[Hugo wakes up, pain all through him. He sobs and feels the darkness and cold of the cell close around him. No friends, no hope, no way out... Heh, can’t get more pathetic than that, can it? He shivers as the tears running down his cheeks just add to the freezing of the cell. Unable to move, he just lays on the floor of the prison miserably, shaking.]
“Should I tell the children it was love at first sight?”
Ororo thought her amused snort at Jean’s question was answer enough. With the occasional pass to enter her mind the telepath was well aware how silly she consider the notion. Especially since they’d yet to meet. Though interest was apparent, the redhead firmly in grasp she kept them aloft just out the fray while glowing gaze remained fixed on the avenger wielding a hammer and churning the clouds. How odd to feel the power of another's thunder echoing across the heavens. Alone in such feats for so long she'd stopped considering there could be another of similar talents, the news coverage during the Chitauri attack on Manhattan had been quite the eye-opener.
"Are you still masking our presence?”
"Unless you’d care to say hello.” The faint lilt earned the telepath an annoyed eye-roll. To remark any further would only encourage her supposed friend’s goading.
“No. We only came to observe and they appear to have this under-“
“Oops, nearly spoke too soon."
A henchman went toppling over descending at a rate that screamed eager for his date with the ground. A red blur blew by a breath after but the pack, adamantium plated armor and positioning… despite the thunderer’s effort it wouldn't see to a good outcome. She suspected he knew this yet still made the attempt. An intriguing deed that would have prompted her to action regardless of moral obligation, it also twitched the corners of her lips just enough for Jean to snicker.
“Perhaps a few introductions...” The draft she created sent the nameless man shooting back up till he leveled with the two women. Though screaming his head off he's in one whole piece, seemingly much to the surprise of the tailing prince.
Two
"No, first love," Clint snickered from over the rim of steaming mug, and before another word followed Ororo knew exactly where this conversation was going. For a moment she debated slinking back upstairs and departing from the roof, however that might give them some sick sense of satisfaction. Beside they couldn’t really be that bad, right? “The a ball and chained, and then a brat."
"Ok," Anthony nodded in agreement reaching cross the counter for the coffee pot. "But are they sitting a tree or cloud? I'd go with clouds, kissing in tress feels so… common, for weather royalty."
Nope, the archer and the playboy were actually far worse than children, and in rare form this morning to boot. Refusing to acknowledge them she made a beeline towards the pantry and immediately started combing through Bruce's stock of tealeaves. This morning called for something potent. "Do they carry on like this when he's around?"
Lately any prolonged time spent alone the thunderer’s company was soon followed by some form of innuendo or teasing from the chuckling pair. Curiosity and the natural ease she felt in his presence had fostered a fast friendship between the weather gods. Much as she liked the other Avengers the more time spent in his orbit the harder it was to gravitate towards anyone else, especially after their playful spectacle. With increasing frequency group outings turned into quiet hangouts for two and the end of missions often becoming the start some private downtime. Ororo hoped she hadn’t unintentionally offended, or more importantly caused any unnecessary trouble for Thor. The answer came in the form of sharp snort from the captain from the Sunday paper. "No.”
“So they believe I’m the pushover?” As suggested by her clip tone the notion didn’t amuse her in the slightest, and discerning man she’d recently discovered him to be Steve swiftly guessed she would only tolerate so much foolishness.
“And you're going to?"
“Oh, nothing terrible,” she assured. "Merely inform there’s been no smooching in trees nor clouds.” Last night she'd simply lost track of time track of time until Natasha called for Thor’s assistance. The way cerulean eyes lit up and gestures became livelier with mentions of certain names and places made his tales of home that much more enchanting, she refused to take blame for the continuous prompts believing anyone else would have done the same. “And no one is love."
To this Steve was notably silent, ocean blues fixed on the headlines and lips pulled into a queer thin mashed line before drawing the paper back up. "I'm not," she muttered after a moment taking the empty seat next to him. If she were even remotely in the right headspace for romantic entanglements it would still be far too soon for anything that deep. Admiration, respect and even a health dose of attraction were there to be sure, but she was certain of the declaration. And while she couldn't speak for Thor she suspected if asked his answer wouldn't be much different. “If all else fails, I’ll turn Antony’s workshop into the world most expensive kiddie pool.”
"Which one?" the captain chuckled as if the thought brought great delight.
Looking over a shoulder her brows narrowed catching the tale end of the childish rhyme coming together, complete with hand gestures and tailored with mentions of kissing in clouds and pushing lightning bolts in baby carriages. "All of them, simultaneously."
Three
“Robot is metal man, dolly in black dress is spider woman and this one Miss Ro must guess.”
Ororo took one look at the Ken doll with a crimson dinner-napkin tied around its neck and immediately started grinning. “Hmm…Thor?”
“Yes!” Clapping her hands Bo beamed with pride. “I find cape and make hammer with pop stick and tin.”
“It’s a very good likeness, and this one in the wedding dress?” The one ebony doll in the child’s elaborate setup had pieces of white yarn and a crown glued to the top of its head.
“Storm bride,” she answered giving the headmistress an exacerbated headshake, thinking it more than obvious. “Because first love, kissy face, wedding…and then babies!’ The girl broke out into a ringing of giggles as if the notion were the most amusing thing in the world.
“I see,” Ororo muttered quietly unsure of how to respond. She had no objections to Bo pretending whatever she liked; so long she didn’t confuse her dolls with real life. “Bo, Thor is my friend.” Her friend she was increasingly having not so friendly thoughts about. The friend who’d never failed to make her smile and never made her feel out place. Risking what they had by admitting there could be more certainly wouldn’t be the wise call for many reasons, especially when uncertain of his feelings. And musings of what might be was far cry from love; besides what would a child know about such things? “You understand, right? I’m very fond of him, but we’re not a couple. We're not-“
“Mister Thor looks at Miss Ro like princes in castle movies. And you smile bunches when he around,” the tot retorted very matter-of-fact, then proceeded to tune her out while making the bride and groom dance.
Four
The signs sleep had been elusive lately went beyond red puffy eyes and excessive yawning. For anyone paying close attention, and he always did, it must have been painfully obvious the stress of various duties were taking a bigger toll than ever before. If anyone could relate to the frustration of goals not achieved and the guilt of the lives that couldn't be saved it was the god softly murmuring reassurances against her temple. No need to explain the quiet tears damping his hoodie or the downpour blanketing the city. Her dreams haunted by failure and continuous heartbreak weary form took refuge in solid welcoming arms and finally allowed the weight of it all drag her down.
Wrapped her limbs round him as if the railing weren’t strong enough and held on like person who need fear falling, until calluses fingers found their way under her sweater… Lulled by the gentle caressing circles they make along her trembling back eventually the storm within calmed, the raindrops pelting the window soften, winds ceased howling, eyelids grew heavy and every muscles went limp.
A habitual hider of weakness it occurred to her utterly falling apart in front Thor should feel unsettling. Not much time had passed since he’d asked about rules and protocols and even less since boldly declaring the god off the dating market. Yet she’d sought him out when most in need, was trusting him to safely hold tattered pieces until she could put herself back together. When there were so many others who cared and shared years of history that had to mean something, nearly every moment since their first had. However in this mentally battered state she couldn't be certain the obvious answer was the right one. She also couldn’t bare thought of messing this up. So she told herself no, you are broken and exhausted, shook away all questions with a shuddering breath, tighten the embrace once more and kept holding wishing never to let go.
Five
“Why am I refusing? Well, for one I think he should be the one to do the asking,” she informed calmly, despite the internal sirens blaring. Like his son Thor’s father was a determined force the likes of which the weather goddess had rarely come across. An admirable quality when facing adversaries shoulder to shoulder, however, terrifying he when started talking wedding plans. “Call me old fashion but a royal decree just doesn’t sound like a romantic proposal. And second…” Arms tightly folded and lips pursed her mind rattled off the hundreds of what ifs. What if he'd been wrong, if she hadn't found him in time, if...he'd left her behind like everyone else?
Though the battle was over, won in no small part to his actions, and she’d been assured he’d recover by morning the sky directly above remained a forebodingly dark and thick as soup. Right now any celebration, wedding or otherwise, was far from heart's desire, she'd rather he wake up so she could have someone to yell at. “He’s an idiot,” she grumbled looking down on the slumbering thunderer, “Went off on his own when anything could have- no, I couldn't possibly love such a brash fool.” Whether she’d amused the king with words or the deafening crack of thunder that followed, his booming laughter struck a familiar cord that had the weather witch smiling despite herself. Leaving defensives completely down when shrew gaze and astute observation was aimed squarely in her direction.
“Anger can often be a reflection of one’s… affection.”
“It can be,” she sighed, slender fingers carefully brushing back an unruly lock of gold from battered cheek. The pained expression that briefly passed over her features gave more away than she was willing to say aloud. How pathetically cliché to finally face it now, to stop struggling against her heart and give in to just how deeply and utterly hopelessly in love she was when the urge smack him had yet subsided. “…With all due respect, the answer is still no.” A firm one, and would remain so… unless and until Thor asked, if and when he had the desire…then well...
dad stop complaining about my vision and telling me to stop doing what i want stop trying to get me to exercise stop insulting my friends so are "fat" to uou stop making me feel worse about myself and my friends youre making things worse get away
