Summary:Helena and Peter meet for a night out at the movies. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
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He doesn't spill a single kernel of popcorn. He's managing the Big Ol' Tub of popcorn, two tall drinks in a cardboard cup caddy, and not a drop of soda or a kernel of popcorn is dropped.
Maybe he's a waiter at a restaurant. Or mayb he's Peter Parker, and he doesn't want to cause a mess.
He walks up the side aisle of the theater, smiling wryly as he looks for The Girl who had beaten him here. Not HIS fault that someone was robbing the bodega. But he was coming up during the trailers, and she had been here long enough to read all the onscreen ads in the slideshow twice.
He scopes out the place. He forgot to ask Helena what part of the theater she liked to sit in…
Helena promised to be patient with Peter's tendencies to run late, and so far it seems like she's more than willing to follow through on that promise. She picked out a seat in the back, near the aisle, where it wouldn't be a big deal for him to slip in late, and she's been watching the tunnel out to the main theater. When he shows up, she raises a hand from the back, whistling softly through the sound of the preview.
She doesn't even look upset! She does grin though, glad to see he's made it. And not just made it, but before the actual movie starts, and not bleeding!
Peter looks up at the soft whistle and grins, that hangdog smile that says everything's okay, he's okay, and he's not limping or bleeding. Whatever made him late, it was something he could deal with.
Peter handed Helena her drink, then settled in next to her. A subtle THWIP and the tub of popcorn now has a "basket" it can be put in on the back seat of the row in front of them. No having to have the tub come between them.
"I got buttered. Hope that's okay," he whispered to her.
"Totally." Helena leans over to press her shoulder against his once he's settled into the seat, though she does reach over to brush the hair from his eyes and make a quick check for scrapes and bruises. It seems familiar, almost a habit for her, even if they haven't been together for that long.
"I assume the streets are safer now?" She keeps her voice low, but the theater is relatively quiet already, with no one within a few rows of the pair.
"Here's a riddle. Two guys rob a jewelry store in SoHo. Their car gets deep-sixed, and one of them gets webbed up. The other one tried to shoot a store owner. But his gun got fouled up. So…which hospital do they take the healthy people to…?"
Helena smirks, reaching over to twine her fingers with his as she watches the previews flicker across the screen. "Trick question. They don't take healthy people to the hospital." A beat. "I mean, this is America. You're lucky if they take the sick people to a hospital."
She reaches for the popcorn, smile deepening just a bit at the makeshift web. "You're pretty handy, Peter Parker."
Then Peter smiles. In that moment, the message is clear.
No one got killed. No one even got hurt.
"YEAH. They DON'T…"
Then he looks up as FEATURE PRESENTATION appears on the screen. "Finally. I swear, the Rock has FAR too much fun making movies…"
"That's why people like watching them," Helena grins. "It's hard not to have fun when you're watching someone who's having that much fun." She falls quiet at the movie starts up, though she stays close. That's part of the fun of a date to the movies, isn't it? Having an excuse to cuddle?
Peter grins, then slides his arm around Helena's shoulders, the other hand lifting the armrest to stow it out of the way. "Sounds like a mandate to me," he says quietly. "Thanks. For putting up with me, if nothing else."
"My pleasure." Helena leans in for a kiss as she says it, letting it linger. This is one of those rare moments where she can just be a teenager like anyone else. Even if her date was late because he was breaking up a robbery. Close enough, at least.
Peter…is not a great kisser. He's a DECENT kisser, though. No shoving his tongue down her throat like he was Venom, pressing lightly against her lips instead of mashing them like he's trying to smear his lip on a window. He is..hesitant. Careful, unsure…almost timid, at first.
Helena is no expert either, but she's willing to explore and experiment, letting her lips brush against his. Her own part, just enough to move against his in lazy exploration, warm and soft. No rush, no pressure. Just living in the moment. Eventually she dips her chin, resting her temple against his as she looks to the screen.
Peter's heart is noticeably increased. He gulps, then says, "Uhm…wow. And I mean that in the best way, I…hey, did that guy just dump his fiance because he wants to travel more…?" he whispers softly.
"Totally missed it," Helena giggles, crouching a little bit lower in her seat to avoid any dirty looks from the rest of the audience. "Although I've heard that traveling with someone is the best way to find out if a relationship's going to work. Nothing like being under major stress in a strange place to bring out the worst in everyone."
Peter looked to Helena. "I've never really left New York. But…then again, I deal with major stress right here." He paused. "How well traveled are…oh, geez…" He winces as the onscreen female leads loses it with her now-EX-fiance over the phone, cringing. "God, I hate watching people embarrass themselves…"
"I'm not a fan of it for too long," Helena agrees quietly. "I mean, it's not as bad when it's not an actual person, but." She waits for a moment when the movie is louder before she speaks again, head still tilted slightly against his. "We've been around. Now and then. Less than you'd think," she admits. "Mom or Dad've usually got business, so it ends up being a lot of hotel rooms. Nice hotel rooms, at least."
Peter nods. "Listen, Helena…I'm willing to believe your parents did the best they could, all things considered. Besides, people with the kind of money your parents have have problems I can scarcely comprehend, so who am I to make any kind of judgment call…oh, yeah. Those two are smitten." He points to the screen. He looks to Helena. "They still love you, though. So you're lucky there."
"They do. I'd never question that." Helena reaches for the popcorn, taking a few more bides. "And it's not like I'm complaining either. I've got nothing to complain about. Just some day I'd like to spend a little more time in all those places, is all," she smiles faintly, giving his hand a squeeze.
Peter hmms. "Well…I've never been out of New York, let alone the country. Maybe we could…take a trip or something, sometime? I hate to ask you to foot the bill, but I won't be able to afford something like that for a LONG time."
"Hey, I'm up for it any time," Helena laughs softly. "But I won't lay odds on you making it out of New York until you decide you're going to do it and trust that someone else will keep the city safe while you're gone," she teases, voice low. "On the up side, that's the nice thing about private jets. They don't usually leave without you. So in that sense, traveling with me is a better bet for you."
Peter chuckles softly. "You could take me anywhere, Helena. I trust you. I just…maybe a short break every now and then. The city won't fall apart without me…right?"
"Now you're getting it." Helena leans in for another kiss. Positive reinforcement! "Seriously, though. New York. Most hero-dense city in the world. I'm pretty sure there are statistics," she teases.
Peter is momentarily silenced by the kiss. You do NOT talk with your mouth…uhm, occupied.
The kiss ends as all good things must, and after a quick gasp for air, Peter says, "Yeah…someone did the metric. Who has two thumbs and is the only one to patrol the Five Boroughs on the regular?"
Out pop both thumbs as he indicates himself with both of the them. "THIS guy."
"Yeah, because everyone else has the sense to stick to a smaller neighborhood," Helena snorts, amused. "The bats handle Staten Island. Daredevil's got Hell's Kitchen. The X-Men watch Mutant Town. I've literally lost track of the martial arts people in Chinatown. The Green Arrow hits up Brooklyn. And Manhattan's just crawling with capes."
Peter sighs. "And me? I'm like Elvis, I'm EVERYWHERE." He shrugs. "But I can manage it. I wish I could describe what webslinging is…like, oh my God is that KEANU REEVES?" He whispers in a low, surprised hiss…
"Ever since John Wick, he's suddenly not a joke anymore," Helena muses, brow quirking as she watches the movie and grabs a little more popcorn. "Keanu Reeves. Not Elvis. He's still Elvis."
At the webslinging comment, she looks over, a slow smile curving. "Hey, any time you want to take me. I did grow up with a world-class acrobat, you know."
Peter chuckles. "Well, maybe I should take you out sometime. UP and out. You would have to leave the bike, but I have a harness designed I've tested. It's very safe, but just in case, it has its own barf bag." Peter winks, smiling.
"Hey, I trust you." Not to drop her, at least. Helena grins at the barf bag comment though, shaking her head. "Challenge accepted. Next time, we swing." Nevermind that she's been swinging along the skyline of the city since she was a baby. Try not to think about the 'women marrying their fathers' implications there.
Peter nods, then blinks at the "fight" going on. "Well…nice to know Keanu isn't taking himself too seriously still…" He looks to Helena. "I'll bring sandwiches and drinks. I hope you can handle going for hours, interrupted only by moments fo danger…"
"I ran cross-county in school," Helena assures, smile crooked. "And hurdles. And the high jump. Track and field was good for me, let me do things without having to worry quite as much about the weirdness of a whole team. Plus, you know. Dick always kept up with the acrobatics, and I practically worshipped him, so of course I had to learn some too. I think you'll be surprised how well I can handle it, thank you very much."
Peter nods, but his mouth makes the "wow" sound. But quietly. And is there just a LITTLE jealousy as the mention of Dick Grayson? Well, yes sir, and yes, ma'am.
But he dispels it, because she'd be watching this with him instead of with Peter.
"I'll take your word for it then," he replies pleasantly.
Helena has a collection of adopted brothers. And adopted sisters. It's Cassandra he really has to watch out for. At the moment though, it's just the two of them, sitting in the dark and enjoying the movie. And that seems to be exactly the way Helena is happy to have it. She falls silent for a bit, focusing on the movie, before she leans in to brush a kiss to his jaw. "Thanks, Peter," she murmurs. "This is really nice."
Peter blushes immediately. "We…probably won't get many of those moments, so we should enjoy them while we can." He looks at Helena's face for a long moment.
She's beautiful. Talented. Gutsy. Give her spider-powers, she'd leave him in the dust.
Why is he thinking about dragging her into Hero Life? Forget it. Keep her out of it. There's enough pain and anguish…