THE LEFTOVERS

50. Cruelty can be awfully poetic

"I did not know you worked out like that," A missed voice you had been missing said from a far.

You turned your face around, as you saw James leaning into the door frame with a smirk on his face. You laughed low and looked back forward. You were down in the splits. You clapped your legs together, as you stood up walking over towards him.

"Not everyone is strong like you, but I do know how to bend," Shooting a finger gun at him playfully.

"I'm very impressed" He smiled as he wrapped his hand around your waist, pulling you closer to him. Your hand fell onto his chest, as you tried to gently push yourself away.

"I'm sweaty," You laughed, warning him, but he held you tight.

"You never looked better," He whispered, looking down at you. Your hair was even dripping from the sweat. You had clearly been doing some form of running earlier. He could hear your heart from here. It sounded beautiful, alive and wild. Many people thought it was simply just his muscles that changed with the serum, but it was everything. Everything grew bigger. Also his senses.

"Plus, you make me feel less guilty about showing up like this" He laughed low.

"Like what? A handsome, attractive man?" You asked, teasingly as you let your fingers trace his arms. He was wearing a t-shirt that hugged him tight. You felt his veins, the metal, till you reached around his shoulders and wrapped your hands around him. He had some dirt around his face and arms, but he looked just as beautiful. You were just happy to not see him being harmed beyond bruises.

"Be careful, or my ego might rise," James teased before he kissed your lips gently.

You laughed low, as you kissed him back. Ah, how you missed him, but what you were even more relieved to learn was that it was so easy to get back together. It was not a long, dramatic thing. It was natural. Like no time had passed. You knew the beginning of this relationship were going to be tougher than any other normal relationship, you had to test things out and learn. It was going to be rough, but you were in for the ride. You bit your lips softly.

"It's something you should know," You said looking up at him. You were not planning to have any secrets for him. That was a choice you made the second you caught Casper in your house, when you so brutally informed James that nothing had happened. That was the moment you realized that life, in general, is messy. You just had to embrace it for it to make any sense. So you did.

"Anything serious happened?" He asked concerned, his thumb brushing against your cheek.

"I put my toe in Mr Stark's mouth," You said, smiling softly.

James looked confused at you, but couldn't stop himself from smiling. He was amused. You had done what to Mr Stark? In some way, he was just curious how it would look with your foot in his face. He was sure it was going to be a beautiful look within itself. He didn't want to say anything, he wanted you to continue and so you did.

"Mr Stark finds me attractive James, he tried to flirt with me," You said straight out, not sugar coating any word of it.

Huh, James couldn't say he was surprised. Most guys would fall for a charming lady like yourself. If anything, it just proved that Tony was a sane man with great taste. Still, he wasn't too happy hearing those words fall from your lips. James was protective. He liked keeping you for himself, knowing that Tony waltzed around you wasn't comforting. Still, he knew you were more than strong enough to say no to whatever you didn't want. He trusted you, but he did not trust Tony. His eyes wandered across the room.

"Hey, he can find me as attractive as he want, but he will never have me, not like you," You said grabbing his chin gently moving his face back so his gaze touched upon him.