"Can I borrow your cat next Wednesday?"

Natasha is instantly suspicious. And ... protective. No need to mention either, though.

"Liho is not my cat."

Clint snorts.

"Yeah, and Lucky is not my dog. They're just random animals we hang around with, feed and water twice a day, and let sleep in the bed when one of us is on mission, and the other one sleeps over in case the poor neglected animal needs a warm spot."

"Liho sleeps with you?" Natasha doesn't quite manage to edit the indignation from her voice.

Clint grins triumphantly.

"Yep. When you were in Krakow last month. Purred, too."

Natasha casts a baleful eye at her the cat. Traitor.

"What did you feed her?"

"Leftover sushi, from that reception at the Japanese consulate Fury made me go to to play spot the yakuza. She's particularly partial to tuna. Not that you'd care, since she isn't your cat."

Natasha decides to let it go. For now.

"So why do you want to borrow her, exactly?"

Clint hesitates for a second, as if he's trying to frame an argument diplomatically, rather than barging straight to the point.

"Emm...."

Natasha goes into mental fast-forwards to spare him the trouble. Wednesday. Black cat. Hallowe'en.

"Are you planning to dress up as a witch for Maria's party?"

Clint gives her that oh, puh-leeease look he does better than anyone (except maybe Pepper Potts).

"This is for before the party. Simone won't let the boys go trick-or-treating this year, not with some of those track suit dudes still being undead. So I thought ..." He sounds almost embarrassed now, and spills out the last sentence really fast. "So I thought I'd decorate the roof a bit."

Natasha considers her partner for a moment. It's a good thing his targets don't know about this cold-blooded killer's Achilles heel.

"And no doubt you're going to be a mummy, with those bandaids?"

He shrugs, and winces a little at the effort.

"I was thinking zombie. Still on those fucking painkillers."

The urge to ruffle his hair is getting close to irresistible. And that's not the only thing that's getting irresistible -- he must have copied that puppy dog look from Lucky.

"I'll make you a deal."

Clint's face is a roadmap, leading from mistrustful to hopeful, and back again.

"Yeah?"

"I bring the black spiders."















Edited 2014-10-17 11:50 pm (UTC)

Ha! Love it!

Thank you ... *coughs up a big ball of fluff*

My favorite! :D

AW. This is sweet and funny and perfect. :D

Thank you! :-)

Aw! Rooftop Halloween with Clint and Natasha! And Liho! Those are some lucky kids.

It seems I need to start reading the Hawkeye comics. Does Natasha feature in them often?

Thanks! :-) I've only seen her once (not sure I've read them all ...)

I think she has been in there at least twice? I have only read one single issue and she wasn't in it, but I have seen panels online from the time she was called "work-wife" and then again later in a coffee shop with Barney.

YES. to all of this.

The whole pet interchange is priceless!

We got a treat instead of tricks. Love this! ;)

Most excellent!

Heee!!! Hahaha, Nat just keep denying that Liho isn't your cat! No one believes you! ;D

WONDERFUL. ♥

Hahaha, love them...all 4 of them!