MHA #6 Saturday Night

[arboreal_priestess]

The party at the Stark's estate - a sentence that only made sense this weekend - had been lovely, save for one thing: her supposed fiancé, who had gone out of her way to frustrate and annoy her all night. Not that she was surprised by this. Liam had been frustrating in every sense of the word since this whole fake-relationship-secret-bodyguard assignment had began!

Frustrating in every sense, yes. Even especially that one.

Not that Verity was thinking about that right now. Not with the high dudgeon she was in as she slammed into their apartment-slash-safehouse, her professional Spy/Bodyguard patience taxed to the limit. "I can't believe you were so irresponsible at the party!" she fumed, kicking off her high heels - which could double as knives somehow, don't ask - as soon as the door was closed behind them. "I mean, no. I can absolutely believe it! That's just classic you! But still! Why don't you just put up a beacon to all the assassins out there searching for you? 'Here I am, come stab me'!"

[For the fake fiancé, and preemptively calling it NSFW as we get a little Slap Slap Kiss action.]

Comments

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity rolled her eyes at him. "Well it would bring this utter farce of an assignment to an end!" she snapped.

[firstofitskind]

“Why do you not just request another assignment, then, if you hate being around me so?” Liam retorted.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Because I do the job," Verity growled, striding forward to poke Liam in the chest. "Unlike some people, I don't get to flit through life only doing the things that interest me!"

[firstofitskind]

"I do not appreciate that accusation!" Liam told her hotly, catching that hand in his own before her finger could connect with his chest.

After all, if it were true, he would have fallen in to bed with her within weeks of her being assigned to him.

[arboreal_priestess]

Excuse him, he would have tried. Except for how Verity was solidly Not Interested.

...Which, you know, might be news to all that tension sizzling between them.

She glared up at him, much shorter than usual without her Battle Heels. "Oh?" she sneered. "Tell that to Tony after you practically felt up his husband tonight!"

Way to sound completely not jealous, Verity! Good job! All that professional Spy/Bodyguard training was really paying off.

[firstofitskind]

"He has had a difficult time, and I wished only to offer him a way to ease his pain!" Liam protested. That much, at least, was genuine. And he hadn't even meant 'ease his pain' in a sexy way!

Just, you know. Using his alien powers in a public place. So much better!

"Besides. I saw you holding hands with Tony yourself," he pointed out. Holding hands, Verity! THAT WAS BASICALLY SEX AS FAR AS LIAM WAS CONCERNED.

[arboreal_priestess]

"I was offering him comfort!" Verity argued. Also not in a sexy way. "We clasped hands, I didn't have mine all over his face!"

Christ, Liam, you were like a half-step to having your hands down his pants!

[firstofitskind]

"... Why would he require comfort?" Liam wondered, momentarily distracted from their argument. Steven was the one tragically pining for someone who didn't love him, after all.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Because of the situation he finds himself in, obviously!" Verity pointed out.

Which was not wording that could be misconstrued at all.

[firstofitskind]

Liam gasped, recoiling back as if he had been struck. "He is aware of Steven's true feelings!" he realized, horrified as to what this would mean for his dear, dear friend. "And he does not return them!" Surely, that meant their sham of a marriage was doomed to fall apart, poor, tragic Steven cast aside for someone more suitable.

[arboreal_priestess]

"What?" Verity gasped back. Steven's true feelings? She was so horror stuck that she missed the rest of what Liam had said.

Oh poor, poor Tony! To discover that he'd been right all along, and that Steven truly didn't care for him? Surely, that meant their sham of a marriage was doomed to fall apart; poor, lonely Tony cast aside for someone more suitable.

[firstofitskind]

"You heard what I said!" Liam snapped. No, Liam, she hadn't, actually. Not all of it, anyway.

[arboreal_priestess]

"And you couldn't even wait until the marriage bed had gone cold before trying to get in with Steve?" Verity asked. "I can't believe that. Wait, no, I absolutely can!"

[firstofitskind]

“That is not- no,” Liam shook his head. “There is no point. No matter what I say, you will not believe me.”

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity scoffed. "Oh, I'm sorry, is the incredibly overpowered super-alien all sad because there is one person on earth who isn't as obsessed with his ego as he is?"

[firstofitskind]

"There is certainly more than one," Liam huffed. "After all, it is not just Taelon assassins you have been hired to protect me from."

Liam. Perhaps now is not the time to be a pedantic smart-ass?

[arboreal_priestess]

"Wow, that pendant streak is so attractive." Verity rolled her eyes. "I can't imagine why I haven't just thrown myself at your feet, begging you to take me."

[firstofitskind]

"Because that would require you to feel something," Liam retorted. "And not just fake it as part of your 'cover'."

[arboreal_priestess]

"And here I figured you'd be used to women faking when you were around," Verity said, her smile sharp as her knives.

[firstofitskind]

“Why would- oh. I see. You do think yourself quite clever, do you not?” he asked, smirk playing about his lips.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Only compared to some," Verity said, with a sweet smile and a flutter of her eyelashes.

[firstofitskind]

“Then as clever as you are, you must also be in possession of keen powers of observation?” he pressed.

[arboreal_priestess]

"You know, you're right," Verity said, too smug to see the trap yawning under her feet. "And yet I'm still not seeing anything of you that's worth my--"

[firstofitskind]

He’d meant to ask her something else, something that might perhaps wipe that smug look from her face, when he was struck with the sudden irrepressible urge to kiss her.

... Well, at least the end result would likely be the same, if not in the manner he’d originally intended?

[arboreal_priestess]

She was silent, that was for damn sure. And her expression no longer smug.

Her hand which was coming up to wrap in his shirt...well, it did that. But more to cling than threaten.