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| What A Feeling!; 05/23 - Night - (Simon, Ali) | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 29 2014, 10:39 PM (1,270 Views) | |
| Dazzler | May 29 2014, 10:39 PM Post #1 |
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I'm the best at what I do, and what I do is roller skate
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[Cont'd from The Unbearable Lightness of Flailing] Right, so. Making an attempt at absorbing all this. Steve Rogers, Captain America, was alive and stored in Fort Knox like somebody's secret stash of Godiva chocolates. Huge ass bombshell for practically everybody ever, but especially for Jessica Drew and the guy next to her and Ali gave Simon's hand another squeeze just because. Good news, because that meant Cap wasn't dead and they could absolutely get him back. Not so good news because, yeah, the stashing and the lying and the making everybody think he was dead and using that to leaverage the whole country into a giant hellhole. Also massively screwing over his girlfriend (but not the one that all the news reports had said died, too, since it may've been a while since she was out in the world, but Ali was pretty sure that had been a different girl), who'd apparently been pregnant at the time. So now Captain America had an adorable little kid that looked just like what the former singer remembered Steve Rogers looking like that'd never met his dad. So, yeah, giant mess that'd screwed up a whole bunch of lives that needed making right as much as anybody could do that now. Which meant getting him the hell home and outta the clutches of evil and also setting the record straight in a big, spectacular, very very public tell all. Which was where they came in. While the others were busy planning Operation Steal Back Captain America, they were gonna figure out how to break the biggest story since the moon landing. It was enough to give a Hollywood girl at heart goosebumps. Or maybe that was just because she happened to be standing hip to hip with Simon, since that tended to have the same kinda effect. Even better, really, since it just seemed to keep right on going as considering blue eyes slid sidelong his way. Alright, absorbing done, or at least as much as she could manage without a little bit more soaking in time. But that could happen in the background while they got on with the rest. "So, tons to process," Ali started, turning so she was facing Simon and more or less in front of him, still hanging onto his hand with one've hers as she peered up to catch his eyes. Might as well, while they waited for the elevator to do it's thing and get them where they wanted to go. "Tons to do. This is gonna be huge," which was news to nobody, but felt like it kinda needed saying all the same as she reached up with her free hand to brush her fingers along his upper arm, "We're gonna make it huge, because it needs to be." It deserved to be. Kinda the crown jewel of all the stories that'd been told this week. Gonna be a lotta work, but she'd never been afraid of that. Maybe not exactly what she'd had in mind for the rest've night, but then again, maybe it was just an addition instead of a substitution. "How do you feel about a little expert level multi-tasking, Handsome?" she asked with that in mind - or him in mind, maybe, because he never really went outta her mind - brows lifting a little and smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, "Because I'm definitely good with giving that a try if you are." If she had to guess, they'd be an excellent team at that, too. |
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| Wonder Man | May 31 2014, 09:48 PM Post #2 |
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Red Shades, Original Recipe. No really.
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Steve. Steve. Steve Steve Steve Steve Steve. Oh man, he actually had a weird broken cassette tape stalled on just that one word in his head now, like actually completing a coherent thought about it would push it all too close to spilling the roll all over all the spools. And he was making confused 80s audio references, which was definitely a bad sign, as any of his team would have been all too happy to point out if they were here, but though that thought came with a sudden urge to call them all, no matter what they were up to right now, Simon clamped down tightly on that urge, focusing instead on the feeling of Ali’s hand in his, and Ali’s side pressed against his. Good things, both of them. Excellent things. Definitely exactly what he needed right now to keep the top of his head from trying to crack open and spill out a torrent of incoherent thoughts that hadn’t yet managed to resolve into anything more coherent than ‘Steve’ and ‘make this all okay for Steve’s son, and for Sharon’. And some other things too, but he had those carefully locked up for now, and maybe for as much of the future as he could legitimately keep from having to think about them. He was planning on that being a while, and with Ali still with his hand in hers, as the SHIELD elevator did its not quite silent move through floors, Simon liked his odds for that. Especially when she turned in, which was all too easy to follow suit with, so they were face to face and he could just tilt his head down and look at two amazingly gorgeous blue eyes tilted up at him through fantastic eyelashes. His free hand moved of its own accord, resting lightly at her other hip, with fingers touching just enough to stroke up and down in tiny little motions. “So, tons to process," Ali started, "Tons to do. This is gonna be huge.” He nodded, moving his fingers a little more in answer to the light brush of hers against his bicep. Huge. Yes. The story of the century, or it could be, if they broke it right. “We’re gonna make it huge, because it needs to be.” With a smile that he had a feeling might have been only saved from being at least a little forced by the fact it was Alison Blaire that he was smiling at, Simon nodded again, feeling words harder to come by than they usually ever were for him. “It needs to be perfect,” he declared, though with the woman in front of him, and everything they’d managed even since last night, that didn’t seem out of the question. It did though. It needed to be done, and it needed to be done right, working around the twin major glaring potential pitfalls you could see already, just even beginning to think about it. Managing the message to avoid it setting off general blowback on whatever was left of the superhuman community for embroiling the country in so much of this on what could definitely be seen as a personal spat, and making sure that Steve - and by extension, his family: his son, and Sharon - didn’t get turned into symbols for public use all over again and chewed up in that process. Big asks, definitely. But they could do it, couldn’t they? Meeting Ali’s eyes was definitely enough an answer for that. That, and a little more. Man. Those plans for the rest of the evening were kind of more than a little derailed, weren’t they? Or maybe not exactly, with that particular light that had snuck back into her eyes while he was lookng at them. “How do you feel about a little expert level multi-tasking, Handsome?" she asked brows lifting a little and smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, "Because I'm definitely good with giving that a try if you are.” “I am fantastic with giving that a try,” Simon assured her with all seriousness, at least until his own actual words (along with potential awkwardness of grammar) caught up with him and he had to crease his brow into something that at least superficially resembled a frown. “That still made sense, right?” Really though. If it was them, it would end up fantastic. He could practically guarantee that already, and that was enough to bulldoze charmingly through any flailing with awkwardly phrased points, right? The elevator came to a halt just after, and the doors slid open (again, almost silently), to reveal the hallway belonging to the floor with the executive suites, and… …Puck and Anaconda? “…Hey,” said Simon, not actually missing a beat. Maybe a half-beat, though, he could admit to that much as he looked (while trying not to, which lack of pupils really did come in handy for) between the very, very obviously size-mismatched pair, who didn’t seem to be letting that fact slow them down at all. Then he glanced at Ali, “This is our floor, right?” Though he did know that already, so that was more by way of having an excuse to look at her, and then another excuse to quickly slip them both out through the open doors and into the hallway, free arm trailing back to the elevator to invite the Canadian and his… lady-friend? Scaly, giant-sized lady friend?… to take all the space they might want in it. “Enjoy your evening, guys?” Thankfully, Anaconda had it covered (it being Puck’s mouth), so no one had to hear whatever he might have done with that set-up. Then the elevator doors were closed again, and all that was left for Simon to do was to look back to Ali, lifting the corners of his mouth into an amused smile. “I’m not sure that could get more adorable if it tried,” he declared. And that wasn’t even mockery. Really. Really it wasn’t. |
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| Dazzler | Jun 1 2014, 05:10 PM Post #3 |
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I'm the best at what I do, and what I do is roller skate
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Something like this, it only could be huge. It had to be, and they'd make it that way. Mold and shape it the way it needed for someone that was a living icon in a way most've the rest've them - no matter how amazing and awesome - wouldn't ever quite match. Untarnished. That's what Steve Rogers had been and that's how they needed to keep him. Not just Captain America, the symbol, but him. Because it wasn't just an icon they were talking about, it was a flesh and blood guy. A real person with a real little five year old boy he hadn't got to see born, or hold, or help raise. A guy that the mother of that little boy wanted brought back home. Not because he was an Icon, not because he was Captain America, but because he was somebody she loved. Sharon Carter might not be somebody Ali knew, but she didn't have to to know that. Or see it. It had been there for the seeing, if you paid attention. A guy with friends, too. Friends like Simon that wanted him back just as much and were all gonna be trying to process this for a while. Not hard to figure that one out, either, between watching his face and knowing her own head was still trying to wrap itself around it all and she'd barely even known the guy. There was one've those almost too amazing to be real smiles, though, when he kinda turned to meet her, hand going to her hip as hers settled on his upper arm, making little light back and forth strokes and circles. Whatever they wanted to do, but keeping that contact. He was in touching range, what else was she gonna do? “It needs to be perfect,” he declared, being completely and totally right about that. Epic and amazing and perfect. Spun just exactly right so that it wouldn't get sucked in the giant PR black hole of 'these powered people keep making a damned mess and letting it swallow all the rest've us because they can't get along'. And so that it didn't turn the lives of Steve and Sharon and especially their little boy into a public relations circus the likes of which would make the National Enquirer die of envy. If that thing was still even around these days. Didn't matter, though. Definitely not the point. Actually, remembering the point wasn't as easy as it should've been when she was looking up into Simon's eyes like that, but she managed to pull it back in front of all the other points that tried to crowd in all the same. "It will be. Not accepting anything less on this one," the former singer assured him. If that kinda meant the other plans - those kinda unspoken but still there ones - got a little minorly back burnered for tonight, well, they'd deal. Or intersperse, or you know, figure it out one way or another. Or, if Simon was up for it (maybe slight pun intended, but at least she hadn't said it outloud, right?), maybe just a little expert level multi-tasking. As always, she was totally game and she could only think he'd be entirely excellent and amazing at that, just like he seemed to be with everything else. “I am fantastic with giving that a try,” Simon assured her with all seriousness, but then kinda went into slightly creased brow mode. "That still made sense, right?” "Every syllable," Ali had no problem confirming, deciding she'd just step in one more half step. Couldn't even start to imagine anything with him at this point that wouldn't be fantastic, and she happened to have a really, really awesome imagination. And she definitely knew how to use it. Still kinda didn't prepare her for the Life Is Stranger Than Fiction And Here's Your Proof tableau that was waiting for them when the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. Puck. Ali was pretty sure that was Puck, still attached to the really tall, blonde...woman? Okay, yeah, they were going with woman, given the proof via toplessness. Jeez, that was kinda hella cute, once you got past the whole 'What??' reaction that trampolined right into your brain on first look. “…Hey,” said Simon, not actually missing a beat which was pretty impressive when there was a giant snake girl kissing a magical midget a couple of feet away, “This is our floor, right?” Puck was kinda waving at them with one hand, or maybe trying to get them to go away. Either way, Ali just grinned. Back in LA, there'd been people who'd have paid a total mint just to play spectator for this. "This is us," she confirmed, looking right back his way with that grin still in place. Love (or lust, or both, or you know, whatever was happening there in that general category), you totally couldn't predict it at all. That was their cue to make their elevator exit, though, and she was right there, slipping by them and through into the hall with her own very favorite tall, dark and handsome guy. "Enjoy your evening, guys?” Not even a break to breathe from the other two, though Puck kinda flapped his hand around in their general direction again. Ali decided it was close enough to a wave that she waved right back cheerfully. Yeah, she didn't think enjoying the evening was gonna be any problem there at all. They already had a rocking head start. Another one've those smiles that made her heart skip all kinds of beats turned her way. “I’m not sure that could get more adorable if it tried,” he declared and yeah, they could go with that. They might have to modify the official definition of 'adorable' just a little, but sure. Why not? "Not to mention a totally excellent practical use of gills," Ali felt the need to mention, amusement in blue eyes matching the smile on her face, since that was also pretty damned impressive, really. "They seemed to absolutely be making with the enjoyment, though." Gills or stretchy arms or magically height challenged or whatever, nothing at all wrong with that. Especially tonight. To say she was a little tempted to do the same, right now, would've been a major understatement of massive proportions. But she could wait until they got the ten or so feet down the hall to the door to her quarters (the Captain's quarters, because she'd totally claimed that as spoils of war and helicarrier stealing). Really, she could. Probably. Okay, so she didn't exactly have a lot of patience, this was a surprise to no one, but she'd give it a try, especially under the circumstances, and since it was just a few steps down there to the door. Which took all of about two seconds to open, but there was still willpower involved. Tons of it. "As soon as we've got things under control," the pink haired woman announced as the door slid open and she ushered Simon inside, "there is going to be major renovating happening in here. The forces of evil seriously need the name of a new decorator, because they've failed all over the place here." Better than the camp, or the strip club basement? Totally, even if strip club secret hideout still might be one've her favorite things ever. SHIELD military drab and blah? Yeah, not so much. But it had amenities that made up for it at least a little. |
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| Wonder Man | Jun 4 2014, 12:21 AM Post #4 |
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Red Shades, Original Recipe. No really.
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“Every syllable,” Ali said, stepping in, and Simon knew for a certainty it was absolutely the perfect answer, even though he was having just a little trouble already trying to remember what it was that he’d asked only a couple of seconds before. She was a perfect answer. For pretty much everything. He’d be willing to swear to that. He’d be willing… …except that was a thought that unfortunately needed to be put on hold the very next second, when the elevator doors opened on what he’d thought was going to be their floor, and still thought it might be. Just, you know, probably behind the amazingly novel and slightly mind-bending tableau that was Anaconda kissing Puck. Right? Okay, they weren’t really coming up for air, let alone to return the not-quite belated greeting he’d offered, were they? Though there was some kind of hand flapping going on from the Canadian dwarf, which Simon was going to choose to take as a wave, in spite of his better judgement. This was their floor, right? “This is us," [Ali] confirmed, with a smile that would have made it worth it all over again, if there’d actually been anything to dim that conviction since the last time she’d smiled at him. Because Anaconda and Puck weren’t nearly enough to do it. In fact, as they vacated the elevator to let that well-matched pair (in the sense that on average, they were totally a normally proportioned pair of people) take it to wherever they were planning to go, and Puck gave another possible wave-substitute in answer to his well wishes, Simon had to reflect that actually? They really could not get more adorable if they tried. That was only partly because he never wanted to see either one trying to be adorable. Really. “Not to mention a totally excellent practical use of gills," Ali felt the need to mention, amusement in blue eyes matching the smile on her face, and making Simon’s own eyes light up (kind of literally) in turn. “Good point!” he declared happily, very seriously considering whether this was the time to show just what he himself could do with breathing-optional status, before the fact that the door to the Commander’s quarters was barely more than three yards away kind of rose a little to the forefront here, and did its best to battle Ali’s smile for control of his impulses. “They seemed to absolutely be making with the enjoyment, though.” Not even the slightest bit difficult to agree with that. “They really did…” Simon replied, though the thought kind of petered out a little there by the end, when far better things he could be doing that discussing other people’s enjoyment of each other pushed their way to the fore. Things like planning, and figuring out what they were going to do to make this work for Steve, of course. But there was always… oh, multi-tasking! That was what they’d been talking about, he totally remembered that now. And that incredibly excellent idea brought him all the way to the door, which Ali opened, then stepped inside. “As soon as we've got things under control,” she was announcing as Simon paused at the doorway, taking a moment (possibly a strategic moment, but he wasn’t about to admit that) to lean his weight on one arm at shoulder height against the doorframe, taking a moment to survey the interior, and the woman who’d - absolutely rightly, he thought - claimed these quarters for herself with another of the easy smiles that were coming back to permanent rotation in his expression all over again, just watching her, “there is going to be major renovating happening in here. The forces of evil seriously need the name of a new decorator, because they've failed all over the place here.” “It does need more color,” Simon agreed. Right, why was he still here at the doorframe? Stepping inside, so that the door could slide back closed behind him, he caught up to Ali again in the space of a couple of quick steps, and slipped his hands around her waist. Just because he could, and just because he wanted to. “Though I’d say the key attraction is already perfect.” Which really felt like an understatement, but rather than figuring out how to improve that, Simon decided to go with Option B: dip his head down to kiss her soundly. Though in deference to the fact that they were here to plan, as well as to mulit-task, it was also far more briefly than he would otherwise ever have considered. But Steve was alive, and now that he had the rest of the things that had come with that safely stowed away in the mental overhead compartments he kept for things that wouldn’t do any good to think about, it definitely seemed like a piece of news that deserved proper celebration. And planning, of course. This did still have to be perfect, and just like Ali had said, they weren’t going to accept anything else. So he pulled back, smiling a little breathlessly in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with a need for oxygen, and forced his mind back to the important matters at hand. “Am I right in thinking that this suite used to have a hot tub?” he asked, figuring that was close enough. They really were very conducive to mental flow and flexibility after all, he was totally willing to attest that he’d read that somewhere. |
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| Dazzler | Jun 5 2014, 12:21 AM Post #5 |
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I'm the best at what I do, and what I do is roller skate
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Seriously, at least a nine point five for efficient use of gills. Maybe even a nine point seven. Too bad Shinobi wasn't around to see this, he'd love it. Also, crap, note to self: Actually talk to Shinboi soon. Just to let him know she hadn't been kidnapped and brainwashed or something by the forces of good in the last day or so. And, well, about other things, which he'd probably kinda figured out by now, because he was good that way. But five years, a lot of keeping each other sane and getting by, day after day, pile of crap after pile of crap, there needed to be some face to face time. Later for that, though, and the reasons were something Shinobi would totally understand. Didn't even have to wonder about that. Especially after one look at Simon. “Good point!” he declared happily and god she did love that smile and the way his eyes were kinda glowing a little more than they had been before. Puck and Anaconda (yeah, still didn't know why all the snake themed people, but it worked for them so it was all good) were definitely making with the enjoyment there as they disappeared into the elevator and Ali didn't have any trouble at all coming up with plenty of enjoyable ideas of her own right then and there. But then, she'd been doing that since she'd walked into that lounge yesterday. She could stretch the patience a little more. Really. Maybe. “They really did…” Simon replied sorta tapering off and she could just go ahead and kiss him now. The hallway wouldn't mind. She definitely wouldn't mind. Right, though, multi-tasking. They were supposed to be doing that, because there was Captain America to rescue and figure out PR for and she could totally control herself for ten feet or so until they got to the door down the hall. Yeah, okay, still with the maybe on that, but Ali did manage, opening the door to the Captain's quarters which she'd laid claim to and which was getting a complete makeover once they weren't fighting for their lives quite so much. Because evil SHIELD had equally evil decorators. Decorators of drab and boring and... Anything that would've followed that completely evaporated right outta her head as the most gorgeous guy she'd swear she ever laid eyes on was framed right there in her doorway. Smiling in a way that made her knees go completely weak, like she was suddenly back in high school all over again. Maybe because he was just watching her while he was doing all that and while she was bemoaning the godawful SHIELD Drab style decor fail. A day and a half, and in deep enough to drown. That was her. “It does need more color,” Simon agreed and there he was, a couple of steps later, right in front of her. Ali's arms slipped up and twined around his neck, easy as that, as his hands went around her waist. “Though I’d say the key attraction is already perfect.” "Flattery will still get you everywhere," she told him, just before he kissed her and if there were supposed to be any other words after that, Ali forgot what they were. Didn't care as she kissed him right back. Felt something warm and electric spiral through her from what felt like the tips of her hair to the bottom of her feet. Perfect. Exactly perfect, except that it ended way too soon. She'd have probably felt that way if it'd gone on for hours, though, so soon was kinda relative here. Things to do, the former singer reminded herself, even if she wasn't really moving very far away as she did that. Things to do, while they interspersed them with other things. Important things, even if kissing Simon was something her brain, along with all the rest of her, pointed out was a very important thing, too. A very important thing that had her glowing again, literally because that's how it worked with her, and right now she wasn't sure she could've held it in if she'd tried. In a minute, she'd pull it back in, but it felt kinda appropriate. Plus, she wasn't sure that kiss wouldn't have made her glow whether she had the powers for it or not. Fingertips sliding lightly and idly up and down the back of his neck, she smiled up at him, because that kinda had to happen, too. The smile on his face that really did make her just want to kiss him again deserved some company. “Am I right in thinking that this suite used to have a hot tub?” he asked, proving yet again that he really was perfect. "You absolutely are and it still does," Ali confirmed, "It's the one redeeming feature in all the Holiday Inn meets Military Drab." Seriously, what were they thinking? Would a little color have killed somebody? Maybe a throw pillow? A rug? Something? "I hear that sorta thing's great for brainstorming. Feel like helping me give it a test run?" Or, you know, she may have just completely made that part up, but it was relaxing, so that had to be good for things like thinking and also other multi-tasking related things. Unclasping her arms from around his neck - reluctantly, but what could you do? sometimes you had to move - Ali slipped her hand in his and turned toward the master bath. Then paused as she remembered another thing she'd belatedly noticed in like the ten point two whole minutes she'd been in here and not dead asleep. "Oh, hey, there's wine, too, over in the mini-fridge. A lot of wine, actually. I think Captain Whoever had a little bit of a problem, but you know. More spoils of war for us. We can grab some if you want." It wasn't exactly vintage, but for an evil SHIELD helicarrier Captain who lived in Drab World, it wasn't nearly as bad as you'd expect. |
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| Wonder Man | Jun 10 2014, 07:28 PM Post #6 |
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Red Shades, Original Recipe. No really.
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“Flattery will still get you everywhere,” she said, and Simon was certainly convinced that was true, because right now he happened to be exactly where he wanted to be. Telling her as much wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable as showing her, though, so he did just that, leaning down to kiss her without so much as another word. That was perfect too, from the way her lips came up to meet his, the slender arms around his neck, and really, really, absolutely everything else about this woman too. No real way to single out one or two things about her, because all of them were perfect. Though sadly it was a kiss that did need to end before his brain melted away entirely (it was definitely in danger of doing that, Simon had to think). Rather than get habituated, it seemed like every time he kissed Alison Blaire, the warm floating champagne feeling that came along with it only got more pervasive. And more perfect. Had he mentioned the perfect part? At least if he wasn’t kissing her anymore, he could still smile at her, though once he’d opened his eyes again, that particular verb didn’t really seem to be able to do justice to the expression he knew was on his face. Because not only was she smiling up at him too, but she was glowing. God, she was glowing. She’d been doing it before, at the Camp and in the strip club, but this was really something else again. He was standing here with his arms around a girl who could literally light up a room (forget metaphorically for the moment, though he’d seen her do that too), and every part of her skin seemed to be letting off a soft-focus, warm-hued glow, and Simon Williams really, really. really didn’t think he’d ever seen anything more gorgeous in his life. Kissing every inch of glowing skin that he could find seemed like the appropriate place to start, didn’t it? Except that also was pretty obviously going to belong in the category of excessive brain-melting if he gave into the urge immediately, so with an effort of will, Simon put it onto his mental To-Do list. Underlined multiple times and with extra exclamation marks, of course, because he was not going to fail to get back to that one exactly as soon as the time was right. Back to the top of it again though, and given that the kiss could easily be considered a very nice way of crossing off one of the higher priority items (celebrate the news about Steve), they were probably needing to move on to Part B (plan what the hell to do with the news about Steve). Still, there wasn’t anything to say that they couldn’t do that part their own way too, he didn’t think, and with that justification in mind, Simon proceeded right along to trying to confirm a stray memory of a rumor about the Helicarrier’s Captain’s Quarters. Was he right in thinking it had had a hot tub? “You absolutely are and it still does," Ali confirmed, "It's the one redeeming feature in all the Holiday Inn meets Military Drab.” Simon just smiled, complete with another helping of extra dimples. At the point, he might well have done that even if the answer had been in the negative, because it just seemed to come back out to the fore any time he looked at her, but continued hot tub presence definitely seemed to deserve all the smiling. Especially retention of a hot tub, added to that speculative light that had stolen into the fantastic baby blues that were looking at him. “I hear that sorta thing's great for brainstorming. Feel like helping me give it a test run?” “You know I do,” Simon told her sincerely, and without the slightest piece of hesitation. She’d have had to been something like several hundred times less perceptive than he already knew her to be to have missed that along the way. But just for good measure, in case there was any doubt, another little extra notch of smile, and a light brush of his thumbs over the back of her hips ought to dispel any doubts that might have been lingering, right? Or mostly those were just things he wanted to do. He would need to let her go if they were going to get to the bathroom without falling into some kind of impromptu Astaire and Rogers impression, though (not an unpleasant idea at all, but they could make time for that later), so he did that as she slipped her arms back down from his neck. Not complaining when she claimed his hand in hers though. Not at all - though the slight halt on forward movement that happened next did put the start of a quizzical look poking through the perma-smile. What were they waiting for? Something, clearly, he could see that, and Simon didn’t have any trouble at all assuming it was something good. Sure enough, her attention seemed to have fallen on the mini-kitchenette combo that was apparently one more perk of these particular quarters. “Oh, hey, there's wine, too, over in the mini-fridge. A lot of wine, actually. I think Captain Whoever had a little bit of a problem, but you know. More spoils of war for us. We can grab some if you want.” Simon shrugged, grinning again. “Sure, why not?” Though as he opened the door of said compact quarters-sized appliance a few seconds later, and got a look at the array of bottles there, the former Avenger did feel obliged to let out a low, impressed whistle sort of thing. “You’re not kidding.” That was a Tony-sized little bit of a problem, but given that right now he really didn’t want to have to think about Tony any more than he was going to have to, Simon didn’t let himself refine on that idea too much, selecting one not-too-horrible looking bottle at semi-random from the trove, waiting for Ali to find a couple of glasses (or at least glass-substitutes), then making a leisurely way toward the bathroom. Once there, he set the bottle down on the flat space of bench beside the sink, then crossed to the tub. He turned the taps to get the water flowing - a little relief there, to see that go off without a hitch. Whatever it was Jess and Psycho’s leaders had been doing in, or to, some of the bathrooms, it didn’t seem to have spread to all of them - put one hand under the flow to gauge the temperature before flicking the switch to plug the drain. Then he kind of ran out of things to do, and before he quite knew where his brain had gone, Simon found that he’d sat down on the edge of the bath. More than that, he could feel the beginning of a frown trying to crease his forehead, and he was pretty certain he hadn’t intentionally put it there. “He’s still alive,” he said aloud, and that, too, had come out of his mouth before he’d really known it was what was in his head. Steve was still alive, and though he thought he’d felt just how big that was back in the room with the comms, Simon was starting to think he’d just gotten hit with a new dose of the size of it. “Everything since he died…” he mused, glancing toward Ali with a slightly thoughtful cast. Odd thing to start talking about with no preamble, maybe, but he was kinda feeling like the only way he was going to be able to make sense of where he was going in his head was going to be to just dump it all out in a heap and then see what he had. “You start to realize now just how much of it felt like just muddling on, without much direction beyond trying to figure out how on earth to live up to his memory.” And maybe they’d all been doing that. All of the Avengers, at least - maybe no matter what side (or sides) they’d been on, that was what they’d all been trying to do. Just trying to keep the world pointed some way that might get it to where Steve would have hoped for it to be. “And it wasn’t so much Captain America, you know?” Simon added after another moment, and another frown. “It was Steve Rogers. It wasn’t a shield with a star on it, or wings on a cap, or any of the symbolism that was the part that mattered. It was just the absence of Steve.” Maybe that didn’t, or possibly even couldn’t, make sense now he’d said it aloud, and Simon pretty much had to drop his eyes back to inspect his hands aimlessly once he’d finished. Lord knew from the perspective of people coming at it from a different place, they must have pretty much all looked like they’d completely lost their minds for a while there, especially with hindsight to show them all just how awfully the road that Tony and Carol and Hank had steered them onto had ended up. But… …well, yeah. Muddling on, without Steve. God, they’d all made a mess of it. |
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| Dazzler | Jun 11 2014, 07:39 PM Post #7 |
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I'm the best at what I do, and what I do is roller skate
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Jacuzzi brainstorming and multi-tasking, they could absolutely do that. It'd be relaxing and conducive to, well, pretty much whatever they wanted to do, really. It was the beauty of hot tubs. If the guy she couldn't seem to stop looking at, or touching, was up for helping her give that particular room amenity a test run, anyway, and Ali was pretty sure he was. call it a hunch, call it the way Simon was smiling at her. Or the way he kissed her or...a million little things she could name, if her slightly fuzzy brain would be willing to pull up the list right now. “You know I do,” Simon told her sincerely, finishing off any tiny little doubts she might've had wandering around in her head. It wasn't exactly easy to have any've those, though, when he was smiling at her like that, the way his fingers were stroking lightly there at her hips making moving in closer and starting the kissing, and whatever else they came up with, all over again sound like an absolutely amazing idea. Right, Ali managed to remind herself, forcibly putting away various ideas on the fastest way to get him out of that stealth suit back in the mental box for later. Hot tub. They wouldn't get there, or get anything multi-tasked or discussed, if they didn't actually move. That she managed, hand slipping back into his since letting him go entirely didn't seem to be something she could manage. Almost actually got mostly moving toward the bathroom before she hit another minor snag. Not a bad one, though, unless you counted maybe a little bit questionable taste in label and vintage when it came to wine choices - a seriously major amount of wine - as bad. Which it really wasn't. Not like it was complete crap, either, and they could take some along with them if he wanted. Captain Whoever's apparent twelve step program type problem was their gain. Broad shoulders lifted in a shrug, complete with another of those grins that she'd never ever get tired of seeing came from Simon. “Sure, why not?” He headed to get the wine and Ali went to the cabinets to grab whatever around here passed for glasses. Hopefully not those red plastic cup things. Great for frat parties, but you'd kinda hope a helicarrier captain had a little made it past that. Then again, the guy had enough wine to throw a frat party. So who knew? “You’re not kidding.” Taking time out from rummaging through what looked like collection of Looney Tunes character mugs, Ali glanced back his way as he got a first hand look at just how much wine was in that compact fridge. And how little there was of anything not wine. "For the sake of his liver, I'm hoping SHIELD has a really good health plan for detox." Okay, back to the glasses. Not a lotta choice, here. Pretty much either beer mugs or cartoon characters. Shrugging her shoulders, Ali grabbed Bugs and Lola Bunny, since they were in front, shut the cabinet door and called it good enough. She'd totally had drinks served in weirder things than that, so not like it was a big deal. Nothing wrong with a little fun and whimsey. Simon already had the wine picked out and was headed into the bathroom and the pink haired woman took a few second's pause to enjoy the view from that angle. Utterly amazing there, too. Utterly amazing in every single way she'd seen so far. Spurring herself back into motion, Ali followed behind him, maybe a little belatedly, since he was already over getting the water going. Totally worth a little delayed arrival as far as she was concerned and, while he did that, she deposited Bugs and Lola over on the long sink counter next to the bench the wine was on. While he handled the tub, she could get the wine open and breathing at least. Breathing definitely wouldn't hurt and the former singer stripped off the foil to reveal an actual cork instead of of a screw on cap. Definitely a point in it's favor. Now, where the hell was a corkscrew when a girl needed one? Probably back in the kitchen, where corkscrews tended to live. Heading back in there seemed definitely overrated, though, with the water going and...Simon being a lot quieter than normal, Ali realized. “He’s still alive,” he said, right on cue, as she was already turning that way. Oh man, delayed reaction. Or she was making an experience related, educated guess that's what it was. Never fun, and this was a kinda huge thing to absorb. Something like that, did it ever get to happen all at once so you could just get it over with? “Everything since he died…” he mused, looking her way as she set the wine bottle down and promptly forgot about it in favor of more important things. Namely, the man sitting over there with that thoughtful look on his face, no smile to be seen. Yeah, bits and pieces, that seemed to be how it always happened, especially with the big stuff, and she was already moving across the wide bathroom by the time Simon spoke up again. “You start to realize now just how much of it felt like just muddling on, without much direction beyond trying to figure out how on earth to live up to his memory.” Feelings she could definitely relate to, even if the circumstances were more than a little different. That realizing you'd just been getting by, not sure you had a damned clue what you were doing. Sometimes not even sure why you were doing it. Half the time not knowing if you were making it better or worse or...something in between. The smile that'd been on her own face a second before faded away to something more serious. Understood those feelings enough that something twisted a little in her chest on his behalf and she just wanted to hug the hell outta him again. For as long as he wanted or needed her to, if it'd help at all. Or listen, if he wanted to talk. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't such a bad listener when it came to the important stuff. “And it wasn’t so much Captain America, you know?” Simon added after another moment, and another frown. “It was Steve Rogers. It wasn’t a shield with a star on it, or wings on a cap, or any of the symbolism that was the part that mattered. It was just the absence of Steve.” His eyes kinda dropped down to his hands, all that confidence she'd got used to him practically oozing the last couple of days dimmed way down, if not kinda absent all together. Sliding in next to him on the wide edge of the tub, turning so she was sorta facing him a little, Ali did the one thing she knew always made her feel at least a little better. Hopefully, it'd work that way for him, too. Slipping her arms around neck, she gave him a gentle squeeze, letting her head rest lightly against his. "I know. Losing people, having the whole world feel like it turned upside down, that's probably the hardest thing ever," Ali started after a few seconds. If there was anything worse than that, she didn't wanna know about it. Even the Camp...that'd maybe come close, but still no cigar. "Hey, looking back and seeing all the stuff that should've been different, that's pretty easy," she added, voice soft and thoughtful. He was a smart guy, it was all stuff he already knew, but yeah. Not a time when remembering that kinda thing was so easy to do. "Figuring all that out when you're in the middle of it, trying to pick up the pieces? Not so easy, especially when it feels like there's a gaping hole in the middle of everything." Been there, done that, failed utterly spectacularly in her own right. "I think Steve'll get that and we'll all totally do better from now on, right?" If anybody'd understand how that worked, Ali thought Steve Rogers probably would. Could most've them have done better before now? Hell yes, including her. Including the X-Men. Everybody. All of them. But shit happened and they were all still people and making the best choices? Not always easier for most've them than any other people. |
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| Wonder Man | Jun 12 2014, 11:55 PM Post #8 |
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Red Shades, Original Recipe. No really.
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Well hello reaction, sneaking right up on a person. One second, he’d been sorting out the hottub, making sure it was going like it should be. But almost the next thing Simon knew, he was sitting awkwardly on the edge of that same tub, and words were coming out his mouth as he tried to watch Ali’s inspection of the (hopefully slightly less bad than the other bottles) wine he’d picked, and he just about had to listen to them to realize that he was talking about Steve. He was still alive, and everything since he’d died? Jesus, start back from that point and it was hard not to feel quite a lot of things crushing in on you. So much so, in fact, that Simon was only halfway aware of Ali heading his way from the sink bench thing, because the words that were flowing now seemed to be about as easy to stop as that tap at their last base that had just never, ever, ever quite stopped dripping, no matter what anyone did about it (maybe because no one really had done anything, but still). What had they really been doing, ever since that morning after the night of Inferno, when they’d realized what had happened - no, what they’d thought had happened - to Steve? Muddling on. Trying to do their best. Making such a giant mess of all of it. You only had to look at what the country was now to know they’d all screwed up, because otherwise it wouldn’t have been like this. He hadn’t even really thought about that in a while. But Steve was alive, and they were going to get him back tomorrow (Simon didn’t doubt that the people planning would be able to figure out a way to do just that), and now that that had snuck into his head in a way that felt more like reality, it felt… it felt like… …like big brother coming home, and being about to see the mess you’d made of all his things. Not his own big brother, obviously, Simon had to add, even in his head. Not Eric. But what you imagined a big brother ought to be, and what he’d think. That was pretty much Steve. And living up to that - living up to what you kind of knew would have disappointed him, even if he was Steve, and he’d be understanding about all of it… …well, it wasn’t even about Captain America. Or any kind of symbol. It was about Steve, and what it had been like, without him, and… god, he really wasn’t making any sense at all any more, was he? Christ, what a mess. One of their own making, too. But as Simon looked down at his hands, in lieu of having anywhere else to gaze at aimlessly, he felt (more than saw) Ali slide in beside him on the not precisely comfortable edge of the bath. Then (before he’d quite figured out how to get his brain straight enough to process that), she’d slipped her arms around his neck, which kind of automatically meant he’d turned his body around to face hers, and brought his own arms around her too, because it was only natural, and hugging her was only natural too, especially when she leaned her head in against his. It was better from then. Indisputably better, and not just because it ahd managed to stop the trickle of words Simon hadn’t managed to get a real hold of till then. “I know. Losing people, having the whole world feel like it turned upside down, that's probably the hardest thing ever,” she said after just a little while of that. And she knew what she was talking about. Of course she did. Better than he did, maybe, though god knew if there were some kind of ranking system to measure that kind of thing, they’d all probably be better off throwing it right out the window, because what could it possible serve? But yeah. Losing people. Especially the ones that mattered most… well, it messed you up. It messed with your head, however it had happened. No way around that. “Hey, looking back and seeing all the stuff that should've been different, that's pretty easy," she added, voice soft and thoughtful and all of a sudden, Simon saw - really saw - just what it had been that Hank must have seen in her all those years ago. Not an amazingly gorgeous woman. Or not just one. Not just a sense of taste and humor and sweetness, though she had all of them, and they were all fantastic. But a piece of who she really was, that Hank must have seen all along, because it really explained just why he’d really been losing his mind running head over heels (like what had seemed at the time like a complete utter idiot) over some spaced out girl who’d got too far into the LA scene. McCoy had been right all along. As usual. God, he would have liked to be able to tell him that right now, however many mea culpas the parts about what he’d already done (and what he really very much wanted to still do) with her might add to that if his best friend had been there to hear them. “Figuring all that out when you're in the middle of it, trying to pick up the pieces? Not so easy, especially when it feels like there's a gaping hole in the middle of everything.” God, she really was. She was something. Something that went even beyond special, and all he could think to do right now to try to let her know that, if she didn’t, was to stroke her back, keeping his arms close about her, and just generally give her his full attention. “I think Steve'll get that and we'll all totally do better from now on, right?” Simon took a moment to think about that, just because there didn’t really seem to be any reason to hurry, or to do less than really consider what it was she was saying. Because it was totally right, and he knew that. Had known it. Did know it. At least two out of three. “I really do like the way you think,” he informed her, lips curving back into a smile that was, if not actually broad, at least clear and genuine. She was right, and she was gorgeous, and she very clearly had all the heart in the world, whatever else and whoever else she was or had been or was rumored to be or wanted to be. “Yeah. That was Steve, exactly,” Simon continued, feeling - however much of a sudden about-face it might have seemed - very much better in ways he couldn’t quite define. Steve would be Steve, and whatever that had been, and whatever the standards he’d had, and held to, what had always mattered was that he believed that you could be better next time. “And you know what Hank would have said just now,” he added afterward, smiling a little wryly. And not really moving a muscle to let Ali go at all, either. He was really starting to think that was totally out of his power to do just now. |
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| Dazzler | Jun 13 2014, 10:08 PM Post #9 |
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I'm the best at what I do, and what I do is roller skate
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Worst thing ever. In a lotta ways, worse than five years in that Camp. Losing people. People you cared about. People who were important. People who'd practically felt like they were part of you. Part of you life and your heart, just ripped out before you even knew what was happening. Having the whole world turn suddenly upside down and wondering what the hell just happened. Like all at once, things had just gone straight to hell and nobody'd remembered to send you the reminder that today was the day your life totally fell apart. A hug wouldn't exactly fix that, or those feelings, but Simon looked like he could use one all the same. Ali wanted to give him one, too, or as many as he needed or wanted. If it helped at all, that was awesome, but it wouldn't hurt anything and he turned toward her a little to wrap his arms around her, too. Seriously the sweetest guy ever - she'd said that before, but no way she could ever say it enough - with a heart as big as the world right inside that broad chest. Didn't have to be a genius to figure that out, and even before she'd ever met him she'd heard Hank talk about Simon Williams enough to know there was a reason he'd been Hank McCoy's best friend. Holding a lot on those shoulders, too, because that's the kind of man he was (and that? yeah totally easy to see, too), but weren't they all? All the should'ves and maybes and what if I hads, yeah. No way to get away from those sometimes. It was hella easy to look back now and see all the things that'd been wrong, that should've been different. What if she'd joined X-Factor when Hank asked her, instead of taking off with Lila? What if she'd stayed with the X-Men, instead of running off to LA with a shattered heart and not sure she even knew who she was anymore? Questions Ali knew she'd never have answers to and she'd spent way too long trying to convince herself it didn't matter. Totally easy to see now what she should've done then, whether it would've changed anything or not. Not so easy to see that when the world and her life had gone crazy all at once. It wouldn't have been any easier for everybody here to figure out, either. Not when they'd just lost a guy who was a friend, a part've their lives. Somebody like Steve Rogers, who was one've those awesome people that actually was what most've the rest've them wanted to be. So she just squeezed Simon a little tighter as his hand rubbed up and down over her back and tell him what he already knew. If anybody'd get how that worked, how hard it was to know which was was up in the middle of all that, with a massive hole ripped in what felt like everything, it'd be Steve Rogers. He'd get it, and they'd absolutely do better now. Everything went quiet again, but that was okay. It was more of a thinking kinda quiet and she wasn't in a hurry. For something like this, she could actually have all the patience ever. Definitely wasn't letting go of him, either, so he could take however long he wanted or needed. Talk or not talk. It was all good. “I really do like the way you think,” he informed her and Ali loosened her holed enough to pull back and see his face. And the smile that'd found it way back and had her own lips doing their curving upward thing in return. Definitely suited him better, he had a face that was made for smiling. "Wait til you see how I do other things," the former singer told him, and if that came out a little softer and a lot less off handed than it might've usually, well, that was totally okay, too. It wasn't really the time for off handed. Or it didn't feel like it was. “Yeah. That was Steve, exactly,” Simon continued, and yeah that's how he'd always seemed to her. One've those really together, huge sense of how things should be kinda guy, without being self-righteous or obnoxious about it. Just a nice guy who still believed that people were basically good if you gave them a chance to be. “And you know what Hank would have said just now,” he added afterward, smiling a little wryly and oh jeez. Yeah, even after all this time, she could still hear his voice in her head if she thought about it. It was kinda nice, really. "Hmm...something about it behooving us to focus on the present and not on a past we can't do anything about." Well, unless they totally wanted t break the timestream or something, but she was pretty sure Hank would've voted a huge no on that. "Only, you know, with lots bigger words and me zoning out about halfway through," she added with the brief flash of a grin. "Also possibly 'No, guys, don't shove me in the water, you know what it does to my fur'." Since, yeah, that'd totally be happening if he were here right now and in shoving range. They both had to know this, right? "Y'know, I miss him and his giant words and his general Hank-ness like crazy," Ali admitted, leaning back in against Simon again with a sigh and probably breaking like a million and one taboos about talking about former guys with current guys. Except she was kinda hoping this was kind of an exception, since it was Simon, who'd known Hank even longer than she had and been just as close to him, if not closer in a lotta ways. And, you know, she kinda thought Hank would be okay with this. Her and Simon. |
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| Wonder Man | Jun 20 2014, 08:14 PM Post #10 |
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Red Shades, Original Recipe. No really.
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He really did like the way she thought. How could he not? How could you not, when she was right there, finding optimism in this without even needing to try to airbrush any of the harder parts out of the facts. Perspective, support, hope, all of those things, and understanding too. Beyond special, that was her, and the smile she turned up on those exceedingly perfect lips in answer only set the ornamental cherry on the top of that. “Wait til you see how I do other things,” she told him, in a voice that made something in his gut go kind of fuzzy around the edges, like it was trying to spread warmth. “I have to wait?” Simon teased, trying for faux-disappointment, but by the time he’d got to attempting to pout out an “Awww,” the fuzzy feeling had wiped away pretty much all of the half-hearted attempt to be flippant and replaced it with something that was a lot more serious, if not any less to do with smiling. He could wait, he realized. If he had to. For a girl like her (if there were any other ones out there like her, which seemed unlikely, so he might need to scratch the middle three words of those five, actually), waiting didn’t seem like too much to ask. But yeah. Yeah, they’d been having another conversation, and one that didn’t really feel like it was quite done yet. It had already started to feel a whole lot less overpowering and weighty-downy than it had a minute ago though, so though he returned to it, Simon didn’t feel like he needed to say much more but to confirm that Ali had had Steve pegged exactly. He’d understand, and even where he didn’t, or couldn’t, he’d be looking forward, and encouraging every one to do better from now on. For now that seemed to be enough to say there, and when he met Ali’s eyes, it was the memory of a different long lost friend that sprang up a whole lot more clearly in his mind again. She’d known Hank, after all. Loved him, and somehow, when he looked at her, Simon couldn’t imagine that not having lasted, even if her relationship with his best friend hadn’t. She’d known him, so she had to know - and this was an observation that couldn’t help but be delivered with a wry smile - what he’d have been saying, if he was here right now. Stepping neatly aside from any potential awkward moments and hurt looks for all the kissing, and the promised other things, obviously. But Simon was willing to think that that went without saying, mostly so he didn’t have to think about it for too long. Instead, he just looked at Ali’s blue eyes, enjoying the way they moved and the way she glowed and the way she seemed to have stopped, like she were listening to a big furry blue piece of awesome speaking to them again. Nice to know he wasn’t the only one who did that. “Hmm…something about it behooving us to focus on the present and not on a past we can't do anything about.” she suggested in the end, as Simon wrinkled his nose in agreement and acknowledgement both. “Only, you know, with lots bigger words and me zoning out about halfway through," she added with the brief flash of a grin. "Also possibly 'No, guys, don't shove me in the water, you know what it does to my fur’.” His own broad grin flashed back onto his face (dimples included) at that addition, and Simon paused, turning a speculative gleam toward the slowly filling tub then back at Ali. For a couple of seconds, it almost didn’t matter as much that Hank wasn’t there to get that dunking he’d have been asking for, just to have someone there to share the joke with again. Not forgotten. “I was also thinking of the classic, ‘cease and desist with your morose histrionics, Wondy, you’re chewing up all the scenery,” he added though, smiling a little at the way he could still hear that (or at least a variant on the general theme) in his best friend’s voice if he stopped for a moment. It wasn’t any less true when Bobbi and Greer and Clint did it, but it wasn’t quite the same, either. He liked to think Ali might understand that, and something about the sigh she gave as she shifted, relaxing into him, made Simon almost certain that she did. “Y’know, I miss him and his giant words and his general Hank-ness like crazy,” she admitted. Simon tightened his arms around her, leaning down to where he could rest his head beside hers and just have that for a moment. “Every day,” he said. It was about all that he could say, for a brief handful of seconds that stretched out in a way that didn’t really feel uncomfortable. Still, eventually words came back again, and once they did, Simon spoke them. “I found an excuse yesterday morning to get on that interdimensional webcam and talk to their one for a little while,” he admitted, aware that that probably sounded like a completely insane thing to have done. It wasn’t their Hank, and it wasn’t like having him back, even temporarily, but it was something he’d gone and done before he’d ever stopped to think about it, and once he had, he’d felt better in a way he couldn’t quite have described if he’d been put on the spot. He should probably try, though. “It was good. It was really good.” It wouldn’t fill the hole, but at least Simon thought it might have helped filing away some of the jagged edges that had been ulcerating ever since he’d turned down Hank’s last olive branch invitation to join him at the demonstration on the Mall that day. Or so he was hoping. |
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| Dazzler | Jun 21 2014, 03:05 PM Post #11 |
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I'm the best at what I do, and what I do is roller skate
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He was something. Something totally amazing. Something she hadn't seen coming, but that was okay. Just like it was okay that that offer, or maybe it was more of a promise, came out not even close to as off-handed as it would've any other time. With anybody else. That it came out softer; yeah, definitely more like a promise. That she couldn't not smile when she looked at him. “I have to wait?” Simon teased, and there was some aiming for disappointment face and even pouting (that had no business ever looking that hot on anybody, but totally did all the same). Or almost-pouting, with an, “Awww,” that just did completely crazy things to her pulse, not to mention the rest've her. God, she wanted to kiss him again. Kiss him and forget about waiting for anything - it wasn't like she was exactly known for her amazing amounts of patience here, either - but Ali was pretty sure if she started she wasn't gonna stop and they were kind of mid-convo here. So she found a little more patience in there somewhere when she'd already been sure she'd ran completely out of any've that the day before. For Simon, though, she definitely could find it. She could find however much more she needed to, whenever she needed it, for him. Didn't even have to wonder about that. Whatever he needed, because it'd been a hell'uva night and there was a lot to deal with. To talk about. Maybe she hadn't known Steve Rogers all that well, but yeah. What Simon was saying, that's the kinda guy he'd always seemed to be to her. Understand how hard it was sometimes to know the best choices to make, because they were all still human, no matter what kinda powers they had. Take the past, learn from it, look at the future and know you'd do better. Then there was Hank, and no question there. She knew what he'd say to all this, too, as she met those amazing eyes of Simon's. Like he was sitting right next to them, she could still hear his voice. Maybe she wasn't the only one that still heard that voice, either, the former singer realized, and that was a good thought. An absolutely awesome thought. So yeah, totally hearing Big Blue in her head right now, with his behoovings and focusing on the present and not on the past that wasn't changeable without violating all the laws of science that he'd keep trying to explain to her as her eyes rolled back in her head. And she couldn't even get him back by quoting long, boring estate law codes at him because he actually liked that. And there was another thing Simon obviously totally got, what with the nose wrinkling. Then, yeah, there'd be protests that really weren't about not shoving him in the water, because it'd make his fur frizz or something. Which would guarantee it'd be happening as fast as two people with really sturdy shields of shoving things and super strength could dump a big furry guy into a hot tub. There was that grin, back again and complete with dimples that also did things to her that probably should be illegal. Hell, these days they probably were in at least a few states. Simon shot a speculative look over at the still filling tub, then back to her as she grinned right back at him, arms still around his neck since not one single part of her was in any hurry at all to let him go. “I was also thinking of the classic, ‘cease and desist with your morose histrionics, Wondy, you’re chewing up all the scenery,” he added and jeez, yeah she'd heard that one before. Or something close. More than once. 'Chin up, Daz. All will be well.' There was a sigh that managed to kinda get away from her there. A little wistful, maybe, but mostly just...yeah, a sigh. God, she missed him. And maybe because Simon missed him, too, the whole talking about the ex thing wasn't such a no no. They'd both loved him. Even when she and Hank hadn't been able to make the 'in love' part last like they'd maybe wanted once upon a time, she'd still loved Hank. He'd always been one've the best friends she ever had. “Every day,” he confirmed, arm tightening around her and head leaning against hers. Yeah, that. Exactly that. Ali's arms tightened around his neck again and things got quiet for...well, however long. Probably not that long, but totally a good quiet. Easy. He understood and she understood and it was okay. “I found an excuse yesterday morning to get on that interdimensional webcam and talk to their one for a little while,” he admitted when the quiet ended and her smile came right back again. Now she was liking how he thought. A lot. Possibly because it was exactly what she'd been thinking of doing herself for at least a couple've days or so now, and just hadn't managed the nerve to follow through. Obviously, it was an excellent idea if they'd both had it. “It was good. It was really good.” Absolutely, totally amazing, that was Simon. Yeah, he definitely had the right codename going. "Y'know, I thought I was the only one that'd been thinking of doing crazy stuff like that," Ali replied, head tilting back and up enough to brush her lips over his cheek. Just because she could and because she wanted to and because it made a whole swarm of butterflies start doing cartwheels or something in her stomach. "It's been kind of rolling around in my head ever since Jean mentioned him Monday, while we were grilling strippers about black market haircare." Which had done wonders for the general state of their collective hair emergencies (if anybody else could understand the sad state of the haircare market now, it'd have to be the guy next to her, Ali was sure). Even if she was still feeling a little majorly traumatized by tiny, scary Russian (possibly gypsy?) ladies. Give her Galactus to take on anytime, he was a peach compared to that. "Maybe I can work a convo in tomorrow," she added thoughtfully, fingers stroking lightly at the side of his neck. It wouldn't be their Hank, but yeah. It'd be good, wouldn't it? Just to be able to talk to him, actually hear that voice again. It wouldn't answer any've the what ifs, but it'd still be good and somehow it made it easier that Simon already had. |
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| Wonder Man | Jun 23 2014, 07:53 PM Post #12 |
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Red Shades, Original Recipe. No really.
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Miss Hank? Only one answer to that, and it only had two words. Every day. Nothing to do about that - the hole in the world that was the missing big guy wasn’t going to go away, and it wasn’t the kind of thing you could fill in. But you could learn to live with it, and he had, and it seemed a little easier to do that with his arms around Ali, hers squeezing back at his neck, and the warm softness of her hair against his cheek. Actually, it felt a lot easier. And that was all there was for a little while. Quiet, but not an uncomfortable one. Not one that have even crossed his mind when thinking about Alison Blaire (and he’d been doing a lot of that in the last twenty four hours), but it felt so much like second-nature that Simon was already starting to wonder why he hadn’t. It was easier. It felt easier. Also, amazingly smooth and sleek. (That was the hair, not the emotion part). He was definitely going to have to ask her secret, especially since she’d spent all those years in a Camp, but for now that could take a backseat, because there was something else that Simon decided he wanted to mention, once the moment had passed enough to give him his voice back. He thought she might actually want to hear about the way he’d made up an excuse (just about on the spot) for an opportunity to talk to the Hank who was at the other end of the interdimensional webcam Shadowcat, Cypher and Nemesis had built. Only for a little while - lord knew there had been several other dozen things he’d had to find time for, and Hank as usual had had about three times more than that on his plate, but he’d done it. And it was good. Really good. Not exactly the world’s most evocative description, but Simon had the feeling the woman in his arms understood what he didn’t seem to have the words for. The smile she was wearing again definitely made him think so. It also brought his own right back out there to meet it, but he was getting used to that part, because it seemed to happen all on its own every time he saw her smile. “Y’know, I thought I was the only one that'd been thinking of doing crazy stuff like that," Ali replied, then - hey, now, what had that been for? She’d shifted, and pressed a soft kiss against the side of his cheek, for reasons that Simon didn’t think he’d quite got figured out. Certainly not before he’d ended up coloring a little in spite of himself (that had to be a first. At least a first in a long, long, long time), and become aware of a kind of light-headed feeling when he turned to look at her. “Really?” he asked. And man, she was gorgeous. So incredibly gorgeous, with that shiny, soft pink hair that suited her perfectly. And the blue eyes, and the mouth, and… …well, he could go on. But he probably shouldn’t, because she was speaking again, and he’d rather not miss any of that, even if it was due to watching her. “It’s been kind of rolling around in my head ever since Jean mentioned him Monday, while we were grilling strippers about black market haircare.” He probably shouldn’t interrupt, especially not for an aside to the point of what she was saying. But all the same, Simon couldn’t quite resist giving way to the grin that tugged back at the corners of his mouth, and adding in, “Okay, that’s also on the list of things you’re going to tell me more about later. Just so you know.” Why hadn’t he ever got to grill strippers about black market haircare? Except that quarters in strip clubs were kind of Remy’s thing, and not Re-Assemble’s (and a good thing, because no one really wanted to see what might happen if they let Bobbi and Greer too near strippers). But still. That seemed like it had to have been fun. “Maybe I can work a convo in tomorrow,” Ali added, with a note of thoughtfulness that made it easy to connect to the idea about talking to Hank, not figuring out a possible round #2 with exotic dancers. So rather than let that teasing grin he’d been wearing go any further, Simon nodded, with a far more earnest expression. “I think you’ll be really glad that you did.” Slightly reluctantly letting go of her with one arm (the other one stayed just where it wanted to be, wrapped around her waist, and stroking her side again), Simon leaned them both over a little way. Just enough to dangle his fingers in the slowly filling hot tub, testing the water temperature. Not bad. Close to perfect, even, though it was still going to need to go for a little while longer to get a really decent depth going. He shook off his fingers, paused for a moment, then grinned quickly back at Ali, the only warning he gave her before sliding his arm more securely around her waist and gently lifting them both back up onto their feet. Leaned his head down a little ways, almost close enough to kiss her, before breaking out another flash of dimples, then unwrapping just enough that he could walk the few steps back over to where they’d left the wine (and those particularly exciting looking cups) on the sink top without having to go through her or make her walk backward. Not that he could really imagine being any kind of significant challenge to Ali Blaire. But still, and all. On closer inspection, the brightly colored mugs were even more impressive. Or that was the word Simon was going to choose to apply in his head to the cartoon-theme that seemed to be going on there. He lifted one up in his free hand, looking it over with another smile for a moment, before setting it down by the bottle, and pouring out a good measure. “Gotta admit, I do kind of want to know the story behind these,” he remarked, as he got on to giving the second the same treatment, then gestured with a little flourish of his wrist to the pair of them. “Bugs, or Lola?” Ladies choice, of course. |
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| Dazzler | Jun 25 2014, 12:21 AM Post #13 |
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I'm the best at what I do, and what I do is roller skate
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It was one've those things Ali would've been totally sure only she'd be nuts enough to think of doing. Calling up the Hank over in that other world, on the other end of the webcam thing that Other Kitty and Doug and the grouchy guy in the lab that wasn't Forge had apparently practically put together overnight. Interrupt whatever important thing he was probably in the middle of - because Hank was always in the middle of something important - just to see him. Talk to him. Hear his voice again. Oh yeah, definitely liked the way he thought. And the way that meshed right in with how she thought and that was as far with the thinking as she got right that second before there was a need - or an impulse, but you know, sometimes they were the same thing - to tilt her head just enough to lean in and brush her lips over his cheek. Since he was right there and it seemed like an amazingly good idea at the time and- He was blushing. There was a little color creeping there along his cheeks and Simon was absolutely blushing and it was the sweetest, most unexpected, and quite possibly the hottest thing she'd ever seen. Also? Doing absolutely nothing at all to curb the impulse control, especially when he turned toward her and - she couldn't even describe that feeling. Sudden and breathless and like taking a plunge off the high board when you didn't even know if there was any water in the pool and weren't really sure you cared, even. “Really?” he asked and in spite of the massive temptation of his lips being right there, within easy kissing reach, that at least made her brain have to jumpstart itself again and veer back onto the track of conversation she'd nearly lost all together there for a sec. Hank. Talking to Alter Hank. What the hell she'd say, exactly, Ali didn't even know. Probably wouldn't know until she was face to face with him. Or screen to screen or whatever. If she stopped rolling it around in her head, anyway, like she'd been doing since Jean brought him up during their stripper interrogation. Which had been part of the larger epic quest for blackmarket haircare. There was grinning, and Ali added that, too, to her list of favorite expressions on Simon, though she kind of liked them all. And interjecting, because who didn't want to know about strippers with access to awesome haircare? “Okay, that’s also on the list of things you’re going to tell me more about later. Just so you know.” Definitely minor aside time here for notes of importance. "You have got to hear about the Epic Haircare Adventure," the former singer agreed without any problem at all and with a grin of her own. Definitely a request she could handle. "There were punk girl disguises and scary little disapproving Russian ladies. It was awesome." And epic. Had she mentioned epic? Simon would absolutely have the necessary appreciation, too, when it came to the need for extreme measures when it came to hair repair. Shelving that for later, though, it was back again to the idea of talking to Alter Hank and...yeah, it was something she wanted to do. Something Ali felt like she might need to do. And it would be good. Just like Simon said. She could feel that already, or maybe it was because he'd already taken care of the hard part of going first. So maybe tomorrow, between all the other probable crazy of organizing the big push, she could carve out a little time. A few minutes for a convo and, well, to see him again. Hear his voice. Put closed to a few things in her head, even if he wasn't their Hank. “I think you’ll be really glad that you did.” he told her with a nod and the kind of expression that was sincere and honest in a way she'd almost forgot people could still be. That sometimes she'd wondered if she'd forgot she could still be. One arm unwrapped from around her, then, but the other one stayed where it was, which suited Ali perfectly. She rearranged herself a little, too, since he was leaning back to do a water temp check, unlocking her arms from around his neck and then sliding one around his back. And absolutely and totally and with amazing amounts of willpower that would amaze most people to know she even possessed, didn't give into the brief but hugely compelling and probably evil, evil (but awesomely fun) temptation to just dump them both right into the tub, half filled or not. See, willpower. Really. Okay, yeah, the nice, distracting way his hand was stroking over her side helped, too. Also, Simon was done, shaking the drops of water off his fingers and straightening them back up again. Right from sitting to standing, almost before she realized they were going up, then leaned in close and the former singer was all for him coming in just a little closer. Or maybe she'd just finish closing that gap. Or maybe he'd just bring out those gorgeous dimples again, distract her some more by making her head spin, then swing over the other way for the glasses and the wine she'd almost forgot were still over by the sink. Brows going up a little, Ali gave him a slight squeeze, blue eyes glinting and her own grin popping right back up. God, so adorable and never let it be said she had anything against a little teasing. Or, you know, a lot. Or probably anything else he wanted to come up with. “Gotta admit, I do kind of want to know the story behind these,” he remarked taking care of pouring duties into the, yeah. Still cartoon glasses. Cartoon glasses of SHIELD, or whatever. Who the hell knew? "I'm going with either whimsy or some kinda addiction to the cartoon channel," Ali decided, as he waved a hand toward the Looney Tunes pair, now doubling as wine glasses. Hey, she'd seen worse and definitely stranger. She could go with it. “Bugs, or Lola?” Simon asked and, head tilting a little, Ali did the seriously considering face making for about three whole seconds before going back to the default smile that was, by now, absolutely and totally his. "Lola, because she was always awesome," she decided, tilting her face up toward him for a second before reaching over or around or however. There was getting of cartoon character glasses with fairly decent wine in it. "And predictable is the new unexpected. Or something." Glass in hand, however it got there, the pink haired woman paused a couple of seconds, looking down and swirling it around a little, arm still around Simon. Since there wasn't any better place she could think of for it ever. "To-" she started a little thoughtfully again, then smiled and look back up to him, glass held in the customary toasting position. It felt like maybe a toasting moment. "Good things. Or more good things. All the good things." Couldn't be too many of those, as far as she was concerned. This. Him. Captain America. Coming home again. All the things they wanted to stop or fix or...just make better. All of the good things. Finding them or remembering them or bringing them back. |
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| Wonder Man | Jun 27 2014, 10:53 PM Post #14 |
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Red Shades, Original Recipe. No really.
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Grilling strippers about black market haircare. That was definitely on the list he’d been making since last night, the one that had all of the things that he was going to have to insist Ali told him all about at some unspecified later. Or possibly sooner. Not quite now, still, maybe, but still. “You have got to hear about the Epic Haircare Adventure," the former singer agreed without any problem at all and with a grin of her own that put quite a few other things on the ‘sooner’ end of the list that didn’t really involve ‘telling’ him anything at all. “There were punk girl disguises and scary little disapproving Russian ladies. It was awesome.” In answer, Simon flashed another grin back at her. Yes, based on just that teaser, he’d definitely have to agree with that, and he really didn’t think that she was someone who’d fail to live up to any hype she might generate. But right now, there was still the real conversation that they’d been having about Hank, and Ali looking thoughtful as she suggested she might try to work in a webcam visit of herself sometime tomorrow. He could agree to that, with sincerity levels up to the foremost and utmost as he nodded, because just talking to her now, especially talking to her about Hank, it wasn’t anything like hard to guess that she’d be really glad to have done it, once she had done it. He had been, after all. Giving her a moment to process that, though, as he turned his own attention momentarily to the tub. Which still had a ways to fill, but was doing well, temperature-wise, and… …wait. He’d glanced back, just so see whether she was good with all that rearranging of arms she’d been doing, and he could see that expression she was wearing as she eyed the tub. What’s more, he could tell exactly what she was thinking. She did know he could fly and hover, right? Though, on second thoughts… conveniently forgetting about that ability and letting her do it might actually be kinda fun. Kinda really fun, actually. Though so was just sitting here, stroking her side, and third thoughts pointed out that he really did want a chance to get her out of those clothes the right way: slowly, and with all the time in the world to admire, not while trying to strip of a wet stealthsuit while it did its best to be impervious even when you didn’t actually need it to be. So despite that look, he finished testing the water, shaking off his hand, then stood up again, bringing her with him, because it was all so much better when she was there beside him, pressing in closer like that. So much better. God. A little hard to think, even, but there were still things to be done, and he needed to be able to do them, so Simon made sure to keep his head together. Maybe with just a little teasing, bending down and lingering over an almost kiss that he didn’t quite complete before flashing his dimples, and drawing her back over to where they’d left that wine. And those… well, they’d call them wine glasses, how about that? Even if they were emblazoned with Loony Tunes, of all things, which - as he got on with putting them to that use - Simon had to admit, seemed like it had to have a story about it. A story he kind of wanted to know, too. Or he could just watch her consider that. That was definitely a compeletely acceptable alternative. “I’m going with either whimsy or some kinda addiction to the cartoon channel,” she offered in the end, waving a hand at the pair of smiling cartoon rabbits. Well, yes, both of those were good ideas, definitely. Though if he was goign to think about it, Simon had one of his own to try out on her. “I think there’s a bet,” he declared. “There’s almost a bet, when SHIELD lifers are involved.” How, or what kind, well, he couldn’t really have said yet. But give him a little time, he was pretty sure he’d have come up with a suitably involved and belief-straining story to entertain them. First things first though: there was a question, and that question was clearly important, and it was one of the tough ones (or Simon liked to think so, anyway). So: Bugs, or Lola? See, she had to think about it too… or not for long, or well, it didn’t really matter exactly how that had happened, or what it was that had, because she was smiling now, right up at him, and that was more than enough to pay attention to. “Lola, because she was always awesome," she decided, tilting her face up toward him for a second and holding his attention so perfectly well that the glass was in her hand before Simon had noticed that she’d reached for it. “And predictable is the new unexpected. Or something.” “I can drink to that,” he agreed, hastily reaching around for the other one (Bugs? He could do Bugs. You really definitely could not go wrong with Bugs) - and narrowly avoiding knocking it over, because he couldn’t take his eyes off her for long enough to look for exactly where he’d put that glass. There it was though, soon safely in hand, and lifting up again, while his other arm didn’t shift out of the very comfortable position it had around Ali. A toast was in order, wasn’t it? And look at that, she’d already moved to set that up, even before he’d finished having that thought, because Alison Blaire, or Dazzler, or really whatever she’d like to be called (he was at her command on that front, and probably on a lot of other ones, to be honest), so all there was to do was to was raise his own to join hers, and let her take the stage to direct the toast. “To-“ she started a little thoughtfully again, then smiled and look back up to him, glass held in the customary toasting position. "Good things. Or more good things. All the good things.” Simon smiled. It was easy enough to smile just whenever he looked at her, and when she was smiling, and putting things that perfectly? All the good things. Everything that was good that had happened so far this week, from the Camps to Steve, to Greer finally being ready to introduce her son to the team (and he would need to figure out what he could do tonight, even if it was a little later, to make what she’d need to arrange go a little easier, if he could, and he shouldn’t forget that). All the good things, and more good things to come, which he believed even more for looking at the woman beside him. It all just happened on its own with that, didn’t it? “To all the good things,” Simon agreed, meeting her eyes, and holding his gaze there till he’d raised his glass to his lips, and taken the kind of good long sip the toast deserved. And after that? Well, then there was only one thing to do, and so Simon did it, dropping his head down and kissing her softly. |
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| Dazzler | Jun 28 2014, 11:43 PM Post #15 |
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I'm the best at what I do, and what I do is roller skate
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Looney Tunes glasses in the Captain's Quarters of the SHIELD helicarrier? Totally not standard issue and Ali was pretty sure she didn't have to know a thing about SHIELD to figure that one out. Personally, she was going with blaming whimsy, or maybe some kind of addiction to the Cartoon Network. Maybe rampant alcoholism that'd got totally outta control, but why not give the poor guy the benefit of the doubt on that one? The fridge full've slightly questionable wine was enough of a strike against him. “I think there’s a bet,” Simon added, which was absolutely a good point. “There’s almost a bet, when SHIELD lifers are involved.” Also when guys were involved. Pretty much any guys in her experience, and SHIELD still had a major concentration of those from what she'd seen. But she got a little distracted just watching him, and letting her imagination supply her with all kinds of fun and not really PG rated thoughts that had not one single thing to do with SHIELD or its lack of gender equality in its hiring practices and everything ever to do with that smile and the sound of his voice and...yeah, the whole, amazing package that was the man next to her. But, right. Glasses and wine and cartoon characters and the offer to let her take first pick. She could do that and, throwing caution and any possible element of surprise out the window, Ali settled on Lola. Because Lola Bunny was awesome, if maybe a little predictable choice-wise. Predictable was totally the new unexpected. Mostly because she said so and had just decided that right now on the spot; and there'd been a time when she could've thrown out something like that and an entire room full've at least half-smashed people in party frenzy mode would've taken it as practically divine proclamation. Old habits died a little harder than you'd think sometimes. Plus, Lola was a natural blonde, too, and they needed to stick together. “I can drink to that,” reaching around for Bugs with the arm that wasn't busy being around her, and she was so good with that - with him not letting her go - it wasn't even funny. Especially with hers still around him and not wanting to change that even a little, either. A toast, though. They'd need to make one've those. Tradition and all that and the former singer looked down into the wine swirling around in her Lola glass and gave that a little thought again. Didn't take long, since what to toast to just kinda popped right onto the tip of her tongue. Good things. To the good things that had happened. To the ones that would happen. To the ones they'd make happen. To all the good things, including this one. Because he was one've the best things. That smile, that one right there that Simon was wearing, that was all she needed to know that. The one that kept making something inside her go all soft an fuzzy around the edges, like a really great cashmere sweater. Probably her brain. Okay definitely her brain (which wasn't, contrary to what might be popular opinion, actually wasn't fuzzy most've the time), but more than that, too. “To all the good things,” Simon agreed, those incredible eyes of his never leaving hers. Her own blue ones definitely couldn't think of anything at all to spend their time doing than peering right back, watching his as the toasting was completed with a sip of possibly questionable wine that actually turned out to be more decent than she'd expected. Even if it'd been the next best thing to vinegar, Ali wasn't sure she'd have noticed. Okay, maybe she'd have noticed a little. About half a second, maybe, before she completely forgot. Because then he was kissing her and she was kissing him back and there wasn't any room to bother remembering that wine of any kind at all existed. If there had been, she wouldn't have cared anyway since she was way too busy kissing him back. Just as softly. Tasting a hint of that wine they'd both just had as she took a half step in closer, fingers splaying and hand sliding up his back. Trying to remember not to drop poor Lola and her contents all over the floor because all her thoughts scattered like sunlight through leaves in a forest. Leaving little bits of illumination here and there that were the way her heart skipped more than one beat, the warmth of his mouth on hers, how he felt against her. Sparks that she swore she could hear snapping and cracking. Just like she could absolutely feel them. Multi-tasking. They were supposed to be doing that Ali sorta fuzzily half remembered. Then decided they'd get to that in a couple of seconds as she gave into temptation (not like it was a long battle or even much've one, since she and temptation were old friends by now) and deepened the kiss a little, still keeping it soft, though. Easy. Not wanting to rush anything at all because it was way, way too good to hurry through. |
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3:32 AM Jul 11