The Park, Wednesday Afternoon

[so_hawkward]

Okay, so Clint wasn't exactly the smartest guy in the world, but he did like to stay on top of big current events, which was why he'd had his nose buried in his phone since some ungodly hour last night. Normally, he could read the news and walk Lucky at the same time, but it was a more difficult task today with Lucky eyeing another dog in the park instead of doing his business.

"A poodle? Really? Don't do it, boy, she's gonna break your heart," Clint advised. "French ladies don't go for guys like us."

He was totally the best, most helpful dog owner ever, shhh.

[This post is necessary in so many ways. Open!]

Comments

[throughaphase]

Kitty was pretty much ditching out on any day work she was doing in the office for news reasons. Which meant that she could go for a walk instead of being cooped up inside, and run across some of her favorite people (Lucky was people, thank you).

"Are you giving your dog dating advice?" she grinned.

[so_hawkward]

"Maybe," Clint said with a grin of his own. "Is that a bad thing?"

[throughaphase]

"Nope. In fact it's downright adorable," she told him. "Though I'd say he should skip the poodle because he can do better, but that's just my opinion."

[so_hawkward]

"If you keep that up, you're going to inflate his ego," Clint warned. "He's a fragile creature, he needs someone who will take care of him."

[throughaphase]

"Isn't that what he has you for?" Kitty asked.

And guess what, Lucky? You were getting all the pets now! All of them.

[so_hawkward]

And Kitty was getting all the licking in return and Lucky totally hadn't gotten into any garbage today so his breath probably wasn't that bad! You were welcome, Kitty.

"I meant in a dog-mate. I'm just the food provider," Clint said "Dogs have needs too, even when they've been neutered. At least, that's what the internet says."

[throughaphase]

"Oh." She considered this. "He still deserves better than a French poodle. She won't take care of him at all. Ooh, maybe a nice retriever?"

She wasn't really sure how kidding she was. She was a little invested in this dog.

[playsforkepesh]

"Oh, I'd say he's got a shot," Sam supplied from a nearby bench, smiling the smile of someone in the presence of an unbelievably cute dog. Reverently, she told Clint, "He's gorgeous. What kind is he?"

[so_hawkward]

Well now, someone was going to get a dog smile in their direction. Lucky was totally gorgeous, wasn't he?

"Um, that's a good question," Clint said uncertainly. "I... don't exactly know. I sort of accidentally adopted him from some not-nice people, and I didn't really have a chance to ask for his papers."

[playsforkepesh]

And much more pleasant to be around than cats. Sorry, Alouette.

"Well, he's lovely," she said, undaunted, holding out her hand for Lucky to sniff. "Do you mind if I ask - what sort of not-nice people?"

Because she was an animal lover and wanted to make herself indignant, or something.

[so_hawkward]

"The kind who like to yell and throw dogs in front of moving cars when they're being heroic," Clint said with a frown. "He still doesn't like yelling but he's fattened up and... well, he's always been friendly. Lucky, say hi."

Lucky had mostly heard wah wah fat but hi he understood, and he went over to Sam and held up one of his front paws. This was how good dogs got pizza.

[playsforkepesh]

Sam made an undignified high-pitched sound that clearly conveyed how incredibly adorable she found that gesture. Then she clapped her hands over her mouth, appalled with herself.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she said behind her hands -- more in response to Lucky's backstory than as an apology for the noise, but it was a little of both. "I'll never understand how anyone could do that to a dog -- least of all one as cute as yours. You're incredible for rescuing him from that."

Then she bent down and dropped her hands from her mouth, offering one to Lucky to shake. Unfortunately for her, that meant that her blush was obvious now.

[so_hawkward]

Aww yeah, Lucky was so getting a pizza treat for this.

"Will it help if I tell you I beat the crap out of them before stealing their dog?" Clint asked. "His name is Lucky and he likes to be petted, for the record."

[filleauloup]

Éponine used to dress up the family cat in doll clothes when she was 8, so of course she wouldn't think it was odd to put her cat on a leash now.

Well, what else was she going to do? It was a nice day outside and that dialogue was like the perfect setup line and she'd gotten out of work early and she didn't feel like having to chase a rambunctious kitten all over the island. The way Alouette kept pouncing on random tufts of grass and trying to dart after birds seemed to justify that decision.

"Goodness, there's no call for that," Éponine chided. "You mustn't be so impatient. Tumbling all about like that will only frighten them off and then where will you be without any birds to play with, hmm?"

It was a good day for giving pets advice in the park, apparently.

"Good afternoon, monsieur," she greeted Clint as she approached. Alouette tried to tackle a cluster of flowers.

[so_hawkward]

Lucky glanced up at Clint with an expression that Clint had to interpret as now look what you've done. "Uh. Good afternoon," he said smoothly. Okay, no, it was totally awkward but he was hoping that wasn't too apparent. "Aww kitten, what did those flowers do to you?"

[filleauloup]

It was fairly apparent, but Éponine seemed to think social awkwardness was an endearing character trait. Or an amusing one, at the very least.

"I suspect," she said, trying to sound incredibly put-upon while Alouette rolled onto her back and reached up to start batting at the flowers over her head, "they waved their petals at her in some provoking way. It's hard to tell with cats sometimes, they're such clever little creatures -- oh, hello, you've got a friend too, I see!"

She waved a hand at Lucky.

[so_hawkward]

Lucky pulled on the leash enough to get Clint to loosen up, and then sniffed at Eponine as a greeting.

"This is Lucky. He's a little nosy." Yes, Clint thought he was funny. "Are you training your kitten to take walks?"

[filleauloup]

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Monsieur Lucky. You're quite a handsome fellow," Éponine intoned solemnly, and held a hand out for Lucky to sniff. Evidently Alouette was jealous, since she abandoned pawing at the flowers to come sit by Éponine's foot and glare.

"Catch me training her to do anything," she said with a broken laugh. "It's the other way around, more likely, seeing as I didn't intend to bring her with me today. Oh, but she looked so mournful as I was leaving, and I said to myself, 'Well, what else am I to do but take her along?'"

[so_hawkward]

"Awwww. Does she give you that look at her food dish too?" Clint asked. "I get the sad look from him at his bowl, like I haven't fed him in days and days, not a few hours."

[firstnameagent.livejournal.com]

"Barton," Coulson said with a nod as he made his way through the park. He took a look at the dogs and said, simply, "That's probably going to be trouble."

[so_hawkward]

"Not while I'm around, sir. There's never trouble when I'm around," Clint said with the straightest face he could manage. "And Lucky is as good as I am."

[firstnameagent.livejournal.com]

"Then it's going to be a lot of trouble," Coulson said. "I wish I had popcorn."

[so_hawkward]

"You have so little faith in me. That's just heartbreaking." Clint managed to hold the pouting for about two seconds before he was cracking up. "How are you doing, sir? Still holding up okay?"

[firstnameagent.livejournal.com]

"I'm doing very well, actually," Coulson said. "Better than I've been in quite a while."

[so_hawkward]

"Physically?" That was what Clint cared about the most, of course. "Or overall?"