It's Cold Outside

[Alric Kuhn]

Well, it was done.

Alric Kuhn had once again spent a massive amount of money on something he probably hadn't needed, but he had done it anyway. He purchased the skyhook that Danger and Him had visited, the entire thing in fact. Today was moving day, or rather, it had been. Everything had already been moved in, and Alric had already generously tipped the movers.

Now all that was left was going inside.

He seemed to linger in front of the door, just stand there.

This was odd. This was his first home, his first time having his own place since her death. It wasn't all that strange, it had been more than half a year now, eight and a half months actually. It was time to move on, time to take a grasp within his life. Yet it still felt weird, still felt as though he were isolating himself.

His eyes closed for a moment, and he thought about his Daughters. He thought about Lily and Rose, about how they were growing up and about how they were moving on. He frowned slightly, then nodded to himself as if remembering that he wasn't just doing this for himself, but for them.

Slowly Alric pushed down the handle of the door and stepped inside.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

... and would promptly see, there, plopped right in the middle of the wide living room area, a singular piece of furniture. It would be familiar, a bit well worn, comfy and plush. One would wonder why it would be placed there, without any rhyme or reason. But for [member="Alric Kuhn"], it would be perfectly clear.

Especially when one redheaded woman was draped horizontally across it. Her head sank against the plush armrest, both feet perched up over the other. Really, Danger Arceneau appeared to be perfectly content, all the more when she caught sight of the former Titan striding into the apartment.

"Mmm...you were right." she sang, stretching her arms over her head like a Nexu making ready for bed. Her eyes had the devil in them and she had a rather smug smirk on her face.

"This couch is a dream..." her lids closed, and she gave a half wiggle, playing up the act of getting comfortable.

"Reckon I'll just take a nap.."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He raised an eyebrow.

That was his couch. It was the same one that Danger had stolen from him, it was the same one that had started this whole thing. He looked down at her, frowning, then slowly wandered over towards the middle of the room. The Apartment was spacious, massive really, it could hold him and eight other people if he really wanted to.

"Oh?" He said confidently, wandering over towards Danger and deliberately sitting down on her. "Yes, I quite agree."

Comfortable indeed.

He smirked down at Danger as he squished her.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"omph!"

Her eyes snapped open, and she gave a half grunt as the full weight of the Tetan sank her deeper into the couch. Her arms came back down, reaching for his shoulder to shove him. The kathhound barely budged.

"Feth, you're heavy!" she breathed out, half mock annoyance in her voice, "Get off!" she ordered, wiggling under him to try and get free. It wasn't working very well. More shoving would continue.

"You got your couch back!" she'd remind him with a huff, her struggles feathering long lengths of her hair at the corners of her eyes, tickling them.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Good." Alric said as he began to wiggle his rear, getting more comfortable as he sat atop Danger and continued to squish her.

He wasn't heavy enough to break her, or at least he thought so. She had just been injured and she was more aged than one would like to admit, but just doing this should technically be fine.

In theory. "Means I can sell the skyhook and move back into my office on Byblos."

Alric wouldn't really do that, but he could at least threaten or tease Danger with the possibility. The reality of course was that he had spent far too much money on this project to give it up now. He knew that he would have to live here, and to be honest, he didn't really mind the prospect all that much.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Don't you dare!" came her exclamation, followed by a sharp thwap as her palm smacked his shoulder. Then more shoves.

"This will be the last time you will ever see this couch ever again!" she added, giving him a faint glare as she attempted to wiggle to the right, maybe she could twist and turn to her side to get some leverage and shove him off with a flex of her hips.

And said hips began to rock and twist. If she only had a pillow to smack him with -- wait! Normally, it wouldn't have come up, and she'd likely not have tried. However, with the light hearted atmosphere and the humor that reflected in Alric's eyes, it demanded that she wipe the smug look off his face. Devilry suddenly grew in her eyes. Her hands went from shoving to suddenly dribbling down over his shoulder to his rib cage. If this still worked...

Ten fingers went dancing over his side to try and get him to squirm off her.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

It did precisely nothing. In fact, Alric began to laugh out loud. It was a hard, hearty laugh that ran through his entire body and seemed to shake him entirely. It wasn't because of what Danger did, or rather it was because of the amusement at what she was trying to do. Alric found her attempt humorous, though only because it was futile.

"Danger." Alric said with a grin as he grasped her hands. "I have two daughters."

Perhaps she had forgotten that. "I've long since become immune to such things."

You could train yourself, or rather your bodies natural reaction. Alric had worked hard on that, if only so he had a way to trump Lily and Rose when they attempted their attacks.

It worked out well now.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Force, you're insufferable," Danger exclaimed, finding her hands in his hold with mild annoyance. She gave a few tugs, maybe she could smack that smug expression on his face instead!

"Let me up before I decide your hide needs a few more holes in it!" she'd snap out, but it was said with more bark than bite.

He, wasn't however, likely to be so forth giving. A thought came to mind, considering how his center of balance would be a bit off now that he held her hands in his grasp... maybe.

The next instant, instead of shoving him back, Danger suddenly tugged forward towards her, intending to draw him forward to throw off his balance. At the same time, she gave a roll of her hips and her body, hoping that perhaps that the combination attack would, well... roll him right off the couch and onto the floor!

It would be nice to have him flat on his back for a change.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Fall he did.

With a slight crash Alric went clattering to the floor, landing with a heavy and rather resounding thump. He let out a groan, though it was more out of reaction than actual pain. What exactly went through his head at that moment was hard to gauge. Perhaps something about how he had played with his daughters, how Rose and Lily had more than once been able to tackle him to the ground.

Rose especially had always played rough.

Maybe it was simply her competitive drive, or maybe it was a need to prove herself over her sisters more natural talent. Either way, he remembered more than one time Rose had taken him unawares, quite literally tackling the legs out from beneath him in order to gain the upper hand.

More than one vase had been broken that way.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]


The smug expression would float from Alric to Danger at the successful switch in advantage. At least now she could breathe! A small chuckle would follow the sound of his groan, and she went scooting up to sit on the couch from her former prone position.

Green eyes would fall upon Alric, and the tip of her pump would reach over to nudge his rib.

"Y'know, you should stay there a little bit longer," she began, catching her breath as she pushed back her hair with one hand. "You'd make quite the footrest."

And just like that, she propped both feet right over his chest.

Childish? Perhaps. But it was better than the kind of conversation they had when they first came to this apartment. Keeping things light was something Danger intended to do. It was her way of attempting to try and be a bit more expressive. A bit more apt to show she wanted his companionship for more than just helping him get over his grief.

"Reckon the girls might have found that out as well." she added, mentioning Lily and Rose with a half grin.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

For a moment he just laid there, stalling, waiting until Danger had been lured into a false sense of security. To aid in this he allowed her feet to stay on top of him, though his hands gently began to curl at his side, feeling the carpet that was beneath him. His eyes closed, and he thought back to when he and his girls had run through the estate, chasing one another and playing their games.

He gave out a sigh.

"Possibly." Alric said in a normal voice, then his hands snapped up and his tone began strained. "They found out a lot."

He pulled on Danger's legs as hard as he could, not wrenching her of course, but a powerful tug that would see her falling off the couch and on top of him in one swift motion.

She was still small compared to him, and Alric did still do strength training nearly every week. A heart attack twenty years ago had set him on a strict regiment, and he still kept to it to this day. It was a helpful thing really, something that came in handy at times like this, when certain redheads needed to be put in their place.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Not sur--" a sudden yelp of surprise went ripping from Danger's mouth as she found herself pulled down. Arms would flail a bit, trying to get some level of purchase as the curve of her behind went sliding over the edge, the modest knee high skirt bunching up in her middle and then --- nothing.

She went crashing right against him, half on top and half against him, hair spilling everywhere as one hip and one knee hit the floor. A dull ache went rushing up, and she uttered a low curse, "Chit."

In the flail and tangle of arms and legs, one heel slipped from her right foot. Although that wasn't the worst part. No that came when she felt the draft of cool recycled air as the fabric of her skirt unfortunately found a new hemline. Her cheeks blazed with color as another pair wore nothing but that which her momma gave her.

So much for a modest hemline.

Time and age had certainly not devoid Dangeruese Rose Arceneau of her trends at all.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric began to laugh.

It was really the only appropriate response, the only thing that he could think to do. Of course he almost immediately let go of her, but his wandering eyes didn't exactly look away. Instead he simply surged into uproarious laughter. The situation was amusing, perhaps a little embarrassing, for Danger, but still amusing.

The former Titan couldn't help but laugh, his chest surging and his hand slowly covering his face as he half tried to roll to his side to contain his own laugh.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Shut up!" Danger immediately snapped out, embarrassed as all hell as she went up on her knees to briskly smooth down her skirt and get her decency back. Well, if that was even remotely possible at this time. Feth's sake!

He clearly didn't get the message, because his entire body was shaking with the strength of his mirth. Instead of a mock smack, this time he got a punch to the shoulder as he rolled to his side.

"Kark you, Kuhn!" she cursed at him, all riled up, feathers in a frenzy and scurrying to try and get back onto her feet. In her ire, she half slipped, bracing herself against the couch and Alric with her hands. Enter another blue streak of curse words the 'verse wouldn't believe would come out of the Queen of Trade's mouth. Where the hell was her shoe?! But the more he laughed the more she was tempting to take the remaining one and toss it at his head.

"I'm gonna jettison this fethin' couch and you if you keep laughin'!"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Slowly he began to settle down, his laugh dying, muffled by the cupping of his hand. He smiled, though he hid his eyes for the moment. Eventually his laughter died into a small chuckle, and then that turned into a smirk. He had a hard time keeping the complete and utter amusement out of his voice, so hard in fact that he barely hid it at all.

"Come on." He said as a small chuckle released from his lips. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

True enough, though that was nearly two decades ago now.

Oddly enough, not much had changed.

Perhaps that had amused him most of all, or stunned him. Either way Alric simply smirked, his lips touched upwards in a permanent curl that would likely stay there for some time. Maybe Danger would strike him for the comment, but it still wasn't a bad way to start the day.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Enter a sharp elbow to the ribs at that comment, not to mention the incredulous glare that shot at the Tetan. Nothing he hasn't seen before, he said. Nothing he hasn't seen before!? Oh that got her blood boiling.

"Oh there is plenty you haven't seen before!" she shot out, scooting up to her feet again, her skirt, thankfully, resting just above her knees again. She gave a slight hop as she worked with her other heel, which went clattering to the ground.

The image she gave was likely as amusing as the one before. Her eyes bright, cheeks flushed in her anger, and her hair now a tousled mess. If anything, when Danger was angry, she revealed it with her entire being.

She gave a short huff, standing on her bare feet. The the laughing Kwakian Monkey lizard was still in the throes of laughter.

"Get up, you insufferable old fool!" she said, still annoyed. She'd get over it soon. This was just ridiculous. Her anger was quick to flare, but would wane. Certainly one of the few things she's matured in.

Then again, she did have her ass hanging out in the air.

It was bound to make anyone laugh.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He tried to force the amusement out of his voice.

"Okay, okay." Alric said pushing his palms down as if trying to press her anger away. "I'm sorry, it was an accident."

It really had been an accident, though a happy one from his perspective. He wouldn't be saying that outloud to her of course, that was comparable to suicide. Instead he put on a face of contrition. It was a face that he had used often over the past twenty or so years, one that every man learned when they were married, and perfected when they had children. It was a good way to get out of trouble, a better way to stay out of it entirely.

He had no idea if it would work on Danger.

Yet he knew that she would eventually see the amusement in this situation, they were too old to care about such silly things for long.

Weren't they?

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

The change in his expression was quite extraordinary.

It took her a bit, catching her unawares at the sight of the look of repentance that washed over his face. To be frank, she was suspicious. It was because Danger had no experience when it came to such mannerisms and instead went with what she knew; and that was that Alric always had something up his sleeve.

She narrowed her eyes, warily studying him. There he was, flat on his back still with his suit half mused, hands lowered as if to settle her down.

None the less, it did placate her a bit, smoothing over her ruffled feathers. She came down a few notches in her vexation -- although she ruefully would add in, "Next time you are bare assed, I'll remind you it was an accident."

Shaking her head, she mused that it figures that it would result like so. The ridiculousness of it all was starting to get to her. Well at least there were no holographic security cameras taking footage.

"Come on." With a roll of her eyes, she extended her hand out to help him up.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Are you sure it will be?" Alric said as he grasped her hand and pulled himself up.

He was still gentle with her, really using more of his own strength to get up than her support. Her injuries still stuck within his mind, and he watched her hands almost wearily for sign of that lingering pain that he knew she would still have. Alric didn't want her to be hurt, even less because of something that he did.

It was all fun and games until someone got hurt.

Quickly however he found himself on his feet again, standing and stretching slightly as though laying on his back had displaced all of his bones. He let out a loud yawn, then looked down at Danger. A small smile crept across his face, cutting through his look of repentance before his gaze quickly shifted towards the massive window across the room.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

She caught the faint smile.

"Depends, will it be that easy?" She shot back in a half jest, but by then there was no venom to be found. She wasn't truly angry at him as much as how unexpected and surprised she was that all happened. A sigh came to her then, pushing her hair off of her face. Where was her shoe? She began a half turn, searching.

While the horseplay had been brief, there was no permanent damage. Her hip might be a little sore, but everything else wasn't too worse for wear. Thankfully she had not landed on her shoulder, and Alric provided a bit of cushion to soften the blow.

Looking back at the slight mess and disheveled look of them both she could only shake her head.

"We are far too old for this," she mutter, realizing just how ridiculous it all had been.