Log [Alison, Haroun] The Quiet Moments...

[x-dazzler.livejournal.com]

Late Monday morning. There are quiet moments which are well earned and to be enjoyed as much as possible. Some things, though, are always present - it doesn't mean they get to take over, however.

Haroun sighed as his finished the last page of his book. Since coming back from Massachusetts, he'd felt - calmer. More at - peace. It was a marvelous feeling, and he planned on milking it for everything it was worth. He reached over for his teacup on the end table next to him, and took a deep sip of his mint tea.

Yep, life was definitely looking up for him.

The class had gone well, if one could call it that when the students were as quiet and subdued as they'd been today, but Alison hadn't felt like jarring them out of that herself and had instead just done the class and then quietly piled her papers to head back upstairs. The nights spent alone hadn't been easy though she'd remained calm until it was time to go get Haroun, but now she found herself with the need to just... check in on him, every now and then. Claim a touch or two, before going on her way and her daily occupations. And now was just such a time.

When Alison walked in, Haroun was in mid-stretch. When he re-opened his eyes and saw her standing there, he grinned and waved at her. "Hi, honey. How was class?" he asked politely. "Little monsters treating you well? There's tea if you want it."

"Mmm. Class was quiet," she replied, ignoring the offer of tea at first to wander closer to him, dumping her notes on a table in the process. Leaning down she kissed him lightly, hand lingering on his shoulder while she leaned against the chair – and him, as well. He still seemed to have that more balanced air about him, far different than he'd been before and she smiled down at him, not realizing she was in fact just standing there looking at him.

Haroun hmmmed happily, then reached over for a new book. Another tawdry romance this time, of the bodice-ripper persuasion. "I'm giving a pop quiz in a few hours. Expect to hear the howl of outrage from here." he said with a grin. "I'm too nice to my students." he said, sipping at his tea and opening his new book. "So what's on your schedule for today?"

"Well, it'll be a nice prep for them for final exams," Alison pointed out, lips quirking in amusement at the book's cover. "Only had the one class today. Will probably hold some of my office hours later for those wanting to ask questions for the finals. Have a scenario to run through at one point today in the DR and files to go over too. Same old," she murmured, in a way that said she didn't mind at all. "Wicked Nights?" she asked, tapping the book lightly.

"New one. Picked it up on my way down to Snow Valley." he said lightly. "I've read this author before - she's OK. Not thrilling, but nice." he said. "Besides, I got tired of the historicals kick I was on." He sipped at his tea again, and then looked at her. "What, did I grow a third arm or another head or something? You're staring at me, and I'm downright grubby today." And he was, wearing an old pair of camo pants and a simple white T-shirt.

"Looking just fine to me," she said, grinning suddenly yet still not inclined to move away. Maybe she would get some tea of her own soon. Maybe. Right now the not moving and the Haroun being near and the quiet of it all were just so very nice. Eyeing the couch pensively, Alison pondered just settling down for some quiet talk. And maybe a nap while he read. Prying off her shoes by way of pushing at the heels with her toes, Alison then settled down on the couch, working out a way to rest her head in his lap while curling up comfortably, looking up at him. "And your day? Catching up on reading?

"Taking it easy today." he said lightly. "Recharging my batteries, so to speak. Had a lot of things going on last weekend, so taking it easy for a while sounds pretty good to me." he added. "You looking for a Plastic Lap to prop up on? Because there's one available if you need it." he said, patting the tops of his thighs invitingly.

A contented smile greeted that offer, the 'want to lie down' shifting about settling into Alison making herself comfortable, head resting on his lap while she gazed up at him. She stretched out her legs slowly, hooking them over the arm of the couch on the other end, a few pillows stacked up by it keeping things comfortable. "You know, this whole massive amounts of cushions thing? Should have done that sooner. I really like this." It was more than just the cushions, and if that showed through in her voice well, it wasn't that bad a thing, was it?

"Silly thing." he agreed, and turn cracked open his book to begin reading it. He got maybe twenty pages in before setting it aside. "My tastes are improving. This is really terrible." he said with a sigh, and then looked down at the snuggly blonde resting her head on his leg. "So what's the deal with Paige? I understand she finally flamed out?" he asked idly, scritching the top of her head lightly.

Opening her eyes slowly, Alison stared up at the ceiling, considering his question. The leg she was resting her head on was just off enough that even someone who hadn't known about the 'ware would have wonder. And yet, to Alison, it was both comforting and purely Haroun. "She left. I was hoping she wouldn't do something like that but I knew she'd do something. Eventually." Sighing, Alison closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in slowly, the hint of mint tea to the air comforting to her.

"She's a problem." he said flatly. "She knows us from the inside out." he mused. "I don't like leaving a loose end like that, especially when it could come back and bite us." He sighed, and drained the last of his tea. "Crap." he said, as the teapot was out of reach, and Alison was using him as a pillow. "Head up for a second? I'd like some more tea."

She didn't move however, eyeing him calmly. "She's not a problem, Haroun. Just like several of the other people who were full team and knew far more than she did, left and are not problems." For a moment, the calm wavered, nearly slipping into a weary tiredness. "Tea." And she lifted her head, not at all feeling like moving to get any of her own.

"I don't like those loose ends either." he said, leaning forward to recover the tea kettle, pouring himself and her a cup and placing the kettle down within each reach this time. "Here you go." he said, handing her a cup of tea. "You never know when some idiot with a grudge is going to sweep in, pick somebody's brain, and then BOOM! We're wide open. Happened before, when Mystique was impersonating that Drake kid. I read the file."

"Thank you." She lifted her head once more so he could sit down, the glass settled between her hands and against her stomach, warming her skin through the her clothing instantly. Once he was installed, she nodded slowly. "I understand what you mean. But that's what comes with the territory and the way we work."

"I understand two former X-Men are up in Canada, working for Department H? They're probably OK. But we've got one trying to build a life in Japan, and now Paige off at Harvard or wherever? Not good. What we should do is silence them for good, but that's not an option." he said with frustration.

"We've got a few more out there," Alison murmured, going still as she watched him. "Sometimes, you scare me when you talk like that. I understand where it comes from and I understand why you say it, but it still scares me." She gave him a small smile, attempting to take out any sting of the words, simple stating things as they were, without any condemnation.

"Sorry." he said with a sigh, and the leaned back on the sofa, trying to get more comfortable. "I just don't like the idea of leaving everyone here at risk because we're depending on the goodwill and the psi-shielding of a spoiled brat with one of our greatest enemies for a father and a trainee flameout who likes to run herself into the ground." he grumbled. "And why is it scary? Do you like living with that uncertainty or something?"

"I'd rather live with that uncertainty," Alison smiled a bit, reaching up to press a fingertip to his nose lightly, "and the certainty that comes with it as to the fact that I'm not willing to sacrifice what I believe in for the sake of expediency." Twisting around a bit on the couch, carefully, Alison took a sip of tea, sighing at the slight pressure threatening to turn into a headache - it had been happening far more often that, lately. "Shaw isn't one of our greatest enemies. He's a businessman first and foremost, with an agenda of his own. The X-Men aren't it. We cross paths now and then, but we're not his focus." It hadn't been hard to guess who he'd meant. Settling back down, cup still held on her stomach, Alison continued. "Paige doesn't like to run herself in the ground. She just didn't know how else do to things. Kinda like you with the way you use to spar before."

"HEY! What do you mean, used to? I train hard because I have to train hard. I don't come equipped with a distance attack or invulnerability or anything cool like that. So if I want to be useful offensively, I have to take it to the Bad Guy directly. Besides, I'm good at it." he said with a grin.

"You don't train to the point of injuring yourself so much anymore. Same with the sparring. It's... improving without hurting yourself in the process." Another sip of tea was claimed, then a longer swallow as the liquid wasn't too hot to do so, anymore. "Mmm. And yes, you are. Have I told you I'm really enjoying the stick fighting?" It was, in large part, because the sparring session were fun, Alison thought. It was about the art of stick fighting itself - and not just fighting...

Haroun waved that off. "That's because my usual sparring partner went and broke himself, then got married." he said with a laugh. "And Charles takes a dim view of breaking his students. Yeah, the stick stuff is fun. You're getting to the point where I won't have much else I can show you - you'll just need to practice it, to make the moves yours without even thinking about it."

He wasn't seeing the minute changes, she thought. And maybe she was wrong and perhaps it was that. "Yes, he does," Alison grinned, taking the last sip of her tea only to sputter on it as his words sunk in. "What? Really? I'm that far ahead?" She gaped at him, coughing slightly as air and drops of tea sorted themselves out to the appropriate place. "I mean okay, we've been sparring every day but.... really?"

"I never claimed to be a genius with a pair of sticks." he said modestly. "I've picked up a few things here and there, mostly from the Jew. But yeah, I'm running out of stuff to show you. Maybe we should look into find an escrima studio in New York somewhere, augment our educations?" he suggested with a grin. "I've been meaning to find a Krav Maga studio, or maybe something a little flashier. Maybe that Thai kickboxing stuff? That looks fun."

That had potential. Alison approved of things for them to wander off and do together like that. "Hrm. I think I like that idea." She gave him a smile, reaching one arm out to set her tea glass on the low table in front of the couch. "Think they'd agree to mostly just showing me the stick forms and all, though?"

"One way to find out." he said with a grin. "But yeah, Nathan's got all his dead-soldiers-from-a-future-fu crammed into his head, and I'm getting stale. So I thought I'd go be a student again instead of the master. Assuming we can find someone who is good enough and secure enough, I think it's a great idea."

"He still has to show me some of that at one point." She was holding him to that promise. Just not rushed about it. "But learning more would be fun." His book hadn't been touched in a while now and just talking like this was so very nice. "Hrm. Any idea who we could ask for a reference? Or were you thinking of just heading out and roaming about town for a place?"

Haroun shrugged, causing muscle to ripple just a bit. "Not sure, really. Was planning on using the Yellow Pages or maybe hitting the 'Net to see what's out there. I mean, it's New York City. There's a thousand places to learn at." he said with a grin. "A cornucopia of choices."

"Ha!" The ripples were interesting. She snuck a look at him to see if he was doing that on purpose. It wasn't as though she hadn't told him already. "New York City is that. I don't remember ever seeing a Krav Maga studio but then again I never went out to look for one either." She stretched out a little bit, casually so.

Haroun's heart skipped a beat at that stretch. Just for fun, he scritched her stomach idly as he thought. "Well, the chances are pretty high that I should be able to find something. I don't hold formal rank, as the Jew didn't care, but one look at my skills and they'll put me at the top of things." he said with an arrogant grin.

"Top of things, huh?" Alison grinned at him entirely innocently, stretching under his hand this time, far more deliberately so as she extended her arms over his lap entirely, the top she was wearing shifting to bare her stomach ever so slightly as a result.

Haroun grinned. He knew this game, and he knew what she wanted from him. The fact that she did want it still floored him. In spite of everything, she still wanted it. "Itchy spot, eh?" he said which scritching her stomach directly now, letting a fingertip roam a little north and south as he scritched.

His touch was sending a frisson up and down her spine, slowly and looking up at him, Alison shifted, torquing back and up so as to settle in his lap, leaning herself against him slowly. "I..." She smiled at him, not sure how to express the sudden need to be closer somehow, to show him how very much she wanted him near, wanted him. He'd left but she'd known he'd come back. But now that he was back... Leaning her head a bit she pressed her lips to the side of his jawline, breathing in deeply. Memorizing the moment as she pulled back, brushed the tip of his nose with hers briefly, following up with a light kiss and that same, wordless expression.

Haroun looked down at Alison and smiled at her before kissing her nose. "Well. I think someone missed me while I was off apologizing for having a life." he said with a laugh that held no bitterness. "Did you miss me, little girl? Not getting enough Moor in your diet?"

"You're being very silly," Alison murmured in reply, though she smiled at him. "And I missed you very much." The admission was easy to make and entirely true - she'd slept better since he'd returned than any of the nights he was gone. "And I am not," she settled herself a bit more neatly in his lap, kissing the corner of his mouth, smiling at the sound of his voice, "a little girl. Not one bit."

Haroun wandered a fingertip up her torso from belt to throat, passing over all the significant places in between. "Definitely not a little girl, that's for sure." he laughed with a leer mixed in for good measure. Then he let his hand fall across her chest, massaging it ever-so-gently. "Not a little girl at all."

The memory of the cold rain of the weekend was entirely lost now, replaced by the warmth of Haroun's body and the way he was touching her, looking at her. She shifted into the touch lightly, revelling in the feeling of him being there. "You're teasing me," she purred, though there wasn't a single hint of reproach in her voice or expression.

"Yes. Yes, I am." Haroun said with a grin. "I don't exactly see you complaining much." he told her, continuing to tease her with just a fingertip. "And judging by your reactions here, I'd say you like being teased."

A low chuckle greeted that, followed by a stretch which was all about showing appreciation and letting him pretty much do whatever he wanted. Once that was done, Alison feeling noticeably warmer at that and her breath slightly faster, she raised one hand, trailing it down the side of his neck equally teasing light pattern. "I like being with you." Her breath hitched as he did something particularly distracting, and she laughed a touch unsteadly. "Love you." And shfited enough to claim another kiss, more ardently this time.

Haroun kissed her back, heatedly. He didn't respond verbally to her statement, but instead with touches, intensity, passion. In all the ways that counted, he told her of his love for her.