bakerstreet | Otherwordly meme

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[ The Paladins' mission to defend the galaxy had taken them, now, to a planet in the quadrant-- well, no, honestly, Hana had no idea at this point. Nevertheless she was along for the ride by circumstance, although she didn't mind in the least even when Coran had pulled her aside and told her, in a cautionary tone, that the planet was known to have rather volatile weather and that they were likely to experience at least one storm during their stay.

Ah.

Of course Coran knew, she thought. She wasn't sure if he was told or he somehow just knew or maybe it was a friendly, general reminder, but her response at the time was to wave him off dismissively, telling him she would be fine.

She was in the observation deck again, patiently waiting for the team to finish up their duties for the day. Or, more specifically, waiting for Shiro to finish up his duties for the day. The planet was known for its volatile weather, sure, but at the moment it was clear, vibrant blue-green skies that almost looked like the ocean off a tropical island--

Until suddenly it wasn't.

Hana had never seen something like it, but in what felt like seconds, the sky went from cerulean to purples and darker blues, clouds coalescing, swirling violently, and suddenly golden streaks flashed across the sky. And then that familiar rumble of crashing thunder came through, shook Hana's heart, and she knew for sure then that this was what Coran meant by volatile weather. And then came the rain in a deluge.

The last time she had seen rain and lightning and thunder, she was on the verge of death.

And--it scared her. It still did. But now she found herself drawn to it instead of hiding from it, found herself walking to the edge of the room to the wall of reinforced glass and she spread her fingers across the surface of it, like she was trying to feel the raindrops pounding against the other side. Her body still told her that she needed to hide; her heart was racing in her chest and it was a little harder to breathe, but-- her mind was reminding her that in her last moments before losing consciousness it was a storm that told her she was still alive.

She heard the sound of doors sliding apart behind her, then, and she turned her body a little to find that it was Shiro. Was he finished? Or-- did he come, after noticing a storm had arrived and that Hana would be scared?

Hana looked conflicted. She certainly felt like it. Her eyes were a bit wide and her brow slightly furrowed, lips drawn into a thin line, and her voice came out cautious only that there was a strange, anxious excitement in it too, when she said: ]

I wanna go out there.

[Hana's growing stronger every day and he's never quite sure where he's going to find her in her wandering explorations through the castle. It doesn't worry him. He knows she's safe and that there are always voice sensors nearby if she ever needs any help. But she's still fragile, possibly, he realizes, not as much as his mind tells him he is but he knows she's still recovering. And so he appreciates it when teammates watch out for her.

He'd told Coran about her aversion to storms. The other man was in charge of picking the planets they went to ground on and while Shiro realized sometimes there was no choice, without going into detail, he'd wanted the other man to at least be aware. Sometimes there was no help for it but -

When the storm moved in Coran commed him to let him know and Shiro broke off training early. No one really questioned it. Frankly, even if they weren't all dead tired by that point from the new maneuver they were working on, Shiro's love of storms was pretty well known. If their fearless leader wanted to go stand out in the rain while they all limped to the showers, no one was going to say otherwise.

Shiro debated grabbing a shower first himself but then the thunder managed to rumble through the walls even this deep inside the castle and, while it sent thunder through his own veins, he simply grabbed a towel to run over his face and neck and went looking for Hana instead.

She wasn't hard to find. He was just - surprised by where he did find her.

...because pressed up against the glass looking out at the storm wasn't - wasn't what he'd expected considering, as far as he'd known, her usual MO was to surrounded herself with electric noise and activity to try to drown out storms. And her request was even - ]

What? [He stepped closer into the room, glancing up at the glorious raging storm outside and he felt it sizzle through his blood but - it seemed obvious but he still felt compelled to point out]

There's a storm out there.

I know there's a storm out there.

[ She said it with an obviously sort of tone, but in her eyes the confusion and the odd sort of thrill running through her lingered as she turned to fully face him and, just to convey how serious she was about her request, she began walking toward Shiro. Toward the door. ]

Let's go out into it, Shiro.

[He feels his lips quirk, just a little, to the side at her 'duh' tone. He's aware it was an obvious statement but the fact that she verbally rolls her eyes at him is actually - encouraging. It's encouraging seeing the life coming back into her, the old traits and habits coming back. He can't get upset about that.

But he can be confused about her new need to go out in the rain. Because he remembers very clearly the way she'd been during the last storm they'd been in together. His eyes move back to the window as she comes over and - its a bad storm. The fierce, wild, rushing kind he loves. It's a sound in his chest, a hollow swirling howl of wind.

And Hana hates storms.

But she wants out in this one and even if it worries him a little, he doesn't try to stop her, instead falling into step next to her, letting her take the lead as they go out the door and head for the downstairs one that will lead outside. He feels like asking her if she's sure but that too, is a redundant question. Instead, he stops at the door long enough to get his coat out and pull it over her shoulders, blocking the way until she at least puts her arms through the sleeves. Shiro's never believed that getting wet can lead to a cold but with her body weaker than normal he's not going to let her go out without protection either and his coat covers her from fingertips to knees. Then he opens the final door and the storm doesn't wait for them to step outside, rushing in in a blast of cold air with stinging rain and the scent of wild ozone and fresh earth.]

[ The truth of the matter is that Hana does still dislike storms. It's something that's become engrained in her from the time she first became a soldier, from the very first time she had to face down the colossal omnic in a mech that had never been piloted by a human being before. From the first time she could hear and feel each horrifying step it would take rumbling through the ground like thunder.

But-- she needs to get out there. If Shiro asked her to explain, she would be hard-pressed to answer, because all she really knows is that she needs to get out there and face down the storm like she'd faced down the colossal omnic. Just like she'd won against the colossal omnic.

When they walk along the halls of the castle, with its tall vaulted ceilings, each crack of thunder seems to reverberate throughout. And she would be walking on right through but Shiro blocks her way with a coat; there's a protest on the tip of her tongue at the gesture but Shiro is a large, immovable wall in front of her and there's not much she can do but slip her arms into the sleeves of his coat. The sleeves do come up almost past her fingertips, but it doesn't stop her from reaching out and trying to grab a hold of one of his hands as he hits the trigger to open the final door and-- ]

Whoa!

[ That's a storm alright. She brings her other arm up in an attempt to keep the rain from pelting her directly in the face and she can feel the wind blowing right through and tossing her long hair about in its wake, smell the arcing energy and earth in the air. Her fingers tighten with his.]

[His hand curls around hers, fingers shifting to interlock but, for just a second as the storm blows in he's not there, but outside, mind closed down to everything but the storm. It only takes the space of an inhale long and slow, filling his lungs with storm wind and wildness and longing and then he's back, eyes opening and then narrowing against the pelt of the rain and there's Hana next to him, hair already starting to tangle and dampen, pale skin getting spattered -

but she's not retreating.

So he steps in closer and wraps his arms around her, giving her the shelter of his body which, now that the rain is soaking him, he doesn't have to worry about being sweaty. He doesn't try to move them out of the storm. If Hana's out in it she has a reason and he's willing to let her try at least. But he will give her some protection from the worst of it, wind tugging at his lock of white hair and beating needles of ice cold life against his cheeks.]

[ The roaring of thunder and the power of rain is a reminder, certainly, of Hana's brush with death but more than that--

It reminds her, too, of the second time she had ever met up with one Takashi Shirogane-- even if "met up" is a stretch, considering he showed up at her window in the middle of the night after running through the rain. That was the first time he'd ever held her, sheltering her from the storm outside of her window when the lights went out and -- he'd told her, then, why he loved being in storms so much. It washed away the dark parts of him, at least for a little while, and she remembers him saying that feeling the rain against his skin reminded him of where he was now.

She understands, now. With her body strewn across debris, clinging desperately to life as rain poured over like mourning tears over a nearly-destroyed Busan, Hana had come to understand it. Because as the explosions and gunfire ceased and all of the debris settled-- it was the feeling of rain against her skin that made Hana realize that she was still alive.

And she's here. With Shiro as her shelter once more. She wraps her arms around him in turn, her small hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt at his back. His coat keeps her torso from getting too wet but the rain leaves water streaming down her face, in her hair, and strands of it starting to cling to her forehead and cheeks as she looks up at him. ]

Shiro...

[ The howling wind and the rain and thunder are loud, but she calls out his name, anyway, just like she'd called out his name in the rain in Busan. ]

I think I get it now! Why you love storms so much.

[The rumble is a wonderful thrum through his bones and the rain paints his skin with each cold splash, life and feeling and sensation in so many places its almost overwhelming. And - he loves it. Thrives in it. Soaks it up and the wilder the storm is the better.

But he's not unaware of the woman in his arms or the way she turns into him and clings tight and so he leans down too, curling his body a bit more around and over her smaller one. But still - she's not backing down. She's not leaving. And so he stays as well and lets the wind down to hollow out his bones and clean him. Her face...

her face isn't frightened when she turns it up to him. There's life and emotion snapping through her eyes, sparking like the lighting that jumps clouds outside but its not fear. And that draws the little smile out of him, has him leaning down into her, head lowering to hear her better. She's surprising him again and - that's a relief too. He raises his voice to be heard over the way the wind howls as it pushes into the castle and down the hallway.]

Why?

[ The fingers at his back tighten their grip, and she gazes deeply into his eyes like she's searching for her answer to his question in them. And Hana--

she thinks she might be crying again, but it's hard to tell when it's literally raining on her face. She remembers this same feeling distinctly from her last moments of consciousness at Busan, not being able to tell if she was crying or if it was just rain on her face when she could see Mercy coming for her, Jack and Tracer and Lúcio not far behind.

Her voice comes out a little choked, but still there, and she manages to raise it just enough to hope that he can hear her, leaning down as he is. And her words almost come out frantic, like she's starting to remember the little details of those moments as she talks. ]

It started raining after we beat the omnic.

I blew up my last MEKA and I don't know, everything was exploding and I didn't know where I was after, just that I couldn't feel anything except... the rain. I could feel the rain on my face. It-- that was the only thing I could feel, Shiro. But that's how I knew I was still alive.

And I thought of you.

[He hears the change in her voice, even with the wind pulling at both of them as it pushes past, the thunder a chain of rolling rumbles in the background and it pulls his eyebrows down, has him raising his human hand to cup her cheek even as he leans down enough to all but rest his forehead against hers. Watching her face closely even in the rain as her words pour almost desperately out of her. And her words have him tugging her tighter into him, as if, somehow, he can keep her there with him. And -

ah. Yes. He'd told her that, hadn't he? Why he loved the rain, loved to be out in storms. He - almost wished she didn't understand. Because she'd learned it in pain and fear and he would never want that for her. Tender his hand stroked wet hair back from her face.

She'd thought of him. She'd laid there, broken, and it had rained and she'd thought of him. Because rain on your skin meant you were still alive to feel it.

He had a response for that. He was sure he had an appropriate and well thought out response, something soothing and wise and encouraging. Because she needed it and that was what he did.

But instead he found himself leaning that last bit down and taking her mouth with his and if it was soft, heat still ticked behind his lips, hot against the cold of the rain on her skin.]

[ Maybe--

Maybe, more than she needs his encouragement and wisdom, Hana just needs him. Because the rain make her feel alive, now, and she wants to feel that with Shiro.

She wants to feel alive with him.

And so she kisses him back soundly, lips pressing and brushing and moving with his as her eyes close, letting her focus on the sensations of cold raindrops falling on and streaming down her skin, the wind pulling at her-- and the warmth of Shiro's body and lips pressed against hers. Her own kiss is almost pleading, as though asking for some sort of fulfillment from him. ]

[He's told himself he's going to be gentle with her. She's been through so much and she's still shaken inside. As tough as she is he knows there are parts inside her that have been turned into glass. She'll heal, she'll grow stronger but he's her protector as much as her lover and there is nothing in him that would ever want to harm her because he wasn't thinking of her first, putting her first. He's been afraid to touch her too strongly, adverse to the idea of damaging what was only just healing to the point of complete aversion.

But the storm is in his blood and his bones are hollow with barren ice wind and thunder rolls through his muscles. And she's clinging to him, mouth pleading under his. There's still no aggression in him, no demand, but his head tips and his mouth slants hot and wet over hers, human fingers slipping back to knot in the slick hair at the back of her head, tongue dragging across the seam of her lips and the thunder rolls to match the rumble of sound in his chest.]

[ It hasn't escaped Hana, for all of the time she's spent with him since she woke up from the pod, that Shiro has been treating her like she's made of glass. And-- she understands. Some days she still doesn't feel all the way here. The pod and, before that, Mercy had done anything and everything to heal the broken body of Hana's but neither could heal the injuries she sustained inside-- the ones her heart and soul took.

But right now, in the swirling storm and held tightly in Shiro's arms, for the first time in a long while she's beginning to feel whole.

Her lips part readily for him and she moves her own mouth to let him in, letting her tongue slide against his as they deepen the kiss and she whimpers, realizing that she's needed this so badly. Needed him so badly. And not so much in the same way that she'd felt the night before he left, when the both of them decided they needed to lose control for just one night before they parted ways-- this is different, in a way she can't quite describe. She needs him in the way a fire needs tinder to start, she needs him to just let her life through her veins and through every inch of her body. ]

[The sound in his throat in response to her whimper is a low, thrumming growl of sound, instinctive response to the sound of his lover, his mate, and her need. His teeth catch her tongue, brief, a light drag with no pressure and then he sucks, dragging his own tongue down hers as he traps hers in his mouth for the pull. His metal arm slips down around her more, catches tight around her waist and lifts her up and into him, dragging her body a few short inches over his until she's on her toes. Storms do wild things to his blood.

Being reminded he's alive and the overwhelming sensations of that do wild things to his blood.

And he would never want to do anything to rush her, to harm her, to frighten her - but desperation feeds him and its her desperation this time. There's nothing in him that can't answer that. But he tries. He tries to keep it soft still and his fingers curled on her don't dig so much as cradle and there's no violence in his kiss. He's been - a very very long time without her and his body hasn't forgotten the last night they spent together on earth and how tight and hot and needy she can be. But they're not there and this isn't then and he won't let himself -

but God. He can kiss her. He can kiss her until he loses his mind if she'll let him.]

[ His fervor, his strength as he pulls her in and drags her body against his are rewarded with something that comes dangerously to a moan; and she shivers, a combination of her body beginning to react to the cold even after a short while and desire focusing her on the feeling of her body pressed into the shelter of Shiro's body and the muscle that comes with it. Hana doesn't know that anyone has ever kissed her as passionately as Shiro does but like with all else in her life, she tries her hardest, taking cues from him, letting her tongue drag along his and his lips and her teeth doing the same.

Hana has a feeling she's going to get into trouble in some form or fashion.

But the longer they keep on, the less Hana is able to keep herself on her toes, even with Shiro's arm supporting her. Soon she begins to feel her legs giving beneath her, like turning into jelly, and she suspects it's not only because of standing on the tips of her toes for so long and partly because Shiro has literally made her weak in the knees. She has to pull away just then, but his name passes from her lips as she does, lips just barely brushing against his, her breath hot even when her body still feels cold from the rain, voice soft and feverish-- ]

Takashi...

[He could blame it on the storm and what those always do to him.

He could blame it on how damn long he's been without her and how much longer he might have been if things had turned out just the littlest bit differently.

He could blame it on her.

But he feels the fire, the flare, the storm tossed energy inside of him and when her lips slip away from his and his eyes lid open the slightest bit for the satisfaction of seeing her flushed face, he knows there's no one to blame but himself.

Leaning down, he scoops her up in his arms, bundled in his soaked jacket and he elbows the panel that shuts the door, trapping the storm safely outside - though Coran might have a thing or two to say about how much of it they already let in. There's an observation room right off the hall, an almost entirely class alcove and he knows he could take her there, press her down, find her lips again while the storm raged around them -

but her skin's cold. He can feel it under his hands. And he's sworn himself to protecting her, guarding her, taking care of her just as surely as he's sworn himself to his lion or saving the universe. And she needs warmth now. He turns and heads for his room.]

[ She sinks into his grasp easily, and one hand finds the fabric of his shirt on his chest and grabs hold as she pressed her face to him as though doing so would hide just how hot her cheeks feel.

She's cold, but it doesn't matter as long as she's with Shiro. She knows that he won't let her feel too cold-- he promised, after all, that he would always warm her up. It doesn't even matter to her in what capacity that is as long as it's him. Takashi Shirogane. Her Takashi.

When she feels him take a turn, her fingers tighten against him, and she mumbles against his chest a question that she thinks she already knows the answer to: ]

Where are we going?

['Nearest supply closet' is what he's half tempted to say because between her and the storm, his blood is a steady taiko beat and she's almost irresistible when she's pliable and clinging and more than willing. But her cold skin where her face is pressed against his chest, felt even through the thin fabric of his skirt is more than enough reminder to keep him on course. She needs to get warm. And that means:]

Shower. [His voice is gravel and velvet and he can't even pretend its not.] Time to get you warmed up again, sweetheart.

[ Oh.

She already figured, but-- still, oh. Because if Hana hadn't been sure that she was going to stay out of trouble tonight, now she's certain, and she has a feeling that Shiro is too with the way his voice sounds for her. Just her. And, damn it, what a voice. There's nothing for her to do other than nod against him. ]

Good. That sounds good.

[The sound he makes deep in his chest is rumbling but it's also debatable on whether he thinks it sounds like a good idea or not. 'Good idea' would probably be handing her over to Allura to - no, probably not. Allura is a good woman and a great teammate and leader but... she's not exactly gentle. Pidge would be a better choice then. Except - he really doesn't think he could force his body to let go of Hana even if he wanted to and - he most definitely doesn't want to. So instead he lets his legs take long strides and gets to his room in shorter order than usual, elbowing the panel to open the door and then again to close it once he's inside. The bathroom light is already on because he always leaves a light on somewhere and he steps in, aware, only then that he's trailing wet foot prints behind him where his sneakers have left them. Belated, he toes them of and then steps into the bathroom

and right on into the shower, arms still full of her. One of the most amazing things about this entire castle, to Shiro, is that you don't have to wait for the water to warm up and he steps them both to the side and hits the panel to turn on the shower. Then he eases her shoes off her feet and tosses them out into the other room before stepping, with Hana still cradled in his arms, still wearing his jacket, into the spray, careful to let it hit her legs first, her head safely out of it for the moment as he lets the heat start to soak into her legs and feet instead.]

[ She stays quiet in his arms as he moves, rather quickly she notices, to his room and there's a bit of amusement in a soft huff against him but more than that it's relief, it's thank god. Hana fully expects that he'll let her down once they get into the room and that they would, probably, discard item after item of clothing en route to the shower but-- Shiro goes straight for it and almost forgets to take his own shoes off, and it actually pulls her lips into a smile, something a bit devious. She wants to point out then and a few more time after that as he takes her shoes off for her that he can let go and put her down then

when the hot water hits her legs, soaking through the fabric of her leggings and her bare feet and an audible breath passes through her lips, one of alleviation, relief that she can feel her toes again (she had, tragically, neglected to wear her Fuzzy Socks that day) and her eyes slip shut as she lets herself enjoy the warmth for a moment before she opens them slightly once more to look up at Shiro through half-lidded eyes. ]

You can put me down, Shiro...

[He hums a sound at her direction but first his human hand slips down to press a thumb down the sole of first one foot and then the other, both a short massage and testing her body temperature. Satisfied, he shifts, slowly unspools her so that she can find her feet without slipping out of his arms, moving his own body so that his back blocks most of the spray, letting enough through to hit her legs and side but still keeping her from getting a face full of it. One arm stays around her while the other reaches up to gently tug his jacket off of her. He's doing his best but his throat is still a throaty purr.]

Don't think you need this any more.

[ Hana doesn't mind the way his voice sounds, not in the least, and if in fact his only goal is to increase her body temperature then sounding like that works just as well as letting hot water run over her.

She's sure to watch her step as he lets her back down, and then shrugs his jacket off of her shoulders readily, carefully pulling her arms out of the long, long sleeves of it so that it essentially falls off of her and Shiro can discard it however he likes. Its removal just reminds the both of them of how Hana never bothered to close or zip the jacket back up in the first place, and the way the shirt she wears is similarly wet and clinging to her skin is the proof. ]

Nope. Definitely don't need it.

[ Although-- standing as they are Hana has to notice that Shiro's shirt is much worse. It's clinging completely to him and follows every curve and contour of his body and muscles with how drenched they got and while she certainly can't complain about the sight, it can't be very comfortable. ] Don't think you need your shirt either.

[His eyes move down her body slow and there's no doubt at all that's he's noticed the way her shirt clings to her and is almost translucent in places. He swallows and his eyes half lid but he forces himself to focus, to remember, and so he tosses his jacket out in the direction of the sink. Her comment though has him debating. Its not comfortable but he's been through so much worse that a mild discomfort of clinging fabric when he moves isn't worth noticing. Taking it off would be nice - but it would be nice because that would mean Hana's hands could be on his skin and the steady rumble through his blood tells him just how good that would feel. His memory tells him just how good that would feel.

Except that's not taking care of her. That's - taking care of his own needs. His voice holds rust at its edges as he reaches for the hem of her shirt.]

It's safer to keep it on.

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