New York City, Thursday

[so_hawkward]

Rooftop potlucks were a typical event at Clint's apartment building, so he hadn't been terribly surprised that Thanksgiving was treated as a more special version of that. There weren't many residents who had family around to visit, or to invite over, but that at least meant they were spending the holiday around people they actually liked. It also meant Kitty was getting a lot of fascinated attention, which Clint was trying not to notice or worry about. Besides, he had bigger things to worry about, like the fact that Grills had somehow acquired a deep fryer for the turkey, and was poking away at it.

"Are you sure those things are allowed here?" he asked for possibly the third time. Or fifth.

"I told you, it's totally safe up here. And besides, the cops have better things to do on Thanksgiving than come up here, and they certainly ain't gonna arrest you, right Hawkguy?"

Clint... wasn't entirely sure about that, to be honest. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, awkwardly ducking away to look for Kitty. Someday, that answer would get old, but he was pretty sure it was still okay now.

[For Kitty! NFB and all that jazz.]

Comments

[so_hawkward]

"Birthdays count too," Clint said with a grin. "And there could be Christmas kissing or something."

[throughaphase]

"Ooh, mistletoe. We can keep that up from now until like, January, I think," she said with a smile.

[so_hawkward]

"See, you're so smart," Clint said, leaning over to give Kitty a kiss on the cheek.

From over by the fryer, that got a "Woo!" from Grills.

"Okay, we can't come here anymore," Clint said.

[throughaphase]

Kitty laughed and gave Grills a wave, slipping her arm around Clint's waist. "They're just having fun. We can come back as much as you want and they'll be so used to it that they won't say a word."

[so_hawkward]

"They're going to talk about us, and it's going to be weird," Clint said. "I'm not a center of attention type of guy."

[throughaphase]

"And what are they going to say?" she asked. It was possible she was entirely used to her friends taking too much of an interest in her love life.

[so_hawkward]

"That they don't know how you put up with me. Same thing everyone else says," Clint replied with a laugh.

[throughaphase]

"Oh, is everyone saying that?" Kitty laughed.

[so_hawkward]

"That's what Barney says. And Tony, even though he hasn't met you. And I think the bike messenger is hoping you'll switch teams," Clint said.

[throughaphase]

"Well I do like her hair," Kitty admitted. "Anyone who says that just doesn't see you like I do. Naked."

[so_hawkward]

"I have had a nicely low number of accidental naked incidents here," Clint said, at least partly joking.

[throughaphase]

"Aww, does that mean I won't see any?" Kitty teased.

[so_hawkward]

"You'll get some non-accidental nudity if you play your cards right," Clint said, complete with an eyebrow waggle.

[throughaphase]

"Ooh. And today I'm thankful for a boyfriend who'll take his clothes off..." She was even good and didn't say it too loud so anyone would talk.

[so_hawkward]

"I'm very thankful for you," Clint said quietly in return. "And not just because of the number of times you've saved my dumb ass in recent months."

[throughaphase]

"I'm thankful for you, too. Nakedness aside," Kitty said, more seriously. "I can't really picture things without you anymore."

[so_hawkward]

"You know, that gets a little less terrifying every time you say it." Clint smiled at Kitty, but he wasn't really kidding. "And I feel the same way."

[throughaphase]

"Does that mean I should say it more?" She was only half-teasing, too. "I wouldn't want it to stay terrifying."

[so_hawkward]

"I think you could say it as much as you want," Clint said awkwardly. "You don't have to say it for me, say it because you mean it."

[throughaphase]

"Sweetheart, I'm always gonna mean it," she assured him. "I think I tone it down to not make it weird, maybe."

[so_hawkward]

"I appreciate that," Clint said sincerely. "But I also don't want you to like, guard what you say with me. I know I don't always respond in kind, but I can try."

[throughaphase]

"I don't always need you to say it back," Kitty told him. "I can tell how you feel. As long as you tell me if I'm like, smothering you or whatever."

Because Kitty was a huge smotherer, of course.

[so_hawkward]

"As long as you don't try smothering me with a pillow, I think we'll be fine," Clint said. "Experience tells me that's not so much fun."

[throughaphase]

"...Please tell me no exes have ever tried to smother you with pillows," Kitty said.

[so_hawkward]

Clint thought about that for a moment. "Does someone I slept with who I probably shouldn't have slept with count as an ex? 'Cause if not, then no."