fightlikehell | call in sick

And thank the gods for that. His willingness to do these things encourages her to actually do these things, instead of only thinking about them. He makes her brave enough to let the world see her.

"Always do." Except when he's coming around to her way of thinking, but then they're on the same page in the end and does it really matter who started there?

She can hear a bit of borborygmus, yeah, which makes her giggle and lean down to kiss his stomach. "Shhh, patience, it'll just be a minute more." After straightening up again she sits beside him and leans her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, you would. Must be why you found me," she teases. Foggy's a darling, but Ver suspects her brand of TLC is a better fit. At least, in this case. There's a woman out there just waiting for a love like Foggy's.

"This is nice," she sighs. "Not that you feel bad. That we get to sit together like this. Being with you." He knows what she means. "I love you."

This only means that there has always been brilliant qualities in her. Matt's patience and care ends up for her benefit and, if it's lucky, the world. She really is something. All the tender touches heal wounds and fill spaces.

He rubs his eye with the heel of his hand and settles into the couch, settles more against her. All of the highs and lows of sensation up inside of him are normal. Coming to tears because his sweet girlfriend brings him tea and toast though? Matt snickers at himself.

Foggy Nelson is going to find a woman and she will be very, very satisfied. And Matt knows that any care on him would be increased, adapted. Foggy is thoughtful and he knows that his best friend is a picky, fussy and stubborn son of a gun that really is beyond his comprehension now and then.

"I was thinking the same," their schedule hasn't allowed for that much stillness. He sniffs and turns to kiss her face while he won't have to worry about smeared peanut butter.

Perhaps they were always there, waiting to be discovered, but she still credits him with their existence. The possibility of becoming something more doesn't matter if it never happens.

Ver is happy to be his pillow if that's what he wants. If he wants to be held while he eats, she can do that too. She'll pet his hair and kiss his forehead while he relaxes and count herself lucky for the opportunity. Cold tea and toast are no concern at all.

Kisses are happily returned, but afterward, she nudges his glasses down to get a look at his eyes. Is... oh gods, he's crying. That ain't good. "Honey, what is it? Does something hurt?"

No perhaps, that's his opinion. He can't possibly put in qualities in her that weren't already there. As smart and adaptive as Verity is, she couldn't possibly just become so lionhearted. Though she is always full of surprises. Wonderful surprises.

Or he could just feed her in exchange for all of the contact. It's only fair. A sip of tea from him, a sip of tea from here. They'll work it out. They always do.

Brown, light focused eyes blink. "I'm just--" he exhales and it's kind of a laugh as a tear slips down his nose. That's the opposite of what it was supposed to do dammit. "I'm not hurt. I'm dizzy and achy but you just make me so happy, Verity. Do you know that?"

Surprises for both of them. Sometimes she wonders if he's been finding surprises in himself, too.

They do always work it out. She trusts him to feed her. Peanut butter can be cleaned up one way or another.

Ver wipes away the tear before it gets too far. "I've had a few hints," she answers with a laugh of her own. "Every now and then. You're real subtle about it, though, you know?" If they're happy tears, she'll pull off his glasses and kiss the tears away. The more there are, the more he gets kissed. The less there are, the sooner she'll move on to kissing his lips. Either way, he's a winner. "I love you."

Oh he is. Matt is finding he's far more capable of a continual, frank relationship with a person. It's always been about secrets and withholding, picking and choosing like it's a strategy. Too much affection and they'll get suspicious, pull away (Stick), too constant and he'll get used to it and feel hollow when it's over (Elektra)... There's no way she can be anyone but herself. And he can't pin every injury of the past to a person in the present.

Napkins are far away and so peanut butter is best devoured somehow.

The glasses off and his eyes move her way. "I'll try and be less subtle. I love you." Every press of her mouth right until his lips is a blessing. All the bubbling emotions are flowing up to the top and over rather than his usual, purposeful expression. They're happy tears alright. The salt flavors their kiss as he touches her chin and cheek. "I'm all over the place right now and that's okay because I'm with you."

That's a wonderful thing to learn. She's so blessed to be the one he's learning it with. His learning curve has been as hard as hers, and she wishes she'd realized it sooner. It just goes to show how good he is.

How, oh how, will they manage? They'll have to get inventive.

Verity kisses him again and again, just the way he does when she's sad and in need of the comfort of feeling loved. Salty kisses and all. It's not the first time. "Yeah. It's okay," she whispers. The changes in his expression are worrying her more than she wants to admit. She knows it'll wear off, or they can find a way to break the spell, but she hates to see him being put through this. "Everything's okay. I'm here and you're safe."

But then would there be that added pressure if she knew where he's been? Or maybe her gorgeous ability to try harder would be too much from the start? At any rate, things happen as they do in its time. Every lesson he learns with her makes him better for her. There has been no pain or risk in giving her everything of him because she's giving just as much. No relationship before had been this level, this delightful, normal of practically living together.

Too bad he's not victim to a spell that would end at a kiss. Their problem would have been long gone. Matt is living one kiss to the next. It will pair well with the drink and snack. The day is nearly done. Tomorrow he'll be himself....right?

"Okay," he whispers back. "Safe and sound. Home." And it means so very much. to him. to be at home. It's a place that is with her.

That's true, her sometimes all-consuming worry and guilt could have made it too hard for her to not get clingy before he was ready for that. Her desire to fix everything for the people she loves probably would have reared its ugly head and driven them apart.

Ah, a spell ended with True Love's Kiss would have been no trouble at all for them. Maybe next time they'll have that kind of good luck.

"Home," she agrees with a smile. A kiss can't be stolen between them, but she's going to be trying anyway. They might not be magic curse-breaking kisses, but she thinks they're pretty magical with him. "Drink your tea before it gets cold." It's a gentle reminder reinforced by her reaching for her own mug.

Clinging now is what he'd prefer, what he's loving. It means he can do the same. And there are still spaces in him being mended and illuminating through their journey together. Figures that he finds a healing soul. Verity also has an uncanny ability to take him down from whatever cross he is trying to climb up on.

True Love's 1000 kisses too. One of these days! Matt still won't give them up.

"Yes, love." And he is thirsty. The warm liquid on his tongue and down his throat is going to soothe even more. "I just wanted to be sure you knew. I'll also tell you the sky is blue." He smirks and takes another sip before moving onto the toast.

There are times to cling, and this is certainly one of them. He's welcome to cling to her whenever he feels like. She wouldn't consider herself the healing soul in the relationship, but if she's helping him, then all the better. Not letting him martyr himself may turn out to be her life's work, but she's glad to do it.

He'll get all the kisses forever. No need to worry about running out.

"Hmm. Thank you, honey." She nuzzles her nose into his hair for a minute before turning her attention to her own snack. The chance to sit and relax is something they both need today. There'll be plenty of other ways to spoil him later. A nice bubble bath, later, a massage... he's going to be the most spoiled victim of mischief ever.

He really could have waited. Her sleep is just as precarious as his own. Matt listened to her breathing as he slipped from their warm cocoon of bedding and pillows to go to the bathroom. He was back to the mattress again when it dawned on him that everything felt as it should be.

So.

"Verity." There's a gentle press to her arm and a nuzzle to her cheek until a kiss. "Verity."

Waiting wouldn't have helped so much. She started waking up when he got out of bed; the loss of his warmth and the shifting mattress are all it takes to rouse her just enough to monitor his comings and goings. It's not such a bad habit to develop, given how often he's injured or coming in late. The first time he says her name she groans softly. The touches get her to roll over, lips seeking his before she's fully awake. That's an instinct worth encouraging.

"Mm, morning. What's wrong, honey?"

He was hoping that she could be lulled. This time around he's grateful. Matt pulls a the blankets to lay beneath them and closet to her. Once she's facing him she gets her kiss.

"Well, right now nothing. It's gone. Whatever it was. But uh," he snickers and dips his head. "I had a thought."

Is he going to say it? He's going to have to say it out loud because she's not a mind reader.

"I was kind of pregnant."

Well she's sure awake now. Awake doesn't begin to describe it. She's just. Just staring. In shock and terror. He can't see that, but the way her heart is racing and the fact she's pretty much stopped breathing makes it pretty clear how she's reacting to that idea.

"You. No. What?"

This could have waited, he thinks again. Matt clears his throat and is not going to give into the laugh at himself, at her, at the situation.

"But it's okay. It's okay. I'm normal again." Her heartbeat and breathing pattern make him say it at least one more time. "The spell is gone." That is what it was right?

He licks his lips and gives her space, hopefully to breathe. "The soreness, dizziness, the mood swings... I mean, I wasn't actually." ...Hopefully...

She didn't need to know that part at all, really. Really, not at all. He might find it funny, but he's not the one who's spent half her life stifling maternal instincts she knows she can never, ever indulge.

When the shock starts to wear off and she can breathe again, the first thing she does is grab a pillow to throw at him. "Don't even joke about that. Just don't." They could have had such a nice day. But now she's getting mad. That was needlessly cruel, Matthew.

The funny is fleeting. Heat signatures in her face and pillow launched he could dodge it. Matt doesn't because he sees a mistake too late. He purses his lips and holds the fabric and fluff. "Sweetheart," if she'll allow him that one word endearment, "Verity." To be more serious now. That's what happens when you step into someone's issues.

He rubs his mouth, no longer smiling, and sets the pillow beside him. "I..I wasn't trying to make a statement. I'm sorry."

The anger will be fleeting too. Not so quick as his humor, but the endearment and the apology do help her start to calm down. She isn't quite ready to go back to cuddling, which is a shame, but there's no more attacks--and that's something.

"I know. I just." She sighs, pushing herself up and scooting toward him so she can take his hand. "It's hard to get serious about someone as Catholic as you and not think about what I can't have sometimes."

Congrats, Matt: you have now entered the Serious Conversation Zone.

All he was thinking about was a sense of normal. And it is normal right now in a way he didn't think of. They can sit and be frank in various states of undress. Cuddling and body contact would have been prefered. Matt sits up a little more.

His hand is her's to take. Matt curls his fingers around hers to make up for any touch they're not having for now. His eyes skim the air around her face, following her words and lip movements. "You have me. I have you. And... whatever else comes to us, with us will." That's not what she saying, or what she's asking of him. "Why do you say can't like it's an absolute, honey? Like there'd be no way at all?"

Verity's grip on his hand is tight, a little angry and a little scared. She isn't even thinking about their state of undress right now, just how hard this is to tell him.

"No, I made sure of that years ago. I can't risk passing on the curse." It's a simple little pair of statements that shouldn't be so hard to say. There's so much more that's not being said. She watches his eyes darting around, wondering why he still does that. "I'm sorry, maybe I should have told you sooner."

Grip for grip it is. And sensing that it isn't enough, at least for her own good, he makes the first move to come closer.

Matt blinks as he listens. It's not disappointment for what won't be that strikes his heart but what it would have taken her to make the decision. He leans to touch his forehead to her's. "I'm sorry I pushed you to tell me before you were comfortable. You don't have to apologize, Verity. That must have been incredibly difficult to do let alone have to talk about to your dopey, curse recovering boyfriend at...." he furrows his brow and tilts his head. "It's 4AM? 5AM?"

At any rate he moves to kiss her forehead. "I love you. And I don't think I'm a suitable father with the choices I've made." This is the first time he says it out loud.

Ver lets out a breath when he approaches, closing her eyes and leaning toward him. Forehead to forehead, she releases his hand to wrap her arms around him. "It was hard," she admits. "I'm kinda glad you know." There's a clock, but neither of them can see it right now. So the question gets a shrug. "Early. It's okay. The time doesn't matter."

The kiss makes her sigh, but the words make her a little teary. "I love you too. I love you so much."

Forehead to forehead and now arms, that's an improvement. Matt reaches to pull her close too and rest against the headboard and what's left of the pillows. "Thank you for telling me. I'm sorry I put you on the spot." Like this. He lightly shakes his head at himself. "I'm terrifically blessed with you and all that you are. Don't even worry about what I think. We can think about our future together as you and me."

Salt and a dip in her voice. Oh Verity. "I love you," he says again with certainty and he tips her chin to be able to kiss one eye lid.

"It's okay. It's not like there's an easier way to segue into the topic," she points out. She almost has some humor in her voice. "What was I supposed to say, 'gee, honey, I hope the only babies you like are carrots'?" Silly Matt. Silly and sweet. She'll shift again to lean against him, head on his shoulder and cuddled against his side. "I'm so glad we have a future."

Well. Now he knows her dirty little secret. "I love you too." If he's going to tip her chin up only so far, she's going to finish the job and give him a kiss.

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