25 Unicorn Street, Sunday

[so_hawkward]

For the most part, Clint had behaved himself this past week. Sure, he had some scratches and bruises, but he didn't break anything and he had a lot more information about fighting weird creatures now. If New York was ever invaded by trolls or monkeyponies, he'd be like an expert. An expert no one would believe, but still, he'd get to play a mean game of 'I told you so' in the end.

Now, he was taking a well-deserved rest. He had a new episode of Dog Cops to watch, Lucky perched on one side of him on the couch, and Kitty on his lap. He'd been hoping her whole baby lion thing would have ended yesterday when the rest of the weird stuff seemed to stop, but he wasn't worried too much yet.

[Open!]

Comments

[throughaphase]

Meanwhile Kitty was worried, and annoyed , and wanted to not be a lion anymore, and missed opposable thumbs. But she was also really invested in Dog Cops, and instead of talking to the TV, she me owed at it.

This was getting so old.

[so_hawkward]

"I know, I agree completely," Clint said. He had no idea what Kitty was meowing at, but that didn't mean he couldn't support her thoughts. He scratched her head gently and sighed. "I bet I'd agree more if you were speaking English, but hey, I might start understanding some lion soon."

[throughaphase]

Or, you know, she could just become human again in his lap. All naked and stuff.

"Hi?"

[so_hawkward]

Clint looked down at Kitty and couldn't stop himself from cracking up. "Hi. I'm starting to think this place loves me."

Lucky tilted his head into the couch cushion, because he at least realized naked Kitty was something he shouldn't see.

[throughaphase]

"Why do I always end up naked in your living room?" Kitty complained, reaching for a cushion because she didn't need Lucky seeing her naked, no.

[so_hawkward]

"Um, because I spend more time here than most other places?" Clint said, loosening his hold. "Do you want to go steal some of my clothes?"

[throughaphase]

"Oh my god, yes," Kitty said, standing and covering herself with the cushion. She didn't care if Clint saw everything, but Lucky and Natasha should she wander in were a different story. "Be right back," she said, before running upstairs.

No one wanted to see her phase up through the ceiling this way.

[so_hawkward]

Aww, Clint wouldn't have minded the view. He also didn't mind watching her run away, and he paused the TV so she wouldn't miss anything good. "Take whatever you want!" he called after her.

[throughaphase]

Kitty came back down the stairs a couple minutes later in one of his t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants, saying, "Remind me why we don't keep emergency clothes at each other's places again?"

[so_hawkward]

"I don't know, but that's a pretty smart idea. I like how you look in my clothes though," Clint said, shifting to make space for her on the couch. "How do you feel?"

[throughaphase]

"Fine. Human," she said, sitting down and leaning over to kiss him hello. "Did I miss the big stuff?"

[so_hawkward]

"You did, yeah," Clint said sheepishly. "There were a lot more things running around than just bears and Vikings, but apparently a bunch of folks figured out what to do and stopped the guy making everything show up. I think Stiles was involved, if the radio was right."

[throughaphase]

"Oh good. Then I guess things are getting back to normal..." she said, right as it started to click what normal actually was again.

[so_hawkward]

"And hopefully they'll stay that way for a while," Clint said, blissfully oblivious. "And you can be human and nothing else will attack us."

[throughaphase]

Kitty... wasn't really listening, sorry. She was quiet for a moment, and finally said, "Genosha got attacked, didn't it?"

[so_hawkward]

... oh yeah, things were really back to normal, weren't they? "Uh, yeah, it did. What do you remember?"

[throughaphase]

"Everyhing. My dad's dead," she said, choking up. "But... but I saw him."

[so_hawkward]

Damn it, Fandom.

"He... it was part of the weird stuff, I don't know why. But things were different and he was real for a little while," Clint said gently. He shifted closer to her on the couch and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Do you remember going to see him?"

[throughaphase]

Kitty nodded, snuggling closer to him because closeness helped a lot with tears. "You met him. I didn't really get to say goodbye. Not really. I didn't think anything would happen..."

[so_hawkward]

"You didn't know what was really going on," Clint said. "I did meet him, and that was awesome. He liked me too."

[throughaphase]

"I know. And good," she nodded. "It's just... This actually feels worse than when it first happened."

[so_hawkward]

"I'm sorry Kitty," Clint said. "I thought about telling you it wasn't real but... I mean, it was real for a while there, and I didn't think you'd believe me."

[throughaphase]

"No. I'm glad you didn't," she said. "I can't imagine... I couldn't see him and know what was going to happen. Or what did happen, and wouldn't there. I couldn't do it."

[so_hawkward]

"Yeah, I can understand that. And I'm not sorry I met your dad," Clint said. "Meeting him told me a lot more about you."

[throughaphase]

"Did it?" she asked, wiping at an eye. Luckily being a cat for a few days meant she wasn't ruining makeup and giving herself raccoon eyes.

[so_hawkward]

"Yeah, about why you're so good, and why you do what you do and try to help people," Clint said. "I kind of wish you couldn't remember what happened though. At least then it would hurt less."

[throughaphase]

Kitty fell quiet for a moment, and said, "Maybe it's a good thing. When it happened... I mean, there are a thousand emotions that go along with it, and I was angry and I hated everyone and everything, but I didn't know what happened to my dad. Everything was a mess, there wasn't any way to know. So it wasn't until I saw the footage that I knew, and even then I'd been prepared. Maybe Fandom thought after all the therapy I needed catharsis too."

Kitty would like to punch Fandom in the face right now.

[so_hawkward]

Seriously, Clint would help her with that. He wasn't sure what to say--what could he possibly say to make it better?--so he just pulled Kitty into a hug. "I'm sorry," he said. "You didn't need to be messed with like this."

[throughaphase]

And now she wasn't going to let go of him quite yet. "None of us did," she said. "I just hate this place so much right now."

[so_hawkward]

"I know. I do too. It was just mean and I knew it was going to suck if you remembered and I'm really sorry," Clint said, totally happy to let her cling for as long as she wanted to.

[throughaphase]

"I'm really glad you didn't tell me. Thank you," Kitty said quietly, and pulled back just a little. "Do we get to do that thing where we take off for a while after something bad happens?"

[so_hawkward]

"We could," Clint offered. "Is there someplace in particular you'd like to go?"

[throughaphase]

"I don't even care," she admitted. "New York, somewhere new, as long as it's not my home." She so couldn't handle that yet.

[so_hawkward]

"Is there anywhere in the US you want to go that you haven't been? We can go to the other side of the continent if that will help," Clint said.

[throughaphase]

"Other side of the continent is good," she said. "I've been to southern California but that's it. Anywhere you haven't been?"

[so_hawkward]

Clint thought about it for a moment before perking up. "Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? I always thought that'd be cool."

[throughaphase]

"Let's do it," Kitty replied immediately.

[so_hawkward]

"Can we go on the glass bridge that goes out over it?" He probably sounded like a five year old right now but come on, glass bridge over a massive canyon! It was calling his name, Kitty!

[throughaphase]

Him sounding like a five-year-old actually got a bit of a smile out of her. "Hell yes. If there's no one around to freak out we can airwalk right off it."

[so_hawkward]

Clint's eyes got wider at that. "You're a terrible influence," he said with a laugh. "That sounds like a plan then."

[throughaphase]

"I love you for going along with me on this," she said, resting her head against his shoulder.

[so_hawkward]

"Hey, it's not like it's a hardship running away with you for a vacation," Clint said. "You know I think the best solution to a problem is to distance yourself from it."

Which was the nice way of saying he totally approved of fleeing whenever things went wrong.

[throughaphase]

"I'm not sure it's a solution," Kitty said. "But if I stay here I'm just going to get angrier and I know nothing good comes of that. This is like the equivalent of walking away from an argument before you say something you regret."

[so_hawkward]

"Is that a thing people do? I thought everyone just said stupid crap they regret later," Clint teased. "I guess you're the one with the good ideas."

[throughaphase]

"I thought we knew this already," she said, managing a little smile.

[so_hawkward]

"We do, it's just nice to have the information verified," Clint said. "I'll take care of everything, don't worry."

[throughaphase]

"Thanks. Reason number four million why I love you," Kitty said, snuggling closer.

[so_hawkward]

"Love you too," Clint said, always happy to be hugged when the other person needed it and he didn't. "Do you want to finish Dog Cops? Maybe it'll be distracting."

[throughaphase]

"Yes," she decided, nodding. "As long as it doesn't make me cry again."