Bent, Not Broken

Chen couldn't help but grin wickedly under his lips. She knew he hadn't taken into account what sort of mood she might have ended up in due to his romantic nature, but then again, she hadn't expected her day to be full of pots. It was a tiny bit of payback, one they would both benefit from.

"Oh? Are you sure?" she asked, her hand still tugging on his tie as she guided him away from the flowers. "I wouldn't want it lingering in the back of your mind."

There was no protest in his body as she began leading him away from the flowers by his tie. In fact, he took hold of her shoulders and began moving them both father toward the bedroom.

"I take full responsibility. Gonna get done. By the book. All that jazz." Sterling spoke rapidly against her lips as they scurried down the hallway. Upon arriving at the bedroom door frame he turned her around and smacked her ass playfully to push her into the room.

His antics earned a laugh from her, the rare sound nearly filling the room. "I wouldn't expect anything else from my little rule-follower."

She turned towards him, catching his lips in a quick kiss before pulling back. "But you know," she teased, sliding her hands up his chest and shoulders to remove his suit jacket, playfully chucking it into the corner so he couldn't fold it up. She leaned into him, smirking up as her fingers roamed. "I'm starting to think this might have been your plan all along."

Chen wasn't known for being the grandest person when it came to dealing with people. It didn't matter your size, shape, gender, age, or any other descriptor; people were always put into one of two categories for her: annoying, but helpful or annoying, and not helpful. While she hadn't expected the culprit of the prank being pulled on her to be a girl, she still kept trying to shove her into one of those boxes in her mind. The problem was the girl didn't fit. Was it annoying? Yes, that part was easy. Were the flowers helpful? No. But she didn't entirely feel that they were unhelpful either. It was an irritating situation to be in, which was clearly shown on her face as she stared the girl down.

"And I'm the Queen of Spain," she retorted at her delivery man remark. Her eyes flickered from the wings, to her face, to the similar response from the mug in her hands. This was all way odder than she had expected, but it didn't change anything. "The flowers were lovely," she said, not seeing any point in lying about it. She had actually enjoyed them a bit despite the weird nature of them, but she had a nasty reputation to uphold, and couldn't show the full emotion of how much she had liked them. "However, what I don't like--"

Chen reached up on top of the filing cabinet, holding up two photocopied papers, each one of the two notes left behind with the flowers. "--is someone pretending to be an agent they're not."

normaltothemax

Well. At least she’d liked the flowers. That was something, Phee supposed. She watched as Agent Chen pulled down two pieces of paper, holding them up for her to see as she accused Phee of pretending to be Erikson. Her notes. But while the woman clearly hadn’t believed her about just being the delivery girl, the notes were at least a little bit easier to dispute.

Her chin lifted stubbornly as she rallied. Not wanting to just give up on her endeavor completely, despite having faltered for a moment there. Her back straightened, fingers tightening around the mug. “He just had me make you flowers, ‘cause he likes you and I’m the best at making them.” It was half true, at least. Two-thirds, really. At that point, did it even count as a lie?

“But those notes are from Agent Sterling.” She pointed toward where she’d written his name on one of them. “It says so, right there at the bottom.” At least Phee managed to resist the urge to add ‘can’t you read?’

That would probably get her into some real trouble.

#normaltothemax #normaltothemax phee #au

She had to hand it to the girl, she wasn't caving easily. It'd almost be admirable if it wasn't coming at her expense. Chen stood there, having to pull back the small smirk she wanted to give at the girl's attitude, silently staring her down as she rallied.

"Strike two." Chen reached back up, snagging a file and flipping it open, spinning it down on the desk towards the girl. She had covered up the entirety of the report inside--there were some things not meant for certain eyes--but the signature of one Agent Sterling was clear as day. She crossed her arms, her heel tapping against the floor as she continued her stare down.

"Do you want to try again with the truth? Or is there some other trick you want to waste my time with?"

woundsoflove

My love for you isn't gentle. It's a storm I walked into with my eyes wide open, surrendering to its irresistible desire to reshape my world.

normaltothemax

@shieldsfilemistress from here

Agent Chen…didn’t sound happy. She didn’t look happy. That didn’t bode well for Phee, whose wings fluttered anxiously behind her. Especially since she’d noticed a handful of other agents that looked at her sideways whenever they saw her. The couple of times she’d slipped off on her own to play matchmaker, in particular.

(She wasn’t stupid—she knew there were people that thought she was dangerous because she was more powerful than them. Because she wasn’t dumb and human like them. Usually, they didn’t do it when Erikson was around; not twice, at least. But Phee didn’t need, nor want, a grownup with her 24/7, so she did her best to ignore them, walking around with her head held high like she owned the place, no matter who was or wasn’t with her.)

“Nuh uh. I’m just…the delivery man.” Wait. “…Girl.” The thing was, she thought Agent Chen was alright, even though they hadn’t interacted basically at all. Erikson certainly liked her; he got all mushy and gross whenever her name came up. His eyes practically turned into hearts when he saw her, for goodness’ sake. Which meant that this interaction going badly could ruin everything. Phee wilted under the woman’s stare, the sprouts in her mug doing the same. “…Didn’t you like the flowers?”

#normaltothemax #normaltothemax phee #AU

Chen wasn't known for being the grandest person when it came to dealing with people. It didn't matter your size, shape, gender, age, or any other descriptor; people were always put into one of two categories for her: annoying, but helpful or annoying, and not helpful. While she hadn't expected the culprit of the prank being pulled on her to be a girl, she still kept trying to shove her into one of those boxes in her mind. The problem was the girl didn't fit. Was it annoying? Yes, that part was easy. Were the flowers helpful? No. But she didn't entirely feel that they were unhelpful either. It was an irritating situation to be in, which was clearly shown on her face as she stared the girl down.

"And I'm the Queen of Spain," she retorted at her delivery man remark. Her eyes flickered from the wings, to her face, to the similar response from the mug in her hands. This was all way odder than she had expected, but it didn't change anything. "The flowers were lovely," she said, not seeing any point in lying about it. She had actually enjoyed them a bit despite the weird nature of them, but she had a nasty reputation to uphold, and couldn't show the full emotion of how much she had liked them. "However, what I don't like--"

Chen reached up on top of the filing cabinet, holding up two photocopied papers, each one of the two notes left behind with the flowers. "--is someone pretending to be an agent they're not."

She hated being the one with the negative mindset, who always had to think of the worst possible outcomes before even considering the best ones, but it was a habit she was trying her best to break, despite recent failures. She watched as his eyes dropped, her heart going with them, and silently waited for whatever response he'd say. Thankfully, he responded with a smile, which she couldn't help but share. His words on how everything would not be perfect were exactly what she needed to here.

"I trust you," she reiterated. "So if you want to do this, then we'll do it. And we'll make it the best trip we've done so far. Not because it needs to be, but because we're doing it together."

One hand snaked up over his shoulder, the other going to absentmindedly fiddle with his tie. "And what exactly did you have in mind for those 45 minutes?" she asked flirtatiously. There was a beat before she took a half step back, her eyes narrowing a bit. "If I have to help you clean up all this stuff you brought into my clean living room, I will help you do it, but know I will make it very unromantic by complaining the whole time."

In truth, Chen's worst case scenario awareness was something he had come to admire about her. She thought of things in ways and from angles he never would have thought of. In the past it's saved their asses. Sterling liked to think of himself as all logic and protocol, but he was more heart than people gave him credit, even himself. They balanced each other out perfectly, making up for what the other lacked.

That's what made them, what made this, so special.

The flirtatious tone of her voice replaced his fond smile with a look of surprise. He hadn't considered that, but he certainly wasn't opposed. He closed the gap between them, capturing her lips for a desperate kiss. "I'll worry about that later." His words muffled by her lips as he swiped the air idly behind him, gesturing to the flowers.

She touched his tie. It was go time.

Chen couldn't help but grin wickedly under his lips. She knew he hadn't taken into account what sort of mood she might have ended up in due to his romantic nature, but then again, she hadn't expected her day to be full of pots. It was a tiny bit of payback, one they would both benefit from.

"Oh? Are you sure?" she asked, her hand still tugging on his tie as she guided him away from the flowers. "I wouldn't want it lingering in the back of your mind."

Chen forced herself to listen to his words--really listen, not just process them and come up with counterpoints as he spoke. She nodded in agreement at the first part, but then the confusion returned once again as she looked around at the flowers. He had a wizard grow all these flowers? That seemed like a waste. However, the talk of beaches brought her back on track and she gently squeezed his hand. She assumed that he wouldn't want to go to the beach because of Leela. She understood completely.

"I know," she said softly. "And I wouldn't ask you to put yourself through that. Although the idea of you working out on a cruise seems mildly ridiculous." She had a small smile on her face as she teased him.

It was her turn to take a breath. "I didn't mean for my words to be worrisome," she said, glancing down for a second before looking back up at him. Honesty. No hiding what she was feeling. "And to be fair, I do think the two of us not doing things the easy way is part of what got us in our messes in the first place. It's just..." She paused, not because she was trying to hide anything, but because she didn't want to unintentionally worry him with her words again. Her mouth twitched a bit as she tried to find a way to phrase what she felt. "I'm not worried about Merc," she finally said, her hand moving to rest over his heart. "I'm worried that you'll push yourself too far trying to make everything perfect."

He was doing it again, wasn't he?

Chen could see it in his eyes he hadn't even realized he was falling into old habits. Pushing himself to the limits to make sure everything was perfect. She was right. His eyes fell from her, looking down as he searched himself for the answer to this.

No. Not perfect. He didn't want it to be perfect. This was a family vacation. A family vacation on a boat with their toddler. Their little girl who was going to fall off the bed and possibly bust her lip open at 6 am before the ship's med bay opened. The toddler who was going to tantrum until she was given a plate full of mac and cheese for dinner and then cry all night two days later from constipation from all the cheese they foolishly shoveled into her mouth to make her happy in the moment. The toddler who was going to fall asleep in her bathing suit so hard they didn't have the heart to wake her to change her into clothes, resulting in a small cold the next day. There was nothing perfect about vacationing with a toddler. She was going to be a goblin and they were going to make rookie mistakes, no matter what they were or how much they prepared.

But she was going to find it magical.

And the ocean would make it magical for Rebecca.

And their happiness would make it magical for Erikson.

He would find his own way. Maybe they'd make it one of those Avengers cruises for kids where he could take photos with a fake Hawkeye and text it to Barton to fuck with him. Maybe he'd get to read a book since he never got to read for fun. All he did was read paperwork. Maybe they had a karaoke night on the boat. Maybe they could spend one night with Ara in the kids club and go have a romantic dinner, just the two of them again for one meal.

Sterling smiled to himself, the look of worrying self realization gone.

"We are not perfect. This vacation will not be perfect. I am not perfect. All of that is ok." He breathed out the words in an even tone, like a mantra he invented to keep himself stable. "If there is any doubt about whether I can do this we will not go, but Rebecca... Please. I want to do this. For both of us. For all of us. I can do this. We will shake out the details later. For now, lets enjoy the..." He looked down at his watch, "45 more minutes we have before Ara wakes up from her nap."

They had a lot of flowers to deal with.

She hated being the one with the negative mindset, who always had to think of the worst possible outcomes before even considering the best ones, but it was a habit she was trying her best to break, despite recent failures. She watched as his eyes dropped, her heart going with them, and silently waited for whatever response he'd say. Thankfully, he responded with a smile, which she couldn't help but share. His words on how everything would not be perfect were exactly what she needed to here.

"I trust you," she reiterated. "So if you want to do this, then we'll do it. And we'll make it the best trip we've done so far. Not because it needs to be, but because we're doing it together."

One hand snaked up over his shoulder, the other going to absentmindedly fiddle with his tie. "And what exactly did you have in mind for those 45 minutes?" she asked flirtatiously. There was a beat before she took a half step back, her eyes narrowing a bit. "If I have to help you clean up all this stuff you brought into my clean living room, I will help you do it, but know I will make it very unromantic by complaining the whole time."

She was certain, if she tried hard enough at least, she could find such a sandwich. And if she couldn't, then Mason could.

Confusion took over her features for a moment. She wanted to protest, to say that she did have the best life, but when he put the cruise brochure back in her hand, she realized what he meant. Sighing, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. This whole 'being honest with each other' thing that she asked for was a lot harder than she expected.

"It's not about that," she started, then shook her head. "No, I suppose it is about that. But it's more too." She looked into his eyes. "It's a long time on the water. And that comes with the backlashes of that too--the seasickness, the noise, not having a place to escape if you need it. Plus, there could be beach stops or pools, which means not just being surrounded by water, but having toes in the water too. It's not that I don't trust you to handle it." She wanted to make that extremely clear. If he felt he could do it, she'd believe that he could too. "I'm worried that choosing this is like having us dive into the deep end, when we might not know how deep it is until we're pulling ourselves out."

Sterling couldn't help but smile at her determination to protect him from himself. He gave her a quick but sweet kiss and breathed slowly out through his nose.

"I'm going to get cleared by my therapist to see if I'm ready for a cruise. I'll listen to ocean noises for a week if I have to to make sure I'm ok. I don't get sea sick but if I do I will carry enough patches to cover my entire body. I'll buy the internet package and if I need an escape I'll summon a damn helicarrier or a wizard." He gestured to the flowers around them. "I'm resourceful. As the the beaches... that's the one part I cannot guarantee. I... admittedly would be a train wreck on a beach. Not from Merc flashbacks but... because of Leela. I'd be terrified of Ara--" He closed his mouth before continuing. "But I was going to see if you wanted to bring a friend to go to the beaches with you while I... worked out or read a book. Maybe your mother or Joon and Greenlee. Mason and Eva. Hire a nanny just for the trip."

He gave her a soft, sympathetic look. She was watching out for him and he loved and appreciated that so much.

"Since when have I done anything the easy way? Hmm? Your choice of words toward the end there were worrisome but... I want to give you this. I always have. I know the last month has not been great for me, but it's not Merc that's got a hold on me. I'm doing better. I can take showers. I can listen to rain. I don't hear Merc anymore. I think I can finally do this."

It was his mother's voice he heard now. He wondered briefly if this was her doing, telling him to push himself to be better for her. To keep pushing. It's why he was doing exposure therapy, right? A cruise is basically the ultimate exposure therapy for his water triggers. Was this for Chen or was he trying to prove something to himself? Test himself?

Probably both.

Chen forced herself to listen to his words--really listen, not just process them and come up with counterpoints as he spoke. She nodded in agreement at the first part, but then the confusion returned once again as she looked around at the flowers. He had a wizard grow all these flowers? That seemed like a waste. However, the talk of beaches brought her back on track and she gently squeezed his hand. She assumed that he wouldn't want to go to the beach because of Leela. She understood completely.

"I know," she said softly. "And I wouldn't ask you to put yourself through that. Although the idea of you working out on a cruise seems mildly ridiculous." She had a small smile on her face as she teased him.

It was her turn to take a breath. "I didn't mean for my words to be worrisome," she said, glancing down for a second before looking back up at him. Honesty. No hiding what she was feeling. "And to be fair, I do think the two of us not doing things the easy way is part of what got us in our messes in the first place. It's just..." She paused, not because she was trying to hide anything, but because she didn't want to unintentionally worry him with her words again. Her mouth twitched a bit as she tried to find a way to phrase what she felt. "I'm not worried about Merc," she finally said, her hand moving to rest over his heart. "I'm worried that you'll push yourself too far trying to make everything perfect."

#answered #normaltothemax #normaltothemax phee #AU

The third time Phee tried to pull such a stunt, it didn't go as planned. She hadn't yet written the note, and the lilies were only half grown - she planned to make the flowers speckled, bright pink and purples, simply because she could - when the sprite was caught red handed (green thumbed?). She heard a noise behind her that had her quickly spinning around. Eyes wide, she swiftly folded her wings behind her back, pulling the sprout-filled mug to her chest protectively. "...Oh." Agent Chen was back early, it seemed.

While Chen did appreciate the flowers, what she didn't appreciate was a mystery, especially one that she couldn't solve. The usual suspects of these sorts of pranks had been out of the office when her flowers started appearing, and no one seemed to know anything about any florists when she'd interrogate them. So she took matters into her own hands, setting up a tiny motion detector on the corner of her filing cabinet. She had been up getting her coffee when the notification came, a sly smile tugging her lips as she quickly strolled back to her office. Now she had them.

What she hadn't expected was the actual sight she saw before her. Despite the internal shock she was feeling, externally her face held the same frown it always did, only this time a small eyebrow raise was included. "I do believe I've found my secret admirer," she said coolly, the sarcastic tone oozing through her words.

"Not necessarily," Chen laughed. "I wouldn't share my sandwich and I have expensive tastes. It could end up costing the same." When he handed her the brochures, she took the opportunity to sneak in and steal a kiss, a silent thank you for the romantic gesture.

A warm smile crossed her face when she saw the one for Japan. She had been wanting to visit her father again, and the idea of introducing both Sterling and Ara to the world that helped change her for the better was an offer nearly impossible to refuse. However, her eyes lit up with a rare sparkle at the cruise. It was no secret that she adored the water, and being surrounded by it was heaven to her. But just as quickly as it came, the light dimmed out and she slid it towards the back of the pile. "Japan could be really nice," she said, mentally checking off all the boxes. It had easier transport, she spoke the language, and there would be plenty to introduce to Ara. It felt almost like a mini homecoming, except this time with her family.

She paused her thinking to quite literally stop and smell the flowers, taking a calm breath before she spoke. "I couldn't agree more," she said, once again turning to smile at her husband. "I want her to grow up knowing how loved she is. How loved we all are. And I want her to know that this world, no matter how dark or cruel it can seem sometimes, is still beautiful and worth exploring." She stepped up and cupped his face, gently kissing him again to help show the affection she felt that words couldn't describe. "She'll have the best life," she whispered, fiddling to adjust Sterling's tie back into place. "Because she's going to have both of us for a very long time."

"That's one epic sandwich." He replied, fake bewilderment on his face before grinning at her kiss, pulling her in to make it last just a second or two longer.

The shift in mood between the two brochures did not go unnoticed. Sterling quickly glanced at them both to see what she could possibly been debating and his heart sunk a bit. He got up from being on one knee and followed her to the flowers when she went to smell them.

He took a gentle hold of her hand to get her attention. "I want you to have the best life too." He said, handing her back the cruise brochure. "I'm ok, Rebecca. If this is about me and water, I'm ok. I'll get cleared with my therapist first. I've come a long way. I can do this. We can do this. And if there's another reason, I'd like to know. All of this wasn't for show. I want to know you better. I want us to be honest." He laced his fingers with hers.

She was certain, if she tried hard enough at least, she could find such a sandwich. And if she couldn't, then Mason could.

Confusion took over her features for a moment. She wanted to protest, to say that she did have the best life, but when he put the cruise brochure back in her hand, she realized what he meant. Sighing, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. This whole 'being honest with each other' thing that she asked for was a lot harder than she expected.

"It's not about that," she started, then shook her head. "No, I suppose it is about that. But it's more too." She looked into his eyes. "It's a long time on the water. And that comes with the backlashes of that too--the seasickness, the noise, not having a place to escape if you need it. Plus, there could be beach stops or pools, which means not just being surrounded by water, but having toes in the water too. It's not that I don't trust you to handle it." She wanted to make that extremely clear. If he felt he could do it, she'd believe that he could too. "I'm worried that choosing this is like having us dive into the deep end, when we might not know how deep it is until we're pulling ourselves out."