#ign1tes

V  barely  reacts  at  first  when  he  moves  in—just  watches  him  through  half-lidded  eyes,  jaw  tight,  like  she’s  already  decided  she  can  tough  it  out  without  him.   “don’t—”   she  starts,  but  the  needle’s  already  in.   she  hisses,  shoulders  tensing  before  she  forces  herself  still,  breath  coming  out  slow  through  her  teeth.  “...shit.”  she  exhales,  then,  quietly,  with  less  anger  behind  her  tone.

ENDLESS EDITS OF ANYA BARNES : featuring @ign1tes.

human torch starters.

Lunch had been pleasant; it was a sunny day with a cool breeze. Not too hot and not too cold. Morgan had been enjoying his chicken salad when Buck spoke. When he finished his bite, he looked at him with a rather serious expression.

  　　his protest is brushed away with a wave of their hand and an eye roll. they can't remember the last time if ever they actually managed to catch anything more than a stomach bug and whatever it is buck has, gen is positive she can handle it. if she could survive her high school's mono outbreak what seems like a simple cold will be easy.

　　" hey, i'm not gonna listen t'you unless you're in bed. like i told you you should be. " she fixes him with a serious look, arms crossed, making it clear that she isn't joking. "c'mon, i brought stuff t'make soup, if you at least go lay down on the couch i won't stay longer than it takes t'make it."

　　gen doesn't tell him that it can take at least two hours with the recipe she'd chosen. he's stuck with her there whether he likes it or not, she won't take no for an answer, she just wants to take care of him. "like i even got the good soup crackers too. just, let me help you? please? just this once?" she's not too proud to pout and beg and it's a situation that gen has never been in before. it's all so new constantly and consistently, and they look forward to every one of their first things. 

　　she ushers him towards the couch, shooing him with an exaggerated movement. "i even brought a book t'read just in case you change your mind and let me stay. i'll like totally read it to you if you do? like c'mon, what do i gotta do t'convince you t'let me stay? i won't get sick, just trust me that i can't."

　　gen wonders if she should tell him about the whole so hey listen i uh heal real fast and can't die, but like that weather huh? thing she can do. today is no good, they figure he'll try and overwork his brain trying to figure out if she's joking or not, and he needs rest.

　　They admire his handiwork and use it as a distraction of their own, holding their hand out in front of them and angling it this way and that, trying to not let their eyes flit over to him too much. The wound will heal over in about an hour, give or take ––– there's never a solid time frame for it, and while they know he knows the bandage is near useless –––– something about his continued insistence on taking care of the cut, while frustrating, makes gen think it will heal faster. They have no real solid base for the thought, it's fleeting and dances between a thousand other thoughts, but if they had to guess , it could be the genuine way the gentleness of his touch had been , it's a solid contender and gen can't get it out of their head.

　　Or, it could be the lack of scolding , the understanding of it being just a simple accident, no harsh words spoken or judgement given ,he had simply wanted to help them. It sounds trivial, sure, but it's something Gen isn't used to. Their accidents aren't usually small, they usually involve some sort of catastrophe, even when the damage is nothing but a scratch , and end up something that a big deal has to be made out of for no reason ––– and while this was just a simple cut and he had insisted on mini triage, Gen can catch the difference between the two and they caught it right away.

　　There's a third thing that they're thinking could be the reason behind their original theory but they can't latch onto it fully with him moving around the way he is, though they do understand they're getting restless themself , and they really need to figure out the thought. Gen gives up on not keeping her eyes on him, hoping he doesn't question it. She stares at him with the same softness his hands had had while wrapping hers, and she can't ignore just how much she liked him holding her hand in the process ––– but it's another fleeting thought that chases after the other that she's still trying to catch and their head is dizzy with all the thinking they're having to do.

　　They shake their head slightly, trying to dislodge whatever is making them feel lightheaded ––– and they're back to staring at him within five seconds. Gen reaches out and grabs for his hands with her unbandaged one, attempting to still them and get him to look at her. 

　　" Please, Buck, you're like a total natural at it and i think it deserves a thank you ––– "

　　Gen smiles and leans in closer to him, not quite sure of what they're doing but going with it anyways. The closer they get the dizzier they seem to feel and there's one final fleeing thought, one they catch and don't question –– one that pushes them forward to close the distance just for a brief moment, and they find they can breathe just a bit easier but also struggle ten times harder all at once. They pull back quickly and find that all their thoughts are simply gone.