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Post by Countess on Sept 2, 2024 14:44:18 GMT
Des had slept like the dead. The night before is less of a midnight swim in calm waters and more of a clinging to a buoy hoping she doesn't drown. She remembers the run... the puking -ugh-... the noodles from her favorite bodega... the worst though... oh, she is regretting it now even as she wakes... Des had made damn sure to cuddle him the entire night through.
No one ever stays to cuddle. Not that she is going to be weird about this, but damn. Damn.
Des discreetly disengages, pulling away from him as she stretches, fully waking. God, she is an idiot. Some guy holds her hair back once and she's all... domestic. Get your shit together, Des. It doesn't mean anything. It never means anything. Someone(s) did a number on her heart, and she is going to keep that number the same.
"Wow, like my bed that much?" Des asks, sitting up, like nothing had happened. "I suppose it is better than the couch... you are welcome," she says, minimizing all of this. She already said thank you last night, no need to linger. Absolutely no need. Ignore that he called her Princess. Ugh. She isn't catching feelings, she's... too scared for that.
"Hungry?" Des asks, pulling on a robe that is all too close to her bed. Oh yes, she loves her luxury, the entire thing made of fine, lovely pink silk. "I am going to shower. There should be... provisions downstairs. Do you cook? There should be... things for... eggs, potatoes, crepes, coffee, tea, fruit... If not, I have someone to fire."
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Post by Nomz on Sept 2, 2024 17:00:24 GMT
Wally can't remember the last time he slept so well or felt so at peace. No. That's not true. He remembers the last time it happened. Wally had been in his bed with Linda lying on his arm while Irey and Jai curled into his sides. It's one of the few memories imprinted on his heart.
Still, his fingers flex as Des pulls away to stretch and a pang of longing for that connection hits his chest. Wally curls his arm closer to his body as if he can protect his heart from all of this. He watches Des get up with one eye, trying to sense any discomfort from her. After all, they had cuddled all night and most people didn't do that upon knowing each other for only a few hours.
"It's soft and warm. What's not to like," he tries teasing as he rolls onto his back, bunching his loaned undershirt as he stretches his arms above his head. It's a great impression of a cat. "Thank you for letting me stay, Princess."
Wally stays where he is as she pulls on her robe, listening to her talk about showers and food and coffee. He seems perfectly at peace with just staying where he is even as a gentle little smile graces his lips.
"I've been known to make food. I could make Comfort Pancakes, trademark pending," he says, tipping his head to watch her. "They were a staple in my family. How do you like your coffee?"
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Post by Countess on Sept 2, 2024 18:17:51 GMT
"You are welcome," Des says, preening a bit. It was a nice thing she did, because she is a nice person. She did the favor, not him. A frown appears on her lips. Even she know she is lying to herself. Relationships can be mutually beneficial, right?
"Sweet and creamy," Des says, answering him quickly about her coffee. "I have a cream and flavorings downstairs- toffee nut syrup and dark chocolate sauce, shot of espresso, frothed half milk half cream. That will do," she says, shrugging. "You can work an espresso machine, can't you? Or do I need to show you?" she asks, pausing in the doorway to look over her shoulder to him.
Be in control. Retain the power.
"I had your clothes laundered," she says dismissively. The perks of having help. "Do you also need a shower? There is a second bathroom down a floor, full of course," she says. "You should find your... outfit from yesterday in the sewing and fashion room," she continues, leaving the room entirely to go into the bathroom. The door is left ajar.
"Just yell if you need anything, mm?" she calls out, already turning on the shower and undressing. Her soaps will make her a new person, surely. Or, rather, her as she was.
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Post by Nomz on Sept 2, 2024 19:09:54 GMT
Wally nods along as she makes her coffee order. Though he never offers his skills or know-how around an espresso machine, he is quite talented at making many drinks. It was just something small he would do for his friends on their worst mornings. He waves off her comment, "Of course, I can make an espresso machine operate. These hands are well-versed with machinery."
He keeps himself on the bed until she leaves the room. Once she's moved into the bathroom, he swings his feet over the edge of the bed purposely moving slowly and making sound. "A shower sounds like a good idea," he calls out so she can hear him even as he exits her bedroom and into the hall. It does not escape his notice that she's left the door ajar and he has to force his eyes elsewhere.
All of his aunts would shame him if he even thought about the fact that it looked like an invitation. He's a man she barely knows and in her home. He won't push. Won't make her uncomfortable. His feet are heavy as he walks down the stairs to the next floor.
The sound of the water slows down and dims until it's gone entirely. Even the sound of the city fades under the pressure of the Speed Force. Wally shakes his head once and steps out of the open front door. Faster than a heartbeat, he's in his run-down home in LA and snatching a faded grey t-shirt and jeans that have tears there were earned.
Another heartbeat and he's back at Des' home, locking the front door behind him. After a quick shower and fight over which body wash to use, Wally comes out of the lower bathroom in his clothes from home, only just noticing the Wonder Woman logo on the breast pocket.
Damp red hair sticks to his face as he makes his way to the kitchen to start breakfast, keeping an ear out for Des. He'll time it so that her coffee (frothed half milk, half cream, a shot of espresso, with toffee nut syrup and chocolate sauce) is ready by the time she walks into the kitchen.
Meanwhile, he serves up a thick, fluffy stack of Not-Trade-Marked Comfort Pancakes.
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Post by Countess on Sept 2, 2024 19:32:58 GMT
Des takes her time in the shower. She isn't aware of how his power works, and even if she sis, she would take the same amount of time. She needs it to digest... all of that. The day before, the night, this morning...
He is still here. They never stay. By now, everyone she has brought home like this, or rather in a more sexual context, has gotten what they wanted out of her and just book it. Sure, she's jaded, which is why she typically only has sexual relationships with clients. At least then, she knows what to expect. They have hired her, they want her abilities and powers, she gets something out of them, NDA's are signed, and a contract concludes it all. Clean, easy, and she gets to walk away from it thinking she had control over it.
He is still here. Making.... comfort pancakes? She doubts there is a patent involved in any way, shape, or form. The man is an absolute goober. A stranger to boot! But... at the root of it all, why she is trusting him... He has never had bar intentions with her. She can feel them, shape them, twist them... Des hasn't needed to. He's actually been... decent.
Whatever.
By the end of the shower, Des is back to her usual self. Perfectly shaved, plucked, soaped, conditioned, and lotioned. She emerges in a cloud of perfumed steam, wearing that silk robe from before. Eventually she will do her hair and makeup... but for now, she is clean. He's already seen her at her lowest, why not her most natural? The layers peeled back.
"Sooooooo much better," Des says, slinking into the kitchen to sit at the bar. There is a paper there, waiting for her. She opens it, taking her coffee without comment. Once she gets a sip in...
"It will suffice," Des says, looking over to Wally over the top of the paper. An eyebrow raises. Isn't this domestic? "I take it you stopped by your home...?" she asks, looking over his clothing.
She goes back to her paper. "Plans for the day?"
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Post by Nomz on Sept 2, 2024 20:00:33 GMT
The coffee finds its way in front of Des without comment as Wally twists away from her and back to the kitchen at large. His ears are a bit red at the compliment- because he's counting 'suffice' as a compliment from Des. Practiced hands flip the last pancake out of the frying pan and onto a waiting plate.
"I didn't want to trouble you further, so I just stepped out for a second to grab something from home," he offers while placing a stack of pancakes on the open space near Des. Two more plates and cutlery join the table and, without asking, Wally supplies her with a glass of water. He has a bottle of syrup and a dish of butter on the bar top as well. "LA is just as hot as I remember it being, despite it having been so early in the morning. Of course, that just meant that I didn't have to worry about people seeing me."
The Speedster leans on the countertop on the other side of the bar, picking up a pancake for his plate. He starts to slowly pull it apart with his hands, skipping all the condiments. "I never really plan out my day. I just get an idea and do it. Though, I do have to report to work tomorrow. Have to keep the money trickling in at least a little bit."
He shrugs before popping a piece of pancake in his mouth and reading the back of her paper. Wally waits until he swallows before speaking again, "What about you?"
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Post by Countess on Sept 2, 2024 20:38:15 GMT
"Trouble me further? Goodness, when were you a trouble," Des says, dismissing that idea entirely. "You helped me out of multiple bad situations, how is that a trouble, Wally?" she says, not looking up from reading the paper. She is so unfettered about it. "Now you are cooking, you've made a passable coffee, I don't understand why you are so submissive about it all, own it, for both our sakes," she says, taking a small sip of said coffee. He really did do a good job of it.
Des gently folds her paper and gets up, going into her fridge to grab a container with cut up berries. Upon returning, she opens it, placing a spoonful of them onto her pancakes. She pauses, then offers Wally some for his, hesitating when he starts to eat it with his... hands. She sets the spoon down. That is his cross to bear. She dresses her with a smidge of butter and syrup, but seems to favor fruit more with every bite.
"It is a blessedly empty day. I was going to spend it going through a handful of other prospective new clients, but I am afraid the last one left a rather sour taste in my mouth. Granted, not all of the new people in my left from yesterday are making me wary of strangers..."
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Post by Nomz on Sept 3, 2024 0:28:18 GMT
He ducks his head, trying and failing to hide his flushed face. Apologizing for being trouble or a pest isn't something hasn't done since he was a teen and he's not entirely sure why it's come back. He slips another piece of pancake in his mouth when Des heads for the fridge.
Wally watches her out of the corner of his eye, curious as she comes back with a container of berries. He makes a mental note of what type of berries they are so that he can make sure to include them the next time he makes pancakes. Because, Wally is so sure that there will be a next time. He offers her a happy little smile when offers him some berries, taking a few and setting them on his plate to the side. They'll be good to eat after the cakes are gone. Just the perfect touch of sugar.
"Well, if you want, I'm more than happy to stick around while you go over clients. We could also go out for a walk or we could watch movies and eat in the living room." He pauses as he takes another bite of his plain comfort pancakes, chews, and swallows. "I could take you to the beach in California or we could go to the mountains in North Carolina for a picnic."
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Post by Countess on Sept 4, 2024 0:54:34 GMT
Des sighs into her coffee before she takes a sip. She was about to drink from it, but instead sets it down. Time is taken to move her mug to the side by the handle, making sure it is perfectly placed. Best to get this over with now, then.
"So, what is this, Wally?" Des asks, cutting straight to the point as she gestures between them. "I like to set expectations, though I fully understand that I will likely be disappointed," she says, clearly very used to this song and dance, while simultaneously tired of it. "We had our fun, you got a taste of me, why exactly are you sticking around, mm? It clearly isn't for the sex, I left you a clear invitation, and you very much turned it down," she says, offering that up for him to digest for a second.
"You are making me breakfast, and offering a day of simply... helping me with my work, and... hanging out," Des says, as if perplexed and somewhat annoyed by this conundrum that Wally has presented her. "Are these dates you are offering me? I don't date."
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Post by Nomz on Sept 4, 2024 2:02:42 GMT
The moment she sets her coffee down without taking a sip, Wally gets a little sinking feeling in his stomach. It's not a normal thing for the coffee drinkers he knows. Not unless they're about to bring up something they consider important. It is only due to this that her first question doesn't quite lead to him looking like a dear caught in headlights on a dark mountain road.
He lets her talk and, when it seems she has said her piece, he bobs his head once. Wally does not stand up straighter or make any sudden movements. Instead, he takes a small sip of water to clear his throat. Those green eyes land on Des as he talks.
"If expectations make this easier for you, I am more than happy to set those up with you. I won't take anything unless otherwise stated. Leaving wordless invitations won't be enough for me to follow through on. If sex is something you wish to have with me, I do not object."
Wally tips his head as he watches her, looking for her reactions to his words. "I made you breakfast because you seemed interested in it. I offered to help you and hang out because you're cool and we seem to get along. I'm sorry if I read you wrong, Des. I don't date either if that helps."
He is very clearly trying to understand where she is coming from while also working to set these expectations she's so interested in.
"I thought we could be friends. If you wanted that, of course. If you would rather I go, I can do that too."
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Post by Countess on Sept 4, 2024 2:37:46 GMT
Des takes her own time listening to Wally, nodding along. This she can do. Usually, she has a contract in place, an idea of a start and an end to a relationship. There is no such thing here. She cannot dictate terms like she normally does. However- this... is a perfect way of negotiating who they will be to each other.
"I can be clearer with my intentions. That was less of an invitation, and more of a test. I didn't know what you wanted from me, so I made a guess of sex. It was... confusing when you didn't take the offer," Des admits to him.
"How about this. I will tell you my damage, if you tell me yours. You seem nice and lonely," she says, not saying she knows this because she, too, is sad and lonely. Mostly self inflicted, of course. "If you want to be my... friend... you will need to know why I act the way that I do. I am guessing I will need to know why you act the way that you do. Cause... if you are this nice, why are you alone?
"Nice people like you have other friends. Family."
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Post by Nomz on Sept 4, 2024 2:59:36 GMT
"Lonely makes me sound sad," Wally counters almost immediately like he's hitting a birdie that was served to him from the other side of a net. He seems to take a moment to think, popping a piece of pancake into his mouth. It's the second to last part of the cake. His brows furrow over his brow as his eyes drop to his hands.
"So like, I get my abilities because I am a conduit of the Speed Force. I used to be on a team and we met up with a big bad that kinda had it out for me." A frown rests on his lips as he says it. "He trapped me in the Speed Force for years on years. In the meantime, everyone forgot I existed including my best friend and my wife. My babies literally stopped existing."
Wally takes a slow breath, pushing down the ache in his throat just so he can get through it all. This is the first time he's explained it to anyone. "I finally escaped and only my uncle remembered me. I just- it was impossible to exist in that world with them. To know so much about all of them and not a one of them know me. I tried. For a very long, hard year, I tried so hard to exist there."
"Couldn't do it. Jumped to this Earth instead." Wally lifts a shoulder in a shrug as he pushes the last piece of his Trademark-Pending-In-Another-Universe Comfort Pancake into his face. He looks up at Des through his eyelashes. "You're like my second friend here. If you count the guy who hired me under the table as a friend."
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Post by Countess on Sept 4, 2024 3:41:26 GMT
Ahhhh... This is all beginning to make sense. He's imprinted on her. She isn't objectively terrible, so he is sticking around.
"I am a mutant. I spoke about it before, but in a real sense, we are seen as both the next step in human evolution and a scourge on society. There have been anything from our rights taken away, since we aren't technically human, to people outright killing us for what we are. There are two main schools of thought among us. One is that we need to use our powers to protect the world, show that we are a part of it and care for it. The other school is we are the best ever and need to genocide the humans. Hard to have a good PR campaign when those are the ways the pendulum swings," Des says, dry as the desert. She hates both sides.
"I am out about my mutant status, the fact that I have the X Gene. It helps that I am beautiful, a woman, and my power is generally non-threatening. This comes at caveats. There are people who want to use my power, and do not want to deal with the ickiness that is a mutant. Some want to be in my orbit, but would rather not have their association with me known, as it would upset their friends and family. Then, there are the ones that want to say they are "one of the good ones" because they know me, without actually doing anything other than coming to a party of mine from time to time. Stop me if I am going to fast," Des continues, then draws a breath.
"Then there are people who just want me so they can do better at whatever it is they are trying to be better at I guess, then get mad at me when they aren't performing at inhuman levels. I have been the notch on many bedposts, but not worthy of calling again. Would hate to have a mutant in the family, think about the children. Let's not forget my personal favorite, my fellow mutants that only talk to me to remind me how I'm not really doing my part one way or the other, re: superhero v genocide. So...
I just don't do friends. Ever. Everybody wants something, and sometimes it seems like no matter what I give, I am held to this standard of how I am supposed to be perfect in all my dealings, because if I have a hint of emotion, it is all... proof. Proof I am what the news says I am."
Des is quiet for a long while, sipping her coffee.
"That's really shitty you lost your family twice. If you want to be my friend, I guess you can. Just.. don't be weird."
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Post by Nomz on Sept 4, 2024 4:05:33 GMT
Wally is quiet for a moment, sipping at his water.
"It's shitty that there is such conflict over something you literally can't control and that people treat you like an object or a status to be obtained. More so with the whole murdering people on both sides and people trying to label you for what you don't do." He lifts his plate, leaning back and behind him to lay it in the sink before returning to her. "Fuck 'em. We're friends now. So. Movies?"
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Post by Countess on Sept 4, 2024 4:17:39 GMT
Des nods a bit, then shrugs. "What can you do, but move on?" she says, and that... really seems to explain her as a person. She makes due with what she has. In everything, she survives, as best she can.
"How do you feel about horror?" Des asks, almost too innocently. She pushes her dish of mostly though not finished breakfast to him. Clearly, he is meant to take care of it. She raises an eyebrow at him, a little bit of a "Well, be my friend or whatever."
"I realize I don't care, I am going to teach you to love it."
END THREAD
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