familiar aching provides a comfort, limbs clinging to the pain that comes in waves with every hit, skin pink - tinged and burning up. they seem echos of each other, each one for her matched with one for him, chest relaxing as he realises he cannot cause harm without thought, that the metal grip is nothing to be feared here. minutes turn tick over until they become the better part of an hour, tension burning with every moment they spend there, and if he had time to dwell perhaps he might wonder when sparring began to come with cravings, when he wanted touch so badly that even this soothed a longing. the thought might normally come with a denial that led to the bottle, but it’s carol, and she’s already slipped between every boundary he’s built; what’s another? with that thought, he laughs as palm sweeps over his brow, stance shifting slightly as he goes to anticipate her moves. in the moment when both are still, she speaks:
and the moment charges. his own cheeks rise in a smirk that meets hers, challenge playing out in a way that rises a new sensation to his skin, not given a second to build itself before she’s moved and he’s needed elsewhere. this time, the slap of skin against skin seems different, louder somehow as senses attune back down to her and only her. it’s over in a moment, breathless collapse into a familiar position, this time with he in favour and her pinned below, and still it’s different somehow. he’s too aware of the pounding of her heart through her skin, the sweet of her breath against his cheek, so close he could count eyelashes where they lie. she’s always been beautiful, like this, she’s majestic ... and he’s driven to distraction, locked on to the soft - set of her lips, the implication still ringing in his ears. ( a fool to follow thoughts to paths that will surely crumble, to ruin good things for loneliness and wanting ... he’s always been a bomb waiting to explode. ) but then ... she spoke the words, let them linger in the silence, and he’s been worse than a fool in hope. ❛ that better for you, danvers? ❜
