Author's Note: Sorry for the long break from updating this story. Work consumed the last week before school started back up and then I spent the rest of the time getting ready for school. Anyway, on with the chapter.


Beyond the Masks We Wear

Clint had an idea where Bruce was taking him, but he decided not to comment on it. Instead, he wanted to stand as a guard between Bruce and the one who hurt him. Knowing that it was too early for his mother to be home, he was stuck on the thought of his father waiting for him there, just like before. Placing a hand on Bruce's shoulder, Clint offered a reassuring smile after sensing the waves of anxiety rolling off the younger teen.

"Don't worry Bruce. Nobody will be able to hurt you when I'm around. They won't have a chance to." Clint spoke after he saw Bruce hesitate unlocking the front door to his house. With a deep breath, Bruce unlocked the door and slowly opened it. Both were greeted by silence, nobody was there.

Deciding on dragging Clint to his room, Bruce kept glancing into every room they passed, hoping that he wasn't there. Even though he knew that they were relatively alone, Bruce couldn't feel safe, even with Clint glancing at the door every few seconds. Eventually, Clint broke the silence that had consumed the room they were in.

"If you don't want me to stay, I can go. I just wanted to make sure that you were safe." Clint didn't know what to do with his hands so he just shoved them into his pockets. Giving a concerned look towards the other teen, who was currently sitting upright on his bed, staring into space.

"If you want to stay, I wouldn't mind. I just don't want to keep you from your job." Bruce smiled weakly at Clint and shrugged his shoulders. He knew that nobody would miss him. His act, while dangerous, lacked the crowd appeal like the man who sticks his head into the lion's mouth.

They moved back through the house, into the living room, where Clint plopped down onto the couch and grabbed the remote to the TV. Flipping through the channels, neither one could agree on a TV show to watch. There wasn't anything on in the mid-morning broadcast that wasn't preschool shows, infomercials, or the news. Deciding on watching a movie, Bruce let Clint choose, and offered to make them some popcorn.

"You really want to watch Mary Poppins?" Bruce asked returning from the kitchen with a giant bowl of popcorn.

"What's wrong with a classic? It's a good movie and my favorite movie with Julie Andrews!" Clint replied with a grin, patting the seat next to him on the couch.

Eventually the movie ended, after Clint sang along to every song, to which Bruce was surprised he knew every word. His mother returned, shocked to see Bruce home with another person.

"Hey mom, this is Clint. We met at the circus." Bruce didn't know if his mother would be okay with a slightly older teen in the house without her knowing. Or if he told her that Clint worked for the circus, he didn't want her to worry.

"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am. Bruce here only says wonderful things about you." Clint rose from the couch and extended his hand, and gave her a bright smile.

"You met Bruce at the circus? How interesting. You must tell me how you two met." His mother said shaking Clint's hand returning his smile.

"I'll go get started on dinner." Bruce said, wanting nothing more than to leave the company of his mother and Clint. He felt nervous that his mother would get furious for inviting Clint to dinner, but when he heard her extend the invitation, he knew that it would be all right.

Dinner with Bruce and his mother, under normal circumstances, was a relatively quiet affair. It wasn't that they didn't talk to one another, but they were used to their quiet, comfortable life. However, with Clint attending their normal dinner, he wouldn't stop talking about everything and anything. He would compliment Bruce on his cooking, or Bruce's mother on her beautiful home. Clint would make jokes about the happenings of the circus, things he noticed in the crowds during a show.

"So tell me, how did you two meet at the circus?"

"Bruce was chosen to be a volunteer in the act I do the "Blind Archer" and his impeccable aim. For being such a good sport, the ringleader told Bruce that he could go backstage and meet me." Clint answered without hesitation.

Bruce carefully gauged his mother's facial expressions while Clint explained their meeting. She didn't seem all that surprised when Clint told her that he worked for the circus as an act. Bruce rose from the table and grabbed the dishes from the table; he was glad that he decided to make something simple, Parmesan chicken.

Washing the dishes, Bruce didn't hear Clint walk into the room. He almost jumped when he felt Clint bump into him as he rinsed the dishes and dried them. With a small smile, Clint just winked at Bruce before placing the few plates back into the cabinets. Soon they had finished the dishes and were scooping ice cream into three bowls before returning to the dining room.

"Why don't you stay the night Clint?" Bruce's mother asked after taking a bite of her ice cream.

"I don't want to be a bother."

"It wouldn't be a bother, I insist."

Clint didn't know how to respond so he nodded his head and took another bite of his ice cream. After a while, Bruce's mother excused herself, placed her bowl into the sink and retreated to her bedroom for the night. Bruce just stared at Clint for a minute thinking that he could get used to this.

'Wait, am I … No, I can't be. Can I?' Bruce thought as he took a bite of the ice cream.


A/N: I am currently sick when I wrote half of this. You might be able to tell when I got sick while reading this. I am sorry that it has taken me this long to update, school is getting longer for me and being sick doesn't help one bit.

RAY