[ He is so not paying attention to her for a little while, even if he does barely register her actions because everything is hyper-sensitive now - not to an abnormal degree, it's nothing to do with his senses, but everything to do with how long he was on the edge before falling over. There's something like a short hum in the back of his throat when she removes the cuff, but he otherwise doesn't move very much, muscles still relaxing and breathing deeply but levelling out. His hands had been clenched but are now falling to loose fists, and sometime while she's off the bed, he finally opens his eyes again and slowly starts tracking her movements. ]
and i always try to live up to expectations (nipple)
[ She moves back quickly, damp washcloth in hand, unlocking his ankles first before she moves up to his wrists, releasing them. Before anything else she checks them over, runs her fingers carefully over his wrist and rubs them each a little bit. He'd been pulling pretty damned hard at some points. ]
How are you? [ Quiet, soft, leaning over him as she uses the washcloth to wipe down his chest and stomach and legs carefully. ]
[ He's still basically just not moving; wherever she leaves his legs after removing the cuffs is where they stay for now, and the same for his hands after she removes those as well and finishes examining his wrists. He sort of watches her do that as well, through half-lidded eyes, but when she leans over to clean him off, he lets them slide shut entirely. It's a nice feeling, the washcloth gently rolling across nerves that are crackling with extra juice. It's like an all-over-buzz of low electricity within his skin, and he's not sure he'd know how to describe it even if he were capable of doing that right now anyway.
Her question makes him look up at her again though. ] Can't you tell? [ Mumbled, but not because of any obstructions. Just because finding his voice is, as stated, a process slowly taking place. ]
Mm. [ It's a noncommittal noise as she looks down at him, a soft smile on her face as she finishes wiping him clean and tosses the washcloth aside, hand resting on his shoulder as she gives him a once over, looks to see what else she should be sure is taken care of. ] I can. I'd just rather ask. [ It's better somehow, to hear it from him instead of getting the gist of it from his mind. Or rather, it's better to hear it when she can also get the confirmation from his mind. ]
[ Yes, well, he's finding words again, so give him a moment or two. (He actually has words, he's just being lazy now because he feels like it and the look on her face is kind of nice for reasons he can't really explain and he'd like to take a moment to just sort of appreciate it like she's appreciating him.) He's fine though - starting to move a little bit more, because he hasn't actually moved his arms and legs for a while now, despite the amount of effort he was ostensibly putting into doing so, and it feels nice in his knees and shoulders to put them in slightly different positions. ]
Exhausted. Tingly. I don't think I care about that paper shit anymore. How do you feel?
appreciative i don't put this much effort into being terrible to most people
[ She can give him plenty of time to find his words now, smile still lingering because she's relaxed and he's looking at her and it's just - it's better. She feels indescribably, indefinably better after that, and she doesn't know what exactly that says about her and right now she doesn't care. It helps both of them, and really that's all that matters. One hand drifts to his shoulder, starts to knead the muscles there in a slow massage. ]
Better. [ Leaning down to brush her lips across his forehead. ] Glad. Do you need anything?
[ Mmm, that too, feels very nice. The deconstruction is amazing, it's perfect, he's not complaining about it at all, but the restructuring afterward is just as important. Granted, it doesn't take quite as much effort - he's not fighting this process, for one, and for two, it's just. Easier. It happens effectively just by her sticking around for a little while after the fact.
So he doesn't think he needs anything, no, but he doesn't want her to go anywhere regardless. He reaches out with one arm and instead of shifting himself to get under the covers, just tries to pull and then fling whatever's free to the side over them both. It's probably not enough, but it has the benefit of meaning that he can turn towards her a little more without it looking too obvious. ] Nope. It's all here.
[ If he wants her to, she'll stick around forever after the fact, because she wants to be positive that he's all right with everything that just happened, that if she takes him apart she puts him back together again. It's important. He's important, and him being okay is important, and she likes the space and moments herself that she gets to watch him relaxed.
Her smile brightens just a little bit at that motion of his, shifting downwards a little to lie on her side facing him, hand tracing the outline of his face as she watches him carefully. It's all here. It's not the answer she was expecting, but she likes it. ] Oh, good. Getting up sounds like a lot of work. [ But it's very soft as she watches him, her face much more open than normal, care and warmth across it. ]
[ He doesn't realize she needs to put him back together, just knows that she needs the deconstruction, and that he likes it when both things occur. But that would mean asking her to stay, and that seems like asking too much after everything that just happened.
He's still for that though, eyelids already a little droopy again with the sensation and the fatigue that's hitting him slowly. ] It would be. A lot of work, and terrible. You should stay here. [ He gets properly settled and then looks over at her and he's surprised a little, by the look on her face, but not too much. It's just nice to see, and sends most of his already fleeting worries out into the ether in actuality. ] Lots of work.
[ Sometime she'll have to tell him that asking her to stay is almost never too much to ask. She can't think of more than a few scenarios where it would be.
She stays smiling, hand dropping to run over his shoulder gently and her eyes falling to follow its path, touching him still and always like it's a compulsion, like she needs to. As if the only thing that matters is whether he's definitely still there. ] I'm going to stay here. [ Eyes flickering back up to meet his for a moment, still smiling. ] It's warm, and I like you.
[ What a great compulsion though, because he likes being touched. By certain people and under his own discretion as to when, sure, but when the answer to the who is her, he doesn't care much about the when. Touching, yes, and again with the whole cat thing on How To Properly Care For Your Tony Stark. ]
You like me? Do you like me or do you like like me? [ Playful words but he's definitely happy with this, nerves smoothing out under her touch, the warmth definitely not at all meaning that it's nice to settle with her here. ]
[ Touching is a pretty awesome thing, yes, and she's just going to keep up with it, hand drifting across his shoulder and chest and back up to cup around his face as she leans in to kiss him lightly for a moment. ]
Can't it be both? [ Said with the same lightly playful tone as his words, but in a way she means it. She likes him, she like likes him, she probably loves him but that's such a big word and she's avoided it so long it's hard to dredge it back up and harder still to ever admit to herself. ]
[ She bets she can make him purr. She's just going to keep essentially petting him, gentle and soft and quite pleased with herself, and maybe she'll kiss him again just for a moment. ]
[ Well she's either going to hypnotize him or make him fall asleep - I'm not sure which one will happen first unless she starts going one way or the other with it. I guess both, to a degree, is possible. That sleepy stage where you're mostly asleep but still conscious, where people talk without paying attention to what they're saying. ]
[ Both is totally possible. She wants both. It's entirely possible she's very greedy when it comes to him and what she can have, because for a long time she refused to believe she could have anything and now she thinks she can have what she wants and she wants it all. ]
[ It's good that she's greedy because Tony... There's a lot of Tony to take, all things considered, and it's not until you've taken a whole lot already that you start getting to the good parts. ]
Of course it's an of course, what are you, stupid? You're totally special.
[ She's pretty sure they're almost all good parts, she's fairly convinced of this. Sure sometimes he's difficult, and he's stubborn and he hates ever admitting he needs help and he's reckless and he can be an ass, but - when it comes down to it, all of that is overshadowed by the fact that he's a good person. Effort means a lot to her, and he puts in quite a bit of it, and he's always been considerate to her.
When not calling her stupid, that is. She smiles soft and warm, slides her hand through his hair. ] Oh good. I'll just have to make sure I keep that up so we can be special together.
Oh, yeah, he's just - going to close his eyes for a minute. Because... Because. It's totally reasonable. ] I'm not planning on stopping, or actually letting you stop, so. We don't have to worry about it.
[ She might be a little bit glad his eyes are closed, because she thinks the smile on her face and the look in her eyes gives away far more than she's almost ever comfortable with giving away but she can't really make it stop and she doesn't actually want to, so. ]
Yeah? You think you could make me do something? [ Just amused and - she's not sure if happy's the right word for it. Content. Peaceful in a way she'd been hoping for but wasn't sure she could achieve. ]
[ Aw rude she doesn't want him to see how happy she is when it's the look on her face that he likes to remember the most. The physical signs of the emotional effect. But it's okay, because petting, and the look on his face is probably pretty open and not something he'd normally show voluntarily either. He's so content right now. Relaxed, happy, calm, relatively quiet - lots of adjectives he usually isn't in possession of. ]
[ She doesn't like displaying her own vulnerability. It's a loss of control, and half the point of what she just did was control. She minds a lot less now than she did before, but it's still kind of strange to her to demonstrate so openly what she's feeling. And she can feel that contentness, the calm, all those things that are rare to feel from him, and it's - she doesn't know how to describe with words the feeling it gives her, but it's like warmth. It's like there's a sun lying next to her, and that's fairly accurate because there are still moments she worries she'll burn herself on this somehow.
Mostly, though, she's just very very pleased right now, and radiating that contentment back at him. ] Oh? I think maybe you're overestimating yourself.
[ Tony's like a sun in a lot of ways, typically, so that makes sense. Either way, he's pretty sure he knows what she looks like right now anyway, he's confident enough to not actually need to see it. He's perfectly capable of visualizing it out of that sense of reflected contentment.
That and he just doesn't want to open his eyes right now. ] Please. Like I ever do that.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yes i believe it has
and i always try to live up to expectations (nipple)
How are you? [ Quiet, soft, leaning over him as she uses the washcloth to wipe down his chest and stomach and legs carefully. ]
seriously i grin every time i see it
Her question makes him look up at her again though. ] Can't you tell? [ Mumbled, but not because of any obstructions. Just because finding his voice is, as stated, a process slowly taking place. ]
i totally believe you that's why i do it
unsure how to feel
Exhausted. Tingly. I don't think I care about that paper shit anymore. How do you feel?
appreciative i don't put this much effort into being terrible to most people
Better. [ Leaning down to brush her lips across his forehead. ] Glad. Do you need anything?
thank... you?
So he doesn't think he needs anything, no, but he doesn't want her to go anywhere regardless. He reaches out with one arm and instead of shifting himself to get under the covers, just tries to pull and then fling whatever's free to the side over them both. It's probably not enough, but it has the benefit of meaning that he can turn towards her a little more without it looking too obvious. ] Nope. It's all here.
8D ily
Her smile brightens just a little bit at that motion of his, shifting downwards a little to lie on her side facing him, hand tracing the outline of his face as she watches him carefully. It's all here. It's not the answer she was expecting, but she likes it. ] Oh, good. Getting up sounds like a lot of work. [ But it's very soft as she watches him, her face much more open than normal, care and warmth across it. ]
oh good ily2
He's still for that though, eyelids already a little droopy again with the sensation and the fatigue that's hitting him slowly. ] It would be. A lot of work, and terrible. You should stay here. [ He gets properly settled and then looks over at her and he's surprised a little, by the look on her face, but not too much. It's just nice to see, and sends most of his already fleeting worries out into the ether in actuality. ] Lots of work.
oh excellent mutual love is always good
She stays smiling, hand dropping to run over his shoulder gently and her eyes falling to follow its path, touching him still and always like it's a compulsion, like she needs to. As if the only thing that matters is whether he's definitely still there. ] I'm going to stay here. [ Eyes flickering back up to meet his for a moment, still smiling. ] It's warm, and I like you.
\o/
You like me? Do you like me or do you like like me? [ Playful words but he's definitely happy with this, nerves smoothing out under her touch, the warmth definitely not at all meaning that it's nice to settle with her here. ]
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Can't it be both? [ Said with the same lightly playful tone as his words, but in a way she means it. She likes him, she like likes him, she probably loves him but that's such a big word and she's avoided it so long it's hard to dredge it back up and harder still to ever admit to herself. ]
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Yeah, okay, you've convinced me, it can be both. It can be whatever you want it to be, special privilege.
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I get a lot of those.
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Yes, well, special people get special things. It's just scaled like that.
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So I'm special, then?
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Of course you're special.
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I didn't know that was an of course.
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Of course it's an of course, what are you, stupid? You're totally special.
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When not calling her stupid, that is. She smiles soft and warm, slides her hand through his hair. ] Oh good. I'll just have to make sure I keep that up so we can be special together.
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Oh, yeah, he's just - going to close his eyes for a minute. Because... Because. It's totally reasonable. ] I'm not planning on stopping, or actually letting you stop, so. We don't have to worry about it.
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Yeah? You think you could make me do something? [ Just amused and - she's not sure if happy's the right word for it. Content. Peaceful in a way she'd been hoping for but wasn't sure she could achieve. ]
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I can make you do basically anything, please.
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Mostly, though, she's just very very pleased right now, and radiating that contentment back at him. ] Oh? I think maybe you're overestimating yourself.
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That and he just doesn't want to open his eyes right now. ] Please. Like I ever do that.
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