GET UP

[ 1 ] for our muses to be in the midst of foreplay/building up to sex but one stops the other to make some kind of confession.

[ 2 ] for sender to wake up receiver after having a nightmare and initiate sex as comfort.

[ 3 ] for receiver to wake up sender after having a nightmare and initiate sex as comfort.

[ 4 ] our muses have just made up after a fight and begin to get intimate, trying to rebuild trust.

[ 5 ] one muse has just gone through a break up and goes to the other for comfort which leads to sex.

[ 6 ] sender had a bad date and receiver shows up at their door to cheer them up. they get a little tipsy and start making out.

[ 7 ] receiver had a bad date and sender shows up at their door to cheer them up. they get a little tipsy and start making out.

[ 8 ] our muses reunite after having been apart for an extended length of time which leads to sex, clothes everywhere, barely making it to the bed or not at all.

[ 9 ] sender is upset, receiver tries to confront them but rather than talk about it, sender initiates sex.

[ 10 ] receiver is upset, sender tries to confront them but rather than talk about it, receiver initiates sex.

[ 11 ] our muses try to break up only to end up having emotional/heated sex.

[ 12 ] sender confesses to having a crush on receiver which leads to receiver initiating sex.

[ 13 ] receiver confesses to having a crush on sender which leads to sender initiating sex.

[ 14 ] our muses lose power during a storm and have sex to keep warm or out of boredom.

[ 15 ] our muses are not together but sender confesses to receiver how lonely they are which spurs on receiver to initiate sex for comfort.

[ 16 ] our muses are not together but receiver confesses to sender how lonely they are which spurs on sender to initiate sex for comfort.

[ 17 ] sender pausing in the middle of sex to say "you're so beautiful/handsome"

[ 18 ] sender pausing in the middle of sex to say "i love you"

[ 19 ] sender pausing in the middle of sex to say "i missed you"

[ 20 ] for our muses to hold each other after sex, naked and warm and unwilling to detangle just yet.

a few sentences:

❝ i just want to feel something good. ❞

❝ i missed you so much. i just need you close to me right now. ❞

❝ let me show you how much i love you. ❞

❝ let me show you just how much i need you. ❞

❝ it doesn't have to mean anything, i'd just like some company tonight... ❞

❝ can i stay over tonight? i don't want to sleep alone right now. ❞

❝ i like the way you make me feel. i want to feel that way right now. i need to be with you. ❞

❝ no better way of getting over someone than getting under someone else, hey? ❞

❝ hey look you're not 'using' me if i'm the one offering. don't you think i get lonely too? ❞

❝ i miss the feeling of you inside me. ❞

❝ i miss being inside you. i miss feeling like we're the only two people in existence. ❞

❝ god all i did was think about you earlier and i got...excited. ❞

❝ i don't want to miss you anymore. please just kiss me. ❞

❝ will you just hold me for a little while? ❞

❝ this doesn't mean i'm not still mad at you— ❞

❝ i'm not sure if i forgive you yet, but i miss you. and i'm tired of missing you so... ❞

❝ i'm not sure how to ask this but—i've had a shit night. and you always used to make me feel good. ❞

❝ just come here. let me take care of you. ❞

The Brothers Sun s01e05: “Why don't we try resting? Come here.”

+bonus:

"...what the FUCK?" rage and confusion flash in her eyes as she watches robert fall to the ground. she wouldn't have even died about it! getting shot is practically part of her job description, she hasn't even met her quota of workplace injuries for the year, and here he is acting all noble. truly, what the fuck.

but first, someone's gotta pay. a deep inhale and then courtney's gone, rushing to sweep a leg under the baddie and get him on the ground. she'd relish his confused yelping more if she weren't pissed (and, though she wouldn't admit it, afraid). one of his bones crunches under her boot, but it's apparently not too vital because he's able to get another shot off. it doesn't hit anything but a brick wall, but still, she shouts at him for it.

"HEY. watch it, dumbfuck!" she stomps on his hand next, slipping into the deep shadow of the alley as she bends over him. "cut it out with the shooting, it's not helping anything." the gun's pried from his grip as he struggles. he manages to sit half way up in the process, but a kick into his ribs shuts him down quick enough.

"stay." another, closer to the gut this time. "down. or it's your turn to get shot."

even though the guy spits some slurs out alongside some blood, he seems to get the memo. and just in time, because her guard is dropping as she rushes to robert's side— invisibly, so he can't see the look of worry on her face. by the time she shows herself, she's knelt down by him, frowning at the wound at his shoulder.

"you, uh..." there's relief in her eyes. "you've got red on you, robbie." she reaches out to put extra pressure on his bullet hole, covering his hand with hers. there's a flicker of a grimace on his behalf.

"hey, this is kind of a whole moment for us, huh? you got shot for me, i didn't know you were down that bad." courtney's amusing herself now, even smirking, but avoiding his gaze and staring at his blood. he fucking scared her. dumbass.

The bullet's still inside, which isn't so much of an issue. What's another scar to the collection he already has? Robert brings up his good arm and undoes his rolled-up sleeve so he can grab the Swiss army knife in his pocket; it slices through the fabric enough for him to hold the end between his teeth and rip it roughly. Each motion is practised and simple, and in the end he has enough cloth wrapped around his shoulder to put pressure on his wound: messy, but fine for now.

Seeing Courtney in his vision would make him smile if the dull ache from the gunshot wound wasn't so irritating. The teasing doesn't help, either, and only earns her an impassive stare.

Robert only responds once she's asked her question-- "There's no way you're going into Red Ring territory alone."

It was the most important thing to establish.

Then: "Besides, I didn't want to hear you bitching about the pain until we got you patched up."

He glances at the guy on the floor, then drops the backpack slung over his good shoulder. From it Robert procures a ziptie; being normal often meant coming prepared was a life or death kind of thing.

"Here, tie him up for me." Pressing his back to the wall, Robert uses the support to get himself back on his feet. His backpack follows suit. "They really shouldn't have just left the one guy standing guard for all their systems, but fuck it.

"We're already here. I might as well download what I can. You good with standing watch?" This time, there's a hint of a smile. "Night's still young. Maybe you can get shot for me this time."

"I appreciate the heads up," he says. "Guess it helps I'm allergic to bullshit."

Another few mouthfuls of coffee and Robert wants to believe he feels better. Not necessarily good enough for legalese (but is there any measure for that, really?), but on the bright side his head isn't pounding. He tries not to think about the implications of caffeine dependency; it's just been a rough couple of days, and surely that's all there is to it.

"I've never had a team before," he murmurs, "but I guess you know that." It's strange, having people know he's Mecha Man, but he swallows that feeling down.

"I mean, I worked at the Panera for a couple years when I was younger" -- Robert's mouth twitches up, lighthearted -- "but it's not like anyone had powers that could cause a lot of damage back there.

"Worst thing we had to do was try not to piss any customers off."

Smile easing away, Robert shakes his head.

[ from morbid curiosity . accepting ]

Mandy was sprawled on the couch in the laziest possible way - a far cry from the usually uptight and perfectly composed superhero who roamed the local SDN branch. With both arms in the air holding a tablet at a decent distance from her face, the woman made it quite easy for Robert to make himself at home over her - not unlike Beef would do to any empty lap within his reach.

(Like father, like son.)

But instead of licking her hand and asking for treats, the former hero turned dispatcher came to sniff her neck - it made her chuckle but not enough to move, blue eyes still going line after line of the report being reviewed, including the last performance charts and other financial data of the Torrance branch.

It wasn't until Robert said something that Mandy's focus shifted - and she let go of work, placing it on the floor at the right side of the couch. The brunette's left hand descended over his head, playing with the messy and shorter locks for a while before responding.

"Chanel. Not the classic No. 5, but their Chance one. I think it's really good, refreshing. Reminds me of a summer day," Mandy sighed pleasantly, then kept going, "It was a gift from my grandmother when I turned 16 and I have been unable to change it for anything else. I guess it brings back the memories of the holidays we spent together and-"

Suddenly, her voice faltered and the woman blushed, realizing she was just babbling on. It happened somewhat frequently when Robert spent the night at her place because Mandy having the spotlight instead of Blonde Blazer was a very rare thing. She was so used to never being herself and just the very public persona powered by the necklace that the real woman behind it all had a hard time not being excited to talk about... Normal, boring stuff.

But she knew Robert had less than happy memories about his own family - it wasn't lost on her that, unlike Amanda Newman-Brighton, Mecha Man grew up without a grandfather precisely because of that suit.

These were the happiest moments of his life, after all. Even around the stress of trying to fix the Mecha Man suit, the mounting pressure of getting Z-Team to make numbers for SDN to take seriously, and the ever-present fear that something could go wrong, Robert was trying to remember that there was good in his life, too. He had a healthy and happy dog who loved him and a girlfriend (if they were calling themselves that, anyway) who welcomed them in her home-- it was more than he'd had in a long time, and he wasn't about to take any of it for granted.

"I like hearing stuff about you. It's why I ask."

Carefully, Robert lifted his head, rising enough inches to catch Mandy's gaze and admire the pink that coloured her cheeks. Sometimes she got sheepish about being a cheeseball at work, and that was cute too, but seeing her like this was different. Gone was the mask that obscured her face, gone were those bright blonde waves, and gone was the picture-perfect smile Robert saw on billboard after billboard. In the wake of it all was this good girl... someone who seemed to find it unbelievable that anyone would take interest in her.

One of Robert's arms unfurled from around Mandy's waist, coming up to cup a warm cheek. The kiss he pressed to her lips was gentle, and when he pulled away the look in his eyes was even more so.

"Tell me about your holidays," he insisted. "I wanna imagine them with you."

Robert sank again, cheek resting on Mandy's shoulder, and let the hand on her cheek drift so he could hold her in both arms again. This close, he sank into the oblivion of Mandy's scent entwined with her perfume-- a dangerous thing if anyone ever knew about it. It was so nice Robert could fall asleep just breathing her in.

As it stood, Blazer cut Robert some slack - it was easy to see his frustration came from a good place. He cared - way more than he was able to admit to himself, maybe.

"I am your superior at this branch, Robert. And I'm saying you should take a break and not hand in the report by midnight - listen to me, please," a hand went out to his closest shoulder, the movement to turn the dispatcher in his chair decisive but gentle. The blonde hero leaned down, meeting his eyes with hers and making sure he could see the sincerity of the claim being made.

"I got this. I got your back," a smile, encouraging and warm, "Let me handle whoever asks for anything from headquarters, okay? The Z-Team or the Phoenix Program is not your responsibility alone."

The hand was removed then, and Robert's personal space restored. Unfurled to her superhero height, Blonde Blazer nodded at the direction of the break room of their branch, which should be unusually quiet and contemplative at such late hours.

But the facsimile of authority faded with the sight of Blazer's smile, as sweet as ever. Whatever rebellious spirit was left in Robert's bones faded away, easily shed now that it was confirmed she was doing this because she cared. As she released him, Robert sighed, pressing the heels of his palms to his eyes one last time. Fuck, he'd never considered just how tiring it was to be an office worker.

"Do your powers include radiating sunshine, or is that just a you thing?" Robert asked, getting to his feet and miraculously avoiding collapsing. He followed dutifully in Blazer's footsteps, praying the movement would get his blood pumping and add a little pep in his step.

"I don't know how you do it. All these documents... if I have to look at Word another minute, I think my eyes'll fall out."

He took a bigger step forward to hold the break room door open, leaning against it as Blazer crossed the threshold. Then he followed after, fumbling with his back pocket to sort out his wallet.

"I am not convinced," the [ human ] said, narrowing his eyes. "Robert, I will go make your coffee, though I know the caffeine content will not be enough to remedy your tiredness. I appreciate the cultural dependence on that unfounded notion, however." With one last wistful look at Beef, Ares stood. His palms smoothed down the front of his dark shirt before he stepped away.

Fulfilling Robert's request was easy. By now, Ares had every step of preparing a perfect coffee for him memorized. Precisely how full Robert liked his cup. The exact flick of the wrist needed to splash in the correct amount of cream. What sort of motion that Robert enjoyed it stirred together with. Ares found enjoyment in doing it for Robert, even if it was a small task. He caught himself smiling again as he snapped the to - go lid on. Was the warmth cupped in his hand the cause of the warmth in his chest ? or was there something else making his insides feel ... hot that he did not understand yet ? Ares made a mental note to ask Kevin later. Perhaps, this body required servicing — no matter that his vitals all appeared to be healthy.

"Ares is here, buddy," Robert announces, to which the rotund little dog responds with a yawn and a stick of his tongue.

"He'll take care of you while I finish this up."

Beef, ever the clever one, looks up in Ares' direction. He times his headtilt just right before his paws curl in front of him, emphasising the perfect space of his belly for some rubbing. When Ares inevitably gives in, he pants and wags and even kicks his stubby legs a little-- nothing better than some good ole lovin'.

By the time Robert finishes his report, the coffee is half-finished and Beef has gotten Ares to take him out for a quick pee. He's shutting the computer down once he hears Beef's jingling collar and Ares' footsteps signalling their return; swivelling in his chair, Robert smiles (tiredly) when he sees them.

"Was he good for you?" he asks Ares, crouching down to pick Beef up in his arms. Eager to see his dad again, the dog doesn't hesitate to kiss him, and Robert laughs with delight.

He set his bag on the floor, which contained his mesmerizing red - and - black armored suit, and crouched low in blatant defiance of Robert's dismissal. Blue eyes stared longingly at Beef, who Ares wanted desperately to wake. Out of respect for his favorite dog ( ignoring that he was the only one Ares had ever met ), the [ human ] kept his hands folded on his knees.

"Your time is complete in nine minutes and fifty - two seconds," he said evenly. Ares glanced up at Robert. "I came to ask if you were working over — if you were not, I was ... going out. The house will be empty tonight, and it is strange to eat alone." Ares' lips twitched up, betraying the coming of something like a joke. He was learning, to Kevin's pleasure.

"Second, I wouldn't fall asleep in tacos." The yawn that follows this probably isn't comforting, though. "Especially..." Another yawn, albeit smaller, follows. "...not if someone else paid for them."

In any case, the excuse of being in public makes Robert hypervigilant by default. Here in the office, where he gets to stick his hands in the guts of their security systems, he's safe enough to fall asleep. God knows he wouldn't be taking Beef to work if he were anything but.

"I'll go out with you," he answers. "Could you do me a favour, though?"

Robert's head tilts from side to side to get the cricks out of his neck. "I gotta finish the last couple of lines for this report... if you could make me a coffee in the break room to take out, I'd appreciate it."

He knows that Ares already has his coffee preferences, too-- no sugar and a splash of cream. By nature of his systems, and all the times Ares has been in there with him, the guy is the only one in the office Robert trusts to be able to make it exactly the way he likes it.

"I'll let you know as soon as my landlord decides to be a piece of shit," he says. "Just, uh... go easy on the payment plans for me."

And just like that, Robert makes his way to the table in the room, sitting across from Thomas as he eats. He wonders what he's going to do for dinner himself, later, but figures he's got enough cash for at least a cheeseburger at the closest Wendy's. Both his hands stay wrapped around the mug like the warmth is a lifeline; when he brings it up to drink, both the taste and the scent ease him along.

Which is good, considering the shift in topic to Z-Team. Robert's brows twitch slightly, but overall his expression stays gentle.

"They're doing their best," he says, "which is all I can ask from them. A lot of 'em aren't used to working in teams like this..." Robert's head cocks slightly to the side. "I figure it's up to me to know where their talents are best used, you know?

"Either way, I'm glad they all got to know each other before I came along." Robert shrugs. "Usually that's the hardest part."

His lips press together. Robert's gaze drifts across the table, watching Thomas curiously, and with a swipe of the tongue to his lip Robert leans back in his seat.

Unlike most at SDN, Robert doesn't care much about people's pasts, not as much as he does their present and their hopes for the future. Chase has implied a few times that Blonde Blazer's choice of lawyer for Mecha Man's involvement with the company was ridiculous; Robert doesn't know the details, nor does he care to know, but Chase only ever gets that insistent when it involves crime or a history thereof.

Coffee splashes into the bottom of his mug. "I would've stayed late anyway, so we're good. I don't like waking Beef up from his naps.

"And the office is actually a step up from my apartment, now that I think about it." No, he doesn't much care about what that might imply.

Robert yawns on his way to the fridge, pulls out the creamer, and adds just a touch of it to his drink. The mug is so full it's almost spilling over, so with two hands he brings it up to his lips to take his first few mouthfuls. The effects, whilst technically not instantaneous, are great even in a placebo kind of way; already Robert feels more like a person and less like a stressed out zombie man.

Leaning against the counter, he watches Thomas with new eyes.

But because the last time he slept more than three hours might have been the week before, all he does is scoff, wave a hand, and say: "I didn't lose my legs in that explosion, you know. I can walk just fine."

And he manages to, somehow, without injuring himself. Thank God.

At this hour, with the night dispatchers taking over, Robert's floor is blissfully empty. Good thing, too, because he's not sure he would have been able to live with anyone from Z-Team seeing him like this. Their bond, though slowly growing more positive, is tenuous already, and he wouldn't want to do anything to ruin it.

"Do you always have dinner in the office?" Robert asks, somehow managing to keep from yawning until he's finished speaking.

As they enter the break room, the scent of coffee wafts towards him. It doesn't do much in the "waking up" department, but as Robert grabs a clean mug and makes his way to the pot, he prays actually guzzling it'll help. The evening shift ran longer than expected today, what with the Red Ring's far more aggressive movements. With SDN's limited manpower, there was no other choice but to run into overtime.