so_hawkward | 25 Unicorn Street, Friday Evening

So, the great thing about Clint and Kitty's birthdays being so close together was that they could spread the celebration out for multiple days. Clint had finally reached the point of being used to having his birthday celebrated at all, so having extra time with Kitty was like an awesome bonus. Tonight, birthday celebrating meant hanging out on his couch with many boxes of Chinese takeout, while Lucky and Rook hid next to the couch and waited for Clint to have a chopstick malfunction.

"I was thinking, you should definitely stay over tonight," he said, poking at a piece of broccoli to capture it. "It would be cruel of me to send you home in the cold, don't you think?"

[For Kitty!]

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From:

so_hawkward

"That's true. I know when to tease you and when tell you that you're right," Clint said. "It saves a lot of bickering time."

From:

throughaphase

"Okay, that makes us sound like an old married couple," Kitty laughed.

From:

so_hawkward

Since Kitty didn't seem bothered by the description, Clint figured he could shrug. "There are worse things we could sound like, I think." Like a target angry fighting couple.

From:

throughaphase

"You're right," she agreed. "There's not a problem in wanting to spend more time together. It may be kinda sappy, but not a problem."

She probably actually had a lot of sap stored up on this subject, really.

From:

so_hawkward

So did Clint but there would need to be a lot more alcohol involved before he said anything out loud. "I don't think there's anything bad about wanting to spend time together, especially when it's not always an option, universe traveller that you are," he pointed out.

From:

throughaphase

"Luckily that's only a night a week?" Kitty tried. "And actually, if I'm staying here several nights it'd be dumb to go back to my place for one night before I'm at Xavier's..."

From:

so_hawkward

"Then you might as well stay until then." Deep breaths, Clint, it was just an elongated sleepover. "And you can tell me all about how your second week of classes goes."

From:

throughaphase

He was probably lucky she was too chicken to extend that more. "Do you know how rare it is to find a guy who wants to hear about my work?" she half-teased.

From:

so_hawkward

"It shouldn't be. The stuff that goes on at home for you is interesting. I mean, aside from the teenage drama, but you can just leave that stuff out," Clint said.

From:

throughaphase

"I don't usually know that stuff anyway," she said. "Wait, are we talking about you hearing Xavier's stuff or Fandom school stuff?"

From:

so_hawkward

"All of the above?" Clint said around a mouthful of food. So charming, he was. "How'd your first week go, by the way?"

From:

throughaphase

"Xavier's is about the usual. My Fandom class might be interesting," she said. "I've got a good mix of students I know and ones I don't, people from other times who are talking about staying in this one... It sounds like it'll be a challenge for me too."

From:

so_hawkward

"If I was from another time, I'd stay in this one too. We've got electricity and running water, and all the internet a person could ever need," he said.

From:

throughaphase

"And people are generally more accepting about a lot of things... I think it'd be really hard to spend a few years here and then go back to somewhere so different," Kitty said thoughtfully.

From:

so_hawkward

"That's true. Lots of the students are... well, different in different ways," Clint said. "I guess it'd be hard to have to go back to people who aren't as relaxed about everything as the people here."

From:

throughaphase

"We should probably be grateful we come from places as messed up as we do, huh?" You know, like she had nothing to worry about there back home or anything.

From:

so_hawkward

"And you have people at home who understand you and support you. And I--well, I have SHIELD, I guess." That kind of counted, right?

From:

throughaphase

"And the Avengers," she said.

From:

so_hawkward

"I don't know if that's the same, especially compared to you and the X-Men," Clint said. "I mean, sure, I'd have their backs if they needed me, but... it's just different."

From:

throughaphase

"Because you're here and they're there?" Kitty guessed, putting her plate on the table, hopefully out of reach of any dogs.

From:

so_hawkward

"Yeah, maybe? And they're all off doing their own things, I think. It's weird having Tony here and knowing there's another Tony building like, a zillion Iron Man suits back in New York," Clint said. "And I'm still here, long after I thought I would be. But I can't complain."

From:

throughaphase

"You know if you want to go back and hang with everyone, there's nothing stopping you," Kitty said. "I mean, not permanently without talking to me first..."

From:

so_hawkward

"Of course not," Clint said quickly. "I--I guess I could. Maybe make sure no one's doing anything dumb." That was highly unlikely, considering who he was talking about.

From:

throughaphase

"Meaning you'd totally jump in with whatever dumb thing is going on?" Kitty teased.

From:

so_hawkward

"Hey, someone's got to save these people from themselves," Clint said, laughing. "If they want my help--okay, honestly, if they need my help, they'd get it whether they wanted it or not."