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

[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."

[throughaphase]

"Not an ex, no. Why was there attempted smothering?" Note that she didn't assume he did something to earn that.

[so_hawkward]

"Um, she might have been an international criminal," Clint said, giving Kitty his most adorable look. "There was some bad intel, I thought the mark was a guy and... yeah."

[throughaphase]

Luckily Kitty didn't really care about the girls that came before her, but sigh, Clint. "See, this is why it's a good thing you found me. This sort of thing only happened once, right?"

[so_hawkward]

Clint had to think about it for a moment, but he finally nodded. "Yeah, it wasn't a regular thing, thankfully. You've definitely raised the average standards of women I've been with."

[throughaphase]

"I'd say so, if you had to think about that," Kitty teased. Well, half-teased.

[so_hawkward]

"I kind of have a weakness for pretty women?" You know, in case Kitty hadn't noticed. "And unfortunately, my line of work doesn't always put me around the best women. Now I don't have to worry about that."

[throughaphase]

"So if your line of work put you around a not-so-great woman..." She totally trusted him, she just wanted to know what he'd say.