Once a spider, always a spider

Clint

Clint liked hiking. He liked high spaces. He liked using his bow. What he did not like was coming back to the tower to see a tired and beaten looking Peter stumble his way onto the couch, bleeding from multiple different cuts on his body.

" Peter? What the fuck happened?!?!"

Peter startled and a look of regret and surprise washed into his face before he was getting up and running as fast as his bruised legs would let him out of the room. Ultimately, that wasn't very fast so being caught by the shoulders and forced to look his 'uncle' in the eye was inevitable.

"Do not run from me, Parker. What's going on? Why are you so beaten up?"

Peter sighed and stared at his feet as he gave in and began to talk.

"It's just Flash, that's all. He stuffed me in a locker but it's nothing really, just a few bruises and cuts from having to kick my way out.. nothing bad...." he mumbled. Clint stared in shock. 'Nothing bad, how much shit does this kid go through daily for this to be nothing bad?'

"And how long has this been going on?"
"A couple of months."
"And you didn't think to tell us?"
"It's just Flash, I can handle it!"
"Clearly not!"

They continued to shout at each other about how this was not ok and how Peter could "handle it". The volume rising every other sentence.

Bucky walked in the room to find what all the commotion was about only to find Peter and Clint in a shouting match. He tried to find out what was going on.

"Um guys.............. Peter? Clint?................: guys?............ could you listen?.............. what's the fuss about?!................................. GUYS!!!"

They both looked at him in shock.

"Thank you! Now one of you tell me, what. Is. Going. On."

He glared at them with steely eyes, enough to make tony stark sweat. They all sat on the couch and Peter explained what happened as he hoped for the floor to eat him whole, telling them about the names -" penis Parker"- the hits, the locker and bathroom mishaps, he looked up once the story was finished and saw the two men looking ready to go and murder a young boy.

"It's really no big deal, please don't tell Mr Stark or Mr Captain Rogers sir, they'll kill me for not telling them."

Bucky looked him dead in the eye and glared at him with such ferocity it made him flinch backwards.

"Right now, you're lucky I haven't killed you yet. You're  getting bullied and you didn't tell any of us?! Do you realise how stupid that is?!?! We could have helped this!!" He roared, distressed that his 'nephew' was in the same place Steve used to be. Clint was silent, but his glare was no less intimidating. Peter cowered under the glares of the two men and curled in on himself.

"I'm sorry, I thought I could handle it." He said in a small voice, barely loud enough to hear it. Clint's eyes softened, even if by only a tad, and Bucky went off to find Natasha, mind set on solving this problem while Clint stayed with Peter.

He shuffled closer to the young boy and wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

"We aren't angry at you Peter, not really. Mostly worried kid. We care a lot, you know? We don't want you to be hurt."
Peter lent into the arm and sighed sadly.
"I know, I just wanted to feel like I could get through this on my own for once."
"But that's the thing, Pete, you don't have to, that's what we're here for, we're your family Peter. We protect you. Understand?"
"...understand."
"Good."

"Oh and Peter?"
"Yeah?"
"You're grounded."
"wHAT?!?!?"