tushanshu_logs | Semi Open//Running is the best medicine

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Semi Open//Running is the best medicine

Characters: Tommy Shepherd, Kal-El, Molly Hayes, Natasha Romanoff and Rikki Barnes
Date: After this thread, backdated before the satellite event
Location: Turtles Edge, Metal Sector, Rikki's apartment
Situation: Tommy's trying to deal with the fact he might be a dad, and Molly needs to have a talk about the birds and the bees. And then Rikki comes back to talk to Tommy. It's like straight up teenage drama in here.
Warnings/Rating: Talk of potential pregnancy and explanations of sex through use of handpuppets. And most likely swearing.

[Tommy needed time to clear his head. And whilst running around the shell wasn't probably the best idea, he'd done it anyway, taking a bag of snacks with him. He hadn't known how long he was going to be, and he couldn't get rid of the pit in his stomach that was laced with guilt. Steve had already spoken to Rikki and to him in the least threatening way he could have mustered. Tommy wasn't sure if that made it ten times worse or better. Talking to Steve, about the possibility of there actually being a child had just soured his stomach and sent his head reeling. Why hadn't he just stopped and gone to get a condom? It had been his responsibility as much as hers. And he should be taking the full blame for this.

He knew if Steph was still here she would be pummelling him right about now. As would Brandon. God, he missed them both so much. He would have gone to them with this, gone to them for help even though they both would have smacked him sideways and called him an idiot. But he was stuck wandering the shell on his own, trying to make sense of it all.

He literally can't believe how stupid he'd been. It would have taken him seconds to go back and get a condom, but he'd been too wrapped up, and too convinced that it wouldn't happen to them that he'd not bothered. He was an idiot.

When Tommy reached the edge of the shell he skidded to a halt to watch the waves lap at the edge, flopping down so he can catch his breath and look out over the vast ocean to try and clear his head and figure out what the hell he was going to do.]

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[ Rikki's cautious as she opens the door, not sure if anyone's home, if they're asleep or what - people in this house keep weird hours at the best of times, and after a day like they've had... yeah, she's not at all surprised to find the two of them unconscious on the couch.

She smiles faintly, hesitating for a moment before tiptoeing over. She could let him sleep, but... she'd want to know right away, in his position, so she nudges his foot gently with hers, her voice soft so she won't wake Molly. ] Hey.

[He doesn't actually stir until Rikki's foot connects with his, and then he starts briefly, blinking up at her in a sleepy haze. When he realises who it is, he rubs his head, and looks down at Molly, who had somehow wrapped herself around him. Who knows how that had happened, but it gets a brief smile out of him before he looks back up at Rikki, a bit nervously.]

...Hey. [He whispers it, trying not to wake Molly.]

Um. Can you untangle yourself from the princess, or...? [ She shrugs a shoulder, with a glance to the kitchen. She'd prefer to talk out of earshot of Molly, even if she is unconscious at the moment. ]

Yeah, just. Gimme a sec. [He gives a brief nod, and starts to squirm out from under Molly, moving her hands from his waist and lifting her head and putting one of the couch cushions under it so she doesn't drop onto the couch. He tugs the blanket over her some more, and then stands up, free. He has to stretch though, his spine cracking lightly from being in that position for so long.

He can't shake the pit that's forming in his stomach, but that was really inescapable all things considered, and starts heading into the kitchen, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.]

...So.

[ She's ahead of him on the way to the kitchen, and barely makes it through the doorway before she swings around to face him, arms folded over her chest and shoulders hunched in awkward defensiveness. ]

So, uh... I got a doctor to check me out this morning. Turns out I'm not pregnant after all. [ She smiles nervously, eyes flicking up to his face. ] So... sorry for freaking you out, and making such a big deal of everything, and making Cap come give the talk over a false alarm. Really sorry.

[He blinks at her for a moment and then heaves a huge sigh of relief, going up to lean against the counter. And just like that, everything was okay again. He wasn't going to be a dad, he didn't have to worry about a baby or who would take care of it if they went missing or how the logistics would even work. And he doesn't have to worry about the whole of the Barnes and Patriotic family beating him up.

But it doesn't get rid of the awkwardness.]

Nah, it's. It's okay. I mean, it's kinda my fault? [He gives her a weak laugh.] I'm just glad you're not pregnant.

[ She heaves a soft sigh, still dizzy with relief herself. ] Me too. Trust me.

[ Rikki swallows, still eyeing him uncertainly. ] We're, um... not gonna be weird now, are we? You and me? I don't want to be, but I'd get it, if you're... whatever.

[And that gets him to look up at her, with a frown. He'd not wanted to be weird, but with her leaving? He'd assumed things. Assumed that she'd been convinced to have nothing to do with him after all this blew over. It had been a pretty big deal too. Going from casual to you're gonna have a baby had given him commitment recoil, and suddenly he wasn't really sure of anything. One of them was going to disappear sooner or later. Maybe it was just better if he didn't let himself get attached.

He suddenly catches himself--not paying attention and realising he looked as anxious as he felt--and shifts closer to her, leaning on the counter next to her. Their arms brush against each other, and Tommy shakes his head softly.]

I'm not weird. Did you miss the memo that said I'm cool?

[He has to laugh at himself. Wow.] Okay, that was lame. [He looks up at her.] I don't want us to be weird either? Like. I dunno. It was kind of... a big deal. [he rubs his face, groaning at himself.]

[ Rikki laughs too, leaning a little closer to him by a fraction of an inch. ] I noticed you're cool, Tommy. I like you in spite of it.

[ She looks up at him with a teasing grin. It fades after a second or two, and she nods. ] I know. I swear it's never gonna happen again, like... ever. But I know it's a lot to deal with.

[he nods too, his eyes shifting to the floor as his hand swing around to the back of his neck and then sinks to beside his waist. He wished he had thought more about what he would do if she wasn't pregnant rather than just panicking about a baby. He didn't want to stop seeing Rikki, and he certainly didn't want to stop having sex with her. But there was a little stab of apprehension at the back of his mind. He never let anyone get close. And somehow Rikki had started to break down his barrier, one piece at a time. Because even though Tommy was no where near old enough to be thinking about a baby? He would have helped raise it. He wouldn't have abandoned it like his family had done with him. And that scares him more than he'd like to admit.

Tommy swallows uncertainly and lifts his eyes to look down at her, giving her a weak smile. He was just going to do what he always did. Continue as normal, hide behind an ego and a quick mouth and shy away from anything too close to emotion.]

It's a lot less to deal with than, y'know an actual baby. [he gives her a stronger smile and slides a hand around her waist.]

And since no babies are involved, I think I can cope.

[ She smiles cautiously, turning toward him and tilting her head to look up at him. ] Yeah? My family didn't scare you off with the... serious talk and the disappearing for the night and whatever?

[ He hadn't even had to deal with Peggy. She was actually the most cool of all of her 'family', but if she'd actually been pregnant... Yeah, Tommy might have gotten a visit from her most frightening relative. Rikki's pretty sure he wouldn't be here after that. ]

[he puts his other hand around her waist and tugs her toward him with a small smile and laughs.] Maybe a little. I mean, I'm sort of not used to overprotective adults. Thanks for making sure they didn't beat me up by the way.

[he was pretty sure Rikki had something to do with that.]

[ The contact is definitely nice. Reassuring. ] No one was going to beat you up in the first place, but... I think we can safely say that's the worst it's ever gonna get. So if you survived that, you'll probably be okay.

[He falters for a second, before brushing it off, probably too quick for Rikki to see. The way she worded it, made it sound far to permanent for his liking, and it was sending flags up in his mind. Why couldn't he just ignore them?

He lifts a hand to push some of her hair out of her face, his finger curling around her ear and down her jawline so he can lift her chin.]

Good. Because I swear to god, if Cap tries to give me another safe sex talk, I'm going to scream.

[ She lets him tip her chin up, and smirks a little, shaking her head. ] Never again. I promise.

[ Rikki pauses, and then rises up on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly. ]

[he's expecting the kiss--hell, it was the reason he had tilted her chin in the first place--but he's hesitant to kiss back for a second or two. However he does kiss back, albeit a bit brief. He heaves a sigh and pulls away, toying with the idea of asking her for them to take a break for a few days. But then Tommy Shepherd remembered he wasn't a girl. Going from suddenly serious back to fun was easy, right?]

Just so I'm clear, I'm not going to get abducted in my sleep or anything, right?

[ She steps back a little, eyebrows raised while she gives him a long baffled look, and laughs after a second. ] What? Of course not.

Okay. Good to know. [He gives her a crooked grin, and then pulls away, leaning back against the counter.

After a small pause, he grins a bit wider.]

So how many condoms did you score?

[ She snorts softly, turning away to put the kettle on for tea. ]

Let's just say we will not have a problem with that. Ever. I mean... ever.

[He doesn't let her get very far before putting his hands around her waist, leaning behind her.]

I guess it all depends on how many we actually use a day.

[ Rikki squeaks a little, turning to look at him over her shoulder. ]

That's true... though I feel like I should point out that your adopted little sister-thing is asleep on the couch right now... [ The door's not even closed, Tommy. Really. ]

[All she sees is his face over her shoulder.]

Jeez, I wasn't gonna jump you right here. I mean, you have a bedroom.

[Maybe he should dial it back, especially since they only just got over a pregnancy scare. He pauses.]

She was worried you weren't coming back. [So was I.]

Oh, well. As long as we'd make it to the bedroom.

[ Molly would still have a problem with that, she's pretty sure.

She blinks, sets the kettle on the burner, and turns fully to face him. ]

Really? I didn't think she liked me that much. I mean, not that she seems like she dislikes me, but... I'll tell her I'm sorry for worrying her.

[ Pause. ]

Sorry for bailing without saying anything to you, too.

[He pulls back to let her move to put the kettle on the stove, dropping his hands. He stays in front of her though, giving a small shrug.]

She's warming up to you. [He gives a small smile.] Mol's been through a lot for someone that young. She kinda finds it hard to trust.

[He runs a hand through his hair.]

It's cool. You left a note.

Well, that and I'm friends with Captain America. I think that's kind of a big issue with her too.

And it was still kind of a jerk move. Just accept the apology, Shepherd.

Semi Open//Running is the best medicine

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