Liam's Shuttle, Fandom and then beyond, Tuesday Evening

[firstofitskind]

So this time last year, Liam and Verity had woken up together for the first time. Yeah, much like this past weekend, it had been after being small children for a few days. But they'd decided that since that first weekend had involved sharing (toy) weaponry, then the morning after ought to count as far as anniversaries went.

Look, it made sense to them, just go with it.

A few months ago, Liam had promised Verity both flying lessons and a look at the Northern Lights, and tonight seemed like the perfect opportunity to make good on that promise, and so he'd worked out a flight plan to guide her through and packed a picnic dinner for when they got to their destination. Now all he needed was, well. Verity herself.

[ooc: for the giiiirl.]

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[firstofitskind]

Being non-physical himself meant Liam didn't get that particular benefit, but he did get to experience how it made Verity feel, which was just as enjoyable from his perspective.

Eventually, though, he lowered Verity gently back to the floor as he came back to his physical self. Lying beside her, he pulled her close and wrapped one arm around her. Not saying anything just yet, just enjoying the physical contact.

[arboreal_priestess]

And Verity snuggled close to him, pillowing her head on his arm and letting herself drift a little on little waves of happiness.

Except...

"...Liam? Do I now understand extra-dimensional physics?"

Because it sure felt like she did.

[firstofitskind]

"... Maybe?"

Okay, so she wouldn't be writing any papers on the topic anytime soon, but yes, he'd absolutely used the Joining to leave her with an understanding of the concepts relevant to flying a shuttle.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Goddamn, where were you in high school Algebra, I ask you?" Verity asked, snickering. "Best tutoring session I ever had."

[firstofitskind]

"Didn't exist yet," he reminded her lightly. "And of course, there's some things that really can only be learned via hands-on experience, but I thought, if I could give you a bit of a leg up..."

[arboreal_priestess]

"Excuse you," Verity said, sitting up. "Check your math again. You're six. I'm twenty-three. You most definitely existed back then and knew algebra."

[firstofitskind]

"Oh, like I have any idea when that topic gets covered in high school?" Liam shot back.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Our town exists to support one!" Verity protested.

Not that she was sure the school ever taught algebra.

[firstofitskind]

"Even I know the classes in Fandom are far from typical," Liam retorted, sticking his tongue out at her. You know, like a mature adult.

[arboreal_priestess]

Which they both totally were.

"Your face is gonna freeze like that," Verity informed him.

Beat.

"...I could work with that."

[firstofitskind]

"Yeah, you would," Liam said with a snicker. "Though I'd like to think eventually you'd find yourself missing my hilarious banter."

[arboreal_priestess]

"That's why text messages were invented," Verity said with a laugh.

You were dating SUCH A COMEDIAN.

[firstofitskind]

"You're the worst," Liam said, before leaning in to kiss her.

It probably said something about their respective senses of humor that this had somehow become a genuine endearment.

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity kissed him back, licking into his mouth before she invited his tongue into hers.

"See?" she asked, voice low and husky. "Told you."

[firstofitskind]

"I never doubted," Liam replied with a grin.

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity snuggled closer to him, her legs sliding over his and her head resting on his shoulder. "Sooooo....since we're like three minutes out from the insanity that is the holiday season, what do you want for Christmas, huh?"

[firstofitskind]

"Uh," Liam's face had a definite deer-in-headlights look to it. "I hadn't actually thought about it?" he admitted. His gift to Verity last year aside, he'd never really done anything to mark the holiday.

[arboreal_priestess]

"You know," she said, super casually, "my family does a big thing for Christmas every year. My aunt and uncle come up from LA, my grandparents and Sarah fly in from Michigan, my uncle Drew sometimes manages to come in for a day or two. Sometimes timing syncs up and Grandma comes out of Hell for Christmas to get cookies and grenades."

[firstofitskind]

"...Oh?" It was a testament to the kind of stories Verity told about her family that 'Grandma comes out of Hell' wasn't the part of that statement that was throwing Liam. "That sounds nice," he managed.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Sound nicer if you decided to come home with me," she said. Still super-casually. "Just to help me not murder my sister and all that."

[firstofitskind]

"Yeah?" Liam's face lit up. "I'd- really like that, actually."

[arboreal_priestess]

"Then come home with me," Verity said, leaning up to kiss him. "Though that means you have to go Christmas shopping with me, too."

[firstofitskind]

"Mmm, if it's anything like furniture shopping with you, I'm not too worried," Liam replied.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Picture that but with a lot more Christmas music," Verity said. "And other shoppers to be buzzkills."

She snickered. "Mostly, you're coming along to remind me I'm not allowed to break the fingers of the guy who grabbed me because I snagged the last standmixer or something."

[firstofitskind]

"That seems a little excessive," Liam made a face.

"... The grabbing, more than the breaking fingers." He understood where that impulse would come from, at least.