sunday_reveries Want Something
ppsm used with permission. Inspired by Siege prologues and this picture.
prompt: picture
Covert Ops
Peter blends in with the crowd. He always has, it's how he's kept his identity secret his whole superheroing life. Leaning nonchalantly against the wall, watching the denizens of the airport with a vaguely bored expression, he could be anyone. Or no one. Carol is the type to stand out, and impatient at that. She's tired of waiting and it shows.
"This is stupid."
Peter glances over and gives her a little shrug with arms crossed over his chest. "Why? We work well together."
"What?" Visibly tense, the word comes out almost like a bark.
"We worked well together before and you didn't know my name." Something like a frown starts to cross her face and he stands straighter, opens his arms and puts on the charm. Such as it is, anyway. "...Never mind how clever, resourceful, handsome, charming, agile--" He tips his hat at her expression of disbelief. "Well-dressed..."
Carol juts her chin out. "Arrogant."
He flashes her an expression poised between pained and amused. "You like arrogant!"
"What?" Another bark.
"Jess told me."
"What?!" At the exclamation a couple heads turn their way. Carol chews her lip and ducks her head, turning her face in to Peter's shoulder as he puts his arm around her and smiles at the bystanders until they avert their eyes.
Peter continues quietly, "Anyway, I'm not arrogant, I'm..." His voice trails off. A long moment goes by before Carol lifts her eyes to meet his. He moves his head back and forth slightly, waiting. Her eyes narrow and her nose scrunches in thought. He smiles his most winning smile.
Carol steps back, rolling her eyes. "Cute."
Peter leans back against the wall and recrosses his arms. "My point, Caroley --"
"Don't call me that when we're working."
"My point, Ms. Marvel --"
She hisses at him. "I'm not in uniform."
"My point, complete stranger standing next to me who is not at all a superhero in disguise --"
"I am glad you have a point."
Peter raises an eyebrow. "I always have a point."
A beat goes by with no response. Peter takes a breath.
"My point, uh, you, is that we worked well together before and I think we'll work even better together now."
She considers this a moment and moves closer. "Because... we know each other's abilities."
"Right. And how we work."
She moves closer again, nearly knocking his hat off with the brim of her own. "How we move."
"Right, how we -- hey, now, not when we're working." He takes her hand in his and pulls it from behind his back but doesn't let go.
"Right."
"Right."
Another silent beat goes by. Carol pulls back, hands drop, and they return to leaning against the wall side by side.
"That wasn't what I was talking about."
"Huh, what?" Peter's getting used to Carol's non-existent through lines but that doesn't mean he can entirely follow them.
"I don't think it's stupid to work together."
"Oh."
She flicks her hat with a finger. "This is stupid."
Peter grins. "We're incognito!"
"As what? Dick Tracy gangsters? South American drug lords?"
"As people in the airport waiting for--" He cuts off as Carol straightens, suddenly alert. He's already pulling his phone out as he follows her gaze to their target.
"There he is."
"I know, I'm calling it in." Carol keeps her eyes on the man as Peter speaks quickly and quietly into the phone. After a few minutes, he answers a phone call and Peter hangs up.
"So?"
"So. They're in contact, we should make our way back."
Carol frowns. "That's it?"
"That's it."
"This is--"
Peter turns to face her. "Shh, Caroley." He starts to pull her into his arms.
"I said don't--"
He winks. "We're off the clock, dollface."
She scowls but stops fighting the embrace. "Good point."
"I always have one. Part of being so clever, resourceful, handsome, charming--"
"Shuttup and kiss me."
prompt: picture
Covert Ops
Peter blends in with the crowd. He always has, it's how he's kept his identity secret his whole superheroing life. Leaning nonchalantly against the wall, watching the denizens of the airport with a vaguely bored expression, he could be anyone. Or no one. Carol is the type to stand out, and impatient at that. She's tired of waiting and it shows.
"This is stupid."
Peter glances over and gives her a little shrug with arms crossed over his chest. "Why? We work well together."
"What?" Visibly tense, the word comes out almost like a bark.
"We worked well together before and you didn't know my name." Something like a frown starts to cross her face and he stands straighter, opens his arms and puts on the charm. Such as it is, anyway. "...Never mind how clever, resourceful, handsome, charming, agile--" He tips his hat at her expression of disbelief. "Well-dressed..."
Carol juts her chin out. "Arrogant."
He flashes her an expression poised between pained and amused. "You like arrogant!"
"What?" Another bark.
"Jess told me."
"What?!" At the exclamation a couple heads turn their way. Carol chews her lip and ducks her head, turning her face in to Peter's shoulder as he puts his arm around her and smiles at the bystanders until they avert their eyes.
Peter continues quietly, "Anyway, I'm not arrogant, I'm..." His voice trails off. A long moment goes by before Carol lifts her eyes to meet his. He moves his head back and forth slightly, waiting. Her eyes narrow and her nose scrunches in thought. He smiles his most winning smile.
Carol steps back, rolling her eyes. "Cute."
Peter leans back against the wall and recrosses his arms. "My point, Caroley --"
"Don't call me that when we're working."
"My point, Ms. Marvel --"
She hisses at him. "I'm not in uniform."
"My point, complete stranger standing next to me who is not at all a superhero in disguise --"
"I am glad you have a point."
Peter raises an eyebrow. "I always have a point."
A beat goes by with no response. Peter takes a breath.
"My point, uh, you, is that we worked well together before and I think we'll work even better together now."
She considers this a moment and moves closer. "Because... we know each other's abilities."
"Right. And how we work."
She moves closer again, nearly knocking his hat off with the brim of her own. "How we move."
"Right, how we -- hey, now, not when we're working." He takes her hand in his and pulls it from behind his back but doesn't let go.
"Right."
"Right."
Another silent beat goes by. Carol pulls back, hands drop, and they return to leaning against the wall side by side.
"That wasn't what I was talking about."
"Huh, what?" Peter's getting used to Carol's non-existent through lines but that doesn't mean he can entirely follow them.
"I don't think it's stupid to work together."
"Oh."
She flicks her hat with a finger. "This is stupid."
Peter grins. "We're incognito!"
"As what? Dick Tracy gangsters? South American drug lords?"
"As people in the airport waiting for--" He cuts off as Carol straightens, suddenly alert. He's already pulling his phone out as he follows her gaze to their target.
"There he is."
"I know, I'm calling it in." Carol keeps her eyes on the man as Peter speaks quickly and quietly into the phone. After a few minutes, he answers a phone call and Peter hangs up.
"So?"
"So. They're in contact, we should make our way back."
Carol frowns. "That's it?"
"That's it."
"This is--"
Peter turns to face her. "Shh, Caroley." He starts to pull her into his arms.
"I said don't--"
He winks. "We're off the clock, dollface."
She scowls but stops fighting the embrace. "Good point."
"I always have one. Part of being so clever, resourceful, handsome, charming--"
"Shuttup and kiss me."