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#I'm seeing soap and water and I may be willing to try that on like. a leg. to see if it hurts the paint.
teaandinanity · 1 year
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ughhh the internet is failing me
anyone have advice on cleaning painted wood furniture in a way that won’t damage the paint or the underlying wood? everything I’m seeing is either about ruining antiques by painting them beige or about trying to salvage an antique that has been assaulted with paint.
in this case the paint is a) very pretty and b) also antique and I REALLY don’t want to damage it but also I would like to clean the object in question and it’s like ‘I KNOW advice for this must exist SOMEWHERE but unfortunately ruining antiques has been The Big Thing for a while now.’
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imreadydollparts · 7 months
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I thrifted some Barbies and one had some mystery gunk in her hair.
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I couldn't tell what it was but went ahead and plonked her head into a cup of L.A.'s Totally Awesome and left it overnight. This morning I started scrubbing with a toothbrush, thinking "I should try this on gum some day." but I'm not willing to put gum in a doll's hair on purpose. Then the smell hit me. It WAS gum. Mint. I like mint, but 🤢 Either way, it did take a lot of brushing with a toothbrush but the gum did eventually slide out of her hair with minimal breakage, she's all clean, and now I know Totally Awesome helps get gum out of doll hair.
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I'm grossed out, though.
I've mentioned before that I get stressed when I see collectors/restorers throw dolls or ponies into a sink full of soapy water.
This Barbie demonstrates why I do not do that. I only do surface washing with a melamine sponge, dish soap, and water unless a pony show signs of rust or mold inside, then I take them apart to wash their insides, too, and leave the head off for a few days so they can dry fully.
I saw a bag of Barbies at Goodwill with two articulated bodies in it: a Barbie Extra and a Cutie Reveal. I do like to swap my dolls onto articulated bodies, so I picked it up.
When I was opening the bag and going through the dolls, I noticed some of them were wet.
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It took a bit to narrow it down to WHO, exactly, was wet and it was these two. Then I gave Barbie a good shake and she sloshed.
I'm........ going to tell myself it was very clean sink water from her previous owner's attempt at removing the gum from her hair, or else I might cry over unknown-days-old, thrifted mystery water.
I might have to drill some holes in her body to get the rest of the water out but did manage to vigorously shake out a lot of it. It seems to be mostly stuck in her legs so I may drill at the tops of her hips where the injection mold spot is and on the bottoms of her feet so they can drain (assuming the lower legs aren't solid).
Right now she's sitting with her joints as "open" as I can get them in the hopes some of that water will evaporate.
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Not very dignified.
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blackholemojis · 6 months
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u have made posts telling about your aac you use... would u b willing to share images of how you have it set up and maybe give tips for people working on making their own aac?
I would love to but I think it may give away my anonymity, since I like to share pictures of my different pages. I can share some details and organizing tips though! This isn't anything comprehensive, I think I'd need to spend a lot more time on that, but hopefully this is helpful for someone. For context, I use TD Snap Lite :)
I'll include a list of different word categories at the bottom under the cut, so if you're looking for types of words to focus on, you can skip to there!
Organization part 1
I keep all my commonly used words and folders for other words on my quickfires page, starting with basic communication words (yes/no, who/what/where, etc) and folders (conversation phrases, short responses, nouns, verbs, etc).
Then I have commonly used descriptors, connector words, actions, and nouns. All these are broad words like "thing" or "person," "and" or "because," and "go" and "fix." Even if I didn't have a button for a specific concept, I would still be able to describe it, like "the thing that is mine."
I organize the different buttons in rows on the same page, and try to group similar words together, that way I can find them easily.
I started with buttons for different bADLs (basic activities of daily living), which are bathing, dressing, grooming/hygiene, eating, toileting, and transferring/movement. Then I went to activities that I do every day, like studying, doing housework, or watching TV.
The idea is that I would be able to get through a whole day and be able to describe what I want, what I need, my activities, and what I don't want or need (the ability to say no is important, even for little things!)
Organization part 2
What words I have is important, but so is how I make sure I can find them easily. With TD Snap you can give buttons custom colors and custom border colors, so I use those to organize types of words, and types within those types (so verbs versus nouns, and then people-nouns versus object-nouns)
I also put the most commonly used words towards the right side of the screen, since I'm right handed and that means they'll be easiest to access.
I try to use pastels so I can read the labels, and I edit the text size of all buttons so I can see the symbol and label well. With descriptors, I try to group similar ones together, and group ones that have "opposites" either right next to each other or one above the other (words like up and down, or inside and outside).
Finding gaps
The easiest way for me to figure out what buttons I'm missing is by using my AAC when I'm near full spoons and can think about language well, like now. That way I know what I'm missing, and I can make a button and organize it in the moment without it taking much energy. Usually I'm missing different categories of words, like colors, or words to describe time.
Here's a bunch of word categories under the cut, starting with "essentials" and then moving on to common non-essentials! Feel free to ask me to include any other ideas
BADLs
Bathing (shower, bath, sponge bath, and related words you use for bathing)
Dressing (getting dressed, getting undressed, picking out clothes, words for different types of clothes)
Grooming/hygiene (brushing teeth, flossing teeth, brushing/combing hair, trimming hair, dyeing hair, cleaning piercings, washing face, shaving, makeup)
Eating/drinking (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, meal, types of food you eat, spoon, fork, knife, chopstick, bowl, plate, mug, water, warm beverages, napkins, and any other words you use for eating/drinking)
Toileting (bathroom, stall, toilet, sink, washing hands, soap, toilet paper, menstrual products, changing toileting equipment, and any other words)
Transferring/Movement (any mobility aids you use, transferring to/from mobility aids, terms for your aids, walk, run, jog. I included transportation words like "drive" and "car" in my section for this, but that's not necessary)
Essential communication
Yes (and variations)
No (and variations)
Maybe
Something else
I don't know
I need
I don't need
I want
I don't want
options for basic needs, so you can say "I need" and "use the bathroom" (eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, showering/bathing, using the bathroom, dental care, hair care, getting dressed, getting undressed, changing menstrual products, changing medical equipment, and transferring to/from mobility aids)
I consent
I do not consent
I revoke consent
Leave
Stay
Help
Fringe vocabulary for everyday activities and emergencies
Emergency words/phrases (I need a doctor, etc)
Personal info (name, age, etc)
Disability/mental health/medical terms that apply to you
Parts of the body
Types of injury/medical issues
Places you go
People you live with
People you interact with often
Pets names
Neighbors names
Carer or staff name(s)
Important belongings and things you use every day
Everyday hobbies (bike, watch show, etc)
Everyday to-do list activities (do laundry, shower, etc)
Action words (things one can do)
Common nouns (persons, places, things, and ideas)
Connector words (and, to, since, etc)
Feelings (positive, neutral, and negative)
Descriptor words
Colors
Direction
Size
Shape
Days of the week
Months
Seasons
Numbers
Describing amount (some, many, a little, few, all, none)
Describing time (then, now, before, after)
Temperature
Weather
Difficulty
Age
Texture
Personal opinion descriptors (nasty, beautiful, boring)
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pricegouge · 3 months
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That drabble was GREAT I'm imagining bear!bunny huffily leaving a review later on Yelp like "0/5 got a fish thrown at me didn't even let me stay to watch the game before they called animal control and my team lost. But the chicken is really good" and Price reading it and having to sit down because. The fucking bear knows how to type?
Oh my god keyboard karen bunny… 
Takes place directly after this. I used google reviews instead of yelp just cause I have more experience with it 
"Soap, what the hell is this?"
The man looks over lazily from where he's pithing lemon, but straightens up when he sees John's genuinely pissed off face. "What's what, sir?"
John slides his open phone to the man across the bar, recent zero star review on full display. "Very funny but you're fucking with my average. Take it down."
Soap frowns down at the phone, reading over the angry lines of text with a scowl that only deepens with every word. "Ah dinnae write this!"
"Then who did?" 
"Fockin' -," he glances back at the phone, scrolls up until he sees the reviewer's name, "Mama-bear-four-oh-six." John just glares at him, unimpressed. Soap huffs, waves the phone back at his boss. "Cap, ah clearly dinnae write this. None of this is in Scots."
"Shite," John deflates. He takes his phone back with a pat to the other man's shoulder. "You're right, sorry mate. But if you didn't, who did?"
"Si?" Soap sounds just as unconvinced about it as John is. "I dinnae ken. Did ye check the account?"
Of course he did. MamaBear406 was a brand new account as far as he could tell; as close to anonymous as Google allowed. One of the main reasons he'd assumed someone was taking the piss. Well, that and because aside from the three of them, the only creature present for the fish incident had been the bear itself. Herself?
"Must've been Simon," John hedges, just in time for the man in question to come easing through the saloon doors, quiet as a mouse save for the way he read allowed from his phone.
"'Zero out of five stars. A real shame about the service. With its beautiful open store front and kitchen I swear I could smell a mile away, I thought I'd found the perfect new watering 'ole. Boy was I wrong. They threw a fish at me! Didn't even let me stay until the end of the second period before calling authorities on me. So rude. Chicken was good.'" Simon eyes them from under his heavy brow. "Cap, you know what this means?"
"My ratings are now arse?"
"Our Johnny's learned to spell."
"Ye fockin' -!"
"Alright," John cut Soap off sternly. "Was it you, Si?"
"Please." The big man lumbers closer, tabling his phone as he leans across the bar to join their huddle. "If I wanted to ruin your reputation, I'd just stop coming to work."
John sighs, bewildered about their predicament, but believing his mate all the same. Soap, then. Meddling bastard. He hangs his head, catching a glimpse of Simon's phone in the process. "Oh look, we've got a defender." 
Soap leans past Simon's shoulder to read the comment below the review asking MamaBear what she did to deserve such treatment. "Ah know him. Regular. Ah'll 'spill' his first round next time he comes in."
"Good lad," John agrees. At a loss, he pulls his own phone back to himself and taps MamaBear's icon again, hoping to glean something new -.
And frowns in shock when he sees a new comment posted, thirty seconds ago.
"'Was just trying to watch the game!'" he recites.
The other men frown in confusion at him and John simply reaches over, refreshing Simon's page to display MamaBear's responding comment under the other one. Even Simon looks confused, eyes darting to Soap suspiciously. 
"How'd you do that?" he demands, and Soap starts whinging about never being believed or something, but John's not listening. Too busy coming to terms with the fact that he may be the kind of man who's willing to believe a bloody bear wrote a Google review.
next>>
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raizenchonk · 2 years
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Johnny "Soap" McTavish NSFW alphabet
this is literally my first time making content like this 😭 sorry if it's a bit corny I'm not a professional at long pieces of nsfw writing but I love Johnny and I think he's cute so yah
Warnings: Smut and more smut, not pointed towards a specific gender since I feel like my fellow enby soap lovers need more love 😤
A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)
this man is your professional butler after sex. need a glass of water? already on the table. need a massage? he is READY 🙏🏿 I just think he's such a sweetheart
B = Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partners)
His: he loves his arms and is really proud of them, he works out a alot and loves seeing your cum all over his fingers after he's done with you
Yours: ngl, I see him as a thigh man. no matter the gender he is obbessed with your thighs and would love to bury his head in them all day
if you have big boobs (again no matter the gender) he likes those too, squish em, bury his head in them, cum on them, he loves it!
C = Cum (Anything to do with cum, basically)
he loves watching his cum drip down your thighs. idk something about it just makes him wanna turn you into a mess
D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)
he likes imagining you and him having sex and drawing pictures of that and may even jerk off to it (Ghost almost found one of the drawings once)
E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)
he had a few partners in his past so he knows what he's doing for the most part, but is always willing to try new things
F = Favorite Position (This goes without saying)
loves any position where your faces are close together or any position that he can atleast see your face, he just loves admiring you yknow?
second in place would probably be doggy style. just the thought of him gripping your waist and hearing your moans from in front of him turns him on so much
G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment? Are they humorous? etc.)
Johnny knows how to give you a good laugh during sex. maybe your bodies press together and make a weird noise, he'll make a joke about that. but for the most part no. he's quite serious and takes his bonding (👀) with you really seriously
H = Hair (How well-groomed are they? Does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)
considering his job, he probably doesn't shave all that much. not that he's dirty or anything, he's really clean and smells really nice but no he doesn't really shave. I feel like he would have a happy trail but he's always willing to clean up more if you're not comfortable with his current state
I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment? The romantic aspect.)
like I said before HE'S SUCH A SWEETHEART ❤️❤️❤️ always pulling you into deep romantic kisses and always asking if you're okay AHHHH I could rant about him forever
J = Jack off (Masturbation Headcanon)
again, considering his job, he doesn't really jerk off that much. because 1.he barely has enough time or privacy 2. it's difficult for him to get turned on in the first place. not saying he hasn't jerked off on the job before, probably in a safehouse while thinking of you <3 but mostly no he doesn't really jerk off that much
when he's at home he doesn't usually jerk off either cuz he has you. but when he DOES it's usually in the shower or in his home gym when he sees your busy or doesn't really wanna bother you
K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)
to be honest I don't see Johnny as the very kinky type but that doesn't mean I don't think he has his kinks 🤭
I probably think the most noticeable kink he has is probably his love for edge play (tbh idrk if edgeplay is a kink but I looked it up and it said it was so🤷🏿) whether he's receiving it or giving it, honestly doesn't matter
L = Location (Favorite places to do the do)
the couch. now this might sound a bit random (and it is a bit random) but imagine that it was the first place you and Johnny ever had sex and he LOVED it and could not get enough of it. if you think the couch is uncomfortable he'll always be willing to move locations
M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)
when you say his name. I can't even elaborate JUS TRUST ME
N = No (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)
he would not hurt you, I feel like everyone in 141 also agree on not hurting their partners. sure a lil spanking, marking and maybe even grabbing your ass so much the point it leaves a temporary mark, yeah he loves doing that! but actually hurting you to the point where you draw blood? FUCK NO
O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)
tbh I see him as more of a giver than a taker, sure he loves watching your tongue work wonders on him as you put him in a trance but I feel like he would be more turned on if he got the opportunity to hear your...louder moans? idk he just seems like someone who just likes listening to people's voices, and since your voice turns him on he could listen to your moaning all day
P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)
honestly I see him going fast on default. of course if it's your first time with him he won't go fast but would probably pick up the pace slowly. and of course if you tell him you don't like it fast he'll slow down! cuz he's such a sweetheart<3
Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)
honestly I don't see him as someone who likes quickies that much. again I can't elaborate but idrk I think he feels like quickies don't leave his partner satisfied and Johnny being Johnny would do anything to satisfy his partner.
R = Risk (Are they game to experiment? Do they take risks? etc.)
Johnny's a pretty confident man, I see him as someone who's willing to take risks but not TOO extreme yknow, especially anything including weapons that TERRIFIES him.
Johnny is also kinda against sex in public, not cuz he's ashamed or anything but it's just a hassle. sure he'd grab your boobs (or ass), maybe tease you a little, talk dirty to you, but you'd probably have to be the one to initiate any kind of sex when in public
S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for? How long do they last?)
Johnny can last quite a while probably like 1-2 rounds, but each round lasts so long because all he wants is to be as close to you as possible for as long as possible (especially when you consider his job)
T = Toys (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)
owned a fleshlight for a while but had to throw it out, other than that no he doesn't have any toys, but would always be willing to try toys out if it makes you happy
U = Unfair (How much they like to tease)
Johnny is quite the tease. his teasing are usually stupid jokes that are so corny it's funny. sometimes he edges you and doesn't really let you cum first try but since your his weakness he usually isn't a tease
V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)
I feel like he would make kinda medium loud groans and grunts. I don't feel like he really focuses on being quiet either, honestly I don't think he's even aware of how loud he is lmao
W = Wild Card (A random headcanon for the character)
he loves stretch marks, honestly just seems like a chubby person lover in general, he loves kissing your stretch marks before, during and after sex just loves you and adores you so much it's so cute :)))
X = X-ray (Let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)
errrr 6.6 inches kinda veiny (I'll do colour headcannons separately ;)
Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)
you guys have sex a lot tbh. probably like 3-4 times a week. but other times is spent cuddling and him kissing you <3
Z = Zzz (How quickly they fall asleep afterward)
he falls asleep quite quickly (unless you need aftercare) and just kinda cuddles with you in his arms he's just so UGHHHHHHH I LOVE HIM but he snores so fucking LOUDLY it's like you'd think he was doing it in purpose
anyways that's basically all I have to say, sorry if it was too short or too long? idk and sorry if it doesn't have a lot of detail 😔 all of these are just personal headcannons
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dragon-kazansky · 3 years
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Lay beside me | Helmut Zemo
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Requested by @cherry-season
Collage made for me @real---remy Thank you so much!!!
Another lengthy one. Steamy situation ahead 😏
Sometimes you wanted to curse the way the universe worked. It's as if the universe took joy in your misery and you could nothing but deal with cards you were dealt.
The four of you: Sam, Bucky, Zemo and yourself, were stopping off at a hotel for the night. The place was pretty luxurious, but with Zemo in the group, you didn't expect anything less.
After finding out he's a Baron, nothing he does surprises you any more.
You were actually kind of impressed. You had never stayed anywhere so nice before. There was nice, and then there was nice. This place certainly fell under nice.
"Why do we have to be working? Why can't this be a vacation?" You sigh, looking around the beautiful lobby.
"Perhaps this is a reason to come back in the future," Zemo suggest, looking at you.
"As if I could afford to stay here on my own."
You all stroll up to the reception desk, letting Zemo take the lead. He requests four rooms, really not caring about the cost. He assumes everyone would be happier on their own, thought he wouldn't admit he wouldn't mind sharing a room with a certain someone.
He glanced at you. You were standing beside him, looking over at the seating area in the corner. He smiled at how interested you seemed in main entrance area alone. When the receptionist addressed him, he turned his attention there.
You wouldn't say this place was posh, but it was just so... classy. You really felt like you stood out in your gear.
"There's only two room available, with the festival in town, we are otherwise full."
All of you looked at the receptionist as if she had grown another head. That meant you would have to share with someone, unless....
"The three of you can share right?" You ask, looking at the three men.
"You mean I have to share a room with Bucky and Zemo? No, why don't we share?" Sam gestured between him and you.
"And leave Bucky alone with Zemo? Is that a good idea?"
"Well, I'm not sharing a room with Zemo."
"Then you have to share with Bucky."
"Which leaves you with Zemo." Sam couldn't see any good combination out of this. "I would rather Bucky than Zemo though."
You glance at Zemo who was looking at you with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Fine. I'll share with Zemo, but I won't hesitate to stab him if he does something," you warn, looking right at the Baron.
"Hey, I'm not complaining." Sam puts his hands up.
Zemo grabs the key cards off the desk, hands one to Sam and keeps hold of the other. Bucky glares at Zemo as you all enter the elevator.
Oh, it's awkward.
Bucky is standing behind Zemo, glaring at the back of his head. Sam is trying not to say anything. Zemo is looking at you from the corner of his eye, and then there's you standing there trying to avoid looking at any of them.
The ride up feels like forever. When the doors open, you're quick to get out. Unfortunately, you can just rush off. Firstly, Zemo has the key. Secondly, you're not sure which way the room is.
For a short bit you all go in the same direction, but Sam and Bucky have to break off down another hall to their room. Sam gives Zemo another warning, before reassuring you they will come quickly if you need them. You nod and let them go.
Helmut leads the way, unlocking the door when you arrive. He holds the door open for you.
"You first, little bird," he smiles as he gestures into the room with his free hand.
You duck past him and go inside.
The room isn't massive, but there's enough room to move around. There's a bed plenty big enough for two, a chair in the corner, a small desk and a stool. A tiny TV was situated on the wall.
It would do.
To be fair, you shouldn't complain. This is the nicest room you've had to stay in for a while. You walk over and sit in the chair.
Zemo places the key on the desk and removes his coat, hanging it in the small open wardrobe by the door. He turns around to face you.
"I apologise for the turn out."
You look at him stoically.
"It's fine."
Zemo was honestly over the moon he was sharing a room with you. He had hoped this would happen, it was an opportunity to talk to you without your "bodyguards" hovering around. Helmut hadn't had much of chance to sit and talk with you since your paths crossed.
"So, sleeping arrangements." Zemo runs his hand together as he looks at the bed.
"You take it. I can sleep in the chair." You were used to it, as much as you would love to relax in the comfortable looking bed. It looked so warm and welcoming.
"I won't allow that. It looks like we'll have to share the bed, little bird." He has a sly grin on his lips as he looks at you.
"You wish."
"There is no point in discomfort if the bed can fit two. I will not allow you to sleep on the floor or the chair. I already know your boys will come running if I step so much out of line. Are you really willing to sacrifice a warm bed for your own pride?"
You glare at him, but it's hardly threatening.
"No."
You stand up and walk over to the bed. You sit down on the other side, the mattress squashing down under you.
"Fine, but I meant it when I said I would stab you."
"I know," he chuckles.
The pair of you met up sigh the boys to have some dinner down in the food hall downstairs. Both boys checked in with you to make sure you were alright with the arrangements. You assured them it was fine, much to Zemo's delight.
Helmut assured you that you could order whatever you wanted, but you kept it pretty casual, not feeling good about leaching off him off him like this.
After the meal, you returned to your room.
You took off most of your gear and grabbed the remote for the TV. You decided to get comfortable in the bed and watch something.
Zemo disappeared into the bathroom to use the shower.
You really tried not to dwell on that too much. Yet, the idea of him in a steamy shower... no! No, you couldn't.
What is wrong with me?
You tried to focus on the TV, but you can't. You glance to the bathroom door. You can hear the shower running. He's in there, hot and wet... and naked.
Damn it brain!
You covered your face with your hands. You wanted to scream, but that would just bring him out to check on you.
You didn't hear the water turn off, or the door unlock moments later. You were far too occupied scolding yourself in your head, trying not to think about him.
"Is something the matter?"
You look up in shock, startled by his voice.
Now you're staring.
He was dressed in only a bathrobe, most of the top was open, his chest on display. There was a chain necklace hanging against the damp skin exposed to you.
You didn't realise the way your eyes soaked him in, or the way you licked your lips as you stared at him.
Zemo noticed.
"See something you like?"
You blink, shake your head, and turn away. He chuckles deeply as comes over to the bed. You feel the otherwise of the mattress dip down as he climbs in.
He smells so good.
Damn it!
You do everything in your power to avoid looking at him, but his presence is so prominent. You can feel him beside you.
Zemo is staring at you. He had been since he came back in. Your cheeks were flushed, you were very early trying to avoid him, and you were gripping the bed sheets like it was a life line.
He couldn't help grinning. He had no idea he could have this effect on you.
"Little bird~"
"Don't call me that."
"Liebling, then."
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing bad." He grins.
"I don't trust that."
Zemo shifts so he is resting on his side, one hand supporting his head and the other resting on the bed in front of him. He keeps his eyes on your face.
You take a glance.
His smile grows when you catch his gaze.
You sink down into the bed, still trying not to look at him. Your eyes on the TV, but you still have no idea what's going on. You can't get him out of your head.
"You must be tired."
"A bit."
"Sleep, I promise I won't do anything," he speaks softly.
"I know."
He chuckles softly. He watches as you try and get more comfortable. You let out a relieved sigh when you find the right spot. He just watches you.
"This must be nice for you," you say, looking up at the ceiling.
"What do you mean?"
"Staying in a lavish hotel, sleeping in a big bed... and the company."
"I suppose. Though you get used to being alone in a cell," he states.
You give in and roll over, racing him. You have to look up since he is propped up over you. He smiles softly down at you.
The scent of the hotel soap wafts past your nose. God, it makes you want to do things.
Brain, stop it.
Your eyes are drifting to his chest again.
"What's going through that head of yours?"
"Nothing!"
"I don't believe you."
"Well it's the truth."
"I don't think so," he whispers.
"What do you think then?"
"Judging by the way you keep looking at me, and not at my eyes I might add, I think you have plenty on your mind."
"Well," you try not to blush too much as you meet his beautiful brown eyes, "if you knew how to tie a robe properly, I wouldn't be staring."
"I don't mind you staring."
"I mind." You sit up and glare at him.
"Show me how to tie a robe then." Zemo sits up in the bed and untied the belt, allowing the robe to fall open. He sits there looking smugly at you.
You have no idea where to look.
"Oh my God!"
He laughs. The sound send shivers down your spine. It was the most genuine sound you had ever heard. He may laughing at you, but you would give anything to hear that sound again.
"Show me."
You shake out of your thoughts and look at the belt he has left laying on either side of him. You have to move closer to him to get a good angle. You sit up and face him, trying to avoid straddling him. You grab the robe and close it over him, trying so hard not to stare. Though, your eyes did wonder, you stopped yourself when you realised he is literally only wearing the robe.
One of his hands reach up and tuck under your chin, bringing your eyes to meet his. The smile on his face is subtle. His eyes take in your beauty.
"Don't be shy. You can look."
You shake your head softly and continue to close his robe, ignoring the obvious below his waist. Was he really turned on by this?
His hand had drifted from your chin to your cheek. His thumb brushed gently across your cheekbone as you tied the belt around him. This time there was far less on view.
"Done," you whisper.
His thumb moves to brush against your bottom lip. His touch is so gentle and ghost like. Your hands are resting over his covered chest. You can feel his heart beating under your hand.
Before you can think too much about it, his arms are looping around you and pulling you down into his chest. Your face falls inches away from his face. His eyes flicker over your face, taking in every little detail. Your leg drapes over his as he captures your lips with his. He's careful to roll you over so you're against the bed and he's over you. His kiss becomes more fierce when he realises you're not pushing him away. Your hands loop around his neck to hold him against you. He moves from your lips to your jaw, down your neck, pulling at the collar of your top to kiss as much skin as can access.
That's when you stop him. You place your hands on his shoulders and push him back.
"This is wrong..."
"You weren't giving that impression," he moves his face back to yours, an inch of space rests between you.
"Zemo-"
"Helmut, please."
"Helmut... I can't. It feels like I'm betraying their trust."
"They'll never have to know."
"But I'll carry that guilt with me."
Those stunning eyes of his turn almost sad. His tongue runs across his bottom lip as he moves from above you. Zemo settles on side next to you, laying as close as he can to you.
"Then allow me tonight to hold you. I may not get this chance again." He holds his arm open to you.
You admire his messy hair and soft gaze. He offers you a tiny smile. You roll over and settle into his chest, his arm drapes around you and he gathers you into his embrace. He plants a kiss to your head as you rest against his chest.
"Sleep. I want to hold you for a while."
You tilt your head up to kiss his jaw and settle into his arms, closing your eyes and listening to the way his heart races.
You wanted to tell yourself Zemo was just lonely, but as you lay there with him, you wondered of he held you in high regard. Perhaps there was more to this than you were thinking.
In the morning when you wake, you're still tangling in his arms. Your head was on his chest, his arms were still wrapped around you, though loosely. Your legs were tangled with his and his head nestled against yours.
You lay there in silence.
You're not sure how much time passed before he woke, but you had enjoyed every single second of it.
When he realised you were still resting against him, he tightened his hold on your and planted a kiss to your head, much like he had done before you fell asleep.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Liebling."
"I still don't know what that means," you mutter, not wanting to disturb the peace that had settled over you.
"I'll tell you later," he grins.
"I haven't slept that well in ages."
"I can say the same," he opens his eyes and looks at you, giving you a dashing smile.
"I almost don't want to get up."
"Then don't."
"We'll have to at some point," you tell him.
He chuckles softly as he closes his eyes again, nestling his face next to yours.
"We'll worry about that later. For now, let me enjoy this moment."
You smile and get comfortable against him.
"Alright."
Sam and Bucky and would throw a fit if they could see you now, but even that wouldn't be enough to stop how happy this man had made you in one night.
You hoped that, perhaps, you would get a second chance to do this. Maybe then you'll give him what he wanted last night.
Maybe, just maybe, something irreversible had begun.
@ajeff855 @moonstuffsteve @sky-writes-stuff @lieutenantn
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echo-three-one · 3 years
Text
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Chapter 24
I should really put effort on summaries, right? Anyways... Enjoy! ❤️
Table of Contents
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Going Dark - Part 3
Gary "Roach" Sanderson
MacTavish Residence, Glasgow, Scotland
Roach never would have guessed that MacTavish was a big time. Their 'old' house was already a mansion, complete with guest rooms, extravagant furniture and even an outdoor pool. Roach could stay here forever.
He was laying on a queen sized bed relaxing after a tiring chase earlier when Ghost knocked on his door and let himself in.
"What's wrong mate?" he asked, lifting only his head. Ghost leaned by the door and crossed his arms.
"You know how I got into a little argument with France back in Brazil right? Well, I still regret it ever happening…" he frowned, as shown by the way the fabric of his mask twitched.
"You regret which part? The fighting or the telling her what you feel?" Gary asked, cornering the ever vague Simon. He always does that when it comes to asking for advice.
Ghost ran a hand across his face and groaned.
"Bloody Hell, mate. Why do you have to ask those kinds of things?" he complained.
"So I could be clear as to which one I should recommend you to do." He replied quickly. He was very willing to help, but if Simon refuses to cooperate, then maybe he could handle it on his own.
"There's still one thing… I've been meeting with Alexandra not just for intel… " the tone of his voice was hesitant but he took a sharp inhale and continued.
"... we've also been sleeping together. No strings attached. For her it eases her tension from all the work while I try to forget about my feelings for Francine."
Gary didn't know what to say. Simon wasn't the kind of person to give up easily, and he fully understood the reasons for his latest actions.
"Well, it looks like Francine already made her choice, right?" Gary asked, trying to confirm from Simon that he already lost the battle.
"I'm not quite sure. Everytime I see her, she's physically distancing herself from Soap but later that night, they actually slept beside each other. She's making me confused and it still makes my heart beat for her…" Ghost admitted. As tough as he is on the battlefield, so was his admiration toward Francine. Gary pondered on how to help out his friend in this love triangle situation he caught himself in, but every direction he thought of would result in Ghost actually ending up sad.
The discussion was interrupted when a plane was heard from the distance, as it approached the nearby open area. It looked like the girls made it home.
"Looks like they're here." Roach sounded excited while Ghost looked worried.
~
It was impressive how they managed to bring most of their stuff from Brazil here in Scotland. It wasn't that much but the idea of packing things for six people in a hurry made Roach impressed.
"How did you bring most of this stuff?" Roach curiously asked Maxine as he helped her carry her stuff.
"Well, Samantha asked for help from his Dad and they immediately flew to Brazil." Maxine replied cheerfully, Roach loved how she managed to see the bright side of everything amidst the panic.
"So will Samantha-"
"No. They had a long talk with his Dad and she felt much safer back here with us. Her Dad wanted to offer help now that the New York Attack was over, but Samantha insisted, especially now that they're out hiding."
"Doesn't he have the power to like, pardon us for being wanted? That would make life much more easier for us."
"I thought of that too… but they're seeing Shepherd differently now. He's gone mad. And they want to corner him. Any action involving him may result in a global cripple. And I just heard all this on the plane ride here." Maxine frowned.
"Then that makes our job of locating him all worth it." Roach smiled giving hope to Maxine.
Maxine just nodded, her face was full of fear and doubt. She just wished all of this was over.
With Soap probably asleep, Roach had the liberty of touring the girls around the house, it was huge and spacious that each of them could occupy a room with about two more rooms to spare.
"Man, I could stay here forever." Roach mused as they walked the halls of the second floor. These four rooms are already occupied, most of the empty rooms are over there…" Gary pointed to the other end of the hall. Maxine looked at France and nodded as they both agreed to stay in one room.
"What about you, Miss Samantha?" Gary asked with sophistication, imitating a butler. Samantha giggled and blushed.
"I'll actually be sleeping with Alex, thanks Mr. Sanderson." she replied, playing along with Roach's role play. For a short moment, Roach felt relaxed. He hasn't felt like this for a while and it was too overwhelming. But while the enemies hid in the shadows, he was sure the team would be up for a tough fight anytime soon.
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Despite being tired, Roach couldn't sleep. He felt that there was something or someone else he needed to consult. So, he decided to get up and get himself a glass of water down the kitchen. While he could hear himself gulping down a glass of water, he could also hear faint thumping from the basement. With high alert, he began descending down the stairs to investigate the source of the sound.
It was Simon. He was still up and doing sparring rounds with a red punching bag, each of his punches sent the bag swinging violently.
"You okay?" Gary finally asked, alerting Simon of his presence.
"Can't sleep." he said nonchalantly, giving the punching bag another mighty punch. Roach took a minute to admire the huge gym Soap had, each piece of equipment probably spent a fortune. He slowly paced to the small area filled with equipment and grabbed himself some boxing mitts and a protective helmet.
"So, why don't we resume our little talk?" Gary called as he presented himself to Simon on full boxing coach gear. Simon immediately positioned himself and Gary did the same as they began training with the intention of talking it out.
Simon's punches were heavy, Roach could feel a little emotion on each hit he made and it was starting to make him unstable.
"So, anything you'd want to discuss?" Roach initiated, his hands carefully met his punches as they circled around the area.
"I've been trying to ignore her, Gary. You see me try right? But the more I don't think of her, the more excited I get when I accidentally see her. It's frustrating." He explained in between his punches. There it was, the thing bothering him the most.
"What did she say back in Brazil? She probably said something that kept you from moving on. I can't think of anything else that might cause you to feel this way, unless you're lying." Roach tilted his head so he could see Simon's reaction. His punches stopped coming and he just stood there, his hands dropped to his sides.
"She… she didn't say anything… but she distances herself to John while I'm around."
"John MacTavish or John Price?" Gary interrupted, in an attempt to brighten up the mood, but instead all he got was Simon's 'are-you-kidding-me-right-now?' look.
"But when I'm not around, she finds time to see him…" Simon continued. Gary took off his gloves and tapped his shoulder.
"She… she was being considerate." Simon concluded. It looked like Gary did his job. He could feel Simon's shoulders relax upon realizing what was actually going on.
"Despite all that… she sacrificed a little just to not hurt you." Gary added, he had no intention of making Simon guilty but now that he realized it, he was making an impact toward the relationship that was blooming between Soap and France.
"Thanks, Gary. For being a great friend…" Ghost took off his gloves and walked out of the gym.
"... and the worst therapist." He joked with a grin as he walked up the stairs and left Gary in the gym.
"I hope you find your peace, Simon." Gary muttered.
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The following morning, the team was already busy walking around the house. Soap was on the phone with a long list of things the girls ordered for their restock. It was planned that for the time being, the team was to stay in the MacTavish residence while Nero and Shepherd were off the grid.
Price and Jack started their own little command center inside Soap's father's office just by the living room. They began creating connections to their closest contacts to track activity from their enemies. Ghost seemed to be not around at the moment and Gary guessed he's still asleep.
Soap nodded a greeting to Roach as he walked by him on his way to the kitchen. Maxine and France were out opening drawers and anything in the pantry to clear up space for supplies. From the kitchen window, Gary spotted Samantha, Alex and Nikolai in front of a truck. Gary overheard that Nikolai wanted to go back home and he guessed today was the day he'd do so.
"I didn't know what kind of sugar you needed so I kinda ordered a bunch of em." Soap announced to the sisters and they laughed.
"The clerk kept asking me of brown, white, confectioners and some other and honestly I don't know which." he shrugged and scratched his head.
"Hey man, I was just wondering… why did you choose the risky life? When you had everything you ever needed here?" Gary asked the question that has been bothering him since he got here.
"I dunno Roach. It's just that I knew it was calling out to me… You also sound like my Mum when I told her I'm joining the force." he chuckled. Gary just nodded but still didn't understand his logic. But he dismissed the thought as soon as Maxine and France asked for his help reaching something by the cabinets.
The rest of the day was busy. Once supplies arrived, everyone else was preoccupied. Lifting boxes, arranging items, looking for intel. It was like they made their own 141 base inside the house.
By the time they're almost free, Roach and Maxine were already in the kitchen preparing for dinner.
"So, any new dreams lately?" Roach initiated as he sliced through the vegetables they're cooking.
"Piece by piece. Last night I remembered having gum stuck on my hair on picture day. I cried a lot." she giggled. Roach smiled, he was glad she's getting her memories back which made him remember of Samantha's case.
"Ow!" Gary winced as he accidentally cut a short scrape on his thumb. He was so busy staring at Maxine that he forgot he was chopping.
"Don't worry. It's just a small wound." Gary assured as Maxine pulled his thumb close to her mouth and blew air through it, just like when you're a kid and you do that to ease the pain.
Gary couldn't help but smile at her immediate action. She also looked concerned and worried about his welfare.
"Hey Max." he whispered, making the girl turn to him, her face was so beautiful in Gary's eyes.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Nothing… It's just that…"
"What is it? You're making me worried"
"I really really like you, Maxine Winters."
Maxine looked at him in the eye, the eye contact they were doing was starting to make the world fade behind them.
"Guys! I have bad news." Soap interrupted, causing everyone to form a small circle by the living room.
"Ghost left. With a note saying he'll try to gather more information on Shadow Company with Alexandra's help. He says thanks and that he'll see us all soon." Soap summarized the note. The room fell silent.
Next Chapter : Off the Grid
Notification Squad my Beloved
@samatedeansbroccoli @enderio @smokeywhalee @whimsywispsblog @beemybee @ricinbach
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aphcrunch · 4 years
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noraus for the ship meme bc i'm here 2 see ur takes >:0
my takes for aus arent super Refined bcos imo hes a bit tricky & i dont look at his fanon side much. this in mind ill try to do u proud 🙏 for the NorAus.
who reaches out to new neighbors: neither of them. pair of hermits. aus may be more willing to entertain new company but he'd never exert himself to do so.
who remembers to buy healthy food/who remembers to buy junk food: i see them both as being super picky/choosy with what they eat, it's likely they never really branch out much in their diets. not to say they aren't getting at least some healthy food in the first place, but they don't have a picturesque grocery list ^^
who fixes the oven when it breaks: with the people they know... yeah no way are they doing it themselves.
who waters the plants/feeds their pet(s): nor
who wakes up earlier: aus is an early riser i think. likely keeps a strict sleep schedule for himself that nor just can't function when following.
who makes the bed: nor
who makes the coffee: nor, on the occasion they're waking up at the same time
who burns breakfast: aus lol (he can bake but he's just not attentive with it!!)
how do they let each other know they’re leaving the house: its as simple as "i'm heading out." "alright ♡ u bye" tbh
how do they greet each other when one of them gets home: they'd likely find the other exactly where they left them last. things carry on as normal after the "welcome back."
who brings home little gifts like flowers/chocolates more often: aus is more of the romantic between the two
who picks the movie for movie night: they dont watch movies they watch soap operas and trash tv
who first suggests a pillow fort: aus
who builds the pillow fort: nor
who falls asleep first: aus and his beauty sleep :eyes_rolling: :yawn:
who is big spoon/little spoon: am i gonna be yote for saying aus as big spoon o//m//o idk the politics abt that take but i like it
in my opinion these two are very similar and very functioning with one another, they're truly one of the more meant-to-be rarepairs. they wouldn't have to speak much with their love language and they'd carry out a very lazy, domestic life together ♡
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stanbillyhargrove · 4 years
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Ghosts chp 13
Billy x Katrina
A/N: this is a multi chapter series that will contain smut, angst, fluff, substance abuse
This is a sweet fluffy Steve chapter, boy deserves it 💜💜 also we get little hints of what's to come next week 😈
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Steve's POV
"Oh, hey! Do you guys mind if we pop in here for a minute?" I asked, pointing at a little apothecary.
Katrina glanced around, noticing a coffee shop across the street, "yeah, sure, we'll go get some coffee."
They took off across the street as I ducked into the little shop. Plants filled the deep windowsills, except for a little spot cleared for a plush, purple pillow. All around the shop were white shelves filled with all sorts of soaps, lotions and little bags filled with flowers and herbs. I could have spent all day just soaking in all the different smells.
I was holding a bag to my nose, inhaling deeply when I heard a voice.
"Love charm, smells good, doesn't it?"
I whirled around to see a girl who had just come out of the back of the store. Long brown hair hung in waves down her bare shoulders when she leaned on the counter.
She stared at me, waiting, "hello?"
"Oh, I, ah..yes, smells...pretty."
She smiled, "you trying to attract someone?"
"What?"
"The charm. You looking for something to attract love?"
"N-no," I stammered, putting the bag back on the shelf, "I just...like all the smells."
"Follow me," she said, leading me to a different shelf.
She pulled out a bar of soap and handed it to me, "smell this. I just got the recipe right."
I held it up to my nose, inhaling deeply. A warm scent filled my nose, deep woodsy musk and sharp spices. I hummed, my eyes closing.
"Good, huh?" She giggled, "it's one of my new favorites."
"This smells amazing, you made this?"
"Yeah, I run this place with a couple friends. I make most of the soaps and charms."
"Wow, that's...amazing. What is this one?"
"Cedar, clove and cinnamon for prosperity, protection and love."
I looked up at her, "but...I'm not.."
She smirked, "who doesn't need a little love in their life? And even if you don't need it, it still smells great, right?"
"Yeah," I murmured, "it does...my name's Steve, by the way."
"Riley," she answered, extending a hand to me.
Her hand was so small and delicate in mine, soft like rose petals. Our hands lingered for a moment, neither wanting to let go.
"Hey, uh...are you, would you like to get coffee or something later?"
Her cheeks flushed a light pink, "yeah, yeah I would."
--
"Steve?"
I hummed, glancing up from Riley's cup, away from the stick that seemed to spin around the cup for too long on its own.
"I said, what brings you to Salem?"
"Oh, my friend Katrina. She's looking for someone to help her."
"With?"
"Ghosts."
"Oh? Is she haunted or is she a medium?"
"A medium, I guess? She sees them, talks to them. She's trying to find someone to help her control it."
She was quiet for a moment, thinking to herself, "I might be able to help, I'll have to ask."
"That would be great, she'd really appreciate it."
--
"Oh! A Scream marathon!"
I looked over at Riley, who was smiling from ear to ear, "you're a horror fan?"
"They're my favorite!" She wiggled her eyebrows at me, "are you a scaredy cat, Steve?"
I could feel my cheeks heat up when she giggled, "don't worry, Riley's here to protect you."
--
We'd been here for a little over a week now and I'd spent every moment possible with Riley. Slowly getting closer and closer until.
"Steve," she murmured.
I pulled away from her, just a little and opened my eyes.
"I think we should talk."
My heart sunk to my knees when she leaned away from me, "oh, okay."
I was preparing myself for the heartbreak of 'I think you're a nice guy but...I just don't like you like that.'
But what I wasn't expecting was, "I really like you...but I don't know if I want anything physical. I, we...I just don't know if I want to be in a long distance relationship y'know?"
I let out a relieved sigh, "I thought you were about to tell me I had misunderstood, that you didn't like me. We don't have to start anything if you don't want to, I can deal with us just being friends if that's what you want."
She smiled and leaned into my shoulder, "thanks, Steve."
--
"Dude, you gotta fight for her! Prove you're worth the distance!"
I rolled my eyes, "Billy, I can't force her into a relationship."
He grabbed my shoulders, "we leave in two hours, Steve. You make it sound like she's the love of your life and you're willing to just give up on that?"
I shrugged, "if that's what she wants."
"Screw that. What do you want?"
I knocked his arms away, "it doesn't matter."
"It does matter, what do you want?"
I felt my eyes starting to sting and looked away from him, clenching my jaw.
"Steve!" He yelled, "what do you want?"
I glanced back at him, my eyes watering, "I want her to choose me...I want to try."
His expression softened and he smiled at me. Smug bastard.
"Then go tell her. Tell her that's what you want, that you're willing to go the distance. That you care about her."
But, I didn't. Couldn't muster up the courage to lay myself bare before her.
--
We were just finishing packing up the Camaro, shuffling around our bags in the truck to make them fit. Katrina and Billy moved out of the way so I could close the trunk and there, standing in the door of the house staring at me, was Riley. I gave her a tight smile and moved around the car but was stopped by her yelling.
"Wait! Steve, wait!"
I looked up just in time to see her running at me, dark hair streaming behind her before she jumped into my arms. I wrapped my arms around her waist and felt her legs tighten on my hips, holding herself up. Her hands were warm on the side of my face, her lips soft against mine. She broke away after a moment, moving just far enough to tip our foreheads together.
"I couldn't just let you leave," she murmured, "if you still want to try, I do too."
"Yeah," I murmured, a slow smile stretching across my face, "yes. I want to give us a shot."
I could see Billy's smug grin from the other side of the car. He must have said something to her, the bastard.
-- March
"Hey, it's okay, Riley. I understand. We'll see each other next weekend though?"
"Of course," she replied, voice soft and sleepy, "we'll have a movie marathon?"
"Anything you want, I'll load up on snacks just for you."
She hummed, "ice cream too?"
I smirked, laughing softly, "super fudge chunk?"
"You listen so well."
I smiled, "night, Riley."
"Night, Steve."
I hung up and walked out into Billy's living room, still smiling. He was sitting on the couch, fiddling with the Xbox controller in his hands.
"Took you long enough," he teased, "thought this was boy's night."
"Sorry, Riley was just letting me know she can't come this weekend. Family stuff."
"Well, you can hang with Katrina and I. She's been a little spacey so we're just staying in."
I flopped down beside him, "she okay? Do you think it's cause of what happened?"
He shrugged, "she says she's fine, thinks it's just stress."
--
I could barely contain myself as the minutes ticked down to when Riley was supposed to be here. I had taken forever to set everything up. Snacks covered my kitchen counter, dinner was waiting on the stove, ice cream was in the freezer. I'd even built a blanket fort in my living room, though I was starting to second guess that decision. Whenever I'd done things like this for Nancy, she always said it was too much. Too childish.
I was pulled out of my thoughts by a knock at the door. There was no backing out now.
I swung the door open to see Riley, a duffel bag over one shoulder and a big smile on her face.
She dropped her bag inside the door to wrap her arms around my neck and give me a soft kiss before murmuring, "it smells amazing in here."
I stepped backwards, leading her into my apartment and closed the door behind her, "I made breakfast."
She hummed, "breakfast for dinner? I love it."
She broke away from me and stopped, staring at the living room, "oh my god."
"It's too much isn't it? I'm sorry, I can take it down."
She shook her head and turned to smile at me, "no, it's perfect."
I kissed her again before going to the kitchen to start dishing up our food.
Riley padded up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist, "so, what did you make us?"
"French toast, I used Katrina's recipe, Billy swears it's the best thing he's ever had, scrambled eggs and sausages. I hope that's okay. I have snacks and ice cream too."
"Steve," she soothed, running her hands up and down my chest, "everything is perfect. Relax."
I let my shoulders drop, let out a long breath and held a plate out to the side for her, "what movies did you bring?"
She let go of me to grab the plate, "I figured I'd start you out with a funny movie so I brought 21 Jump Street to watch first. Then I have Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
I smirked, "isn't that a little backwards? Don't you leave the funny movie for after the horror?"
She shook her head, "if I did that, you wouldn't need me to comfort you."
-- April
"Thanks for coming to get me," Katrina murmured, wincing when the seat belt of my car put pressure on her bandages.
"Yeah, no problem."
We were quiet as I started to drive towards Katrina and Billy's apartment building. We were about halfway there when I cleared my throat.
"Why didn't you call Billy?"
"I didn't want to give him another reason to worry about me."
"He's worried anyway, he called me saying you were hurt and disappeared. Maybe I should call Riley, get her to talk to Audrey.."
"No!" She turned to me, "no, don't do that. I'm fine, I promise. It's just stress or anxiety or something."
I glanced over at her and huffed, "okay.."
-- May
"Bye, Audrey! Bye, Brooke!" I called from the the front door of their house.
I could hear them call back as I backed away from the door, Riley trailing behind me. She followed me to my car and leaned into my chest after I'd thrown my bag in the backseat.
I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head, "it's just a few weeks, it'll go by fast, you'll see."
She sighed, "I know, it just sucks."
I ran my hand up and down her back, "I know, but Billy said Katrina needs to get away from the city for a bit and we planned for the three of us to go."
She looked up at me, "call me though?"
"Of course. I'll call you so much you'll be sick of me."
She smiled, "love you, Steve."
I leaned down to kiss her gently, "love you, Riley."
I made a mental note as I drove away to get something delivered to her house every weekend we were apart, just to make her smile.
@charmed-asylum @champagnesugamama @alias-b
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(1/4) Hi sex witch, poly anon again. Thank you so much for being willing to take a shot at answering my questions! (Also I'm really sorry if this is too long, I want to give you as much info as I can). Quick synopsis, we're three cis, bi twenty-somethings in a committed, closed poly. We are stopping the use of condoms between us (we all tested clean for STIs and I am on birth control), so the biggest question we have is how much scrubbing is required before a penis is considered clean enough to
(2/4) go from anal sex to vaginal? Is soap and hot water sufficient, or should we continue using a condom for that act specifically? (M, who generally does the penetrating, is allergic to latex, which makes condoms both difficult to get and rather expensive, so if we can stop the use we would all like that very much). Also, do you have any advice for double vaginal penetration? It is something we all really want to try, but there is basically no practical information about it. We all
(3/4) have really great communication skills with each other, and I trust these guys absolutely, so right now we're just lacking the starter info. Final question, and this is slightly more of a maybe doctor one, but M has a very, *very* short refractory period usually (hence the first question). Is that something that could possibly be a medical concern? There's no pain or discomfort for him, and his second erection acts basically the same as his first, but B and I just want to 
(4/4) make sure that there's no hidden potential harm behind it, cuz we love the guy and don't want our sexy times to end up hurting him. Thank you SO much for being willing to hear my questions and being so welcoming, it really means a lot, seeing as the three of us have struggled a lot with finding inclusive info (from doctors esp, I don't even want to think of how judgy the folks at our STI testing clinic were. *sigh*). So thank you!   
hello again, poly anon!
first off, don’t worry at all about saying too much. you’ve given me a very generous amount of info to work with, and I wish I had this much detail about everyone whose questions I answer! I also just want to say it sounds like you and your partners have put a lot of thought and care into talking about your shared sexual health and the things you want to explore together, which I love to see in any relationship. good for the three of you for being so proactive!
now, on to your questions:
I can’t in good conscience recommend ever transferring an uncovered penis (or any other penetrative object) straight from an anus to a vagina. no matter how clean the butthole in question is, there’s a risk of fecal matter or other bacteria being transmitted to the vagina. I’m also broadly against anal sex without condoms, since it increases the risk of tearing small fissures in the sensitive anal tissues. 
it is fully up to y’all, especially since y’all have a latex allergy to keep in mind, but I personally cannot recommend going straight from anal to vaginal penetration without protection. 
when it comes to double penetration, I’d recommend using silicone based lube, since it will provide the most lubricant and will be the most long-lasting and I doubt you want to worry about getting more lube while you’re trying to coordinate double penetration. it will of course be up to the three of you to find a position that works for you, but doggy style is most often recommended and may make a helpful starting point for you. 
lastly, as long as M isn’t feeling lightheaded, nauseous, or anything else unusual, there’s nothing wrong with a short refractory period! honestly, good for him - and good for you and B for being such thoughtful partners looking out for his health like that. 
I hope y’all have a lot of fun with your double penetration <3 
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thewritingcaptain · 5 years
Text
Bloody Things and Broken Wings (Chapter 4)
Tony tenses, then visibly forces himself to relax. Peter internally curses at himself. That's not the reaction of someone who's not guilty of something or the other. And just when he was starting to think it might be worth it to trust him…
Notes: Hey guys! Nothing important to say here really; I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been reading and supporting me! I love you all 3000! Also, be prepared for some feels the next two or three chapters! Nothing big is going down here yet, but it’s coming! :)
As soon as he closes the bathroom door behind him, Tony stops, taking a deep breath to steel himself again and forcing himself to relieve some of the tension in his shoulders.
He'd been tense since Jarvis had alerted him that Morgan had been granted entrance to the kid's room. He isn't entirely sure why he was so on edge about it, if he's being honest; neither of them were in positions to hurt the other, unless Morgan tried to climb up on the bed with him for some reason - not that he really thought either of them would try. Still, finding them both intact and chatting amicably had been a relief. It was actually nice to see Peter so relaxed; in comparison with how he had acted around Morgan, it was clear how tense (and afraid, even if he doubts Peter would admit that) he was around Tony.
Of course both of those reappeared as soon as he entered the room, but that wasn't the point.
Not that he'd actually entertained the thought that he was desperate enough to do anything, but Tony was glad Peter hadn't tried to say or do anything stupid with Morgan. He'd tried testing the waters and immediately backed off when he saw that wasn't going to get him anywhere, rather than start something with her in the room. And to an extent, he was glad she hadn't seen the cuff he'd put on the younger male's ankle, either; he wouldn't have taken it off if she had, but he knew she would have been upset by it.
In truth, Tony was upset by having to do it. But deciding that it was a necessary evil was one of the decisions he'd made this morning; he isn't going to have him try to take off when he's still injured. Tony has every intent of nursing the kid back to full health, whether he likes it or not. And of course it doesn't have anything to do with his guilt or his need to know what Peter has gone through on behalf of the Avengers, or anything he knows about the people looking for him; but if he manages to make some of that up to him, well, that's just an added bonus.
He hasn't told Peter who he is yet, and clearly, Peter hasn't figured it out on his own, despite seeing him use the gauntlets and his nanotech. He can't say he's too surprised; it's been almost six years since he himself made a public appearance. He's gone into hiding, in a way. He would daresay he's still a recognizable figure, but he doesn't go out to where he could be recognized very often anymore. He thought long and hard about it this morning, but he's decided he's not going to tell him - at least, not right away. Mainly because of what Peter has apparently already gone through on their behalves, and the adverse reaction he'd probably have to realizing. The kid is clearly already terrified of him now; the last thing he needs to add to that mix is him knowing who he is and thinking that he has some alternative purpose for helping him. Which he probably already thinks, Tony knows, but with this new information, the kid would probably think he's found a legitimate reason to worry. No, he wants to try to gain at least a tiny bit of trust between them first.
It doesn't look like it'll be impossible. Difficult, certainly, but not impossible. He's got Morgan on his side, for one thing. He's yet to meet anyone who is immune to her precious charms, and if the bit of interaction he heard before bursting in earlier is any indication, Peter is no exception. That in itself will open up some avenues. Not that he would ask Morgan to do or say anything to Peter on his behalf, but… well, clearly, she's well taken care of, and he's been told it's obvious she adores him. Hopefully some of that will be enough to let Peter rest easier around him.
Besides, he intends to take care of him personally, and he likes to think he's not too scary after the first couple of meetings (unless he's trying to be, of course, but he won't be). Eventually he'll have to realize that Tony really wants nothing more than to help him.
The only problem he's going to run into, Tony muses as he hunts down the supplies to fix the kid up again, is that they were only supposed to be staying here for a day or two, while Pepper has her meetings. Peter is going to take weeks to recover. And while he may have put up with Tony carrying him to the bathroom, if he tries to, say, load him into the car and drag him out to their lakeside home, he knows the young vigilante would absolutely freak. That really would be kidnapping him. And unless he goes separately from Pepper and Morgan, they'll be witness to whatever happens.
Not to mention the fact that Pepper is mostly certainly still highly recognizable, and if he sees her, he'll probably put things together in an instant.
He can deal with that later. Pepper has meetings today and tomorrow. He'll just call Happy to help him keep an eye on Morgan and try to see what kind of progress he can make with Peter. By tomorrow night he'll have to make some kind of decision about who's going where - if they're all staying, if only he stays, or if he's willing to drag a possibly kicking and screaming superhero out of the city with them - but not today.
Today he just goes in search of the first aid kit and heads back to the room where he left the younger hero, intent on helping however he can.
When he re-enters the bathroom, Peter is carefully balanced on the edge of the tub, steadying himself with his unbroken arm and leg - he only has one of each, in the midst of all those injuries - and is checking the temperature of the water. He's somehow managed to get from the toilet to the bathtub across the room, and he's gotten the shirt and sweatpants Tony had dressed him in last night off on his own.
Tony has to admit, he's impressed with the kid's pain tolerance, and his reckless tendency to continue pushing boundaries. What he's not impressed with is how skinny he is - he'd noticed he was small, before, but now that he's not covered in blood and he can get a better look at him, he can see the prominent set of his ribs, the fact that he's not just in-shape skinny, but unhealthy-skinny. And with all the bandages he's swaddled in, he looks even smaller.
He lets out an unhappy hum under his breath without even consciously realizing it. Peter doesn't look up, but he shifts slightly in a way that lets Tony know he definitely heard it and asks, "What?"
"Nothing," he says quickly, irritated at himself for his lack of control. He steps closer. "Do you want anything to put in there? You're not allergic to any type of soap or anything, right?"
"Not that I know of," Peter says after a moment's hesitation, and Tony instinctively knows that it's true, if only because if he actually was allergic to something he probably would have refused to tell him what or just flat out refused to answer. "But I'm good."
"If you insist." Tony steps closer, waiting until he turns to face him to touch him so he doesn't startle him. He gently grabs one of his arms, starting to unwrap the bandages there, and continuing to do so until he's pulled all of the bandages off.
Peter watches silently, and gives no hint of a reaction except for an occasional wince, until he's pulled off the last one and is throwing it in the trash can. Then he says so quietly Tony almost isn't sure he's supposed to hear, "Thanks. You can go now."
Tony blinks, his brow furrowing as he looks down at the slight kid in front of him. "What?"
Peter shrugs, turning and carefully draping his legs over the tub. "I said you can go. I can do this myself."
He has the insane thought of 'you're dismissing me?' and then realizes that Peter would have no idea why that scenario is so backwards even if he says it outloud. He shakes the thoughts away, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Peter… I know it's uncomfortable for you, but I really think-"
"Don't touch me." Peter jerks away almost violently, and Tony dimly realizes after the fact that the younger male had immediately gone from stiff to shaking under his touch. Shit. He's got trauma too, you moron.
"I'm… sorry," Tony manages, trying unsuccessfully to keep the thoughts at bay of exactly what kind of trauma would have made Peter react to his touch like that. "I'll… go, then, but I'll be just outside, okay? Holler for me when you're decent, and we'll get you wrapped back up." Then he practically flees the room, without waiting for a response.
He leaves the door cracked just a tiny bit behind him, then settles down to wait.
Peter watches him go and doesn't say anything. Some part of him feels bad for snapping at Tony, but he just couldn't help it, the same way he could hardly control his body's reaction to it. He's shaking, and he's honestly not sure why, what he even triggered, but it's there and it's not going away.
He sighs, slipping off his boxers and easing himself into the water, slowly, groaning a bit at the pain. He looks about as bad as he feels, which is to say, like absolute shit. There's not a single part of him that doesn't hurt, and all he wants to do is sit and soak in the water for as long as possible. Maybe he'll get lucky, fall asleep with the water running and drown. He's starting to think he'd much prefer that to any of the other inevitable unhappy endings coming to him. Besides, there's no one left who'd care if he's gone anyway. He had one family member and two friends left by the time the Snap had happened. And of course all three of them had disappeared. Right in front of his eyes, to boot. But wasn't that just his luck?
He can't remember the last time he'd actually been able to soak in a bath of water - at least, a time when it wasn't being used as a torture device. This time, between his injuries and his exhaustion and the fact it is not an uncomfortable temperature nor is anyone wrecking havoc on his body or his mind while he lays there, he actually does doze off. Scrubbing himself clean is exhausting, not to mention difficult in his scenario. One moment he's rinsing off his mangled leg with painstaking care, and the next he's out.
He wakes up a bit later to the feeling of weightlessness, and realizes he's being carried. He startles when he realizes it, but the arms around him tighten in response. "Easy Pete. It's just me."
It's probably supposed to be soothing, and coming out of the grips of the memories and fears that paralyze him as he sleeps, it kind of is, even if he doesn't know if he should trust Tony yet. He settles for long enough to be taken the rest of the way to bed, where Tony carefully lays him down.
He's clutching handfuls of Tony's shirt like a little kid, and he doesn't even realize it until the elder man is trying to set him down and meets the resistance. To his utter embarrassment, he's stuck to him again. So not only is he wet and naked, wearing nothing but a towel after he failed to even take a bath on his own, he's now stuck to his… whatever the hell this guy is to him now, and he's not in control enough of himself to be able to make his stickiness go away. And he's so tired that he can't even say or do anything about it.
Tony seems to sense his distress. "Easy, kiddo. It's alright. I'll stay, if that's what you want." He carefully settles beside him on the bed, and before Peter fully realizes what's happening he's tucked snugly into Tony's side, the blankets pulled up around them, and suddenly he's asleep against the elder man's side.
Tony is still there when he startles awake some time later, soothing him before he'd even fully aware of what's going on.
"Easy, it's all right… just lay back down, breathe, Peter… it was just a dream…"
He was dreaming? News to him. He must have been freaking out in his sleep again. "I'm- sorry," he manages to get out.
"Don't be." Tony runs a hand down his arm, and Peter unthinkingly snuggles closer to his side. It's been such a long time since anyone held him like this. Platonically, lovingly, as if his comfort is the only thing that matters. He dimly registers Tony's other hand dragging through his hair and resists the urge to purr like a cat. "You feeling okay now? More awake?"
"Yeah…" Suddenly it returns to him why Tony is still there and he flushes furiously, jerking back as if burned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" he tries to pull his hands away and realizes they're still stuck, albeit in slightly different places than before.
"Hey hey. It's alright. You can't control it all the time." Tony puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him, and he stills, blinking hard against the sudden burning behind his eyes. As if he needs to be more indebted to this man. But Tony notices even that, and his expression softens even more. "Peter, calm down." He taps his chin up gently. "I'm not mad, and you didn't do anything wrong. You're healing, and those freaky spider powers of yours seem to be making it go quicker at the cost of your energy. You need all the rest you can get." He pauses, smiling a little. "Anyway, you're far from the first person that's ever used me as a pillow, kiddo. I'm used to it."
Peter lowers his eyes when Tony releases his chin, unable to take the earnesty in them when he doesn't know if it's real or fake, and either way no one has given a shit about him in so long that it's honestly painful to see. He takes a breath and mutters a small, "Thanks."
"Of course." Tony ruffles his hair with such care that Peter wants to flinch away from the obvious affection. "Now, let's get you dressed in something besides a towel. You think you can let me up now?"
Peter bits his lip, not answering in favor of concentrating hard. Slowly but surely, his hands come unstuck from where they are resting on Tony's torso.
"Perfect." He gets up carefully, so he doesn't jostle him, then walks over to the dresser and grabs a stack of clothes Peter hadn't noticed earlier. "I took the liberty of getting some clothes brought up for you, since you obviously didn't have anything besides the suit with you and that is not even going to be an option until repairs are done - if they even can be, as unrecognizable as it is. They might not fit just right, but it's better than nothing." He stops at the edge of the bed, setting the clothes down beside him and frowning slightly at the look that must have crossed Peter's face. "What?"
"You… think you can repair my suit?" Peter doesn't dare let the hope show on his face. If he's willing to repair it, that means he gets it back, right? Which means he has to be intending to actually let him go when he gets better. Or that he just wants it to be up and running again to get whatever information out of it is possible, a pessimistic side of him adds, but he pushes the thought away in favor of another slightly less pessimistic but equally concerning one. "Wait. What do you know about my suit? You never told me."
Tony tenses, then visibly forces himself to relax. Peter internally curses at himself. That's not the reaction of someone who's not guilty of something or the other. And just when he was starting to think it might be worth it to trust him…
"It's not what you think," Tony says quickly, apparently seeing the expression on Peter's face. "I just… happen to know the person who made your suit. So I know a bit about it, and yeah, we might be able to fix it. But I can't promise anything, Peter. It was really messed up."
That's because he had gotten really messed up, but neither of them wants to say that. Apparently the unspoken words hang heavy in the room, though, because Tony suddenly continues, "Speaking of which, kid, I would really like to get you seen by a professional. I think your leg and your arm need to be reset and casted at least temporarily, and I would really like to see some actual scans being done to make sure there's nothing on the inside I missed. Is that okay with you?"
Peter hesitates. He doesn't like the idea of it. He hasn't been seen by a doctor in years - partially because he can't afford to be, partially because he knows since the bite he's not all human and he doesn't know to what extent that is, and he's not all about being turned into a human science experiment. "I… haven't been seen by a doctor since…" he hesitates. He's honestly not sure of the exact amount of time, but it goes back further than even the Snap, into his early teens, probably.
Tony's eyes widen a bit at the realization. "Oh. Longer than the Snap?" Peter nods. "How long, then, exactly?"
"Um…" He looks down, picking some imaginary fuzz off the blanket. "Seven or so years, at least."
"Sev- Jesus, kid. That's not healthy, even if you weren't getting injured every time you step on the street." Tony looks stricken.
"Yeah, well, excuse me for not wanting to become a human science experiment!" Peter retorts unthinkingly, then blanches.
Tony stares at him, then shakes his head. "That's… reasonable, I suppose. I'm sorry. But you're going to see one this time, kid. I know a guy, and you wouldn't be the first mutant he's dealt with. I promise you, no science experiments, no scary stuff, and he knows how to be discreet. Does that sound fair?"
Peter slumps back against the pillows, closing his eyes. "What does it matter? We both know you're going to make me whether I say no or not."
He hears Tony let out a pained sigh. "It's for your own good, kid. Just… don't make this harder than it needs to be." A pause, then the bed moves as he settles beside him again. "Come on. Let's get you bandaged and dressed, then we'll get some food into you and you can rest again for a while."
Peter says nothing as gentle hands take his arm again, starting the process of bandaging his wounds again. Peter lays still and quiet except for when otherwise instructed as Tony wraps him up and helps him into some fresh clothes. Despite not doing much - or perhaps because he hasn't - Peter is trying not to fall asleep again by the time he's finished.
Tony gets his shirt on and lays him back against the pillows, seeming to realize then that he's battling unconsciousness again. Whatever he was going to say is lost as he just closes his mouth and smiles a little, pulling the blankets over him again. "Get some rest, Peter." He tucks him in and gets up, and Peter's eyes fall closed before he's even out of sight.
His mind is a few minutes behind his body, though, even though that's also fading fast. Still, he's awake for just long enough to hear the faint dial tone of a phone and Tony's whisper of, "Bruce, I need a favor," and then the world is black again.
Taglist: @lyrical-harmony @httydlovena @jewelrnicorn @mentalyokay @sweatpants-romance
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leiascully · 6 years
Note
Ummm....I'm a little late. But can you maybe write a little ficlet about Mulder and Scully getting assigned to the Dallas terrorist task force? A post ep for The End, but pre-FTF? Maybe a little snippet of the plane ride out there? What were they thinking? What'd they talk about? Did Diana come up at all?
Anything for you, doll!
She still smells smoke when her hair falls across her face.  It’s not real; Scully knows that.  She’s washed her hair several times in the days since the fire, with the lemon shampoo that covers even the lingering reek of formaldehyde.  She hasn’t been down to the office in days, though her finger slips automatically to the lowest button in the elevator before rising again.  It isn’t real, but she smells it nonetheless.  Mulder would understand - he probably catches the whiff of burned paper when he strips off his undershirt at night - but she can’t tell him.  Diana lingers between them like stale cigarette smoke; the choices Mulder made on the Gibson Praise case muddle the air between their temporary desks.  Scully can’t decide if the taint of nicotine or the slightly cloying smell of charred manila folders would be more appropriate.  
In the absence of the X-Files, they have been reassigned, as if the powers that be could repurpose them.  As if they hadn’t been forged in the basement long before the flames licked around the edges of their evidence.  Some swords can’t be beaten into ploughshares, not again.  How far did the higher-ups sift through their history before they hit on the terrorist task force as an appropriate venue?  Does someone, somewhere, in some smoke-hazy office, know that something’s going to happen, or is it just the general paranoia that undergirds American society?  Like the trees that turned out to be one enormous organism, like the fungi that interlace for acres underground, different threads of bigotry are woven through their society, the pretty pattern spoiled and snarled underneath.  Her life too has become irretrievably tangled, or at least her mother thinks so.  In ways, Scully is grateful that her mother can’t see the ugliness of all the other choices in her life.  Maggie Scully can still appreciate a landscape or a tapestry without imagining the brutish scurrying underneath.
Mulder is moody and standoffish, as if he has a right.  “They’re wasting our time, Scully,” he says as they deposit their bags at the airline desk.  
“Just consider you’re going back to your roots,” she tells him.  “Profiling used to be your thing.”
“Physics used to be yours,” he says.  “You using your degree, Doctor Scully?”
“Every time we get on a plane,” she says, gazing steadily up at him.  
“I guess that would make flying more fraught,” he says.  “You could always take something and pass out on my shoulder.  I’ll even let you drool on me.”  A peace offering, she sees in his eyes, but it doesn’t mean much when he doesn’t understand what he did to vex her.  The game was afoot.  Of course the dog didn’t bark in the night time.  Mulder had spent dark hours with Diana, years’ worth if the Lone Gunmen were to be trusted, and somehow that made all the years since they’d spent watching each other’s backs something he either trusted so much or valued so little that he was willing to abandon it.  
“I’ll consider it,” she says.  At least on a plane, strapped and wedged into his seat, he can’t ditch her in media res.  Unless aliens hijack them, she supposes, in which case, she’ll try to document the process so that she can present their findings to the world without looking foolish.  
They find their seats, window and middle, not an exit row.  Scully puts her newly issued coat in the aisle seat, folded so that the bright yellow FBI doesn’t show.  She’s been approached at airports for everything from directions to reports of pickpocketing.  She doesn’t want to spend the flight peered at and interrogated.  Fortunately, the door closes without anyone in the seat.  Mulder hands her his jacket as well.  She piles them together and weighs them down with the buckle of the seat belt.
“You’re mad at me,” he says as the flight attendant approaches with beverages.  Scully is lost in the relative merits of ginger ale (fizzy, too sweet, may give her a headache) versus coffee (caffeinated, acrid, may give her heartburn).  
“I’m not mad,” she says absently.
“Something’s wrong,” he says.  “Throw me a line here, Scully.  My profiling skills are rusty.”
“I’m frustrated,” she says and he groans quietly.
“You’re frustrated,” he repeats.  “That’s a mom thing to say.”
Grief flickers through her and she can see that he regrets his choice of words.  He bumps his shoulder gently against hers.  “Hey.  I didn’t mean it that way.”
“You were there for me through everything with Emily,” she says, looking him straight in the eye for what feels like the first time in months.  “You’ve been there for me through some of the most difficult moments in my life.  Sometimes lately it still feels like you shut me out of those same moments in your own life.”
He shifts in his seat.  “It’s not personal, Scully.”
“It’s not personal,” she says.  “Exactly.”
“What do you want me to do?” he asks, defensive.  “Cry on your shoulder?”
“You could have told me about your history with Diana,” she says.  “I went to see her in the hospital.  She’s expected to make a full recovery.”
“That’s not personal,” he says, avoiding her eyes.  “It’s the past.”
“The past doesn’t leave us, Mulder,” she says.  “Otherwise regression hypnosis wouldn’t be profitable or theraputic.”
He sighs.  “I don’t know what to say about it,” he tells her.  “I don’t know why I still trust her, but I owed her the benefit of the doubt.”
And not me?  She doesn’t ask the question, but it still drifts up between them, soundless as smoke.
“She’s important to me,” he says.  “She believes in the X-Files.  I believe in her commitment to the truth.  Sometimes we’ve all done things in the course of our investigations that seemed incongruous.”
Scully inclines her head in acknowledgement.  The drinks cart rattles closer.  Club soda, she decides.  Maybe the stinging freshness of the bubbles will clear the memory of smoke from her sinuses and the taste of Mulder’s mealymouthed half-apology from the back of her throat.  The flight attendant thinks they’re married.  Neither of them says anything as they accept their cups of ice and bags of peanuts.
“I didn’t know you wanted to be part of my misery,” Mulder says as Scully tips the last of her honey-roasted peanuts into her palm.  A small indulgence to offset her distaste for flying.
“Mulder, I couldn’t escape being part of your misery if I wanted to,” she says.  She crumples the empty bag onto her tray and licks the nuts out of her palm.  With her clean hand, she touches his forearm where he’s rolled up the sleeve of his dress shirt.  He gets hot on airplanes.  She can feel how cool her fingers are against his skin.  “For the record, I don’t want to.”
“Here I am, stuck in the middle with you,” he says blithely.  
“Some days, I feel stuck,” she says.  “Some days, I feel like Bonnie and Clyde.”
“I can’t recommend robbing banks, Scully,” he says.  “It’s not as much fun as it looks.  But I’m sure we can make our own fun in Dallas.”
“There’s fun in Dallas?” she asks skeptically.
“You’ll see,” he says with confidence.  “Don’t we always find a way?”
“Frequently the wrong way,” she says.
“I took the way less traveled by,” he tells her.  “It’s made all the difference.”
“I know it has,” she says, and leans back against the headrest.  The last of her club soda is fizzing in her plastic cup.  It sounds almost aggressive, the way the ice amplifies the popping of the bubbles.  But it tastes clean and fresh when she raises it to her lips.  All she can smell is the crispness of ice, a microclimate that will vanish, inevitably, as the water shifts states into a tepid liquid she won’t want to drink.  The only constant is change.  The ice doesn’t lose itself; the water retains the memory of what it was, and becomes ice when the conditions are met.  That’s comforting.  She’s heard the murmurs of ice queen around the bullpen before, but ice has structure and clarity that smoke doesn’t.  Ice remembers.  It can hold the evidence inside it of thousands of years, preserving a perfect record of how things used to be.  She becomes aware that she’s gazing into her cup and sets it down.  She hasn’t been sleeping well.  Her dreams are all hazy at the edges.
“You’re looking sleepy there, partner,” Mulder says in what he seems to believe is a Texas accent.  It’s no better than it was when they were chasing vampires in Cheney.  He pats his shoulder.  “I’m here if you need me.”
She lets herself lean against him.  For a moment, he tenses, but then his muscles ease under her head.  When she takes a deep breath, he smells like soap and heat.  
“We’re not going to a cowboy bar,” she tells him.
“You say that now, Scully.”  His arm rises and falls gently under her ear as he breathes.  “I bet you’ll be boot scoot boogieing with the rest of the Texans in no time.”
“I didn’t bring my cowboy boots,” she says.
“There’s your first mistake,” he tells her.  “You’ve got the wrong attitude about this trip.  I’ll show you.”
“I’m sure you will,” she says, yawning, and the rest of whatever he says fades into the steady hum of the engines.
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