Good morning, sleepyhead! Who: Nate and Cora Where: Their respective beds, and Nate's mindscape What: They talk When: 06/11, during and around thesethreelogs Warnings/Rating: PG-13 for mentions of nudity, sex and angst Status complete
Nate woke slowly then smiled, and stretched. Then he froze as he felt a sleeping mind dreaming, far off. It was back! He danced in his bed, still laying down and things around his room danced too. “YES!~”
Then there were more minds, and more, and they crowded in and slammed in and shouted and sang and breathed and he groaned as he flailed internally and reached for his controls and slammed the shields down and... ahhhh.
He had missed his powers, as much as he had told himself he had not. He liked being a telepath and telekinetic. It was fun!
Realizing what it meant, he reached out for Neena, right away, then slept some more, barely under sleeping tones, until it was closer to morning. When he woke again, he reached out for his mom, and his dad, and poked them briefly, before reaching out to that waking mind and enveloping it in warmth, a hug and welcome. “Good morning, sleepyhead!”
He hoped Cora would not mind him waking her the rest of the way. He was just so excited!
Cora stirred, throwing her arm over her spare pillow as she rolled over. “Hmm?” She smiled dreamily as recognition dawned, hugging the pillow. “Nate? You’re back.”
A warm hug enveloped her, the feeling of his arms around her, and warmth and love flowed across their link. I am. Seems powers woke up at midnight last night. A leftover sense of pain flitted past. He really was glad to have his powers back.
Are you okay? Concern trickled through Cora’s mind, knowing that the sudden changes had been difficult for a lot of people, and some of them very close friends of Nate’s. Not to mention Uncle Thomas. Her own powers seemed more passive, so the only thing she really noticed was how she was almost instantly awake the moment Nate’s presence had brushed her mind. I think my Spidey-sense likes you.
Nate smiled to himself and let her feel it. I am now, though I have a headache. Waking up to the telepathy coming back, and then hearing people... it was a bit of a shock. He smiled softly at her words. I like that. And I am fond of your spidey sense.
Aw. I wish I could do reiki like mom, then I could make your head feel better. She sighed. She felt pretty good, herself, and hearing Nate’s voice had a lot to do with it. Do you have any big plans, now that your powers are back? Anything you’re ready to share, that is.
You don’t need to do anything to help. Just talking to you makes me feel better. And it was true. He didn’t know why, but he already felt a little better, just talking to her. I want to do things with you. I want to like... I dunno yet, but fun things with you. He smiled to himself.
Like daydream about food? she asked, remembering a talk they’d had not so very long ago. Or do you dream about other things now?
Like that. I dream about all of it. I dream about eating with you, and about touching you. And for a moment, the sensory touch of a hand sliding down her back, a gentle warm hand, that was Nate’s and no one else’s, was there in her mind, as well as his kiss to her hair. Like that.
Cora smiled, snuggling into that feeling with a soft sigh. It feels good. She wished she could touch Nate like that.
Good. I like to make you smile. And you know... I could sort of sense you thinking there and... there is a way you can make me feel that. Sometime, when you want to, we can go astral, it’s a kind of mental plane, created in your mind or mine, or out in the ether, which allows us to create a mindscape we can control, and we are as we see ourselves in it, or as we want to see ourselves. Nate nodded.
Really? Cora’s curiosity perked up, eager to learn more. She knew Nate could feel at least some of what she was feeling, when they were linked--and even when he wasn’t actively listening in, judging from how he always seemed to know when she was hurt or upset--but she wasn’t sure how much she could participate besides making pictures in her head and letting him see in. Even if I’m not a telepath?
Even so. Every mind has space in it, and I know that doesn’t make sense, but... we have a lot of brain power and we don’t use all of it. This exercise uses more. It creates a space we share, which we control, where we are as real as in the real world, to us, when we are there, but we can change things.
Okay, she said, nodding. It sounds exciting. She thought of hugs, and nestled deeper into her pile of pillows. What would we have to do?
He returned those thoughts, and smiled. She was so amazing and unafraid. Another thing he loved about her. He nodded. Just relax and imagine opening your mind to me, then I will do the rest.
He reached into himself and let his power, newly returned to him, flex and flow, and built his mindscape, grinning.
Cora closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the pillows, and the feeling that enveloped her. She waited, watching, and listening to see what would happen.
He reached out to her then and gently tugged her willing mind out of her body and into his mindscape. She would find herself abruptly walking through a door into a garden with a beautiful city beyond it, with a simple terrace looking out at that city, futuristic in its buildings, sitting at the end of the path, and Nate standing there, taller, even, than he was now, somewhere, middling, somewhere between ancient and middle aged and young. But definitely Nate. And wearing a simple pair of trunks as he held his arms out to her. “Welcome to my mind.”
It was like falling asleep. She didn’t really notice the moment it happened, just suddenly found herself walking into a dream; a place that felt familiar, even though she’d never seen it before. She spotted Nate, and knew him right away, in spite of the age difference and the added height and muscle. This was the Nate who spoke in her mind; Nate as he really was.
She ran to him, and threw her arms around his neck, her feet leaving the ground to do so. “It’s beautiful!”
He swept her up in his arms and held her tight, hugged her close, kissing her face on both cheeks and smiling as he inhaled her scent. “Dear one. It is the place you inspire in my soul.” He spoke softly, and truth reverberated in his tone. He let her down slowly to her feet and smiled, welcome beaming from him, and a warm wind swirled around her, stroking her hair.
The very ground softened slightly under her feet, to her let enjoy it more.
Cora spared another glance at the world around them, feeling her feet sink into the lush ground. She laid her hand over Nate’s heart as she smiled up at him, eyes returning to his. “I love it.”
He shivered at that touch and he smiled. “I’m glad. You can always come here, simply by willing it. If something ever happens and you need to escape the world for a little while, you can come here. I will sense you and come as quickly as I can, and protect you from all else.” he nodded, smiling softly. He tapped her hand and her head gently. “We have a link, here, and nothing will ever break it, unless we want to.”
"Thank you," she said softly, clasping his hand and cradling it to her cheek. It felt so real. She felt so at home. "Do you think I'll ever feel this comfortable in my body?"
“Yes. I do. You’ll get there, Cora. And I’ll help you if I can.” He smiled and hugged her gently. This was nice. “I like sharing things with you, and talking with you. And just being with you, not having to do or think anything in particular.”
Cora lay her head against his chest, listening to the sound of his heart and feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath. She loved being with him like this, whether it was in mind or in person. “I’m glad we can be ourselves,” she said, “I like sharing with you, too.”
“Me too. I don’t have to be anyone but me with you. All of me, in one. And you see it and like it and don’t mind me being me.” He kissed her hair, and stroked it. “You make it easier for me to be me, and better.”
“Why wouldn’t I like it? It’s all a part of you.” She hugged him tightly around the waist. “I’ve never seen you do anything but good things with what you can do.”
Nate hugged her back and smiled. “Thank you. I try.” He sighed. “I try.” He snuggled in and held her close, stroking her back. “You make me feel more confident. I admit, it also makes me feel more attracted to you... mentally, emotionally, and physically.”
“Well...I guess that makes sense,” Cora mused. “It’s no fun liking somebody who doesn’t like you back.” Maybe that was oversimplifying things, but maybe it was just that simple. The more they were around each other, the more they got to know each other, and the more their mutual liking seemed to grow. “I think you’re really handsome, too.”
Nate blushed and smiled. “That makes a lot of sense.” He hugged her tight and smiled, then pulled back a touch. “Thank you.”
Then he grinned. “Would you like something to drink? Anything at all.”
"Cherry coke?" she asked, "with a lime wedge?" Why, yes, she liked to do strange things with her beverages. She wasn't sure if that was her mother's influence, or Nate's, or her own imagination. Or all of the above. But she was curious to see what things would taste like in this place.
Nate waved his hand and the drink formed like an old school transporter scene, from the bottom up, in his hand, and he grinned at her as he held it out. “For you, then.” The lime wedge was so fresh the scent of it caught the air. He made the gesture again and a coke with cherries and cherry flavor appeared for him. He held out his glass to her, grinning, one arm still around her. “To new dreams, and discovering things together.”
Cora squeezed the lime into the soda and dropped it in, laughing with utter delight as she sucked the tart juice from her fingertips. "Together," she said, raising her glass to his. "Forever."
He clinked his glass with hers and nodded. "Forever."