint expected but firm.
Clint maintained his gaze and the boy started coming towards him.
"Look, pal, if you've got something-"
"I didn't mean to stare," Clint said calmly. "You just looked like you were going to jump." That stopped him in his tracks. He chewed the inside of his cheek and scoffed, glancing once out at the tracks as a train rolled in.
The doors opened but neither of them moved. When the alarm sounded letting them know the doors would soon shut and the train would depart, the young man bolted for the train. "Maybe I was," he said with a shrug as the doors closed and the train sped away.
Clint took a useless step forward. What could he do? He couldn't chase the train down. There was no guarantee he’d ever see the man again. What if he killed himself tonight? Clint would never know.
But he needed to know.
When he got home he told Natasha about the whole thing and she told him the same things he'd told himself: what could he possibly do? As luck would have it, Clint saw the guy walking around his campus the very next day.
He was wearing a hoodie, head down, and sunglasses but Clint recognized the clothes. The same ones from the night before.
He wasn't sure how to proceed. Should he run after him? Follow him secretly?
Later that night, after a full day of following him - Tony, he’d found out - he walked into a bar and sat down, only to glance over and see none other than Tony who he’d lost about twenty minutes ago. He wandered over to the bar and sat down beside him.
“Ten bucks says if anyone knew your real age, a lot of people here would be in some big trouble,” Clint whispered. Tony turned his head slightly, a sneer on his face and still wearing sunglasses.
“I’ll take that bet.”
“Why? Cause I’m wrong?”
He knocked back the rest of his scotch and replied, “Because I’ve got a ten in my pocket.”
Clint chuckled but Tony did not. In fact, he swiveled his chair around so that he was facing away from Clint, waving for the bartender to send another drink his way. Clint hunched his shoulders and tried again, determined to get this kid to open up. Tony took another huge gulp of the burning liquid and ducked his head.
“My brother Barney did some terrible shit in his life. Messed up real bad a few times. When it finally hit him, he got real low. Would call me sometimes with some disturbing thoughts. Was in hospital for an attempted overdose.”
“Sounds like his life sucks ass,” Tony said coldly, still facing away from Clint.
“You’re not wrong. But here’s the thing. I’m just trying to figure out why a young dude like you is trying to end his life? I mean, is it a penance thing? Atone for past sins? Or a cry for attention, a lot of people-“
“Fuck you,” he spat.
“So then it was genuine.” Tony’s look of surprised was clear even with the shades and hoodie. He quickly reverted back to his mask of indifference and disdain but Clint knew he was heading in the right direction.
It wasn’t one of those ‘if I can’t help my brother I will help this boy’ it was much more simple than that: I will help him. Clint didn’t think himself to be the savior of those down-trodden and alone, but if he had the power to make a difference and didn’t and then something bad happened, that was his fault, wasn’t it? And if he could do at least a little good then he’d sleep better at night knowing he had.
He decided on a subject change for the moment. “I’m Clint.”
“That’s the answer to a question I never asked.” Tony was still taking the hostile route and Clint didn’t totally blame him besides, he wasn’t the first prickly person Clint had ever dealt with.
“What’s with the sunglasses? We’re in a bar. It’s dark,” he said for emphasis. Tony chuckled and snatched them off, turning to give Clint a hateful glare. Clint let out a low whistle. “Quite the shiner. Where’d you get that?”
“Oh, it was this cute little place right off the corner of mind your own goddamn business.”
“I’ve gotta say, the meanness masks your age well.”
“Did you really have to say it?” Tony mumbled into his newly filled glass, taking another sip and Clint watched it go down without Tony so much as blinking funny. Tony turned to look at Clint, gave him an up and down assessment and then looked around the bar. “Listen, don’t you have friends to bother? I”m a little busy.”
“Doing what? Drinking your problems away? Sounds like a solid plan.” Tony fumed silently over how much he hated this complete stranger who’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“If I wanted someone to pick my brain, I would pay for a therapist. Since I don’t, I definitely don’t need some raggedy-looking, broke college student doing the job.”
“Well if last night is anything to go on, I’d say you might.” Clint sipped the beer he’d ordered while Tony was insulting him. Tony slammed his hands down on the bar.
“You don’t know the first fucking thing about my life, alright? So quit following me and stop pretending like just because your brother went through some shit makes you a fucking expert on everyone.” He pushed away from the bar and began walking off.
“My brother’s dead.” Tony skidded to a stop, his fists clenching and unclenching. He did not want to turn around but even he wasn’t that much of a douchebag. He spun around slowly and made his way back to where Clint was sitting. He put one hand on the chair he had occupied and removed his sunglasses, looking up at Clint with a softer but still bitter expression.
“You said he was in the hospital.”
“I did. And he was. He overdosed again a few days after his release and didn’t make it.” Clint maintained eye contact with Tony when he spoke next. “You’re right. I don’t know you or anything about your life or your problems. You don’t know me either but, yeah, I followed you around campus today and I didn’t see any friends so regardless of whether or not you still want to jump in front of a train, I can’t in good conscience let you continue on friendless. That sucks ass too.” Tony ducked his head, ashamed of himself now for the comment he’d made about this guy’s brother. “So how about we try this again. Hi, I’m Clint and I also go to this school. We should be friends.”
Tony snorted, looking away in mild disbelief. “I’m Tony.” They shook hands.
“So, how old are you?”
“Slower,” Tony said, putting the shades back on. “We’re gonna take this friend thing slower. Catch you around, Clint.”