xp_logs | XF Holiday: North and Felicia, finally talking

It was a rare quiet moment, lunch having drawn most of her coworkers away, afternoon naps the rest. Felicia stretched out in her lounger, toes reaching direct sunlight before being brought back under the shade of the umbrella. A bottle of white chilled with her nearly empty glass on a small side tray in the sand as she rested her tablet, full of books, on her chest and stared out at the waves.

There was an unmistakable stutter in North's chest as he drew close enough to take in the sight, which was so lovely it made him want to both stop and stare from behind his sunglasses, and beat a quiet retreat. He did neither, bare toes digging into the warm sand and sandals dangling from curled fingers as he continued on his way, only slowing to a stop two feet away from Felicia.

"Hello," he said, accent thick, the greeting sounding lame to his own ears. Still, the ex-mercenary soldiered on. "May I join you?"

"Sure." Gesturing at the empty lounger beside her, Felicia gave a half smile. "I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be on constant supervision anyway. I suppose I don't mind taking a shift."

North gave an exasperated huff, but folded himself into the offered seat, footwear abandoned on the sand. Casting his gaze towards the water, he stacked his hands atop his stomach as he searched for the words to verbalise his thoughts.

"Thank you," he said. "For saving my life, and for sitting by my bedside and reading ridiculous books aloud."

“You’re welcome,” Felicia said after a quick laugh, the look on her face making it clear that it had surprised even her. “I had such a headache after restarting your heart, you know? I had no idea what I was doing other than I really didn’t want you to be dead,” she continued, giving into a small glance at him.

"I did not want to die," he said, sounding slightly bemused despite, well, everything. "I just thought it inevitable."

"And now?" Felicia asked, trying for pointed and only managing half hopeful.

"Now..." North turned to look at her. "I know I was wrong."

Felicia dropped all pretense and shifted, her tablet nearly dropping into the sand beside her, caught blindly and set aside. "You... oh. I'm-" she said haltingly, trying not to just take his words to mean what she wanted them to. "That's great. Though next time if you could find an easier way to have a precog revelation I'd appreciate it. Or at least get new medlab chairs beforehand for poor Jubilee and her back."

"I will get her one of those massage chairs to make it up to her," North promised, sitting up and swinging around so he was facing her. He took off his sunglasses, expression solemn. "But I was also wrong for letting you walk away."

"That night, when you left, was not the first time I had that vision. It kept coming back and I was certain it was finally my time. In fact, the last time I was so sure about a vision was when the Berlin Wall fell. So when you left and did not come back, I did not do anything," the German sighed, toes shifting in the warm sand, suddenly relieved to have given voice to the thoughts that had kept him up every night in the med bay. "Because I am an idiot. A very sorry idiot."

Felicia’s lips parted, an intake of breath that she held, still thinking, before letting it go in a mix between a sigh and a laugh. “You must be. I think that’s the most words I’ve heard you say at one time.”

“I didn’t know, David,” she said, clicking her nails. “Not just what you were going through but what was happening at all. All I saw was I said I wanted to be with you and suddenly you had to leave and I never heard from you again. I thought you didn’t want me as more than an easy fuck and I hated myself for caring and being hurt by that.”

"No," he said, expression almost pained. "No, it was nothing like that. I am sorry I let you believe that for so long."

North was not one to paint himself the martyr, but he had, genuinely, felt the course of action he had taken was better than the alternative of letting them solidify their relationship into something real, only to have him drop dead on her. He dragged fingers through his windblown hair, frustrated, but knowing that every explanation and every reason he had for his actions paled before the hurt he had caused.

"I do not have pretty words to say or romantic promises to make, but I assure you, Felicia, you are neither easy nor just a fuck." He offered her a wry smile, quietly hopeful. "Forgive me?"

"You're forgiven, sweet idiot." Felicia shifted to gently bump up her ankle against his, their legs layered together in a quiet, careful touch. "As much as it is in my nature to pretend to hold out on you, you do get some extra points for having actually died. Temporarily."

The smile that curved David's lips was almost reflexive, the relief washing over him buoying his spirits. "Are you sure?" He asked, fingertips reaching to brush up against her calf. "I came prepared to grovel and all."

Felicia bit her lip, grinning. "Don't threaten me with a good time. I'm not a nice person, I'll take you up on it."

He returned her grin. "I am counting on it, sweetheart."

;

“Very good groveling, if I forgot to say so earlier,” Felicia said, some time later. They’d made it to her room, eventually, and she tracked North from the balcony lounger as he moved around. “I’d ask if in the medlab you were going over in your head what you’d do for that too, but I think that may be too close to the list of things to discuss when we get back to New York.”

"I had a lot of time with my thoughts," North pointed out, making quick work of uncorking the bottle of wine he had found conveniently placed on her mini bar. Too much time, perhaps. It had been quite unsettling if he did say so himself, but Felicia made it perfectly clear that they leave any kind of 'serious' talk for after the holiday season. "It was most fortunate that Maximoff was happy to beat me up when presented with the offer."

"Kinky. I'll send her a gift basket," Felicia answered, fiddling with the tie on her top, trying to get it to sit properly. "I meant a different use of your mouth than the actual words, but we can pretend otherwise if you're feeling shy."

North handed her a glass and replaced her hands with his. Chilled fingers brushed up against the nape of her neck, callused skin just barely touching hers as he untied and retied the fabric for her. "I know."

Felicia blushed, looking away with a silly smile that she hid behind her glass. "Oh my god you're a terror. Who let you be like this."

"Are you complaining?" North asked, a twinkle in his eyes that she could not see. He leaned down to press a kiss to her neck before disappearing momentarily back inside for his own glass.

“Of course I am. It’s all a front, but consider this a protest you scoundrel, a very weak don’t you dare stop protest,” she replied, low and warm, her skin still tingling as she watched him return.

He chuckled, somehow managing to perch himself on the other lounger without toppling it sideways. The smile that stretched his lips was a wide one and the glass he lifted to his lips did nothing to temper it.

"You said we needed to eat but we can order room service and keep going."

Felicia shifted her hips, half turning to him. “That’s a dangerous slope, David. We may never leave.”

"When were you ever one to shy away from danger?"

A blink, and Felicia’s wine was forgotten, her knees on either side of his hips. “You’ve got me there,” she said, with a predatory smile, leaning in close to rumble in his ear. “Besides, there may have been groveling, but I have yet to make you beg.”