Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ Mᴏɴᴛᴀɢᴜᴇ Rᴇɴғɪᴇʟᴅ (insects) wrote in valloic, @ 2021-02-06 13:01:00 |
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Entry tags: | !: action/thread/log, ₴ inactive: hank mccoy, ₴ inactive: katherine pierce |
WHO: Hank & Katherine (plus Nadia)
WHAT: Hank shows up a little bit after Katherine, they're reunited
WHERE: Morningside
WHEN: After this
WARNINGS: Nooooot really, dude
STATUS: Complete
If there was something Katherine excelled at to an almost annoying degree was her adaptability, and her insistence on surviving in literally any environment she was tossed into - Vallo wasn’t about to be the exception. Sure, her reception was met with a degree of hostility she hadn’t exactly expected. Having a reunion with some of the original Mystic Falls cast caught her off guard. All she had dealt with before were the ones that had been on a similar boat as she had been - born relatively normal, somewhat different lines and then bam, one day the Dream Assault hit you like a trainwreck. They were well-versed in keeping that line drawn between the this and there. These versions didn’t. And that was fine as long as they stayed the hell away from her tribe and she did the same. Maybe if she had been completely alone with zero attachments she could mess with them a teeny-tiny bit for chuckles, but - The small hand grasping hers changed everything. So did Hank. Katherine had too much to lose and like hell was she going to gamble it away on pettiness. They’d been out and about to get Nadia something in her stomach for the morning and dabbled at the idea of shopping. Like, for actual necessities - groceries and clothes (though the money staple they got would hardly cover one pair of decent shoes, how unfair was that?) when she looked at her device and saw Hank’s composition of fucking particles. Relief crashed into her like a tidal wave and those errands would be handled later. (Except for the coffee one. Yes, Katherine did make a stop for that because that was love, wasn’t it?) When they returned to Morningside via Waypoint, the first body to pummel into Hank’s wasn’t hers - it was Nadia’s and she was more than fine with that, watching how the little girl clung to his waist with the happiest grin. God, she hadn’t been here for more than a day but she really, really found herself missing him. “Hey handsome,” she greeted smoothly, the smile she wore small and wry. Katherine looked the usual, of course - bouncy curls, wicked eyes, heels that would have murdered mortal feet by now. “Does six shots of espresso in a cup count as turbo-charged coffee for you?” “Six shots! Stars and garters, Katherine, you really do love me,” was Hank’s response, a toothy smile lighting up his whole expression and reaching the brightness of already-electric blue eyes. His response to Nadia flinging herself at him was a puff of air that she probably pushed out of him with the cannonball hug, of which he was entirely grateful to receive and entirely grateful to return. Strong arms - a lot stronger than they looked, but Hank in general was a study in how appearances were deceiving - scooped up the little girl and he twirled her before setting her down. He’d have carried her, but she was probably too old to be carried and - well, who was he kidding, that wouldn’t have stopped him. His squishy heart always threatened to burst into funfetti sprinkles whenever Nadia smiled at him or called him dad; he did consider himself to be her father, because her sperm donor certainly wasn’t. “I’m so glad you both are here,” he said, taking the to-go cup of coffee and enjoying that first, eye-popping sip. Zounds. He’d never sleep again. And given all the work he would no doubt dive into, studying this alternate universe and its intricacies, that was going to be helpful. Luckily he had Katherine to remind him to take breaks, however - she was good at that. “Shall we head further into the arms of the city to pick up anything or do I need to see our new apartment first?” Nadia was positively beaming. Considering she had been playing roulette in the foster system for most of her life, having to adjust to new surroundings wasn’t out of the norm for her. Katherine fucking hated that but her kid had moxy and got through it. At least this change of scenery the three of them were together and that’s what mattered. Hank’s suggestion, however, mildly offended her. A single brow arched up sharply, and she reached forward to grab him by the collar of his shirt. “You’re going to kiss me first,” Katherine pouted. “Then we can show you the apartment, hm? It’s actually very tasteful. I don’t hate it.” “And then groceries because we have nothing,” Nadia chirped in contribution. “I hope we don’t have strangers stopping us in the middle of the aisle to talk like back home! That was super annoying.” Oh, of course - Hank would never turn down a kiss or several from Katherine. They certainly got up to enough, ah, interesting things in their private life - that didn’t stop him from blushing at the idea of pressing their mouths together, however, since they were in public; it was simply one of his nerd quirks, and probably wouldn’t change. Nevertheless, he leaned in and kissed her - hard enough to pour passion into it, in that ‘fire racing down his throat’ way, and to make up for the slight of suggesting groceries before liplocking. Later he’d kiss her a lot more and take his time with it, lazy Sundays and walks in the summer, those kinds of kisses. He didn’t want to scar Nadia much, however. “Well, if you don’t hate it, that’s a good sign,” he chuckled, free hand playing with one of Katherine’s coffee-colored loose curls and then letting go. “Groceries would be wonderful too. I’m sure the citizens of this city aren’t as - intrusive?” Honestly, he just wanted to purchase produce and pasta sauce in peace. The OC was a ridiculously friendly place sometimes - maybe...too friendly? “Alright, let’s head up,” he clasped one of Nadia’s hands in his. “I’ll take the grand tour.” Morningside was an actual Pinterest Wet Dream. Any less accommodating digs, she’d be showing her fangs but it turns out Vallo’s government (unlike some places) was awfully efficient and seemed to manage this whole ‘random people from other universes showing up’ seamlessly. Did Katherine want to stay here in the long-term? Probably not, but for now this would do. Hank’s other hand would have been claimed by yours truly but holding his coffee and their child’s hand were important endeavors so she led the way to the elevators instead. Nadia rattled on and on about things she’s seen so far, doing her best to describe all these different races and whatnot through the quick trip up the floors. It was cute. “So this place has everything we’ll need for now,” Katherine sighed, opening the door to their new home. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms on the top floor. Everything was functional and the streaming amenities were godsent. Nadia’s favorite. “Your mutant brethren Erik’s on the same floor too.” She didn’t have the luxury of meeting him yet in person but she ought to at some point. Looks like they had a history of villainy in common even if hers came in the form of past life remembered dreams. By the time they had taken the elevator up to their apartment, Hank had basically polished off that coffee - what could he say, the bean juice was his life fuel and it had gotten him through many a tough time. Given that he also possessed superhuman durability and a superhuman metabolism, the caffeine of six shots was also merely a blip on the radar for his bodily functions. Alas, it had both its benefits and its drawbacks. Now that he had both hands free (since Nadia had let go to twirl about and show things off) he slid an arm around Katherine and pulled her close to drop a kiss on the top of her head. “Erik, yes, I heard he was here - and Peter?” Hank mused. He wondered if Peter had told Erik the man was his father yet - such family drama. “It’s been a rollercoaster with him in the dreams so it will be interesting to meet him in person. And I’m glad he was kind to you when you first arrived.” Sure, he wasn’t Erik’s biggest fan - but helping Katherine and Nadia counted for a lot, so that constituted high marks. “Are you going to be alright?” he asked his beloved then, brow furrowing. “With...meals.” He didn’t mind Katherine taking blood from him whenever she needed to, but she couldn’t sustain on his blood alone. Nadia went to entertain herself with the television and its many wondrous functions. It allowed them some space - which meant Katherine’s arm went around his waist too, anchoring herself to Hank in what could be interpreted as a needy embrace. “I’ll figure the blood thing out,” she replied, refraining from another sigh because, yeah. That was a legitimate part of all this to be concerned about. “Caroline forwarded me some clinic recommendations. I’ll end up doing something like that.” Drinking from blood bags wasn’t her preferred way of doing things but she knew she had to play it careful here. She didn’t have Ezio to come up with a list of heads to hunt, Garcian wasn’t around to clean up and cover up their messes to avoid suspicious inquiries. She also knew that there were people expecting her to do something awful - best not fuel those flames or prove them right. “I guess as a mother I should be behaving too,” Katherine relented. “I don’t want to risk dragging trouble to our door with her around.” And she obviously hadn’t told Nadia that she needed blood to sustain herself, either. When she got older, sure - but not now. She knew mommy was strong and fast but that was all. Hank slipped his arms around Katherine fully, wrapping her up in a cuddly, beastly sort of embrace. He was here to be supportive, no matter what - and in turn, he would support whatever Katherine wanted to do. Nadia knew similar facts about him as well, that he was strong and fast and had answers for lots of things, naturally - but he didn’t want to scar her for life, thus, he kept his ‘true face’ under wraps. That and the blue fur, the pointed fangs that watered in craving for raw meat. He had arrived with a case of the serum injections on him, and he’d find himself a laboratory to work in and a place to clone that serum so he wouldn’t run out. Bad things would happen if he did. “That sounds like a solid plan,” he rumbled, squeezing her to him. “And you’re a wonderful mother.” She hadn’t been with Nadia for very long but actually having her child in her life had been all Katherine wanted - Hank was so pleased that particular dream had come to fruition. “You can take from me too, of course...” Blood, he meant. There was always a flicker of intrigue in those blue eyes when he said things like that.’ A wonderful mother. Hah. If only Katherine knew what she was doing. It wasn’t like the pull of maternal love wasn’t there - it was, just had been buried under some metaphorical stone and cement - but it was a role she had a rough transition into Adjusting her life around the needs of one tiny, fragile person was more than she could have bargained for. She wouldn’t change it one bit, of course; it was merely met with some challenges. “You’re so sweet to me,” she chuckled, low and husky and mmf. A hand went to cup his cheek to draw him in for another kiss. Slow, deep, but fairly PG in case their young audience took a peek over. The fact that Hank liked it when Katherine took a nibble was such a perk in this relationship - they were opposites but their needs, tastes were very similar. “I’ll never say no to tasting you. And you?” There was one thing critically missing from here, and she had no idea how he’d get his hands on it. “I’m not used to you being without some kind of mad scientist lab,” Katherine elaborated, her thumb stroking his chin. “Are you going to be okay?” “I’ll find one,” Hank promised, still a little dizzy from that kiss but purely in a good way. His hands, large and nimble (they flew over the 88 keys very well - that was another thing, he hoped to get a baby grand in here sooner rather than later), smoothed down Katherine’s back. “There has to be some kind of research facility within the DOA building, at least.” If not, even a hospital would do - he just needed access to lab equipment. And he was certain he could find employment at one relatively easily too - his credentials would transfer just fine, and he’d perhaps brush up on his CV a little too. He kissed Katherine’s forehead, then her lips again - so pink, so pouty. She was utterly gorgeous and he still couldn’t believe, sometimes, that she’d taken an interest in him at all. “I have enough serum to last me until I can make more. People mentioned how accepting it is here, but...” Regardless. Hank wasn’t really ready to walk around showcasing his special beauty quite yet. “Hey,” Katherine whispered, leaning in to claim another kiss for herself. “I get it. Do what you have to do. This place seems to already have a more effective support system than back home anyway - the chances of you finding something’s not so slim.” She didn’t mind either form but of course she understood his reservations - there was always some internal battle between beastly instincts and human ones. Katherine had her own, but her physical side effects weren’t as obvious. Blue and hanging upside down on his feet, or all skin and human looks; she loved both versions. Would also happily bang both versions (which she has, eagerly and enthusiastically), thank you very much. No discrimination on this vampire’s behalf. Her hand settled on his chest, flawlessly manicured nails thrumming against him. “And if you do find something you know you’ll always have a lab assistant in me. I look really good in a lab coat and by now I know all the neurotic ways you like to have things organized and filed.” The thought of Katherine being his lab assistant made Hank smile. She was his partner in all things, and he’d be glad to have her work with him. “You do look good in a lab coat,” he agreed, covering her hand with his. “Even better out of them.” Was that a sex joke? My word! Hank McCoy had turned dirty. Well, he’d argue it was always within him and he just needed the right influences to bring it out. Katherine was that special influence. “I think we’ll like it here,” he added, after giving it some thought. There were key OC players that they’d miss, of course - Hank had made his own set of scholarly friends, and Katherine had hers - but they had each other and he was ever-so-grateful for that. Better than either of them showing up alone - but perhaps this was just another sign that they were Meant To Be (he previously hadn’t put much stock in that sort of thing, the chance percentages just didn’t add up - but when it came to the ways of the heart, well, what did he know). Ohhhh, it was a dirty joke. Katherine was so proud of him for that one, she had to laugh. And he was totally right, by the way - she did look amazing out of it as she did in it, thank you. Just goes to show how well she perverted his genius little mind. “I don’t hate it,” she admitted with a shrug, eyes tracking Nadia from across the room - she seemed to be conflicted between watching Frozen or Coco for the millionth time. They could adjust without much issue, but she knew she’d find herself missing certain people - Cindy, Elijah. Her brother. “I’m just hoping hopping between worlds doesn’t become a habit. Too much other-versions-of-people whiplash. Some stability for Nadia would be nice.” “Indeed,” Hank agreed, and he certainly didn’t want Nadia to be boinged between worlds too much either - children were resilient, that was true, but all of this was a lot for even him to wrap his mind around. “It will be pleasant for her to make friends, to attend school. There’s no way of knowing how long it will last, of course. But we’ll do our best.” That was what he could promise - no matter what happened, he’d follow his family to the ends of the Earth and beyond. To a whole other world, and he’d tear apart any world without them, in order to find them again. He twisted another lock of Katherine’s hair around his fingers, a playful flip. “Shall we see if she’s selected Coco or Frozen?” In the mornings it had been Frozen, as of recent times, and Hank was quite amazed how that fad hadn’t died in a fiery inferno yet. Hank was too fucking perfect sometimes - honestly. Katherine could have handled this like some cliche boss bitch on her own but knowing she didn’t have to brought an appreciation she hardly knew how to articulate. There was always something so reassuring about him, soothing her like a cool balm on a searing burn. She had five hundred years worth of memories where she had no one she trusted - and the ones who loved her, she’d used if it meant ensuring her survival. Katherine had died a miserable death because of it, having lost her daughter to that selfishness. No more. A soft little kiss was pressed to the corner of his lips. “All I dream about are Disney musicals now,” Katherine sighed, rolling her eyes fondly. “Last night we watched The Little Mermaid but she said the movie looked ‘too old.’” Which, in turn, made her feel ancient but that was neither here nor there - she’ll age but never get wrinkles, what a blessing. “Thirty minutes only. Then we’ll get some things to get settled in this new home of ours.” |