Day 10ish

[shiro2hero]

(It's high time I did this.)

[Oh no, someone is gearing up for one of Those Speeches. Because one of their new arrivals ticked off a box in his head, and Sam's asking for training helped.]

[And he's tired of walking on eggshells.]

(I don't know how many of you were there when I found out what my Symbiote does. I sort of wish I hadn't. But. I can't change that.)

[Yeah apparently it made him the Space Hulk. And it took at least two people to keep him from ripping someone's face off.]

(What I can do is control it. I just need to know where to start.)

(So I'm taking a lead from Sam Wilson. Asking if anyone is willing to help. I... don't think I can promise no one will get hurt, but if we're careful, maybe it'll just be me.)

[And he can live with that.]

Comments

[sizeofyourbaggage]

Like I said, I'm not in a rush. But, uh. You know you can, yeah? Kiss me whenever you want to, you don't gotta wait for me to kiss you.

[ Don't think Sam hasn't noticed that so far, he's been the only one initiating things. It'd be enough to make him uncertain, if he didn't already know how out of his depth Shiro was here. Sam meant it when he said they could figure things out together. ]

You don't gotta defend her to me, man, I love the hell out of her. I know sticking with things that've gotten you through stuff in the past, being stubborn as shit and not willing to give up your anger 'cause it's one of the only things that's keeping you going. I'm just saying we're a team, here, and if people don't feel like they can trust her cause they don't know when she's gonna go off on them... It's not always gonna be you and me in charge of who does what.

[ He'd pick Katie every damn time, is the implication, and what travels across their connection - it's just not always up to him. ]

[shiro2hero]

I can... I know! I know I can. I'm... just trying to remember it.

[He can do this. He can totally do this.]

[He sounds about as flustered as he looks and feels. He hadn't realized he'd been waiting for Sam to take the initiative every time. He really hadn't.]

I know that. And she does too. She can be a team player -- one of the best we have. But this is... this is way out of left field for both of us.

After everything she's gone through, I don't blame her for not adapting as quick as most people seem to.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Sam ducks his head a little, trying to hide his amused smile. He can't help it - Shiro's really endearing when he's flustered. And it's not like Sam's unhappy about it, especially with the reaction that he gets when he does kiss Shiro. ]

It's cool, man, it's not like I don't already kiss you every chance we got. I just thought you might not've noticed it.

[ Sam's quiet as he listens to Shiro, taking it all in, and then laces their fingers together as he gently repeats, ]

You don't gotta defend her to me.

[ Or make excuses for her - Sam knows they're not excuses, but they could be. Reasons turn quickly into them, if there's no effort made to change. But she's fourteen, and even aside from everything else, Sam wouldn't expect her not to have a temper. Or to be so quick in letting it go. ]

That's why I said "one day."

[shiro2hero]

One of these days, I'll figure out how to do this... human relationship thing again.

[One day he'll remember what it's like to be this comfortable with someone else. With someone else.]

[Then he's shaking his head, blowing out a breath hard enough to let his hair ruffle. She's fourteen, thrown into a war, then another. Lost two entire families, found and blood.]

[He's worried for her.]

And maybe one day I'll stop doing that, too. [A pause, his head shaking.] I'd be the same if any of the others were here, too, though. But I don't know if that's better or worse.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

Long as we keep talking to each other, I think we're doing fine.

[ Not like Sam's not out of practice at it himself - but he likes to think he's doing okay, settling back in to the way this feels. ]

Nothing wrong with being protective. I get the feeling you're good at finding a balance, and knowing how to keep it from being too much. [ Comes with being a good leader, and Sam's got no doubt that Shiro's one. ] But I didn't mean to get us sidetracked again.

[shiro2hero]

That's good to hear. I can do that.

[Talk to him, he means. Talking's pretty easy, all things considered.]

It feels like you're trying to flatter me here.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

That's all I ask.

[ Then he grins a little, expression going playful and just a little bit coy. ]

Doesn't count as flattery if it's true.

[shiro2hero]

I don't think I'd let us keep going if we weren't the communicating type.

[Yeah his face is still red. It's probably not going away any time soon.]

It's still flattery. Really distracting flattery.