MHA #6, Wednesday Afternoon

[arboreal_priestess]

They hadn't gotten home until almost dawn yesterday morning, trying to plan for the Covenant and what they could do to keep Baltimore safe from them. And Verity, more dispirited than she was willing to let on, had just fallen facefirst into their--her bed the moment they'd gotten into the bedroom, barely taking the time to kick off her shoes and remove her holster.

Even now, it was afternoon and she was struggling against waking up. Liam was a warm presence beside her, offering comfort just by being there. What would she be doing now if she didn't have him, she wondered? Trying to bring people together all by herself? No one to hold her when it all got to be a bit too much? It was bad enough those rare nights he went back to his place and she didn't follow along; imagining not having him at all was...awful.

Without saying anything, she rolled over on her side and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his side.

[For the modded one, please!]

Comments

[firstofitskind]

Oh yeah, that name was getting some solid side-eye on Liam's part. "Keep telling yourself that," he said, tone placating.

[arboreal_priestess]

The kitchen was on the neater end of the house, considering how seldom Verity used it for its intended purpose. She filled up the kettle and fetched cups for them both while Liam started preparations for the coffeemaker, with his precious 'measuring' and 'ratios.'

It wasn't until she had her first mug in hand that she asked, "You sure you wanna do this?"

It was funny. She didn't have cold feet. She just wanted to make sure that he didn't, either.

[firstofitskind]

Liam's own cup was halfway to his lips- funny how Verity couldn't make decent coffee to save her life, and yet had figured out exactly how long he liked his tea steeped- when she asked that question. He briefly considered making some quip about how it was too late to back out on the coffee, since he'd already made it and all, but discarded that notion. A joke wasn't what was needed right now.

"I'm sure," he promised her. "Waking up with you, every day? I can't think of anything better than that."

[arboreal_priestess]

"I mean, we're about to wake up to a fucking purge," Verity pointed out. "Any day now. Getting further entangled with me might not be your smartest move."

[firstofitskind]

"Yeah, because I'm the kind of person who runs away at the first sign of real trouble," Liam said with a snort.

[arboreal_priestess]

"I know," Verity said, resting her head on his arm. "I just...wanted to make sure you know you have a choice, I guess."

[firstofitskind]

"I know I do. And I'm not worried," he assured her. "Not about this, anyway." He was absolutely worried about the imminent purge, as anyone sane would be.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Because it feels like it just makes sense?" Verity asked. "That we just make sense?"

[firstofitskind]

"I never thought..." Liam started to say. "I mean, I had always just assumed that I was meant to be alone. Turns out I'd just been looking in the wrong universe."

[arboreal_priestess]

"It takes a special kind of universe to make a person who can live up to what you deserve, Liam Kincaid," Verity said, leaning against his chest.

[firstofitskind]

"I guess I must be doing something right, to deserve someone as amazing as you," Liam said, wrapping his arms around her.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Well, I bet the promise to bring me coffee every morning for forever helped," Verity said, trying to look innocent.

[firstofitskind]

"... Did I agree to that?" Liam said, sounding puzzled.

[arboreal_priestess]

"You must have," Verity said brightly. "How else would the universe know you're doing something right?"

[firstofitskind]

"Hmmm," Liam pretended to think about it. "You think that's the kind of stuff the universe keeps track of?"

[arboreal_priestess]

"If there's any justice in it, then absolutely," Verity decided.

Into her coffee mug of love and joy.

[firstofitskind]

Liam was silent, his expression that of someone who was listening intently to something. Then, he nodded.

"Apparently the universe agrees with you," he reported.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Of course it does," Verity agreed. "I'm always right, especially about the important things."

[firstofitskind]

“I don’t know about always,” Liam countered. “I can think of at least one thing you’re wrong about, after all.”

[arboreal_priestess]

"Tea doesn't count as important, even if I were wrong about it," Verity declared.

[firstofitskind]

“Which you are,” Liam insisted. “But I was actually talking about your absolutely incorrect stance on jam and muffins.”

[arboreal_priestess]

"What is it about breakfast that makes you so incredibly wrong about it?" Verity asked. "Maybe your whole universe just fails at it? Is that the problem?"

[firstofitskind]

“I’m not the one who thinks a breakfast burrito made of leftover Chinese is a valid nutritional choice,” Liam pointed out. “If we’re talking breakfast-related crimes, that’s a big one right there.”

[arboreal_priestess]

"It's thrifty," Verity declared. "Using up leftovers is a valid and eco-friendly food choice."

She was utterly bullshitting now.

[firstofitskind]

“Then use them up for lunch or dinner,” Liam countered. “Not breakfast.”