{Marvel Preferences}

13 || Candlelight (1)

~Steve~

Only a week after moving into your apartment together, a storm came through town and blew out all the power on your block. It was just past 7 at night when the lights died. The heating went off, and the water stopped running. It was Steve's idea to play card games. With nothing to charge your phones with and the city's promise that power would be up by the following afternoon, you had nothing better to do than wait it out. It was nightfall by the time you'd rounded up all the candles you could find and lit them. Lucky Steve insisted on having them around (just in case), or you'd be left to play in the dark. It was fun, for the most part. The soft candlelight made it hard to see the cards in your hand, and it didn't help that it was cold enough that you needed to wrap yourselves in blankets, but the warm lighting and the company made it feel cozy. Steve taught you card games he used to play when he was a kid, and seeing the way his eyes lit up reliving those memories made the cold that much more bearable. The night ended with the both of you falling asleep on the living room floor, cuddled up in your blankets and an unruly stack of cards on the floor between you.

~Tony~

Tony's reoccurring panic attacks were no easy thing for him to deal with. Even after dating for months, it still took you a long time to find a way to help him out. He always denied needing your help, brushing it off by getting as far away from you as possible, suffering by himself, and running diagnostics while you weren't around. It hurt that he didn't want your help, but seeing him that way hurt more. You could tell he was always shaken up afterwards. His eyes stared just a little more vacantly. He didn't like being touched. He tensed at loud noises and got increasingly irritable. You eventually started lighting candles when that happened. Made him put down whatever he was working on and dragging him to your room, or a closet, or into an empty tub with you. Wherever was quiet and dark and closest. And you lit it up with candles. Scented ones that Bruce recommended. And you made him slow down, relax, breathe. You made sure he was okay, that he felt calmer than when he got there. And most of the times, it helped. Other times, it didn't. It depended on the day, on what had triggered him. So you chose not to take it personally when he got angry. Because at the end of the day, you loved him. And you always would.