I would have thought it obvious. [ he has had his face between your legs before, daisy. this was not an uncommon experience. but, he can hear the sharpness in her tone and he feeds into it, unable to stop himself.
maybe he's still a little irritated too. ]
I am trying to get you off on the sofa. [ because that is where they were, the sofa. and it was fine. ] Hopefully you do not need a diagram for this.
I know that, [ snippy! so snippy! ] I meant, why did you stop.
[ yeah, yeah, on the sofa. she's not acknowledging the sofa comment. she would prefer to do this on the bed, where she can stretch out, but apparently he's boycotting the bed for some reason. probably to make her suffer. to prove her wrong. something. ]
Am I doing something wrong? [ pray tell daisy, what was the issue here? never mind that he's full on stopped because you were questioning him and he's just rubbing circles against your knees with his thumbs.
that was your fault. ]
I think you have known me long enough to know that I can be a great many things you don't expect. [ like incredibly stubborn over a piece of furniture. was that an argument you would have had with any other boyfriend? ]
You stopped. [ clearly a trauma worth repeating. she tries to get up, but the combination of his weight over hers and the firm, steady pressure of his hands on her knees means she's not going anywhere. she's just here to lay down and suffer, apparently. ]
I know you're a pain in my ass, that's for sure. [ annoyed, but the bite is gone. he's frustrating and terrible and constantly trying to one-up her and antagonize her, but she loves him, doesn't she? that goes without questioning; it's as much of a fact (if not more so, lately) as her allegiance to shield. ] You took all my clothes off, and now you're just sitting here mocking me.
[ a wise thing to say? perhaps not but he's not mocking her. he's teasing her, certainly, but he has only larned how to do that from her. and if she's so upset about him stopping, he supposes that he will have to get back to it, won't he?
and he does, moving back down and putting his tongue right back where it had been, licking her once, twice, a few times before sliding his tongue actually inside of her and licking her that way as well.
would that be enough for her demanding ways? he had taken off all her clothes and now he was giving her something he knows she likes.
he's not moving off this sofa unless she throws him off and he's not sure she's strong enough (without those powers of hers) to do that. ]
[ likely also not the wisest thing in the world to say, but daisy says it anyway. she says it even as her head tips back, a low groan of pleasure breathed out as his tongue drags along sensitive skin. even still, she doesn't shut up, because daisy doesn't know how to shut up.
like the energizer bunny, she keeps going, even as her fingertips curl into his hair, even as shuddering breaths shake her chest with each exhale. ]
[ maybe she doesn't quiet completely down but her words turn into mindless sounds and that is something he can deal with because he's the cause. he's the one making her growl and moan and shudder and shake. he's the one licking her open and sliding his tongue inside of her and making her shiver.
he's flicking his tongue over that one particularly sensitive spot, paying very focused attention there in the hopes of making her come apart sooner rather than later.
so, noises or not, he thinks he's made her shut up just fine. ]
[ she doesn't argue — mostly because he doesn't give her anything to argue against — but she doesn't stop talking either. her words slip from pointed arguments to mewls and pants to finally growled, desperate pleas as she trembles underneath him, an assortment of everything from demands to echoes of his name to various curse words spilling out every so often.
she doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting her off instead of arguing, but she also really does want to. a dilemma for the ages. ]
[ really, he wonders how you're going to stop from coming if he's got his mouth on you without pause now. he's stopped teasing and is licking and sucking at her relentlessly. he knows where to put his tongue and where to slide his tongue and where to suck and and press to make her come apart.
she's stubborn, she can resist for long periods of time but they're both keyed up and he knows she wants this even if she doesn't want to want this. she does and he intends her to come against his mouth sooner rather than later. ]
[ well. she can't, can she? she can resist all she wants, but she's only human — eventually, even daisy gives in; after what feels like hours (but is likely only minutes), daisy finally stops fighting the desire that's tight in her belly. she comes hard, a whine and a sharp exhale echoing out as her body slumps down against the couch, legs trembling in aftershock even while she tries to catch her breath.
don't you dare look smug. this isn't a victory, it's just unavoidable. she's not dignifying the cheater's path to victory with a compliment right now. ]
[ uh huh. he keeps his face pressed against her while she comes and only moves away when it looks like she's starting to settle down. does he look smug? quite possibly. no, more than quite possibly.
he presses himself back, tucking against the other end of the sofa and watching her recover herself. funny how they haven't moved off the sofa for the entirety of this thing. funny how the sofa worked just fine.
[ dazed and exhausted, she drags an arm over her face, blocking both the ambient light and the sight of his smirking face from her vision while she catches her breath. doesn't matter if he's just gotten her off, she's not giving him the satisfaction of "i told you so".
the orgasm might have been great, but she still thinks it's dumb that he won't sleep in their bed without her. sorry, illya, but the argument lives on. kind of. ]
If we buy a new bed together, will you sleep in it? [ her voice is low, rough from exertion, but sincere all the same. ] You're gonna break my neck on this couch one of these days.
[ he just...has to let that be known. before he says anything else though, he gets to his feet and wanders into the kitchen to get her a bottle of water that he holds in front of her until she finally starts using her eyes again.
is he still smirking when she takes her arm away? probably.
he doesn't bother putting clothes back on when he retakes his seat at the other end of the sofa. ]
The sofa worked just fine for what you just enjoyed. [ smirk. ] You do not need to get rid of your bed because of me.
I'm not getting rid of it because of you. [ important distinction, punctuated by a long drag off the bottle. she's thirsty. ] For you.
[ now that her head's not spinning, daisy pulls herself upright, knees dragged up to her chest so that she can rest her chin on them, her arms slung around her legs for support. ]
You call it my bed. My apartment. It drives me crazy. [ there's no joking in her tone. this is a confession, a sincere one. ] I want this to feel like our space. If we need to pick out a new bed or find a new apartment for you to feel comfortable, then we'll do that.
[ if he were a different man, he might make a comment about her restarting this conversation while she was naked and he was mostly naked. but, he does not make that comment. it's not the first time they've had a conversation while one of them has been naked. they'd even argued sans clothing.
it was a talent. ]
I hadn't realized you'd noticed that.
[ which, yes, is an admittance that he knows he does that. his only excuse was that it was extremely difficult to go from a home and life he'd known to a city that confounded him to a place that he couldn't seem to get a foothold in. it didn't feel like his just yet. ]
[ she pays attention. and she knows it's hard. hell, sometimes daisy struggled to reconcile the life she'd led in new amsterdam versus the life she'd been dumped back into here in what was her own present day. she had no idea how illya managed to find himself still in a relative future, in another country, and not feel completely lost.
the fact that he still managed to carve out a niche for himself remains impressive to her; though she never revealed his backstory to anyone on her own, she's always quick to express her pride in him when it comes up. which is... admittedly pretty often, mostly because she can't keep his name out of her mouth.
what is love. ]
And yeah, I like my shit, but I don't love it. [ do you see her point? it's a big bulls-eye of a point, illya ] I didn't ask my bed to move in with me, did I? I just bought it.
[ at goodwill, for that matter, for half-price. she's not attached to it. ]
You're more important to me than a bed, babe. Don't you know that?
[ it is hard to forget those initial few days after he'd ended up out of new amsterdam and here. daisy had been nothing but accommodating because his moods had bounced from one extreme to another. while the last thing he wanted to do was leave her, he also didn't want to be a burden or an obligation by once again being out of time and place.
he'd offered to find a place to live on his own. she'd been insistent and encouraging even when he'd glared or snapped. and that is how he'd come to be living with her. but that edge of 'this isn't mine' remained and remained and remained. ]
I...know. [ and he does. he really does! but sometimes he doesn't think he should be. this is her life and he can't help but feel like an intruder when he doesn't know one of her friends or doesn't know where something is in the city. ]
I love you too. [ obviously. ] And I want to be here. I am sorry if I gave the impression that I do not. I don't think I could exist anywhere without you at this point.
Well, [ the syllable dragging out as she leans forwards on her knees, reaching out to rest her palms on his own in order to pull herself a little closer. ] I don't want you to exist without me, so I think we're in agreement there.
[ a rare instance. they should celebrate. or at least give it a moment of silence. ]
I also think you should consider coming in with me sometime. To SHIELD.
[ it's not a demand. they've talked about it before, off-handedly. she knows his reservations, his concerns about his own former allegiances, and while she's assured him she doesn't think it would be an issue, daisy also knows that's not the kind of thing she can just promise on her own. ]
Mack's a good guy, and [ a beat ] he knows about New Amsterdam. I think if you talked to him, you might like him.
[ talked, sparred, maybe gossiped. ]
And I'm not saying you have to, like, pledge allegiance or anything. It could be contract work. Freelance, even.
Maybe. [ he says it grudgingly, slowly, eyes flicking down to their hands and then back up to her face. ] I don't know.
[ it was another place that doesn't feel like this but unlike furniture and an apartment, you couldn't go out and replace a whole organization. and he sincerely doubts many of her associates were going to look kindly upon someone with a past like this. ]
Perhaps I will go in with you one day just to see you off and see what comes of it. [ but he could make no promises. every spy agency was not created equally and while he knows that they do good work, it still might not be a way that he precisely wants to work. ]
As for the bed -- [ since that was the more pressing matter here. ] Do you want a new bed or a new apartment?
If nothing else, I'd pay good money to watch you spar with May.
[ a hint of teasing in her tone, a brightness in her eyes; they've sparred together enough times that illya knows what she's capable of, but even daisy thinks twice before going toe-to-toe with the cavalry.
as for the rest of it? well, she doesn't expect him to sign on in a heartbeat. she knows he'll want to meet the team, to talk to mack, to discuss operational expectations and mission statements and regulations — all of the things that daisy doesn't want to be the one to tell him. that's not her area of expertise. even still, she appreciates that he's willing to try. that means something.
which is a pretty stark contrast, all things considered, to his follow-up. her brow quirks up a bit. ]
We can do both? Either? [ she shrugs ] It's whatever you want. Keep the bed, find a new place; keep the place, find a new bed; toss them both and start over — I just want you to be happy here.
[ here, in their apartment; here, in this world; here, with her. ]
[ who would you be putting money on there, daisy? not that he's opposed to a good challenge. in fact, he craves them especially since there not as easily found here as they were back in new amsterdam. ]
Perhaps a new bed then. [ maybe something more in the future. he does not want to cause that much tumult and he knows this whole thing is down to his own issues. it is not her or her apartment or her bed but him and he needs to simply get over it. ]
I am happy here. [ despite all appearances, he was. truly. ] I am a lot happier here than I would be if I was still in that city and you were not. I've experienced that. I do not want to do it again.
No. [ but there's a smile quirking up the corner of her mouth; she may be sincere in saying that melinda may could very well kick his ass, but that doesn't mean he can't learn from it and win another time. she has great faith in him. ] But I'll always bet on you.
[ she always has. literally and figuratively. ]
We can look for one this weekend, if you want. [ somehow, she has a feeling they won't. he'll agree to it to defuse the argument, but it's not really about the bed at all.
but that's not a bad thing, so daisy lets her hand stretch to cover one of his, squeezing his palm gently with her fingers. ]
I'm not going anywhere. I told you, you're stuck with me, remember?
[ well, now he has to go in with her at least once because he has to see just how good a fighter this may person was if she was bluntly telling him that he'd lose. he wasn't afraid to lose but it took a level that many people didn't have. and a fighter like that in the employ of her agency was enticing.
and a challenge that he cannot ignore. ]
You have told me that. [ many times and in many situations. it's a comfort. it centers him when he feels like he is constantly on his back foot.
sighing, he finally climbs to his feet and turns his hands in hers so he can tug her up with him. ] Come on. This sofa is too small to sleep on. Let's go to bed.
[ at least he was letting the sofa thing go for now? ]
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maybe he's still a little irritated too. ]
I am trying to get you off on the sofa. [ because that is where they were, the sofa. and it was fine. ] Hopefully you do not need a diagram for this.
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[ yeah, yeah, on the sofa. she's not acknowledging the sofa comment. she would prefer to do this on the bed, where she can stretch out, but apparently he's boycotting the bed for some reason. probably to make her suffer. to prove her wrong. something. ]
I can't believe you're being such a tease.
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that was your fault. ]
I think you have known me long enough to know that I can be a great many things you don't expect. [ like incredibly stubborn over a piece of furniture. was that an argument you would have had with any other boyfriend? ]
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I know you're a pain in my ass, that's for sure. [ annoyed, but the bite is gone. he's frustrating and terrible and constantly trying to one-up her and antagonize her, but she loves him, doesn't she? that goes without questioning; it's as much of a fact (if not more so, lately) as her allegiance to shield. ] You took all my clothes off, and now you're just sitting here mocking me.
[ a huff. ]
On the couch.
[ another huff. ]
You should have been in bed.
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[ a wise thing to say? perhaps not but he's not mocking her. he's teasing her, certainly, but he has only larned how to do that from her. and if she's so upset about him stopping, he supposes that he will have to get back to it, won't he?
and he does, moving back down and putting his tongue right back where it had been, licking her once, twice, a few times before sliding his tongue actually inside of her and licking her that way as well.
would that be enough for her demanding ways? he had taken off all her clothes and now he was giving her something he knows she likes.
he's not moving off this sofa unless she throws him off and he's not sure she's strong enough (without those powers of hers) to do that. ]
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[ likely also not the wisest thing in the world to say, but daisy says it anyway. she says it even as her head tips back, a low groan of pleasure breathed out as his tongue drags along sensitive skin. even still, she doesn't shut up, because daisy doesn't know how to shut up.
like the energizer bunny, she keeps going, even as her fingertips curl into his hair, even as shuddering breaths shake her chest with each exhale. ]
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he's flicking his tongue over that one particularly sensitive spot, paying very focused attention there in the hopes of making her come apart sooner rather than later.
so, noises or not, he thinks he's made her shut up just fine. ]
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she doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting her off instead of arguing, but she also really does want to. a dilemma for the ages. ]
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she's stubborn, she can resist for long periods of time but they're both keyed up and he knows she wants this even if she doesn't want to want this. she does and he intends her to come against his mouth sooner rather than later. ]
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don't you dare look smug. this isn't a victory, it's just unavoidable. she's not dignifying the cheater's path to victory with a compliment right now. ]
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he presses himself back, tucking against the other end of the sofa and watching her recover herself. funny how they haven't moved off the sofa for the entirety of this thing. funny how the sofa worked just fine.
so yes, he's smug. ]
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the orgasm might have been great, but she still thinks it's dumb that he won't sleep in their bed without her. sorry, illya, but the argument lives on. kind of. ]
If we buy a new bed together, will you sleep in it? [ her voice is low, rough from exertion, but sincere all the same. ] You're gonna break my neck on this couch one of these days.
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[ he just...has to let that be known. before he says anything else though, he gets to his feet and wanders into the kitchen to get her a bottle of water that he holds in front of her until she finally starts using her eyes again.
is he still smirking when she takes her arm away? probably.
he doesn't bother putting clothes back on when he retakes his seat at the other end of the sofa. ]
The sofa worked just fine for what you just enjoyed. [ smirk. ] You do not need to get rid of your bed because of me.
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[ now that her head's not spinning, daisy pulls herself upright, knees dragged up to her chest so that she can rest her chin on them, her arms slung around her legs for support. ]
You call it my bed. My apartment. It drives me crazy. [ there's no joking in her tone. this is a confession, a sincere one. ] I want this to feel like our space. If we need to pick out a new bed or find a new apartment for you to feel comfortable, then we'll do that.
[ her gaze steadies on his ]
Okay?
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it was a talent. ]
I hadn't realized you'd noticed that.
[ which, yes, is an admittance that he knows he does that. his only excuse was that it was extremely difficult to go from a home and life he'd known to a city that confounded him to a place that he couldn't seem to get a foothold in. it didn't feel like his just yet. ]
You like your furniture. You like your apartment.
[ were his opinions really that important? ]
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[ she pays attention. and she knows it's hard. hell, sometimes daisy struggled to reconcile the life she'd led in new amsterdam versus the life she'd been dumped back into here in what was her own present day. she had no idea how illya managed to find himself still in a relative future, in another country, and not feel completely lost.
the fact that he still managed to carve out a niche for himself remains impressive to her; though she never revealed his backstory to anyone on her own, she's always quick to express her pride in him when it comes up. which is... admittedly pretty often, mostly because she can't keep his name out of her mouth.
what is love. ]
And yeah, I like my shit, but I don't love it. [ do you see her point? it's a big bulls-eye of a point, illya ] I didn't ask my bed to move in with me, did I? I just bought it.
[ at goodwill, for that matter, for half-price. she's not attached to it. ]
You're more important to me than a bed, babe. Don't you know that?
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he'd offered to find a place to live on his own. she'd been insistent and encouraging even when he'd glared or snapped. and that is how he'd come to be living with her. but that edge of 'this isn't mine' remained and remained and remained. ]
I...know. [ and he does. he really does! but sometimes he doesn't think he should be. this is her life and he can't help but feel like an intruder when he doesn't know one of her friends or doesn't know where something is in the city. ]
I love you too. [ obviously. ] And I want to be here. I am sorry if I gave the impression that I do not. I don't think I could exist anywhere without you at this point.
[ so. yes. ]
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[ a rare instance. they should celebrate. or at least give it a moment of silence. ]
I also think you should consider coming in with me sometime. To SHIELD.
[ it's not a demand. they've talked about it before, off-handedly. she knows his reservations, his concerns about his own former allegiances, and while she's assured him she doesn't think it would be an issue, daisy also knows that's not the kind of thing she can just promise on her own. ]
Mack's a good guy, and [ a beat ] he knows about New Amsterdam. I think if you talked to him, you might like him.
[ talked, sparred, maybe gossiped. ]
And I'm not saying you have to, like, pledge allegiance or anything. It could be contract work. Freelance, even.
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[ it was another place that doesn't feel like this but unlike furniture and an apartment, you couldn't go out and replace a whole organization. and he sincerely doubts many of her associates were going to look kindly upon someone with a past like this. ]
Perhaps I will go in with you one day just to see you off and see what comes of it. [ but he could make no promises. every spy agency was not created equally and while he knows that they do good work, it still might not be a way that he precisely wants to work. ]
As for the bed -- [ since that was the more pressing matter here. ] Do you want a new bed or a new apartment?
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[ a hint of teasing in her tone, a brightness in her eyes; they've sparred together enough times that illya knows what she's capable of, but even daisy thinks twice before going toe-to-toe with the cavalry.
as for the rest of it? well, she doesn't expect him to sign on in a heartbeat. she knows he'll want to meet the team, to talk to mack, to discuss operational expectations and mission statements and regulations — all of the things that daisy doesn't want to be the one to tell him. that's not her area of expertise. even still, she appreciates that he's willing to try. that means something.
which is a pretty stark contrast, all things considered, to his follow-up. her brow quirks up a bit. ]
We can do both? Either? [ she shrugs ] It's whatever you want. Keep the bed, find a new place; keep the place, find a new bed; toss them both and start over — I just want you to be happy here.
[ here, in their apartment; here, in this world; here, with her. ]
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[ who would you be putting money on there, daisy? not that he's opposed to a good challenge. in fact, he craves them especially since there not as easily found here as they were back in new amsterdam. ]
Perhaps a new bed then. [ maybe something more in the future. he does not want to cause that much tumult and he knows this whole thing is down to his own issues. it is not her or her apartment or her bed but him and he needs to simply get over it. ]
I am happy here. [ despite all appearances, he was. truly. ] I am a lot happier here than I would be if I was still in that city and you were not. I've experienced that. I do not want to do it again.
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[ she always has. literally and figuratively. ]
We can look for one this weekend, if you want. [ somehow, she has a feeling they won't. he'll agree to it to defuse the argument, but it's not really about the bed at all.
but that's not a bad thing, so daisy lets her hand stretch to cover one of his, squeezing his palm gently with her fingers. ]
I'm not going anywhere. I told you, you're stuck with me, remember?
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and a challenge that he cannot ignore. ]
You have told me that. [ many times and in many situations. it's a comfort. it centers him when he feels like he is constantly on his back foot.
sighing, he finally climbs to his feet and turns his hands in hers so he can tug her up with him. ] Come on. This sofa is too small to sleep on. Let's go to bed.
[ at least he was letting the sofa thing go for now? ]