Winter really was holding on tightly this year, but that barely seemed to matter in the Storm household. Between a father who could heat a room just by laughing uncontrollably, and a daughter who had been practicing warming up but not setting herself or anything else alight, Liv was certain their heating bill was going to be virtually non-existent. Not that she minded; at least she was absolutely certain that no one in the house was going to get ill from exposure. Bella, their supremely spoiled dog, had taken to Fliss' practices so well that she could barely tear herself from the teen's side, especially at night, which meant that Johnny and Liv were often treated to the sound of Fliss bouncing off walls on her way between the bedroom and bathroom after she went upstairs.
Laughing as the noise from above calmed down, Liv stretched comfortably, inching closer on the couch to take full advantage of Johnny's heat. "Well, at least we know they're not fighting over the pillow again tonight," she grinned, nestling into him affectionately.
"So long as it's Bella we're talking about and not a boy," Johnny replied, reaching out with one arm to draw Liv close into his warm embrace, like a human electric blanket. He was happy for now to sit snuggled close together and enjoy the quiet of the moment, which was rare now that a large dog and a teenage girl were living under their roof. There was something he wanted to talk to her about, but he wanted to wait for the right time.
Liv snorted with laughter, resting her cheek against his chest comfortably. She loved his heat, even in the middle of a broiling summer, and had never made any attempt to hide that fact. In winter, it was a wonderful bonus to being able to cuddle up to the man she loved. "I'll start worrying about boys only when she starts plucking up the courage to bring friends home."
"It's only a matter of time, Liv," he warned. "She's cute, smart, and pretty. If I was her age, I'd date her myself!" But of course, he wasn't, though he had dated girls like her. In fact, Liv wasn't so much different from Fliss, other than the fact that she was a few years older and didn't have any superpowers at her fingertips, but Johnny loved her even more for the fact that she was "normal". He hadn't had very good luck with women, but Liv understood him better than most. "Maybe she needs to make a few friends like herself. Realize she's not the only one out there who's ..." He paused a moment as if searching for the right word. Different' No. That wasn't it. "....who's special."
"Well, if there's anywhere she's going to make friends like that, it's at the Academy," Liv agreed quietly. She wasn't worried about Fliss, exactly; more concerned that there hadn't been much talk about friends, and no requests to go out with friends or have someone over yet. But then, Fliss seemed to still be on eggshells a little around them, despite the adoption going through without any trouble at all.
"Give her some time, Liv. She'll get there. She's been through a lot." Johnny knew Fliss had made a few friends, even if those friends were mostly the kids she babysat for in and around Maple Grove, but what she really needed was a friend of her own that was her own age, and as far as Johnny was concerned, that friend should preferably be female. "You remember what we were like at that age" I don't know about you, but I was a mess."
She laughed quietly, careful not to share the information that she hadn't really had friends at all during her teens. She'd hung around with Lucy's friends, who tolerated because Lucy told them to. "Everyone's different," she agreed in a thoughtful tone. "I can't help worrying about her, even if she's settling in far better than I ever hoped she would. I suppose it's called being a mother."
There was nothing more isolating than being the odd ball, and Johnny had certainly been that, though he'd managed to hide his own personal issues behind a facade of tom-foolery and bravado. He'd been the class clown in school, popular in the way that most troublemakers were, but he'd had few really close friends. He didn't want that for Fliss. He turned a soft smile on Liv, warm and full of affection for this woman who'd found him and taken him into her heart, like no one ever had before. "And you're awesome at it," he told her, leaning close to touch a kiss to her lips.
His lips found a soft smile, though she didn't say anything to agree or disagree with his confident statement. It would take time for Liv to have confidence in this new skill set she was acquiring, but time was what they had. "And she's absolutely certain the sun shines out of your ass, so you are clearly an amazing father."
Johnny chuckled at the imagery that stirred in his mind, imagining himself a rocket-ship lifting off from the ground with fire trailing behind him. The picture wasn't too far from reality, except that it was fire that propelled him, not sunshine. "Yeah, well ....I'm not perfect. That's for sure." He frowned a little at the thought of that. Though he was slowly gaining confidence, in good part thanks to Liv and Fliss, he still had his moments of weakness, and he couldn't help but wonder sometimes what the two of them saw in him. "I, um....have something to tell you, and you're probably not gonna like it."
She frowned in bemusement, looking up at him with a faint smile on her lips, uncertain quite what he could have done that would make him concerned about her reaction to it. "Why don't you tell me, then?" she told him gently. "We can find out together."
Oh, he knew she wasn't going to like it, and the worried look on his face said so. "I, uh ....I got a call from Nick Fury the other day." Inwardly cringing, he waited to see what her reaction to that would be before he went on.
Her brows rose slowly. Of course she knew who Nick Fury was, but she couldn't quite work out why he would be calling her husband, unless ....Her brow furrowed deeper for a moment. "Did Steve ask for you to do something with him?" she asked, not entirely sure whether she wanted an affirmative or negative response.
"Sort of," he replied, that frown still in place. He knew she wasn't going to like what he had to tell her, but he was proud of the fact that Steve had thought of him. Now that Liv had mentioned it, he realized it was more than likely Steve who'd suggested his involvement in this, rather than Fury. "I told him I had to ask you first," Johnny added.
She smiled gently. "Sweetheart, I know you," she reminded him in her soft way, twisting to meet his gaze more comfortably. "You wouldn't even have mentioned this unless you were seriously considering it. And serious consideration means it's something you feel you need to do. So what is it that they want you for?"
Laughing as the noise from above calmed down, Liv stretched comfortably, inching closer on the couch to take full advantage of Johnny's heat. "Well, at least we know they're not fighting over the pillow again tonight," she grinned, nestling into him affectionately.
"So long as it's Bella we're talking about and not a boy," Johnny replied, reaching out with one arm to draw Liv close into his warm embrace, like a human electric blanket. He was happy for now to sit snuggled close together and enjoy the quiet of the moment, which was rare now that a large dog and a teenage girl were living under their roof. There was something he wanted to talk to her about, but he wanted to wait for the right time.
Liv snorted with laughter, resting her cheek against his chest comfortably. She loved his heat, even in the middle of a broiling summer, and had never made any attempt to hide that fact. In winter, it was a wonderful bonus to being able to cuddle up to the man she loved. "I'll start worrying about boys only when she starts plucking up the courage to bring friends home."
"It's only a matter of time, Liv," he warned. "She's cute, smart, and pretty. If I was her age, I'd date her myself!" But of course, he wasn't, though he had dated girls like her. In fact, Liv wasn't so much different from Fliss, other than the fact that she was a few years older and didn't have any superpowers at her fingertips, but Johnny loved her even more for the fact that she was "normal". He hadn't had very good luck with women, but Liv understood him better than most. "Maybe she needs to make a few friends like herself. Realize she's not the only one out there who's ..." He paused a moment as if searching for the right word. Different' No. That wasn't it. "....who's special."
"Well, if there's anywhere she's going to make friends like that, it's at the Academy," Liv agreed quietly. She wasn't worried about Fliss, exactly; more concerned that there hadn't been much talk about friends, and no requests to go out with friends or have someone over yet. But then, Fliss seemed to still be on eggshells a little around them, despite the adoption going through without any trouble at all.
"Give her some time, Liv. She'll get there. She's been through a lot." Johnny knew Fliss had made a few friends, even if those friends were mostly the kids she babysat for in and around Maple Grove, but what she really needed was a friend of her own that was her own age, and as far as Johnny was concerned, that friend should preferably be female. "You remember what we were like at that age" I don't know about you, but I was a mess."
She laughed quietly, careful not to share the information that she hadn't really had friends at all during her teens. She'd hung around with Lucy's friends, who tolerated because Lucy told them to. "Everyone's different," she agreed in a thoughtful tone. "I can't help worrying about her, even if she's settling in far better than I ever hoped she would. I suppose it's called being a mother."
There was nothing more isolating than being the odd ball, and Johnny had certainly been that, though he'd managed to hide his own personal issues behind a facade of tom-foolery and bravado. He'd been the class clown in school, popular in the way that most troublemakers were, but he'd had few really close friends. He didn't want that for Fliss. He turned a soft smile on Liv, warm and full of affection for this woman who'd found him and taken him into her heart, like no one ever had before. "And you're awesome at it," he told her, leaning close to touch a kiss to her lips.
His lips found a soft smile, though she didn't say anything to agree or disagree with his confident statement. It would take time for Liv to have confidence in this new skill set she was acquiring, but time was what they had. "And she's absolutely certain the sun shines out of your ass, so you are clearly an amazing father."
Johnny chuckled at the imagery that stirred in his mind, imagining himself a rocket-ship lifting off from the ground with fire trailing behind him. The picture wasn't too far from reality, except that it was fire that propelled him, not sunshine. "Yeah, well ....I'm not perfect. That's for sure." He frowned a little at the thought of that. Though he was slowly gaining confidence, in good part thanks to Liv and Fliss, he still had his moments of weakness, and he couldn't help but wonder sometimes what the two of them saw in him. "I, um....have something to tell you, and you're probably not gonna like it."
She frowned in bemusement, looking up at him with a faint smile on her lips, uncertain quite what he could have done that would make him concerned about her reaction to it. "Why don't you tell me, then?" she told him gently. "We can find out together."
Oh, he knew she wasn't going to like it, and the worried look on his face said so. "I, uh ....I got a call from Nick Fury the other day." Inwardly cringing, he waited to see what her reaction to that would be before he went on.
Her brows rose slowly. Of course she knew who Nick Fury was, but she couldn't quite work out why he would be calling her husband, unless ....Her brow furrowed deeper for a moment. "Did Steve ask for you to do something with him?" she asked, not entirely sure whether she wanted an affirmative or negative response.
"Sort of," he replied, that frown still in place. He knew she wasn't going to like what he had to tell her, but he was proud of the fact that Steve had thought of him. Now that Liv had mentioned it, he realized it was more than likely Steve who'd suggested his involvement in this, rather than Fury. "I told him I had to ask you first," Johnny added.
She smiled gently. "Sweetheart, I know you," she reminded him in her soft way, twisting to meet his gaze more comfortably. "You wouldn't even have mentioned this unless you were seriously considering it. And serious consideration means it's something you feel you need to do. So what is it that they want you for?"