25 Unicorn Street, Saturday

[so_hawkward]

In Clint's defense, because he wasn't teaching, he wasn't as aware of prom as usual. So, he was happily sleeping in, trying to keep as much wifely contact as he could get, and enjoying that the one and only child they had was on a decent sleeping schedule.

Someday, he'd get Tony to figure out how to put something in that made his calendar go *ding* on weekends like this, just in case.

Comments

[throughaphase]

Lexi was on a decent sleeping schedule, but Kitty still tended to wake up earlier, even if she didn't actually get up yet and was just laying there, lazy.

Which meant she didn't get that wakeup jolt when the doorbell rang.

[so_hawkward]

Clint, on the other hand, shot up instinctively and looked around. "Was that our door or did Lucky find a bad toy?"

[throughaphase]

"No, it's the bell," Kitty said, glancing over at the clock. "Not that I know why anyone would be showing up now."

[so_hawkward]

"I'll go check," Clint said, grabbing a shirt from his "not dirty enough to do laundry yet" pile. "At this hour, it'd better be someone selling Girl Scout cookies."

He snickered and headed for the door as the bell rang again. "Yeah, I'm coming!" he called, before opening the door.

[namedafternat]

And at the door was Nate, who immediately said, "That took a while."

[so_hawkward]

Sorry Nate, but you should know Clint was the kind of person who needed time to process surprises. "Aww crap, it was prom time. Uh, hey there. Are you looking for me?"

Best dad ever!

[namedafternat]

Yeah, he knew.

Which was why there was a sigh. "Yeah, Dad, I'm looking for you. Are you gonna let me in?"

[so_hawkward]

"Oh, yeah, of course," Clint said, stepping aside to let him in. "Uh, it's good to see you, although I feel like I should tell you not to play with portals because they don't always lead somewhere good."

[namedafternat]

"That's what you guys always say," Nate said. "How else am I supposed to get here?"

[so_hawkward]

"You could try staying home and not worrying us," Clint said, laughing. Then, he raised his voice so Kitty might hear too. "Do you want breakfast?"

[namedafternat]

"Yeah! Can I have eggs?"

The reliance on sugary cereals was apparently more of a Lexi thing.

[so_hawkward]

"Wow, that's a surprisingly healthy choice," said the man who still drank coffee straight from the carafe when Kitty wasn't looking. "I'll make you eggs if you forgive me for asking what your name is."

Best dad eeeeever!

[namedafternat]

"Nate," he answered. "I get it. Alternate universe thing."

[so_hawkward]

"Yeeeah, something like that. Do you, uh, know Lexi?" Clint asked, getting the eggs and the pan ready.

[namedafternat]

"Yeah," Nate said, looking like that was a weird question before realizing, "Is she my sister here, too?"

Had to check.

[so_hawkward]

Awwwwww!

"Uh, well she's really little so she's the only kid we have right now," he said. "But if your mom is named Kitty, then yeah. If it's not, I'm still happy to see you."

[throughaphase]

Which was the moment Kitty came down, holding a very awake Lexi, just in time to hear that.

"That's a worrying thing to come in on," she said, and followed up, "Hi!"

[so_hawkward]

"Hey! It wasn't Girl Scouts," Clint said, motioning to Nate. "I'm making eggs, so far. Not sure what else you want."

[throughaphase]

"Just eggs," Nate said, because some kids were just that way.

"We should probably have some variety in there," Kitty said, mouthing who is this? to Clint.

[so_hawkward]

Lexi's brother he mouthed back, shrugging as he started cooking. "I think I'll make bacon too. Since it's a special occasion and all. So, uh, how old is Lexi where you're from?"

[namedafternat]

Nate shrugged. "Older," he said vaguely. "She'd yell at me about the time-space con...tin...um."

Close, kid.

[so_hawkward]

Clint snickered at that and started making some coffee too, so he could deal with this. "Well, you're technically the big brother now, for the time you're here, at least. That'll be a story to tell when you get back, huh?"

[namedafternat]

"Yeah!" he said, brightening. "Everybody else always has the stories."

Then he looked over at where Kitty was, and the baby registered. "Wait."

[so_hawkward]

Clint had not yet mastered keeping a straight face when Lexi did silly things, so he definitely wasn't going to manage it for Nate. "I told you she was little. We... definitely weren't expecting you. But we're very glad to see you," he said, trying to sound reassuring.

[namedafternat]

"Lexi's gonna hate this," Nate said, with all the glee of a younger brother whose main hobby was annoying his sister.