MHA #6, Wednesday Evening

[firstofitskind]

Right, so. That had certainly been a thing that had happened. The year had just gotten started, they'd been married barely a week and so of course Fandom had decided the appropriate course of action would be to make sure Verity got kidnapped. Again.

Yesterday and most of today had been lost to sleep, something that, for once, Liam had been in need of just as much as Verity. Turns out not sleeping for three nights in a row could adversely affect even those with the advantage of being partially energy-based. Plus, even if he hadn't strictly speaking needed the rest? He hadn't really felt like letting her too far out of his sight, which meant staying in bed.

Still, they had to eat, and leftovers only went so far. Takeout would've been a perfectly respectable option at this point, but cooking at least let Liam feel like he was accomplishing something. Helping. Somehow.

[ooc: for the wife, and all the SP.]

Comments

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity was curled up in one of the kitchen chairs, buried in a sweater she'd found in Liam's drawer, practically white-knuckled around a mug of coffee.

"Say what you will about some of our stops, at least we got a honeymoon," she muttered. "Kinda."

More than the island had seen fit to give them.

[firstofitskind]

“Should’ve stayed in the murder house,” Liam scoffed, rummaging through the fridge and pulling out the ingredients for an alfredo sauce. They’d kept to light stuff for the past few meals, but he figured it was time for something a little richer, now.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Or the ghost house." Which she'd also been kidnapped by. "What even the fuck was that."

It was...a semi-rhetorical question, really.

[firstofitskind]

“Some bullshit,” Liam grumbled. “At least he apologized.”

[arboreal_priestess]

"I'm starting to wonder why I even worried about my family," she muttered. "Look where we live."

[firstofitskind]

When Fandom was good, it was great. When Fandom was bad... well, it didn’t believe in pulling punches, that was for sure.

“I’m always going come for you,” Liam said softly, pausing in dinner preparations to come stand behind her, letting his hands rest on her shoulders. “Always.”

[arboreal_priestess]

"I know," Verity said, turning to bury her face in his chest. "I just wish you didn't constantly have to."

[firstofitskind]

“Me neither,” Liam admitted, stroking her hair. “But it’s part and parcel of the lives we lead.”

Just like how he hated that she was always picking up the pieces every time he fell apart.

[arboreal_priestess]

"It was awful, in case you were wondering," Verity said, voice muffled. "I wasn't afraid or anything. It was just...awful."

Especially once they'd all been strung up.

[firstofitskind]

He had been wondering, but hadn’t been sure how to ask.

“It looked awful,” Liam agreed. “I’m sorry we didn’t get there sooner. Certainly can’t blame the new arrivals for changing their minds.”

[arboreal_priestess]

"Yeah," Verity said with a sigh. "A lot of 'em would have fit in pretty well. There was a line of people to try to seduce the krampus."

[firstofitskind]

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Liam had to let out a little huff of laughter at that. “Oh my god.”

[arboreal_priestess]

And despite the realness of her exhaustion, Verity had to join him. "Exactly my response."

[firstofitskind]

“Please tell me you did not?” Liam said.

[arboreal_priestess]

"I went with stabbing," Verity assured him.

She might have, if she'd thought it would work, but that had seemed like a pretty solid no-go.

[firstofitskind]

“That’s my wife,” Liam said, no small amount of pride in his voice.

... Also he still really liked getting to say ‘my wife’ and was gonna do that obnoxiously often.

[arboreal_priestess]

They'd only been married for a few weeks! The shiny hadn't been rubbed off yet.

"In fairness, it wasn't a particularly successful stabbing," Verity sighed.

[firstofitskind]

“I don’t think he would have strung you up over a lava pit if he didn’t believe you were a credible threat, unsuccessful stabbing or no,” Liam pointed out.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Yeah, that was...a lot," Verity said, looking down at her coffee.

[firstofitskind]

“I can imagine.”

He didn’t have to imagine, actually. But that was so not important right now.

“What do you need?” he asked gently, reaching out to cup her cheek in one hand.

[arboreal_priestess]

"To stop getting kidnapped?" Verity said with a wry smile.

She honestly didn't know.

[firstofitskind]

"Should've put that in the resolutions, I guess," Liam said.

Not that it would have helped, he knew.

[arboreal_priestess]

"And here I spent all my resolutions on being a good wife like a chump," Verity sighed. "Instead of focusing on not getting kidnapped."