#me always making clint the saddest little post divorce man but also

[movedto-mastcrmarksman]

@sheshootsxruns -> " Come on Clint! You said you were gonna help me train for my PAT! " -young anya in the fire academy

It was not that he had forgotten that he had made that promise. Clint meant all the promises that he made, or at least he was trying to. Helping plucky recruits so they didn't wash out as many times as he had. (Granted he had additional challenges compared to most and plainly there were a lot of departments across the country that wouldn't even give him a glance; it's the hearing aids).

Eventually, he had made it through and found himself in Texas of all places. Damn state gave him a shudder but that more had to do with bad circus memories than anything else. Clint's proven that he was more than qualified. He didn't more dangerous shit back in his carnie days than he did now.

Part of his new deal on existence was simply this; to give back to people, to life, and be what he hadn't had growing up. So he had meant his promise to Anya that he'd drill her over the PAT as many times as she needed; probably push her twice as hard as any sargarent at the academy did. If he had to, if that's what she needed. Clint knows he had needed a kick in the ass, still did but he was managing life better.

He didn't forget, but the ex-carnie was entirely consumed this week with rotting in his apartment until Anya's at his door. His phone mostly forgotten unless he heard the ring tone or felt vibration pattern from the firehouse go off (he set that up so he never missed an emergency and it let him ignore everyone else).

Lucky and Bishop were bugging him about the door and he finally relents; opening it to Anya. Clint gives her a once over and sighs, hopefully it doesn't look like he's just come out of a nap but Anya's already known him to be a patented Barton mess. ❝ You sure you're up for what old Hawkeye got in store? ❞ He's told her about what he did in his youth and early twenties, right?

❝ You take Lucky's leash, the pups can come with us for the warmup jog.... Before we even start. ❞