bakerstreet | Take it easy, take it slow

[info. he would need to start at "What Feels Good 101" and go from there, so if anyone wants to take it really slow...]

[ some days, this happens with him. reid turns to look at someone, and instead of seeing the usual fractal lines, bright spots of molecule chains, and buzz of aura around them that comes more from his mind than the now blind, opaque eyes typically behind some kind of sunglasses of strip of fabric, he sees everything that they are, everything they were, and everything they will be. time collapses, and he sees them born, sees their most joyful moment and most sorrowful. sees their greatest achievements, their lowest points, and all that they can be, all in one surging flash, like a supernova in the center of a sidewalk.

sometimes it's complete strangers, sometimes it's people he's known for years. the latter's usually less awkward, because more times that not, he falls in love with them for that beautiful moment. people wonder how he smiles so much and seems so light hearted despite all that happens in the world, and all the tragedy he sees and hears, and the reason is this.

he doesn't think of it much before he moves, like in a trance, and slips soft fingertips over nish's cheeks, cradling her face, before dipping forward to kiss her like the most precious thing he's ever held. he's a bit intense, sorry. ]

[ She's used to intense. She's seen wars and death, waged those very things without a second thought, and there is no surprise in intensity, in conviction or straightforwardness. What she isn't used to is something entirely different, something like this—intimacy. The touch of his lips is warm, his fingers light against her cheek and much too tender. For all of that, she almost prefers quick and hard melee, a punch to the face or an elbow to the gut, but the sweetness of his mouth steals her breath just as quickly, the shock of it driving her completely still. Her own hands remain at her sides until it's over, eyes half-open and entirely unsure what she's supposed to do or say.

Eventually, the words come, though they are probably not what he expects, and she moves too, a hand cupping the curve of his cheek. As familiar as all of this feels, she has no memory of ever doing this with anyone. Sometimes, she wonders if Emmerich would ever do something like this, if he could want her, but he is not the same as Reid. They are very different, separated by worlds, and Nish thinks she may swallow her own heart one day if she ever had to decide. ]

What was that? [ It's a whisper, the pad of her thumb brushing against his earlobe. ]

[ It's slow and sweet and savoring, the kind of kiss you give a lover when they've just done something amazing, reminding you of all the wonderful reasons and ways you adore them. Before the accident that made him this way, Reid knew that fear of intimacy people have, why it's naturally awkward for most, but after, with so much in his head and having seen so much about so many people, he can't understand why most don't fall right into it. Connection like this is like a peace of heaven, he thinks. Like souls flowing together as they were made to. But then again, most people call him crazy, so what does he know? ]

You were bright. Radiating light. [ He tells her, in a quiet whisper, as his forehead leans against hers, fingers brushing her hair back from her temples. ] Like when you go somewhere deserted on a cloudless night, feel alone, and then look up at all the millions or millions of stars, and somehow it feels like home. You feel like you want to float right in and never leave.

[ Maybe that's a thing people know, maybe it's just Reid's own weird mind, but it makes sense to him. He smiles, soft and content, and covers the inch or so between them to kiss her once, twice more, short and fond. ] I'm glad I met you.

[Be prepared for it to go really slow - having only ghosts as friends means no experience with this kind of thing.]

(ooc: Canon mates would be great but open to cross-canon and OC's.)

[Prefs and kink are in journal. M/M or M/F although that will def be awkward. ota interactions. ]

((She likes taking her time anyway...LOL Have at her!))

They'd gotten off to a rough start, Bruce and Natasha. She wouldn't have blamed him for being leery of her, after the way she had been tasked to bring him in. She hadn't truly been prepared to deal with his transformation, either, and her attempt to help him control it that first day had been less than helpful. But she learned fast, and did her best to avoid those kind of triggers in the future, and they'd ultimately managed to come to a truce.

And maybe it was more than just a truce. Maybe they shared a deeper connection. A mutual recognition that they each had their own monster inside, and all they could do was try and rise above it. To do as much good as they were able, when they were able.

Whatever it was, it felt like a good thing.

Bruce was used to bumpy roads, metaphorically speaking in this case. Joining the Avengers was one, when he was so used to living on the run and never getting close to anyone, but it wasn't a particularly difficult transition. Just... weird. The weirdest part, he thinks, was getting used to his teammates, or being around them so often.

It was a pleasant surprise to find out how well he ended up getting along with most of them, but the biggest surprise was probably Natasha. If asked when they first met if he'd have ever even trusted Natasha minimally, the answer would've likely been a resounding 'no', but now... well, here they are.

Plans for the Hulk-busting armor he and Tony have been talking about are on display in a number of holographic screens around the lab, and Bruce seems vaguely distracted as he looks from one to the next. Couple that with the fact that Natasha's eerily quiet, and he doesn't realize there's someone else in the room until she's practically standing next to him.

"Hi," looking a little surprised there, he closes a couple of the screens and turns to her. "What brings you down here?"

Natasha smiles apologetically when Bruce looks up. Her training makes it so that she has to work really hard to not sneak up on people. Being quiet, and observing her surroundings is as natural as breathing. Sneaking up on someone like Bruce could be a little dangerous, she supposes, but she's seen enough to know it takes more than a mild surprise to bring out the Other Guy. Unless that surprise came in the form of a bullet.

But she's not planning on trying to coerce him into joining any missions today.

"Just thought I'd look in, and see how things are going." She held up a paper takeout bag. "In case you need to refuel."

He doesn't particularly mind the quiet approach. Maybe he used to, when Natasha made him feel a little uneasy still, but those days are behind him now. Far from saying they're especially close, he can say with certainty that more than just teammates, they've grown to be friends, and he likes having her around. He's gotten used to her silent and unexpected appearances like he has Tony's tendency to breach his bubble of personal space.

"Thanks," he accepts the bag, actually feeling a bit hungry, taking a peek inside to see what she brought with her. "Things are going slowly, I guess. But there's no rush. What have you been up to?"

With a job like hers, physical contact usually means violence, so when she's not working, or training, Natasha tends to keep her hands to herself. Bruce is probably far more patient than she would have been with Tony's teasing. Lucky for her, she doesn't have to deal with Tony much.

She smiled a little as she wattches Bruce unpack her peace offering: soup and sandwiches from a hole in the wall Ukrainian deli that she's fond of. There's coffee, too, if he wants it. If not...she won't mind taking it off his hands.

"Oh, you know. Checking my webs, picking up odd jobs, looking in on my neighbors, and making sure the cat hasn't starved to death. The usual."

Maybe he's gotten too used to Tony, or maybe his threshold for patience is just higher, by virtue of need more than anything else. Besides, it's the kind of closeness he doesn't mind from friends, but wouldn't allow from a stranger quite so easily.

He takes a seat on one of the stools, taking out the food and setting it down on the counter. The coffee's set aside, since he doesn't drink that, but he's all too happy to start on that soup she's brought.

"You have a cat?" Maybe she's just kidding, he can't tell. But he says it with a certain amount of skepticism, while still keeping his mind open to the possibility. Cats are independent, anyway; if he imagined Natasha having a pet, that would probably be it.

"No, but try telling that to the cat," she said, reclaiming the coffee for herself. "It just showed up at my door one day, and wouldn't leave." There's a fondness in her tone that belies her attachment to the little stray, even if she'd never admit it. Having the cat around was a small piece of normalcy in an otherwise crazy life.

"Anyway, it's one less cat on the street, I suppose."

He makes use of the disposable spoon to start on the soup, listening quietly as she explains how she ended up with a pet. She's probably trying to make it sound like it's a bit of a hassle, but that's really not how he hears it at all. He cracks a smile, genuinely touched and surprised at this curious and unexpected bit of information.

"That's really nice of you." A beat, "You should name it."

"Milo," she says, smiling sheepishly. "I've been calling him Milo." She doesn't let a lot of people see this side of her, but somehow, Bruce has become one of the exceptions. There's just something about the soft spoken scientist that made him easy to talk to.

"Just don't go spreading it around. I don't need Milo thinking he can bring his friends home to stay."

Bruce feels similarly at ease around Natasha, surprisingly so. He's not about to question it, mind, just like he doesn't plan on questioning why she's willing to open up to him, but it's something he makes mental note of, and something he'll find himself thinking about a lot when he's by himself.

"You have my word, your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks." Natasha laughs softly, and tries to his her smile behind the coffee cup. She tries not to be too abalytical of the situation, and just enjoy the chance to be herself. To be off the clock for a moment.

"What about you? Everything working out so far?"

"Uh... yes, generally speaking," he looks around, shrugging a little. "We're taking our time. It's not exactly our most pressing project anyway, but it's coming along nicely." Said as if he's not talking about a massive armor specifically designed to beat him into submission or unconsciousness.

"That's good to know," she said, "But I didn't mean the lab. It seems fairly obvious that you've settled in here." Of course, she could take a hint. If Bruce didn't want too share, she wasn't going to pry. "Just let me know if you ever need a break from Mr Stark."

"You didn't," he parroted back, slightly surprised, though it took him only a moment to figure out what she was really asking there. He smiled, head ducking a little as he let the spoon swirl in the soup for a bit, then looked back up at her. "Same answer, I guess. Taking my time, things are coming along."

It was more complicated than that, it always was, but there was no harm in talking about it like it was just simpler.

"I think everyone needs a break from him every once in a while." He liked the man, but really. "What do you propose?"

"I was thinking something quiet, like a walk in the park? Depending on how long you can get away..." And assuming they didn't get called on assignment the moment they stepped out of the building. "I could probably stand to broaden my horizons beyond the gym and the shooting range, myself."

"However long I want to." Bruce might spend a lot of time working but that's only because he likes to, and his social life consists mainly of Tony and the other Avengers when they happen to drop by. So it's not like he usually has a lot to do outside of the Tower. "There better be ice cream."

Natasha smiled at Bruce's declaration. "Now that I know you have a sweet tooth, I can plan accordingly," she said with a laugh. She didn't know if he had any hobbies outside of his research, so she had just taken a shot in the dark. "Are you more of a cone, or a sundae man?"

It wasn't by her own fault that she didn't know what his hobbies were. Bruce was a pretty private person, even now, and to be honest most of his hobbies were indoor activities. Even when he trained or jogged he did so at the gym in the Tower, though he had gone to a park nearby for a run a few times already.

Maybe he'd suggest that sometime. But since she mentioned being away from the gym for a while, he figured he could leave a suggestion that involved physical training for another time.

"Both are good. But a sundae covered in melted caramel and crushed nuts... hmm, that's a winner."

Natasha knew there was more to Bruce then could be found in his dossier. She wasn't the most open person herself. But she felt like she was learning, little by little. Truth be told, she wouldn't mind meeting Bruce at the gym sometime, and maybe make it a regular thing--if it ever came up. She just right wasn't him to think that she was being pushy, or that she was keeping tabs on him because SHIELD thought he needed a handler.

"Mm. I think I know just the place."

Having people around and opening up to them took some getting used to for someone like Bruce, especially after so many years on the run, convincing himself he was better off if he kept himself away from everything and everyone. He figured it was just as difficult for her, although for different reasons— the point was, he felt like she could understand that. And he could understand that about her too, which ended up making her one of the people he found it easiest to get along with and be around.

"Are you telling me, or making it a surprise?"

"Well, if you're not big on surprises--" Which would be perfectly understandable, under the circumstances. "--I hear Manhattan finally got a Dairy Queen. But I was thinking Morganstern's, or maybe one of the gelato shops nearby--unless you'd rather pick the place."

She didn't know how much Bruce had explored the city yet, but she was open to suggestion.

"Depends on the kind of surprise," Bruce shrugged. Keeping her ice cream parlor of choice a secret would hardly bother him, for instance; he wasn't opposed to a few pleasant surprises, and he figured Natasha would be a good judge of where his limits were. "I trust you enough for an ice cream, I think. So you take your pick, and I'll follow."

"Now?" she asked, half curious, and half hopeful. She didn't want to sound too eager, but the thought of spending time with him was growing more and more appealing, and it seemed only prudent to seize opportunity. Work might not permit such a luxury again any time soon.

But she was willing to wait, and work to make it happen, if need be.

For what it's worth, it didn't come out as too eager, but there was definitely some surprise at how quickly she jumped to that. Now. Bruce had thought it was more of a hypothetical offer than anything, not quite forgotten but eventually put off indefinitely by virtue of their jobs and complicated schedules.

Now, though... Well. It was sudden, but that was kind of nice. Bruce could use a bit of spontaneity in his life, anyway.

"I'd have never pinned you as the impulsive type," he joked, looking around before he pursed his lips and shrugged. "Uh... sure. I'm not really that busy, anyway."

"Good," she said brightly as she stood to go. "And I wouldn't say I'm impulsive, either," she added, "Just practical." And maybe a bit opportunistic, but it was hard to ignore the instincts that had been trained into her--to look for an opening, and take her shot. "I know how busy our lives can be." Even outside of combat, she'd learned that you had take time to enjoy the little things when you could, or those things would pass you by.

Bruce could have said no, and she would have left it at that. But he hadn't. So maybe he was looking for a little taste of normalcy, too.

Bruce covered the rest of the soup and went over to the small fridge he kept at the lab to put it away, intent on saving the rest for another time. Fetching his blazer, along with his phone and wallet, he made his way over to Natasha, nodding for her to lead the way. She knew her way around more than well, after all.

"I guess they are, yes." And it was true, they couldn't know when they'd have the chance for something like this again. "Carpe diem, right?"

"Exactly." Natasha smiled as she headed for the door. Her pace was relaxed, but purposeful, and she moved to one side of the hallway so that Bruce could walk beside her rather than just follow. There was a part of her that was surprised he had accepted her invitation so readily, but she kept that nervous excitement tampted down to a manageable level; happy just to let their excursion unfold as it would.

Let it never be said that Bruce wasn't full of surprises at times. Honestly it was kind of nice to be the one causing that reaction for a change, when more often than not it was Natasha who surprised him. Obviously that wasn't the reason why he'd agreed to this sundae outing, but still.

Reaching the elevator, he pressed the call button, glancing at her. "So what about you? Cone or sundae?"

It was a nice surprise. Natasha wouldn't mind if there were more like it in the future. But she was used to living in the moment. "I do like sundaes," she said, "Though I don't usually get too elaborate. I make so many decisions in the field, I like to keep my dessert simple. Is that weird?"

"Not at all," Bruce smiled a little at the answer, understanding. "It makes perfect sense." Stepping into the elevator, he pushed the button for the ground floor, then let comfortable silence fall between them during the trip down the building. She was the one who knew where they were headed, so once there, he let her lead the way, more than happy to follow along.

Take it easy, take it slow

ｔａｋｉｎｇ ｉｔ ｓｌｏｗ

a s m u t / s h i p p i n g m e m e

jem walker ( in the flesh. )

Morty Waldeburg | OC | OTA

nish sen | destiny ( oc )

no subject

no subject

no subject

lance | voltron: legendary defender

Richter Lawrence Alcross | OC | M/F

Lapis Fathalla | Original | OTA

ronan lynch / the raven cycle.

Mercy / Dr. Angela Ziegler✦ Overwatch ✦F/M - OTA Canonmates/ over 18

Spock | Star Trek AOS

Link | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | OTA

Heine Rammsteiner | DOGs: Bullets & Carnage | Ota

Jemma Simmons | Marvel's Agents of SHIELD | OTA

Jessie Reynolds/OC/OTA

Bruce Banner » mcu » m/f

Pre ulton, maybe? Or post ultron, pre CW?

pre-ultron works for me!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Whoops! Forgot to change journals

haha it's no problem!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

ｔａｋｉｎｇｉｔｓｌｏｗ