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[She lifts her hands to her hair, making sure to avoid the second brush of Kate's fingers just as much as she can. There's a beat, when she looks back at Kate, already laid sleepily across her pillow.

And then she huffs, once, quietly, something of a laugh.]

That's it?

[This is nearly her regular tone again, hoarse though it is.]

[ Kate fumbles back awake a degree, slow to process, reluctant to keep putting sleep off in case it skitters away again and doesn't come back, but making an attempt to re-engage. She tips her head up a little bit out of the pillow, and blinks eyes wider, pushing her eyebrows up like it's an easier way to lift her eyelids. It works on the one that isn't currently swollen half-shut; the other side she drops as the pull immediately starts aching. ]

What?

Edited 2015-02-01 04:13 (UTC)

Nothing. Shut up.

[She reaches over to push Kate's face--a little gently, a little not--and she's not sorry at all about accidentally prodding at the bruised bit of her face with the edge of her thumb.]

You're just a little stupid.

[Which is goodbye, and she shoves herself to her feet with a sigh, wiping her hand against the leg of her shorts again.]

Oww. [ Kate bats at Johanna's hand and tries frowning but frowning kind of hurts, too. None of it's serious anyway, which should be clear when her comeback is ] Your face is a little stupid.

[ Johanna stands and Kate shifts partly into the space she vacates, tipping onto her side and settling in again. ]

[Wow, Kate, wow. Johanna very briefly rolls her eyes at that response, and it's a pity that Kate is mostly asleep, because it's very nearly a fond sort of eyeroll, a wordless bless yer heart Kate Bishop. This is what she gets instead of a peck on the cheek or a pat on the head.

Well, that, and Johanna doesn't smack her in the face or something--which is a far more practical demonstration of affection, coming from Johanna.

Instead, she just grabs up her axe and leaves. Maybe the all night handholding was just a dream!]

[Later.....

Maybe Kate really can mark this down as a success, because Johanna--perhaps defying expectations, and certainly defying the assumption that all that handholding was, in fact, a dream--does come back, later. 'Much later' is still later. She's calmer, cleaner--and she's back to forceful, in the way that she kisses Kate, in the way that she peels off her clothes and pushes her hands against her. All control and no uncertainty. This is different than holding hands--it's a little too rough to be interpreted with any loving sweetness--but she's careful, too, in her way.

And hours later from that 'later', she's laying, mostly quiet but not still, fingernails tracing an idle pattern against the bare flesh of Kate's stomach. Sometimes that touch is a little too rough, too, little pink impressions left behind by the pricking of her fingernails--but they're quick to fade, and they don't actually hurt. Conversation seems pretty unnecessary now, in this dozy after part. Johanna drags her fingers back down again, and then removes her hand entirely, sets it down on the bed so she can heave herself up. She stretches her arms over her head, her legs dangling over the side of the bed. And then she bends, to find her socks, pull them on to her feet. This is a familiar routine, getting prepared to leave.]

[ Kate's pleased to see Johanna when she returns; she doesn't say it, obviously, but it's there in the tilted curve of her smile and how easily she falls back onto the bed, the eager way she moves under the press of her hands and her mouth. She's still pliant later and quiet too, sprawled out scrolling idly through the network on her comm in an effort to stay awake, occasionally lowering it to give Johanna a look when her fingernails catch or tickle.

When she shifts and starts getting dressed, Kate finishes whatever she's typing and tips onto her side to watch. ]

You don't have to go, you know.

Edited 2015-02-03 17:04 (UTC)

[She doesn't look back at Kate, or smile at her, or stop dressing. Both socks pulled on, she grabs for her t-shirt, balled up on the floor, and tugs it on over her head.

The comment gives her a moment of pause, but it's all turned inward, only represented to Kate by a brief silence.]

Please. I can't cuddle for that long.

[Because clearly, what's happening here is, Kate's asking to cuddle. Which they've been doing (sort of). And now she's done.]

[ Oh is that what they've been doing? Kate wasn't really sure, and wouldn't have chosen 'cuddling' anyway just because the word and Johanna seem like opposites that don't attract. Whatever they call it, she has to admit she kinda liked it. Except she doesn't have to admit it because nobody asked her directly.

So she snorts, not bothering to roll her eyes all the way around, just up behind her lids for a second. ]

I wasn't asking you to. I'm just saying: if you want to crash here instead of the thirty floor lift ride [ in a normal elevator no trip at all but on the TQ who knows ] you're welcome to.

[never admit it]

Aww. Are you asking me to move in.

[It's not a question, exactly. Johanna looks back at Kate now, flat and sarcastic. The curl of her mouth might look a little like a smile, but it isn't.]

Yes. [ Kate can deadpan right back at her, brows dropped flat and low over a dry look. ] I mean we are engaged now, aren't we?

[ This time she rolls her eyes for real, and flops over onto her stomach to reach for the comm she'd set aside. ] You know what I meant so I'll just take this as a no. Too bad, I like morning sex. [ But not so much that she isn't already back to typing. Look, Johanna, look at how little she cares. ]

[Johanna rolls her eyes right back. She's genuinely irritated, but the hugeness of the movement is more to mock Kate than demonstrate her feelings. Like wow. With a huff of breath, she grabs for her shorts, lifts her hips up off of the bed a little so she can pull them on without actually standing.

Beneath her sarcasm and irritation, Johanna really does know what Kate is suggesting--and her caginess was probably anticipated, to a degree. It's easier to be a bitch than to feel any real feeling, to second guess herself--or, worse, to let herself think of what it means, that Kate would offer-- that. Keeping people closed out can still work even if they're making kind and patient offers. You just have to work harder at it. Be bitchier.]

Come on, I didn't even whittle you a ring yet. You're that easy?

[Seeking an argument instead of seeking attention usually works better.]

[ Kate's made her point, and Johanna clearly understands the offer or she wouldn't be dancing weirdly around it trying to piss Kate off. It's not unexpected-- if anything it took a lot longer than she thought it would to get to the point where Johanna shoves her away and starts needling to compensate for whatever slight dropping of walls occurred for a few hours there. She gets it, sort of.

She's not going to make the offer again or press any further, but she's also not so easily riled today. Instead of getting irritated she grins at Johanna's dig and pitches her voice up an octave or so, bats her lashes over her shoulder. ]

But you're so good with trees, I just know you'll whittle me the prettiest ring there ever was.

Edited 2015-02-03 19:52 (UTC)

[Some days, there's no way to combat Johanna's bitchiness, days where even ignoring it won't work, where she works really hard to be unbearable. Ignoring her just pisses her off.

Today isn't that day. Despite her defensiveness, Johanna grins at Kate's simpering routine. She leans back on her hands, elbows locked.]

How do you know I'm good with trees. You've never seen anything.

You're just so good at everything! Climbing them, and chopping them up, and dressing like them.

[ Kate keeps up the act just that little bit longer before dropping it with a lingering curve of a smile. She pushes up a little further onto her forearms, and turns to look back without quit so much neck-wrenching. ]

Did you ever have a treehouse?

[Dressing like them oh HA HA HA]

Shut up.

[More fond than genuinely irritated. The tree dresses weren't her fault. There's a line that could be crossed when it comes to making fun of them, but since they really did suck, it's usually okay. (Usually.)]

Are you asking me that because, oh, District 7, trees, tree-houses-- [in other words are you still making fun of her] --or because you're really asking.

[ Kate grins when told to shut up, a bright flash of good humor and better teeth. She rolls back onto her side, curled a little beneath the blanket so she can set her chin on her fist and look up at Johanna.

She shakes her head. ]

No, I'm really asking. I mean that's what made me think of it, but did you? I always wanted one. [ One of the few things a little girl in the city can't get no matter how rich her parents are. ]

[DON'T INSULT HER TEETH she has great teeth the Capitol made sure of that]

They couldn't keep an eye on us if we were in treehouses.

[They. It might sound like she means adults, parents--but really, she means Peacekeepers. Just thinking of them makes her hands feel tight, like she should be gripping at her axe. Instead she laces her fingers together and stretches them out in front of her.]

We climbed a lot of trees. And sometimes we made little platforms. If you had to be up in the higher branches, it was easier. We were supposed to take them down when we were done, but they got left up overnight sometimes. And I've slept in trees before.

Don't tell me you expect a whole house. I'm not even sure I want to do a ring.

[ IT WASN'T ABOUT JOHANNA'S TEETH it's good x and better y see never phrasing anything like that again wow

Kate listens, and makes a face at the idea of treehouses not being allowed, skeptical and affronted at once. This is the true injustice in Panem, clearly. As for Johanna's reluctance she drops her mouth open in faux shock. ]

Are you jilting me? This is what I get for trying not to be so easy.

[ She doesn't keep up the act as long this time, head tipping to one side, jaw on her knuckles. ]

We weren't allowed to build treehouses either. All the trees in the city that are big enough are in the park, and if you tried the police would stop you. And my father refused to let me try to build one at our beach house because the neighbors wouldn't like it and it would ruin the line of the property, or something pretentious like that. [ Which she clearly still thinks is terribly lame, judging from the scoff in her tone. ]

Learn to balance better.

[It's good advice. Balance between too easy and too hard. But Kate's overdone reaction makes the corner of her mouth tug up again. Stupid.]

But you poor thing. Why didn't you just build it anyways? It's not like they're very hard, and you probably had plenty of stuff laying around--even if you are probably crap at construction.

Wow, hey. What makes you think I'm crap at construction other than my total and complete lack of experience? I could be naturally gifted.

[ Kate's teeth catch in her lip but don't quite hold in a flare of a grin. ]

So they're that easy? Easy enough you could build one here?

You're naturally something, all right.

[And, sister: it ain't gifted. Johanna shifts her weight all onto her right hand, so she can use her left to scratch, lazily, at her collarbone.]

Probably. Yeah. If I wanted to. It'd just be putting walls on a platform. You're not seriously asking me to build you a treehouse, are you?

Bitch. [ Kate says it with a grin. She is so gifted that she feels no need to defend herself further, so there. ]

I'd help! And maybe I'd owe you one. Come on, [ She drags the word out because that is a surefire way to persuade people ] it'd be fun. We could drag a couple mattresses up there somehow, get a change of scenery from these ugly little rooms.

[Pitiless, Johanna looks over at Kate. Dragging out onnnnn is not the way to her heart.

...although, unrelated to Kate's little show of pleading--a treehouse would be pretty cool. A nice change of scenery. God, fuck space for making her think that way.]

How many nails do you have? I'm not doing wood joints for a whole house.

[ Fuck space, Kate's thought exactly. ]

Uuuuuummmmm I will look into that. There've got to be some or maybe someone can make some? I'll figure it out. Tomorrow we can go pick a tree?

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