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Post by Virginia "Ginnie" Stark on Jan 10, 2016 11:08:21 GMT -6
I'm dying and I'm trying but believe me I'm fine Work. Drink. Nap. Repeat. She couldn't even say she slept, because that would be a lie. Naps, here and there. Some may be five minutes, some may be five hours. It all depended on how long she'd been working, how much she'd had to drink. She couldn't say she was properly eating, either, aside from the occasional meal she that was brought to her. In her own words, alcohol was plenty food enough for her. She could survive off of it. Sure, she might need to get a new liver at some point, but she could survive off of it. And if it killed her, what did it really matter? It was thoughts like that, though, thoughts so grim that even she slowly started to see it. She had a problem. She had a problem and she didn't want to admit to it. A problem that had started a few months ago, when planning had been all said and done with her Halloween Bash. With that out of the way, and no immediate work plans, save for her deal with Mister Jordan, there had been nothing to properly distract her mind from, well, everything. Even sitting in her office now, trying to focus on some write up on a deal, her mind found itself growing distracted. She kept reaching for her glass instead, telling herself she needed to stop this, that she needed to put it down. She never did. Another small sip, another moment with her eyes getting lost in the glass. She looked at her reflection in it as best she could. Reddish brown roots were showing through the fake blonde. As much as she wanted to dye it back, she felt like she couldn't. Seeing it, though, in the glass, made those images flash behind her eyes again. It might not have been her actual friend, but doing that to someone that looked like Aileen, it still hurt deep down. Another small sip, she put the glass down. Her hands shook slightly. Work. Drink. Nap. Repeat. That was the routine. It had been so for weeks now, months even. Work. Drink. Nap. Repeat. After working so long, even with so little to drink, the napping always seemed to follow. It happened everywhere now: at the condo, in her workshop at the Mansion, in her room there, and even at work. Like it was right now. The glass had just barely touched down when her eyes found themselves shutting. More images flashed through her mind. She knew she'd done something terrible, she would do so much more, too, and she knew it. If killing was what it took to take care of those sort of issues, she'd take the trauma, she'd take the pain, she'd take it all, and that included a life, because in the end she was sure she could. Because even if it haunted her dreams, she could drink it off, forget somehow. But did you ever forget? By the time she woke back up, the sun was starting to set. If it wasn't for the fact she knew it did that closer to five these nights, she would have been worried. Instead, what worried her was the true realization. She had a problem. She needed help. JARVIS's voice in her ear seemed to help with it, as well. She wasn't the only one with a problem, she knew that. "Perhaps, Miss Stark, you should go out for a bit. Agent Coulson hasn't been seen much since that party if he's not in uniform. Maybe you should check in on him." It was funny, she remembered hearing Lydia worry something the same. She had a problem, she knew that. But why fix it when she could try and fix someone else'? It took, perhaps, an hour for her to neaten up her office and head out, soon finding her way to his apartment. Truth be told, now that Virginia was here, she felt a bit nervous. She wished she'd brought a flask or something, get her hands to stop shaking, keep her mind distracted, but it would have shifted her away from her goal. She was here to talk to him. Because if she couldn't be the leader she was meant to be, at the very least she needed him to be there for her. Needed him to be strong again. Let her take his guilt, it was the least she could to for him. She took a few deep breathes as she stood outside his door before she knocked. Once. Twice. Three times. And then without even waiting a beat, her hand went to turn the knob to the door in hopes of opening it. "James, it's Virginia. I think we need to talk."But I'm lying, I just don't wanna fall away ✿
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Post by James Barnes Jr on Jan 10, 2016 11:54:33 GMT -6
The alarm went off and James managed to pull himself out of bed. The apartment was a wreck as he hadn't really had much time or care enough to clean up. He kicked part of his Captain America costume as he stumbled into the bathroom. A quick appraisal told him that if he didn't get a shave soon, he was going to have a full beard. He flipped the water on and climbed into the shower, scrubbing off the grime from the night before. Captain America had broken up three different robberies last night and he was definitely feeling it this morning.
The water ran over him as he leaned against the wall and let out a sigh. He hadn't seen any one from the Avengers since the Halloween party and the awkward exchanges and dances with Ginnie. James had taken an unofficial leave of absence from the team after everything that had transpired with the doppelgangers. He thought it the best course of action since Aileen practically flinched every time James walked into a room. Truth be told, he was debating leaving the Avengers altogether and just going back to being a solo hero again.
James stepped out of the shower and toweled off, slipping into some pajama pants and a t-shirt. He had to do some more paperwork for SHIELD before he could get back to planning. A light on the console in the kitchen flashed. One of the sensors in the hallway was tripped. Probably, Lydia here to bring good cheer and convince James to re-enter the world again. He tapped a couple buttons and brought up the camera. It was Ginnie, still sporting her blonde hair from the party. That wasn't like her. James went to the door when he heard her knock, opening it right before her hand hit the door knob.
There was a brief appraisal as James looked Ginnie over. She wasn't sleeping again, that much was noticeable. And it seemed like she might have been indulging in a little more drink than usual by the sight of her pupils. She was still beautiful. Using both their full names instead of their nicknames. That wasn't a good sign.
James managed a smile as he looked at her. "You hate being called Virginia, Iron Princess." He stepped away from the door and gestured for her to come in. "Don't mind the mess. I'm redecorating in post-asteroid chic in here." After a moment, he looked at her. "Lydia send you?"
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Post by Virginia "Ginnie" Stark on Jan 10, 2016 12:16:43 GMT -6
I'm dying and I'm trying but believe me I'm fine Ginnie wouldn't lie, the door opening so suddenly almost made her jump. She hadn't thought that he'd be that quick. Hell, a part of her was almost certain that he wouldn't even be here. With how she'd heard he'd been spending his time as of late, it wouldn't have surprised her if she would have better chances at finding Captain America out working himself to death than find James actually here. No, it'd been more so a hope that she'd find him. A hope for what though? That she'd be able to help? That she'd be able to get him to come back? That she'd be able to have someone she could focus on that wasn't herself? Or a hope to just see him... that was a question that she didn't even want to actually answer when she really thought about it. It went far too deep for her, and finding any answer for it would be admittance to something she had no real intention of admitting to. So, instead, she stood her ground, the smaller woman looking up to the man. Had she really thought about it, perhaps she would have done something to make her current state a little less apparent. Eye drops would have been good. Contacts even better. Something to hide her eyes. Obviously, she hadn't thought that far. She took the moment to give him a quick look herself. The scruff on his face didn't seem like him at all. She wouldn't say it didn't look great, that'd be a lie, but it wasn't... him. He was dealing with things far differently from her, and she couldn't be sure that his way was any better than hers. Blinking, she turned her sights past him, her lips staying in a line. Unemotional, that's how she had to be. Though she couldn't help the way the corners slowly tried to pull themselves up into the smallest of smiles at the name. "I've never once said i hated the name, per say. I just prefer names like Ginnie. Leads to a lot less confusion when there's two Virginia's in your family." Simple explanation, mostly true as well. She didn't hate it. Strongly disliked, perhaps, but not hated. Now, Iron Princess? She'd say she hated that, but it was growing on her. She stayed put a moment before stepping into his apartment, glancing from side to side. Her nose wanted to wrinkle at the mess, but if she was honest, she was certain it could have been worse. Not to mention, it was almost understandable. "If that's the look you're going for, you might need a few more holes in the walls to pull the look together." There was a touch of sarcasm in her tone before she looked back at him. "Lydia didn't send me. At best, JARVIS did. But I've been meaning to try and stop by." Was there really any good way to say it? It wasn't as if there was anything bad or wrong in what she wanted to say, but it wasn't something she was used to saying out loud. It was odd how the simplest of things always seemed to be the hardest to express for her. "I came by because I'm worried for you." Not as hard to say as she thought it would be. "And I thought a personal visit bight do better than trying to call and hoping you pick up."But I'm lying, I just don't wanna fall away ✿
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Post by James Barnes Jr on Jan 11, 2016 10:24:42 GMT -6
As they stepped inside, James was becoming more self conscious as he woke up. The apartment was a wreck and he looked like he'd been hit with a dump truck. "Right. I could see how two people of the same name in the same household could be confusing." He closed the door and reactivated the security system. Then James went about moving things around, so Ginnie could have a place to sit down. He wasn't nervous, but James hadn't been expecting Ginnie to show up. It was a surprise to say the least.
"I'll mention that to my interior decorator. I was going to ask him to put some burned out cars in the living room anyway. Go for that full apocalypse feel."
The statement didn't really phase James. He knew Ginnie was busy trying to work herself into a state of barely consciousness. Not that he was keeping an eye on her, but she'd watched over him and James did make sure to repay the favor and make sure that Ginnie was safe. He was concerned for her. "Well, at least my little sister didn't send you to check on me. She's about the only person I see consistently most days." James dropped onto the couch and patted the cushion next to him. The table was littered with plans and maps, small sketches and lists. Some of the maps looked like search grids and some of the papers had contingency plans written up with diagrams and assessments on them.
"Worried, about me? Why are you worried? I'm fine. Just doing Captain America stuff. Nothing spectacular." He gave her a smile. "You make it sound like I'm running myself ragged or something. I've just been working on some projects and doing some other stuff."
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Post by Virginia "Ginnie" Stark on Jan 11, 2016 10:51:48 GMT -6
I'm dying and I'm trying but believe me I'm fine If anyone could understand that sort of struggle, it would have been him, or so she could assume. From what she knew, James was the name he was born with, not one he took on when he was taken in by Phil. She almost found herself saying that out loud, but she managed to think before the words could ever pass her lips. She didn't want to accidentally touch on that sort of topic, not when there were more important things to do. 'After what happened, you'd think he'd be sick of the idea of an Apocalypse,' she thought a bit distastefully. "Make sure he paints the walls a nice flaming color as well, then. Wouldn't want to half-ass that sort of job." She almost winced at the joke, but she tried not to let that show. Her hands went to go for her backs as fingers started to twitch again. She almost regretted leaving her office. Almost. But some people were more important than work. Just a little. Ginnie took almost hesitant steps closer to the couch, trying to be careful of the trash littering the ground. Could be worse, she kept telling herself, as if trying to justify the state of it all. "Can you really blame her? She just wants the best for her big brother." She was sure if Ned even caught whiff of the way she'd been acting lately, with the drinking and the over working, he'd be stopping into her office on a daily basis with food and Natalie to try and get her into a much better mood. She almost declined the patting of the cushion but she found she couldn't. A small sigh escaped her as she sat down, trying to stay right on the edge of the seat. Her hands folded into her lap neatly, trying to stay held there as neatly as she could to keep them from shaking. "Don't make me laugh, James. This doesn't look like the apartment of someone who is just fine. When was the last time you even attempted to clean up in here? I'm worried because..." Because why? What reason did she really have? Justifying it was hard for her and her words broke off for a moment as she tried to think of just what to say. "Because you're my friend, you're my teammate. You're my second in command. And I rarely ever see you any more." She had to force her gaze off of her hands to look over at him, shifting slightly so her body could be turned more his way. "And I get that half of that is my fault. I've never been the best with keeping up. But look at you. Look at this." One hand came up to gesture towards the room. "I know i'm not one to talk, but you can't keep doing this. I'll be happy to admit that i'm half of an issue here. I should have putting out more of an effort to make sure you're okay. But your constantly being in costume and trying to do it all alone is on you. And it worries me. You're not fine no matter how many times you say it." Too bad she couldn't just tell herself that. But I'm lying, I just don't wanna fall away ✿
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Post by James Barnes Jr on Jan 11, 2016 11:19:54 GMT -6
"I don't blame her. I don't blame anyone."
As Ginnie moved around his apartment, James became more self conscious of the location. The apartment looked slightly like a battlefield after a Skrull invasion had just pulled out. James looked around. "Admittedly, I haven't been home much to clean up. I've been busy lately." He looked around. "I tried to clean up... Two Thursdays ago." That seemed right for him. He seemed to remember making an effort of some kind to clean some stuff up. James shrugged uncomfortably.
He looked around the room and then back at her. "You didn't do anything. And you're certainly not an issue. Half or otherwise. I have just been running projects and other things. And frankly, Aileen isn't the most comfortable around me with everything that's happened. I just figured the space would do her some good. The Avengers will function without me. They functioned before I came along."
James focused on her. "Besides, when's the last time you actually got some sleep? I mean an actual full night of sleep that wasn't exhaustion or alcohol induced." The concern on his face was apparent. "You want to talk worried? I've been watching you work and drink yourself to death from a far. I don't even know if you can drive a golf ball right now, never mind an Iron Maiden suit. So, let's talk worried. What's going on with you, Sweetheart?"
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Post by Virginia "Ginnie" Stark on Jan 11, 2016 11:48:14 GMT -6
I'm dying and I'm trying but believe me I'm fine "If this is what it looks like two weeks after a clean up, i don't even want to know what it looked like before all of this," she muttered. She didn't do anything was right. It was the issue entirely. She didn't do anything. She didn't make an effort to check in, she didn't reach out, she rarely tried to call. And for what reason? Fear? Possibly. Nervousness? Definitely. But what else? What more? She wasn't being the type of friend she should be, and it wasn't just to him either. She'd never admit it, but she knew it. Everyone did. It didn't take a genius to see that. All it took was for someone to just open their eyes and look at her for a moment. She wasn't going to argue, that, simply keep those thoughts to herself. Communication worked two ways. A lack in it left her with half of a fault. At least, that was how she saw it. "Aileen's uncomfortable because of something someone that looked like you did, not because of something you did. I almost feel bad to say it, but she'll be able to work it out. It takes time. Giving her, and the entire team, space without so much as a word isn't helping anyway." She really did hate saying that, considering that was her best friend she was talking about. Ginnie shook her head lightly. "And we didn't function all too great. We were barely a rag-tag mix of two humans and a demi-god. We function better with you than without you. Even if you can't see that." Was that true, though? She wasn't entirely sure. True to her? Yes, but as a whole, that was the mystery. It just felt more justified saying 'We need you' rather than 'I need you'. Her gaze shifted away when the focus was turned to her, however. "I sleep just fine, James. I don't need a full of it to keep me functioning right," she said, her voice going a bit quite. She brought her hands back to her lap, her left hand planted firmly on top of the right one and curling fingers around it. So what if she got to that point because of exhaustion? At least she was sleeping a bit every day. She didn't need to look at him to hear the concern in his words. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. One way street, she had hoped. Figured he'd been too busy anyway. Everything in her told her that she should just get up and go, but she'd come here for a reason, she had to stay focused on that. "Nice way to change the topic, isn't it? Push the focus onto someone else's issues. I've worked just fine like this before, i'll work just fine like this now. I know my limits. Do you know yours? Or are you going to just keep going out there, night after night after night thinking that Captain America has no limits he can't beat?" It wasn't an answer, certainly not one he wanted, and she knew that. Perhaps it was selfish, her not wanting to talk about it, but she didn't even know where she'd begin talking about it if she could happen upon the right words. But I'm lying, I just don't wanna fall away ✿
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Post by James Barnes Jr on Jan 11, 2016 12:14:14 GMT -6
A small sigh came from his lips. James looked over at her. "The team's expanded now. I'd suggest War Machine. He'd make a better fit and Rupe's good at what he does. He'd be a hell of a second in command for any unit." He'd passed on the first subject and now was coming back around to it. "Aileen had to suffer at the hands of a James Barnes. Maybe not me, but it pretty much was me. So, maybe she will get over it, but it doesn't mean she needs to see the face of her tormentor every day." There was a quiet pause.
"You're full of bullsh*t." It was harsh, but true. James looked at her. "You would know all about pushing the focus on someone else's issues. I've watched you run yourself ragged since I was attacked. Am I supposed to sit by and watch you work or drink yourself to death? You know your limits alright. You passed them in the rear view mirror awhile ago. You want to talk about me? Fine. But don't be a hypocrite. You want the truth? I'm not doing okay. But I can't tell anyone that. Far too many people depend on me. I don't have time to break down." James stared at her. "I care about you. A lot more than I'm supposed to. So, don't give me the stoic, 'suit of iron, heart of iron' bull. I don't want to see this happen to you any more than you want it to happen to me."
He let a silence fall upon the room while James looked at his hands. He gave her a few moments to process that before looking up again. James was tired of secrets. It was time to come clean with someone. Ginnie of all people deserved to know. "Look, part of what the doppelganger said was true." James looked up at her. "Most of this is classified, so it doesn't leave this room. A good portion of the backstory I have on file in my Avengers file is a fiction. I was the Winter Soldier before I became Cap. I was working as a covert op for SHIELD. I did some damn distasteful things to save the lives of a lot of people. Killed a lot of people. Mostly those who deserved it. I got out of the game after a severe injury. But I've never been fit to be Cap or an Avenger. And this whole mess really just reminded me of that." He rummaged under the paperwork and passed Ginnie a folder. "Here. This is my jacket. Read it and then see if you still think I'm worth it."
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Post by Virginia "Ginnie" Stark on Jan 11, 2016 12:44:16 GMT -6
I'm dying and I'm trying but believe me I'm fine There were things she wanted to touch on, things she wanted to say, but now, nothing. Her mind barely seemed to take in, let alone acknowledge what he said about the avengers. In the back of her mind, she might have understood it, might have taken her a second to really hear it, but the forefront? It was far too focused on trying to work out a way to talk to him without having to talk about herself. Because talking about herself, about it all, would be really admitting the issues she knew she had. Admittance was always a terrifying thought, no matter who it was for. She winced, finally looking back over at him. Her fingers seemed to curl tighter around her hand, ragged finger nails starting to dig into her palm ever so slightly. Get up and go, she kept trying to tell herself. Everything was going to get too real too fast and she knew it. She wanted nothing more than to avoid it. She shouldn't have listened to some stupid piece of a smart computer, should have just gone home or kept working. But she was already here, and it was far too late to turn back now. Her eyes tried to stay focused on him, but her pupils kept trying to look anywhere but his eyes, but when he stared at her, she couldn't help but find them again. She couldn't help but stare back. There was so much she wanted to say, most of it would have been lies anyway, denial. About how she wasn't a hypocrite. About how she hadn't even reached her limits yet. About how she was fine, how she was just perfectly fine. But she wasn't. And just looking at him, she couldn't tell him he was wrong. It'd be a lie, and an all too obvious one at that. Her nails dug harder into her palms, though she barely registered it, keeping her eyes on him now, even as he looked away. It took a moment before she could speak. "Yeah... yeah, you're right... I'm a hypocrite." No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her voice any louder than that whisper. Finally, she looked down again. She felt her hands wanting to start shaking again and it took all her power to keep that from happening. She might not be able to look strong, but she was going to at least try to. She remained silent as she listened, remained silent for a good moment even after he finished speaking. She glanced at the folder a moment before finally taking it from him. She could read it, she could go through it all, give him that courtesy. But as she opened it, she found herself flipping from one page to another, barely glancing at the words on them before simply closing it again. She let it rest in her lap, using it to keep her hands seemingly busy with holding something. "Was. Before. Killed. Did. Past tense." She kept her eyes down at the folder, not bothering to look at him. "What you were. And what you are. Those are two different things, James. You may think you shouldn't be an Avenger. That doesn't mean we don't need you." She paused, taking a deep breathe before looking over at him. "That doesn't mean I don't need you. You... you're right, I'm about as okay as you are. And I care more than I should. This... this file isn't going to change anything. It's who you were. We've... we've all done things that we regret. We've all made poor choices... I..." She shook her head lightly and, for a moment, just thinking about it, she saw it flashing past her eyes again. "I'm not an exception. But that doesn't mean I don't belong to my team."638 | James Barnes Jr | she'll crack soon enough too, i'm sure. she's just scared about talking about it. |
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Post by James Barnes Jr on Jan 11, 2016 14:07:46 GMT -6
After taking in what Ginnie said, James leaned against her. He was more tired than he cared to admit. His eyes drifted to a picture of Lydia with Marty and Walt. He looked up at Ginnie. "Belong to the team, huh? You sound like one of those recruiting posters. Be all you can be and all that jazz."
James looked at Ginnie. Her own confession took him aback. "You did what you had to do. I looked at the reports. The fact that you're having trouble with it is a good thing. Taking a life is never easy. It means you are still one of the good guys."
His hand brushed her cheek and his eyes met hers. At least in his book she was. "You are to me anyway. Now, stop beating my friend up, huh?"
James leaned in and kissed her softly. It was the closest he could come to an apology. Since he was confessing his sins anyway, might as well go all the way and get it all out before he lost his nerve. He pulled away. "Do you think we can fix it?"
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Post by Virginia "Ginnie" Stark on Jan 11, 2016 14:40:51 GMT -6
I'm dying and I'm trying but believe me I'm fine Initially, the contact made her tense. It was unexpected. It wasn't out of nervousness though, not that time. The tension in her muscles relaxed a few seconds after, though as she kept her hands on the folder. She tried to take comfort in the closeness, but it wasn't doing much for her. A dry laugh managed to escape her, however. "Well, what can I say? It's a line that usually works." More than that, it was the only line she could think of. Perhaps it'd be more efficient if she'd had a poster drawn up to go with. Though it seemed like he had plenty drawn up around this room as it was. Joking aside, she felt her stomach start to turn. She did what she had to? She wasn't so sure. She'd sided with the perceived enemy to kill what looked like her best friend. What more, she would have done it again, given the option to change things. The real kicker, at least to her, would always be the fact that, where the report says she'd been blinded was only there to keep her from looking bad. She'd told her to do it, because she didn't want to see which direction she headed out. She was just going to let her go, let the enemy leave, because, at least at that moment, the enemy hadn't been perceived as a threat. Ginnie even remembered her saying that she was a pawn in a plan she wanted no part in. Looking at all the parts together really didn't make her feel like much of a good guy. Her hand came up to lightly rest on his when she felt it on her cheek. She wanted to say she didn't feel like a good guy, tell him how it still hurt, how she could still see it. It was part of why she didn't want to sleep anymore. Because when she wasn't reliving finding him in the mansion how she had, it was plagued by her eyes slowly losing their light. She didn't get the chance to say anything, though, as his lips touched hers. The knots in her stomach seemed to melt away, even if only temporarily. Once more, everything in her told her to pull away, but she didn't, gently returning the kiss while it lasted. If only moments like this could last forever. She took a moment to answer before slowly nodding her head. "I don't think there's anything we can't fix, Jimmy. So long as HR doesn't find out." Her voice was still quiet, though a small smile started to pull at the corners of her lips. "We can fix anything, given enough time."But I'm lying, I just don't wanna fall away ✿
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Post by James Barnes Jr on Jan 12, 2016 14:25:17 GMT -6
The kiss was sudden and a slight shock to James, but he felt a wave of relief when he finally did it. He spent so much time denying his feelings to others, that he rarely stopped to consider his feelings for Ginnie. As much as everyone joked about James leaping before he looked, he usually had a plan for everything. This time, there was no plan for this. It just happened.
"What can I say? The patriotic speech just got the best of me. I just got caught up in the moment." He slipped an arm around her and kissed her again. For once I. His life, it felt good to put his needs and wants first. He wondered if Ginnie felt the same.
"Fix anything, huh? Well, I suppose that it's good that we have a pair of engineers on the team to patch things back together." There was a pause. "Maybe we could send HR a nice fruit basket. Something with melons cut into funny shapes. Everyone loves those."
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Post by Virginia "Ginnie" Stark on Jan 12, 2016 18:34:56 GMT -6
I'm dying and I'm trying but believe me I'm fine If he thought that he was surprised, he really should try being the girl on the receiving end of it. Everything in her wanted to tell her that it was wrong, especially given her own personal rules. Doing anything within the team wasn't something she wanted, because she knew the risks. If things went south, if things didn't go right, if they had some sort of issues... why was she thinking about this? For once, she pushed it from her mind. Why did she care? A rule like that, after what had happened? After the pain she felt thinking she might lose him before saying anything? No, for once, it was time to not over think it. It was time to just let something happen and hope for the best. To think, she'd come here just to get James to come out of his costume, come back to the team. She tried not to chuckle as she heard his words. Patriotic speech got to him, huh? Now why didn't she quite buy that. Still, before she could say something, she felt his arm around her, pulling her close again. There was no tensing this time, she didn't hesitate to return it either, her eyes closing for a moment. Her instinct finally died away as her arms found a resting spot around the back of his neck. Another moment in time she wished could last forever. Logically, that was impossible, she knew that. But it would always be a nice thought, wouldn't it? Now she did chuckle, giving a small nod. A pair of engineers, huh? So, did that mean he'd come back to them. She didn't bother asking that just yet. She didn't want to ruin anything if she couldn't help it. Which meant she had to actually try and turn her brain off for five seconds so she didn't start overthinking all of this. Ha, all of this. She was already over thinking it, wasn't she? "Well, I know for a fact that the lady in HR absolutely loves strawberries as well, so throwing a few of those cut like flowers would certainly help just a bit." The second she finished speaking, she found herself leaning in again, steal a kiss of her own. See how it felt to really just give in for once. But I'm lying, I just don't wanna fall away ✿
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Post by James Barnes Jr on Jan 17, 2016 1:06:57 GMT -6
"Strawberries. I'll order five dozen. That should keep her at bay."
That nagging voice at the back of James' head was asking certain questions: 'What did it mean? Where was it going? Should he be doing this with Ginnie? Was he putting her in danger?' All of those questions and more popped into his mind and were promptly erased with another kiss from her. That was an interesting thing. It just stopped all the demons for a minute. That was worth another try. Then James leaned in and kissed her again.
James spent so long in denial, that he was fairly sure his feet were pruning in the water. Now, was not the time to question things. Now, for once in his life, it was time to just enjoy a random good curve ball. He'd consider mentioning it to Lydia at some point, but there was no need to mention it immediately. No one really needed to know anything aside from her. And that was just since Ginnie was one of her oldest friends.
"We can talk about all of it. The Avengers, The Titans, anything you want. Things and people need to be repaired and helped. But not tonight. It's late. I'm guessing you haven't eaten yet? I have a pizza in the freezer. It's not fancy, but we can throw it in. And then maybe we pop in a movie or get some sleep. Because let's face it: We could both use a quiet night. And I think we'll sleep better together than separately." James gave her a smile. It was weak, but genuine. Not the kind he usually faked for people.
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Iron Maiden
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"It's simple quantum mechanics, really."
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Post by Virginia "Ginnie" Stark on Jan 17, 2016 1:36:15 GMT -6
I'm dying and I'm trying but believe me I'm fine No questions, no regrets, just do. That's what Ginnie had to tell herself. And slowly but surely, it was becoming so much easier to just do. Why ruin a good thing? Why question it? Repressing was what she was good at. Compartmentalizing stuff like this. So actually going for it, it felt... weirdly nice. And she was genuinely liking it. There was nothing more she could be wishing to do in this moment. Well... she wouldn't let her thoughts go there, actually. One step at a time. And hope that everything doesn't go spiraling downward. Because that was the real issue, wasn't it? No, it wouldn't spiral, not this time. She wouldn't let it. She had to gather her thoughts back as he pulled away to speak again. Right... Food, that was a thing, wasn't it? He was right, they could worry about that sort of stuff tomorrow. She wasn't sure she was really in any sort of headspace that was clear enough to actually start talking about fixing them all up. Something she could put off for tomorrow. But it would definitely have to be done tomorrow. At least, that's what she told herself. She'd remember, of that she was at least some what sure of. But eating was probably a better idea at the moment. "Do you want the honest answer or the lie?" Honest, that was probably the better answer there. "I haven't eaten yet. I don't necessarily remember the last time I did." Not with how days seemed to meld together. Sleep deprivation, over working, alcohol, any one of those three could make it hard to differentiate time. As for sleeping here, she wasn't entirely sure. She didn't really have any other clothes with her. Though, seeing that smile, she couldn't say no. "I could go for a quiet night, though." She hadn't really had a quiet night for a while. A truly quiet one. No, those were usually filled with work, work, and more work, with the occasional nap in between. A quiet night sounded nice. A movie, or just finally getting some real sleep, they both sounded like nice alternatives. Perhaps she could steal his shower as well. Though food first. "And maybe tomorrow, I can help you choose something a little less 'Apocalypse Now' for your apartment."But I'm lying, I just don't wanna fall away ✿
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