milliways_bar | (no subject)

"...Aren't you worried about ruining your wholesome goth paleness?" Danny jibed gently, smiling at her, and he flopped down next to her and kicked off his shoes and socks.

"Sometimes," Sam told him, "you've got to forget all that and just... well, relax. I need to replentish my vitamin D cells."

She smiled at him, softly, just glad that he was there and she was there and it was okay, and even if she couldn't tell him anything, it was... good to be there. Really good.

"Hmmph. Relaxing is for...people who don't have superpowers," Danny grumped.

"Danny," Sam said, and sat up, a leaf and a few pieces of grass caught in her hair, "we are in an inter-...Universal Bar where there's a lake, and no ghosts in sight."

She raised her arm around, and looked hopefully at him. "Try to relax. Just for a minute."

Danny let out another frustrated noise and lay there twiddling his fingers.

He loved being lazy, but it was starting to get forced out of him by habit. He was starting to get used to always moving, always patrolling, always desperately trying to keep up on schoolwork. There was never any time to relax, and now during those rare times that there was, he was so used to running around and fighting he had trouble doing it anymore.

For a few minutes, he lay there, arms folded on his chest, thumbs twiddling, looking around aimlessly.

Then he sort of let out a sigh, sat up enough to drag himself closer to Sam and leaned back so his head was on her stomach.

What? There'd been a rock pocking into his head.

(...And it was somehow more easy to relax this way.)

Sam blinked, and looked down at him.

And blushed.

And picked with her fingernails at the grass.

She wouldn't have minded playing with his hair -- that was kind of fun on it's own -- but she wasn't quite sure how to start.

Odds are he probably would have liked it.

Not that he'd admit that.

Hands still folded on his chest, he sort of snuggled his head into her stomach a bit, and said, "You make a good pillow."

"Thanks," she said, in a little bit of a strangled tone. "Uh... yeah. Thanks."

She looked at the sky, and smiled.

Today could be one of the best days ever.

"Uh..." Danny started, going pink, and then he shut his mouth suddenly.

"What?"

"...Okay, I don't remember much from the other night, but, uh, I remember you were, like, playing with my hair. Do you think...?"

He trailed off and flushed.

"Oh," Sam sort of mouthed.

And raked her fingernails gently over his scalp, making a neat trail.

That was...that was really nice.

The sun was warm on his face and his head was all cushioned and her playing with his hair felt...nice.

Closing his eyes, he just lay there, silent, not sleeping, but not particularly thinking about anything.

Oh, relaxation--how he'd missed thee.

Sam, on the other hand, knew exactly what -- who -- she was thinking about.

"Feel better?" She asked, and trailed her fingers through his hair thoughtfully.

"Mmmhmm," he muttered, breathing in deep.

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me," Sam said, smiling gently. "I already happen to me, like, a million times so far."

"I'm not sleeping, I'm relaxing," he said.

"Yeah, I've heard that excuse before."

She played with his hair some more.

"Am I really all that comfortable?"

"Mmmhmm," Danny mumbled, going a little pink. "Yeah. You really are."

Sam's cheeks were just as pink.

"I really am sorry about... what happened." She paused. "That guy was probably a jerk. You're right." Pause. "Although he did have a really cool tongue ring."

"...You can't think that way, Sam," Danny said thoughtfully.

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Because...look, not every guy is a going to be a jerk, y'know? I mean, there's a lot to like about you. So you're probably going to wind up, y'know, with a lot of guys liking you over time. Some bad, yeah, because, jerks would think you were awesome too, but just be...jerks, but...but there's a lot to like," he said. "So...you shouldn't think like that. That every one of them is...I mean, you're really good."

He paused, then grinned a little, the corners of his mouth turning up. "Although, y'know, oggling when your best friend wants to hang out with you isn't kosher."

Sam's face was now officially red.

"Thanks," she said, in a wavery voice. "Thanks, Danny. You really-- you don't know how much that means. Thanks. Wow."

She raked her fingernails gently down the back of his neck. "I promise I won't do that again. But you'll have to promise, too."

Confusion stole over his face.

"Promise what?"