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By the time she finished her text conversation with Teagan, Sturm was already in her truck and getting ready to head out. She'd basically just finished in the shower when she got the invite, so it was easy enough to throw on clothes and head out right then.
... and of course to speed the whole way out to DA's house as fast as that shitty, ancient pickup can carry her. Ten minutes later, the Jotunn is at the door - which is already unlocked, it usually is - so she lets herself in. She got here fast enough that she's pretty sure Teagan's still in the shower - or at least someone is (there're like 200000 people in this house, so it could be any of them) so she takes up that familiar spot on the couch.
She leans her head back, letting her hair (which is still a bit damp) fan out behind her to maybe get a bit of an air dry while she waits...
Teagan is still in the shower, because cats like to do things the way that cats like to do them, and Teagan likes to be scrubbed very clean under the hottest water they can stand.
(They can stand very hot water, being Summer.)
When they open the door to the bathroom and realize that Sturm's in the living room? They step back into the bathroom, towel-wrapped, and Light-Shy their way into the big room where the motley usually sleeps in the same place. Boxers, jeans, sports bra, t-shirt, socks, still Light Shy, and they pad softly out to the living room again.
Is today the day when Teagan gets tossed across the room for being Light Shy? Let's find out, because they're standing behind the couch, and lean over to kiss the corner of Sturm's mouth upside-down, contract ending exactly when their mouth presses against the frost giant's skin.
Sturm doesn't hear a thing - y'know, because Light Shy. It's odd, to see her so relaxed, honestly - head back, eyes closed, slumped down on the couch with her legs out in front of her. It's easy to see why Teagan might think her an easy target for an invisible kiss-ambush.
Unfortunately... Sturm isn't the most chill person on the planet - and even though she's basically in the closest thing to home there is - she fuckin' yelps. Her eyes tear wide open, and in a flash, both of her massive hands bolt above her head - to either side of Teagan's face - and she looks terrified.
Good as she is at putting two and two together, it still takes her a half second to realize what happened - and she immediately lets go of Teagan, babbling an apology as her entire body seems to untense and melt. "Jesus Christ, I am so sorry." A hand moves to her heart. "... you scared the everloving fuck out of me."
Oh yeah. Turns out a person still can't just walk up behind Sturm and expect her not to lose her shit. Even twenty-something years later. Thanks, trauma.
Spider (they/them)Yesterday at 4:36 AM
It's been over a hundred years since the day that Teagan plus butcher knife equals an end to three years of hell, and the start of a century of a different kind of hell. It's been a few months since the last bump in that particular road, something about an iron sword.
The Mirrorskin, halfway into making some sort of ridiculous comment, freezes when Sturm yelps, and as the Ogre starts babbling an apology, smoothly stands up, rubbing their long-fingered hands through their short black hair.
"I've seen enough to know I shouldn't have done that," Teagan says, in quite a calm voice, actually. Very calm. "I'm the one who's sorry."
Her jaw just... sorta hangs open for a second as her brain creeps back from the edge of a shot of adrenaline, and then it snaps shut. Her brow furrows. Her frown appears. "I, uhh." She exhales, and her lips make a pbbbbt sound as she reaches up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "No, I've worked so hard to not react the way I did. So I shouldn't have reacted like that - especially here. Especially knowing how you like to creep around."
There's a pause as the ramifications of her actions sink in, and then "... are you okay, too?" in a very little, very quiet voice
"Instinctive reactions are instinctive reactions," Teagan replies, rubbing their long-fingered dark hands over their short hair once more, and then clambering over the back of the couch. "I'm glad you've worked hard to not do that, but... "
They roll their shoulders, sort of crouched on the couch and turned sideways toward Sturm, their knee bumping against her bicep. "... that shit doesn't go away." There've been implications and statements that Teagan knows that for a fact, after all. And a moment where the Mirrorskin very visibly starts to say 'I'm fine' by reflex.
Then stops. Takes a breath in. Lets it out through their nose. "That was unpleasant, but I will be okay, and it doesn't change anything."
"I know, I just..." She trails off, still pinching the bridge of her nose. She opens her eyes, and sits up - very slowly. She might not know the specifics of Teagan's traumatic experience, but there's a pretty high chance that Sturm's going to spend the rest of the evening taking every action at half-time. There's a soft groan that bubbles up from somewhere in the back of her throat when Teagan answers - and then quiet for a moment as she leans forward and hunches over and her hair cascades down around her face like a curtain.
"Okay, good." Beat. "Can we sit here for a bit... before we head out to do whatever?" The unspoken thing might be "or better yet, not go anywhere at all" but she doesn't say that aloud.
The Mirrorskin crouches next to Sturm, watching her as she goes through the moments after she realizes that, yeah, that didn't land that great. And when she hunches over, Teagan lets out a long, slow sigh. "Shit happens, doll. Shit especially happens when we both have old scars and we're, like... both fucking gremlins." That's said quietly enough to not carry, because this house is full of people. "I ain't mad. I ain't upset. You didn't do anything wrong."
"We can," Teagan affirms quietly, and then they lean forward, shifting their weight so they're kneeling next to her instead of crouching; they wrap their long-muscled arms around her shoulders and bury their face in that cascade of white hair. "We don't have to go anywhere. We can stay here." They lapse into silence for a moment.
The thing about most modern folk-punk stuff is that it doesn't require someone to be a very good singer to sing it passingly well. Which is good, because Teagan isn't that great of a singer. It's a good thing they're singing very, very quietly, for an audience of one, so no one else has to get subjected to this shit.
I'll take my time
And I'll take my chances
I'm going to find you
As long as I'm still standing
And I will call you home
"Would like that. Maybe just have a... fuckin' quiet night - at least until my heart realizes it doesn't have to explode." Sturm is content to just sit here and be held. In this moment - despite the sound of rushing blood pounding in her ears - she's comfortable enough that it wouldn't be surprising if she stayed like this all evening.
...and then Teagan starts singing one of the songs from her playlist. She shifts her weight over onto one side, and slowly - so she doesn't disturb the singing mirror too much - wraps a newly-freed arm around their shoulder, and pulls them into a sight hug. She's quiet for a few seconds after they finish singing. "Fuck you, I'm not gonna cry again," her tone might be playful snark, but her voice is hoarse and low. She clears her throat. Yep, nothin' to see here, folx. Definitely not any strong feelings.
A door opens somewhere, and there's a few muffled noises as someone shuffled along to the kitchen, clattering a few cups in there. The fridge door opens, and Glitch blearily wanders through the living room holding a bowl of cereal, looking still mostly asleep.
"If your heart explodes," Teagan answers after they stop singing, "I would like it to be from good feelings, okay?" They kiss her hair, a smooch at the base of one of her horns. Long-muscled arms squeeze around her shoulders, and they quietly pet her, too. The freed arm that wraps around them brings on a low, contented sound, something close to a purr.
"Oh, whatever," Teagan murmurs when she says she's not going to cry. This is, of course, a person who has cried exactly once in the last three years.
And then they take in a slow, calm breath. "Oh, hey Glitch." Like it's very normal that Glitch would just be here during this emotional moment.
It is, for Teagan.
Sturm turns her head, leaning into the kiss they placed at the base of her horns, and she takes a deep breath. "Oh, hey Glitch," she echoes Teagan - though her call probably isn't quite as enthusiastic about having an audience, and maybe it also sounds a bit muffled. Like, as if the Jotunn had her face pressed into her palm or something. "Sorry if I woke you up. Didn't mean to be so loud."
Glitch looks far less imposing tromping around barefoot in an oversized black sleep shirt. He yawns and rubs an eye with one hand, the other holding his cereal. "Sok. Teag, don't scare her, that was a pretty fuckin loud yell." Yawning, he turns away slowly and starts shuffling back towards his room, spilling some milk on the floor in the process.
Spider (they/them)Yesterday at 6:47 AM
"I kissed her," Teagan kind of sulks in Glitch's direction, and sticks their tongue out at his back. This is unusual, usually Glitch is the one acting bratty like that, but, these things happen. "You spilled on the floor," they call after him. "If you don't clean it up Sigrun will get annoyed."
It's true, though. Sigrun will get annoyed.
Sturm just sorta groans again. Yeah. That was what happened, wasn't it? She was scared of being kissed. "He can go back to bed and I can get it," she murmurs, turning her head again. So she's facing Teagan. She's trying to smirk at least. "Would really hate to annoy Sigrun, y'know?"
They're still kneeling next to Sturm, and their arms loop lazily around her shoulders as she turns more to face them. "Well, that is what happened," they point out quietly, and then lean in to kiss the corner of her mouth again, right where the smirk attempt is. "I would really hate to annoy Sigrun. She gets really... tetchy."
"Ugh, it is. I'm sorry." Sturm turns into the kiss so it lands fully on her mouth, and then she breaks into a grin. Y'know. Like a gremlin might. There's a small pause. "Well. I wanna make a joke, but I'm too sleepy for sarcasm." Beat. "I'm sure you're real comfy like that, but d'you wanna sit up here on the couch with me instead? Maybe snooze for a bit once I clean up Glitch's spill?"
"I would." And with that, the frost giant has a lap full of Mirrorskin. Was that what she was hoping for? Or betting on? Who knows. The fact that Sturm turned her face to snag that kiss full-on (TWO WHOLE KISSES, Y'ALL) brings a brilliant, but soft, flash of laughter from Teagan, and then they steal another kiss before tucking their head against her shoulder. It will be difficult to clean up the spill that way, but it seems like Teagan no longer cares.
The Jotunn wraps both of her very powerful arms around Teagan's middle, giving them a tight squeeze, and pulling them as close as she can. Sturm could probably carry Teagan while cleaning up the spilled milk, but... fuck it. Her current position is just too damn comfortable - and she's too damn tired - to cry over the mess right now.
She kicks off her boots and sinks back into the cushions - carefully maneuvering the cat in her lap until they're both in a comfortable enough position to get some restful sleep.
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