[ She returns his fond smile with one of her own. ] Where have I heard that before, I wonder?
[ Her hand moves from his cheek up, running her fingers and affectionately gently through his hair. As much as she wants things to be normal again, too, she knows that they can't, or at least not completely so. On her part, she'll have to be much, much more careful when she's alone on jobs. Maybe do things like only talk to Peter on the most secure channel she can use, do more jobs for the Shadow Broker and their people in exchange for information about the Ravagers to make sure she or the Guardians aren't even in the same quadrant of the galaxy, and maybe she finally needs to get out of Illium, in case it's been compromised. She has a lot of thinking to do, in short.
And she knows that, as much as Peter might want to pretend this never happened so that things can just go back to the way thing used to be, he won't completely heal unless he talks it out with someone. Maybe even her. She knows he'll hate that, and she's going to hate having to drag it out of him, but it would hopefully be cathartic to him, and well. Being there for him is something she needs to be, seeing as she couldn't exactly do that for the last five or so months. Kasumi would agree, though, that now definitely isn't the time for that; she just knows it'll be a thing, sometime down the line.
So she'll push these thoughts out of her mind for now, and maybe come back to them for when Peter falls back asleep (and this time she'll be sure to at least be in the room, in case something happens). For now, she'll be Playful, Fun Kasumi and her words take on a joking tone, just in hopes of lifting his spirits even a little. ]
Well, someone had to bring home the bacon while you were away, you know? Feed the kids and all that. I'm fully expecting you to be helping and taking some of this workload off of me at some point, yeah? It's the least you could do.
[ Her eyes close halfway, slowly, as she leans in and plants a soft kiss on his cheek. ]
I think for now, though, we both could use a little break. And that's coming from me.
[ his eyes move back down to his lap. He knows it was a joke, her ribbing him for not contributing, but it hits a little closer to home than either of them probably expected. He's fully aware that he probably developed a complex at some point. Being told repeatedly how useless you are, what a waste of space and resources you are, may do that to a guy. It had stayed dormant for a long while, ever since he started his solo work and earned his keep, but on his return, the Ravagers were determined to poke at that old wound.
This-- going back to normal thing may be harder than he thought. ]
Yeah. A break. [ he pounces on the change in topic immediately, dredging up a smile for her. ] Maybe you could-- [ he breaks off, then a little more tentatively, ] If you've got time, anyway. Maybe you could-- I dunno. Stay. Here, I mean. Just for a little while.
[ He adds on quickly, ] Not that you have to. I know you've probably got shit to take care of, being the galaxy's best thief and all. Don't feel-- obligated.
[ She's a little worried when what she says gives him pause; whatever it made him think, it probably wasn't her intention, and she feels bad. Possibly even worse when he stumbles through his words when all he's trying to say is please stay.
Because, sure, she might have had a moment of hesitation about staying, earlier, but it was only because she thought it might be better for his recovery if she wasn't around, somehow. Safer, for sure, if she left to work things through with the Shadow Broker and maybe make some arrangements to keep the Ravagers away. And say, maybe, part of her feels like he doesn't need her as much as she needs him, or something. Still, there's nothing she'd want more than to stay with him, and that he thinks she might choose her work work over him hurts a little. Or maybe a lot. But nevertheless her hand drops down to rest on his shoulder as she tries at a smile. ]
Obligated? Peter, I want to stay here. With you, more specifically, but I'm... [ She sighs. ] Is that what you want? It sort of sounds like it is, but it's hard to tell when you're making it sound like I should be putting my work over you.
[ You've got more shit to worry about than your neurotic boyfriend, right?
It's more or less what he wants to say, because there are Reapers and a secret project and a whole mess of other problems that she can apply her skills to; the very last thing she should have to concern herself with is some dumbass guy who can't handle his shit on his own.
(He's been dealing with his own problems for a long time now. He's not sure what it is about having a girlfriend that would stop that now.)
SO he just sighs, settles back against the wall. He shakes his head a little. ]
Nevermind. Forget I asked. [ He offers a tiny smile. ] I'll be okay.
[ Kasumi's been helping the Crucible Project almost non-stop for the last five months, only taking breaks to run jobs for the Shadow Broker--and those were more often than not tangentially related to the Reapers, in any case. The way she sees it? None of it will even matter if Peter's not there at the end of all this, when the Reapers are defeated or whatever Shepard ends up doing with them--whether it's because he'd been taken away by the Ravagers, ordead, or even just. Not with her, for one reason or another.
She has a way of throwing herself into relationships, once she's found something--someone worth fighting for. It had been like this for Keiji, too.
It's plain to see, to her anyway, that he's not quite saying what he really means. But she doesn't want to push him too hard right away, so she'll back down for now. ]
Just remember that I'm here for you, okay? We all are.
Though I'm extra here for you. [ She tilts her head at him with a smile. ] Partners, remember?
[ He lets out a laugh, short and quiet, and nods, reaching out to squeeze her hand. ]
Yeah, I know. Partners.
Don't worry, though. Seriously. [ He manages another little smile for her. ] I'll be fine. I've been through a lot worse than this, y'know? Just lemme get a few days'a' sleep, and I'll be good as new.
[ She isn't quite convinced, but she'll bop him on the tip of his nose with her finger. ]
Sure thing, cowboy. [ She almost lets a "love" slip out, again, but she catches it just in time to tuck it away and think, not now. ] Just don't sleep the whole time, 'cause I might get bored. A girl's got needs, you know?
[ He's relieved that she lets it go. He knows he's-- not quite at the top of his game, right now, knows that his not nearly as convincing as he ought to be. Needing a few days is legitimate enough, at least; a few days of rest, and he'll at least be able to lie again. And he's pretty sure that's the first skill he's going to need back at full strength.
All the same, he puts on a sly smile for her, raises an eyebrow a little. ]
Yeah? Any needs you want me to take care of right now?
[ Without missing a beat, and she says it with certainty and sincerity in her voice: ] The only thing I really needed was you, and here you are, so I'm good.
[ She leans in closer, still, eyes half-lidded as she breaks eye contact with him in favor of staring the rest of him down. ]
I'm more curious to find out if you have needs I can take care of, Star-Lord. You're the one who's been stuck with a bunch of ugly guys for five months.
[ Sincerity is still a tricky thing for Peter, and usually he'd shy away from it in any form; but the earnestness in Kasumi's voice makes him smile a little. He's-- sort of touched, truth be told. Flattered. And he gives her hand another gentle squeeze in response.
As for what she says next, though, he smirks. ]
Well, I'd be an even bigger idiot than I already am to turn down an offer like that.
See, I was worried that you wouldn't respond with something like that, at which point I'd realize just how much they've messed with you.
[ But she'll just plant a kiss on his forehead and then snuggle up to him, for now, because as much as there really is a physical urge, here, newly-rescued from a five-or-so-month long abduction and fresh off a violent bout of sleep probably add up to an inappropriate time for... well. ]
[ He lets out a breath, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. ]
Please, Goto. No one could mess with me that much.
[ He pulls her in closer and just -- lets it sink in. He's home, and he's got Kasumi, and maybe they're not out of the woods yet, but at least they're getting there. At least they have some breathing space, for now. ]
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[ Her hand moves from his cheek up, running her fingers and affectionately gently through his hair. As much as she wants things to be normal again, too, she knows that they can't, or at least not completely so. On her part, she'll have to be much, much more careful when she's alone on jobs. Maybe do things like only talk to Peter on the most secure channel she can use, do more jobs for the Shadow Broker and their people in exchange for information about the Ravagers to make sure she or the Guardians aren't even in the same quadrant of the galaxy, and maybe she finally needs to get out of Illium, in case it's been compromised. She has a lot of thinking to do, in short.
And she knows that, as much as Peter might want to pretend this never happened so that things can just go back to the way thing used to be, he won't completely heal unless he talks it out with someone. Maybe even her. She knows he'll hate that, and she's going to hate having to drag it out of him, but it would hopefully be cathartic to him, and well. Being there for him is something she needs to be, seeing as she couldn't exactly do that for the last five or so months. Kasumi would agree, though, that now definitely isn't the time for that; she just knows it'll be a thing, sometime down the line.
So she'll push these thoughts out of her mind for now, and maybe come back to them for when Peter falls back asleep (and this time she'll be sure to at least be in the room, in case something happens). For now, she'll be Playful, Fun Kasumi and her words take on a joking tone, just in hopes of lifting his spirits even a little. ]
Well, someone had to bring home the bacon while you were away, you know? Feed the kids and all that. I'm fully expecting you to be helping and taking some of this workload off of me at some point, yeah? It's the least you could do.
[ Her eyes close halfway, slowly, as she leans in and plants a soft kiss on his cheek. ]
I think for now, though, we both could use a little break. And that's coming from me.
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This-- going back to normal thing may be harder than he thought. ]
Yeah. A break. [ he pounces on the change in topic immediately, dredging up a smile for her. ] Maybe you could-- [ he breaks off, then a little more tentatively, ] If you've got time, anyway. Maybe you could-- I dunno. Stay. Here, I mean. Just for a little while.
[ He adds on quickly, ] Not that you have to. I know you've probably got shit to take care of, being the galaxy's best thief and all. Don't feel-- obligated.
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Because, sure, she might have had a moment of hesitation about staying, earlier, but it was only because she thought it might be better for his recovery if she wasn't around, somehow. Safer, for sure, if she left to work things through with the Shadow Broker and maybe make some arrangements to keep the Ravagers away. And say, maybe, part of her feels like he doesn't need her as much as she needs him, or something. Still, there's nothing she'd want more than to stay with him, and that he thinks she might choose her work work over him hurts a little. Or maybe a lot. But nevertheless her hand drops down to rest on his shoulder as she tries at a smile. ]
Obligated? Peter, I want to stay here. With you, more specifically, but I'm... [ She sighs. ] Is that what you want? It sort of sounds like it is, but it's hard to tell when you're making it sound like I should be putting my work over you.
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[ You've got more shit to worry about than your neurotic boyfriend, right?
It's more or less what he wants to say, because there are Reapers and a secret project and a whole mess of other problems that she can apply her skills to; the very last thing she should have to concern herself with is some dumbass guy who can't handle his shit on his own.
(He's been dealing with his own problems for a long time now. He's not sure what it is about having a girlfriend that would stop that now.)
SO he just sighs, settles back against the wall. He shakes his head a little. ]
Nevermind. Forget I asked. [ He offers a tiny smile. ] I'll be okay.
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She has a way of throwing herself into relationships, once she's found something--someone worth fighting for. It had been like this for Keiji, too.
It's plain to see, to her anyway, that he's not quite saying what he really means. But she doesn't want to push him too hard right away, so she'll back down for now. ]
Just remember that I'm here for you, okay? We all are.
Though I'm extra here for you. [ She tilts her head at him with a smile. ] Partners, remember?
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Yeah, I know. Partners.
Don't worry, though. Seriously. [ He manages another little smile for her. ] I'll be fine. I've been through a lot worse than this, y'know? Just lemme get a few days'a' sleep, and I'll be good as new.
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Sure thing, cowboy. [ She almost lets a "love" slip out, again, but she catches it just in time to tuck it away and think, not now. ] Just don't sleep the whole time, 'cause I might get bored. A girl's got needs, you know?
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All the same, he puts on a sly smile for her, raises an eyebrow a little. ]
Yeah? Any needs you want me to take care of right now?
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[ She leans in closer, still, eyes half-lidded as she breaks eye contact with him in favor of staring the rest of him down. ]
I'm more curious to find out if you have needs I can take care of, Star-Lord. You're the one who's been stuck with a bunch of ugly guys for five months.
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As for what she says next, though, he smirks. ]
Well, I'd be an even bigger idiot than I already am to turn down an offer like that.
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See, I was worried that you wouldn't respond with something like that, at which point I'd realize just how much they've messed with you.
[ But she'll just plant a kiss on his forehead and then snuggle up to him, for now, because as much as there really is a physical urge, here, newly-rescued from a five-or-so-month long abduction and fresh off a violent bout of sleep probably add up to an inappropriate time for... well. ]
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Please, Goto. No one could mess with me that much.
[ He pulls her in closer and just -- lets it sink in. He's home, and he's got Kasumi, and maybe they're not out of the woods yet, but at least they're getting there. At least they have some breathing space, for now. ]
Hey, get some rest, huh?