Amanda and Shinobi

[x-shinobi.livejournal.com]

Thursday morning, Amanda comes up to Shinobi's suite to pick up those hugs he promised her. Reassurances, clinginess and cuteness ensue. A small clubbing trip for Friday is mused upon. Also: Amanda's new amulet is shiny.



The door was open, as Shinobi had said it would be, and Amanda went in without knocking. "There was somethin' 'bout hugs?" she called, not immediately seeing Shinobi in the suite.

His head popped into the suite's common room from one of the bedrooms, and Shinobi flashed a grin, nodding sagely. "Many hugs," he confirmed, making a show of bracing himself before he nodded and opened his arms. "C'mere."

The bracing was probably a good thing - Amanda practically pounced on him, squeezing the breath out of him with something that sounded a little like a strangled sob. "Yer'd think the huggin'd get borin' after a while, but it don't," she said eventually, her voice muffled by his chest.

"Never does," Shinobi agreed quietly, tightly wrapping his arms around Amanda's shoulders and comfortably pillowing his cheek against the top of her head. "I missed you, luv. You managing?"

"Was until I saw that post in Manny's journal, the one 'bout me enslavin' him. Then things kind of went to shite." Amanda swallowed hard, not wanting to get all girly about this. "Guess I deserved it, for what I done. I just... I dunno if he's ever gunna forgive me. An' I dunno why it hurts so much t' think he won't - he drives me nuts sometimes, makes me so angry, but I don't want him t' never talk t' me again."

Shinobi made a thoughtful noise, allowing himself a small smile. "Sounds a bit familiar," he mused, lifting his head long enough to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. "I don't think he'll never talk to you again, poppet. If he was going to do that, he wouldn't be making noises about needing time to accept what went on, with promises of talking to you about it once he was less upset, would he?"

"I s'spose," Amanda said reluctantly. "Silly bastard wouldn't let me teleport him away, wouldn't leave me, an' Amora would've had him for breakfast. A bindin' spell was the only thing I could think of, even tho' I knew it was gunna fuck with him. With us." She disentangled herself, looking up at him through a curtain of blonde hair. "Gah. I think I'm done with this whole relationship thing. 'S too fuckin' hard. Maybe I should just let Jubilee have him an' be done with it. He's happier with her an' she can't mess with his head like I do."

"She can't mess with his head like you do because he cares about you," Shinobi observed, smiling faintly and reaching up to carefully tuck Amanda's hair back behind her ears. Much better. "Relationships are never easy, and the two of you are - I'm guessing - rather new to the experience. At least, of having a serious relationship, rather than something more casual. There will be bumps. There are always bumps."

"'New' ain't even the start of it..." Aamnda sighed and leaned back in for another hug. "I have no bloody idea what I'm doin', an' neither does he, an' most of the time we make each other miserable. 'S got t' be more to it than that. Even the good stuff gets messed up, 'cause I say somethin' stupid, or he gets huffy 'bout somethin', or government killers try t' take me hostage..." She realised how whiny she was sounding and reined herself in. She wasn't going to let this break her, not after what Amora had done. She could do this. "If he wants time, he'll get it. I'll just have t' find ways of distractin' meself in the meantime."

Shinobi was quite willing to give another hug, returning his head to its previously-claimed pillow. "There's a very nice girl in the city who'd probably be willing to distract you.. not to mention everybody here. Sarah and I are getting a bit rusty at cards.. why don't I see if she feels up to a game later? You can come down, kick our asses at poker, and cuddle a very bouncy puppy as a reward?"

"Sounds good." Amanda's voice lost some of the wobble. "How is she? Sarah, I mean? I called Beth before, an' we barely managed t' not cry down the phone at each other. I promised to see her later."

"I'll give you a ride, anytime you want it." After a moment's thought, Shinobi carefully disentangled himself from the hug - but only so he could duck down and unceremoniously scoop the smaller girl up. "Sarah's doing a little better, I think," he replied casually, as if nothing at all had happened, and began to wander his way towards the sofa. "Came out of the basement of her own accord to help everyone look for you, Miles and everyone else when you went poof, was doing the laughing thing while we kept an eye on Joyita for Angelo.. she's getting there."

A surprised squeak escaped Amanda as Shinobi scooped her up and deposited her on the sofa. "'S good. I was gettin' worried, but I didn't know what to do. An' I'll come out with you two, like I said, if you think it'd be good for her. She can make fun of the new look while it lasts."

"I didn't know what to do, either," Shinobi admitted, plunking down on the sofa next to her with a tired smile. "Mm.. I'm pretty sure we could talk her into a clubbing trip without any trouble whatsoever, once she's satisfied that Miles is back in one piece.. busy Friday night?" He grinned cheerfully.

"Shouldn't be, unless the aliens land," Amanda replied, her own humour returning. "Let me check me schedule." She pretended to flip open an invisible day planner, running her finger down the 'page'. "Hmm, lessee, alien invasion's Tuesday next, so we should be right."

Shinobi nodded sagely, doing a poor job of hiding his grin, and not particularly caring much. "Then you have a date with two of the most mentally stable people in the entire mansion," he mused approvingly. "I'll even leave the camera at home, so long as you two promise to dance and not hurt me if I drool a little. I'm only human."

"I'll even bring out the dreaded skirt," Amanda promised, curling up under his arm with a much happier sigh. "It'll be good t' go out an' be a normal girl for once. Last time that happened was Columbia."

"This will be infinitely saner and more fun than that," Shinobi said with complete confidence, nodding to himself. "Anybody tries to fuck that up, you can sic Sarah and I on them. Send them home in a bucket."

"Or teleport us the hell out of there. If I still can, that is." Amanda wrinkled her nose. "I learned, in Asgard, an' there was always plenty of power, only now I ain't sure I can do it. 'S a pity - handy spell, that one."

"I'm sure Doctor Strange'll help you rediscover your limits as quickly as he can. Probably wants you to finish resting up and being smothered in hugs, first." Shinobi grinned.

"Don't think I'll ever be tired of that," she replied, giggling a little. "He an' Rom an' Moira have been plottin' - I can tell. I just hope it's the good sort. An' this new charm is stronger than the old one. Just wish Rom'd stop givin' me the girly colours." She pulled the deep-blue crystal from under her shirt. "See?"

Shinobi peered down at the crystal curiously, and as most curious boys do when confronted with something new and shiny, reached out to try and poke it with a fingertip. "I don't think it looks girly. At least it isn't pink."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Rom knows better 'n that. I wouldn't have worn it if it was pink. Still, 's better than the last one." The amulet glowed slightly as Shinobi poked it. "Still makes me a target for every wanker on E in a nightclub - they like shiny things."

"Everybody likes shiny things," Shinobi replied lightly, eyeing the amulet as it glowed and giving it another poke. Oooh.

"Great, I'm an amusement." Amanda's tone was indulgent, however - Shinobi was very cute like that. "So, what's been goin' on while we've been gone? Apart from the panickin' an' all?"

"It's shiny and glowy," Shinobi grumbled defensively, leaning back against the sofa with a slight pout. Okay.. think. "Mostly the panicking and worrying," he replied, lightly scratching at the side of his head. "Helping the new-and-returned people get settled.. lots of talking with Nate, at least in my case. He's very good at distracting me in a vaguely productive sort of way."

"An' I bet you were good for distractin' him, too." Amanda rested her head on Shinobi's shoulder, pulling his arm around her tighter. "Sorry t' make you worry, even if it really weren't my fault this time."

Tutting quietly, he shook his head, looping both arms around Amanda's shoulders. It isn't a cling, really. It's a supportive hug. It just feels like a cling. "Nothing for you to apologize for. You came back. If you hadn't, then we'd have to have words."

There was a problem with that logic, but Amanda couldn't be bothered pointing it out. At that moment she was just happy to be home, and safe, and be hugged. "I promise, I'll always try t' come back," she said quietly.

"I trust you," Shinobi smiled, giving her shoulders a quick snug. "And if you ever can't pull it off, I promise I'll try to come get you."