Atlas Gym, Thursday Afternoon

[so_hawkward]

With it being the start of the month and all, Clint had been expecting to have to deal with a lot of paperwork when he got to the gym, but it turned out that he had plenty of time to work out once everything had been taken care of. He was back at the punching bag before long, because it was that or talking to one of the counselors in town, and the punching bags were cheaper if they needed to be replaced.

[Open!]

Comments

[throughaphase]

The punching bag was exactly where Kitty was heading today, and she was not going to complain about walking in to this.

"Well this makes my day way better."

[so_hawkward]

Clint glanced over at Kitty, and if there was a little flexing happening, it was a total accident, really! "I know, working out is so good for your mood," he teased.

[throughaphase]

"Your working out is good for my mood, yes," she smiled, walking over. "I'm going to pretend you knew I was coming here and this is all for me."

[so_hawkward]

"Of course," Clint said. "It was one of my psychic moments. Is there something I can help you with?"

[throughaphase]

"You are helping me just fine right now. But when you're done beating up on the bag, it's my turn," Kitty said.

[so_hawkward]

"Oh, ladies first, I insist," Clint said. "Need me to hold the bag for you?"

He could just watch, but at least that'd be helpful.

[throughaphase]

"If you want," she said. "It'd be like a team effort."

[so_hawkward]

"Okay," Clint said, stepping to keep the bag steady for her. "So, how've things been going?"

[throughaphase]

The initial answer to that was a hard kick to the bag. She might be little, but she knew how to do a punching bag some damage. "Had it out with Derek again. Otherwise pretty good. You?"

[so_hawkward]

"Seriously? He's still being a jerk?" Clint asked, frowning at the force of that kick. "I'm doing fine. Looking forward to more free food this weekend."

[throughaphase]

"It's sort of a different thing this time, kind of," she said, following up with a punch to the bag. "Oh, right, picnic this weekend."

[so_hawkward]

"Yup. Do you want to talk about it?" Clint asked. "Derek, not the picnic."

[throughaphase]

"I don't know that there's much to talk about," Kitty said in between punches, and then proceeded to talk about it. "I apologized for blowing up, we actually had a decent talk, and then he brought up getting over myself to apologize. So when I tried to tell him what's been going on with me, he decided I was just trying to make him feel guilty. It was a lot of fun, really."

[so_hawkward]

Clint glared and tightened his grip a little on the bag. "If you want me to punch him, I will. I'm trying to be nicer to him, but not if he's going to be a jerk to you."

[throughaphase]

"Don't worry about it," she said, stopping so she could actually look at him around the bag. "It wouldn't do any good, and I think I need to be done with him for a while."

That was probably music to Clint's ears.

[so_hawkward]

Yeah, Clint didn't mind hearing that at all, although he still gave Kitty a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. It still sucks to lose someone you thought was a friend."

[throughaphase]

"Yeah," she said, taking a breath and punching the bag again. "Maybe he'll get better, or actually think about where I'm coming from. Personally, I think he's too busy with his manpain to care."

Yep. She was pissed about it all.

[so_hawkward]

"He's got a brand new thing with Stiles. He shouldn't have any manpain." Because that was how Clint assumed it worked for people.

[throughaphase]

"Ooh, does this mean dating me solved all your problems?" Kitty asked with a smirk.

[so_hawkward]

"Well, it solved a bunch of them." Mostly the physical, secret-need-for-human-contact ones. "I just figured he'd be in a better mood for a while."

[throughaphase]

"Who knows. He gets a boyfriend and starts therapy and I somehow get along with him less," Kitty said with another kick. "I think we've had one normal conversation since the beginning of the year. And it's May."

[so_hawkward]

"Isn't therapy supposed to make things better?" Clint asked. "Speaking of which, how'd the group thing go?"

[throughaphase]

"Good," Kitty said, brightening a little. "It was only the first week, but it wasn't uncomfortable to talk, and I kinda reconnected with Jono on the X stuff. So I'd call it a good move on my part."

[brainfreediet.livejournal.com]

If Flash was going to be sticking around in town for a bit, he needed a job. And really, what better place could there be for a famed former high school and college stud athlete slash former boxer than the local gym? No place, that's what.

He wheeled in to to gym and started looking around. Nice place. Good equipment. And by the sounds coming from that punching bag, there was already someone hard at work. "Excuse me," he called out as he made his way toward the bag.

[so_hawkward]

Clint startled a little, but when he saw he wasn't alone anymore, he gave the guy a nod and smiled. "Hey. Can I help you?"

[brainfreediet.livejournal.com]

"You've gotta be kidding me," Flash whined once he got a good look at the guy's face. "You're already checking up on me?"

[so_hawkward]

"Um. No?" He probably should have sounded more certain about that, but in his defense, it was a weird question! "I'm pretty sure I came in here first."

[brainfreediet.livejournal.com]

Okay, now Flash was just confused. "You... you didn't answer by yelling at me. Are you okay, Barton?" Did he have amnesia? Was that why he wasn't wearing a shirt?

Okay, that question made no sense and Flash was glad he said it internally.

[so_hawkward]

Oh great. One of these days, Clint was going to recognize someone in return, and he'd probably die of shock. "Yeah, I'm good. I'm, uh, also probably not the Barton you know." 'Cause he wasn't a big jerk. "Welcome to Fandom?"

[brainfreediet.livejournal.com]

"Wait. This is one of those other world things I've been warned about, isn't it?" Flash asked.

[so_hawkward]

"Oh good, someone already warned you. Yeah, no offense, but I've never met you before where I'm from," Clint said. "I stick to yelling at people whose names I at least know."

[brainfreediet.livejournal.com]

And Clint never would due to rights issues.

"I was going to introduce myself, but now you made me reconsider," Flash joked. "Just kidding. Flash Thompson. Ironically, I kind of work for you where I come from."

Because Captain America made Clint take him.

[so_hawkward]

And it was so very hard for Clint to say no to Cap.

"Really? That sounds awesome. I mean, there are a couple folks working here but they're working for the gym more than me," he said. "It's nice to meet you, even with the confusion."

[brainfreediet.livejournal.com]

Flash's Clint would disagree with that.

"I hope it is," Flash said. "Because I stopped in here in the first place because I'm new to town and, well, I'm looking for work. Before I got this sweet ride, I was kind of a gym rat, so I know I could do a good job if anyone needs any help with training or anything."

[so_hawkward]

Clint thought about it for a moment, but it didn't take long to consider. "I'm sure we could use some more help around this place," he said. "If you really want a job here, it's yours."

[brainfreediet.livejournal.com]

"That's the easiest job interview I've had since I became a boxer," Flash said. "And at this one, people are less likely to punch me in the head."

"They are, right?"

[so_hawkward]

Clint laughed. "There are some old ladies in town like to complain about things sometimes, but so far I've been punch-free, so you're probably safe." So reassuring he was.

[brainfreediet.livejournal.com]

"Glad to hear it," Flash said. "Do you mind if I start this weekend? I've been here about a week without anything to really occupy my time, and I'm starting to get a little antsy. It's usually a good thing if I don't let that happen."

Idle hands were the homicidal alien symbiote's playthings, after all.

[so_hawkward]

"Not at all. I don't know what the weekend will be like - a new session at the school's starting soon, so there's gonna be a bunch of new folks in town," Clint said. "It'll either be busy here with people checking the place out, or totally dead."

[brainfreediet.livejournal.com]

"I'm going hope for some kind of middle ground," Flash said.