Lt. Serena Cooper (army_tech) wrote in freedomtownic, @ 2018-02-20 00:25:00 |
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Entry tags: | jessica jones (aka_snarkybitch), serena cooper (army-tech) |
Who: Jessica and Serena
Where: Finnegan's Pub
When: After this post, but before this one
What: Drinking, talking, and flirting
Rating: PG-13
After having drinks with the girls several weeks prior, Jess had decided to invite Serena to another evening out. She seemed... subdued enough that Jess felt that she could tolerate her company, which was more than most people got out of her lately. Right now she was sitting at the bar of Finnegan's Pub, nursing a drink with a forlorn look in her eyes. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she missed home. She missed Trish, and Malcolm; hell even on her sadder days she missed Hogarth. How fucking sad was that? She muttered something under her breath and downed her drink, setting the empty glass down on the bar-top and tapping the wood. The bartender refilled her drink without asking. Talk about service.
"Theeeeere she is..." Serena said in her typically sweet-but-sarcastic tone, walking over to her new friend in a short flowered skirt that showed what a deceptively nice body she had (she didn't typically wear the most flattering clothes, ok?). Giving the woman a lopsided little grin, she slid onto the stool next to her. "This is one of the reasons I like hanging with you, Jess: you're as grumpy and down as I am." Not that how she looked in those jeans was part of it. Nope. Not at all.
Jess really did rock those jeans of hers. One had to wonder if she had anything else in her closet. Probably not. She gave Serena a brief amused smile. "Hey." She sipped more of her drink, at least trying to temper herself now that she had some company. "What's your poison tonight? I'm buying."
Serena caught herself almost gawking at the other woman for a moment, and quickly corrected course. "Oh. Um... scotch please? Thank you. Gotta admit: I was kinda surprised to hear from you. Very glad... just kinda surprised."
Jessica asked for one more glass. The bartender looked relieved that she had some company. She could be an unruly drunk sometimes (not to the point of being barred from the place just yet, amazingly). He set a glass down and poured one for Serena, then moved away. "Why surprised?" She blinked. She had an idea, but would rather Serena spell it out.
"You're kinda awesome, you know?" She laughed, feeling like a moron for saying it. "I guess I defaulted to that girl in high school that the cooler girls never wanted to hang out with." Also, you're sexy and it makes me stupid she thought but didn't say.
Jess chuckled and shook her head. "Trust me, I was far from the cool girl in high school." She moved her mouth to one side. Was that something she really wanted to discuss? Probably not. "But thanks for the compliment? I think." She smiled wryly.
"If that's the case... you're making up for it now." Serena said with a laugh, as her cheeks sweetly flushed a little. "I don't often feel intimidated by someones presence, but... here we are." Her mind was reeling right now. "I do appreciate this though. I've been so... stressed and freaked out lately. I needed a night to just cut loose and forget."
Jess rolled her tongue thoughtfully. "Is that something you wanna talk about?" She could at least try to be friendly with the other woman. It wasn't natural state of being, but she had to start somewhere, right?
"No.... it's more something I want to forget." Serena replied, tapping a knuckle against the side of her own head. "PTSD... it gets in here and then... good luck getting it to go away. I guess I'd hoped that being in a more relaxed environment like this place would help, but... no such luck."
Jess looked at Serena for a long moment, as if searching for a hint of a lie in her demeanor (Kilgrave had really fucked her trust in people, okay?); but what she ended up seeing was someone much like herself. A broken human being. "Well, that's why alcohol is my best friend," she replied, raising her glass to indicate what she meant before downing it. "And before you start, I know, I know; it's not a healthy way to sort through my issues, but they're mine."
"...I knew I sensed a kindred spirit in some way." Serena said, almost more to herself, before holding up her glass. "I can't say shit, girl. Recently I've been hitting the liquid courage a hell of a lot more than I should too. I think.... sometimes, it takes various things to help us deal with the horrible shit we've been through."
Jess nodded. She knew that if Trish was here she'd probably talk her into seeing a psychologist, but nuts to that. She signaled the bartender over and asked him to leave the bottle. "But I get points for at least leaving the apartment, right?" She smiled wryly.
"Definitely." Serena said with a lopsided smirk. She knew Liz and Isabel wanted something similar: for her to talk to someone - a shrink, ANYONE - but she couldn't just open up to someone she didn't trust. "Honestly, I think the fact that it's you was the only reason I left the house."
"Well, I am a choice drinking companion," Jess said dryly. She shifted in her seat and met Serena's eyes briefly. "I kind of picked you for a reason."
"...you did?" Serena asked, slightly wide-eyed. She knew there was NO way in hell Jessica was thinking what she was hoping (god knew she herself had only realized it recently). "Well, now I gotta know why..."
Jess ran the pad of her thumb over her fingertips, in such a fidget-y mood she had to be doing something. Sometimes it felt like she'd always be that way; that her feet would always be in the runners start position, ready to flee in a moments notice. She was trying to change her ways, trying to learn how to trust someone. "You're gonna laugh. You just... seemed like you had your shit together more than most people I've met here."
"Which.... is pretty funny, since I was kind of thinking the exact same thing about you. I feel like maybe... while everyone else is in happy-land over this new world, and everything else... you and me are the only ones who can see through it all and see that all the same bullshit is still there, just with a shiny new gloss." Serena told her, forcing a shaky smile. "I wish I could just be happy-go-lucky. But I can't sit here and pretend that the things I saw... hell, the things I did in the war don't still haunt me, even when I sleep."
Jess nodded. "Sometimes I think that it would be so much easier to forget. Forget the past, forget the things that I did; the things that I was forced to do." She paused and took in a shaky breath. "But easier isn't always better. Easier doesn't make us who we are now. Easy is for people who aren't strong. And we're strong. We have to be."
"I feel strong, oddly. Right now, I mean." Something about the presence of this woman somehow made Serena feel powerful, and not like the broken mess she was beginning to feel more and more like. "But I.... feel like that might not be an entirely good thing. Because feeling strong combined with alcohol can lead to doing things that you probably shouldn't."
"Like throwing someone through a window?" Jess asked with a wry smile. Nope, she hadn't done that at all. She called the bartender back over and asked for a couple of bottles of beer. "But you weren't talking about physical strength, were you?"
"No... no I wasn't." If this were a movie, she'd just turn around and kiss Jessica. And there would be stars and hearts and happily ever after. But Serena knew real life didn't work that way. And that a sudden move like that would be more likely to chase her away and ruin this new friendship. So... she went with honesty. "When I wrote on the network that time about totally having a crush on you... I kinda wasn't kidding." She admitted, cheeks reddening as she looked into her drink. Did we ever mention that Serena tended to ramble big-time when she's been drinking? "And prior to this? I.... ok, so maybe I'd find myself thinking a woman was sexy every now and then, but that was it. Never even thought more than that. But lately, I can't seem to feel anything. No matter who I'm with. This guy... Sam Winchester? Has been trying to woo me for months now. And he's gorgeous, and sweet, and witty.... and yet when we're together I feel nothing. And I thought, I really, really thought, that the war killed the part of me that could feel anything even vaguely sexual. But then I bantered a little with you on the network. And hung out with you. And just.... now all I can think about some days is what kissing you would feel like, and I feel like maybe I'm just destined to destroy anything good in my life."
"Well... shit," Jess grumbled before taking a hearty swig of her beer. It gave her a chance to think about what Serena said and to form a well-thought out reply. Or, what passed for well-thought out for Jessica Jones. "Look, you didn't destroy our friendship by telling me how you feel. That takes a lot of, um," she cleared her throat, "but I'm not the kind of person that anyone should have a relationship with. I'm just not built for it." She'd made pushing people away an art form, really.
"I get that. I do." She gave a wry, sarcastic laugh. "More than you even know. But at the risk of sounding bitchy? Slow the hell down, woman. Nobody said anything about a relationship!" Serena actually giggled then, as while a part of her DID think about what a relationship with the other woman would be like, she wasn't QUITE ready to admit that to herself yet. "I just mentioned feeling very attracted to you. And the kissing thing. That's... yeah. That's a key part." She added, throwing back another shot.
"Oh." Jess squeezed her eyes shut, laughed and shook her head before downing her own shot and pouring two more. "Okay. Well, now I feel like a complete ass." She bounced a little in her seat, that restless energy bubbling up and threatening to take over. "Sorry for assuming. I just... feel like it's an important thing to point out. I don't want there to be anything unspoken between us."
"Since I killed the only guy I ever loved... I've never felt a sincere attraction to someone until now. And I forgot how good it feels to look at someone and think 'damn, I want some of that'." She paused, wincing as she said, "And clearly, my vocabulary is at an all-time low here." She shook her head, offering a hand to the other woman. "And... agreed. Wherever this friendship goes... nothing unspoken."
Jess shook her hand, making sure not to put too much strength into her grip lest she accidentally rip Serena's arm out of its socket. She wanted to argue that she'd never even felt a tingling of something like love for anyone lately other than Trish, but this wasn't a pissing contest. She didn't have to one-up Serena for misery. "I'm sorry that you had to do that," she said sincerely. "But at the risk of ruining the moment? You have terrible taste."
"Oh, shut the hell up." Serena laughed, rolling her eyes before just leaning in and lightly touching her lips to Jessica's, giving her plenty of opportunity to pull away if she wanted (she didn't know about her super-strength, remember).
Jessica let out an 'oomph' sound of surprise and lightly gripped Serena's shoulder, her fingers digging in a little to the fabric of her dress. At first she considered pushing Serena away, but surprised even herself when instead she pulled her closer and deepened the kiss for a moment.
God, this was exactly what Serena needed right now. She couldn't help but moan loudly into the kiss, eyes fluttering closed as she shuddered. "Shit. You're... wow. You're even better at that than I imagined." She felt another blush as she nibbled her lip before admitting: "And believe me. I have imagined." Hey. Nothing unspoken, right?
Jessica chuckled and sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, inching her butt a little further back onto her stool. She hadn't realized that she'd moved closer to Serena when they kissed. "Well, at least now you don't have to imagine anymore and can... file it away for future use," she said dryly. Oofh. She needed a minute to catch her breath.
"Annnnnd future use it will certainly get. As in, more than likely five minutes after I get home later." She laughed, fanning herself a little there. "You really have zero idea how much I needed that."
"Well, glad I could oblige," Jessica replied with a flirty smile. She reached for one of her drinks but stopped short of actually grabbing it and instead rapped her knuckles on the bar-top. Holy crap. Did she just... did she just stop drinking? Huh.
Serena saw the look on Jessica's face, but clearly had no idea what was going on. "Hey... everything ok, Jess?" She asked, her hand instinctively moving to lay comfortingly on the other woman's thigh.
Jessica flinched at the touch, but was quick to apologize. "Sorry. Sorry." She was quick to reach for Serena's hand, giving it a light squeeze. Nothing unspoken. "It's just been a very long time since anyone made me feel the way that you just did. It kind of took me out of myself for a minute there."
"Well then. I'm glad I could oblige." Serena replied with a cheeky grin, sensing that this was not a person who liked getting emotional or sentimental. "Still... it could've been a fluke.... we may have to try that again."
Jessica pretended to think about that for a minute, bobbing her head. "For science, right?" Serena was right in that Jess didn't like to get emotional, attached, whatever - so for her to show even the slightest bit of trust here was monumental.
"And.. god damn do I love science." Serena added with a grin (leave it to her to make science sound sexy), before leaning in and kissing Jessica again, this time with much more desire and aggression.
Jess unconsciously scooted closer again as they kissed, hooking an arm around Serena to pull her closer as well. There was a surprising hunger in her movements, in the insistence of her lips and the strength with which she held her. (She assumed that Serena was all human, so she tried not to be too rough with her).
"......wow" Was the only word that Serena could muster for a few moments, the look in her eyes saying it all: for someone who'd never so much as kissed another girl before, she was ready to maul Jessica right there at the bar. "I.... think I may need to leave soon. Go home, and.... have a long and insanely intense shower."
In the heat of the moment Jess almost said that she'd love to join her, but censored herself and instead buried her nose into other crook of Serena's neck, breathing in her scent. "Yeah, I honestly don't blame you."
"I'm.... just gonna throw this out there... and if I'm crossing a line here, sorry..." She sighed, running her fingers once through the other woman's hair. "But... any chance you'd wanna come with? Yes, I know how skanky that sounds, and no I don't care."
"Jesus," Jess grumbled. "It's like you read my mind." She kissed Serena again, although the movement of her hands was staring to become a little... indecent.
Practically radiating heat at this point, Serena gave a turned-on but somehow almost giddy grin, and nipped at Jess' bottom lip. "I haven't even thought about sex in close to seven years. I am crawling outta my fucking skin right now."
Jessica slid a hand between Serena's thighs, tracing her fingertips and light dragged her nails along her skin, practically vibrating out of her own skin. "Well, I promise that I'll try to be gentle."
"You know...." Serena smirked, leaning in bravely and nipping the other woman's earlobe. "I don't remember ever requesting 'gentle'. Just saying." Well damn. Still, she was coherent of her surroundings enough that noticed that they were beginning to draw attention to themselves. "....thinkin' maybe we should go before they turn the hose on us."
Jessica quirked an eye at the 'gentle' comment and filed that away. To Serena's second comment she casually leaned back on her stool, retrieved her hand and looked around. At least half a dozen sets of eyes were on them and those eyes were quick to look away. "What? What are you looking at?" She said to the closest person who wasn't as quick as the others. He threw up his hands in the universal symbol of 'I don't want a fight' and left it at that. She huffed and looked back at Serena, a little embarrassed by her display although she tried not to let it show.
"You know..." Serena smirked as she took Jessica's hand, starting to lead her out before the woman flat out punched someone. "Maybe we should get outta here before these guys ruin the mood, hm?" She left it unsaid, but DAMN did that little display of rage from Jessica get Serena all fired up.