Iron-Hawk Short Stories

New Kid

AN: Warning of self-harm.

"Clint meet Jason!" Stark announced as he pointed at a small boy that clung to his leg. Clint Barton raised an eyebrow as he stared at the boy who suddenly hid behind Stark's legs.

"Where did you find him?" Barton asked as he crossed his arms, for an odd reason he had a feeling that his husband picked up a random child from the streets.

"I adopted him!" Stark grinned, Clint licked his lips as he thought about his next words. He narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You adopted a kid without telling me? You're husband?" Barton scoffed, to his surprise he wasn't irritated. It was an overall neutral feeling.

"You should have seen him. He clung on to me and I couldn't say no." Stark muttered and shuffled his feet. For as long as Tony could remember he supported many children orphanages to provide them with funds but also to company some of the children. "Besides I'm sure Ezra gets lonely."

"Ezra is an eight year old kid with a dog. He doesn't care." Barton countered, "Can we really handle another kid?"

"Why do you make it sound like we have three hundred kids?" Stark chuckled and patted the boy's head. "Plus Jason can be your kid."

"What does that mean?"

"I mean even you have to admit I didn't let you touch Ezra for the longest of times." Stark smiled, now that Barton thought about it his partner was correct. Stark had always been overly protective of the child even from his own husband. Since Tony hardly left Ezra's side, their son slowly favoured Stark after a short while. "Besides Jason looks like you."

"He does not look like me." Barton stated as he stared at the child. Jason had round yet sharp sapphire blue eyes and matte black hair that almost seemed it was dyed. The boy's blue eyes seemed almost identical to the blonde's. "Okay maybe you have a point."

"Jason Stark-Barton." Tony stated and watched as the child stared at his new parents.

"Why does your name always come first?"

"Because it sounds better than Barton-Stark." Stark rolled his eyes like a teenager. Barton sighed and realised the other man had a point. Stark-Barton had a nicer ring to it.

[DAYS LATER]

Much like Stark anticipated, Jason did cling towards Barton more. Nobody was sure why since the blonde always had an intimidating presence. The young boy enjoyed following Clint anywhere he went and Barton eventually fell for his new son.

"Dad!" Jason jumped up and down, Clint just chuckled and patted the boy's head. "When I'm older will you marry me?" Barton laughed once again and smiled fondly at the boy.

"What kind of question is that?" Barton decided to humour the child.

"A serious one!" The child blurted and giggled as Barton picked him up off the ground.

"I'll think about it okay?" Clint smiled and watched as the child nuzzled his head into the adult's neck.

[MANY YEARS LATER]

As Jason grew older problems arose. The boy fell into a pit of mental instability and mostly locked himself away in his room. Bruce Banner referred them to a psychiatrist in order to help the boy overcome his mental illness.

The psychiatrist wrote it out as clinical depression and an anxiety disorder. When asked how it developed the doctor explained that sometimes teenagers can develop it and that it could be linked to his past.