Tommy wasn’t someone that Felicia entirely understood her feelings for. They certainly weren’t romantic, she doubted she would ever feel that strongly about anyone — sure, it happened in the past, but Felicia had grown since then and the idea of someone truly knowing her was terrifying — but frankly, she wasn’t sure if she genuinely liked Tommy. He was entertaining, always provided a good time, but Tommy Shepherd was also irritating. At the end of the day, Felicia wasn’t sure it mattered. Neither of them seemed concerned about where they stood on the either, and neither were remotely interested in anything more serious, whether that was a deep friendship or dating. It was a relief. “I don’t imagine that’s hard,” Felicia replied, shrugging a shoulder. Honestly, she had no idea who Patriot was, but Tommy seemed to want to discuss him. In theory, she could ask, but she assumed it was one of his fellow Young Avengers. For now, that was enough information. “You are at your best when you’re naked,” she replied with a laugh. That was another thing Felicia liked about Tommy: he was honest, there was no grey area. She had to deal with that enough with contacts, mobsters, black market reps and all the rest.
At the end of the day, Felicia was positive that if she came to the revelation that she liked Tommy Shepherd as a person, for more than the fun they had in and out of the bedroom, she would be concerned. For years, Felicia had avoided anything serious in fear that it could get in the way of her operation. Additionally, her trust issues were deep seeded; she understood how easy it was for people to lie and betray one another. Tommy was honest now, but that did not necessarily mean he would stay way, and Speed was one of few that knew Felicia’s dual identity. Spending time with Tommy was a risk, but the more Felicia analyzed how dangerous it was, the more she would overthink the million things that could go wrong between them. She had never been a paranoid woman, she was intelligent, and she had no desire to step over the figurative line into mania. “I think I already know your opinion on the subject,” she replied with a snicker. “But you can tell me anyway,” Felicia added. Tommy had never seemed to mind her confidence, like she never minded his. Insecurity was a complete turnoff, she liked the fact it was never something she had to worry about. “I think you have to be delusional to believe in something all-powerful without proof,” she pointed out, shrugging a shoulder. Church had never been of interest to Felicia and while her mother was religious, her father had definitely not been.
Felicia recognized the genuine expression on Tommy’s face, though she couldn’t place it specifically. Whether it was relief, gratitude or something else entirely didn’t matter in the long run. What counted was the fact that he had trusted her enough to tell her, and if that wasn’t making their relationship slightly more serious, Felicia wasn’t sure what would. Honestly, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but she highly doubted she’d come up with an answer in a short period of time. “It’s the best of both worlds,” she replied with a smile. It was obvious that the moment had quickly passed between them and as a result, Felicia felt herself relax. The danger, figuratively speaking, was averted. Tommy seemed surprised when she shared her own abridged version of events, all available online due to the fact that Tommy knew Black Cat was Felicia Hardy. It was doubtful that he knew that, however, and if he did, Tommy seemed smart enough to realize her admitting it was different. It wasn’t exciting, wasn’t a moving moment, but it was some proof of trust between them, she supposed. “I better be,” she replied with a smirk. “If you said otherwise, you’d never see me again and I’m sure that would break your heart. I am irreplaceable, Tommy.”
For a long time, forming lasting connections simply seemed to be impossible for Tommy to achieve. He’d always found it difficult to get along with other people, always found it hard to make them like him. His own parents had wanted nothing to do with him, and he was far too intense to attract friends after they’d sent him away. Most of the people he’d met had been criminals, like him, often angry and confused as he was. Juvie had always been a mix of volatile personalities, always a clash of different people who would never get along being forced to spend time with one another, and that didn’t make for friends. The Young Avengers had challenged his idea that he’d never have anyone who cared for him as he was, and Felicia seemed to be similar. She didn’t care for him on the same level that his team did, and he was under no illusion that she realistically would care about him as much without something linking him the way he was linked to Billy, but she didn’t seem to mind being around him. She was fun, and she always seemed like she was having fun. That was worth something. “I knew I liked you,” he laughed, clearly pleased at her response. “I am pretty good naked, aren’t I?”
Their dynamic, whatever it was, was easy. He didn’t have to worry about Felicia hating his confidence or growing annoyed by his arrogance. If anything, she seemed to enjoy it. That was incredibly rare, and Tommy knew it. Even the Young Avengers often grew tired of his cocky nature, to the point that Tommy sometimes worried he might have to dial himself back for their benefit. He never felt that way with Felicia, never felt like he had to be less of himself. Maybe part of that was simply because he didn’t value her opinion the way he valued that of the Young Avengers, but it was at least partially due to the knowledge that she didn’t mind how he acted. “I can tell you in detail later,” he promised, letting his eyes dart across her body with a grin. Nodding as she spoke, Tommy found himself in agreement. “I think you’re right about that.” Maybe that said something about him, his inability to believe in anything. He liked to think it was little more than common sense.
Tommy felt comfortable around Felicia in a way he wasn’t sure was recognizable. He loved the Young Avengers, but they knew what he’d been through because they’d figured it out themselves. Eventually, he would have told them -- he trusted them entirely -- but he’d never gotten the chance. They’d found out through common sense the moment they’d found him in that prison cell, the horrified expressions on their faces saying all that needed to be said. Felicia hadn’t stumbled upon him in prison, hadn’t broken him out and witnessed the robotic guards that attempted to forcefully collect him after the fact. Tommy chose to tell her who he was and what had happened to him, and that wasn’t something he had with anyone else. “Everything you need in one incredibly handsome package,” he agreed with a grin that was mostly fake. There was a level of honesty to it, though, a gratitude towards her. She didn’t have to humor him, didn’t have to allow him to change the subject, but she had. That was probably proof that she understood him on some level. He liked to think he understood her, too. He might not be able to relate to what she’d been through, might not know what it felt like to have a father you loved and couldn’t save, but he understood the negative experience with the prison system. That was something he could relate to intimately, something few other people could boast knowing about. He also understood not wanting to talk about it, the finality in her tone as she’d finished the story. “Oh, I’d definitely be heartbroken if I never saw you again. Specifically like this.” He nodded to her body, indicating her current lack of clothes. Streaking had truly been his greatest idea to date.
