[Homeplot 2009] Decompression

[forhawkeye]

See, what it all boils down to is simple: it’s been a very long twenty-four hours. Between the invasion and my own personal drama, it’s something of a relief to just relax, even if it’s only for a little while. There are still too many unanswered questions -- Why am I back? Why did they come with me? How many licks does it take to get to the center

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[forhawkeye]

I'm sprawled on the couch, one leg draped over the armrest, and I'm holding a piece of pizza -- my fourth -- in a napkin. I'm exhausted enough not to care about what I look right now, in an oversized Dazzler sweatshirt left behind by one of the old Avengers, and with my hair tied back into a messy bun. At this point, though, I don't think anyone's going to begrudge me my happiness, even if said happiness includes looking like the personification of Sloth.

And if they do, I'll reintroduce them to my sword.

[halfscarlet]

Billy sits down next to Kate uninvited. She's had a lot to explain amongst all the craziness and while Billy still thinks her story's a little crazy, the tagalongs Kate's brought with her are sort of proof.

But Billy's only interested in one of them.

"Talk to me," is all he really needs to say, and he takes a large bite of his own pizza.

[forhawkeye]

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say you don't mean you want a recap of the last episode." Tilting my head back and to the side so I can see Billy out of the corner of my eye, I ask, "What do you want to know?"

[halfscarlet]

"Everything," Billy replied, but that was probably stretching things a bit. She'd already told them everything, but it wasn't what Billy really wanted to know.

And if he knew Kate, she probably needed to talk about it without realizing she did. That's what Billy was around for, honestly.

"This Nate guy, tell me about him."

[like_arrows]

As weird as it is to be in what was once the home of the Avengers, it's been a while since I've been so relaxed. We're all safe, at least for now, if a little the worse for wear, and it's been way too long since I had actual honest to goodness pizza, the greasy delivery stuff they can't make in some weird little jungle pub.

Curling up on the couch in front of the TV, I settle in with a plate on my lap and a soda in my hand. It might be the little things in life, but indoor plumbing and a hike to the shower that's under five miles aren't little by a long shot.

[forhawkeye]

"So, our HQ is totally more awesome, right?" I ask with a grin, settling down beside her with a bag of chips. At the rate I'm scarfing down junk food, I really hope there isn't another emergency -- I'm not sure I'll be able to fit in my uniform.

[like_arrows]

"Well, it's not underground," I observe, looking around as I consider the pros and cons. "So you've got that in your favor. Plus you can still stay in yours." Last I knew of California, Iron Douche was kicking us out. Just because we had a contingency plan doesn't mean I liked picking up and leaving all the time.

[forhawkeye]

"We also have a bunch of old Avengers tech," I point out, waving a chip at her. One-upmanship is practically law during team-ups, okay? And for the first time in months I can actually call what we just did a team-up. I'm going to have my moment.

[mutant_gi_jesus]

While Kate and the others were relaxing, Cable still had things he wanted to do.

He had managed to get hold of a mobile phone, which was admittedly something of a downgrade for him, and so spent the best part of four hours deep in conversation in one language or another.

If anyone was trying to listen in, and was well versed in multiple languages, they would hear detailed discussions of contingency plans, politics, money, technology, weapons and information to be leaked to the press, a few death threats, a rather awkward apology and one conversation about the merits of facial hair in porn.

He felt that had been a decent enough start and so had put his phone down for a little while while he started on a pizza and some beer.

He had missed this.

[asinglechange]

The bunnies are kind of cute. Then again so are calves and lamb and that doesn't stop them from being delicious.

Holding one of the bury in her hands, she wiggles her nose at it. "Are you just the cutest, most delicious things I've ever seen?" she murmurs to it.

It isn't exactly cougar, but finding one of those that isn't working her way through her fourth husband would be kind of a stretch.

[sink_nor_swim]

"I can't believe you're actually eating those," Mikal says, wrinkling her nose a little as she takes a seat beside Alice, though there's a wide smile on her face. She'd known already about her, of course, and she can hardly have a problem with what Alice can't help. "Good?"

[asinglechange]

Sniffing the bunny in hand, Alice makes a quiet shushing noise before taking a bite out of the tiny thing. The simple act causes her to feel filled with a delightful sort of warmth and she feels the best she's felt all day.

Pulling the now-deceased rabbit from her mouth, she nods. "It is. I kind of missed this," she admits guiltily, wiping the sides of her mouth.

[sink_nor_swim]

It probably isn't a good thing, that Mikal can watch this and not be incredibly disturbed, but it isn't something she's going to dwell on. She's seen a lot of really weird shit, and is pretty sure this isn't the weirdest, especially after the freaking battle earlier. Besides, it's Alice; it would just be fucking dumb to hold something like this against her, and rabbit is definitely preferable to human.

"Well, after so long, I can't say I blame you," she says with a shrug, biting back a laugh and decidedly not looking at the bite mark in the rabbit. "Crazy, isn't this? All of it."

[throw_it_off]

Okay, so it wasn't a trendy bar on the Upper East Side, but that was really the last thing Nate wanted just then. A shower, some borrowed clothes, some aspirin for his arm and two fingers of Jack for his head. That was all he needed. And some pizza.

Except he couldn't get his stomach settled enough to eat more than a few bites. Nate was not made for this kind of stuff. Maybe he could be, if he had to deal with it all the time, but he didn't and he didn't want to. So he collapsed on a couch, working his way through his drink and thinking. It wasn't a party and he didn't have to be in the middle of things.

[forhawkeye]

Resting my hands on Nate's shoulders, I lean over to press a kiss to the top of his head before I hop over the back of the couch and settle down next to him, ignoring the twinge of pain that accompanies the sudden movement. I'm also ignoring the glare Eli's giving me from across the room. I've kept them away from each other for this long, but I only have so many evasive tactics left up my sleeve. But I'll take care of that that when I have to. Right now I have one boyfriend who's seen better days to deal with.

"You look awful."

[throw_it_off]

He gave her a half smile, a little wry but true, and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Gee, thanks, babe. Love you too," Nate replied dryly. Shaking his head slightly, he just said, "I'm tired. That's all. How are you feeling?"

[forhawkeye]

"Sore." There's no point in denying that much. Unlike everyone else on my team, I'm just your regular, baseline human. No superpowers means no extra resistance. Yup, I'm feeling every single blow that landed yesterday, but at least I'm alive to appreciate it. Sort of makes up for the fact that even my hair hurts right now -- not that I'm not used to it by now. It's amazing the degree of pain you can tolerate if you're just sitting still.

I hear the scrape of a chair being moved with more force than necessary, and without looking, I know exactly who it is that's stalking towards us. Well, I'll give Eli some credit. At least he waited until we weren't all about to die before making his move.

"We're about to have company," I say quietly, the warning clear in my voice.