New Year's Resolution

"How come Dom doesn't have to help?"

Nat rolls her eyes, stirring the pasta into the boiling pot. Dom on the other hand was quite contently sitting on the couch with her legs kicked up, watching some dumb reality tv show.

"That's a good question." She answers, looking down at Ty and Liho who were both eagerly waiting to be fed. Dinner wasn't usually given much thought and the trio rarely used the dining room, generally sticking to the couch, and when Nat was home, Ty was made to sit on the floor due to spilling habits.

"I'm helping though…"

Again Nat rolled her eyes, staring as the blond rubbed the sleeve of his pajamas against Liho's back, using the static to make her fur stick up in odd directions. "...Yeah."

Nat held back from any remark that would damage Ty's sensitive little heart. Her New Year's resolution was to cook more and be kinder to him. She knew, of course, that even though these resolutions wouldn't hold for even a week it was well worth a shot. Cooking wasn't so bad anyways-maybe it would be better without a little kid and reluctant mercenary, but still, not so bad.

Ty was a much better cooking partner than Dom was, he couldn't reach anything, or successfully use the stove, but he stood next to Nat, telling her how good whatever she was making smelled, and he was an exemplary taste tester.

Tyler furrowed his brow, standing on his tiptoes in an attempt to look, "Are the noodles wiggling yet, Nat?" She not-so-gently pushed his face away from the stove, nodding her head. "Yes, please try not to burn your face off. How do you think Dom got that spot on her face?"

"You think that's funny?" Finally, Dom made her way into the kitchen, only after the preparations were finished. "How do you think SHIELD became so corrupt?" She retorted as Nat drained the water from pasta, letting the noodles sit in a strainer with Ty standing by her side, awkwardly holding Liho against his chest. "Don't be mean before we eat! It'll make your belly hurt later."

Before Dom had that chance to brutally make fun of his logic, Nat pulled out three bowls from the cabinet, swiftly handing one to Dom and while telling her not to pursue this one.

"You forgot a bowl for Liho, Natter…"

"Cat's don't eat spaghetti, Ty." Dom groaned in annoyance, using the pasta server to put some of the noodles into her bowl. "28, where is the sauce?"

After Dom was done Nat used the server to fill up Ty's bowl, gesturing to the fridge, "In there."

Dom held back in mentioning that Nat didn't know she was supposed to heat up the sauce as well, deciding it wasn't worth the fight.

"I do not want any of that on mine-it looks like blood."

Nat rubbed her face, handing him the bowl of plain noodles. "It's not blood, Tyler. It's just-tomatoes."

Ty shook his head, using a hand to push pieces of his hair away from his face. "No thank you!" With that he took a seat at the table, gently lowering a piece of pasta down for Liho with each handful he shoved into his mouth. Dom, looking generally disgusted as she poured some sauce onto her pasta, made her way over to sit next to him, avoiding the pile of noodles on the floor that were left for the cat. "Are you trying to kill her?" The merc raised an eyebrow, twirling some of his pasta onto a fork, "Like this, alright? Don't be gross."

"I'm not the one eating blood on their noodles." Ty retorted, though continued to use her twirling method, finding it much more effective.

Nat, who was last in getting her food ready, sat down on the other side of Ty, trying to ignore the slow growing pile of pasta that was left for/abandoned by Liho on the floor.

"What're you making tomorrow?" tyler asked, using both of his hands in an attempt to twirl the noodles onto his fork.

"Ordering pizza. You obviously aren't equipped to handle this adult food yet." Dom answered for Nat, as they both watched him try and fail to properly get the pasta to wrap around his fork.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I tried to cook for you before you were ready." The assassin played along, a smirk making its way onto her lips.

Ty glared at both of them, giving up on his fork and slouching against his seat. "Hmph-I can handle it! The hand food is just easier…"

"Wow, you really have been deprived, haven't you?" While Dom stared at him in fake awe, Nat pulled out her phone to dial the pizza place down the street. Ty held his glare, crossing his arms over his chest as Dom stood up from her seat, heading over to her spot on the couch.

"This was fun, let's try it again next year."

Tyler-despite his frustration-quickly followed suit with Nat, who was still on the phone walking behind him, leaving Liho all three unfinished bowls of pasta on the dining room table.