bakerstreet | Our tiniest steps

Our tiniest steps

little steps

No matter how much they care for the other person and want to be with them, some people simply can't dive head first into relationships. Little things that form intimacy and romance, little acts we take for granted - being close, holding hands, kissing, showing affection in public - they won't or can't do...at least not right off the bat. Something in their past, their experiences, their trauma, or even their personality holds them back. For both them and the person they're "dating," as it were, this can lead to a frustrating experience.

Still, steps can be taken towards letting the walls fall down. Little, tiny steps, but those can mean the world all the same.

The People
One With the help of a partner, one person warms up.
Two Both sides of this couple are learning how to be in a relationship and to be open.

The Actions
Talking → A relationship can't exist if there's not some communication, so either learn to use your words or become so close you can speak without them.
Spending Time → Even such mundane occurrences as watching TV or cooking together is new ground.
Touching → You might just find you enjoy reaching out and touching them.
Kissing → Another kind of touch, when you think about it.
Cuddling → ...at least they're warm and, hopefully, soft.
Sleeping → You're at your absolute weakest when you're asleep. It shows trust to doze off around this person.
Public Display → It's one thing to be in love in private, but showing you care in public is a different story.
Kind Words → Three little words (more or less) are all it takes. Why, then, are they so hard to get out?
Sex The ultimate stumbling block to some. To be laid blissfully bare is to truly let your guard down.

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He knows that look on her, too. She's surprised, and aware of what it means and as much as he likes it - it frightens him slightly.

Only - just as she was about to reply there's an obscene song playing and he bursts into laughter, dragging himself back into his seat, briefly concerned.

"If you need to take that." His eyebrow arches, he's slowly putting two and two together. "One half of the-- lawyer duo?"

"Yeah, Foggy is the best, seriously, but no. I'm on a date. He can drink by himself tonight."

Her phone vibrates. Vibrates again. Vibrates again.

"God. I'm gonna kill him twice.. Hang on just a sec."

She opens her texts and...

7:27pm Karen, wtf, where are you? Are you eating Thai food with Tony Stark? Is that you?

7:27pm Karen, pick up your phone.

7:28pm My god woman, you're trending on twitter. That's totally you. I am looking at you right now.

7:28pm [image attached]

She opens the image and ignores the onslaught of messages. Yep. She grins at the picture, tilts her head to one side. "Aww."

She turns it around so he can see. It's the two of them sitting at that table, holding hands, before the waiter came because the menus are still on the table.

"We're trending apparently?" She sounds bemused by the whole surreality of the situation. He might be used to it. She's not. Well, not yet. Apparently, this is the way of things when you're dating Tony Stark.

Tony keeps his smile - whilst she makes her feelings known about their date, as she checks her messages, and with an arched eyebrow as she exclaims her feelings.

It falls away almost as soon as he realises just what the picture is. He might not be phased by it, but this was what he was concerned that Karen would struggle with. She seems... to be taking it in her stride. For now.

"Third time this week." Probably. He doesn't know for sure. Who bothers to keep tabs on their social media impact when they're Tony Stark. "Is that okay?"

She grins so broadly her nose wrinkles, and rolls her eyes at him.

"Yeah, it's a total deal breaker. C'mon. You're -- you!" She gestures to him. "As long as there's no one snapping pics of us," she bites her lip, her eyebrows waggling a few times, "y'know, I'm cool with it. I kinda have to be, if I want to be with you."

"That's what I was worried about." He pauses, mistake - and then shakes his head, leaning forward to take her hand again. "That the-- attention would be too much."

He knows he's being too honest right now, and although they're set apart from most of the restaurant, he's not sure their conversation is sacred.

"Hey," she says, taking his hand between both of hers, holds him tight for a moment. "Hey, it's okay. Really. I don't mind."

She tilts her head down to catch his gaze again. "I'm honestly more worried about what they'll say about you dating me. I mean, I'm not exactly the most popular journalist in this city these days, if you know what I mean. People are gonna say I'm only with you for the story and that I'm out to take you down, or something. Which is really the farthest thing from the truth, isn't it? I'm with you because I want to be. I'm --"

She catches herself, bites her lip again, grinning, shaking her head.

He sighs quietly, letting his eyes close for just a moment because all of this really sounds... ridiculous.

A quick shake of his head and he pulls her hand toward him, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand, fingers smoothing over her skin gently.

"People will talk, Karen. No matter what we do."

"So? Let them talk. As long as you and I know what's really going on, the rest of the world can go fuck themselves for all I care." She sighs, just drinking in the sight of him, here, sitting across the table from her, kissing her hand.

She holds up a finger on her free hand, and pulls out her phone again. A few moments later, she spins it around and pushes it towards him. The notification for her text messages are still blinking, the number of new messages steadily ticking higher and higher. 75... 76... 77...

"Your digits. Gimme."

"They can fuck them, huh?" He smiles - genuine, and leans back slowly as soon as she lets go of his hand. Quietly, he waits until Karen hands him her phone, arching his eyebrow.

He knows the purpose of being handed her phone, knows exactly what 'your digits' is supposed to mean, but he's more distracted by the little blinking numbers at the top of her phone. He stares at them, and then looks back up at her, lips quirking as he very obviously makes the gesture that would open the messages.

"Uh huh."

She doesn't even try to stop him. He's curious, just like her. It's one of the things she very quickly grew to love about him.

"I have nothing to hide," she says. And yet, she's biting her lip again, trying to cover it with one hand.

7:34pm and get his autograph for me. Oh and Black Widow's autograph. You can do that right?

7:34pm I am just going to keep blowing up your phone until you respond. I don't care if you're on a date. I NEED DETAILS.

7:35pm This isn't just some radio promotion you won, is it?

7:35pm WAIT IS THAT THE GUY

7:35pm THE GUY YOU WERE SO HUSH HUSH ABOUT AFTER YOU GOT BACK FROM TAHITI

7:35pm KAREN ELIZABETH PAGE IF YOU SPENT A WEEK BONING TONY STARK AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME I WILL NEVER BUY YOU COFFEE AGAIN

He finds he really likes Karen for this. She has nothing to hide, and -- although he doesn't think he could say the same, anything she read on his phone and had questions about, he'd answer them.

Quietly, he reads the texts, lips quirking higher the lower he gets until he finally sucks in a breath. "Looks like he's never buying you coffee again."

7:36pm Stop texting. You can get your autograph later.

7:36pm I'll have her bring it to you first thing tomorrow morning? Coffee at 10am? There's a Sbux by the tower. You know the one.

"Oh boohoo. Whatever shall I do."

He starts typing and she leans forward a little bit, one hand brushing the back of his. The incoming texts stop for a whole minute.

7:38pm Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir. Tell her I'll be there.

7:38pm And if you hurt her, I swear I don't care who you are. I will find you and I will hurt you. Badly.

7:38pm You understand, just gotta get that out there. Sir.

"Mn, not sure you'll survive."

He tips the phone forward enough that she can read what he's writing - this has quickly turned into a battle between the both of them, and this man he'd never met before. She might not have realised Foggy had called her out on 'boning him for a week', that'll come later.

"Respectful, though."

7:39pm I just want to show her a good time.

7:39pm We'll see you at 10.

"Okay, okay, here." She'll deal with Foggy in the morning, apparently when she wakes up from their night at the Tower, because that seems like a done deal.

"Please just give me your direct line. So I can drunk text you in the middle of the night with sexy pictures?"

Maybe he needs an incentive?

He stops, right in the middle of heading to Karen's contacts to change Foggy's name to Tony's No. 1 fan when she informs him of just what she intends.

Without a beat, he looks up at her, glancing up and down at her and cracking a small smile. His name goes in as "Hot guy I boned for a week", but he puts his number in there, closes the app, switches off the screen and hands it back with a smile.

"Whenever you're ready."

This time, she makes a point of turning the phone off.

"Are we gonna eat dinner first? Or are we getting it to go?"

"Just where is it you plan on going?" He asks, eyebrow arched - grin on his face, elbow to the table, chin in hand.

"With you."

She mimics his posture, chin in hand, her tongue darting out to wet her lower lip.

"Tonight I'm all yours."

Slowly, he runs his tongue along his own lips - unable to help himself but smile as he sinks back into his seat, tapping his fingers on the table top for a moment and finally pressing his hand down against it.

"Think I left the bath running. We have to go."

"Oh that could be dangerous," she says, mock-solemn. She sits back in her chair, glances over her shoulder. She folds her napkin and lays it on the table, touches his hand again.

"You get the food to go? I'm gonna go -- uh -- powder my nose. Be right back."

She stands and walks away from him, slowly enough to make it obvious she knows he's watching.

"Very."

He's definitely not watching her, of course not. He isn't remembering what it was like, for an entire week with her. Gently he licks his lips and shifts his seat back from the table, hailing over the waiter. By the time Karen's back the car is waiting for them outside, food waiting in one of the seats. He doesn't care who sees them leave, only that they see them together. Of course.

She comes back in a few minutes, and his phone vibrates. She raises an eyebrow at him as she takes his arm.

"You should probably take that."

That's unexpected, which is why he arches his eyebrow at his phone as he stands to his feet, offering his arm to her just as she takes it. The number is unknown and he almost doesn't check but it's a photo and...

"Interesting." The phone gets tipped slightly, as if that feature might turn the picture enough that he could see higher up her leg. "Do I get to unwrap this?" He asks it calmly, pocketing his phone a second later as he heads through the restaurant, aware, but not phased by the questioning looks.

"If you're good," she teases. It's easier this time, to ignore all the looks and the whispers, the not so silent clicks of camera phones. She's at his side and she feels like she's floating a few inches above the ground. Exclusive. Me and you. His exact words.

She leans in close to murmur to him. "Remember when you told me about the scripts you run, or rather that Jarvis can run to sweep the net for pictures of a location or a person? Do you think he could grab of some of these pics?"

Edited 2016-07-25 07:58 (UTC)

"I'm on my best behaviour."

It's said with a smile, find at that. This wasn't just about one thing for him, althought the sex they'd had through the entire week had been amazing, and he would hardly turn his nose up at another opportunity - this was about them.

In the hours between lazily falling into one another or tension building to something hungry and desperate they'd talked and it had been easy. Listening to Karen, watching her, learning her was all a gift and he hadn't realised just how precious that gift was.

His eyebrow arches as her request, clearly surprised that she was showing interest. It concerned him, of course. Saying you didn't mind being the topic of an entire city's conversation was one thing, but managing to ignore it was another.

"Depends what you want to do with them."

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