WHO: Rimmer and Raven.
WHERE: Stark Tower at first, then a movie theater.
WHEN: Evening 10/5/09.
WARNINGS: Nah.
SUMMARY: Rimmer's in his happy place, so to celebrate he's taking Raven to the movies. Yeah. That's his idea of a celebration.
FORMAT: Whateva.
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Let's go see the staaaaaars! )
Her eyes were focused hard on the cellphone in her hand, thumb going a mile a minute as she worked at inputting data, replying to texts, anything to wrap up her day and get that last thing in. She was becoming more like Tony every day, it seemed.
However, in her peripheral vision, she saw the car approaching, and quickly went to send one more message out before tucking the cellphone into her bag.
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"...You know, one of the things I swore I'd do if I ever found myself alive again was have a family," he confessed quietly. "Have you ever thought that? I mean, having the childhoods we did, have you ever thought to yourself, by god, I want to do it too, only this time I'll do it right? I'll show my parents how it's done. Although the only prospective mother I'd even consider is...erm."
He cut himself off ruthlessly, biting his lower lip.
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"I'll admit it's my dream to one day have a family, so yes. However I will more than likely adopt. I don't want this curse of my heritage to be passed down to any possible children. Besides..."
She pauses to watch one of the children being lifted up onto their father's shoulders, and leans a bit more into Arnold's side. "... there are so many children without loving families who could benefit from what I could give them."
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"I think you'd be a great mother," he said with a small smile. "Always knowing what your child was feeling. That's definitely handy."
He rested the side of his head against the top of hers, wondering at the turn this conversation had taken. That he'd steered it towards.
"Anybody would be lucky to benefit from what you have to give. I know I am."
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She was suddenly aware at how they were standing, but simply smiled and accepted it warmly. This was something she was getting used to - quickly, at that. She had always been affectionate toward her friends when purified of the demon - and her team had always been like this with one another as it was. It wasn't strange territory to her, although she knew Harry or even Peter would flip if they saw her like this.
Someone hadn't hugged either of them enough as a child...
"But... I've been wrong about myself before, I may as well be wrong about that as well."
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On the other hand, he was well aware of how they must have looked to the other passers-by. A thirty-something man walking closely, arm in arm, with a beautiful, "teenage" girl. Hm.
...Smeg, that did look bad, didn't it? And what would that boyfriend of hers say?
He gently disentangled himself.
"I think everybody just learns their own way. We teach people how to drive, and how to operate heavy machinery, and how to use bandsaws so they don't slice their fingers off, but we don't teach them how to be parents..."
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"When the time comes, I hope I'll be ready and knowledgable. But, one step at a time, correct?" she glanced up at him with a soft expression.
She never talked about this with her teammates, possibly because they were all actual teenagers themselves, still plotting out the course of their lives. ... She was too, in a way, just... a little more seriously than going to highschool here, or getting a part-time job. She would probably be lectured for some of the plan rolling around in her head involving settling down and starting a family. They never did understand that part of her...
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There was a great wash of bitterness at this thought, naturally.
"...Do you ever feel like your entire life is on hold? Or worse, has passed you by entirely? I feel like that all the time."
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There's an inhale. She was already in this conversation too deep.
"Besides... I can't think of anyone I would want to raise a family with who isn't... here... in this place."
Best to let it drop, Raven. Really.
"I used to feel like my life was on hold like that. But... then I decided to take hold of the reigns of my life and do something about it. Not take a single moment for granted."
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"Why do I get the feeling that you're not speaking in the hypothetical? The person you want to raise a family with...it's not the young man you're dating, is it?"
It was meant as a sincere question, to start, but slid into the implication that he already knew the answer and was demanding the truth from her.
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She expected nothing less in this situation.
"... We have our rough times, yes, as any couple does. But---"
Her voice trails off for a second as she tries to put the words together in her head first.
"... he would make a wonderful father, and he's supportive of me. He didn't even blink an eye and forgave me immediately after what happened with the demons... and he had been forced to be the most ruthless of them all. It's just... how he is, and---"
A cringe, and she's suddenly unable to look Arnold in the eye.
"I love him."
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He angled himself next to her, and gently put a finger under her chin, to tilt her face back up.
"I don't doubt you love him at all. And if he hadn't forgiven you, I'd be forced to...glare at him from a safe distance. But he's not the one you want to raise a family with, is he?"
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After a few moments of silent staring at him, her shoulders slumped.
"No, he isn't."
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Not to mention that he was the king of blowing off personal questions, and recognized tap-dancing when he saw it.
"Mm. I knew it," he said, looking slightly smug. "And I suspect I know who you're thinking of, but I won't pry much further. Dear, you're still young. You've got plenty of time for family, in spite of the temporary nature of...everything. All right? It'll happen for you when it's time."
Then he paused.
"Listen to me, I sound like some self-help guru on quaaludes."
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"To be fair, it isn't even who you're thinking of. I know this because I never told you about this person, and he isn't even here." there's a pause, and she takes a few steps forward as it gets closer to their turn in line. "Yet. It would honestly be my only chance - if he came here, that is."
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He was teasing her, naturally. Trying to steer the conversation back away from these 'family' matters. Why had he gone there in the first place? It was a mystery in his own mind. What strange, furtive urge in his soul brought out talk of family around her?
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