25 Unicorn Street, Thursday Evening

[so_hawkward]

When you made your living running around with a bow and arrow, Valentine's Day ended up being kind of a weird holiday. People at SHIELD had liked to make Cupid jokes to Clint all day, all seemingly thinking they were the first ones to do it, and Clint had to admit that he almost missed the teasing. Tony, of course, hadn't missed out on the opportunity to text remarks to Clint, until Clint had replied that he needed to get ready for his date. Apparently, the surprise that Kitty was still dating him was enough to shut Tony up.

Yeah, Clint was kind of surprised too, shhh.

It wasn't often that Clint had a girlfriend on Valentine's Day and was in the same time zone as her and wanted to actually spend the evening with her, so he figured he was supposed to make this dinner pretty special. Hopefully, ordering in Chinese instead of pizza would count.

[For the girlfriend!]

Comments

[throughaphase]

Kitty put her plate on the table so she could turn more towards him to face him better. "No, they don't. But they think they do," she said, and paused. "So, I should probably go with full disclosure here and tell you that I was in SHIELD for a really little while."

She wouldn't have brought it up normally, because she'd been in it for such a short time that it didn't really matter to her, but she figured she could at least give him something to relate to.

[so_hawkward]

"Really?" Pardon Clint for a moment while he pictured Kitty in one of the tight SHIELD uniforms. "Like, one special mission-little while or you got in and realized how scary they can be and got right back out-little while?"

[throughaphase]

"I was still with Excalibur at the time, so it was always going to be temporary. But SHIELD pulled me in to work with their computers, which, as it turned out was the guy who brainwashed me coming back from the dead- no, I don't know- to try and get revenge," Kitty explained. "He took everything over, possessed an agent who had a thing for me, it almost ended with the helicarrier in the Statue of Liberty. ...I'm thinking SHIELD just needs to stay away from people who can do any kind of brainwashing."

[so_hawkward]

"It's not like they knew I was gonna get brainwashed," Clint muttered, before staring up at Kitty. "Wait. I feel like I need to ask how many times you've come back from the dead." It would probably be good to know if that was going to be a thing.

[throughaphase]

"None," she said. "I'm 100% death free. I stick to close calls only."

Give that a few years.

[so_hawkward]

"Okay, good," Clint said, looking reassured. "I'd promise I won't put the helicarrier into a national monument, but I don't know if that's a solid guarantee. I can't entirely knock SHIELD though, there are a lot of good people there."

[throughaphase]

"Yeah, I've met some good people there, too. Plus, they got you in the first place," Kitty said. "That says a lot."

[so_hawkward]

Clint hadn't exactly been good when he'd started out, but Kitty thought he was good now, and that's what mattered. "I figure eventually they'll miss me and let me come back without dealing with a shrink." Assuming he'd want to come back, of course.

[throughaphase]

"Maybe a long time from now?" Shhhh, she liked him here,

[so_hawkward]

"Aww, would you miss me?" He meant that to sound teasing, but it came out a little more genuine than that.

[throughaphase]

"Kind of a lot," she said, not managing anything but serious there.

[so_hawkward]

"I'd miss you too," Clint admitted. "I like being here, and being with you. I'm not in a rush to get back, which I never would have expected, but there you go."

[throughaphase]

"Good," she said, and felt she had to add, "I mean, you know I love you, right?"

[so_hawkward]

Hearing that still gave Clint a weird feeling in his chest, but it was getting easier to not freak out. Or, not freak out too much. "I know. I love you too."

[throughaphase]

It was kind of great to hear him say that so easily, so don't mind the smile at that. "So neither of us has much reason to go anywhere for a while..."

[so_hawkward]

"That's how it sounds. Especially not tonight," Clint said, looking at Kitty and grinning. "You weren't planning on going home for a while, right?"

[throughaphase]

"Why, should I not have planned on going home early and alone on Valentine's Day?" Kitty teased.

[so_hawkward]

"I'm thinking you shouldn't plan on going home at all tonight," Clint said. "Dinner's not my only plan to impress you."

[throughaphase]

"I like the sound of that," she decided. "See, this is why I'm all for your dirty thoughts."