#lukec

“All I’m asking is that you don’t block the shampoo, one of us actually needs it,” You said, trying to reach around your boyfriend’s large frame to grab the bottle from the shelf.

You loved taking showers with Luke - though the logistics of the small shower and his very built body didn’t always work to your benefit.

“What - you want this bottle?” Luke asked, putting an arm behind him and took hold of the shampoo bottle. He made it look so tiny as he held it up, to tease you into reaching for it.. In your defense - he made everything look tiny compared to him.

“Luke,” You pouted, reaching up for it, barely being able to touch the smooth bottom of the plastic container. “You can’t hog the hot water AND my shampoo. I’m dirty and freezing down here.”

“I don’t know if I want to help with the first thing,” He smirked down at you.

But what he did do was maneuver around you so he was in the cold spot, and you were getting the nice warm water against your body.

With a grin, he pumped some of the shampoo onto his hand and started to massage it in for you, really working it into the scalp. He was taking care of you, making a comforting moan slip out from your lips as it felt like a massage against your head. You lost all complaints that you once had now, just getting lost in this world of warmth, your hand on his strong chest to keep yourself steady.

It was evident that he liked taking care of you, especially in ways like this, with a little bit of teasing first because it was so cute to watch you pout. It was a really fun dynamic that kept the both of you on your toes - never actual fighting or hurt feelings, especially never somewhere as intimate a place as your apartment, which you both treated as sacred ground. He even helped you to wash it out, holding you under the water, making sure that all of the product was out so that you could continue on with your hair routine. “Mmm - forgive me for my snarky comment?” You asked.

“About how one of us actually needs shampoo?” He asked, a bushy eyebrow raised. “Already forgiven.”

Second date, and god almighty, you were ready to go all the way. When you had your first one in a restaurant, you were thinking that Luke looked more delicious than anything that had been on the menu. So you took that leap and you invited him over for dinner, at your apartment. Just the two of you. Alone. And wasn’t he just acting like the perfect gentleman? He ate every bite of what you made. He offered to help with the dishes, rinsing off his plate before putting it in the dishwasher. He said that the movie choice was up to you, but he’d still give opinions, and options, and not just grumbled ‘whatever you want’ unenthusiastically like other guys. And most chivalrous of all - his hands weren’t wandering. Which was a damn disappointment.

There could be something that could be done about that though.

Mutants. They got a bad reputation. People with powers always messing things up. Luke knew all about that, which was why you hadn’t yet let him in on the fact that you were one. That was a third date conversation. It wasn’t an obvious one, not one that you wore on your skin. But one that you could exude. A heat. A fire, if you wanted, but burning down your building was not your intention. You started letting off that heat, letting it fill the apartment. “Sorry, my air conditioner broke,” You said as innocently as possible.

“You want any help fixing it?” He asked, being the perfect guy that he was. Damn. That was too smooth. You were thinking of an excuse now - one that didn’t have to do with you destroying your air conditioner - when he stood up and started to remove his shirt. His jacket had already been on the back of the dining room chair for an hour now, and there was nothing left under this last layer. Nothing but that dark skin, the wide chest, the tone in his belly, those biceps, thank you lord above for all of this man. “You don’t mind, do you?” He asked.

“Not at all,” You said, admiring what you saw. This was exactly what you wanted. He was delivering. “You can uhh - take off those pants too. If you get too hot, I mean. I don’t mind at all.”

He smirked a little at that. White teeth between a perfectly groomed goatee. “Yeah? We’ll just have to see how hot it can get.”

“Oh, I bring the fire baby,” You promised. “I bring the heat.”

When you walked into your apartment after a long day at work, you only had two things in your mind. You wanted to have a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine, and you wanted to cuddle up with your strong man in bed. On the subway ride home, you’d just been thinking about how for someone so bulletproof, he managed to have the softest skin. And damn - you were expecting a rather nice package for your birthday from him.

You turned on the light, calling out his name. It was dark in your apartment, which was something you hadn’t been expecting. You were growing annoyed now - did he seriously forget that it was your birthday? No, no, think rationally, he was probably out saving Harlem, the way he always was. You dropped your keys in the bowl, turned to face the living room and then-

“Surprise!”

You nearly jumped out of your skin when your friends jumped out from behind couches. Luke was among them, smiling the widest, coming up to you and wrapping you in a big hug. “Happy birthday!”

“Here,” Jessica Jones approached, putting a bottle of wine into your hand. “You look like you need this.”

“I do,” You nodded enthusiastically, kissing your boyfriend on the cheek as he finished the hug. “A surprise party though? Is this a sitcom?”

“Are you turning down friends and wine?” Luke asked. After thinking about it for a second, you shook your head.

“No, better not. But just promise me that tomorrow, for my belated birthday, it’s just you and me.”

Everything was set up to perfection. You had ordered from one of New York’s hidden gems, a pizza parlor that was only two blocks away, and had a steaming hot pizza delivered to your door, laying in it’s box on the coffee table. Beside it was a big bowl of freshly popped popcorn with just a hint of the buttery flavor that you knew Luke loved, but you didn’t need him eating too much and messing up his health. For easy access, a cooler filled with ice was set next to the couch with bottles of water, soda and iced tea so you wouldn’t have to get up to go to the fridge. And stacked on top of the TV were some of your favorite comedy DVDs.

Movie night with Luke was your favorite weekly event because it was a good way for both of you to let off steam. It was hard being Luke Cage, and having your face in the papers, having everyone know that you are super strong and asking him for favors when he’s just walking down the street. And as for you - your day job could be stressful, but you had been inspired by Luke and went out on the streets as well. You might not take on whole gangs in the way that Luke did, but you had put quite a few muggers, domestic abusers and wanna-be robbers in the jail cells.

When you opened the door for Luke, he looked at you with those sexy eyes, licking his bottom lip as he took in your comfortable but hella cute pajama set. You didn’t have to show off your assets for him to look at you like that - you could be dressed as a nun and he would still look at you like that, as long as he could see your eyes peeking through.

“I uh - I was thinking we could start with Beetlejuice ..or maybe Ghostbusters, what do you feel like?” You asked, moving aside so that he could come in.