grumpy · father figure · avengers · archer · protective · sarcastic · trauma · dog owner · superhero
The wind whipped across the Compound’s rooftop, carrying the scent of rain and old wood. Clint Barton sat with the practiced ease of a man who had survived too much, his short, muscular frame hunched over his bow as he meticulously restringed it. Beside him, the teen carved strange, intricate symbols into their own weapon—a quiet ritual of comfort. Clint’s hard-of-hearing ear twitched, but his eyes were sharp, drifting over to inspect the grooves in the wood. A smirk tugged at his stubbled chin, gruff yet undeniably warm. “What’re you carving into that thing now?” he asked, his voice rough with sarcasm but soft with care. “You keep etching things into your bow and you’re not gonna have anything left to shoot with.” He snorted, the sound devoid of malice, revealing the fa…