Avenger Imagines/Preferences!

Imagine! Clint Barton

NATASHA AND BRUCE WILL BE TOGETHER IN THIS IMAGINE. SO SORRY BRUCE GIRLS

You and Clint had Natasha and Bruce over for dinner one night. You noticed Clint wasn't talking much, just nodded, shaking his head, or shrugging when Natasha or Bruce tried talking to him. You were honestly worried that you had done something to make him mad and give you and everyone else the silent treatment.

With dinner over, Bruce offered to help you do the dishes while Clint and Natasha went in the living room to talk. As you turned off the water and helped Bruce put the last of the dishes in the cabinets, you didn't hear any talking. You immediately grew suspicious. You knew Clint wouldn't cheat on you and you knew Nat wouldn't cheat on Bruce but you couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on in there.

You poked your head around the corner to look into the living room as you dried the final dish. You caught a glimpse of Clint and Natasha signing angrily at eachother. Why aren't they talking...? You decided you would ask later.

Just as you put the final dish back in the cabinet, Natasha came in to refill her coffee cup. "Nat. Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot," she mutters, climbing up on the counter to reach the sugar.

"Why weren't you and Clint talking in the living room?"

"Hearing-aid battery's almost dead..." she muttered absently.

"His what?"

"Hearing-aid battery."

"Why does he need a hearing-aid?" You ask stupidly.

"Sweetheart.... Are you SURE you have a doctorates degree?"

"In Geoscience. Not human health!"

"Clint's deaf, Y/N. I thought he told you that..."

"He never bothered to mention it."

"Oh. Well, he's 80% deaf in both of his ears. He can't hear much of anything without them."

"Then, how did he manage to answer during dinner?"

"He's gotten good at reading lips. Anything else?"

"Just a few more things. Why didn't he talk?"

"He just wanted to make sure he read correctly. If he's managed this long without you knowing about his disability, I think he wanted to make sure you didn't find out..."

"Why would he not want me to find out?"

"He was probably worried you would look at him differently. He doesn't like to talk about it."

"Last question. What were you guys talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough," she said, casting you a wink.

That night, after Natasha and Bruce left and Clint was asleep in bed, you stayed up on your laptop trying to learn sign-language. The next morning at the breakfast table, you noticed Clint still wasn't talking.

You nudged him with your foot and looked at him. You pointed at him, signed the letter 'D', pointed to your ear and then your lips before raising an eyebrow. You had practiced and memorized how to sign, 'Are you deaf?'

Clint released a heavy sigh before signing 'Yes'. He grabbed a napkin and a pen, writing, 'Sorry for not telling you.'

'It's okay' you wrote back.

The rest of the day, Clint taught you basic sign language and promised to maybe teach you more.