MHA #10- Thursday afternoon

[throughaphase]

The thing about Kitty staying overnight in Westchester on Wednesdays was that when things like truth day rolled around, she didn't have other people or radio to clue her in that something was up. Sure, she'd gone off on Emma, but that could happen literally any day, Fandom weirdness or not. And okay, maybe she'd been a little talkier than normal, but she hadn't thought anything of it. Of course if she'd run into Peter at all today this would be an entirely different, more embarrassed story.

But it wasn't, and so once Kitty got back to Fandom she sent Clint a text to let him know she was back, and got a little caught up in unpacking and sorting things out since she actually hadn't been back to her apartment in like a week.

[Mwahahaha for one!]

Comments

[throughaphase]

"Everything's stressful, and Emma's a bitch and I hate her a lot," Kitty said, turning towards him. Again, even if she hadn't meant to say that, shy wasn't really shy about these things. "I missed you."

[so_hawkward]

"I missed you too, and I'm not surprised that Emma is being awful. That's a psychic thing," Clint said. That was only a little more than he would usually admit.

[throughaphase]

"I think she just wasn't hugged enough as a child, and also might be pure evil," Kitty said, coming over to kiss him hello. "How are you?"

[so_hawkward]

"Not bad. All I had for breakfast this morning was coffee but I remembered to actually eat lunch," Clint said. "I mean, not that that's a big thing."

[throughaphase]

"I'm just glad you remembered food," she said. "I keep wanting to say how glad I am to be back here with you but that feels really sad when I was only gone overnight so I don't want to sound clingy."

What was that?

[so_hawkward]

Yeah, that was a little weird. So was, "You don't sound clingy, you sound sweet. I worry every time you're gone so I'm glad you're back too."

Sigh, island.

[throughaphase]

"I know you worry a lot," Kitty said. "But I hardly ever get hurt except for the bruise here and there I try to keep you from seeing."

That was helpful.

[so_hawkward]

"Hey!" Clint frowned. "Honestly, I'm more concerned that one of these days you're not going to come back at all." So, so helpful. "But bruises aren't good either," he muttered.

[throughaphase]

"I always have every intention of coming back," she said, and wrapped her arms around him. "But I've learned that people can't always guarantee that so I try to spend as much time as possible with you. Now I sound clingy again."

[so_hawkward]

"You're not clingy. Or if you are, I don't think it's bad," Clint said, wrapping his arms around her in return. "It helped that we had like, all weekend together."

[throughaphase]

"And most of the week," Kitty said. "It feels weird being back in my own apartment."

Which... while that was true, she hadn't planned on saying that.

[so_hawkward]

That got Clint to laugh softly. "Do you miss the dogs? I can bring them over and have them shed on your stuff if that would make you feel better."

She couldn't possibly miss being around him, of course.

[throughaphase]

"Of course I miss the dogs. But they're just part of what makes your place feel more lived-in," she told him.

[so_hawkward]

"You've been living in your place longer than I've been living in mine," Clint pointed out. "I don't think I have enough stuff to make my place seem lived-in, aside from being messy and leaving my crap everywhere."

[throughaphase]

"It's not about stuff. I just feel more at home wherever you are," Kitty said, and frowned at that. "I probably wouldn't leave if I didn't worry about crowding you or freaking you out."

What was that, mouth?

[so_hawkward]

Clint knew what was going on, he'd been through this kind of day before, and yet he still said, "You don't really mean that. I mean, how could you crowd me?"

[throughaphase]

Yeah, she was sort of at the point where she was curious about the answer. "I mean, I know you like doing your own thing sometimes," she said. "I wouldn't want you to feel like you couldn't do that with me around."

[so_hawkward]

"I could still do my own thing if I had to, I'd just leave you a note or something first."

That got him to put his hand over his mouth and make a strangled noise.

"I didn't mean it like that. I mean, I'd come back? After I finished dealing with whatever."

[throughaphase]

"I know," Kitty said, and that actually felt kind of good to say. "I don't think you'd run out on me or anything."

[so_hawkward]

"I wouldn't. I'd come back to you, I swear. I mean, I guess I don't have to do that since the island is being stupid today," Clint said with a scowl, "but I wouldn't just run out without warning. And I like having you at my place. It gets kind of lonely, just me and the dogs."

Uuuuugh, someone needed to stop him, good lord.

[throughaphase]

That person was not going to be Kitty! Sorry.

"Sooo would you want me around all the time?" she asked, and added, "I am really nervous right now, oh my god."

[so_hawkward]

"I like it when you're around. I wouldn't mind if you were around all the time." Aaaahhh feelings were awful and everything sucked! "I would never have told you that though." You know, for future reference.

[throughaphase]

"Me, either! Unless I got frustrated about something and admitted it in a rant," Kitty said, surprisingly relieved. "I didn't want you to feel like you had to say yes if you didn't actually want to live with me and also because this is scary and I'm still kinda nervous."

[so_hawkward]

"Would it make you feel better if I said it's not the first time I thought about it?" Clint said. "It's kind of a big house, and it's a lot emptier with just me in it."

[throughaphase]

"It does make me feel better," Kitty said. "And every time I come back here after more than a day away it feels less and less like mine. I just end up wanting to go back to you."

[so_hawkward]

"Okay, that was kind of sappy," Clint said. "I had no idea you felt this way."

[throughaphase]

"Oh, you know, there was the worry that I was trying to take things too fast, and the worry that I'd jinx something that makes me really happy... I'm generally a worrier."

[so_hawkward]

"I guess that makes two of us. I just keep worrying I'm going to mess this up and you're not going to want to be with me anymore. That possibility might increase the more time you spend around me and my anti-mug and silverware ways."

[throughaphase]

"Nah, I got used to that a long time ago. Though I assume I will be doing most of the dishes, if that helps," Kitty said. "I really can't imagine not wanting to be with you anymore. I don't think that's gonna happen."

[so_hawkward]

"I feel the same way," Clint said quietly, because the island could make him tell the truth, but he didn't have to be loud about it. "So is this a thing we're really going to do?"

[throughaphase]

"I want to. As long as you do, and if you don't I'm gonna pretend it was totally not a big deal." Ugh.

[so_hawkward]

Aww, Kitty was getting a hug for that. "It's a big deal but it's also kind of not a big deal. I mean, you spend enough time at my place anyway. Now it's just a matter of, you know, not leaving." Not leaving the house or him, that is.

[throughaphase]

"I'm really excited about this," Kitty said, hugging him back. "And you know, we should probably tell each other when we start thinking about the big relationship things. We always seem to worry too much and then turn out to be on the same page."

[so_hawkward]

"But worrying is part of my charm," Clint teased. "And I still don't like to assume you want to be serious about me."

Damn it, he'd been doing well there.

[throughaphase]

"You don't have to assume it. I can see those alternate universe futures happening for us. I'm serious about you," Kitty said. And she was only slightly blushing when she said it!

[so_hawkward]

"We have seen Lexi an awful lot," Clint agreed quietly. "I'm serious about you too. As serious as I can be, which isn't always a lot, but I'm trying."

[throughaphase]

"I know. And I'm not in any kind of rush towards anything. I'm just happy." And consistently happy, which was still kind of new to her.

[so_hawkward]

"I'm happy too. And I'm gonna be a whole hell of a lot happier having you in my bed every night."

In the island's defense, Clint might have admitted that on his own anyway.