MHA #10- Sunday evening

[throughaphase]

If she was being completely honest, Kitty was still pretty pissed at the town for the last crisis, but it was getting easier to be at least a little less bitter. And nights like tonight, when it was date night, it was almost possible to not think about the weirdness of Fandom at all.

Mostly. Because she'd had to shoo a gremlin onto the balcony a little while ago and she kept having to look through the glass door to make sure it hadn't found a way back in. Sigh.


[For ze date!]

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[throughaphase]

"Better, mostly," she said, and started opening cartons to see what was what. "I think I have whatever the teacher version of senioritis is. How're you?"

[so_hawkward]

"Happy to not be teaching so I don't have senioritis," Clint said. "Are you going to go to graduation?"

[throughaphase]

"Yeah. I know some of the seniors, and of course there'll probably be a crisis so I feel like I should be there just in case," she said.

[so_hawkward]

"You think something weird is going to happen again?" Clint asked, before sighing and doling himself out some lo mein. "Who am I kidding, of course something weird will happen."

[throughaphase]

"We can't go a month without a crisis," Kitty said, and it was possible the eyeroll even came across in the tone of her voice. "It's like a reminder to the graduates to not miss this place too much."

[so_hawkward]

"Well, they keep coming back so they must miss it at least a little. Maybe not after recent events," he said, thinking of Natalie. "But still, enough that it feels like there must be something in the water."

[throughaphase]

"Then it's probably a good thing I started buying bottled stuff after I figured out weird stuff will sometimes pour out of the faucets for an entire day," Kitty said wryly, picking up an egg roll to snack on now.

[so_hawkward]

Clint snickered. "I'm glad we haven't had to deal with that. It's nice being able to just take a shower when I want to without it being like, chocolate or whatever." After a moment, he smiled at Kitty again. "So, how are you doing, really?"

[throughaphase]

She thought about it as she chewed on her egg roll, waiting till she swallowed to answer, "Still mad about things, but I've stopped imagining scenarios where I convinced you to move with me," she admitted. "So, progress."

[so_hawkward]

Clint slipped an arm around Kitty's waist and gave her a sympathetic look. "You know, to be honest, I don't mind you having those scenarios in your mind," he said. "I just want it to be for the right reasons."

[throughaphase]

"Yeah. No more running away from things," Kitty said, leaning against him. "Though if it wasn't for you, I probably would have. So, thanks for helping my personal growth."

[so_hawkward]

"You're welcome," Clint said, before getting quiet for a moment. "Wait, does this mean no running for me either?"

[throughaphase]

"Seems like," Kitty said. "At least not unless I go with you."

[so_hawkward]

Clint squirmed a little as he thought about some of the reasons he'd have to take off in the past. "And if it's sudden? And possibly dangerous?" Okay, maybe he shouldn't have added that last part, because it was only going to encourage her.

[throughaphase]

"Like dangerous has ever stopped me," she said. "What are you thinking about?"

[so_hawkward]

"Like, the stuff with the tape," Clint said. "If something happens and I need to deal with it but there might be trouble, or if there might be trouble that comes here and I have to get out of dodge."

[throughaphase]

"I'd say the tape thing was sort of the opposite of running away," Kitty said thoughtfully. "I mean, you have SHIELD stuff like that I can't be a part of and I get it, that's fine. But if it's something that would send you away away, I'd want to be there. If you wanted me there, anyway."

[so_hawkward]

"You were awfully helpful with that whole mess," Clint said. "And honestly, I was running away. I thought people might find me here and I didn't want you or anyone else to get hurt, so I ran."

[throughaphase]

"Oh. Then I'm especially glad I went after you," she said with a little smile. "But I can handle the bad stuff. I'm with you on whatever."

[so_hawkward]

"I know you are. It's weird to consider, but I know that you are," Clint said, with a little smile of his own.

[throughaphase]

"Why's it weird?" Kitty wondered, bumping him lightly with her shoulder.

[so_hawkward]

Clint sighed softly and shrugged. "You've been on a team like, your whole life. Usually, it's just me. Sometimes it's been me and Barney, and sometimes it's been me and Natasha, but it's mostly just me. I don't know if you've noticed, but I like doing things on my own. It's easier that way."

[throughaphase]

"All the time?" she asked, starting to wonder if she'd been overstepping and hadn't known it.

[so_hawkward]

"Not--I didn't mean that to sound as serious as it came out," Clint said sheepishly. "I just meant... asking for help isn't really my strong point, you know?" He was pretty sure she'd figured that out by now, yeah.

[throughaphase]

"I had noticed that about you," Kitty said with a little smile. "Of course, you also ended up dating the girl who doesn't wait to be asked and just goes and helps." She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

[so_hawkward]

"Well, that does save me from having to vocalize the words to ask," Clint said, giving her a little nudge. "And you're also hard to hurt, so that's a plus."

[throughaphase]

"I am in fact a tough cookie," she said with a nod. "Plus I'm cute."

[so_hawkward]

"You're completely adorable, yes," Clint said, sneaking in another kiss. "But you knew that already."

[throughaphase]

"I did," she grinned, kissing him back, and then got more serious. "You know that if I ever start crowding you, or if you don't want my help on something, you can tell me, right?"

Note: he could tell her, but he'd end up dealing with a pissy girlfriend. She didn't think she'd be a pissy girlfriend now, but she would.

[so_hawkward]

Clint gave her a skeptical look because hi, after this many months of dating, he had a pretty good idea of how untrue that was. "Are you sure? I could just as easily trust you and let you help me."

Okay, that wouldn't be easy, but it'd be a lot nicer than having a pissy girlfriend.

[throughaphase]

"I mean, I'd rather help, and that you'd want my help," Kitty admitted. "But I don't want to make you unhappy, either." And that was entirely true.

[so_hawkward]

"Honestly, I'm not unhappy when I'm with you," Clint said, smiling softly at her.

[throughaphase]

"Oh, good. That'll keep me from feeling like I'm bugging you," Kitty smiled. "I'm not unhappy when I'm with you, either."

[so_hawkward]

"Good. And the other thing goes both ways too, you know," Clint said. "If you ever want me to let you do something on your own, just tell me and I'll understand."

[throughaphase]

"Okay," she agreed. "See, this is how we're still doing so freakishly well after all this time." Seriously, studies should be done.

[so_hawkward]

"You're important. This is important. So, you know, talking," Clint said with a shrug. That's what made sense to him, at least.

[throughaphase]

"And I love you for that," Kitty smiled. "Seriously. I'm so glad this works. I'm a big fan of this 'being happy' thing."

[so_hawkward]

"I love you too," Clint said, leaning over for another kiss. The food could wait just a little while longer.