What's a Normal Birthday Anyway – Clint aged fifteen

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing :(

Authors Note: Hello everyone! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last story! This is the next in my instalment for Clint's birthday's, as you've probably noticed it isn't a one shot lol, I think I'm gonna just do multi chapters as it seems pretty obvious I can't write a small story ;) It does mean you all have more to read though so I guess that's good news

Summary: Nick is left to babysit Clint as Phil's mission runs longer than planned. The teen is still adjusting to Coulson being away and Fury has his hands full with an emotional teenager. Will Phil make it back in time for Clint's birthday?

This first chapter is a bit smaller, but as always I will be posting daily. The story was suggested by Graysons Gal

Once again a massive thank you goes to DevinBourdain, my awesome Beta for all your help!

Enjoy!

"To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may just be the world." Unknown.

Nick Fury stared at the screen in front of him with a growl of annoyance. He'd hoped that he could intimidate the computer enough that it would make the information that had shown up a few minutes ago change for the better. Sadly it didn't. The director hit the keys hard, harder than was strictly necessary, needing to find another way to get his people home.

A deep sigh from the other side of his desk had the one eyed man looking away from the screen. He watched as the teen set his Nintendo games console on the table. The boy's expression was blank, though Nick could see though the mask; he'd been around Clint long enough to realize his tactic for hiding his worry for Phil. Coulson's team had been running surveillance on a man named Iain Boyd. Depending on what they found, Fury had authorised them to take down the target. Instead, after only three days into their task, Phil had contacted Nick to say another man was involved with Boyd; Chris Wellock. He was high on SHIELD's hit list for multiple crimes; the man was into everything from robbery to assassinations. Never one to squander an opportunity, Phil and his team would have to stay longer than expected and while Fury wouldn't usually have any issues with that, he was feeling bad for the boy sitting across from him. The mission that was supposed to be a quick in and out was almost at the one week mark, far closer to Clint's impending birthday than was comfortable if Coulson was going to make it back on time as promised. Nick couldn't let him be late. Barton had been through too much in his young life to have more disappointment. In the spy world things went south all too quickly ruining lives and families. It made trying to pull off something so simple as bring a man home for his son's birthday all the more important; victories needed to be made whenever they could.

"He's not going to get back in time, is he?" The sadness in the young voice was like a physically painful blow and hurt the director to hear. Hope was a hard thing to crush especially when Clint's eyes looked like they were searching to see if the sun was going to rise based on the response he received.

"I'll make sure he gets back in time, Clint," he promised, staring at the blonde boy with a steady gaze. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to achieve that yet, nevertheless he'd do his absolute best to make it happen. "Do you trust me Clint?"

"You know I do," Barton responded quietly, unable to keep the pleading look from his expressive blue eyes, willing his god father to bring Phil home. There were very few people Clint truly trusted, although his list was starting to get slightly longer; Nick was one of the few he felt an immediate connection with, Phil being the first of course.

"Then trust that I will keep my word. If I have to fly a jet myself, I will get him home in time for your birthday." The Director's one good eye bored into the teen's intense blue ones. Hoping the youngster believed the truth in his words. Nick's gaze turned to his phone when it started ringing and he gripped the receiver, lifting it to his ear after just one ring. "Fury."

Clint listened to the director as he continued his one sided conversation. Once he realised it wasn't Phil on the call he picked up his Nintendo and shuffled his way over to the large couch in the corner of the office. Sinking down on to the comfy chair with a sigh, he turned his game back on, needing to do something to keep his mind off worrying about Phil. Barton hadn't been there when his own parents were taken from him, and he had accepted long ago that there was nothing he could have done to save them; he was only six years old. Yet a feeling of uncertainty clouded the teen's mind every time Phil went on a mission, he couldn't lose another parent, wouldn't survive the loss of any more loved ones. How was he supposed to stop anything bad from happening if he wasn't there with them? The agent was more than capable of taking care of himself, but there was always a niggling little voice in the back of Clint's head telling him nothing good ever lasted for him and the older man was going to be taken away from him. The fear he felt was almost like his blood had turned to ice in his veins, making him feel so cold and his chest tightening in panic.

"-int! Clint, look at me!" Fury barked, hoping the sharp tone would get a reaction from the boy. Barton looked down at his hands, they were shaking uncontrollably and his game was lying on the floor in front of him. He couldn't remember dropping it. Suddenly large hands were grasping both sides of his face, demanding his attention. "Clint!"

Blue eyes met a concerned brown one. The frustration and sorrow lingering in the teen's gaze almost knocked Nick back a step. Taking a deep, steadying breath the director squeezed Clint's shoulder before pulling him forward. His strong arms wrapped around the boy in an unexpected show of comfort. It was normally only Phil that hugged the boy, yet these were difficult circumstances. Nick was no stranger when it came to the loss of a loved one, he'd lost many friends; some he even considered family. It was why he tended to keep a distance between himself and others. That hadn't worked with the young archer; from the first moment they met the Director had been drawn in, that blonde haired, blue eyed skinny little boy had become his Achilles heel and the need to shield the boy from danger became his prerogative.

"Phil will be on the next jet home in two days. He will be home the morning of your birthday Clint. Okay?" Nick waited until the teen got his emotions under control and gave him a small nod.

Barton stared at the taller man for a moment, the wheels in his heading turning a little slower than normal. Frowning when a thought came crashing into the forefront of his mind. "What's going to happen to me until then?" Clint asked, his first thought being Fury would never let him stay home alone. The teen was a trouble magnet on his best day, so that was just asking for a disaster of apocalyptic proportions. Maybe he could stay at the base? He'd been staying with Molly since Phil left on the mission, though his tutor was now on vacation with her two teenage boys. Phil had hoped to be back today, which was the only reason she'd left him alone. Clint found himself wondering what it would be like to stay at Nick's, then mentally shook himself. The older man would never agree to that, babysitting would be considered a demeaning job for the Director of SHIELD who already had the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands of individuals resting on his shoulders.

Nick stared at the teen with an intense look for several seconds before seemingly coming to a decision. "You can come home with me." He didn't need to be a mind reader to realise Barton was wondering if he was going to be a burden on someone else, and Fury wouldn't stand by in the kid's time of need. It was time to step up in his responsibilities as the boy's god father.

The teenager's eyebrows arched in surprise, he'd never been to Nick's house before. As far as he was aware, no one had, wasn't even sure if Phil had. He didn't know if it was just the director's way of keeping some part of his life separate from SHIELD, or the man just didn't like company. Clint didn't think that was the reason, he had definitive proof Nick Fury was a giant teddy bear. Granted he was the only one the director treated nicely, they were also family. Barton had a sneaking suspicion that the director was hiding a secret identity, one that he kept so completely guarded, hidden from everyone that knew him. Nick Fury was Batman. Smirking to himself he saw the taller man arch an eyebrow at him, clearly wondering what had Clint so amused. Maybe if he saw Nick's house he'd finally know the truth, the man was the dark knight. He fought for justice and kicked ass. The teen looked up to Fury a lot; the man had been there for him just as long as Phil had. What made the decision an easy one, was that Clint trusted Nick.

"Okay." Then he grinned mischievously. "Can we watch a movie at your house?"

Nick nodded. "Of course. What would you like to watch?"

"Batman."

Fury smirked. "All right. If that's what you want."

Clint nodded with a laugh, feeling a little better about the situation. "You better not start calling me Robin."

The director chuckled, knowing the teen was referring to the fact that Robin was an orphan and ended up in the circus. He was pretty sure Clint could show him a thing or two though, he'd seen what the kid could do. "Never. As long as you don't call me Batman."

"I can't promise that," Barton joked.

"Come on then, let's go." Nick guided Clint towards the door. This was going to be interesting. Fury had never been left alone with the teen. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little apprehensive, this was Phil's kid after all. The younger agent would kick Nick's ass if anything happened to his son on his watch. Suddenly Nick felt unsure about this; Coulson could be one scary son of a bitch when it concerned the teen. Even the director was smart enough to back down when Phil was in papa bear mode.

This was definitely going to be a new experience for both of them.