i'm thinking it's time to grow { Banananana & Dany }

[Dany]

It was easier than Mollie expected, adjusting to this new universe without all her usual comforts. Besides Steve, she'd yet to see or hear from anyone else she knew--she wasn't sure where Stephen was, or if he could even find her as easily as she'd been dropped in. She wasn't even sure he knew she was gone, honestly.

Either way, life moved on. Other than getting used to the new universe, Mollie found that adjusting to... domesticity... was rather easy. She found a groove with Steve that worked. She even got a job, something she never thought she'd have. It was simple work, waitressing at a cafe, but it was... nice. She felt... normal. Human. Productive and helpful. She could pay her own piece of rent and buy her own things--not that that really ever stopped Steve from insisting on still helping her out.

It was... cozy.

Routine was probably the hardest thing to get used to. Mollie was used to living life on her terms, when and how she wanted. Actually having a roommate gave her some sense of time and structure. Steve left at certain times on certain days, forcing Mollie to keep track. She established her own habits from there, eventually building up to a job and even a couple hobbies. Nothing too extreme, though for a while she kept them both hidden, just because she was afraid of ridicule--deep down she knew Steve would never make fun of her, but she was still wary of telling him she went to a biweekly yoga class. And she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he would not approve of her pole-dancing class (she did also take other classes--she paid for a membership, she was damn well gonna use it; there was a different style for every day of the week!).

Somehow, the monotony of it all didn't bore her--maybe it would, someday. Maybe she'd finally get tired of it and go back to her old ways. For now, though, the monotony was new and exciting, and she woke up each day thrilled by the possibilities of the next boring thing that would happen.

Every day was the same. She loved it.


It was Tuesday. She could tell by the fact that Susan (a delightful old woman who was extremely passionate about trying to convince Mollie to take up gardening) was in the cafe at exactly 1PM sharp for her daily post-gardening tea (she said no one else made it like Mollie, but Mollie was pretty sure that the tea they used was store-bought and that the cream and sugar they used were generic brands).

Mollie thought about her day as she made Susan's tea. It was 1 on Tuesday, which meant her shift ended at 3, she had a jazz class at 5, dinner with Steve at 7, and a night jog at 8.

Delightfully boring.

It was impossible to admit aloud, but this was the life Mollie had always wanted. She hadn't even used her powers in weeks.

Well, until she felt a tell-tale psychic tug.

What the fuck?

It happened again, briefly, and Mollie looked up as if she might see the answer somewhere in the cafe--but nothing stood out. Nothing caught her attention. Everything was painfully normal.

I repeat: what the fuck?

[Bananasaurus]

It had taken Wade just over a month to get up enough cash to find his own place. Impressive, considering what he did wasn’t exactly a reliable source of constant income. In that time, he’d procured more clothing to be less conspicuous on the occasional outing with Phoenix. Unfortunately, his son didn’t seem to want to be seen with him (kids, amirite?) so Wade had taken to himself for the most part.
The hardest part was trying to find a roommate in his condition. Blind Al had been perfect because she hadn’t cared about his face, but the average roommate wasn’t blind and therefor was forced to look at his ugly mug every day. Eventually he found a guy that traveled for work, so he barely ever saw him. Fortunate for them both, no?

And now, Christmas was already in full swing. Well, December was, at least. And damned if this town didn’t love its Christmas decorations! They decked the fucking halls with boughs of holly, and then some. Wade figured, now that he was settled, it would finally be time to track Mollie down to the cafe Phoenix had said she worked at, but…

When he got there, he just… couldn’t go in. He stood there, with a scarf around his mouth, hood up over his bald head, and hands in his front pocket with all the nerves of a boy asking his crush out to the school dance.

Do it. Just… DO it. Don’t let your dreams be dreams, Wilson. Fucking fuckity fuck.

Wade straightened up and inhaled the crisp wintry air… then took the plunge. He strode into the cafe, causing the little bell above the door to tinkle pleasantly, announcing his presence. And that's as far as he got, arms pinned to his sides and hands flapping a little with nerves. Should he wait for her to notice him? Should he say hi? Would that scare her? Fuck, man.

[Dany]

Mollie felt that tug again and winced a little, like she’d gotten a particularly sharp stab from a mean headache. She frowned, realizing she’d accidentally poured some coffee on herself in her moment of distraction. With a low curse, she grabbed a napkin and began cleaning herself up, just as the bell of the door dinged.

She shot a split second glance up, and gave a hurried, “I’ll be right with you!” Then she disappeared to the back to wash her hands, and came back out with significantly less sticky hands and a sigh of relief. Finally ready to face the new arrival, she grabbed a menu and made her way to the ... man? with a beaming smile. At first, she was focused on the job, beginning with, “Good afternoon! How can I help you today?” But the closer she got, the more her voice trailed off, a sense of familiarity gradually washing over her. By the time she reached him, she was completely silent, her head tilted as she tried to assess the “stranger.”

“... sir?” she asked, her expression lost and confused. “.... I know you?” The sentiment was only just a question, teetering on the edge of question and statement for a moment before it toppled to the one side. That tug kept pulling at her, strengthening the feeling of familiarity, though she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why. The thought that it might be Wade didn’t even occur to her—she was universe’s away, and she’d been away for a couple years besides.... and he was into that stupid Arachno-Boy, anyway. Why would he have any interest in seeing her?

She shook her head, all but shuddering as she forced herself to refocus on the job at hand. “Would you like a table, mister? We have a really great special today. Two pancakes, two eggs, two slices of bacon, hash browns, toast and a cup of coffee, all for $7.99! Or, if you’re more of a lunch kinda guy, we’ve got an unlimited soup and salad special for $7.99, and it comes with a free drink of choice and a free slice of pie!”

[Bananasaurus]

Wade, of course, felt none of the tugs physically, but mentally he did feel the urge to run up to her while Chariots of Fire played in the background.

She approached him, all cheerful and business-y, and suddenly he couldn't speak past the lump in his throat. It had been so long - he hadn't realized just how much he missed her until this very moment. Sure, he'd known that she was always supposed to be part of his life in some way or another, but this? This felt like... like...

Love.

Indeed, Spider-Man had been his main squeeze all that time ago, but in truth he never really got over her, either. "Yeah, you know me," he said quietly. On one hand, he didn't care if people were looking at them weirdly, as if they could see his pizza-face skin, but on the other, he wished this was happening in a less public place. Wade could just feel that Mollie was about to make a scene.

Right in front of all these people's salads, too.

Then she went off on her spiel about tables and breakfast/lunch specials, and he blinked, shaking his head as if starting from a reverie. "M-Mollie, it's me. It's Wade."

[Dany]

Mollie missed that voice—both in the sense of emotional loss and, at first, in the sense of she just didn’t realize who it belonged to for a second. For a moment, she was blissfully unaware that her life was gonna do a mad flip only seconds later. At least he let her get through her contractually obligated nonsense about the cafe’s specials. That was nice of him.

And then he actually said his name, and that voice clicked into place and suddenly she felt right. Everything made sense. The tugs, the strong sense of familiarity she’d been feeling. But... “W.... Wade?” she stuttered in disbelief as the cafe menu dropped from her hands. “O-oh! Oh. Uh.” She wanted so badly to say fuck, but she was on the clock and there was also a family with a small child sitting nearby.

“Um... please, come with me?” she asked (well, more like ordered) as casually and professionally as she could manage, grabbing Wade by the elbow to drag him to the back of the kitchen. The cook gave her a confused look, but she assuaged his worries with a casual wave and a forced smile.

“What the fuck!?” she finally gasped, looking Wade over like he might not be real. “H—how!? And.... how did you even find me? You... there’s no way you just knew I was here—or did you? Wade, what the fuck!?”

[Bananasaurus]

Well, he'd been certain she'd recognize his voice and immediately flip out, but since that wasn't the cae, why not hear what she had to say? He WAS kinda hungry.

When it finally dawned on her who the fuck he was, she dropped her menu. "Yeha, sorry," he apologized, uncertain if it was for surprising her, or for being so far away in the first place. He picked up the menu and tried to hand it back to her. Alas, she had other plans. She snatched up his arm and yoinked him to the back, passing the cook. "Hey, how ya doin'" Wade greeted casually, as if they were just passing each other on the street like normal human beings.

Fucking finally they were semi-alone and Wade (if she hadn't taken it) would place the menu down on a shelf. Once she'd finished blathering about him, he went in for a hug and twirled her around him, laughing giddily, not caring if she stabbed him with a kitchen knife. Once he put her down, he tried to calm himself from the giggles and lowered his face scarf to speak better.

"Well, it's kind of a weird story. I had... some help finding you once I uh... dropped into town. I've... I've been here a little while now and I thought it was time to catch up. So, uh... how ya beeeen?"

[Dany]

Mollie had entirely conflicting feelings--she was at work, this wasn't the time or place for emotional reunions, and she'd truly worked so hard to get herself to a good place and she was scared that Wade's presence would drag her back down to where she'd been before. How she'd been before. But...

She loved him.

As if everything happening right now wasn't shocking enough, her heart leapt in her chest once her brain caught onto the fact that she was no longer on solid ground and, why was she getting dizzy? Oh. She wasn't going to stab him--at least, not in public, but she definitely squirmed, and it was honestly hard to tell if it was in discomfort or joy. Even Mollie herself didn't know.

She did know for sure, though, that once she was put down she felt a sense of relief, and, y'know, her head felt a lot less like it was turning to jelly from the sheer force of his spinning. She took a moment to regain her senses, before she blinked up at him. "... Help? No one knows I'm here 'cept Steve--oh, Steve's here, by the way. Uh..."

Then he dropped the real bomb--that he'd been here. For a while. "I'm sorry--you've been here!? And you didn't come find me the second you knew I was here!? Wade--" She took a deep breath, remembering one of the relaxation tips her therapist had taught her. "It's... fine. Whatever. You're here now. I..."

How had she been?

"... Great, actually," she answered honestly. "I, um... Steve's been helping me a lot. I live with him. I... I have a job," she told him, motioning around them. "I'm in therapy, and it's actually not as scary as I thought it'd be? She's helped me a lot, and Steve's been helpin' too, with that kinda stuff. Keepin' me from, y'know... bein' a little too crazy."

She looked over him, frowning sadly. "... It's been a while, huh?"

[Bananasaurus]

"I'll have to tell you about Wadey's little helper when we have more privacy. For now, I know," Wade nodded. "And I've been um... watching you both... for a while," he said, guilt creeping into his voice as he avoided her eyes for the time being.

Of course, his PREVIOUS little interesting tidbit had her all up in a tizzy so he placed both hands on either of her shoulders and locked his deep, brown eyes onto hers. "I wanted to come, believe me. But it wasn't the right time. I needed to make sure I was settled, and my living situation wasn't great. I needed to be on my own in case you... in case you wanted to..."

Ugh. He swallowed thickly and and let her go. "In case you wanted to move in with me, o-or somethin'." He stood up straight and coughed into his fist. "But I also don't wanna mess things up if you've got a thing going with ol' Spangletights."

He'd never even considered. Were the two dating? Oh good, now he wanted to punch Captain America. Thankfully, Mollie distracted him from his confusion-rage by detailing how things were going for her.

"I noticed," he said, snickering half-heartedly about her job. "And I'm glad you're getting help."

Her expression suddenly fell, and so did his. Scarred brows knitting together. "It has. I... I missed you. A lot. More than I thought I would, even." Was that a dumb thing to say? Time would tell.

[Dany]

Oh, apparently he wasn't done with dropping bombs. Not only had he been here a while, but he'd been watching her--and he'd never even thought to say hey. Never thought to... "You could've told me!" she hissed, a fire in her eyes. "You could've told me you were here but you didn't have a place yet, or that you were getting your shit together, or--or anything!"

She'd told her therapist about Wade--and about Stephen, and about her dead lover. Overall, the therapist had approved of Stephen the most, though that wasn't saying a lot, really. Stephen was... married to his work, to put it kindly. Or at least, he had been the last time she'd seen him. He hadn't even tried to contact her in all the time she'd been away, let alone find her. But the biggest problem her relationship with Wade seemed to have, from her therapist's perspective, was a lack of communication.

And Mollie could see that now.

And then he had already moved on to them living together, and she was honestly just so surprised by that prospect that for a long moment all she could do was gape at him like a damned goldfish or something. "I..." How did she respond to that, even? Her therapist's voice sounded in her head, giving her really solid advice that she should definitely listen to. But then there was another voice--her; the part of her that had been so desperate for Wade's love and affection, the side of her that had been so deeply hurt when he turned tail and chased after fucking Peter Parker instead of staying with her. She knew deep down that even then they hadn't been a thing, but she'd never been... balanced. Even now, she still struggled. Hell, she was struggling right fucking now.

"... I'll think about it," she finally managed, sounding more confused than anything else. She kind of was, but more than anything she was just... conflicted and sad.

"Thanks," she replied, and a part of her lit up to hear that he was happy she was getting help. It was nice to know two of the most important people in her life were happy for her on that--it definitely made the whole thing less scary, and more... well, easier to handle.

And then he was telling her he'd missed her, and it sounded a lot like there was more there that he'd left unsaid, and she bit her lip with a small nod. "That's kinda offensive, y'know?" she asked, the tiniest of smiles quirking her lips upward. "That ya thought you wouldn't miss me that much. Of course you missed me--I'm a delight!" She grinned, then threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into the crook between throat and collarbone. "I missed you too... I missed you so much." She pulled back, though her arms stayed wrapped around him, and she stared up into what she hoped were his eyes.

And then, as she looked up at him, a sudden wave of emotion overcame her, and she pulled him down for a passionate kiss--a deeply emotional, desperate kiss.

[Bananasaurus]

Wade felt like just another stupid guy. He scratched his head through his hood and replied meekly “Y-yeah I guess I should’ve.” Maybe he just hadn’t been emotionally ready? Or maybe that was him making excuses.

He stood there, not knowing what to do or say, while something seemed to pop loose in Mollie’s head about his offer of living together. Finally, however, she spoke, and he exhaled the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding in. “Ok. I can live with that.” He still wasn’t sure if that meant Steve was dating Mollie, but this was a good sign in Wade’s favor.

Oof, yeah. Saying he missed her more than he thought he would definitely sounded bad now that it had been said. At least she was continuing onward, saying she missed him as well. “Sorry, I meant, ya know. I… thought of you as a friend before, and now I… don’t. As in you’re um…” he cleared his throat and blew another breath from pursed lips. “You’re more than that. To me.”

The Merc With the Mouth was having some issues talking, wasn’t he? No matter - suddenly he was being yanked down to her tiny height and getting a big wet one planted on his lips. “Mph?!” he asked, muffled against her mouth. But then he melted into it, tilting his head and grabbing either side of her face gently.

[Dany]

Mollie was so tempted to say “too little too late”—or maybe it was her internal therapist who wanted her to say that. But, though he hadn’t directly said he loved her, what he had said was more than she ever thought she’d get, and it stunned her for a moment—a long, breathless moment that was only broken by her suddenly kissing him.

She would need him to say the actual words “I love you” someday, but for now this was enough. She reluctantly pulled away from him, beaming up at him dreamily for a second before she came to her senses a bit. “I, um... I’m gonna go ask my boss for the rest of the day off,” she told him, stepping back like the aforementioned boss had walked in on them. “Meet me outside?”

With that, she stepped away, wiping her hands on her little half apron nervously as she approached the door to her boss’s office. She had literally no doubt her boss would be accommodating—Mollie was a good worker, popular with the regulars, and had only missed a day or two in the time she’d been there, and she had notes from her doctor each time. But she was more nervous about Wade— his presence in her life could lead her down a path she wasn’t ready to go back down. And what would Steve think? He’d be so disappointed if all her hard work had been for nothing.

Her boss could immediately tell a lot was on her mind, and she barely had a chance to explain the circumstances before she was given the rest of the day off—and the next day. Mollie graciously accepted before ducking out, grabbing her coat and other belongings on the way and bundling up as she exited the cafe. It wasn’t exactly a secret that she didn’t need warm clothes in cold weather, as even if Steve didn’t know about her pyrokinesis (or anyone else for that matter), she had made a point of saying the cold didn’t bother her. But still he insisted, so she went along with it.

Stepping outside was like entering another world, and Mollie took a moment to simply breathe before she turned to look for Wade. “Let’s walk,” she said, hopefully to him and not just empty air. And then she set off, walking towards the beach, one of her favorite places to think.

[Bananasaurus]

Their kiss broke too soon (in his opinion), leaving him breathless and wanting more. God, Mollie was such a smokeshow.

"Okay," was all he could manage, and watched her turn to leave before he did the same.

By the time Mollie came out, Wade was impatiently rocking back and forth on his heels. "What'd he say? I'm gathering from the fact that you're out here that it's good news."

He rubbed his bicep for warmth, wishing he was wearing his suit underneath his clothes, because that thing was warm. Without much ado, the woman set off in a direction with gusto, and Wade fell into step beside her.

"Where we goin'?" He was still pretty new in town so this direction could mean a lot of things.