nysalogs | Beach Sequence

Entry tags:

Beach Sequence

Who: Ava (

ukase)
What: Night swimming
When: Early May
Where: Flona Cove
Warning(s): Makeouts with garbage people; age difference... yeah, it's nsfw.

[It's been a long time since Ava's been to the beach. Years, back before Alexei and the SHIELD Academy, and there's likely little surprise to who she convinces into coming with her. Most people probably wouldn't be heading out in the middle of the night, but the moon is bright (or is that the space station?) and Ava's never been a bit fan of crowds, so with Wyver suddenly able to go visit Flona Cove, it's been a little population dense. But at least there's no beach party this time, like the first time she'd considered going to see the beach.

She's dressed nice, but casual, with her swimsuit on, the navy straps showing under a short white sun dress, and sandals on her small feet. Since they were making an outing of it, and she doubted the shops would still be open this late, she brought some food and drinks in the bag she brought along with her towel. She smiles bright when they make it down to the water, a small cove off from the main beach for less chance of passers-by. The sand was still warm, and Ava lit the way with a dancing little globe of light.]

See? I told you there be wouldn't many people out.

[Once they make it to the edge of the area she'd picked out- she may have done a little advance scouting to make sure found the best place- she's setting down her bag and laying out her towel. There's a flick of one of her hands, and the globe of light shatters, spreading out a few feet above their heads, creating more diffuse light that leads to the water's edge, almost like blue fireflies. She pulls off her dress with a slight smile, showing off her swimsuit she'd bought a few days ago as she looks back at Rumlow.

Having a job did have its perks, even if she'd mainly picked it up in the interest of keeping busy.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The only beaches that Rumlow tended to walk around on were those that required them running up one for a beach assault. He never was too content to sit around in the sun letting sand work its way into uncomfortable places. While he could appreciate the human body in bathing suits, he always found that there was something to do, some mission that needed his attention so rarely went. Plus, much of New York where he grew up wasn't close to the water and the parts that were happened to only be docks and shipping yards.

So the fact that Ava had badgered him into entertaining the idea of going to the beach in some secluded spot was only to entertain her at first. His appreciation of the beach was decidedly less since the Triskelion incident where he ended up with healing burn scars along his arms and parts of his torso. Some would make a good argument that he had become as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside.

He wandered with her more to make certain that someone had her back rather than wanting to swim himself. He carried the few supplies that he owned, appreciating that a beach wasn't exactly a bad place to sleep all things considered. He might even try it someday.]

Only people likely using the bushes to cover over their other activities.

[Even he recognized a secluded little spot like this was great for making friendlier overtures. He still walked to the beach and set out his own towel, seating himself so that he could nudge his feet out of the sneakers that he had acquired over his stay here and then set his arms across raised knees.

He watched her, intent on letting her have her fun. Ava was one of the few who offered him an alcohol-free window to the ventures of her life, and he appreciated in his own way the efforts that she put in.]

You're sure setting the scene for a photo-op.

[She'd been to the beach, but never actually gone swimming. Her endeavours in swimming had been more sneaking into the pool at the overturned YMCA she'd lived at once in a while. Going to the beach, though- she'd always been the one watching Sana, who dragged her out to Coney Island at least once a year. But Sana had always been the one in the water, while Ava waded out to her knees in shorts and a tee-shirt, with Sana eventually getting her wet; either splashing her until she was dripping, or grabbing one of her skinny ankles and pulling her in. The beach always had too many people, too many vantage points, being exposed on wide open space.

So while the pieces of it were things she enjoyed, she'd never done this specific thing before. It was one of the reasons she'd suggested going when they'd have some space to themselves, it made it a little bit easier on that part of her that always noted the exits and best angles in any room she walked into. She laughs a little, a smile on her face as he makes a reference to people covering their activities.]

Rumor is there are some pools a bit inland that are supposed to-- ah, encourage that sort of thing. I figure the more amorous crowd probably has better options than bushes. Well, unless they like the idea of getting caught, anyway.

[Which she wasn't going to dismiss, given that people were people. But he wasn't wrong about the little beach cove; it certainly would work for people seeking a quasi-private place for swimming and other activities. Ava had been more interested in the former than the later, though. She liked having Rumlow involved in her life. He was a good thing, she thought, even if he was a bad boy, and not in some movie drama sort of way. There was real darkness to him, but there was to her, too. So it wasn't particularly off-putting. She was broken, she knew it. Maybe it was part of what made him so easy to get along with for her.]

Oh yeah? You going to take glamour shots on your phone?

[A soft laugh as she toes off her sandals and then heads toward the edge of the water, testing the temperature with her toes. She looks back over her shoulder at Rumlow, a smile on her face, lit by the soft glow of her lights. The bracelets the Natha gave her stay on, of course. Black with metal accents, more obvious without her usual long-sleeve shirts, but they don't look particularly unlike jewelry.

Her swimsuit accents her curves, making her more obviously an adult than her usual standards of over-sized shirts and coats, without being over the top skimpy in the way swimsuits often are. And she is an attractive young woman, even if she usually dresses more for comfort and pragmatism than to show off (the dress at the council meeting being a notable exception).]

[Huh, well that was good information to know and obviously places to avoid. He didn't particularly like the idea of that kind of encouragement, since it felt as if it were hedging into consent issues on some level. He just wasn't into that, but considering he sometimes bathed where he could rather than somewhere comfortable, he liked to know the small bodies of water he was washing up in weren't going to urge him into a situation that he would find... uncomfortable on that level.

He might have a terrible moral compass and be rather terrible at many situations, but sex actually wasn't one of them. He had strong feelings about it, and that's the way it would always be in his mind. He could appreciate the human body and how beautiful it could be - like now - but looking was as far as he would go in some cases.]

Some people enjoy the continual threat of being caught. It adds a thrill to the event that might otherwise be considered drab. It's probably safer than some of the messes that people like us have been involved in.

[He found the lights nice, illuminating just enough to set a particular mood and glancing off of Ava's pale skin. The water could be heard gently lapping at the sand and the sounds of the night were close at hand. It was rather peaceful here, beyond the hustle and bustle of the cities and allowing some time for quiet reflection, not that he needed it. Wyver was an interesting city, that was all.]

I might be a man of many talents, but photographer definitely isn't one of them. I think you're safe from potential future blackmail from my camera. I doubt it works so well in the dark anyway.

[He watched her go towards the water's edge, and he made no motion to follow her. Instead, he clasped one hand around the opposite wrist and simply enjoyed the fact that she was hopefully going to have fun. He noted the bracelets, though he had no experience with a problem like hers. He was a human without exceptional abilities, so the idea that they might go screamingly out of control just wasn't on his radar, but he could appreciate her need for control. Sometimes that was the only thing keeping anyone sane.

He was comfortable where he sat, his toes digging into the sand to feel the waning heat from it. Her lights reflected off of his face and hands, but otherwise, he blended very well into his surroundings. His motions were subtle and he knew in a situation where someone came upon them, she was more likely to receive initial attention.]

You made some re-connections yet? I know you were here before I woke up, so I assume you made friends with people, or are they mostly gone now?

[They call it Cupid's Cove, in what's both shockingly unimaginative, and sounds more like a second-hand love boat ride at a fourth of july fair. But, similarly, it's not particularly something she's interested in, either. Maybe if there was someone she was that comfortable with, and they went in both well and aware of what they were getting into, but otherwise the thought of it almost makes her skin crawl. It pushes too much against the idea of consent and autonomy which are very important things for Ava.

At his remarks about people who want to get caught having sex she laughs, lifting an eyebrow impishly.] Seriously? If people think sex is drab they're not doing it right. Though yeah, okay, wanting people watching, or doing the watching, is hardly the weirdest thing people get up to. But still.

[There's a hand on her hip and she shakes her head. To be fair, she's a teenager that found out about sex and then hasn't had any in over a year. That's definitely a certain kind of torture when for all of her memories, her hormones are of a nineteen year old girl. She wades into the water just past her knees, letting her fingertips brush against the surface of the water. And nothing happens. Just the warmth of the water, still warm from the day's sunlight, and the way it feels against her skin.

Not that she'd expected anything to happen-- she's not too emotional, and the bracelets really do help-- but there had been that worry. The other reason she'd wanted to go when there was no one around, given how conductive the water could be.]

You going to join me, or just watch?

[It's not too obvious, but there's a slight hint to her voice, like there's a vague reference to their talk about exhibitionists and voyeurs in there somewhere. She's not going to push the point too much yet, wading out into the water, but keeping an eye on him. He blends in fairly well, which is honestly to her preference. If there was an attack, she wants to be the center of attention. She can use her powers to mitigate, and there's a quiet certainty that ignoring Rumlow is just about the worst thing someone could do.]

I'm not the best at making friends, don't know if you ever noticed. But, Bucky's still here. Alan, Steve, Peggy... James is--

[She trails off there for a moment, a shake of her head. Bucky being back in cryo doesn't exactly sit well.] Sort of fifty-fifty in the end, to tell the truth.

[Rumlow snorted at her reply. She was too new to sex and sexual partners to understand that sometimes sex did happen to become drab and people tried creativity to raise the hairs on the back of their necks. It was perfectly natural, and he would at least respect people for trying something new rather than cheating.]

How much sex have you had to compare, huh? Some partners are just plain boring. Just lay there and hope for the best or something.

[He was experienced in the sexual game, but he also wasn't a man that committed himself to anyone for long. Dating was hard when one could be called away on a mission at any time and massive parts of his life was a secret. It was easier to have loose relations and keep it at that, and he had no regrets about his love life in that way. Given his family's track record, he doubted he was particularly suited to the role of a boyfriend or husband. What he did worked for him anyway.

He raised his eyebrows in the dark at her question, thinking that the answer was likely very obvious by now. He was in a pair of shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, but beyond that, he had no reason to strip down and wander into the water.]

Don't worry, I won't wander off while you're having a dip, so go and enjoy yourself. The bathing suit looks good on you, by the way.

[When it came to the topic of her friends - or maybe lack of - he nodded his head in understanding. It was difficult to make friends and keep part of one's self secret. The names that she listed didn't all hit home, but a few enough of them did that he was nodding in understanding. Some people didn't really have time for hanging out; for many of them, it wasn't in their blood to laze around.]

You just need to put yourself out there more, that's all. Be who you are and people will either get on board or not. Who's James? [It was too common of a name to make assumptions over, but the pain in her voice said it all.]

[He's not wrong, Ava just can't quite imagine that tactile high becoming drab, but she's a tactile, physical sort of person. Sensual in the right circumstances, even if those circumstances tend to be with rather particular people. And then he asks the question, and she doesn't flush much- certainly not as much as when they'd been dancing, hardly visible at all by the soft light- and just shrugs her shoulders. There is a pause there though, a slight shift in how she looks him over, and then she answers.]

Not a lot. I mean- once. About a year and a half ago.

[She sighs, looks a little sheepish, but she doesn't run from the admittance. In honesty the pause, the uncertainty was more about being a little bit unsure about if he was going to laugh at her than not being comfortable talking about it. But she trusts that if he does poke fun at her, it'll be good-natured and not hurtful, and so she goes with it.]

Oh c'mon, there's not even anyone looking. It's not as much fun if I'm out here alone and you're just watching from the shore. I know you can swim.

[He was STRIKE and military, it wasn't even a question. She wasn't pushing it too hard, but she pouted a little, a wicked shine to her eyes; more temptress than child-like. She was out a little further now, treading water where it was just deep enough, an inviting tilt of her head. She wanted to talk to him too, and that made swimming difficult if he was staying on the shore.

And yeah, okay, she wanted to see him with his shirt off. He got to see her in a swimsuit afterall, it only seemed fair. And it wasn't too much of an ulterior motive, really, as far as these things go.] I've been trying. It's sort of hit or miss. And James was-- He was with SHIELD, too. I only met him once before here. Back in 7B. He's back in stasis.

[Rumlow couldn't help but set a hand to his face and groan at the admittance that she had had sex once and then not again for a good long while. Damn, she needed to find herself a boyfriend or something, get over this Alexei fellow. No wonder she still had hang ups about the guy; he was the bridge to a whole new world and that was never a good association with a dead person.]

God, you need to get laid. [A beat as he changed tones.] Okay, okay, don't worry about it, but trust me, sex can be awful and boring. People rushing to spice it up isn't uncommon.

[He was still considering the idea that she had had sex and then hadn't had any again when she seemed to try to call him to joining her in the water. He was an excellent swimmer, had to be for his line of work, but even under the cover of darkness, he was keenly aware of the healed burn scars that mottled his arms and shoulders. The right arm was now worst thanks to the healing burns from the rescue operation.]

You're there to enjoy the water, and I'm here to guard our stuff. Besides, watching isn't bad at all. The night is nice.

[He watched her, making no more to allow her visible pout to affect him at all. He also suspected the moment he took off his shirt and joined her was the moment she set her hands on him to explore the scars. She was an extremely tactile individual and seemed to learn and understand by touch and feel, and he didn't personally want the reminder of everything that he had lost. It was easier to ignore it still, to try to start something new in this world.

Yeah well, he could get the hit and miss thing. That was a problem anywhere. Like people trying to find each other in a sea of not-like people.] He was in the SHIELD Academy then? Wait, 7B? [Now was he mildly suspicious.]

[She laughs a little at his remark, a wry curl of her mouth. He might be trying to be gentle about it, but it's nothing she's not aware of, so she sighs, quiet for a moment as she swims in the warm water.]

I won't argue that fact. But, I'm picky with the sort of people I trust, and I'm-- broken, Baryusha. Even before Alexei died. And now--[She uses the nickname she made for him, because it's an intimate sort of admittance, and she's almost tempted to step out of the water and go talk with him on the sand, but there's a safety in the barrier of the water. She shrugs her shoulders, a little sheepish, or maybe just a little raw.]

Even if it was sex and not some big thing, I can't do that to someone. I'm okay flirting with you, because even if you were interested, I wouldn't ever have to worry about being the one to break you.

[She quiets, crossing her arms across her chest under the water, and there's a slight discomfort, but overall she owns it. She is broken, and that's who she is, what she is, and pretending she's not isn't something she could do on a long-enough basis anyway. There are always ghosts and traumas and hell, there are even questions she has about her love life that would make it hard to just try and be normal. But most damaged people she doesn't trust (don't trust someone like that until you know what they've done to survive) which makes Rumlow a rather odd crossroads of two different facets.

She lets that hang on the air for a few moments, willing to continue the conversation if Rumlow wants, or to let it drop. So when she opts for something a little lighter, it's at least partially to give him an out if he wants one. Although, he is probably right about her, tactile, always touchy when she was comfortable enough to be. She didn't mean to make him uncomfortable, and the truth was that she liked his scars, even if she did wish she had some way to smooth them away for him when he was out in public.]

You saying there's no way I could bribe you into the water?

[Rumlow sighed from where he was seated on the beach when she said she was picky, not that he could blame her on that either. The fact that she used the nickname that she had given him on the night of the peace talk party didn't go unnoticed, and it seemed to instill a certain gravity to the conversation. It wasn't every day that people opened up about their sex lives, let along calling themselves broken. He and Ava had just appeared to hit the point of honesty on all subjects that happened to be difficult.]

You're going to have to be more specific on the notion that you're broken. I know for a fact that you have to be careful because of your powers, but beyond that, you're a fully functioning young woman with plenty of options.

...unless of course your weird connection to Romanoff means that's she's literally spying on your sex life, in which case, complete sex drive killer. She's the type to critic performance like it's a play-by-play movie.

[Despite it being very serious, he knew he needed to throw in a bit of lightness to keep her talking, to fall back on what he knew of her powers and connection to allow her to admit what she wanted to and skip the details that made her most uncomfortable.]

I'm not an easy man to break, especially in the bedroom. Sweet gentleness and coy kisses with a quite bump and grind really isn't my style.

[He shifted to rest his hands on his towel and lean his weight back on them. He had a feeling she would be gently badgering him to come into the water until he relented, but he was going to let her play her hand for awhile longer. Let her pout and mope in the water. She was amusing that way.]

Well, you haven't exactly bribed me yet, so I won't close the door on the possibility.

[His joke does get a smile from her, a bit of a flush, but he doesn't seem to shy away from the topic so she considers the question. She swims out for a bit, disappearing under the water for a minute, then resurfacing with a smile. Maybe part of an attempt to get her thoughts together, to give herself some space. But when she resurfaces, with her curls soaked, and her hair fanning out in the water around her as she hovers in the water, her expression is a little bit easier.]

It's complicated. I'm not-- like normal people. I've never really had a life, and I-- Natasha isn't spying on my sex life. But...

[She trails off, looks at him in the eyes, and there's a weight there. And then, she does slip out of the water, sitting on the edge of the sand, not next to him but closer, letting wet sand stick to her legs as the waves lap against her feet. Red hair wet as it lays against her back, and her skin shines under the lights. She needs the proximity to be able to explain this, to really look in his eyes and see if he understands. She doesn't feel the need to insist that he can't tell anyone about this, but there's something in her voice that sounds like a secret, like lies and top secret files.]

It's hard for me to unravel my emotions from hers. I'm not sure if I really trust Steve, or if it's just because Natasha did. And it makes it hard to trust my own feelings, my own experiences sometimes. Do people like me, or do they just like the pieces of me that are her? Even Alexei... He was her younger brother. The program he was in crumbled, and then he was in stasis for decades until Natasha found him and made a deal with SHIELD. They wiped him, convinced him of a fake life, put a SHIELD agent in as his mother. And Natasha would sneak out to watch him, because she wasn't supposed to have contact.

[She quiets for a moment, just talking, laying out the pieces that she normally doesn't talk about. There's more to it, too. What her childhood was like, her mother, the feeling of not really having a life, just being a project, the nightmares. She pulls her legs up a little, loosely holding onto her knees as she watched Rumlow through her damp eyelashes.]

She watched him, and so I saw him in my dreams because of the connection. For about a year and a half, off and on, before I met him. It was at a fencing tournament on the strip, and for a few minutes he was just this extraordinary boy that could keep up, that matched me and made me feel all these things. But then he was the boy from my dreams. I touched his hand and it felt like home. But none of that was really me. It was her. And I still don't really know--

[She feels like this is a very roundabout way to make her point, but she's trying. She's never talked about this with anyone before.] I still have to learn how to choose what I want and not what's hers. And all I have are broken pieces, and I'm still trying to figure out how to put them together. And with most people I couldn't even say any of this.

I mean you're not wrong. I would love to have something that felt good once in a while, but I'm a mess. And with most people I can't explain, and they'd never understand.

[She lets that hang on the air for a few moments, then following his example from earlier, she smiles a little bit playfully.] Well, I'm trying to figure out what you think would be worth it. Any pointers?

[Rumlow listened as she lay out the reasons for her reluctance, and that was all he could do. It wasn't as if he could relate to her in the way that she described, since he was not an experiment of any kind, didn't have a strange connection with a woman who was beyond her years. He could see how the connection would make things difficult, make trying to find friends and lovers a mess of emotions that may or may not be hers naturally.

He decided early into her explanation that she was better off here in a place like this where the pull of Romanoff would be lighter. He hadn't seen her here after all, so Ava was free to be her own person, to make the connections where she willed and grow to understand that there were differences between what she felt and what Romanoff felt. It would take time to tease it all apart though, and she would have to start to trust herself for once.]

You're talking the Wolf Spiders, aren't you? I heard there was a program for boys, that it was scraped a long time ago. Why would they need them anyway, right? They had their own ultimate male Spider, though he was never given such a title. [In that information, he purposefully baited her. Did she know about the Winter Soldier? Was the James in stasis the very same weapon he had called into battle and then watched old man Pierce electrocute into submission?]

I think you need to learn to know what it is you want before you can decide on how to choose it. You aren't Romanoff, and you never will be no matter what connection you share. [He pushed himself up to his feet, padding over to where she sat and he allowed the warm water to lap at his feet and the wet sand to cover them over slowly.] You're Ava Orlova, and you have to decide what it is that you want and then fight like hell to have it.

[Slowly he crouched down next to her, folding his sleeved arms across his knees and watched her in the blue light that was cast over head.]

And if you want to feel good, feel good. Be free, live your life. SHIELD, HYDRA, the Soviets... they aren't here, so you can be and do whatever you want. They don't have any control over you, and if you let those powers of yours hold you back, you'll never be happy. You can't control other people's fear, but you can control your own. It starts with self control but also giving yourself the freedom to learn and enjoy yourself.

[He reached out and poked her bare shoulder with a finger.] And if you think I'm giving you a hint, you don't know me as well as I thought you did. [He grinned at her.] You want something, fight like hell for it, канарейка. Sing your own tune, no one else's.

I think so. There wasn't a name to the project in the records I found, but- [She sort of shrugs her shoulders. The name sounds familiar, like something she knows, pieces of memory that isn't hers. So she thinks that he's right. There's a slight smile, a little bittersweet when he mentions their own ultimate spider.] Yeah, that's true. He was something else. You know, I made him chase me when we first got sent down here.

[He baits her, and she rises to it. She's a little bit protective of James, but she doesn't have many stories to offer. Whether or not he was here would be easy enough to check if Rumlow was actually curious, and he clearly knew about him, though it didn't surprise her knowing that James had been through 7B before.

Rumlow gets up, walking over to her and he crouches down next to her and she smiles, watching him as the water and sand lap at his feet too. She listens, takes in his words, and when he pokes her bare shoulder she smiles warmly at the name he calls her. канарейка. Canary. It's different from what Oksana had called her, and while it's similar to what Ivan had called her, it's- good. It's not disparaging, doesn't have that creepy edge, memories of how he threatened to clip Natasha's wings. She rolls the name over in her mind and she likes it. Kanareyka.

She lets the quiet settle for a few moments, the sound of the waves, and the call of nighttime insects that didn't sound anything like crickets.]

Even if I want you? [It's a quiet question, but she looks at him, flirtatious but also genuine. And admittedly a little nervous in the set of her thin shoulders. Because she didn't have Natasha's skill at reading people, so this is going out on a limb, taking a risk. It's being vulnerable, which Natasha had never allowed herself to be. It's maybe one of the sharpest differences between Nat and Ava.]

Well, I didn't think you'd tell me, but I thought it might be worth a shot anyway. I guess I'll just have to fight for it.

I heard it once at a private function when I first joined up, always curious about it. No real details about it. [He had worked security for the function, which meant all he had to do was keep watch and listen in on conversations that were happening around him. At the time, there were plenty of Soviets present and some had gone a bit deep into the cups by the end of the night.] I hope it wasn't his usual chasing, since those usually involve explosions.

[So, she knew and that meant that he could reveal that he knew more than he initially bothered to. She was least likely to freak out over any associations that he happened to have with the Winter Soldier, unlike anyone else. She might be one to understand that it was the job, not personal, though the wiping process did make him question what they were doing.

He knew that she had been called a name similar to the one that he had decided on for her, but he had picked it for a very specific reason. He wouldn't divulge that unless she asked, but he could see that she was mulling it over and would withdraw it if it happened to be unwanted. She didn't seem particularly displeased from what he saw, and he watched her all the same.

His eyebrows rose at her boldness, aware that it was an attempt at flirting and seemed to make it clear that she hadn't learned much subtlety in her life so far. The frankness was refreshing all the same.] Well, who wouldn't want me? I'm gorgeous, and I have a stunning personality.

[He watched he seriously a moment later.] Honestly, you should find someone better for you than I can be. I'm not a good man, never will be. I want you to be happy. [And that was advice and a need as a friend and mentor towards her. He was open to any conversation she needed to have, and he'd tell it to her straight what he thought. He wasn't certain that's what she wanted.]

You clearly will. That's half the battle to being content... having something worth fighting for.

Yeah, I don't know too much. I know they took the boys when they were twelve, and from what I know the training regime was similar to the Widow program. But I guess there were problems.

[At the mention of James she shakes her head.] No explosions. Just running through the woods. [She'd played with him, asked if he could keep up, and when he said try me, she'd made him chase her. Predator and prey, they'd ended up roommates for a while too; someone that understood the nightmares.

At his response, she listens, and then after a moment, she reaches out, covering his hand with her smaller one, curling her fingers lightly against his. That tactile touch, anchoring herself as she tries to formulate her response. Honest, as she always is with him, and that earnestness that she really only is with Rumlow.]

I can't be happy yet. There's too much I need to figure out, and most people will either run screaming or take advantage of it. But you- you don't have to be good. I want you because I trust you would let me figure this all out, because I can talk to you, and because you're hot and charming.

[She curls her fingers with his, if he lets her.] So, I mean.. if you're just trying to let me down gently, that's one thing. But I don't want you because of something that you're not. I don't want a knight in shining armor, or happily ever after, hell I don't even really want a boyfriend. I just want-- to be close to someone that understands, I guess.

That's more than I know, so you're ahead of me on that game. I just knew there was a male equivalent and that it was a disaster.

[It was very strange to be able to talk about this stuff with anyone, since it was HYDRA gossip, and Ava was very clearly not HYDRA. She also engaged him on a level that he could respect the opinion of, and so he allowed himself that brief freedom of letting the lid off of his own world. The rules of HYDRA were that it was talked about only when they were absolutely certain that no one outside of HYDRA could hear. It was how they remained a secret cult for so long.

He suspected there was more of a story about the Fist, but he wasn't about to ask for more. He definitely had little right to it, and if anyone had a reason to take him apart at the seams, it was the Winter Soldier. He was certain that it would be a remarkable highlight that may or may not someday come to pass.

He looked down when her hand touched his, aware that her need to be tactile was in place, to assure them both of where they stood with each other. It was odd to be wholly honest with someone on subject that were often touchy, but she took it all in stride, of course. Ava was an adult after all, and she was more mature than most people he encountered.]

You can be happy in some aspects of your life, even as you figure shit out. If you live in constant hold, you'll just stay there. [He turned his hand over under her own, stroking the underside of her wrist with the tips of his fingers.] You can trust me, which everyone else will disagree with but I like to think it's true.

[Why would he let her down easy if he wasn't interested? Rumlow wasn't the type; he said it like it was with no holds barred.] One thing I will never be is a knight in shining armour. I wear too much black and I'm just as likely to knife someone in a kidney to let them bleed out rather than sweep into a bow. [And her demands weren't unreasonable.] A sort of friends-with-benefits, is it? I can provide that; hell, that's where most of my sexual partners came from.

Yeah, since it's been out of commission for decades, the records seem to be pretty scarce.

[There are a few other pieces that she knows, but nothing particularly relevant, especially when the world where all of that mattered is gone. It's nice, in an odd way, sitting here together on the edge of the beach, talking, and without things being weird. She can be pretty direct, but Rumlow seems to take that in stride, rather than it being off-putting. She smiles a little, nodding.]

Fair enough, and I would like some happiness. Just, the whole "someone who makes you happy" thing seems like too much. [His fingers move against her hand, stroking against the thin skin of her wrist with his rough fingertips, and it makes her breath catch softly.] I do trust you. And I think that's more important.

[Maybe it would be more accurate to say that she couldn't be happy with someone she didn't trust, and for Ava trust didn't come easy. She smiles as he talks about not being a knight in shining armor, a little bit playful to her tone as her fingers curl to trace against his hand.] Well, I'm not a damsel and I appreciate someone who's good with a knife over sweeping bows anyway. So, yeah. Something like that.

[There's a pause as she considers, a tilt of her head at his last words.] Doesn't have to be exclusive, or anything heavy just.. like this, except with more touching. [And beat, and then:]

So does this mean I can kiss you? [She grins, impish and a little wicked, a flicker in her eyes as she looks up at him, but it's different, more raw.]

[Rumlow didn't believe that a single person could make someone else happy; that seemed like a notion for stalking or putting one's eggs in a single basket. It was a good way to be burned in his mind, but he thought that surrounding oneself with people who were enjoyable was as good as many could get at this point. Best friends, lovers, co-workers, that sort of thing was where happiness could come from.]

You should have some, and not just basing it on finding that one person who make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. [He nodded his head, appreciating that she felt as if she could trust him. Not many people would do that with his history.

He smirked at her idea that he was better off knowing the close work that came with wielding a knife. He had learned early to use knives, and while he enjoyed guns, knives were where the gritty work was truly done. And he would never consider her a damsel; she would likely break someone over her knee after accusing her of that.]

Uh huh, this but with more touching. That's rather open ended. [He understood, but he was teasing her, especially when he leaned over to bump shoulders with her again. His fingers gently clasped her wrist and his other hand stroked down her hips and side.] I don't know. Can you? [Flashback to his high school days and nagging about grammar.]

[He's right, or at least at this point Ava agrees with him. And it's sort of her point, really. She wants small good things, easy pieces that feel good, not some hollywood dream or lovesong. Both because it works better for where she is, and it means that there's less to lose if it doesn't work out. And she doesn't want to lose the dynamic they have, the trust, the ability to talk about anything.

She laughs a little when he calls her on the phrasing, but it was clear he was teasing, and she bumped her shoulder back into his.] With you I'm okay with open-ended. We can figure it out.

[His fingers wrapped around her wrist, and his other hand stroked down her side, over her hips and her eyes fluttered softly at the feeling, the heat his touch left on her skin. She'd never had the grade school nagging about grammar, but she understood it. Featured in enough of the movies they played at the YMCA.] Well, I guess I should find out.

[She just plays along with the tease, shifting her body to press in against his, heat in her eyes as she smiles and closes the distance. Her free hand comes up to touch against his shoulder then slides down to curl in the front of his shirt, tugging him down as she leans up. She wants this, to feel it, the touch, wants to kiss him.]

Open-ended is how I roll.

[It was easy with little in the way of commitment beyond what one might want in a friendship. It didn't involve him having to muster up the kind of emotional connection that he was plainly bad at, but it gave them both the freedom to express themselves in their own way with the people that they wanted to without hindrance.

He slipped his hand around to her back when she shuffled closer, stroking his fingers up and down her spine. He didn't resist the grip on his shirt nor as she pulled him down, leaning in obediently as their lips met equally. He let the gesture be soft and easy at first before he leaned more of his weight into it, parted his lips to tease her upper lip with the tip of his tongue.

He showed her a little of what he could do, what he liked to do when it came to such embraces. His grip on her tightened as if he didn't want to escape, which was true. Once he was certain that she was well and truly invested in the kiss, he grabbed her around the waist - keeping his grip on her wrist - and stood before he laughed as he tossed her out into the water.]

I kiss so well you're all wet now.

[When she was still working out what she wanted, how she felt, allowing herself to own things and to want things, open-ended was a good thing. She didn't know if she'd get jealous, if this would last or not, but she trusted Rumlow enough to believe that this would be okay.

He slipped his hand around her back, fingers sliding down her spine and she arches a little in response. Their lips touch and she murmurs, leaning into the contact. It was soft at first, but then he leans more pressure into it, he teases her lip with his tongue and she softly scrapes against his with her teeth. Neither of them are really soft people, and Ava's greedy in her own way.

It doesn't take much to get her invested in it, and then he's standing, throwing her into the water with a laugh, and Ava makes an undignified sort of squeak as she lands in the water. When she comes up she's pouting, but she can't help laughing at the joke, grinning in a way that lights up her face. Which doesn't mean she's not going to get back at him for it, of course.]

You jerk--

[And she's moving back to the shore, but she's not hurt or offended. Just dripping wet all over again and shaking her head. And then she pounces on him, knocking him down with a strength most people don't tend to expect from a girl that's five-foot-nothing. She is absolutely going to drag him into the water, now. And hopefully get his shirt off, too.]

I'll admit you're a good kisser, though.

[The noise that she had made was entirely worth the complete revenge that he was about to be subjected to. When had Ava ever squeaked? Oh, if only he had recorded the moment so he could thoroughly enjoy that reaction over and over until they were both sick of it. Instead, he watched her come up sputtering and soaked to the bone all over again, the seriousness bled from the situation.

He smirked when she called him a jerk, folding his arms across his chest as he watched her clamber back onto the shore. He probably should have run, put a little speed into an escape to make her chase him, but Rumlow was not one to avoid his punishment and knew that she'd be dragging him into the water no matter what now.

He went down to the sand, her strength a good show of what she could do. He fought back only playfully, pushing and shoving mostly.] Ew, ew, you're all wet and gross! You're messing up my clothes! Ew! [He played it up for dramatic sake only, squirming on the sand, but in the end, he knew exactly where this was heading.]

What if I said I was allergic to water? Would you believe me? I might melt, and that would be tragic! [Well, he knew he was a good kisser. Plenty of practice!]

[He doesn't even bother to run, and so she tackles him to the sand, still wet and dripping from the water as she pins him with a vaguely triumphant curl to her lips. The seriousness is gone, at least for the moment, but this is good too. It's also nice to have that visceral sort of proof that one doesn't preclude the other.

He fights back, but it's not for real, or he'd have rolled them. Instead it's mostly pushing and shoving and she pushes back, laughing as he accuses her of messing up his clothes.] You started this. So it's your own fault.

[She's half straddled his body, though for the moment it's more playful than sexual. Trying to keep him pinned down, lightly scuffling with him in the sand.] I'd call you a dirty liar, of course. You not the Wicked Witch of the West, and I don't have any ruby slippers.

[Hey, she got that reference!] And if you're so worried about your wet shirt, maybe you should take it off.

[Their scuffling definitely wasn't for real, and there was no need to try to damage one another. In his opinion this was about having fun, abut letting her have a taste of fun too and he just enjoyed himself either way. Nothing about what was happening he considered particularly sexual. It was just play, and while he could roll them, he understood that her bathing suit meant a roll in the sand precluded complaints about sand in uncomfortable places later.

So he squirmed in the sand and slowly made his way to sitting up, even if she could clearly put her strength to bear on him if she wanted to.] Wow, Wizard of Oz? Can we please move the movie timeline up to at least the nineties? And don't be criticizing people who might have ruby slippers!

[He managed to roll himself back to his feet, and walked towards the water's edge. His shirt was pretty wet, not soaked enough where he felt the need to take it off. Not yet anyway. He shifted as if he were planning on throwing her back in, though he walked deeper into the water until he was standing up to his knees.]

If you're so worried about my wet shirt, maybe you should make me. How about another dip, huh?

[It was nice, getting to play around, when Ava really hasn't had someone she had that sort of relationship with since Sana, before everything went to Hell. Back when she was living in New York City. So this is nice, a good thing. A piece of something happy, proof of the things he'd said.

He sits up, and their squirming squabbling aside, she doesn't really try to stop him as he walks to the edge of the water with Ava still clinging to him. He shifts his grip, moving until the water is up to his knees and at the threat she lifts an eyebrow. Her hands reach other, curling around his neck with her knees tucked into his hips as she looks at him.] Try that again and I'll take you down with me.

And what makes you think that I wont? You did tell me to fight for what I want. Maybe I want you topless.

[She's smiling, playful, a little teasing, but clearly enjoying herself. There are three facts that she's sure of right now: one, that this was a good thing. Two and three are that Rumlow is losing his shirt and that he's going to end up wet and in the water with her, respectively. It's nice, just feeling things, and enjoying that fact. She knows what Natasha thought of Rumlow and it's not what she thinks of him, so it makes it a little bit easier than with other people. Refugees from other worlds where she wonders if she's judging them on Natasha's standards or who own, people like Steve where the lines blur.

Rumlow's someone she can trust, and he gives her things she didn't even really know she needed: to be able to laugh and feel safe about it.]

Oh will you? Sounding awful confident about that, but do you really know what I'm capable of?

[He raised his eyebrows at her, letting her grip shift so that she was clinging to him. Certainly, he could sacrifice himself and drag them both into the water, but he was content to see if he could force her to let go just a bit before he dumped her back into the water. He had no doubt she had her own skills to contest his little game here and eventually he would end up in the water.

He was willing to push the ticket until that happened.]

Considering I don't think you're hiding a knife in that little outfit of yours, I don't think you are going to cut it off of me. That would be a shame too, since this is one of my few shirts.

[His hands let her hold her own weight up on him, aware she could. His instead moved to her ribs and he allowed himself a moment to see if one of the Widow candidates was actually ticklish. Up and down her ribs, then her underarms which were so easily exposed with her grip, and he smirked at her.]

I have my methods of winning, I'll have you know.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject