| A Walk In The Park | |||||
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| What: Roy Harper is out seeing the sights with his daughter, Lian, when he runs into Hawkeye II. | |||||
It was a pleasant weekend day, and that usually meant Roy's days off were reserved for a very special girl.
Said girl was currently dashing about exploring various areas of Central Park, being taken with the wide range of activities available, from the various stalls to the exhibits, and seeking out areas where there were -training-. Tai Chi? Available. How to milk a cow? Ehh, very special weekend exhibition.
Behind her, Roy was considering how much he -missed- the baby leash that would keep his child from running off too far when he wasn't looking. Not that it was a good thing past a certain age, but oh... how tempting it was.
And yet, no matter what's going on in Central Park, there's still those out to ruin the fun.
Case in point, there's a woman walking along not too far from where Roy is now. Nothing fancy about her. She doesn't look 'evil'. On the other hand, who does look 'wrong' is the guy who runs right past her, and grabs her purse! And while this guy might end up running towards where ever the Harpers are, it's no sooner than the woman screams, "STOP HIM!" that well....
He stops.
Technically, the guy falls. Face first. With something sticking out of his calf. A purple arrow to be exact. And as he falls, he drops the purse.
Of course where that arrow came from is anyones guess at the moment.
Roy -hears- the shout, and more importantly, so does Lian. As she turns to watch her father, Roy is already moving to try and intercept the thief when the thief stops and falls.
As he flops about clutching his calf, Lian is quick to run past her father and and snatch the purse so that she can run to the woman with it, and Roy is shouting after her as he works on making sure the thief -stays- down by putting a knee in his back. "LIAN! GET BACK HERE!"
It's not till he notices the arrow that he grimaces. "... Hawkeye," he utters. Though which one is still in question.
And even as Lian returns the purse, Hawkeye lands on the ground, not too far from Roy, having apparently been up in a tree branch. Which Hawkeye is it though?
The female one.
And yet, even as she lands, her gaze is not on Roy. Or the criminal. Instead it's on Lian. She even, probably without realizing it, is even holding her bow a bit tighter than usual, while with her free hand she tosses some extra strength zip ties at Roy.
And no, she doesn't say anything. Not yet anyways.
Lian doesn't listen, not till she's offered up the purse back to the lady with an assuring smile. "Don't worry, the good guys always win," she beams.
Snatching the ties out of the air, Roy nods at Hawkeye, securing the thief for the moment. Once that's done, Roy gets up, making sure to not go too far in case the thief decides to try and get up. "Thanks," he says. There's a brief moment of a smirk as if he's about to say that he could have taken care of it himself, but a glance at Lian, and Roy swallows the word, going back to a full smile. "Thanks... Hawkeye."
Hawkeyes head turns slightly, making it look almost like she's giving Roy a quick glance, before she nods and shifts her gaze back to Lian.
"No problem..." is said, and it looks almost like she's going to say something else, but she catches herself, and instead lets out, "Mr. Haper. But you definitely want to keep the kid close. This park isn't safe, no matter what other people might say."
Now Lian is dashing back, and Roy motions for her to steer clear of the thief, which she does. "Excuse me, can you watch him?" the SHIELD agent calls out to the woman. As she nods, Roy takes Lian's hand and moves away, leaving the thief and the woman to be handled by the authorities.
"I know. Lian, you're supposed to stay close to me, don't you know that?" The admonishment is pretty weak, though, especially for Roy Harper's daughter, and Lian's curiousity about Hawkeye is more overpowering than her shyness, as she waves her hand. "You're another archer!" she squeals, quite pleased. "Like Daddy."
There's a faint smirk as Lian not only returns, but says that.
"Yeap. I'm an Archer. Call me Hawkeye. But I'm not the one who works with your Daddy." is all Hawkeye can say in response to that, before she kneels down so she's at eye level with the young girl. "Of course the other Hawkeye is pretty cool too."
"He is! He wears -purple-! Daddy won't wear purple, he says it looks awful on him," Lian confides, already happily moving closer to Kate and looking at the bow closer. "Daddy! I want to wear -purple-!"
Roy slaps his head. "But Daddy -likes- red," he replies.
"Don't care," is Lian's heartless reply. "Purple is better." Already she's flinging her arms around Hawkeye's neck. "Daddy's just a poopyhead."
"Hey, Lian! Language!"
"Sorry, daddy. But you are!"
For a couple of seconds Hawkeyes lip trembles at that as she surpresses a reaction. Or at least she tries to, before finally.... She bursts out laughing out loud for a couple of moments. Sure she tries not to look at Roy as she laughs, buuut...
But she can't help herself.
It's only after a little bit that she stops, and shakes her head, before glancing at Lian.
"Actually, your Daddy shouldn't wear purple, and I can give you a very good reason..."
"Yeah. Hawkeye only wishes -he- were as good as me," Roy mutters, glaring daggers at Hawkeye as she -laughs-, as Lian turns a withering stare on him. "Oh c'mon, you're MY OWN BLOOD, for crying out loud."
Lian turns to Hawkeye, as though Roy just didn't -exist-. "Why not?" she pouts. "He'd look better in purple."
There's a grin at Lian as the /female/ Hawkeye says, "Because then people would always be mixing up your Daddy with the other Hawkeye. The one he works with. And the last thing either of them needs is to be mixed up with each other. After all, would it be fair to your Daddy or the other Hawkeye if they got blamed for stuff they didn't do?"
Yeah, there's a whole line of subtext there, but Kate is /NOT/ going to say it to Roys kid. Or at least someone he claims is his kid. Especially a cute kid like Lian.
Lian considers this, before nodding quietly. "That would be bad. If Daddy's being bad, then the other Hawkeye would get blamed for it."
"Hey! Daddy's -not- being bad," Roy retorts. Lian, though, continues to be all accusatory. "That other SHIELD lady says he needs to be put in a corner sometimes."
"Okay, we're not talking about that," Roy says, as he does his best to grab and reclaim Lian. She ends up squealing and ducking behind the other Hawkeye.
Other SHIELD lady? Corner...?
Okay, so while Hawkeye doesn't laugh out loud at that, she does chuckle slightly.
"I don't doubt it." is said to Lian, even as she rushes behind her. And as if to possibly help the daughter of Harper, Kate slowly starts to stand back up.
"You know Mr. Harper... You do have a cute kid."
"Yeah, she takes after me," Roy grimaces. "Even if her looks are more like her mother."
Lian, meanwhile, shakes her head. "I do -not- take after Daddy," she declares. "I'm -Lian-." Her nose goes up in the air, and even Roy has to crack a grin.
"Well, I -did- try and raise her to make up her own mind, so this is what I get," Roy motions towards his daughter. "Fine, -you- can wear purple, if you like it better," Roy half-grins.
"Nuh uh. I'm wearing -pink-," Lian retorts. "It's prettier. Right, Hawkeye?" The cuteness compliment is taken as if it's only -right-, as if -she- were God's gift.
There's is no way that Kate is going to disagree with a little girl. At least not when she thinks back to her own childhood and how she would of reacted at that age.
"On you? Definitely!" is said with a smile. That is before her gaze flickers (behind her sunglasses) towards Roy.
"Speaking from experience, I know all too well how hard it is at times for kids to take after one parent over the other."
Now Roy arches an eyebrow. "Hey, if I took after -my- father, I'd be a forest ranger, telling people that only -they- can put out forest fires."
Lian giggles, then. "Daddy'd be Smokey."
"Yeah, kinda," Roy sighs, as he makes a quick move, and then picks up Lian before she can react. There's a quick SMOOCH, to which Lian giggles, mostly because her father -shaved-, for once. "Though man, I can't imagine what she'll be like as a teenager. She'll probably be breaking hearts."
"I would -not-, Daddy," Lian objects. "You keep saying that if anyone breaks my heart, you'll shoot them, so I wouldn't want to be shot either."
"Breaking hearts might be the least of your worries Mr. Harper. After all, if she take too much after you..." is said in a somewhat teasing manner as Hawkeye shakes her head, before she finally starts to /fold up/ her bow (and yes, this bow can fold up) so she can tuck it into a pocket on the side of her quiver.
"And I doubt your Dad would be smokey. All though odds are some of the ladies would call him 'smokin' if he were a park ranger."
"Daddy was trying to be a bear," Lian confides, as she puts a finger on her father's cheek and pokes at it. "But Daddy's boss told him to stop so he can wear a hat."
"Daddy is -not- wearing a fedora," Roy grumbles, before glancing towards Hawkeye. "Tell me about it. I keep trying to be a good role model."
Now Lian opens her hand, and pokes her father's cheek harder. "But not when I can't see you," Lian whines. "You're supposed to be good -all- the time. Besides, if Daddy's smoking, he's being -bad-."
"Uh, not that kind of smoking, princess..." Roy is about to correct, before he slaps his head. "Uh, yeah. Smokin's bad." A quick glance towards Hawkeye. Don't correct -that- impression.
"You wouldn't say I'm smokin', right? Smokin' bad."
Oh Lian... You're making Kate smile so much that she can't even remember the last time she smiled this much.
"I guess Mr. Harper. I guess."See. Kate won't correct that impression. not even as she reaches into her quiver for something else.
"I'd still say that you're a playah, just playing the game though. Right Lian?"
Now Roy eyes Hawkeye, uncertain whether she was -kidding- or not.
Lian, though, pokes her father. "Daddy! Were you playing games when you should be -working-?" she pouts.
"Uh, I -work-, Lian. I really do. She just means... uh... playing the game of Life."
"Oh." Lian's seen -that- game, can even spell it out, but can't understand any of it. "That's a stupid game, Daddy. Why would you want to spin and do what the cards say? I'd rather play Candyland." Never mind the irony in doing what the cards said -there- either...
"ANYWAY," Roy tries to change the subject. "So a little play won't hurt anybody. Just so long as they know it's only play."
Yeap. Hawkeye is chuckling again, even as her 'baby blues' peek up and over the tops of her 'sunglasses'. All though almost as quickly as her eyes appear, she pushes the 'glasses' back up.
"Just remember that Mr. Harper. Only play."
And with that said, the female archer kneels down again so that she's eye level with the young girl yet again.
"So anyways.... What brings you out into the park today Lian?"
"Uh huh," Roy grimaces as he puts Lian down. "Just call me -Roy-, darn it," he adds. "Besides, how would you even -know- when I'm being serious?"
Lian chimes in helpfully, "When you're not smiling, Daddy." And then she giggles, clutching her father's hand. "We're walking around the park. Sight-seeing," Lian answers Hawkeye, with a broad crooked half-grin, which -definitely- marks her as her father's daughter. "There's -lots- to see every time. Like the boats! And the castle! And the ducks! But eww, too many boys! They're so... messy!"
"In a few years... You'll probably be thinking differently. At least for a little bit. Then you'll be thinking they're all messy again."
FOr some reason as that's said Hawkeyes smile falters, and even becomes a bit forced.
"Still, it's good for you to see the sights. To learn about the city. Just stay close to your daddy while you do it. There are some really bad people out there."
"Ewwww," Lian makes a face. "They're so -gross-."
Roy glances at Hawkeye's faltered smile, and frowns just a bit. Hopefully before -she- saw him, Roy quickly shifts to change the subject. "Hey, what about Daddy?" the red-haired archer says, getting down to knee level.
"You're gross too, Daddy. You're just not as gross."
Roy hangs his head for a minute, before muttering, "Just -one- chromosome difference. JUST ONE CHROMOSOME, and I get a -girl-."
And while Hawkeyes smile doesn't return to how it was before, she still manages to let out one little fact that Roy probably knows already.
"And of course you can only blame yourself for that too. After all, that chromosome does come from the male..."
And yes, as that's said, Kate's gaze does drift back to Lian.
"... oh god, you're right. That's -my- feminine side Lian's got," Roy mutters in disbelief, as he eyes Lian.
Lian only blinks back up at her father. "But daddy, you -do- look good when you've got lipstick," she replies.
"... Lian, what did Daddy say about that?"
"... that you were sleeping, and I'm not supposed to bring it up to anyone ever... or you'll put them in timeout?"
Roy nods.
"I don't see why it's a bad thing to be a girl, Daddy," Lian pouts.
And for maybe the briefest of instants Kate's smile starts to return as she glances up at Roy.
"Lian, it's probably a very good thing that your Daddy isn't a girl." is said in all seriousness.
"And it sounds like he took that a /LOT/ better than my father did back in the day."
Lian nods. "Yes. Daddy would make an -awful- girl. He wouldn't -shave-, ever!"
"Okay, fine, -you-'re going into timeout," Roy grimaces at Hawkeye. "Unless you're too old for that."
"Aw, Daddy... she didn't know," Lian protests. So unfair!
"Do -you- want to sit in timeout?"
Lian struggles with that, but the inherent unfairness of it... well, what else was -she- going to do? "I will! It's my fault."
Sigh. Well, Roy -had- to give it to her, she at least knew the difference between right and wrong. "Okay, just -this- once, we'll let her go." A -look- at Hawkeye. "But you -never- breathe a word of this to anyone."
"I promise not to breath a word of this until such a point that you are engaged to be married. Then, and only if I am invited to the bachelorette party, and if I am drunk, will I blab it while drunk to your would be bride." is said as that smile of Hawkeyes finally returns.
"Is that good enough for you?"
Then, the female archer blinks at Lian. before she offers the young girl something. What is it? Chocolate. A small wrapped piece of very, very expensive fine chocolate from one of those tiny little boutiques where the cheapest chocolate is $20 an /ounce/.
"...And I think you deserve this. If only because you not only know it was wrong, but you admitted to it."
Roy smirks, almost -laughing-, before covering his mouth. "That'll do, Hawkeye, that'll do," he says with an affected grudging tone to his voice. Lian blinks owlishly, unsure what just happened, before she's presented with chocolate. CHOCOLATE.
"Ooo, can I, Daddy?" Lian says, already reaching for it and taking it.
"Let me look," Roy says, taking it and eyeing it, before returning it to Lian. "Sure. It's -very- good chocolate," he notes, regarding Hawkeye with a curious glance.
"I like her, Daddy," Lian squees, as she takes the candy, and unwraps it.
Boof. 20 dollars an ounce gone in less than 3 seconds. And then Lian is conscious enough to trot off so she can throw away the wrapper...
... and Roy is already quickly following. "Lian, wait...!"
There's just an enigmatic smile and a shrug in response to that glance. Yeap, Hawkeye is not gonna give away any info there. Nope.
All though as Roy rushes off after Lian, the female archer just shakes her head and watches for a moment, before she slowly starts to turn...
The wrapper is put away, before Roy snatches up Lian. "Hey! Princess, what have I told you about running around in the park without me?"
"But Daddy, I was only throwing away the trash," Lian protests.
"Still..." Roy glances back, only to find Hawkeye gone. "Oh well..."
"Aw, Daddy, she left already? I want to see her again. Do you think she likes Disney?"
"... I don't know. I'll ask her next time," Roy shrugs. "Come on. You've had enough excitement for one day."
"... Okay, Daddy. Can we play dress-up?"
"... only if it's -your- dolls."