Steve got home at his usual time to find that his new house mate had surfaced from his room and was now sitting, oddly enough, on top of the bookcase in the living room.

"Uh...Hello?" Steve said, walking cautiously towards the teen. Clint glanced at him.

"Hey." It was more than Steved had been expecting, so that's something.

"What have you been up to?" Steve asked. He was feeling motivated by the simple response, which is slightly sad.

"Not much. Just lounging around." Clint didn't look up, but Steve was excited none the less. This was his longest conversation yet.

"Well, I hope you weren't bored." Steve said, trying to keep his excitement out of his voice, "There isn't much to do 'round here."

Clint shrugged. "Guess not." After a long moment of silence that made Steve think the conversation was over, Barton spoke up again. "How's the school here?" Along with the question Steve was granted eye contact. This was some definite progress.

"Like school always is. Filled with boring classes." Steve gave a shrug of his own. "Though, my friends-and the other students for that matter- aren't exactly boring."

"How so?"

"Well, take my friends for example: there's a nerd with serious anger issues, a red head russian girl who acts like a super spy, and a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." At Clint's look Steve clarified, "His words. Not mine."

"I guess that is weird." Barton said shifting so his legs dangled off the bookcase, rather than him lying down. "Do you know when I start school?"

Steve thought for a moment.

"Next month, I think. After finals. Ask Coulson, he's the vice principal."

"Really?" Clint had as much emotion on his face as Steve'd ever seen on him. A look of surprise. "You live with the vice principal?"

"Yeah, well. My parents...well, when they passed on Coulson was the only family I had left. We weren't really close and we never acknowledge eachother at the school until after I moved in. It works though." Steve figured he'd need to trust Barton if he wanted any trust in return. What better way to gain trust than with secret sharing?

"Well. Good to know." Barton paused a second. "Not about the mom thing, I mean. But the getting along part."

Steve laughed. "I figured."

Then something fairly amazing and hopeful happened.

Clint Barton smiled.

AVENGERSVENGERSAVENGERS

After that, Clint surfaced from his room more often. Him and Steve would talk when Steve got home from school and it was actually pretty fun.

Steve found out that Clint Barton was a rather sarcastic and drywitted version of Natasha. He didn't dance or have as good of acrobatic skills(though there were some there, seeing as he managed to reach every high point around or in the house on his own) but he was reserved, kept his emotions in check and really didn't smile much other than to smirk.

Steve also found out what was in Bartons black case. The kid was a master of archery. He set up targets on the trees out back- with Coulsons permission of course- and Steve got to watch as he hit every target, even ones he hadn't been looking at.

It wasn't just archery he was good at though. Anything involving aim, Barton rocked at. He was the master of darts, could get every basket with Steves basketball, and he made paper airplanes that actually flew straight at there target. Steve was kinda amazed.

He was also amazed at how hard it was to get Clint to talk. It was like prying open a locked vault with your hands. Nearly impossible. But Steve perservered. It took about two weeks and then he and Barton could even joke and smile around each other.

Steve felt like he had a brother. Maybe he was just being wimsical, though.

One day, though, he almost lost his new friend. Or he was worried he would.

Natasha, Tony, and even Bruce had all decided it was time. They were meeting this new kid. Steve didn't really know how a surprise visit would affect Barton, if it would give him a chance to make new friends or if it would push him away from even Steve. But, once they got an idea in their heads, Steves friends were impossible to stop. So they went with him.

"So why are you coming over again?" Steve asked as they got in his van (it was actually Coulson's van, but Coulson took the car to work)

"Because, as I have said a hundred times, we are working on homework together." Tony said, exasperated. "Then we're doing what we normally do on homework filled Fridays." Steve raised an eyebrow.

"A sleepover." Bruce clarified from the backseat.

"Really Steve. It hasn't been that long since the last one." Natasha spoke. Steve sighed.

"Whatever."