Timelined the day after Pushing Buttons and Family Traits
<Shinobi> He long ago lost track of how much he'd had to drink, but the second bottle of scotch in his room was looking tempting. It was the bottle he'd promised to hide for Hope and he was torn between hurling it at the wall and watching it shatter, and drowning himself in it.
<Shinobi> The phone on his desk was still silent and he'd considered breaking it as well, but it likely wouldn't be replaced and he was a little too practical for that. Almost a day. A day and she hadn't returned any of his calls or texts. No more messages, no silly selfies.
<Shinobi> How foolish he'd been, thinking it had meant something. Thinking he had meant something to her, when she had a real fucking prince at her feet.
<Yukio> She parted ways with Jessica upstairs, pocketing the dog toy she'd left the day before. Pishi wasn't really a dog, of course, but he did like fetch! She paused in the foyer and tapped a finger against her smiling lips. It wouldn't hurt to see if the hot son was home, after all.
<Yukio> She moved silently down the steps and scratched at his door.
<Shinobi> It took more than a few moments for him to realize he was hearing something, and then he sat up slowly from his place against the wall. How long had he been on the floor? “Yeah?”
<Yukio> Perfect! She opened the door and looked around the room. It was dim and... messy. Typical. She stepped inside and it smelled like a liquor cabinet. “Shinobi? Are you okay?”
<Shinobi> It was the contract ninja. Ninja. He laughed, the sound coming out strangled and bitter.
<Yukio> “Ooooh, that would be a no then, wouldn't it?” She located him on the floor.
<Yukio> “Are things really that bad, small Shaw?” She went over to him to attempt to see how far gone he really was. “Wakarimasu ka?”
<Shinobi> He stared up at her, trying to remember the words. Lips twisting in a wicked smirk, he caught her wrist and yanked when she got too close. "Hottoite."
<Yukio> Misjudging his strength, Yukio found herself sprawled half across his legs.
<Hope> Home! She was home! Finally! Hope was through that front door, barely remembering she had to carry her bag upstairs. She headed up there to toss that off and tell Sebastian and Jess she was back. She hadn't frozen to death after all!
<Bobby> He was less enthused to be back at Casa de Shaw, but followed Hope in and hauled the rest of her bags. He gave Sharky a chilly greeting and Jess a hug. There were babies to kiss around here, after all!
<Yukio> She quickly recovered and made herself comfortable, one knee to either side if his extended legs, before she continued in Japanese. "I thought you were faking... naughty boy."
<Shinobi> His limited knowledge of the language was being sorely tested now, and he squinted at the woman in his lap. "You're crazy..." he observed in English, but found his hands on her hips nonetheless.
<Yukio> Delighted, she shifted closer and brought both hands up to frame his face. "Hai! Now you've got the right idea!"
<Hope> Bag dropped off, Hope picked up the box for her new yellow iPhone and headed down the stairs. She had a hot guy she needed to say hello to and get his picture for his contact in her phone. Why hadn't she done that before?
<Yukio> “What's wrong, handsome shark?” She suspected, since she'd seen the headlines that morning too, and leaned in close to whisper in his ear. “You know... you don't need her...”
<Shinobi> “What do you know about it?” His temper snapped and he fisted one hand in her short hair to force her back to look at him.
<Hope> On her way to the basement, Hope paused when she reached the kitchen. Well she was thirsty. She hadn't really eaten on the plane due to her nerves, and she was starting to regret that decision. She set the phone box down and fixed herself a glass of water.
<Yukio> She hissed at the pain, savoring it with a sharp grin. “It looks like she's got a bigger fish on the hook... silly woman.” Sliding forward, she ground her hips down, her smile growing wider while she dragged her fingers up into his hair to hold him tightly in place.
<Yukio> “You don't need her,” she repeated, nails digging in.
<Hope> Water and phone box in hand, Hope headed to the basement, noting the door was open at the base of the stairs. Bonus! No knocking! She skipped down the last few stairs and half bounced half slid into the room. "Hey guess... what." His shirtless form, pants half open with a ninja assassin on his lap was not what she was expecting.
<Hope> She closed her eyes and reopened them. Nope it was real. The glass, thankfully plastic, fell from her hand, clanking on the floor. Up. She had to go up. She turned for the stairs, slamming the door as hard as she could on the way out.
<Shinobi> But I do. The words were on the tip of his tongue when he heard her voice. Shinobi jerked, wrenching the woman's hair more than he intended. She yelped and he let go. "Shit! Sorry!" But he wasn't sorry enough to stop himself from dumping her off his lap in his attempt to scramble to his feet.
<Yukio> "What is this shit?! Who has this kind of timing!? Mutants!" She swore in Japanese, rolling away from him and into a crouch.
<Hope> Hope took the stairs two at a time, pausing only when she saw Sebastian. "I hope you're happy!" she yelled at him, then continued to the roof, going as fast as she could without using any powers.
<Shaw> The appearance of a sudden and screaming Stark made Sebastian very nearly drop his coffee cup. "Hope! What in hell-" Miriam's wail from the nursery made him stop in his tracks. Hope vanished up the stairs and the baby kept screaming, so he turned back to help Jessica.
<Yukio> "Haaahahaha! You think you can catch her?" She watched Shinobi sway against the wall and straightened up.
<Shinobi> "Didn't I tell you to fuck off already?" After a glare at the woman, he phased through the wall.
<Hope> The cold air from the snow and wind hit Hope square in the chest as she reached the roof. She remembered to close the door and slip on Bobby's power as she walked to the railing, leaning against it so she could look over at the road down below. Air. She felt better as the cold air dried the tears that had escaped. She sniffed and stopped that. No tears.
<Shinobi> It had been a long time since he'd had to control his powers drunk, and he was exceptionally drunk right now. Hope was back, and Hope was pissed, that much was very clear. Shinobi very nearly forgot to hold his breath within the wall, and when he wound up outside the shocking cold worked wonders to sober him up.
<Hope> A few deep breaths and she felt calmer, at least on the outside. She leaned over further, holding onto the rail securely. She could fly, if she wanted. It sounded like an amazing idea. Just fly off into the snow... so long as Bobby stayed there so she didn't freeze to death.
<Bobby> He stepped out onto the roof. "Hey! What the fucking fuck!?" Why was she leaning over the edge? Bobby was there within a moment and tackled her around the waist, falling back into the snow with her on top of him.
<Shinobi> The voice came from above, and Shinobi looked up. The sun nearly blinded him and he retreated back inside.
<Hope> "What the hell!?" She asked Bobby, catching her breath and rolling away from him. "What was that for?"
<Bobby> "Don't jump! Whatever the hell happened, it's not worth that!" Bobby got to his feet to help her up.
<Hope> "What? I wasn't going to jump, you idiot!" She brushed herself off and looked for the phone box to open it up. "I just like to look." She opened up the box and worked on getting the phone out of the case. "So... he um. He didn't wait after all."
<Bobby> "Who... wha....oh." Well, shit, now he had to pretend he wasn't surprised. "I'm sorry, babe."
<Shinobi> His room was empty when he returned and he found a shirt quickly, then realized he was about to lose his pants. That problem fixed, he stopped in the center of the room and tried to think at her. When it didn't work, he started up the stairs, taking them two and three at a time.
<Hope> "Yeah." She looked down as she powered on the phone, exhaling slowly. "I don't get to be upset. But I am." She looked down rather than up at him.
<Bobby> "Well, yeah, of course you get to be upset if he's a dick." It was right on the tip of his tongue - the epic I told you so, but he refrained. He was a saint!
<Hope> She brushed her hair out of her face. "No, I mean I said wait... I said if you feel the same way in a few months... clearly he doesn't. It's my own fault."
Bobby> "How's that your fault? Dickhead principle still applies." Bobby moved in and decided she needed a hug. "Fuckin' stupid Shaws."
<Shinobi> Before he reached the kitchen level he gave up on the stairs and phased again to the outside of the building. He knew where she was this time.
<Hope> Hope hugged Bobby, sniffling a bit. "Yeah... doesn't make it hurt any less though." She pulled her brand new phone out and went straight to her voice memo. She pressed record, speaking into the microphone. "Hope. This is Hope. Shinobi rejected you. Again. And slept with Yukio."
<Shinobi> He arrived at the roof level in time to hear that, and had to catch himself with a hand on the edge of the roof.
<Bobby> "Babe... he's not worth it." He held her close, looking up only when he sensed movement and a new heat source.
<Hope> "I need to remember..." she argued in the hug, not realizing they were no longer alone.
<Bobby> "Oh, I don't think that'll be a problem..." Bobby looked over her head and gave the Shaw kid a hard stare. "You're an asshole."
<Hope> She looked up when he said that, confused. She followed his eyes as they landed on Shinobi. Tears threatened her eyes, so she rolled them and looked back at Bobby, hitting save on her memo. At least if she cried, Shinobi wouldn't see it.
<Bobby> "Want me to get rid of him?"
<Hope> Her first thought was yes. She shook her head though, a sniff escaping. "I can handle it."
<Shinobi> It was freezing cold out here, and he'd never understand her thing with the cold. Shinobi shoved his hands in his pockets and took a few steps closer. Her bodyguard really needed to fuck off and mind his own business. "Shut your fucking mouth."
<Bobby> He met Hope's eyes at the mouthy comment. "You suuuuuure?"
<Hope> She nodded a few times. She might have to explain to Sebastian why he was down to only girl children, but she could handle Shinobi. "I got this."
<Bobby> He let go of her after a kiss to the forehead and decided his route to the door should be by Sharky Junior. Bobby stared him down and sent a mini arctic blast in his direction in lieu of a shoulder check.
<Hope> With the protection of Bobby gone, Hope crossed her arms over her chest. "Shouldn't you be fucking someone right now? Or are you already done?"
<Shinobi> Since he'd seen the ice guy coming, he phased for protection from the worst of the cold. Once that distraction was gone, he started for Hope but stopped at those words. "I didn't."
<Hope> "So sorry to interrupt," she snapped. "Want me to leave again?"
<Shinobi> "I don't even know where she came from!" Shinobi caught the ledge lip with one hand, still too drunk to deal with all of this.
<Hope> "Riiiiight," Hope nodded a little. "Because that explains why she was in your lap. While you are half dressed. With your hands all over each other. Yeah you have noooo idea where she came from!" She pulled out her phone, much more interested in setting that up.
<Shinobi> "I've never rejected you," he said, noticing the phone and taking a few steps closer.
<Hope> "Then what would you call it, Shinobi? Hm? Look I've got no claim on you. If you want to go do skanky Yukio, be my guest." She kept looking down, not up at him, tapping away at the new phone to fix all her settings.
<Shinobi> "That's... where's your old phone?" He stared at the device in her hands now, his drunk brain trying to function.
<Hope> "Threw it at the press secretary's head. Made a satisfying smack before it stopped working. Apparently, this is inappropriate behavior and the president felt it best I be forced to wait until I got back to Boston to be reunited with the world." With a few more taps, she had a beautiful picture of sunflowers for her wallpaper.
<Shinobi> "So... why did you throw it at the press secretary's head?" He moved a little closer.
<Hope> "Oh haven’t you seen the lovely piece on me and Harry? Yeah he said I deserved it." She grumbled to herself, starting her app downloads from the cloud and finally looking up at him. Damn when had he gotten that close?
<Shinobi> "Of course I saw it. You didn't return any of my calls... I thought..." He shook his head and huffed to himself, his breath puffing in the freezing air.
<Hope> It was her turn to stare at him, though it was more out of pain than anger. "You should go inside. You're cold. And so when I didn't return your calls you thought you'd just go find the first slut who'd fuck you? Is that it? Is that all I was to you? A... a conquest?"
<Shinobi> She looked like she was going to cry, and he pressed his lips together to stop himself from just hugging her again. "No... how could you say that?"
<Hope> "Were you not just in the same room I was?! I feel like an idiot." She went back to her phone, noticing all the notifications she had that went through after the last phone really died.
<Shinobi> He was freezing but this was important and he grabbed her arms to make her look up at him. "I thought you were dodging me and I got wasted, but she just showed up babbling in fucking Japanese!"
<Hope> "Why would you think that? How could you think that?" She asked, looking up at him properly.
<Shinobi> "Well it's not hard - he's a fucking prince!" He looked away, toward the house.
<Hope> "Harry and I are friends. The media likes us because we both have red hair... and our names start with H." She tried to block some of the cold around him, feeling sorry for him finally, the thermal scan indicating she had need to be concerned. "Point is, you get to do whatever the hell it is you want. So go do that."
<Shinobi> He couldn't see anyone inside watching, but they didn't need to be visible to hear them. While he didn't want witnesses for his meltdown, here they were. Shaking his head, he still couldn't look at her. Then, of course, his teeth started chattering from the cold.
<Hope> She didn't know what else to say to him, blocking more of the cold as she concentrated on that. She looked down at his hands on her, then back up at his face, thinking.
<Shinobi> His gaze fell to the space between them. "Whatever the hell I want... it's not her I want."
<Hope> It wasn't Yukio he was with at the moment. It was her. "Then what?"
<Shinobi> "Don't you know?" He finally looked up at her face, tempted to give her a shake. Instead, he let go of her arms and cupped her face with both hands.
<Shinobi> She still looked pissed and confused, but he didn't care, so before he could second guess himself, he kissed her roughly, giving her no room for doubt about who it was he really wanted.
<Hope> She did know, or she had hoped she knew. The kiss was surprising and so different from the one they had shared at the school. After a moment her arms wrapped around him and she returned his kiss, moving closer to him.
<Shinobi> He groaned into her mouth and threaded his fingers back through her hair. One hand strayed over her shoulder and down her to the small of her back to pull her against him. She was warm, making him realize exactly how cold he was.
<Hope> Finally breaking the kiss, Hope looked up at him, stroking his cheek. "Shinobi... I need to get you inside."
<Shinobi> "So do you believe me now?" He frowned a little, unsure at her change of subject.
<Hope> She smiled and pulled him toward the door. "Yes. And I almost lost you once already. I'm not about to again to frostbite."
<Shinobi> "Lost me...?" He let her lead him, and he staggered a little, realizing there were some areas of his anatomy he couldn't quite feel... and that she was wearing a short dress thing covered in little pineapples.
<Hope> Only once the door was closed behind her did she start thinking again. She took off her jacket and put it over his shoulders. "Well... I did nearly."
<Shinobi> He tried to decide if he was cold and drunk enough to wear that jacket. It felt almost too hot inside now. "No you didn't..."
<Hope> "It felt like it," she countered, hugging him tightly and only partly because it would warm him up.
<Shinobi> The library sofa wasn't far, but he stopped at the hug and returned it, wrapping his arms around her tightly enough to lift her off her feet. "You need to erase that memo."
<Hope> With her cheek pressed against his chest, she nodded. "I will. I should rerecord it."
<Shinobi> "You should," he mumbled it into her hair, breathing in. "Did you do that before too?"
<Hope> "Yes," she admitted, tightening her hold on him. "Both times I was wrong."
<Shinobi> "Both of us were wrong... both times." He decided he was steady enough to bend and scoop her up into his arms.
<Hope> Surprised and a little excited, Hope wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling at him. "I've never been happy to be wrong before."
<Shinobi> "Me neither." He studied her face for a moment and then kissed her again, carrying her to the sofa.
<Hope> Smiling, Hope returned his kiss, relaxed in his arms.
<Shinobi> Not wanting to let go and still lacking the coordination to get too creative, he sat down, her in his lap.
<Hope> She shifted slightly to get comfortable and ran her fingers through his hair. It was always so soft thanks to the conditioner he used.
<Shinobi> Now this was warming him up, and he smoothed her hair back from her face. "God... you're gorgeous..." It didn't occur to him that was probably best left as internal observation.
<Hope> She smiled, laughing softly. "Thank you." she leaned in, rubbing her nose against his. Waiting was stupid. Why had she waited this long? She couldn't remember why. Her fingers stroked his cheek gently.
<Shinobi> He closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. The room was still slowly rotating, but he could feel his feet now. Next time he chased her into the snow, he needed to remember shoes...
<Hope> "Do you think waiting so things would be uncomplicated just made things more complicated?" she questioned him, playing with his hair again.
<Shinobi> "Yeah," he said, needing to clear his throat to answer her. "Could be..." His voice was still gravely, but there was nothing he could do about that with her in his lap and touching him like that. He tightened his arms around her, one hand straying over the material of her outfit.
<Hope> She nestled into him, kissing his cheek. "I thought so too." She paused, wondering if she should admit to him what she'd told Bobby.
<Shinobi> She loved tights, and generally weird ones, and he rubbed his palm over the material on her thigh, still playing with her hair with his other hand.
<Hope> "I was thinking... maybe... I don't know. Just an idea... but we maybe waited long enough for some things?" She tried to shrug nonchalantly.
<Shinobi> That made him open his eyes and lean his head sideways to look at her. "Some things?"
<Hope> She chewed her lip, trying to figure out how to express herself here. She was also reminded of the prying ears in the house, so she tapped into Sebastian and brushed Shinobi's mind. I'm just not ready for... you know... sex. Yet.
<Shinobi> He gasped at the sudden telepathic intrusion, then blinked at her in confusion.
<Hope> "Sorry..." she winced at his gasp. "I just..." She pressed a hand over her face. Maybe his powers would be useful right about now.
<Shinobi> It's okay... he attempted, unsure if she was still there.
<Hope> Peeking out from under her hand, Hope studied him for a moment, then smiled and rested her head against him again. Okay.
<Shinobi> He was still drunk enough that this was taking a while to process. So... we're already doing... this... Shinobi gathered her closer and took the opportunity to test the material of her tights again.
<Hope> Yep. Yep we are, she grinned, nuzzling him. For once, she was so glad she wasn't the one drunk. It was hard enough to think with him touching her.
<Shinobi> And this... Somewhat tentatively, he moved in and brushed their noses together before giving her a soft kiss.
<Hope> She smiled again as she returned his kiss, giving him another soft one. I like those.
<Shinobi> Just not this? He replayed a flash of one of his more explicit fantasies, his mouth hovering just over hers as he met her eyes. Yet.
<Hope> Hope gasped a little at the image, smirking. Yet... she reaffirmed, pulling him back to her for a rougher kiss.
<Shinobi> He grinned and spread his fingers through her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss and running his hand just under the hem of that crazy skirt.
<Hope> She tightened her hold on him as she kissed him. She was sure her joy transferred through on the link, but she didn't bother to shield that. She was happy and he should know, since it was his doing.
<Shinobi> Breaking the kiss, he had to swallow, resting his forehead against hers. It was a little overwhelming, but he returned the feeling as best as he could.