Ching Tai- Wednesday evening

[throughaphase]

With both of their birthdays this week, Clint and Kitty had figured it was easier to do one combined thing in the middle of it rather than plan two things five days apart. Of course Kitty had still seen him on his birthday anyway but that wasn't the point. The point was that was low-key. Not that dinner was high-key or anything, but it did involve Kitty wearing an actual skirt instead of jeans or a shirt that was missing a back, so that was something.

As they finished ordering, Kitty frowned a little and asked, "Is it jinxing myself to say this is already better than other birthdays in recent history?"


[For the belated birthday boy!]

Comments

[throughaphase]

"I mostly meant that no one's in mortal peril, but that too," Kitty said with a smile. "Maybe I should lay low till Saturday..."

[so_hawkward]

"You should if you're going to jinx us about mortal peril," Clint said, half teasing. "I'm trying not to mention how long it's been since the island turned either of us into someone or something else."

[throughaphase]

"The island is Not allowed to turn me into anything for my birthday, I don't care if it's a kid, a lion cub, someone else, whatever," Kitty decided. "I'd have to get back at it somehow. Maybe by littering."

[so_hawkward]

"Oh, you're such a rebel," Clint said dryly. "That would give us a reason to celebrate your birthday again, when you were yourself again, I guess."

[throughaphase]

"Hey, you try to figure out how to get revenge on an island," she pointed out. "And I don't know that I'm invested enough in my birthday for a redo."

[so_hawkward]

"But it's an important birthday. You don't hit a nice round number all the time." And she wouldn't be a teenager anymore, so Clint would feel slightly less bad about all the impure thoughts he had!

[throughaphase]

"Yes, but I only have a couple more days to call myself America's favorite teenage ex-superhero," she teased.

She'd never said that.

With the "ex" part.

[so_hawkward]

"Do you really think you can be an ex-superhero? You could just move the 'ex' and be an ex-teenager and maybe no one will notice," Clint suggested.

[throughaphase]

"Two years into retirement, I'd say you can be an ex-superhero," Kitty said, and grudgingly added, "Assuming it sticks. Ex-teenager ex-superhero?"

[so_hawkward]

"I thought superheroing was like the Marines - you never really got out," Clint said, taking his chopsticks out of their little wrapper. "I mean, are you really planning on staying out?"

[throughaphase]

"I want to," Kitty said, and shrugged. "I'd like to still help mutants, but I want to be done with all the costume stuff. But after the Stryker stuff I told them they could call if they needed me like an idiot, so I'm sure I'll probably get dragged back into it eventually."

[so_hawkward]

"Hey, it's your choice," Clint said gently. "There's got to be ways to help that don't involve getting put in harm's way."

[throughaphase]

"Oh, I don't care about getting put in harm's way," she said, like it was nothing. "It's everyone else I worry about."

[so_hawkward]

"See, this is why you and I get along so well," Clint said, only partly teasing. "I guess I can worry about you getting hurt enough for the both of us."

[throughaphase]

"Says the Avenger," Kitty countered, but she was smiling. "Besides, my natural state is untouchable, remember? No one's hurting me."

Ignore how a few months ago been kidnapped, knocked out a bunch of times, and thought she was going to die from seizures.

[so_hawkward]

"Not now, at least. And hey, in my defense, I'm usually far away from the people I'm fighting," Clint pointed out.

[throughaphase]

"Okay, point. And you have Lucky." Though Kitty hoped Lucky stayed out of Clint's fights from now on, personally. "And I've had ninja training, so see, no reason to worry."

[so_hawkward]

"Right, of course not," Clint said, fully intending to still worry. "And Lucky's never getting into danger again. Ever. I've decided it's not allowed."

[throughaphase]

"That's because you're a good pet dad." Even if he did think dogs ate pizza.

[so_hawkward]

"I try. The vet said he's doing really well," Clint said proudly. He could barely manage to take care of himself some days, so taking care of a puppy was still a big deal. "And you're a great pet mom. Or pet spoiler."

[throughaphase]

"Did you just half call me his pet mom?" Kitty asked, really amused by that. "I'm going to feel the need to increase the spoiling."

[so_hawkward]

"Well, you're the one who helps me take care of him the most," Clint said, fiddling with his chopsticks in the hope of not looking embarrassed. "And you don't have to do it, because he's my dog, not yours, but I do appreciate it and I want you to know that."

[throughaphase]

She almost thought she shouldn't be as touched by that as she was, and yet. "I like doing it," she told him, finding it impossible not to smile. "In case I've been subtle, I'm kind of attached to both of you."

[so_hawkward]

"I think Lucky's getting attached to you, and I might just be getting there too. Maybe. A little," Clint said with a smirk.

[throughaphase]

"Obviously I'm going to have to be more awesome around you if you're just getting there a little, maybe," she teased.

[so_hawkward]

"I don't know how you're going to manage that. Since you're already awesome enough," he added quickly, realizing that might sound rude if he just kept that part in his head. "That might involve getting me to do more things I wouldn't normally do."

[throughaphase]

Well now she had to ask. "Like what?"

[so_hawkward]

"Well, for example, I probably wouldn't have celebrated my birthday much if you hadn't come over," he said. In her defense, he'd really liked how they'd celebrated.

[throughaphase]

"What would you have done instead?" Kitty asked curiously. "'Nothing' is not an answer, by the way."

[so_hawkward]

"'Nothing' is totally an answer when it's the truth," Clint said. "Unless you think spending a little extra time sitting and watching television counts as something."

[throughaphase]

"It's something," Kitty insisted. "And you know you totally could have kicked me out at any time, right?" Just in case she'd intruded on a nothing sort of day.

[so_hawkward]

"I know, but I didn't want to kick you out. I like having you around," Clint insisted. "It just means I need to start expecting days like birthdays to be better than usual, and that's probably not a bad thing."

[throughaphase]

Kitty smiled. "Yeah. Because next up is Valentine's Day and a six month anniversary. You should probably just start looking forward to those now."

Sure it was like a month away, but she thought she could take a chance in assuming they'd get to that.

[so_hawkward]

Clint assumed the same thing, and his eyes got a little wide at the thought. "Just to warn you, it's been a really long time since I've had a girlfriend on Valentine's Day." He didn't think random hookups cashing in on desperation counted. "You might need to give me hints for what you want."

[throughaphase]

"I'm good with a date. It's been a long time since I've had a boyfriend on Valentine's Day," Kitty said honestly. "We can both just ease on back into this."

[so_hawkward]

"Have I mentioned recently how awesome you are? Because you are so very awesome," Clint said, grinning at her.

[throughaphase]

"You might have mentioned it," Kitty laughed. "You know, once or twice, just tonight."

[so_hawkward]

"I'll have to throw it in a little more often, just so you don't forget it," Clint promised.

[throughaphase]

"You are going to inflate my ego," she warned.

Because her ego was naturally so miniscule.

[so_hawkward]

"I think that's a boyfriendly duty. I swear I remembering reading that somewhere." What with all the reading he did and such.

[throughaphase]

"I wish to subscribe to this something you read," Kitty decided. "Maybe it'd tell me what other fun stuff I"m in for."

[so_hawkward]

"Hmm, let's see," Clint said, pretending to list things off on his fingers. "Inflating your ego, good sex, actually listening when you talk, occasionally dressing up when you want me to, and there might have been something about purse-holding but that hasn't been an issue."

[throughaphase]

"Oh my god. You would actually hold my purse? How were you single when I got to you?"

She was teasing now, but she honestly did wonder that a lot.

[so_hawkward]

"Well, it would depend on where we were, and how many people would see me holding it. And I was kind of busy before I came here," Clint said, shifting in his seat. "Not a lot of time for seeing women more than once or twice."

[throughaphase]

"Lucky for me," Kitty said, and meant it.