Topic: Finding That Even Keel

Olivia Storm

Date: 2012-11-21 04:41 EST
((A little immediate fallout from the events of The Ghoul of My Dreams.)) __________________________________

Liv had been beside herself with worry almost from the moment she'd woken up that morning. Despite a most enjoyable evening spent actively avoiding the premiere with Johnny, she'd been back at work within minutes of her first cup of coffee. It had only been after an hour of trying to get Jon on his cell, and then failing to get through to the hotel, that she had shaken Johnny awake to share her growing concern. A phonecall to Maple Grove confirmed that Jon and Vicki had not come home yet, and Humphrey Granger had demanded her presence at the manor to go through Jon's intended movement for today with his chief of security.

Johnny had, of course, come with her, but neither of them had been able to do anything until an alarm had gone off in the security hub of the Maple Grove Compound, pinpointing the location of a ring that had been activated. Johnny had sped off almost immediately, leaving Liv in Humphrey's grumpy care, and returned with Jon and Vicki looking bruised and bloodied, but thankfully alive and well. With his family home and settled to sleep off the exhertions of the morning, Humphrey had retreated to his study to wait for news of them, leaving Liv and Johnny to their own devices.

As for Johnny, though he hardly knew Jon and Vicki, he had paced the floor like a worried mother hen until Humphrey had barked at him to sit down before he wore a groove in the floor. The old man was hard to read, and Johnny had never been very respectful of authority figures, but he knew Jon's great uncle was just as worried as the rest of them. Though Jon and Vicki were often taken to sneaking off by themselves and laying low, it was very unlike either of them to disappear completely without word and ignore all their appointments and phone calls. Johnny didn't want to make them worry anymore than they already were, but he was more worried about the baby than anything else, even after they'd been found and safely returned home. He hadn't said more than a few words to Liv since he'd gotten back, more shaken up by what he'd seen than even he cared to admit.

Intimidated by Humphrey and not brave enough to dare Johnny's temper by asking him anything, Liv finally took herself out of the study and into the main hallway. Despite the hours she'd been at Maple Grove, she hadn't even taken off her coat yet, shaking back the sleeves to check her diary and make sure she had completely cleared Jon's schedule for the next two weeks. She had a feeling her employer was going to go to ground after this morning's incident. Needing the air, she slipped out through the front door, leaning against the stone wall as she looked over the ornate driveway. She hated waiting; she just wasn't very good at it.

Johnny was clad in just his uniform, his clothing shed, burned up in his haste to get where he was going when he went to flame and soared across the city to find and hopefully rescue Jon and Vicki from whatever trouble they'd encountered. That had been hours ago. He'd left Liv to do her job, and though Humphrey had offered them a room to spend the night, and though tired, Johnny had found himself too restless to sleep. Missing the soft body he had become so accustomed to sharing a bed with, he tossed and turned for a while, finally getting up to stalk the quiet house in search of his bedmate.

There was no obvious sign of where she was, but in the end, it was Cosmo, Jon's exuberant border collie, who gave away where Liv had slipped off to. He was sitting next to the front door, as much guarding the sleeping residents in the house as the young woman who occasionally had to feed and walk him sitting out on the front steps. She hadn't noticed the sunset or the darkness falling, lost in worried thoughts about her friends who also happened to employ her to keep them on track.

After searching all the obvious places, the dog gave away Liv's location at last, and after giving Cosmo a brief but friendly greeting, Johnny stepped out onto the porch to join her. "Liv?" he queried gently, knowing she was as upset about what had happened as the rest of the household, and he had a feeling there was something more on her mind that she wasn't sharing. A little misplaced guilt, maybe. He came up beside her, touching her arm gently to let her know he was there. "You okay?"

It took a moment for her to realise she wasn't alone, glancing up at Johnny with a badly feigned smile. "I'm fine," she told him unconvincingly, closing her fingers over his on her arm for a moment before resuming her curled up position on the top step. "Did you get any sleep?"

Johnny sank down to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and tugging her toward him, his body heat immediately warming her faster than an electric blanket. "No, I tried, but I'm too wound up. Besides, I don't sleep alone well anymore," he added with a faint smile. He looked tired; they both looked tired, wrung out with worry, but at least, it was over. "It's not your fault, you know," he told her gently, knowing her well enough to know what she was thinking, what was keeping her from sleep.

Liv sighed, leaning into Johnny as he wrapped his arm about her. "Yes, it is," she argued, just as gently, too calm in apportioning blame onto herself for it not to have been on her mind all day. "I knew about the message, I knew Jon thought it was the same girl who shot him, I knew the threat was against Vicki. I shouldn't have let him order security off when we got back here and after the red carpet incident last night ..." She shook her head, nibbling at her thumbnail anxiously. "She wouldn't have been able to get to them if I'd done my job properly, and I obviously didn't."

He unwrapped his arm from around her shoulders, turning her chin to face him, fixing his eyes on hers. "You don't know that, Liv. We all thought they were safe here. We all knew the risk. Hell, it's just as much my fault as anyone's. I should have followed them. If I'd been there, none of this would have happened." He wasn't really taking the blame on himself, so much as he was trying to make a point. "None of us knew this was going to happen. It's over. Beating yourself up over it isn't going to change anything." He should know. He'd beaten himself up often enough for his mistakes.

She listened without really listening, holding the blame too close to let it just slip away. She had no idea how she was going to be able to look Jon in the eye now, knowing that her laxity had almost cost him the lives of his wife and child. But Johnny didn't deserve to be bogged down in her guilt, so Liv made an effort, managing a smile that was almost convincing this time. "I know, I know, it's over and done with," she sighed, shrugging one shoulder. "Get over it, huh?"

He frowned at her, unconvinced, knowing her better than that, knowing she was just telling him what he wanted to hear. She wouldn't be pouting out here if it wasn't eating her up inside. "Look, Jon and Vicki knew the risks as well as anyone. Think of it this way....Now we know who the stalker was and she's been taken care of. She's not gonna try and hurt them again, Livvie. I made sure of that."

"I know, I do know," she insisted, twisting to face him properly, her hands folded on his thigh. "But knowing that still doesn't mean that I didn't completely mess up. I put them in danger because I didn't overestimate the risk, because I didn't do my job." Obviously, she wasn't paying much attention to what she was saying. She was blaming herself for something that she had no control over, something Jon didn't pay her to deal with. "Humphrey's right," she admitted unhappily. "I should resign and let Jon find someone who can actually do the job properly."

Olivia Storm

Date: 2012-11-21 04:46 EST
"Are you even hearing yourself" You're his assistant, Liv! You're not his babysitter. You're not his bodyguard. There was plenty of security. That....thing that was after them fooled us all. It would have found a way, no matter what you'd done to prevent it. Stop blaming yourself or it's gonna eat you alive." His eyes pleaded with her to listen to him. He'd already been there so many times, blaming himself for things that weren't his fault, for just being human.

The soft brown eyes that looked at him, so vulnerable in their own way all the time, were on the verge of tears as she chewed at her lower lip, hating that he felt he had to plead with her just to make her listen. Liv swallowed, and finally offered up what was really bothering her. "What if they don't want to be my friends after this?" she ventured very softly, and there was the crux of the matter. Johnny knew by now that Liv did not have many people she could call friend. He was the closest person in her life, and for a long time, he had been the only person, not including her sister. The thought of having failed so badly at being a friend was what was hurting his soft-hearted girlfriend, rather than the knowledge of the blame attached to her.

That admission caused Johnny's jaw to drop open, brows raised in undisguised shock. "What' Don't be ridiculous. Why wouldn't they want to be your friend" You're worrying too much, Liv. You're upset and exhausted and you're over-thinking things. Jon adores you. Vicki adores you. They are not going to hold you responsible for what some....some....rabid fangirl tried to do to them, and you know what? If they do, then those kinds of friends aren't worth having anyway." It was a lot to say all in one breath, and Johnny huffed when he was done, his face a little flushed, his temperature rising a little more than usual.

She couldn't not smile at his instinctive defence of her; at his insistence that if she wasn't forgiven, then they weren't worth worrying over. Her hands rose, stroking his cheeks gently. "Calm down," she told him, feeling that rise in his temperature. Heat was heat to most people, but Liv had learned to tell the subtle nuances apart from one another. "You're right, I'm upset, and I'm not comfortable in this house with that horrible old man, but I don't want to leave until I know Jon and Vicki are all right. Am I being unreasonable?"

He sighed, taking a breath to calm himself down and took her hand in his own, warm and reassuring. "No, you're not. They're your friends and you care about them, but honey, please....Come inside and try to get some sleep. No one blames you. No one hates you. We all love you. Don't make me call Lucy to talk some sense into you." It was a threat he didn't really want to make, but one he'd carry through on if he had to.

Her eyes narrowed at him warningly, but the prospect of being given a good talking to by her twin sister was enough to bring a real smile to her face. "You wouldn't dare," she challenged him, curling both her hands around his one as he cajoled her.

"You wanna bet?" he countered, cracking a smile himself, despite all the drama of the last twenty-four hours or so. He pushed to his feet, tugging her along with him, looking more than a little exhausted, and knowing she felt the same. "Come on, Liv. There's nothing else you can do, until they wake up. Come and try to get some sleep. If you can't do it for yourself, then do it for me. I'm exhausted, and I can't sleep alone anymore!" Sure, he could, if he had to, but he was hoping it would finally convince her to give in.

Tugged up onto her feet, she met his gaze and finally sighed, giving in with a soft smile. "Fine," she conceded, tucking close as she turned back to the house. "I can't let you run yourself into the ground just because I'm being a worrywart, so I'll come and be your personal comforter so you can get some sleep. Happy?" It wasn't quite what he was aiming for, but they both knew once he got her into bed, she wasn't going anywhere.

"Very," he flashed a grin, happy he got his way, at least. She needed to get some sleep, and he had a feeling that once they awoke, things in the household would calm down a little and everyone would realize - including Liv - that she hadn't been to blame. With any luck, Jon and Vicki would feel well enough to tell her themselves, and maybe even the Old Man would calm down now that his family had been returned home safely. He tugged her back inside the house, only to be greeted at the door by a very affectionate collie. "See" Even Cosmo is worried about you!" Johnny said with a smile. He had grown rather fond of the dog himself, never having had a pet of his own.

She laughed as Cosmo nuzzled up to them, bending to scratch the collie's ears as he squeezed himself between the couple, shamelessly making the most of Johnny's warmth for as long as he was allowed to. "Oh, I think Cosmo's just worried that he won't get fed and walked in the morning if he's still shut out of their rooms, aren't you?" Liv countered, hugging to Johnny's side fondly. "Guess whose job that is?"

Johnny slid an arm around her waist, despite the dog trying to horn in between them. "I can take care of it. Cosmo and I are great pals, aren't we, Cos?" Johnny leaned over to ruffle the dog's ears. Cosmo barked in reply, as if he knew exactly what Johnny had asked him, and Johnny winced, tossing a glance at the stairs. "Shhh," he scolded the collie. "Quiet or you're gonna get us in trouble," he warned, but the collie only wagged his tail happily at them.

The house was quiet, but it was a watchful kind of quiet, the sort that told you no one was really sleeping but the ones who were being watched over. Cosmo's claws made tapping noises on the hardwood stairs as he led the couple upward, pausing at the top as though unsure where they were supposed to go. He knew where Humphrey slept, and of course he knew where Jon and Vicki were, but not where Liv and Johnny were supposed to be sleeping. Liv smiled faintly, resting her cheek against Johnny's shoulder. "I think you might actually have more energy than this dog, you know," she murmured teasingly, squeezing her boyfriend about the waist. Her mood hadn't exactly lifted, but it was definitely lighter now than it had been before he had come to find her.

He grinned back at her, taking what she said as a compliment, whether it was meant that way or not. It was true - he had more than enough energy and had a habit of being a little bit on the hyperactive side, but if there was one person who knew how to calm him down, it was Liv. "I'm the Energizer Bunny. I keep going and going and going..." And he'd probably keep going if she didn't shut him up quick.

She giggled, nudging Cosmo out of the way to pull Johnny down to her, shutting him up with a soft kiss. "Shush," she told him with a smile. "You'll get me in more trouble with Humphrey if we wake him up."

"Oh, I'm sure the Old Man knows a thing or two about young love," he replied with a smile, letting her shush him with a kiss before tugging her down the hall toward their room, thankfully nowhere near the Humphrey's quarters. "What do you think would happen if we jumped on the bed?" he smirked, though there was a chance he might set the place on fire, literally, if he got too rambunctious and out of control. In truth, he was just teasing, pleased to have gotten a giggle out of Liv. It wasn't that he didn't take what had happened that morning seriously; just the opposite, in fact, and he was coping the only way he knew how - by making other people smile and laugh.

Olivia Storm

Date: 2012-11-21 04:51 EST
"I think we might break it, that's what I think," was Liv's far too practical response, despite her smile. "And even on my salary, I don't think we could afford to buy a replacement. Everything here is so old." As Cosmo padded along behind them, apparently making a decision to stay with his owner's P.A. and her boyfriend rather than break into anyone else's bedroom, Liv untucked her arm from Johnny's waist, reaching up to take hold of the tag on his zipper. "Apart from you, obviously," she added, deliberately making an effort not to linger in her less than happy mood as she led him into their room. "You're so new, you're still shrink-wrapped."

"Shrink-wrapped" Me?" He chuckled. "Oh, we should wrap each other in bubble wrap sometime, only I think it would melt before you could pop me." Okay, that didn't exactly sound right, and he was turning silly now, but that was just the way Johnny was. And like everyone else in the house, he was overtired and his nerves were frazzled, despite his attempt to hide it. What was the worst that could happen" She loses her job and they end up back in their old crappy apartment again. He was on the cusp of finding a new job, but he hadn't had a chance to talk to her about it yet. "You know, back home, they make Johnny Storm action figures. I can get you one if you want, but they're not anatomically correct."

She turned, backing into the set of rooms they'd been directed to hours beforehand, still drawing him along by the zipper. It didn't surprise her that the bed was a mess - Johnny hadn't quite gotten the hang of making a bed after he got out of it yet, and she doubted he ever would. "Johnny," she murmured softly, releasing him as Cosmo padded in with them and took up position on the end of the bed, "you're babbling. And I should know, I babble all the time when I'm upset."

He blinked as he got dragged into the room. "I'm not babbling." He glanced at the dog who was making himself home at the end of the bed. "Cosmo, am I babbling" One bark for no, two for yes." Cosmo tilted his head at Johnny and perked an ear, then barked once. "See?" Johnny said, jerking a thumb at the dog. "Not babbling. The dog says so." He grinned stupidly. Okay, so he was babbling a little, but she wasn't pouting anymore, was she" So there was a point to his idiocy.

Liv's brows rose as she glanced between man and dog, obviously outnumbered. "Oh, so you two are ganging up on me now, are you?" she asked them, tired but too on edge to sleep just yet. "Maybe you should cuddle up with each other, then, and I'll find something else to do." She reached over to scratch Cosmo's ears once again, dropping a kiss on the dog's nose and flashing a faint smirk toward her boyfriend as she moved to take off her coat.

Johnny pouted, and Cosmo perked both ears, tilting his head as if to sort out what Liv was trying to tell him. "Liv, don't tell Cos, but he f-a-r-t-s. I think it's what your boss feeds him. Too many veggie burgers or something." Johnny smiled at Cosmo and scritched behind the dog's ears, as if he didn't want the dog to know they were talking about him. "Good boy." He made no move to kick the dog off the bed or otherwise scold him, dropping onto the bed and rubbing the dog's fur as he watched Liv take off her coat, and presumably make herself comfortable. "Maybe we should get a dog sometime. Doctor Valkonan said I should get a dalmation."

She folded her coat over the back of a chair, kicking out of her boots in the same moment before demurely working her tights down from her hips without actually lifting the hem of her dress at all. "Getting a dog is a big commitment, Johnny," she reminded him quietly, leaning back against the wall to pull the hosiery off one foot at a time. "Do you think we're ready for that' Because, you know, a lot of people get pets as practise for having children." And wasn't that a scary thought"

He was clearly distracted by the hosiery removal, even more so than the dog who was attempting to climb on top of him and lick his face. For some reason, Cosmo liked Johnny, even though Johnny had a very warm nose. Maybe it was because Johnny was like a big kid and never seemed to mind playing with him. "Don't you want kids someday?" he asked, pouting a little. No, he wasn't ready for them yet, but someday. He didn't want to admit it, but he was a little envious of Jon and Vicki. They seemed to have everything, including a baby on the way. Or maybe he was just missing his sister, who was due any day now.

She blushed at the question, not really able to imagine herself with a child of her own right now but hopeful that it would happen at some point. "Someday," she agreed with a shy smile. "It would be nice to have a family of our own, someday." She laid her tights down on top of her coat and stretched slowly. "I'm too agitated to sleep."

Cosmo plopped down on top of Johnny's chest, looking very comfortable and like he wasn't in any hurry to move. Johnny arched a brow at Liv's reply, somewhat surprised at the remark about having a family, not about being too agitated to sleep. "Really?" Though he was tired, he was just as wound up as she was, but there was one sure fire way to calm them both down, and they both knew what it was. The only problem was convincing the dog to share.

Liv laughed aloud at the sight of her boyfriend pinned to the bed by that overactive dog, pushing off the wall to move and shut both sets of doors that led into the room. "Really," she told Johnny, her smile only a little less shy this time. "I don't mean a specific someday next year, but ....just someday." She shrugged lightly, moving to set a knee on the end of the bed to rub her fingers along Cosmo's back, genuinely amused by the trap Johnny had found himself in. "Why, did you think I was going to say no?"

Johnny looked up at Liv from his prone and pinned down position beneath the dog, not looking like he really minded very much, though he was probably going to have to choose between Liv and Cosmo very soon. He shrugged his shoulders, his fingers rubbing at the dog's fur. "I don't know. We haven't really talked about it much. I kinda figured you'd want to do things in order." Meaning getting married first, and that hadn't been discussed yet either. "I mean, if something happens, I'd be okay with that," he added quickly, not wanting her to think he was opposed to children, just the opposite, in fact, but he didn't think either of them was ready just yet.

"Well, no, obviously if something happens, I wouldn't be against it," she agreed hurriedly, not wanting him to think she was against the idea at all. "But you're right, and we're not really in the best place to be thinking about starting a family yet. Not that we can't practise, of course." She carefully didn't look him in the eye as she said that, picking grass seeds out of Cosmo's tail with a tiny smirk.

He took that the wrong way, assuming she meant they should practice taking care of a baby, not trying to make one. "I'm not so sure Cosmo would like wearing a diaper, Liv," he pointed out with a serious face. Whether he was kidding or not was not quite clear. "Is babysitting going to be part of your job description, too?"

Olivia Storm

Date: 2012-11-21 04:55 EST
She laughed again, the sound sudden and openly amused, startling Cosmo, who barked over his shoulder at her. "Oh, sorry, Cos," she smiled, ruffling the dog's fur affectionately. Her eyes rose to meet Johnny's. "I wasn't exactly referring to looking after a baby, sweetheart. And, uh ....well, I don't think Jon would write babysitting into my job description. Can you see him handing the baby over to anyone for the next couple of years, even for one night?"

Johnny shrugged again. He didn't really know Jon well enough to make that call. "He's a busy guy, Liv. They're going to need a babysitter at some point." Though he assumed the couple's first choice wouldn't be them. His thoughts drifted back to Vicki and the baby and what might have happened tonight. He hadn't told Liv or anyone much about the horrors he'd seen in the catacombs beneath the city, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. It would only make her feel guilty again, but he couldn't help stifle a shudder, despite his own heat, at the memory of it.

"Hey ..." She'd seen the shudder, moving to lie down as close as she could despite the dog, reaching over to stroke her fingers along his hairline. "You can talk to me, you know. I promise I won't freak out about it." Cosmo yawned, settling his head on his front paws as he watched them, intelligent eyes passing back and forth.

Still frowning, he really wasn't sure he wanted to talk about it. He'd seen some pretty horrible things in his life, but what he'd seen today just about took the cake. "I just don't understand why anyone would want to do something like that." But then, it was obvious the girl had been psychotic, even before she'd been turned into whatever she'd been turned into. "There's nothing left of her. I made sure of that."

"I know," Liv nodded slowly, giving Cosmo's rear end a gentle shove so she could inch closer, drawing her fingertips through Johnny's hair in a rhythmic, soothing motion. "Vicki asked me to thank you for what you did. I think it means a lot to them that you were the first friendly face they saw when it ....when things were over."

Johnny shrugged again. The....thing....was already dead by the time he got there. It seemed Jon had taken care of that, not without getting himself hurt, but at least Vicki and the baby were safe. As for Johnny, he didn't like killing things, and the smell of scorched flesh was always hard to forget, but sometimes it was unavoidably necessary. "All's well that ends well, I guess," he replied, trying to seem as nonchalant about it as possible. He gave Cosmo a nudge and the dog seemed to sense that his comfy spot was being claimed by Liv.

Liv's brow rose very slightly as Cosmo finally took the hint and slithered off the end of the bed, allowing her to take his place close beside Johnny. "I know you saw something that disturbed you, sweetheart," she told him quietly. "You've had a haunted look about you all day, I just ....I don't want to put pressure on you to talk to me if you don't want to, but I can't stand the thought of you suffering with it all alone."

Johnny frowned worriedly as he turned his eyes to her, trying hard to hide that haunted expression that she seemed to have already noticed. "I don't want you to feel guilty anymore, Liv. None of this was your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. No one could have known this would happen. If I'd known..." His frown deepened. "I could have prevented it."

Her smile turned sad, unhappy that he was feeling as much to blame as she was. "Don't do this to yourself," she told him softly, leaning close to touch her forehead to his. "You are no more to blame than any of us. Less. Ifs and maybes make poor friends. It's done now, like you said. All we can do is try to ensure that it doesn't happen again." Her lips brushed the corner of his mouth, fingertips stroking along his jaw. "I promise, I won't feel any more guilt about it than I have already."

He shuddered again at the thought of what that thing had been going to do to Vicki. He didn't have to be told; it was pretty obvious even to him from what he'd seen. "I don't want to talk about it. I just want to forget about it," he told her, a pleading look in his blue eyes. Whatever it was he'd seen down there, no matter how cavalier he'd been about it at the time, had disturbed him.

"Okay." Lucy would have pushed him for all the details, just to get them out in the open; Liv, though concerned for her lover, didn't want to force him into saying anything. He'd talk to her when he was ready, she was certain of that, even if it took years. She rolled onto her side, pressed close against him, leaning up on her elbow as she looked down into his eyes. "What can I do to help?"

"Just..." He hesitated a minute, knowing there was no way she could make him forget what he'd seen there, though it would get easier with time. He only hoped Jon and Vicki would be able to get past it. "Just....make me forget about it for a while," he replied. He wasn't going to be able to sleep til he got those images out of his head. Everytime he closed his eyes, it was all he saw.

Liv blinked slowly, not entirely sure what he was asking her. How could she wipe what he'd seen from his mind, she wondered, still drawing her fingers up and down his jaw in an affectionately absent caress. "How?" she asked softly, settled close to him, not understanding how she could possibly help him this way at all.

Oh, she knew how; she just didn't know it yet, but he'd give her a hint. He slid a hand around the back of her neck and drew her down for a kiss. Not only would he forget for a little while, but maybe they'd wear each other out enough that they could finally get some much-needed rest.

Her lips softened as he drew her to him, easily seduced into the kiss as comprehension dawned on her. Her frown slowly wiped itself away as her lips moved with his, gently teasing into a deeper kiss as her hand drifted to lay flat against his chest. "Oh," she murmured against his lips, a half-smile on her face. "Like that, then."

"Yeah, like that," he smiled affectionately up at her, as her lips broke from his, heat radiating from him into her as nestled close. He let his fingers drift through her hair. "Unless you're too tired," he added, not wanting to press matters. He was happy just to be near her, comforted by her closeness. It was enough, if that was all she wanted.

She giggled softly, touching a second kiss to his lips as he smiled up at her. "I'm never too tired for you, love," was her gentle answer, easing herself up and over him as her lips plied his with innumerable gentle kisses. Yes, they were both tired, but neither of them were ready to sleep. Not yet, anyway.

They were also both dressed, but that could be rectified easily enough. Johnny started by peeling off Liv's clothes one piece at a time. Granted, she had a head start, her coat and boots and hose already removed, but in no time at all, he had her dress and lingerie off, all of it landing near Cosmo, the bra on top of the dog's furry head.

Olivia Storm

Date: 2012-11-21 04:59 EST
He really was far too good at that, distracting her with kisses until she was definitely at a disadvantage as far as clothing was concerned. She had no idea how he did it, either, especially since he was wearing less than her this time. Somewhere in the middle of the kisses and caresses, she caught sight of Cosmo and his new hat, and broke into a fit of giggles, pulling Johnny's zipper down to bury her face in his bare chest as she laughed at the sight of the dog pawing at pink satin and lace.

"What?" he asked, unsure what the joke was and wondering if she was laughing at him for some reason. "Do I have something on my face?" He rubbed a finger against this cheek, wondering if she'd gotten lipstick on him or something, or maybe he was covered in dog fur. He glanced over at Cosmo and chuckled. "Oh, looks like Cos likes your undies as much as I do."

Still giggling, Liv curled herself close to Johnny, pressing a slow, open-mouthed kiss to his jaw. "Maybe you should take him with you next time you go shopping," she suggested teasingly, slipping her hand down inside his suit, smoothing her palm over the hot skin she loved to feel against her own. "How did you end up being the overdressed one here?"

Johnny rolled his eyes and smirked. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure they'd love to let him run free in Victoria's Secret and sniff all the panties!" He could just imagine it in his head, wondering if the women would find Cosmo cute or a nuisance. Personally, Johnny was rather fond of the dog. If he didn't already belong to Jon, he'd have wanted him for his own. He sighed as her hand slid inside his suit and against his skin. "I dunno. Think we should do something about that?"

Liv actually snickered softly at the mental image conjured of Johnny and Cosmo terrorising the women in Victoria's Secret, nuzzling to his throat and daring to touch the tip of her tongue to the pulse that beat just beneath his skin. "We definitely should," she agreed in a low voice, easing that roaming hand up to begin the task of peeling his uniform suit off him, following the line of the fabric with slow kisses.

He could have had that suit off in a jiffy, but it was more fun letting her do it her way. His eyes drifted closed as she peeled the zipper away, all the tension going out of him at the plying of her kisses, though his body heat was rising.

She was definitely taking her time, feeling the tension bleed out of him as her kisses followed the slow uncovering of his body, tracing down along his ribs, over the curve of his hip, and down over a thigh, the tumble of her hair teasing a slightly different part of his anatomy as her fingers stripped the fabric from him. Dark eyes rose to meet his as she crawled up to lean over him, nuzzling a teasing little kiss to the end of his nose. "Feeling better yet, love?"

"I'll feel even better in a little while," he teased, a small smirk on his face. Whatever was bothering him a little while ago seemed forgotten, at least for the moment, thanks to Olivia. He rolled to push her onto her back, his body covering hers, capturing her lips and kissing her deeply, not letting go until they were both nearly out of breath.

Her own sense of guilt and responsibility over the events of the morning were slowly being wiped clean away by the loving attention of the man who covered her, filling her senses with everything that was quintessentially him. Johnny had a unique way of focusing Liv's mind on one sole object, namely him, when her thoughts were trying to flit off in every other direction. Even the presence of the dog, sat down on the floor at the end of the bed, didn't emerge into her mind as she moaned softly into her lover's kisses, reluctantly gasping for breath when he released her mouth from his. Her arms rose to curl around him, holding him close as she nuzzled tenderly against his jaw, whispering to him three simple words that meant so much more than the sum of their parts. "I love you."

Johnny smiled into Liv's kisses, thoroughly enjoying the attention, forgetting, for at least a little while, the guilt and the horror of the last few hours to focus his attention on the woman he loved. "I love you, too," he echoed those three simple words that seemed to so inadequately describe the depth of his feelings for her. "Are you tired?" he asked, as he took a break from kissing her, unsure if she wanted him to continue on to the inevitable or if she just wanted to be close, no pressure from him either way, though his body betrayed him and obviously wanted more. He was content just to be close, if that's all she wanted. Strange how he'd never felt that way before with anyone, until he'd met her.

Her lips formed a soft little bow of a pout when he drew back, interrupting their sojourn into their own little world where nothing mattered but them with an enquiry as to her state. Rather than answer him straightaway, Liv surged up to claim his lips with further kisses, distracting herself from the unfamiliar room, the unfamiliar bed, the knowledge of others in rooms not so very far away from them at that moment. This time, as their lips parted, she nipped him in a soft challenge, dark eyes opening to sparkle inviting up at him. "I will be when we're done."

That was all the answer he needed really, a smile slowly spreading across his face. Whatever had happened over the past few hours was temporarily forgotten, and one way or another, he'd make sure she didn't take the blame or blame herself. Encouraged by her answer, he wasted no more time in claiming her, teasing and tantalizing every inch of her until she begged him to stop and he could no longer hold himself back. He moved against her and with her and inside her, building the tension, stoking the fire that was already brightly burning, until it was nearly out of control, holding himself back long enough to allow her to catch up with him. Cosmo watched, head tilted to one side, while the silly pair of humans writhed and moaned and laughed until they almost cried, tangled together like a human pretzel, rolling together on the bed to fight for control until they nearly joined him on the floor.

His smile was all the warning she needed that Johnny was going to make it his mission not only to distract her mind but to turn it into utterly unfocused goo, unable to think over anything but how he made her feel, inside and out. And my goodness, didn't he do just that. When, after what could have been an age but in reality was less than an hour, they came to rest, Liv was deliciously boneless in his arms, warmed through and reassured, curled as close as she could as the worry and tension of the day began to catch up to her, making her eyes heavy with weariness. "Mmmm," she sighed happily, brushing her lips against his shoulder as one hand grope to draw a single sheet over them. "You really are very good at that."

"I know," he replied with an immodest grin as he settled himself on the pillows beside her, sliding his arms around her and drawing her close once she had covered them with the sheet. No blankets were needed so long as he was around. He whistled once and Cosmo thumped up onto the bed to join them, wagging his tail and licking a tongue across Liv's face. If he was left to his own devices, Johnny was going to spoil that dog worse than his owner. He chuckled as Cosmo offered his own brand of affection. "See? Even Cos loves you!"

She was almost completely nestled into the contour of Johnny's side when Cosmo joined them, letting out a quiet squeal of laughter as a wet tongue stroked over her cheek and a cold nose pressed into her temple. "Oh, you ..." Not even Liv could come up with a decent insult for the tail-wagging canine as he stood over them, reaching up to rub her fingers into his black and white fur. "You're a very cheeky mutt," was what she eventually came up with, followed up with a grunt as the flop of said mutt down on top of both of them knocked the breath from her lungs.

Giggling quietly, she resumed her comfortably rest close in against Johnny, one hand stroking her fingers in and out of Cosmo's fur. "Maybe we should get a dog," she murmured thoughtfully. "Because, you know, a cat would just be attached to you constantly, and you're paranoid about boil in a bag fish."

Olivia Storm

Date: 2012-11-21 05:04 EST
He laughed at Liv's reaction to Cosmo, rather fond of the dog, and amused by his antics and ability to make Liv smile. That was, in and of itself, enough reason to be fond of the dog. "A cat?" he echoed. "Why would a cat..." And then it struck him that cats like to lay in the sun all day and one would probably attach itself to him in order to soak up the heat. "Oh. A dog it is then! Besides, Cosmo could use a pal, couldn't you, Cossie?" he asked, talking to the dog like he was a child as he ruffled Cosmo's ears. "A fish would be a bad idea, Liv," he agreed, unless maybe it was a tropical fish or one that thrived in hot water.

"Cossie?" This nickname for the dog brought another bubble of mirth breaking from her lips, wondering if she should enlighten Johnny about yet another piece of English vernacular that he was inadvertantly using. She decided against it, purely so she could see Vicki's face the first time the dog was referred to as such in front of her. There were perks to coming from the same rough environs as your boss' wife, after all. Calming herself, she sighed, more content with the world in general now they had purged the tension from one another. "We could adopt a dog from the shelter," she suggested softly. "Rather than finding a breeder. Cosmo's a shelter dog, I think, and he turned out all right."

He let go of the dog's ears, brightening at Liv's suggestion. He'd never had a dog before, and from the look on his face, he liked the idea, looking like a kid at Christmas opening his gifts. He hadn't told her much about his past or his childhood, but it hadn't been all that happy, and pets had been out of the question, at least, after his mother had died. "I like that idea. We could adopt an orphan, like us." It seemed appropriate somehow that they save a dog who was lost or no longer wanted and had no home or family, not so unlike them at one time or another.

She smiled sleepily, tipping her head back to look up at him and watch as his face lit up at the thought of a new addition to their little family. "Yes, I like that idea myself," she agreed, nodding a little. "And we can do it properly, let the people at the shelter decide if we're suitable for a dog. I wouldn't want to force it, not if we're not quite ready for the responsibility."

His smile suddenly turned to a frown. "Why wouldn't we be suitable" We have a roof over our head and money for food and vet bills. I don't mind taking walks. I'm ready, Liv! And like you said before, it will be good practice." For having a family, that is. He knew he'd been irresponsible in the past, but he'd changed. "Besides, I'm gonna start working soon, and he could be our mascot."

She laughed a little again at his enthusiasm, lifting her hand from Cosmo's fur to lay her fingers gently against Johnny's lips, stilling his insistence as she shifted to look up at him more comfortably. "Your mascot?" she queried, one brow rising curiously. "So the fire department did hire you?" Her smile grew as she looked up at him fondly, proud of him for going through with the idea that had been plaguing him for months now.

"Not exactly, but I'm this close," he said, lifting a hand and holding his thumb and forefinger a mere inch apart. "I just have to pass the physical. Think I'll have any problems with that?" He smirked, knowing he was a shoe-in at this point. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Take you for a ride in a fire engine." His smile widened again. What little boy didn't want to be a fireman when he grew up" It had been a lifelong dream of Johnny's to be a hero; he just hadn't figured it all out until recently, and what better job for a guy who was immune to fire than to be a firefighter"

Liv beamed, pleased with and for him for this leap. He'd been ever so slightly lost since the Wonderplex had closed; before that, in fact. They'd both been questioning what they were supposed to do, and her gaining a job as Jon's P.A. had only reinforced for Johnny that he wasn't quite where he wanted to be. "I'm so proud of you," she told him lovingly, rolling to touch a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. Dislodged by this movement, Cosmo whined a little, settling himself once again over them as firmly as he could, making her laugh. "I think we're disturbing his beauty sleep."

Johnny smiled at the kiss, rather proud of himself and pleased that she was proud of him, too. He'd once told his sister that becoming the Torch was the best thing that had ever happened to him, but the truth was the best thing that had ever happened to him was lying right beside him. "He'll get over it," Johnny replied. "Think he's got a long lost twin somewhere?" Yes, he'd gotten a little attached to the dog, who was often as hyper as he was.

"Oh, you want me knocked on my arse at home as well as at work now?" Liv asked with a chuckle, settling beside him once again. She hadn't let go of her sense of guilt, but under Johnny's influence, it was simmering in the background, not dominating her mind as it had been for most of the day. "Knowing you, we'll end up with something half the size of me and twice as strong," she guessed with a grin, not really minding what they ended up with, so long as it liked her.

He laughed again, imagining her trying to walk a Saint Bernard, or better yet, trying to walk two Cosmos at the same time. "Would you rather have a poodle you can tuck in your purse?" he teased, reaching over to tweak her cute little nose.

She grimaced laughingly, batting at his hand as he tweaked at her nose. "Oh God, no," was her response to that. "I am not now, nor will I ever be, a lover of the purse puppy. It's cruel!" She reached up to tweak his nose in return, rounding out the touch with a soft sweep of her thumb over his lips. "I would rather be dragged all over creation by a hyperactive Husky than be stuck with some noisy little yapper-type dog in a bag."

"I'm a bit of a yapper at times," he replied with a smile, brushing his fingers against her cheek, as he snugged against her, his warmth radiating into both her and the dog, who was lazily dozing on top of them, resting his head against crossed paws. "Do you really think we'll have kids someday?" he asked, turning serious, wondering if they'd ever be as lucky as Jon and Vicki.

She sighed, nestling close against him, his warmth and the loving wrap of his arm about her lulling her once more toward sleep that would hopefully not be plagued with nightmares. "I'd like to, someday," she told him quietly, looping her arm over his chest in a lazy drape. "If you want to." She didn't mention the other possibility that was flickering through her mind, the possibility of not making more children together but of giving children who were without a home and parents a family who loved them. But that really was a discussion for another time.

"I want to, someday, but only with you," he told her quietly, sensing she was getting sleepy. He was exhausted, but refused to go to sleep until she did, afraid that as soon as he closed his eyes, the horrific images he'd witnessed in the catacombs beneath the city would return as nightmares. "Livvie?" he queried softly, snuggling close, knowing she was close to falling asleep.

She was almost asleep, enveloped in his warmth and pinned down by Cosmo's slumbering body, forcing herself to surface from the brink of dreams to respond to the nickname he only used occasionally. "Mmm?" she managed, blinking her eyes open for a moment.

"You wanna get married someday?" he asked, drowsy himself, not exactly a proposal, more just him needing a little reassurance that she wasn't going anywhere, that she really did want to be with him.

If he had asked her when she was fully awake, she would have sought to reassure him, to make it absolutely clear that no matter what happened, she was there to stay. But half-asleep and fading fast, she didn't have the fancy words to make it as clear as she would have liked, answering him with the first thing that came to mind, an honest answer from the heart. "M'just waiting for you to ask me."

He arched a surprised brow at her reply, glancing at Cosmo as if to ask to dog if he'd heard her right. She was just waiting for him to ask her" If he'd known that, he probably would have asked her already, but marriage....Johnny's stomach twisted into knots just thinking about it, a mix of nervous and excitement. He'd have to think on that a little bit. He couldn't very well ask her until he could afford to buy her a nice ring, anyway. He smiled as a thought came to mind, and he closed his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep with thoughts of Liv on his mind, the horror of the catacombs at least temporarily forgotten.

((Guilt abounds, and what will Johnny do to wipe that particular slate clean, do you think" Aside from propose properly, eventually, when he works up the nerve. :grin: Thanks, as always, to Johnny's player!))