I'm much clearer now than I've ever been

[radiantly]

WHO: Angelica Jones & Clint Barton
WHERE: Central Park
WHEN: Wednesday at 4:30 pm.
WARNINGS: Nope
SUMMARY: Angie and Clint go on a leisurely jog for fun.
FORMAT: Starting quick, but it's Hallie's choice

[ Angelica actually likes jogging. She likes that it gets her heart rate up and gets her out of the house and moving. It provides a nice distraction from the stresses of running the school and running a household. Since she's not super active as a hero anymore, it's a good way to get exercise. But it's also something Pietro can't stand doing at all, so her usual jogging partner is her dog, Raffi.

Of course, Raffi is along for the jog today, but so is someone else. She'd been surprised that Clint would suggest they meet up, though not in a bad way. She just always sort of figured he was Pietro's friend and he probably still thought of her as just a kid. Which, in someways, she still was, though she had a lot of grown up responsibilities resting on her now. But they would have a lot of things to talk about anyways, seeing as he was probably Pietro's oldest friend, even if he'd been replaced as his closest friend by Bobbi.

She adjusted her hat, pulling it snuggly over her ears. Raffi tugged on her leash, waiting for them to get started. ]

This should be fun, don't you think?

Comments

[trickshot]

<sub>( Clint is proud of Angelica, though in a lot of ways he probably has no right to be. But he still remembers her as a kid in Avengers Mansion, and his decision to put her on the team, and so feels like he gets to take some credit for the fact that she is now a grown-up, respectable person. As for the fact that she ended up with Pietro, well, he can’t be expected to take any of the blame for that. It’s not his fault people don’t listen to him about how crazy his oldest friend is.

But in any case, this seemed like as good an opportunity as any to check in on her. He devotes a disproportional amount of time to exercise, anyway, so turning it into something leisurely and social isn’t unwelcome. Besides, Bee-pug is a lazy and entirely too pensive animal who could use the fresh air. So Clint had arrived in the park, not exactly bundled up dressed in some mixture of purple and black and dragging his pug along. The dog is enjoying it, really. )</sub>

Huh? Oh, right—yeah. Completely fun. And better than running laps, anyway.

[radiantly]

Shall we?

[Angelica laughs softly, starting off at a slow, gentle pace. She's in decent shape, and she knows Clint is too. It's actually the dogs she is more concerned about. Pugs and puggles don't have the best breathing capacity, so it's probably best not to push them too hard.]

The park is so pretty this time of year. You know, Pietro proposed to me here.

[trickshot]

<sub>( Clint keeps pace easily, dragged back only by his lazy ass dog that will never move more than it absolutely has to. Seriously, where did Jennifer even find this thing.

At the mention of Pietro, Clint's lips quirk. )</sub>

What, he stopped running long enough to get down on bended knee, and everything?

_{( Says the man who got proposed to. )}

[radiantly]

Actually, yeah. Yeah, he did.

[Her cheeks turn slightly pink at the memory.]

It's hard to believe, I know. He proposed by the statue of Alice in Wonderland.

[trickshot]

Woah. That's actually a big deal. _{( Does this make Pietro more of a man than him? Because he actually proposed and did it well? That is unacceptable. )}

Well--good for him. Or good for you? Good for both of you.

[radiantly]

I think we're good for each other.

[Her laugh manages to sound entirely sweet.]

But you've known him a lot longer than I have, Clint.

[trickshot]

I've known everyone a lot longer than everyone else. _{( He says that with a wave of his hand, like it's old news and not of much consequence. )}

I can promise that you probably get more outta knowing him than I do.

[radiantly]

He's rather fond of you, you know. In fact, he's often told me that you were the first closest thing to a friend he ever had.

[She has to tug her dog along, Raffi has gotten distracted.]

[trickshot]

_{( He covers the bashful embarrassment that hits him with a too-loud laugh. )}

Yeah? Well, when you're a punk superhero that no one likes, your only options are pretty much other punk superheroes that no one likes.

Or Steve. But he likes everyone except, well, MODOK.

[radiantly]

You're too hard on yourself. [She pulls on Raffi's leash again.] Plenty of people like you.

[trickshot]

Really? What a relief. _{( He scoffs, at that. Not like he thinks about what people think of him all the time, or anything. Bee-pug has stopped to rest, or just sit around useless. Eventually Clint picks him up and tucks the small, fat pug under one arm. )}

Point being, that's where we were at when we met.

[radiantly]

And look how far you've come. Both of you. I mean, you're both practically functioning adults.

[trickshot]

I wouldn't go that far. Doesn't Pietro still spend his time lounging around your place and making creepy puppets?

[radiantly]

[Ugh. Don't remind her.] Practically functioning adults. He still could use some work, okay?

[trickshot]

Or maybe just a less creepy hobby.

[radiantly]

I really hate those things. [She sighs.] Does Bobbi have any weird habits that drive you up the wall?

[trickshot]

_{( Clint laughs--almost nervously? )} Oh, no. Bobbi's got no flaws that I'm going to talk about.

_{( And then, with a very small roll of his eyes-- )} As everyone likes to remind me all the time, if anyone's screwing up, it's me.

[radiantly]

We all make mistakes, but relationships require two people. [She pulls at her dog again.]

[trickshot]

_{( Running his free hand through his hair-- )} Yeah, no, what I meant was--

I dunno, Angie. Do you ever just get lucky sometimes, and then get scared of screwing it up? That's kind of how it feels with me and Bobbi.

[radiantly]

I feel that way all the time. [Though perhaps not for the same reasons he does.] Everyday I'm lucky to be alive. And sometimes I wonder if what I'm doing with these extra days is what I should be doing. I mean, look at where I am now, compared to where I was back home. Whoever would've thought I'd have ended up like this? Mostly retired from being Firestar? Running the Xavier Institute? Married to Quicksilver?

[She laughs softly.]

But it's different with you and Bobbi. You two... I mean, everybody knows you two go together like... birds of a feather.

[trickshot]

_{( He smiles, ruefully, at the first part of what she says. They all have hard lives, to be sure, but Angie's probably been through more than most. It makes him proud, in a way, but also kind of embarrassed. That she should be so strong, when he can't get it together. But then he laughs it off. )}

...you think so, huh? Well, then it's gotta be true.

[radiantly]

Look, I'm not the best judge of these things. [After all, she would've bet her life that she'd have married Vance, and that Rich and Nita would've made it work out.] But you guys have been together for a really long time. Even here. You two have made it work in spite of everything. And when you messed it up, you still stuck it out. That has to mean something, right?

[trickshot]

Well, that's what I'm banking on. Still--keep your fingers crossed, for us.

_{( They turn a corner and Clint pauses to set Bee-pug down again. )}

How's that going, by the way? The almost-retired thing.

[radiantly]

It's different alright.

[She watched the dogs, laughing at them softly.]

But it's more like how I always saw myself. I never asked to be a mutant. I never wanted to be a superhero. That life was thrust upon me, and I'd like to think that I met the call. But all I ever really wanted was the 2.5 kids and the house with the picket fence, you know? Being an Avenger was a dream come true, but I guess I always knew it wouldn't be a forever thing for me.

[trickshot]

I guess we really do all come at it from different angles, huh? _{( Because he thinks the day he stops being an Avengers is--oh, wait. That's already happened. And he did not like the results. )}

[radiantly]

I think anybody can be a hero. But for some of us, it's meant to be forever.

[trickshot]

It's forever no matter what, Angie. Even if you do it for a day, or thirty years.