In a world torn between heroes and villains, it can be a dangerous and hostile place. Some take comfort in the Gifted that stand up against those who would use their powers for greed and chaos. While others choose to hide away, fearful of the day...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Dominic's body hurt. He used to train with professional martial artists. He used to do Crossfit, P90X, Peloton, or whatever was in trend at the moment. And he used to challenge staff to regular games of basketball or soccer. Yet, despite all that, none of it prepared him for long grueling days of chopping down and hauling firewood, tending to the crops in the garden, and foraging for food in the woods.
"You're so tense today," said Elaina as the movie they were watching rolled out the credits.
It was June, but to Dominic's displeasure, Washington had significantly different weather than his sunny San Francisco home. Despite the summer solstice being only a few days away, he still found himself bundled up beneath a blanket in heavy flannel pajamas to keep him warm. Of course, that also meant Elaina spent every night snuggled up against him, so he had that going for him.
"I only wore my suede jacket when I went foraging and no thermals," he groaned, though he didn't mind how Elaina's hand massaged his thigh during her inspection of his constricted muscles. "It's June, dammit, I shouldn't have to be wearing five layers of clothing to go outside, nor should I have to keep a steady stock of wood to keep this place warm."
"I'm sorry," she responded with a twist of her lips, "but you really only need to wear like three layers, at least more than a t-shirt and a light jacket."
"I..." he started to issue a retort, but when he turned to see a playful smile dancing along her lips, he bit his words back and refocused his energies on the matter. "I think there was some false advertising about what life was like in this cabin."
"F-false advertising," she stammered, backing away slightly.
He never would have guessed how vulnerable she was given her demeanor when they first met, but once they settled into a life together, her walls crumbled and Dominic relished in the new side of Elaina that he was discovering. It was fun to know he could be the mischievous one sometimes.
He leaned in and continued. "Yeah, false advertising, and I think that as repayment for this deplorable behavior, you owe me a massage for my trouble."
She blinked for a moment as she realized his intentions were more devious than hostile. Once she had adjusted to this new understanding, a vicious smirk returned to her lips.
"Well, you big lug, if you want the full body treatment, you're going to have to spread out on the floor because you are way too damn big for this sofa." She gave him a playful shove as he rolled onto the ground with a groan.
"If you say so," he replied with fake grumbles in his voice, though he did resent the need to remove the blanket's warmth from his body. Not that he wouldn't have other means of heat to keep him warm in the very near future.
"Let's start with your back, shall we?" Elaina directed him to his stomach so that his cheek rested on the plush rug that Walt had replaced months ago. It was warm and soft, and with the lights low and the day near its end, he was tempted to doze off right there. However, when a pair of legs squeezed against either side of his torso and a pair of hands ran up his back, curving over his shoulders, he knew dozing off was no longer an option.
