driftfleet | Let's all hold hands and sing Kumbaya

[he's a scientist, of course it's notes on the planet. While most people might go out and enjoy what the planet has to offer, this guy? This guy takes notes. Most of what was around wasn't something he was particular interested in - or at least, he wasn't opposed to it if he were to be dragged out to participate - but he'd gotten into the habit on the toxic moon to keep notes on almost everything, and well - he did it in Kyriakos, too, so it only made sense for him to continue that tradition.

And it's a good thing too, that he's hidden behind a notebook so she can't see how red his ears turn almost immediately. Of course he remembers it.

. . . but he's in a good mood so she gets the bratty answer]

No, I can't say I do. [he says with an even tone, but peeking over the top of the notebook, it's clear that he's joking, what with how amused he looks]

[ Raven rolls her eyes, shaking her head and forcing her smile away so that he doesn't catch wind of it before she walks over. She's reminded of a time in his lab when he had shown her a microscope and her own DNA and she had been confused, delighted and baffled all at once, and now she repeats the process that lead to it - minus the laboratory, of course. With space beside him and his head peeking over his notebook she can shift, stepping forward and just dropping herself carefully into his lap. ]

Ha ha.

[ Not that she has a problem with his bratty side. She's particularly fond of it, actually, and she shows it with how she leans up to kiss his cheek, turning her head to rest her own against his so she can peer down at his notes. ]

Then I guess we just won't have to talk about spending time together. That's a shame.

[at least he's used to that, from times long ago as well as here, and all he does in response is shifts so his arms are around her, chin hooked over her shoulder so he can pretend like he's still reading them. Sure, it means his hiding spot is no longer viable, but he can't say he minds. Not when he can turn his head to kiss her cheek in return and the words on the page don't make all that much sense anyway.

She has that effect on him]

Did you have something in mind?

I might have.

[ Raven doesn't actually mind all that much if Hank wants to spend his time sitting and reading his notes; it's not as if she wants to do anything other than settle near him and do her own thing, whatever it is she finds to occupy her time. Sometimes that might be her own book or fiddling with her device, other times it's sitting by herself in a corner and practicing using her mutation. It's enough to shock her boyfriend sometimes, but she doesn't feel comfortable not doing it, just in case.

Now, though, her attention is entirely on Hank and she smiles, leaning into him and basking in the touch of his arms around her, holding her in place - because it means he doesn't mind, that she belongs here, and the smile just won't go away. ]

I remember us talking about a beach...

I vaguely remember something like that.

[which means he remembers the entire thing, and it's a good thing he's already flushed because of her. Of course, they'd been far more intimate at the time, too, discussing picnics and beaches while they were tangled up in each other. It was their first date, after all - he could never forget that.

He huffs a little noise and finally shuts his notebook, giving up on pretending he can read it]

I vaguely remember telling you that you'd have to convince me to go, too.

[because she had teased him mercilessly about bathing suits]

Oh, only vaguely? Don't tell me I'll have to give you a reminder.

[ She's absolutely teasing now, because she remembers exactly how they were when they were talking about beaches and other things that might be possible, silly romantic things that Raven had seen in the movies. She's not going to push too hard on the matter otherwise they'll get distracted and lose touch with the actual point, but all the same...

At least the notebook is down, and she beams, kissing his cheek. ]

What if I said the first time would just be a walk on the beach together?

[ No bathing suits, no swimming, just walking together and talking. ]

[she kisses his cheek and he feels warm all over, and he can't help but make a face because he wonders if it's the planet at work; this . . . empathy or whatever they called it, because it's warmth on top of his own, the kind that comes from teasing someone you care about, and god damn is that going to make touching her awkward.

But he's stubborn, and like hell is he going to let that stop him from turning his head to kiss her properly, and the only giveaway that he's exasperated is the slightly huffy tone of voice]

I'm not saying anything about reminders. [he's not giving into easy flustering!!]

A walk sounds nice, though.

[ When Raven leans up into the kiss she is, for a moment, overwhelmed. She feels as though the warmth inside of her, that familiar tenderness that always emerges when it comes to her and Hank, is overheating somehow, burning through her and making her skin prickle. It's wonderful, of course, and she presses closer into the kiss, basking in the wonder of the feelings and how lovely it feels, how much she wants more and more of it without being able to express why.

It doesn't get easier when her hand lifts to press palm-flat against Hank's neck, and she nudges their noses together as she leans back and tries to ignore the too-much rush. She knows, of course, that it's from the planet and the fact that they're already so close, but it feels a little bit like getting drunk on her own feelings. ]

Not right now, no, but later.

[ Leaning back, she reaches out and offers her hand, making to stand up. ]

Shall we?

[it's overwhelming in a different way, one he isn't used to, and as she presses closer and he feels her hand on his neck he has to suck in a breathe at the rush of it all. To grasp tightly onto his control lest he finds himself completely overwhelmed. And wouldn't that be embarrassing.

He feels dazed and warm and almost floaty, and it takes a full moment to realize she's moving away - and he blinks stupidly for a moment before he reaches for her hand, standing up after she does]

We may as well. [he glances down at their hands, then back up to her, almost sheepish] We have to be careful with - this. [it's all he's going to really say about it unprompted]

[ It's going to make coming home interesting, Raven thinks, as she already spends most of her time thinking about kissing Hank and crawling into bed to lie down beside him and bask in what it means to be able to cuddle up to him. The intensity of what they're feeling is wonderful enough without the planet's influence, and she has to try and focus on the fact that she's here with him rather than floating off somewhere on the high of her own emotions.

There's a strange homeliness about the new planet that makes her think of the rising plains of the mansion in Westchester, the things that she had long forgotten, and it's been prickling at her since she stepped foot here. She can't help the softness of her expression, her fingers tightening around Hank's as the sweetness of the memories settle around her. It's strange to think of home when she had spent so many years avoiding it.

Images flicker on the forefront of her mind, and they stay there, hovering. ]

I don't think there's anything I don't want you to see.

[ And she reaches to tug him closer, gently. ]

No, I mean, it's not - [and he falters for a moment as the images pass through his own mind. He'd rarely seen Charles' memories, and while he knew about how they met, seeing it - like this, and feeling the things behind it, he can't help but think he's seeing something he shouldn't be. Even if it makes him smile. He's always felt that way about it when it happened in Kyriakos and it's no different now, regardless of who he's with.

He can't deny that it makes him long for Westchester, though, the safety and security of the mansion he's come to consider a real home in the last few years. As big and lonely as it could be at times, he'd never felt anything but safe, there. A sense of belonging.

He goes with the tug and leans down to press a kiss to her forehead, huffing out a noise. This whole empathy thing was going to be trouble, in so many good and bad ways]

I don't mean because of that.

[ She knows as soon as Hank has seen her memories, and for a moment something like uncertainty prickles at her. It makes her feel uncomfortable and she shifts a little, but... She doesn't mind sharing these things. She doesn't mind offering those parts of herself to Hank; Hank already has her heart and her body, why not her mind as well, the little bits they can share? She knows that, growing up with Charles, it was hard for her - her big brother was a telepath and that meant she had nothing of her own, not really, when she was already adopted and brought into his house - but she's learning.

She's getting so much better.

Tilting her head up, Raven softens a little before her arms wrap around Hank, tucking under his so they can link around the width of his body, leaning against him and breathing out. ]

Because of what, then?

[ She can understand that their shared feelings might become overwhelming, especially in those moments when they can't quite control themselves. It might even get dangerous, but... They'd manage. ]

[maybe it's cheating, but he tries to think about it being okay, that he's more than okay with seeing her memories and that he's okay with her seeing his. Sure, there's the ones that aren't as happy as first meetings and a sense of family, but it's like the rest of their relationship - taking the good with the bad and dealing with it as it comes along. They're good at that, and getting better every day.

He rests his chin on top of her head and brings his arms around her, holding her close. The answer is muttered into her hair, with only the faintest tone of embarrassment]

It's overwhelming.

[he figures she can pick up on what he means. He'd been able to cheat that in Kyriakos, thanks to not needing the serum there, but here? He's good at controlling his own feelings, but when it's twice as much . . . that'll be a challenge]

It is, isn't it?

[ Raven says it quietly, voice low and soft, and she tilts her head up to look at Hank. She does want to go to the beach and she does want to walk around hand in hand with her boyfriend, but there's something more important than that. His comfort is the height of importance for her, and she wraps herself around him and holds him close, resting her face against his body before she breathes out a soft noise. ]

We can take our time and get used to it. There's no hurry.

[ And she means that, too. If they have to do it step by step... Well, it would probably do her some good as well. She still feels a little bit like she's floating on their emotions and she leans up, giving Hank another gentle kiss before she breathes out, cupping his cheeks with both her hands. ]

I quite like having you all to myself anyway.

[he doesn't want her to think he's unwilling to go out and spend time with her, or that he wants to hide away the entire time because he's too worried about overwhelming himself. That isn't the case, even if it is a tempting thought. He wants them to go out and enjoy themselves, he wants her to drag him around and figure out what they can do here together, without his stupid insecurities getting the better of him.

He'd much rather learn to get used to it than try to work around it]

I know there isn't.

[he can't help but lean into her touch, leaning over a little to do so. It's something else entirely, knowing that she can feel exactly how he feels when she's like this with him, understanding and wonderful and accepting; almost embarrassing, because he's so incredibly in love with her and here it's right out there in the open, every time they touch. He has no idea how to hold any of it back and he isn't sure he wants to]

Don't you already have me all to yourself most of the time?

[ They're so close and so intimate that it feels as though all the emotions spiralling through them are being shouted into her ear. She can feel almost everything she's sure Hank is feeling, the joy and the slight trepidation and of course the love and affection... It's almost overwhelming in how wonderful and frightening it is. It's baring herself entirely to someone else, letting them see parts of herself that had been hidden, too; the worry, the lack of confidence, the wonder she feels as she gets closer and close to Hank and closer to a world she'd thought she'd left behind.

She's just as insecure as Hank is, just for a handful of different reasons.

It's far more intense than usual, and Raven basks in it for a moment just because she can; just because right here, right now, they're as close as they can possibly get, at least mentally. She's a little afraid of it, of what it means, but at the same time she knows that it's beautiful and incredible -- it's wonderful and she is glad that, even for just a handful of days, they were able to share this with each other.

Her love for him is the most explosive force inside of her, and she wonders how she isn't drowning in it. ]

Technically... Maybe I do. But I'm selfish.

[he feels like he's drowning, and his fingers tangle in the back of her shirt, tightening as he presses his face into her hair and just breathes for a moment. He suddenly doesn't want to go on a walk, or leave for that matter; sitting down or going to lay down and just letting himself get overwhelmed with everything seems like a much better option, rather than trying to fight everything off. So he can be himself and bask in everything she feels, and let her feel the same in return.

Good god, but they won't make it out the door at this rate. He his voice comes out as a weak mutter, just a touch strained and rough. She can actually feel what she does to him, how hard it is to keep everything in check and how weak he is to her, how his heart feels like it'll explode at any moment] There's nothing wrong with that.

[he can't help but huff out a weak laugh]

We're not going to make it out of the damn door at this rate.

[it's saying a lot that he's actually cursing about it]

[ Raven hadn't anticipated just how intense being around someone she cared about as desperately as she cared about Hank might actually do to her; it's almost as if they're relearning how to just be around one another and she burns with it, breathing out a soft noise and tilting up and pressing close, her fingers moving to let her fingers run through his hair in return. The idea of moving away from Hank and parting from him makes her want to frown and break a little and, so, she doesn't even consider it.

They're both awkward and slightly insecure, but they're working on it. Raven can feel it, and she shivers a little before she tilts her head up, nudging close and turning her face to rest against his skin, breathing him in and basking for a moment. Oh, she can definitely see how they might have trouble leaving - she's already second-guessing her own choice to go wandering on the beach with how lovely this feels. ]

No, there's not.

[ She kisses his neck before she leans back, smile soft even as she fights her laughter. ]

Is that a problem? The beach isn't going anywhere...

[ Raven nudges him gently, uncertain. ]

[it certainly hadn't been this intense the last time he'd experienced something like this, but then again it hadn't been with someone he's so hopelessly in love with, either. He can't help the shiver that goes down his spine as she kisses him, like everything is over-sensitive. And in a way it is]

It's not a problem.

[and - he usually the one instigating things, and he certainly isn't the one to take charge, but he drops his hands to her hips suddenly and turns her around, backing her carefully towards the bedroom]

I think the beach can wait. [and he gives in to lean down to kiss her, because he knows she won't argue with the idea]

[ There are no complaints from Raven about either of them taking charge or not; usually they end up working up to doing things together, though she's certainly the one more likely to nudge and tease to draw out other sides of Hank. The fact that she can feel almost everything he does makes the moment almost disastrously incredible and she breathes out a soft noise, tilting herself closer and pressing her body along his before she speaks. ]

I didn't think it would be, but...

[ The hands on her hips make her squeak, almost embarrassingly, but she moves back towards the bedroom without hesitation, her eyes dancing over his face and her lips turning up into a wide, pleased smile even as she waits for the moment where she can wrap herself around him again and bask in how wonderful he feels against her, body alight with her own desires mingling with what she's sure she can feel from Hank, too. ]

There are loads of beach days.

[ And, yes, she is far more interested in kissing him, and she leans up, wrapping herself around him and drawing him close, pressing into the kiss as she grabs at his shirt. ]

[sure, right, beach days. Plenty of those, when they can manage not to touch each other long enough to make it through the door. He's pretty sure he mumbles "plenty of beach days" in response, though he can't be sure, preoccupied as he is with kissing her and getting them both through the bedroom door without banging into anything.

Idly, he thinks about how even if they'd made it out the door somehow, that they could do this out in public and no one - at least, not the locals - would even spare them a second look. But then again, he's going to end up blue sooner rather than later and he has yet to gauge how accepting the planet is of that. So maybe it's a good thing they're giving the beach a pass.

Especially because sand in unpleasant places and etc and so forth. That'll be his excuse]

[ As it stands, Raven has no complaints about how she and Hank seems to have planned their afternoon around - she's more than happy to count this as another date, another moment of shared personal time, something for the two of them and no one else. She wants to let herself enjoy this, let herself thrill in what it means for them to do this, and she does. A few months ago she'd never have dreamed that she and Hank would ever be this close and the fact that they are... That's exciting too. It's more than exciting - it's just phenomenal.

They might have managed to get to the beach and get some food, but at the same she also thinks she might never have been able to keep her hands to herself. It's hard enough here when they're just talking - it would be thousands of times worse in public with hand holding and the excitement of another date.

It's much better - and easier - to lean in and kiss Hank, to lean back and let him kiss her and hold her and bask in that. It's wonderful, really, and she thrills at it even as her fingers find their way to his hair, her own love and want almost disgustingly thick in her throat - because she wants him, she wants him more than she can say, and she's more content than she's ever been in her life, able to tug Hank closer and press into the spaces of his body, basking gleefully. ]

[he feels like he can't breathe, there's so much shared between them and he has to break the kiss and press his face into her neck, already completely breathless and they haven't even reached the bed yet. He has to be amazed at how strong this planet's effect on them is. That just this alone is more than enough, and yet he can't help but want more. Want her.

She leans into him and he leans back, just enough so he doesn't topple them both, and he feels like they're as close as they can get and then some. The noise he makes is half-muffled into her skin, amused and a little strained, overwhelmed almost to the tipping point.

. . . but hey, he has nothing to lose and they're both utterly content that he simple picks her up to carry her the rest of the way there. Because that makes total sense to do when they're so connected.

He's quick about it, at least, knowing how she feels about it, and he lays her down, crawling on the bed to hover over her, eyes bright]

[ It is overwhelming, and Raven isn't handling it as perfectly as she thinks it might appear. The buzz of emotions and the pull of what she's feeling tied up with what Hank is feeling is intense, in a good way, and she feels it run down her spine like a shiver, something delicious, yes, but also startling and new. Her body feels alight and all she wants is to give into him, to keep close and let her body feel his, to give into the warmth and the tenderness and not worry about the rest of the world.

It's always been a little bit like between them, but the planet is making it more and more intense. Everything feels like more and it's heady and addictive no matter what she does she control herself, to try and calm down - not that she really wants to. They're sharing this together and neither of them are nervous or afraid and that's good. It warms her and makes her more comfortable than she's been outside of the room, knowing she's safe here in Hank's hands.

Of course, he lifts her and puts her down and it comes with a rush of desire that she can't fight back, the kind that she's sure is strong enough for Hank to feel it too with how connected they are. Maybe now he'll understand just why she likes the strength in his arms and the care she feels when she's wrapped inside them, the wonderful feeling of his strength pressing through her.

His eyes are beautiful, she thinks, and Raven wraps an arm around his neck and draws him down, pressing a kiss to his forehead before she moves down to his cheek and his jaw, teasing her way back to his mouth. ]

[of course picking her up backfires incredibly - in the best way possible, and the curse he hisses out is testament to that. He still doesn't quite understand it, and he probably never will, but he isn't going to be teasing her about it in the future. Hell, he might even do it more often if she likes it this much.

You know, if he ever feels like being bold again.

He braces his hands near her shoulders, and he's about to tell her that maybe they should take a moment, but then she's kissing him again and the thought is briefly derailed as he can't help but kiss her back. He reluctantly breaks it after a long moment, head ducked down as he catches his breath]

Wait, wait - [he shifts so he isn't touching her, to give them both a chance to gather some of their wits. As breathless as he is, he still somehow manages a laugh] I need a moment.

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