Visiting the Bartons (for @streetlevel )

[hawk_shot]

Honestly, Kate figured that flying with a pony would have been way harder than it turned out to be. But between Matt's first class charm put to full power and everyone at the airport being captivated by Frodo? Despite of how their trip to Ohio had started at an ungodly early hour, it also seemed to be the beginning of one of the most pleasant of adventures.

It was a short flight, one in which Kate shamelessly claimed Matt's shoulder as her own personal pillow. Obviously, they were on first class, but domestic flight seats were definitely not as roomy as international were. But it was comfortable enough for Kate to still feel pretty refreshed once they made it back down to land. In Ohio, a car with a trailer to carry Frodo was already waiting, taking him for a drive that took at least another hours before they made it to Clint's farm. 

On their way, Kate described Matt everything that she saw. The crops, so tall they would probably be completely lost in them if they decided to make their way through them byt feet. A land full of greens on all kinds of shades. Horses grazing afar, sheep with  their growing lambs. The sun was bright and Kate could tell it would become even warmer as hours passed.

She was so excited to finally see Clint and his family again. 

The green land was interrupted by a path of dirth that lead to Clint's house, a three-stories home of that looked like something straight out of the fantasies of anyone who might have ever dreamed about living in the countryside. As they approeached, Kate leaned over Matt to see better through his window, spotting the tractor and Clint's van in the distance. The ducks near the pond.. You could tell this was a family home, as on their way to the house there was toys scattered all around. Bikes, footballs, dolls and a swing made with a tire.

Finally, by the house, Kate spotted Laura. She was filling some buckets of water with a hose, looking in their direction as she held a hand over her eyes, shielded the sun off her face. Squinting now, she held her hand well above her head to wave in their directon as the car and trailer finally reached the house.

With a heavy step that clearly said it all about how she had a start just as early as the one they had, Laura aproached the car as it came to a stop, Kate almost instantly hopping off. Running towards the older woman, they captured each other in a tight hug as they shared words about how glad they were to see each other again. 

While the driver got out and quietly greeted Laura, he headed back to take care of the trailer. Still holding Kate by the shoulders, Laura went straight to their other guest. "You must be Matt."  

Comments

[streetlevel]

Matt could count on one hand the amount of times he'd been on a plane. Travel wasn't something he often got the chance to experience outside of occasionally taking a client out of state. It was difficult for him to do anything for himself, the guilt of abandoning responsibilities often feeling too great. This trip though was at least serving a purpose. Aside from taking back the barn kittens, it was giving Kate a chance to see her family. Matt knew how important the Bartons had become to her beyond just Clint. They had welcomed Kate into their home when her own had felt like it had fallen apart. It made Matt respect the Bartons all the more and want to make this a pleasant experience for his partner.

The trip over was uneventful. The airport a bit stressful, but he'd provided Kate with a shoulder pillow on the actual flight while he did some work on the plane. Thankfully with the headphones the reader on his laptop didn't bother anyone else. He could smell the difference in the landscape once they landed. Everything was green and there were animals everywhere, the noise less full of car honks and more nickering. The plants had sweet scents to them as well, balancing out the manure. Kate described what it all looked like, and Matt explained to her what sounds and scents her nose and ears might have missed.

Given the driver was carting a horse, it was a specialized ride that had been paid for ahead of time. Still, Matt exchanged a quiet word with the man to ensure everything was good to go as Laura and Kate greeted one another. The driver led the mini horse down the ramp, offering Matt the reins and assuring him that everything was handled. Matt turned then in Laura's direction, giving her a warm smile in greeting. He held out a hand towards her. "Got it in one. Thank you for having us over. From what Kate's described, the place sounds beautiful. And of course, thank you for taking on another stray." He nodded towards the horse.

[hawk_shot]

"It's always so nice to finally put faces on names," Laura pointed out as she took Matt's hand with both of hers. It spoke of how warm she was to everyone, just as how easily she'd accepted literally a horse as a gift. "And don't worry about it, no biggies." Done with the shake, she waved a hand dismissively. "I already told Clint," she pointed out while turning to Kate. "As far as Father's Day gifts go, this is a new one. You don't get this kind of variety after the first few years."

Kate had the decency of looking only slightly sheepish as she thanked Laura again about taking Frodo and having them around for the day. Laura gave her another sidehug, reminding Kate of how the woman never hesitated to share her affection.

Bursting through the porch, a little boy that was not only than six or seven years old ran straight towards them.

"KATE!"

"Hey, Nate! Buddy, look how tall you are! You -- Unff!" With the little boy practically crashing against her, Kate almost doubled-over him while patting and rubbing his back. "You're--" For a second, she was out of breath. "It's so good to see you, too."

With her hands on her hips, Laura could do little but chuckle. She knew all about the little balls of energy theye were raising in this household.

Not letting go of Kate's waist, Nate looked up at their surroundings, his excited smile changing into something a little disappointed. "Where's Lucky?"

Kate stroked his hair. "Sorry, buddy. Lucky had to stay back at home this time." Between the permit to bring along the pony and later having to take back the kittens, things had been enough of a hassle to arrange. And the fellow passengers in the plane didn't need to hear both barking and potentially the meowing of kittens on their flight. "But I promise he'll be here next time, yeah? Besides, your dad and mom could always--"

Before Kate could remind him that they could always visit her and Lucky, Nate's attention was already somewhere else. Looking spellbound, he let go of Kate and headed straight to Matt and Frodo.

"Is that a baby horse, mister?"

It was clear that they didn't own any horses in Clint's farm.

[streetlevel]

It was sweet to sense Kate with her family. He could tell how happy they were to be reunited. He chuckled when he heard Nate nearly plow down Kate. Leaning down so they were on equal height with one another and the horse, Matt held his hand out to the boy. "You must be Nate. Nice to meet you, I'm Matt. I'm a friend of Kate's. And this..." He gestured towards Frodo, who was patiently waiting by his side, "Is Frodo. Believe it or not, he's full grown. His species just doesn't get very big. What he lacks in height he makes up for in personality, so something tells me you two will get along great. Go ahead, you can pet him. ... that is, if your mom is okay with that?" He tilted his head up towards Laura, not sure if this was something that needed permission or not.

"Make sure he doesn't have anything gross on his hands first." Lila's voice called out as she and Clint walked towards the crew. Both dad and daughter wore archery gear as though they'd just finished practicing. Both wore jeans and boots, but instead of the worn out shirt Clint wore on top, Lila was wearing a colorful shirt she'd gotten from Kate when last she'd seen her. Her long dark hair was sensibly pulled back and her face was flushed from the outdoor activity. Her smile wide, she went to Kate to give her a hug. There weren't many teenage girls around these parts, and Kate was only a decade or so older than Lila, so she'd latched onto her quite quickly. "I hit every single target. Dad's training is getting too easy."

"I'm not going easy, you're just too good," Clint protested, ruffling his son's hair as Nate, being the little brother he was, reached for his sister.

"I'll just wipe my boogers off on you."

"Gross," Lila brushed her brother's hands away. "Dad, make him stop."

"Hm." Clint took his son's hands and examined them. "They seem booger free. FOR NOW." Nate laughed conspiratorially with his father as Lila rolled her eyes and said to Kate, "I am SO GLAD you're here."

"We all are," Clint gently moved his son to the side so he could give Kate a huge hug. He planned to be back in the city with Kate in a few days as the fight against Fisk was still ongoing, but this was a lovely time when all his family could be together. He'd missed seeing Kate on actual Father's Day. "Hey, kid. The trip out here go all right?"

[hawk_shot]

"C.B going easy? Nah, I don't believe it," Kate pointed out with exaggerated skepticism as she held Lila close. "And I've seen how on point your posture is and how quickly you pick on things." As Clint made his argument about how Lila was simply getting better, Kate was quick to agree with him.

All three Burton kids had stolen a piece of her heart, there was no question about it. But Kate did have a special slice of it for Lila. Did it make her feel old to see herself a little on that girl? To kind of feel like an older sister around her? Maybe. But truth be told, Lila had faced harder times than Kate. Watching her dad leave home meant always worrying he wouldn't come back. Kate had never faced that while growing up.

She did notice how Lila always tried to take a mature role, often acting like the adult in charge even around her older brother. Clint had noticed it too and, during one of those drunken but profound talks they shared in the middle of the night, he'd shared some details with Kate about this talk he'd had with his daughter. Clint had reminded Lila that she wasn't an adult and, while her parents appreciated how much she helped in the house and looked after her siblings, it wasn't her role to be a second mom. Clint was proud of her, but wanted her to be a child. Or rather, to enjoy her time as a teenager.

Kate had felt nothing but pure admitarion and pride towards her mentor. Clint and Laura were heroes. Both in and out of their homes.

"It was great," Kate pointed out as she buried her face in Clint's shoulder, their hug a tight a long one. So long that Clint started rocking her playfully, snorting as they were both aware of how long it was lingering.

It was much needed, though.

"Yeah, it went much easier than you'd think considering we were travelling with..." Finally taking a step away from Clint, Kate waved a hand in direction of both Frodo and Matt. "Ta-da!"

The pony was sweet and careful, smelling at Nate's chest and stealing giggles out of him as those big lips indeed checked if there was a treat hidden somewhere in there for him.

With the driver now ready to go, Kate apologized and rushed to go get her bag and Matt's. Thanking the man one last time, she watched him go.

"Kate?" As the car pulled back on the road, Clint's older son showed up. He was carrying empty buckets after feeding the chickens and had a couple of sweat stains on his shirt.

"Coop?" Kate's was obviously shocked. She turned to face both Laura and Clint with a mocking look of surprise on her face. "I'm sorry, is that your kid? No way!" It was clear that last growing spurt had finally reached him. Not only was he older, but the fuzz on his face indicated he was trying to grow facial hair.

Matt sure wouldn't miss the loud heartbeats coming from the young man either. Sure, those teenage hormones were working extra hours these days.

[streetlevel]

The heartbeats from Coop were indeed picked up on by Matt, but they weren't the only ones coming from the teenagers in the Barton clan. Lila, once she'd pulled back from Kate to let her have her hug with Clint, had her gaze drift over to land on the man who'd come with the woman who was like a sister to her. There was a small, sharp intake of breath as Lila took in the handsome figure that now was kneeling with her little brother, showing him the tricks that the new horse knew to make the child laugh. "Who's that?" she asked softly.

"Duh, it's a mini-horse," Nate said to his sister, earning a dry look in response from the teenager. Nate twisted around to ask, "What's his name?"

"Frodo. From The Lord of the Rings?" The boy puzzled for a moment, so Matt reassured him, "Make sure to ask your mom when you're ready to learn all about him. Trust me, he's worth reading about."

"Oh, ask Mom, huh?" Clint teased, going over to Matt then. He clasped the other man on the shoulder with a grin. "I see how it is."

"I don't even need to see to know that's how it is," Matt reassured Clint, earning a laugh from the other man.

"So, did you meet the crew here?" Clint asked, and after learning Matt had just met Laura and Nate, he gestured for his other two kids to come over. Lila minced her steps and hunched her shoulders a little, embarrassed to be meeting someone so attractive while she was wearing grungy clothing and probably looked sweaty and awful. Clint, of course, was utterly oblivious to this. "Here's Lila, my daughter. As you can tell, she's a branch off the old tree."

"I'll try not to hold that against her," Matt joked, offering his hand with a warm and friendly smile. His voice was smooth and charming and cultivated without even trying. "Matt Murdock. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lila. I've heard great things. You'll have to let me know exactly what a pancake battle is."

Oh god. Lila looked mortified and reached up to tuck a hair behind her ears... wait, he couldn't even see what she looked like. God, she was stupid. Even so she wished her nails looked better as she shook his hand and mumbled, "Nice to meet you. How do you know my dad?"

"Oh, I guess you could say we're old work colleagues," Matt said vaguely. A term which made every kid's ears perk up, because they knew what that meant. Their dad only had one kind of old work colleague.

Great. A super hot hero was here and knew she got into breakfast food fights. "That's great," she said meekly and melted back to the side, whispering to Kate, "Kill me now. Please."

[hawk_shot]

As Coop came over, Kate didn't miss how the boy smiled awkwardly at her, but avoided making any eye-contact. Laura stepped in, thanking him for taking care of the chickens and the ducks while noticing how the boy was keeping his distance.

"Why don't you go take a shower before any hugs can happen," she teased her son before addressing Kate. "He's been out on the field all day helping his dad and I, really pulling his weight out there."

"Mom..."

"And he's really getting a knack for working the tractor lately." Conspiratorally, Laura leaned in as if whispering to Kate's ear. "Clint promised that once he mastered that he could try with the van next."

Cooper's face couldn't be more flushed, one of his shoulder jerking sharply in half a shrug. Kate bumped his arm playfully with her fist. "Hey, totally worth the work. In no time you're going to be driving around the ladies and having your dad being a pain in the ass about being home before ten."

"Eleven..." Coop argued as a soft smile finally spread on his lips.

"Ten," Laura corrected as he guided the pair to come greet Matt.

Kate catching the last of that exchange between Lila and her partner, she quickly understood what was going on. Lila's embarrassment spoke for itself. Honestly, could she blame the girl? Most of the time she felt as if she also was in that exact same queue, waiting for the unachievable.

Coop, finally coming to join the crowd, extended his hand to offer it to Matt while his dad introduced him.

"He is Kate's boyfriend," Nate explained, always trying his best to be helpful.

[streetlevel]

"He's Kate's friend," Clint was quick to clarify. "Just like he's Dad's friend."

"Oh." Nate considered this, and what he knew of both his father and Kate. "So do you shoot arrows, too?"

Matt gave a little laugh at that and shook his head as he shook Coop's hand in greeting. "Nope, no arrows. I'm a lawyer. So, maybe some figurative arrows."

Nate considered this, then asked the most relevant question to him. "Do you know Spider-Man?"

Matt sighed and tilted his head in Kate's direction to playfully complain, "Every time." Still, he couldn't break the kid's heart, so he leaned down and said to Nate confidentially, "Actually buddy? I am Spider-Man's lawyer."

Nate's eyes grew big and he said, "Wicked! ... I need to show Frodo around." He took the reins and led Frodo just to the nearby pasture. The horse was old and very obedient, but Lila still kept an eye on them.

Even while watching out for her little brother she asked curiously, "Wait... when did my dad need a lawyer?"

A long silence, then Clint said hurriedly, "Why don't we take Matt and Kate inside?"

[hawk_shot]

The Barton household was clearly a busy one. Even though Lila and Nate were still outside with Frodo, it was almost as if the echo of all three kids was easy to notice inside, perpetually loud in a household full of love. By the right, an open concept kitchen only set it's boundaries by an island. The dinning room was past it, the table covered with pencils of all colors, textbooks and some unfinished homework.

By their left, Clint inviteded Matt and Kate to leave their things in the living room.

Kate took that second of privacy with Matt to lean into him and talk in whispers. "Hey, Spider-Man's friend. I think you already broke someone's heart." She teased lightly. "If you don't watch your back you might come back home with an arrow on your butt."

But while Clint had a brief discussion with Cooper about not leaving his wet towels on the bathroom floor, they were interrupted by quite the urgent voice.

"Buddy, what are you doing here? We talked about this." Clint sighed as a loud quacking and the flapping of wings let everyone know that Marshall Firequacker had led himself into the house again. Their little duck? He was a full grownup duck by now.

"Looks like someone else wants to say hi," Laura chuckled as she headed to the kitchen, offering Kate and Matt to choose between fresh orange juice, ice tea or coffee.

[streetlevel]

The questioning look on Matt's face showed he was perplexed. "Who's heart did I break? I told him I knew Spider-Man." That had seemed to appease the boy's interest. As much as Matt liked to sigh and grumble, it made his heart warm how much kids tended to adore Spider-Man. There just was something wholesome and family-friendly about the webhead that spoke to everyone's better natures, and Matt admired it. Then it dawned on him as he remembered Lila's stuttering and the sound of her heartbeat and he gave a soft laugh. "Hush. I won't embarrass her. Don't embarrass the other one while you're at it."

His face then perked up as he heard the familiar quacking. There was Marshall, strutting in like he owned the place. Matt got a soft, delighted look on his face as he went over to greet the duck. He sank right to his knees and crooned, "Hey, pal. Look at you! You being nice and letting these humans live here?"

Clint sighed and muttered, "Of course this is where he gets it from."

Matt picked the duck up and cuddled him as he said to Laura, "Iced tea would be amazing, thank you. Also... we brought something for you." Somehow with one hand he opened his bag and took out a fresh homemade strawberry rhubarb pie. He offered it over to Laura, along with a lovely bottle of wine. "Thank you so much for having us. Really. The pie is homemade, the wine is not. If you need any help in the kitchen, just let me know."

"Stop hitting on my wife, Murdock," Clint joked, moving to take the pie and wine from him. Laura did love some wine. "Kate, we also did get some soda since you were coming."

[hawk_shot]

"The other one?" Kate questioned in whispers. She'd already had the conversation with Matt before, talking about how she suspected Cooper had a crush on her. Since then, she always made sure to make comments around Coop about how pretty were the girls he was gonna date. He certainly had made it clear he wasn't open to boys and so Kate had dropped bringing up the possibility. Was she overdoing it? Maybe she was overdoing it.

Wait, had Matt noticed something on his heartbeat? "I'm not embarrassing anyone. Besides, my heart is clearly with Nate."

As soon as the duck joined them, Kate's face lit up, beaming as she could finally see in person just how much Marshall had grown. Clint had told her stories Kate had shared with Matt, everything about how shameless the duck was as he made himself at home with the Bartons. How he made himself so many friends among the other ducks, practically claiming the pond as his own too.

"Hey, buddy! Look at how big and pretty you are! You sure you're not a swan?" Kate instantly huffed. "You're right. Swans got nothing on you, only good PR." Marshall seemed to agree, judging those quacks. He was happy to cuddle with Matt, though. His beak explored his shirt as if there was a spot where he could slip in to nest in, just like he had nested in his clothes during his stay at the apartment.

With his hearing Matt would sure notice that Laura's awe was genuine, her gasp speaking for itself as he revealed the pie. "Oh, guys. You shouldn't have but I'm so glad you did."

Kate interrupted. "That was totally Matt's doing. He is that good when he cooks." She turned to Clint. "I'm starting to suspect that Clint comes over hoping that he will feed us." Helping Matt, she took the bottle of wine and took it to the kitchen too.

"I don't blame him," Laura pointed out as she placed the pie on the counter. She turned to Clint, who was now busy serving Kate a glass of soda after she thanked him. The Barton always pampered her when she visited. "Honey," Laura started. "How do you feel about you staying home and me going to New York next time?" Picking the iced tea she had poured for Matt, she handed it to him. "Fighting crime, enjoying girl nights, Matt cooking. Sounds like a holiday." She said as she winked at Kate.

[streetlevel]

At Kate's cooing, Marshall honked and proceeded to nibble at her fingers before going back to burrowing in Matt's chest. Matt felt his heart squeeze a little as he ruffled the feathers in a gentle way. "So good to see you thriving, buddy," he whispered to the duck. "I hope you have lots of friends and water and that you get under Clint's skin every chance possible." His apartment wasn't the proper place for an animal like this, Matt knew that, but watching Matt doting over the animal cemented in the Bartons' mind that he would make a good choice for the kittens.

Clint snorted at his wife, pouring himself a soda as well after he handed Kate one. "If you went to the city, Fisk would run into hiding at the first chance of-"

"I'm sorry, did you make your own tea blend?" Matt interrupted, gesturing at the iced tea he'd just sipped. He took another sniff and sip. "I'm tasting locally dried peaches and cornflowers, with some jasmine and rooibos?"

Laura looked shocked, then delighted. "That's... exactly right. That's remarkable. I find the fruit and floral blend goes so well with the rooibos."

"Yeah, rooibos is one of my favorites, too. Have you tried it with dried raspberries?"

Clint sighed and looked at Kate. "We've lost them for at least the next half hour. Drying herbs and plants are her new hobby. Want to see what's changed in the rest of the house? You can also see the cats you're not leaving here without."

[hawk_shot]

Kate's fingers brushed Matt's as they both careessed Marshall's back, her attention quietly pulled towards him as she listened him talk. It was just as she remembered, just like the night when he had brought the duck to his old home. She'd quickly noticed how worried he'd been about the bird. Matt had made it his mission to make sure Marshall would be fine, which translated to talking softly to him, promising things would get better. Letting him know he wasn't alone.

Was that when Kate had fallen for him? Noticing how huge his heart was? Huge enough that he put as much passion in helping a human being as he did on a poor, injured duck?

That's the thing about Matt. He cares passionately.

Kate knew Marshall had grown up to be a friendly duck, Clint had shared plenty of stories. Enough of them for Kate to feel like she knew the bird as much as his new owners did. And yet? She doubted Marshall was as affectionate to anybody else as he was with Matt.

She stared at Matt's lips as he whispered those loving words, letting them sooth her too. Everything would work out.

At home. Between Matt and her and--

And suddenly the conversation was all about tea blends and herbs.

"Huh?" Clint's guess wasn't wrong. Not on Matt's behalf, Kate was sure of that. "Yeah, I'd hate to be a thirdwheel in that conversation anyway." Honestly, she could just be a witness. Snorting, she was happy to move on now, spend a little quality time with Clint and, while they were at it, meet who could possibly be Matt's pets in the future.

As she followed Clint pass the hallway, she bumped his hip with her own. "Happy belated Father's Day, old man." She reminded him. "How's it been? Did the day get even better after that pancake war?"

[streetlevel]

Clint watched as Laura happily began to explain to Matt her new dehydrating operation to brew their own teas, spices, fruit leather, and jerky. Honestly, he was glad that Laura had someone who shared her enthusiasm on the topic, whereas Clint was invested just because Laura was invested. He loved seeing his wife happy and was therefore more than fine listening, but it wasn't a hobby he wanted to do himself, too.

Besides, it was also nice to get some private time with Kate.

He led her further inside the farmhouse, giving Kate a lopsided grin as she bumped into him affectionately. "Thanks. Well, for the well wishing. Not so much for the old comment," he teased her in return. "It was a really nice day. We hung out at the pond for a picnic, played some catch, then later that night Coop and Lila helped me teach Nate how to play poker." Had the youngest child understood all the nuances in the game yet? No. It was still a lot of fun, though. Then later that night, Laura and I got sappy looking at old photos and... I'll keep the details of her gift private for your sake." Needless to say it had involved the bedroom in some capacity.

"I missed you, though." He paused outside the office door that they mostly used for storage these days - and apparently, kitten-rearing. Looking at Kate he added, "We were all thinking about you on that day. I hope it wasn't too tough for you." He'd heard from Kate that she was spending the day with Matt. That she'd refused to take the day off and visit because Matt wasn't taking the day off. Clint knew he couldn't expect Matt to give up patrolling just so Kate could visit, but a part of him had almost hoped the man would so she could have. At the very least then Matt could make the day as enjoyable as possible for Kate in return.

[hawk_shot]

Kate beamed as Clint shared every detail about how he'd spent Father's Day with his family. "Oh, I see. Introducing the kids to gambling does sound like a perfect Father's Day activity," she teased. "Wonder if Nate will start a cookies black market at school." The tip of her tongue slipped out as Kate scrunched up her nose playfully as she braced herself for Clint's retaliation.

His Father's Day sounded amazing and she was truly so happy to hear about it. Clint has been so amazing, dividing his time lately to make sure Kate didn't spend more than a few days alone in the penthouse, not just to keep her company but to make sure there was always a set of eyes or ears at the ready. Making sure they were not followed, that there would be no nasty surprises. Being there out with the rest of the net they were builing. Being out there with Kate, or Jessica or Luke. Letting the people of New York know that the Avengers and what they meant were still there, fighting for them too.

"I had a great day too," she assured him, not at all surprised to hear Clint had been worried, that so was Laura. He knew what that date meant for Kate. "Matt and Peter were there for me all day and looked after me." Did she felt like a weak little girl for relying on her boys? Nah. She was a friend, shew knew they only saw that. A friend who was feeling vulnerable. She would have done the same thing for Matt or Peter or any of her friends. "They fed me and took me out to this shark exhibition." Her dad would have been proud of the friends she's made. "And then Spider-Man and I went on the not most succesful of missions, but it was cool anyway."

Wait, was that meowing coming out from that room?

"Are they--?" She asked, understanding where Clint was leading her to.

[streetlevel]

"Hey, listen. They gotta look after Laura and I in our twilight years. If it takes poker to do that..." Clint teased about teaching his kids poker. He would never seriously want to be a burden to them or expect them to take care of him later on in life, but that just made it ripe for a joke. "Plus poker is in part math, so really, it's like an extra math lesson. At least, that's how I tried to sell it to Laura." His wife had sighed but her eyes had sparkled, letting him have his way. This time. Laura was a straight shooter for a SHIELD agent. She didn't let him get away with much shit, but on Father's Day? He had some wiggle room.

He had a perfect family. Wife, and kids. Including Kate.

Reaching out, he made a motion with his hands. A sign language gesture to match his words. "Family." His hands went back to their sides. "Glad you have that here and in the city, whether I'm there or not." Oh, there was Eleanor. That wasn't the same thing. Eleanor was complicated. Clint wanted to know she had someone she could trust without any tangles. Someone who would have her back no matter what when he was gone. "You're gonna have to tell me what went wrong with the Web-Head. For now..." He sighed theatrically and opened the door.

Inside was a lovely cat tower, dishes, bedding, litter box, and toys. The kittens wanted for nothing, and they felt more secure in a smaller space right now. The calico was on her back, lazily sunning herself in the afternoon hours by the window with her mother. A perfect princess of pampering and peace. The ginger cat?

"Get off that!" Clint went over, muttering, "How the hell are you even hanging onto..." The cat had somehow gotten upside down on the shelving unit Clint was still building. An angry, indignant mewl was the kitten's response as Clint untangled it, as though the cat was very insulted Clint hadn't let it figure it's way out of that puzzle it had gotten into. "This one is a demon, definitely Matt's."

[hawk_shot]

"That's obviously an extra math lesson, yeah." Kate waved a hand towards Clint as if wholeheartedly agreeing with his point of view there. "You're just teaching Nate ways to think out of the box and implementing maths, absolutely." How they were able to say this with a straight face, Kate would never know.

The sign, even if Clint had not said it outloud, she would have recognised. Little by little Clint had been teaching her, something they had picked on while they hanged together at her place or during quiet times at stakeouts. "Hey, we're always one phone call away from each other." Because as bad as she felt about not being there physically for Clint, she knew he understood why she couldn't leave New York. Why she wouldn't leave Peter and Matt on their own, specially not in a day when other people in their network also spent the day celebrating with their families.

Clint would never hold it against her.

As her mentor welcomed her into the room, Kate was shocked by the impressive, cat themed renovations around. Honestly, even though some of Kate's friends were cat owners, she knew little to nothing about caring after one. Just as she had certainly improvised when Lucky arrived into her life. Right away, she spotted the mom and daughter duo, taken away by how adorable the pair looked. "Is that...?" It had to be. Clint and Laura mentioned the others had found homes already.

And then, the ginger cemented that fact.

"Look at him! He's already a little Daredevil of his own. Meowdevil?" Certainly Matt's.

Approaching, Kate reached out in a silent 'may I?' before Clint handed over the kitten. Kate held it against her chest, petting the little guy as big blue eyes that had not yet defined their future color stared up at her. She cocked her head, trying to give him a closer look, the kitten leaning in to sniff her face. It wasn't long before she was gifted with some purring.

"You sure you're not keeping these guys?"

[streetlevel]

"Oh, I am very sure," Clint replied with a vigorous nod. "In fact, there's little more that I want in life than for Matt to enjoy these two sharing zoomies at four in the morning. We really can't split them, they've bonded a lot. They'll explore a little on their own but if one is in a different room, the other one will go looking for them." It was sweet, but it had also meant that he and Laura hadn't felt it was right to separate the siblings. Which had meant these two were harder to find a home for as a pair.

"We talked to the kids about it, and they decided they'd rather keep the mom than one of the babies. They figured the mom would be harder to adopt, and we can only keep one, so once the kittens were ready to be weaned, we started adopting them out." Clint had a touch of pride in his voice. Of course his kids, as loud and stubborn as they could be, had the sweetest hearts and wanted to keep the cat that was least likely to find a forever home. "Plus we know where Matt lives, so the Mama Cat can always get visits of her babies."

He went over and knelt down, stroking both cats lazing in the sun before gently picking up the female kitten. She immediately tucked herself under his chin, purring away. "She's really laid back and sweet. Just wants to be a cuddle puddle. That one makes some people have to earn his time and attention sometimes." He nodded at the kitten Kate was holding. "Although he seems to be doing fine with you so... yeah, that fits with Murdock." Charming the ladies. "I texted Matt that we had some feed and supplies he could use but he insisted he had everything handled."

A beat. "Don't tell me he had supplies just waiting for another duck."

[hawk_shot]

It was easy to imagine Matt sprawled on his couch and with these two little critters running up and down his body and chasing each other as he struggled not to pass out. Only then Kate realized: she couldn't still imagine him on his own couch, Matt would be homing these two in her apartment.

It added a sweet layer to it all.

"Honestly, Clint," Kate shook her head, even though she knew she shouldn't be shocked in the slightest. "Your kids are the sweetest. Of course they went for the mom." The fur behind the ears of the little ginger kitten was nothing but soft fuzz, her lips finding the top of the head of the kitten as she looked at how comfortable their mom was. She's a lucky cat, having found a home of five who would all pamper her and shower her with love every day. "You and Laura are probably glad to keep the most chill one of them all, huh? And extra perk to having those awesome kids."

As Clint approached her with the tiny calico, Kate reached out to pet her too. With that long fur she was like a tiny, breathing cloud. The ginger, almost as if it was sensing he didn't have Kate's full attention anymore, craned his neck and allowed his little tiny tongue to lick at Kate's mouth.

Indeed, a lady's man.

Kate melted instantly.

"Oh, dude. You're the sweetest," Kate pointed out in the softest of voices. "Clint, I think my ovaries just exploded."

Meanwhile, the calico herself seemed to be trying to get the attention of the man she also considered her dad. A little paw reached over to his cheek, patting it lightly in what seemed to be some petting of her own. How come something so tiny could purr that loud.

"I think someone is working extra-hours to steal your heart."

[streetlevel]

"Oh, we're definitely glad we're keeping the calm one," Clint agreed with a rueful smile. "Especially since we now have a mini-horse added to the family. Maybe go a few months before bringing over anymore? Especially if Frodo has the same attitude as Marshall does." Clint liked the duck, he really did, but the feathered fiend was a handful and proud of himself for it. Speaking of which, he should probably check on how Nate and Lila were doing with the new friend. Nate no doubt was showing him all around, but the farm was a big place. "The donkeys will want to say hi to you too while you're here."

A slight chuckle escaped him as the calico in his arms doted her attention on him. He ruffled her fur gently with his fingers. "I think it comes naturally to her. She's a real sweetheart. She'll try and guilt you into carrying her everywhere with you, including the bathroom, so I can't wait to tell Matt about his new codependent best friend. Shall we?" He headed for the office door, holding the kitten with just one arm. Since they had the babies with them Clint felt comfortable leaving the door open so the mom cat could come and go as she pleased. The babies were just a little too young to be given that much free rein.

They headed back to the kitchen, where Matt and Laura were now both wearing aprons and were busy working on the early dinner meal. It was a rustic farmhouse meal of chicken cutlets, roasted potatoes, and a tomato and corn salad. Perfect for the summer. Seeing the chicken on the counter, the little ginger cat tried to vault himself out of Kate's arms and onto the meal prep with a mighty for him meow. The calico in Clint's arms simply gave large eyes and purred to guilt them into a treat. Clint sighed. "There are two kinds of people in the world..."

[hawk_shot]

"Yeah, sorry about that." Kate had the decency to sound a little apologetic about bringing the pony along. She was certainly earning herself a reputation as a stray magnet. Her friends from college, after Kate sent her mandatory selfies with the mini-horse, had started teasing her about being a Disney princess who attracted critters with her songs. Maybe with cussing, in her case. "But, like Laura said, you have to admit it was a pretty original Father's Day gift." Better than another 'Best Dad in the World' mug for sure.

"Hey, it might be grounding to Matt. You know, stick to one lady from now on?" Oh, God. She felt bad jumping into the train of 'messing around with Matt's dating reputation', but it was served on a silver plater! "Yeah, sounds good." The ginger, Kate could already tell would be a handful. He was curious, trying to climb onto her shoulder and meowing as Kate attempted to hold him down. A little fighter, no doubt about it.

It shouldn't have been a surprise, the fact that it was the little guy who interrupted the moment. Because walking in to find Matt in an apron and making himself part of the family already? Kate smiled at the warm sensation that spread on her chest.

Before that little devil attempted to do a kamikaze jump to reach the chicken, that is...

"Humm, Matt? I think there's someone you need to meet." Specially if that meant putting some distance between these kittens and that chicken.

Taking the calico from Clint, Kate approached Matt with both kittens. "Hey," she said softly as they both meowed, clearly eager to explore more of the world. Even better, if that meant getting treats in the process.

[streetlevel]

While Matt Murdock had tendencies to withdraw from people in times of stress, while he often held a barrier up from letting people get too close to him, he was great at charming people off the bat and establishing good rapports with them. Talking to people, figuring out their likes and dislikes, establishing a common ground on which to amicably hang out? He excelled at that, and even more importantly, he valued it. Matt liked making connections with people even if he struggled to maintain them sometimes. Therefore he and Laura easily hit it off well talking about tea and cooking. Once Laura realized that Matt was a good cook she had no problem with having him help in the kitchen, and they were chatting about her processes for making jams and pickles when Kate and Clint approached.

Matt sensed a cat attempting to get at the chicken and he instinctively reached a hand out to hover over the pieces before Laura quickly moved them and laid a parchment paper over until they were ready to eat. He excused himself and went over to Kate when she called, and he could detect two little balls of fluff in her arms. One was a bit more squirmy but not out of fear or discomfort, he simply seemed curious to know everything that was going on. The other one was more docile but still focused on him and Kate.

"Hey." He reached out a finger to lightly pet one of the kittens and then the other. "It looks like you've made some new friends. Hope the donkeys don't get jealous."

[hawk_shot]

"What are you talking about? These are clearly baby donkeys," she pointed out as she did her best to keep the friskier one under control. Thankfully, Matt's gentle hand (and all those scents after he'd been helping Laura cook), was suddenly a million times more interesting than any attempts at parkour and jumping onto the kitchen counter.

The calico, already purring, started licking his fingers while the ginger tested if climbing up onto Matt's wrist was a good plan.

"Do you think you can guess which one is the red boy?"

[streetlevel]

"Hm. Either my senses are off or the city boy in me never knew that donkeys purred," Matt joked in response. His other hand was quick to reach out and try to cradle the cat that was attempting to stand on his wrist. "Hey buddy, careful." The little ginger cat let out a mew of protest until Matt used his other hand to pet him - and sneakily keep him steady in his stance in so doing. "Something tells me that the one with the single braincell is the one on my wrist," Matt said wryly. The bold ginger kitten was slowly trying to walk across his arm like it was a balance beam. The calico however seemed content in Kate's arms, licking at Matt's fingers.

"What did I tell you, Kate? Single brain-cells just understand one another," Clint joked as he walked past them, giving Matt's shoulder a pat. "Enjoy your first foray into parenthood, pal. They don't sleep when you should and they're gonna want to follow you everywhere. Everywhere."

"Yeah, but they grow out of that, right? ... right?" Clint didn't answer him, he just moved away chuckling. Matt gave a little sigh, pulling the ginger cat down from his attempt to scale his shoulder and sit on his head. The cat let him hold him for now, but there was a feisty look that said nothing could keep him down for long. Even wonderful cuddles. "You're gonna help me get them settled into the apartment later, right?" he asked Kate hopefully.

[hawk_shot]

"It's a natural attraction thing," Kate joined Clint into the joke even as Laura playfuly chastised her husband. With a flick of her wrist, she smacked Clint's side with a kitchen towel as she demanded them both to 'be nice'.

There was something truly sweet about the thought of Matt delving into feline parenthood, as nervous as he seemed to be following Clint's joke. Was Matt feeling the same kind of butterflies in his stomach as Kate did at the thought? She was well aware that this would be nothing like rearinga human child, but...

Maybe. Just maybe, nurturing a little living and demanding thing like a pair of loving kittens would be something like tiny, kitten sized training wheels?

"Huh? Oh, yeah, obviously," Kate agreed without hesitation. She hadn't visited Matt yet at the apartment since he moved in, so it would be sweet to see him moving around, to check how he had settled in, too. And the kittens? It would be adorable. "Did you set up the pen?" They had bought one exactly like the one Kate had brought for Marshall after Matt brought the duck home.

Leaning against his arm, she reached over to pet the ginger boy. "This one's so full of energy, but the little girl is so chill and cuddly. Did you notice how soft she is?"

[streetlevel]

"Yeah, thanks again for helping me pick that out. I set it up and did a little bit of decorating for it. To make it comfortable and engaging for them." Honestly, the only personal touches Matt had given to the apartment were related to the cats, and having a stocked kitchen. He knew Kate had told him to make the place lived-in with his influences, but he was still shy and hesitant to do that. It felt like taking over a space that wasn't really his. He otherwise just had his toothbrush, soap, and shampoo in the bathroom, and his few sets of clothing in the bedroom. It was a nice space and he knew it reminded her of his dad, so it felt wrong to do anything else to it. For the sake of the cats though there were toys and a cat stand, beds and food bowls.

He'd even done his research and realized he could actually prepare meals for the kittens in the kitchen. That had delighted him to no end, though he also had some frozen raw meals for them too for nights when he wasn't able to let them feast on the meals he prepared.

He tickled under the calico's chin and smiled as he heard her yawn. She lazily kneaded a little paw against Kate's shirt. "She does seem like an absolute sweetheart. She must have taken after her Mama and Laura." He gave the woman who'd been his defender against Clint and Kate's teasing a grin. "It does feel more like hair than fur. What a little angel you are," he crooned at the kitten. The ginger cuddled near his shoulder, not to be outdone, batted at the side of Matt's face. "And you... are the handful my dad said I deserved someday."

Laura laughed at that. "When you're ready to put them down for a nap, Kate you can show him the rest of the farm before dinner. Introduce him to all the family."

[hawk_shot]

Matt could claim all he wanted that all he intended for these cats was to foster them, but after going to the pet store to shop together for everything these kittens might need? Kate could tell he was ready to pamper the too. Would he simply let them go to somebody else's household after that?

She knew Matt's beliefs, even his way of life, it was all about sacrifice. But the tenderness in which he spoke to those kittens? How he had clearly looked forward to this moment?

Kate had hope.

With a chuckle, she rested her chin on his bicep as she watched the pair, not even noticing the familiarity in which she acted around Matt. The Bartons were well aware that Kate was never shy about a hug, neither were they. But Laura turned to Clint, her raised eyebrow speaking for itself as they noticed how easily Kate practically cuddled Matt as they petted the kittens.

"Yeah, that's a good point. There's so much I need to show you," Kate agreed.

Nate, how had returned from introducing Frodo to the farm and was eager for a glass of juice, was quick to jump in. "Can I feed the cats? I wanna feed the cats!"

[streetlevel]

Noting Laura's eyebrow raise, Clint's own gaze narrowed a little as he observed Kate and Matt. No, it was just friendly. Right? Murdock wouldn't charm Kate like that. ... like he did practically every single woman he came across. Like he had done with Clint's last partner. Really, the man couldn't be at least a little original? Although Clint felt more protective of Kate than he did Nat in this instance, he couldn't help having some fatherly instincts towards the young woman. Sidling over to his wife, he kept it vague because he knew Matt could overhear them as he muttered, "Should I be worried?"

Matt meanwhile smiled and leaned against Kate, only moving when Nate raced over to them. "Sure buddy, you can help," Matt agreed. "You'll have to show Kate and I what they eat though, and Kate can lead us back to where they stay."

"I can do that!" Nate agreed, racing over to get the cat food. It wasn't the fancy organic raw diet that Matt was going to put them on, but it was a perfectly serviceable wet cat food. "C'mon, this way!" Nate took the cans and a spoon and led them to the office where the cats slept and ate. The little ginger once again tried to leap to follow the food, with Matt having to work quickly to keep him held. "Stop trying to jump to your death!"

Clint snorted, calling after their retreating backs the following old commercial quote, "You, all right? I learned it from watching you!" Anyone who understood that reference was likely his age, but he didn't care.

Matt just barely remembered there were children around, raising his hand and about to raise his middle finger towards Clint but instead quickly rubbing the back of his head instead.

[hawk_shot]

"What was that?" Kate asked, double-taking between looking at a smug Clint who retreated back to his wife's side and a Matt who was clearly good-naturedly biting his tongue. "I mean, I do get the general idea," she admitted, reaching over to scratch under the chin that little devil Matt carried in his arms.

"So, your dad cursed you with the knowledge that you'll have a little Murdock that will drive you nuts?" She asked before kissing the top of the head of the fuzzball she carried. At least, Matt was blessed with a chill one. "You think that's something every parent does? I mean, so did my mom."

Eleanor had made it very clear that one day, once she is well into adulthood and far from making a young and rash decision, if Kate chooses to give her grandchildren she will remember every crazy thing she's done as a child. Eleanor had teased her, saying she'll get to relax as a grandma, spoil her grandchildren while karma kicks Kate in the ass.

It was a bittersweet thought now. Not that she was in a rush to become a mother, she thought as she adjusted the little bundle in her arms.

Kate glanced at Matt and thought about everything he'd done, how their friends had helped protect Eleanor. Would her mom still be in her life if she ever formed a family of her own.

"What does every parent do?" Asked Nate as momma cat met them halfway towards the office were their empty bowls waited for each feline. The white cat with orange markings meowed loudly as she headbutted Nate on his legs, calm but affectionate, patient with the awareness that soon she would be fed.

"Uh, they love you very much and make sure you have a pony of your own," Kate was quick to point out.