They'd been neighbors their whole lives, it was obvious that they'd be best friends.
They complimented each other nicely. Bruce was on the chubby side. He liked science and The Talking Heads and plenty of obscure bands that he'd gotten from Loki Laufeyson on a mix tape. He couldn't keep his dark curls to stay out of his face and falling into his eyes. Clint was loud and energetic. He was an athlete, but not in the 'cool' way like Steve Rogers, Captain of the football team, no, he was on the archery squad. Bruce thought that was the coolest sport around.
The two were inseparable. Bruce would help Clint with his homework while Clint would give Bruce advice on how to talk to girls (which, didn't even work for Clint).
Clint admired Bruce, and Bruce loved Clint. They were the dynamic duo. Friends Forever and always.
"Hey Hawk!" a voice called down from the school hallway. Bruce and Clint, who had congregated by their lockers, turned their heads at the nickname to be face to face with Tony Stark, rich kid and king of the school. "Banner", Stark said, ignoring the other part of the duo, as always.
"Hi Tony" Clint said with an energetic smile.
"I'm sorry I won't be able to make it to your party tonight, I have to write that dumb paper for Coulson's History class. It's really depressing because I know that Natasha was saying she wanted to come."
"Natasha?" Clint's eye's widened at the thought of the young, attractive, red headed 13 year old at his party. Bruce just rolled his eyes, his friend was hopeless.
"Yeah," Tony continued, "but, seeing has how I have to write that paper instead, and I was going to give Natasha a ride, it's a no-go. Unless-"
"I'll write your paper for you!" Clint offered up before the other boy could continue his sentence.
Bruce rolled his eyes again. Tony Stark was a genius, he could write the paper in seconds, he was just extremely lazy.
"Alright then." Tony replied with a sly smile. "See you later then." He added before turning and walking away.
"Natasha, Bruce! Natasha!" Bruce let out a sigh and watched as his friend bounced happily on his heels, his mind already gone in a world where him and the red head were holding hands, or kissing, or whatever it is that couples do.
They were walking home from school like they did every afternoon. The blond haired boy still swooning about the older girl coming to his birthday party.
"Yeah, I know, you've been talking about her all day. Maybe she'll kiss you." Bruce said, like his mouth was on autopilot. His friend had a crush on the older girl for years. Bruce didn't want to let his friend down and let it seem like he had no hope for the shorter boy. He pushed his own emotions aside once more.
"I hope!" Clint said as he started off towards his house, while Bruce went to his. "See you tonight!" he called across their lawns, letting his hand raise up to wave to the other. "Arrivederci!"
Bruce happily let out an "Au Revoir"
"Clint?" Bruce called as he entered the Barton household, kicking the front door open since his hands busy carrying a rather large box.
He heard music coming from the basement, moving towards the steps, carefully trying to to slip and fall and drop the contents of the box he was holding all over the floor.
Has he moved downwards, he saw his friend in the corner of the room, rocking out to a song on MTV, using all the 'radical' air guitar moves that Bruce had shown him.
"You're an idiot." Bruce called with a laugh as Clint saw him and stopped what he was doing, a blush creeping softly on his cheeks.
"What's in the box?" Clint asked curiously, coming over to help his friend set the package down on the table.
"Just your birthday present. It's not everyday a boy turns 13!"
Clint didn't reply, he just tore into the badly wrapped package, only becoming cautious when he pulled out what was inside.
"It's not much," Bruce started, "but, I think you'll find use for it."
"Bruce..." Clint, for once, was speechless. "Did you make these?"
In Clint's had was a small quiver which held an array of handmade arrows of all different shapes and sizes.
"My dad helped me a little bit, but yeah, I did. And here-" Bruce said, pulling something out of his pocket. "Wishing dust. I know it's cheesy, but everyone deserves at least one wish on their birthday."
He opened the packet, pouring it into his hand and blowing softly so that the dust landed on the top of the arrows. "Now every time you use one, you can have another wish."
Clint didn't speak for what seemed like minutes. Bruce watched as his eyes traveled over the length of each different arrow, his fingertips grazing over the point of the arrowhead. It took all the strength he had in his teenage mind to not think of something dirty in such an important moment as this.
He was pulled out of his thoughts quickly as his friend started to speak again.
"They're perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The younger boy said, placing the present back in the box softly before tackling his friend to the group in a hug. "You're seriously the-"
His words were cut off by his doorbell being rung over and over by an impatient Tony Stark and friends.
"They're here!" Clint exclaimed as he got off Bruce, grabbing the package and moving it to the closet. "I'm going to put these in here so they don't get ruined!"
"Ok." Bruce just stood their awkwardly, not knowing what to do as he watched his friend move across the room in a frantic panic making sure all the food was set up and that everything looked perfect to impress his "friends".
Bruce continued to stand there, still unsure of what to do until Clint walked back downstairs from answering the door with Tony, Thor Odinson, Steve Rogers, and then Natasha and her friends Pepper Potts and Maria Hill. He knew that this party was going to be a disaster already.
-
"Let's play a game..." Tony piped up after the first disastrous hour of the party's life. The 8 teenagers stood awkwardly around the Barton basement, expressions changing with Tony's expression. The 6 guests looked to each other with grins on their faces. Bruce noticed instantly. He did not want to take part in this mess, and excused himself to the bathroom.
"Let's play seven minutes in heaven. Clint, you get to go first because you're the birthday boy." Tony said as he walked over to the blond, pulling one of Mrs. Barton's scarves that hung on the coatrack by the food table. As he tied the blindfold around Clint's eyes and led him towards the closet, he spoke in a soft whisper. "Natasha want's to go first." Clint let in a small gasp and hoped that Tony didn't hear it. "She really likes you, she says she's been waiting to kiss you forever." Tony continued as set Clint down in the closet. "No peaking and Natasha will be here in a few seconds." The sly teen said, closing the door behind him.
"Come on, let's go" Tony whispered to his friends as they grabbed what food and drinks they could before heading up the stairs.
"What's going on?" Bruce asked as he came back down.
"Clint's, uh, waiting in the closet." Tony said simply, not giving any more of an explanation before he left with the rest of his giggling friends. Those bastards. How could they take advantage of such a sweet and innocent person like Clint who trusted everyone?
He decided the best thing to do was to get his friend out of the closet, and spend the rest of the boy's birthday eating the food that was left and watching Top Gun like they always did.
Clint sat, waiting for what felt like hours, but he knew were only seconds, he was counting in his head. He couldn't keep his hands still, he was too excited.
He heard the door open, and let a smile creep onto his lips.
"Hey." Clint said cooly, as if he was trying to impress who he thought was Natasha.
Bruce smiled. Clint was a dork, but he was adorable. It didn't take him long to realize that he'd had feelings for his best friend, but they were feelings that would ruin his friendship and that was more important than a stupid little crush.
"Where are you?" Clint asked, reaching out his hands, hoping to latch his fingers on to another pair.
Bruce didn't even think, he just reached out his own hands to grasp Clint's.
Fuck it. He was too caught up in the moment. He would kiss his best friend. He knew that Clint' would just laugh it off, punch him lightly on the arm and say, "Don't be a loser".
He started leaning in, taking in the familiar scent of the other boy that made him feel relaxed at at home. His heart was racing, he didn't care...and then it happened.
"Natasha."
It's as if Bruce's whole world instantly fell apart. He knew who Clint had been expecting, yet he still hoped that somehow the other would know whose hands he was holding.
"It's not Natasha! It's Bruce!"
Clint instantly yanked the scarf from around his eyes. "What? Where is everyone else? Where is Natasha?"
"They're gone, everyone left! I told you they weren't really your friends! I told you this party would be a disaster!"
"This is all your fault" Clint yelled.
"How is this my fault!"
"They think you're a nerd, they don't associate with people like you! I shouldn't have invited you!"
Bruce was hurt, his heart had broken into more pieces.
"You're turning on me, your best friend, because you want to be excepted by Tony Stark and his ignorant friends! I can't believe you Clint. What the hell!"
"Get out, I hate you! I hate you!"
Bruce did what he was told. He didn't want to be around Clint right now. The boy was being stupid, he was letting his feelings for some girl get in the way. Bruce was always the one out of the two who had problems controlling his anger, but he didn't want to hurt Clint the way the blond was hurting him right now.
Clint, who was acting like a small child, ran back into the closet, locking himself in there. Away from the world and away from his friend (former friend?).
"I wish I was popular like Stark. I wish I had the girl and that my life was perfect."
He closed his eyes, and leaned back, his head hitting the shelf behind him.
He didn't know it, but the wishing dust shifted and caught in the air, falling down and landing right on top of his head.
