Your Light Carries Me (Closed)

[Adara Chase]

She hadn't seen him since that night at the museum. She wasn't necessarily avoiding him - she still texted him - but she was avoiding seeing him. She couldn't get over the guilt of hurting him, of getting so angry at him. She thought she had a right to get angry - she had a right to her feelings - but she'd lost control of her powers because of that anger. She'd been reckless and she'd wanted to hurt him. She didn't like that part of her. She'd been considering telling him about her powers. After all he was open about his. It didn't feel right to keep hers a secret, especially since they were in a relationship together. But after that night... She wasn't sure anymore. What if she told him and that was all he needed to piece it together and figure out she was Torch? What if he didn't like that side of her? What if he broke up with her? What if he arrested her? She was still a good person, even as Torch, she was sure of that. She wanted him to know that but she didn't know how to tell him, how to show him. She didn't want him to leave her. Perhaps now wasn't a good time to tell him. Adara walked up to the front door. She'd gotten used to walking places with him, after all he couldn't drive. If she wasn't walking, she was in his arms, desperately clinging as he flew. She had a bandage covering the burn on her neck as best it could but it was clear it'd been put on in a hurry rather than properly. She still didn't understand why she'd been burned, but she didn't want to think about that. She'd spent far too many sleepless nights thinking about that. She wrapped her knuckles against the door. They had a date planned, though frankly she wasn't sure how well it would go. He'd told Torch he didn't have a girlfriend. Maybe he'd said that to protect her, knowing his identity was public and his enemies might seek out a significant other. She wasn't sure and she'd exhausted herself far too many times trying to figure out why he'd said what he'd said. Then the door opened and she was staring at him. Relief flooded her because he was there. He'd been hurt but he wasn't dead, he was there. She reached forward in a quick motion, cupping the sides of his face and pulling him forward, her lips pressing against his. She was starting to think she loved him.

... we'll be raising our hands shining up to the sky 'cause we got the fire and we're gonna let it burn ... torch Timothy Smith outfit 430 words n/a

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[Timothy Smith]

“Damn, I really need to dust...”

Adara had texted him, said she wanted to go do something. It was a surprise, apparently, and he needed to meet her at his apartment. Fair enough, it wasn’t quite as awkward as meeting him at Aegis HQ, and the other place he spent most of his time, ARF, was on the outskirts of town, and given that he still didn’t have a drivers license (And the few times they flew together were an exercise in terror for Adara, as far as he could tell), his apartment was an ideal meeting place.

Except for all the dust.

Really, since Tim had stopped letting himself sleep, he hadn’t been home much. A thick layer of dust coated most of his furniture and possessions, and he was pretty sure a new civilization had sprung up from the dirty dishes in his sink. Thankfully, the smell had been covered up with liberal application of air freshener in that specific area.

He didn’t know what to wear. He liked Adara, he really did. Maybe someday he’d actually ask her out, like on a date. Like a date-date. He just wasn’t sure if she had ever thought about him like that. For all he knew she could swing the other way.

“T-shirt? T-shirt is chill... but what if it’s like a fancy dinner place? Heck. Polo. I’ll wear a polo. That’s nice, right?”

Alice sighed. It was clear to her what was going on between the two of them, even if Tim couldn’t see it with his sleep-deprivation-addled brain. She didn’t figure it was her place to spill the beans though. That would come, eventually. “Polos are apparently a nice mix of casual and formal. If it’s casual, untuck the shirt, if it’s formal, tuck it in. Boom.”

“Perfect.”

Tim winced as the shirt sleeves grazed the burns on his forearms. He had been healing quickly, but it still stung and lingered. For a moment, he stared at the burn transforming into a fading scar, and let his mind run wild with all the questions he had. Who was Torch? Why could she burn him? Why could he burn her? What the hell made her go ballistic like that?

All questions he didn’t have the answer to yet. But the rap on the door brought him out of his pondering. He shook his head, clearing it. He’d made a promise, both to Adara and to Ivan. No work when he was hanging out with them. No Aegis work, no ARF work, nothing. Just fun times with his friends. That was all he was allowed to think about and talk about when he hung out with them.

He finished buttoning the collar of the polo he’d found as he opened the door. “Hey! Um, you probably don’t want to come in, it’s kinda a mmmph!”

She...

She was kissing him.

After a moment of surprise, he kissed back. It was everything he had thought it might be. Fireworks in his brain, sparks dancing (metaphorically of course) along their lips, the sweet taste of her lips meeting his.

They broke, and Tim had trouble finding words as the dots began to connect. “I.. you... it... that... um... we... us... You want...? That’s...? I didn’t.... Oh wow all this time we... Oh.... oh wow. Eh-heh. Um.”

He smiled at her, a big goofy grin, and awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he finally found something to say. “Not... not quite how I expected my first kiss to go, but I’m definitely not complaining. Uh... come in? I was just saying it was messy but if you want to...”

Adara Chase

[Adara Chase]

They'd been dating for how long now and she only just now kissed him? She honestly wasn't sure why she'd waited so long. She didn't think she'd been waiting for him to make the first move - she wasn't the type to typically wait on anyone. But for whatever reason she had waited and all that did was make this moment more perfect. When the kiss broke, her hands were against his chest, fingers bunching the fabric of his shirt. Her breath was a hot huff against his face. She found she wanted nothing more than to keep kissing him. Kissing him felt perfect, it felt right. It felt like she'd never done anything right until she kissed him. She watched, her eyes on his, as the dots started to connect in his mind. She could see his mind working, piecing together every moment they'd spent together since meeting, every text message, every phone call, every visit. She found herself smiling as he started talking, the words fumbling from his mouth. She nodded and pressed a kiss against his cheek before he gave her that big goofy grin that she found infectious. "About time you noticed, Sparkplug," she said, though the words held no anger or frustrating, merely teasing amusement. She wasn't sure how he hadn't realized it - Did their dating count if he hadn't realized it? She thought it could still count. But that certainly explained his comment at the museum. She leaned in closer to him at the comment of his first kiss, her voice a breath against his lips. "I'll make sure to make the second one even nicer." She pulled back and playfully shook her head. She was tempted to insist his apartment couldn't have been all bad but she was pretty sure he mainly lived in either of his labs and he was so work orientated that she wouldn't have been surprised if he forgot to regularly clean the place. "You do live in your lab," she pointed out, her tone teasing, as she strode into the apartment, making sure her hand brushed against his as she passed him. It was... Certainly dirty. "I've seen worse," she added, though she wasn't sure how close that was. She gave him a smirk over her shoulder. "At least you're clean."

... we'll be raising our hands shining up to the sky 'cause we got the fire and we're gonna let it burn ... torch Timothy Smith outfit 382 words n/a

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[Timothy Smith]

He... he had a girlfriend. He was dating someone. Wait no, that wasn't quite right. He had been dating someone. For months now. How had he not realized it before?!?! They had done dinner and a movie. That was totally a date!

Tim's face was beet red, and actually glowing a little bit as Adara walked into his apartment. Both from just the excitement of the kiss he'd just gotten (and the promise of more), and embarrassment at the state of his apartment. The compliment about being clean didn't help much either. Apparently, certain emotional states could make him glow. "Um. Yeah. Turns out if you don't use your shower at home very much, or, like, at all, it doesn't really grow mildew, so it was easy to get cleaned up..."

Nice one, Tim he berated himself. Your girlfriend kisses you and you talk about MILDEW.

He looked around the room. "Um, do you want to take a seat somewhere or...?"

When he looked at her to try and get some idea of what she was thinking or wanted to do, he noticed the bandage on her neck. Instantly he entered "concerned" mode.

"Oh no! What happened? No, no no no, that's not right. Yeah bandaged like that it isn't going to heal properly and it's going to leave a nasty scar." Tim grabbed her wrist and started lead her to the bathroom. "Come on. I told you the bathroom was clean. I've got a kit I use on the job to help civilians or prisoners who got a little too close to a fight I used fire or heat in."

He led her to the bathroom, flipped the seat and lid of the toilet down, and pointed to it. "Sit there. This'll just be a second, and I promise it'll feel a ton better. First, I need you to-"

Suddenly, mid-sentence, he grabbed the bandage and ripped it off. "There. Pleasedon'thitme."

Pulling out a salve and new bandages from the medicine cabinet, he sat on his haunches in front of her. "Okay. This will sting at first, but after a second it'll dull the pain and help it heal."

Adara Chase

[Adara Chase]

She thought the look on his face - blush and glow combined - made him look like he was going over all the time they'd spent together in the past and realizing how much like a date they actually had been. He mentioned mildew but then seemed to almost get upset at himself for mentioning it. She didn't mind though. She liked domestic. She reached forward, playfully poking his cheek. "I didn't know you glowed," she mused, "Maybe I should call you Glowstick from now on?" Adara's brows furrowed faintly. Were those bags under his eyes? Now that she thought about it, he looked more tired than the last time she saw him - exhausted actually felt like a more accurate term. Wait, no, exhausted felt like an understatement. She opened her mouth to ask if he was alright as he asked her if she wanted a seat but then he became concerned about her. She blinked, taking a moment to realize he'd noticed the bandage on her neck. She was then led to the bathroom, instinctively entwining her fingers with his the second he grabbed her hand. Her own face felt hot at the contact, though of course she lacked the glow that Tim had. "Are we playing doctor now?" she asked, her tone teasing, a grin on her face. But it was endearing to her that he cared, that he wanted to take care of her, make sure she was alright. She sat down, her eyes not once leaving him, her grin having melted away to a soft smile. She winced faintly as the bandage was ripped off but cocked an eyebrow when he asked her not to hit him. She pulled her gaze away, remembering the damage she'd already done to him. She didn't want to cause him anymore pain. The mere thought was unbearable. She craned her neck so he could get a better angle to apply the solve, reaching up to brush any of her hair out of the way. Her gaze returned to him, her face flush. "My hero," she said softly, the words laced with all the affection in the world. She couldn't believe she'd ever been mad at him, ever doubted his feelings for her. She barely noticed the sting of the salve, her mind instead focused on the realization that she was certain she was falling in love with him.

... we'll be raising our hands shining up to the sky 'cause we got the fire and we're gonna let it burn ... torch Timothy Smith outfit 396 words They're so cute! 😭😭😭

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[Timothy Smith]

Glowstick. Honestly, after that kiss, she could call him anything she wanted and he'd like it. "I-I mean if you want to. I don't mind it."

The glow just got a little more intense before fading when he focused on treating her burn.

"Good news is it doesn't look too bad, and with the salve it shouldn't leave too much of a scar."

He finished rubbing the salve into her burn, as gently as he could, and flushed again, once again bringing a pinkish glow to the room as she called him her hero, completely sincerely. It wasn't the first time he'd been called someone's hero. In his line of work, it was common. But to hear it coming from her, the way she said it, it made his heart skip a beat.

Tim finished bandaging the wound, and let his hand linger over it for a moment, wondering if he dared to do what he was thinking about. She'd intiatied. She'd done it first. It was okay, right? She'd pull away or say something if she was uncomfortable, right?

He leaned in and kissed her, gently sliding his hand up from the burn on her neck to her face and mirroring it with his other hand. He'd wanted this. He was just too much of an idiot to realize he already had it.

When he came up for air, his breath heavy, he touched his forehead to hers. "So. Um. Is this the "surprise date" you had planned, and are we just going to keep doing this, or are we actually going somewhere tonight?"

Adara Chase

[Adara Chase]

She was almost disappointed when the glow faded away. It was unique to him - probably his own version of blushing due to his powers - and she found it adorable and endearing. She found she missed it once it was gone. Then of course it was back as he got flustered at her comment. She quite linked making him get all hot and flustered. Perhaps she should have added it to the list of her powers. "If anyone asks," she said, "I'll just tell them I fought a dragon. Sounds much better than I burned myself with my straightener." Of course none of that was true. She definitely hadn't fought a dragon and she also hadn't burned herself with her straightener. The latter was just the most believable lie she thought. If it wasn't for her powers, she probably would have burnt herself with it before so she could say it as if it were the truth. She loved that he'd finally figured out they'd been dating this whole time. Now she thought she got to see a side of him she hadn't fully seen before, the romantic boyfriend she adored. His hand lingered over the bandaged burn and she noticed. If his hand had been higher, she would've leaned her head into it. She could tell he was still thinking, wondering things. Then he was kissing her. His hands were cupping her face and she was kissing right back, fingers bunching the fabric of his shirt underneath her hands. Kissing him felt like a fire she'd never known before. It felt better, stronger, lovelier than anytime she'd kissed someone else in the past. She was grinning by the time he pulled away, happily and a little bit goofy, as his forehead rested against hers. She hummed faintly, contently, and thought about his question. "I'd love to keep doing this," she admitted, "But I kind of already paid for the reservation." Dinner was of course part of the plan but she had ideas for what they were going to do before that. "Besides, keep kissing me like that and you might have to speed clean your bed," she couldn't help adding, grinning cheekily up at him.

... we'll be raising our hands shining up to the sky 'cause we got the fire and we're gonna let it burn ... torch Timothy Smith outfit 365 words n/a

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[Timothy Smith]

"You gotta be more careful. I'd hate to see anything happen to you. Especially now."

He refrained from launching into a spiel about how it was actually very possible that some species of dinosaurs could actually "breathe" fire, in a method very similar to the bombardier beetle, probably lived alongside humans, and inspired the myths of dragons all over the world. There'd be time for that later. Right now, he had a date, and there was something, someone, much more interesting than science sitting right in front of him.

"You're going to wrinkle my shirt before we even get where we're going." he smirked, just staring into her eyes. He could get lost in their brown depths so easily.

This was what he was hoping to someday get to. He was feeling things out, trying to get a sense for how she felt about him. He knew he wanted to at the very least ask if she wanted to try dating, at some point. He didn't know why he never did before. It was pretty obvious that the reason she never broached the subject was Tim was just too oblivious to realized they'd already started dating, without having to have some awkward conversation about it.

"So we're doing dinner then. Where at? And..." his brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would I need to clean my bed? I don't plan on sleeping here, and..." suddenly what Adara was insinuating clicked.

"Oh. Ohhhhhh." The pinkish-red glow lit the room again. "I-I've never... I mean, if you want to I'd be willing... just... wow okay I have the ability to regulate my body temperature but did it suddenly get hot in here or is it just you sitting there?"

Tim swallowed and tried to get ahold of himself a bit more. He ran a hand through his hair, and then realized that they were both still just in the bathroom. "I, um, we should, yeah..."

He made his way out back to the living room, glowing all the while. He wasn't sure but he had a sneaking suspicion that Adara liked to fluster him like this.

"I didn't even know this happened before today." He chuckled awkwardly, and then lost himself in her eyes again. "I didn't know I had an amazing relationship with an amazing woman before today.

He let his hand trace down the side of her face, leaning in close, desperately wanting to press his lips to hers again, to feel that passion and fire there was between them, but he held back. "We should probably get going if you've made a reservation somewhere..." he whispered, wonderfully, dangerously close to her lips.

Adara Chase

[Adara Chase]

She waved her hand dismissively when he said she needed to be more careful, though the soft smile on her face was a sign she wasn't entirely ignoring his concern. His concern was, of course, misplaced but he didn't know that. He didn't know she'd lied about the cause of her burn. She didn't know what he'd do, what he'd think, if he knew he'd been the cause. She didn't want to risk him feeling guilty or as if he had to stay away from her in order to protect her. Just more reasons, she decided, to keep that secret. "I'll be more careful," she assured him - and in a way she meant it - leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, "I promise." She definitely planned to avoid getting in a fight with him again - at least as Torch. She planned to be more careful with her anger, not wanting to spark such a firestorm again. She didn't want to hurt him again even if he didn't know it had been her. She still knew. She grinned as he said she was gonna wrinkle his shirt, adding teasingly, "I could wrinkle it a lot more." The tease was along the same lines as her comment about the bed. She returned his stare affectionately, enjoying the way he looked at her, the way she felt under his gaze. She felt empowered, loved, desired. She felt like all she needed was him and she could conquer the world easily. Adara laughed as it dawned on him what she'd meant about the bed. She playfully poked his cheek when that glow returned to him. "Relax," she cooed, gently grabbing his face and placing a kiss that somehow managed to be both soft and firm against his lips. When she pulled away, she was smiling equally soft at him. "We have plenty of time to do that. There's no rush." She had her own experience in the more intimidate areas of a relationship but it seemed like he did not. Of course she had no problem with that and found the thought of being his first - and only as she had zero intentions of ever letting him go - incredibly thrilling and intoxicating. She followed him out of the bathroom, sneaking her gaze low as he walked out first, in front of her, before her eyes moved up to find his face again. She smiled softly, affectionately at his words and his adorably awkward chuckle. She lightly and playfully patted his shoulder, saying, "What matters is that you know now, and I'm not about to let you forget." A shiver ran up her spine at the sensation of his hand against her face again. She wanted to push him against a wall and kiss him. She wanted him to push her against a wall and kiss her. Oh, she wanted a lot. He was so close to her, she knew it wouldn't take too much to slip into another kiss, perhaps a deeper one, perhaps leading to more. If the floor was clean enough, she knew she'd settle for that. A bed wasn't always needed. But he was also close enough that she could see the bags under his eyes, noting that she'd seen them earlier but hadn't registered them - at least not enough until then. This time it was her turn to look concerned, reaching up to gently brush her thumbs under his eyes. "Have you been sleeping?" she asked, concern clear in her tone.

... fire on fire would normally kill us. with this much desire, together, we're winners ... torch Timothy Smith outfit 584 words Couldn't distract her forever. 😂

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[Timothy Smith]

Everything was... intoxicating felt like an overused word, but it was the only one that fit. Tim’s head was swimming, in a good way. Just the pleasure, the feeling of there being someone who loved him, who wanted him, who desired him, and that he loved, wanted, desired in return was almost overwhelming.

“I don’t think I ever could forget this. I’m honestly shocked it took me this long to realize it.”

He was about to finish the movement, bring their lips together again for another kiss, when she said four words that suddenly stopped all that.

”Have you been sleeping?”

She could see. It was clear. She probably could guess, no, know that he hadn’t. The soft, pink glow of his blush instantly dropped, and he began to sweat as he pulled away from her a little. “I-I.. it’s...”

He was conflicted. He didn’t want her to worry. But if he just lied, she’d know. She was too smart for that. Besides, he didn’t want this relationship to be built up on lies and mistrust. He wanted to be honest with her. If he deflected, she’d just bring it up again. This... he was going to have to tell her. Lay it all out for her.

He took a deep, shaky breath. “Can we, can we sit down for this? P-please. Dear lord I hope this doesn’t take too long and we miss our reservation...”

Seated on the dusty couch, Tim took her hands in his, and looked her in the eyes. Those beautiful, brown eyes. He could do this. He could be completely open with her.
“I want this relationship to be good. I’m not going to lie to you, or hide things from you. I haven’t been sleeping. In fact, I’ve been avoiding it, like the plague.”

He squeezed her hands tighter. She was there. It wasn’t a dream. It was okay. “When I sleep, I’ve been having constant nightmares... nightmares reliving how I got my powers. It... to say it wasn’t pleasant would be the understatement of all time.”

Tears pricked his eyes as he realized that he had no idea how Adara was going to react to what he was about to tell her. Fear gripped him. Was this going to all come crashing down as soon as he realized he had it?

“A-adara... please, don’t let this change how you think of me now. But I have to tell you. Adara... I killed my parents. It was an accident. Everyone says I wasn’t to blame. I know what I did though.”’

He swallowed the lump that was crawling up his throat back down. “About six years ago, I was in the final testing phase of my thesis project for my first doctorate. It was a home-sized fusion reactor, fueled by isotopes that were easily found almost everywhere. It would have revolutionized the energy industry. I was testing it in my lab in my parents’ basement. 7465 Plains View Drive. My parents were helping. They asked if I had failsafes in place, just in case there was something I missed or something went wrong.”

The tears were flowing freely now. This wound was almost as fresh as the day it was opened. “I was such a pompous, arrogant, idiot. I thought they were questioning whether I could actually pull it off. They were just being cautious. Safe. I... To make a point, I shut off the failsafes I did have, and...”

He let go of Adara’s hands and mimicked an explosion. He didn’t take them again. He fully expected her to run away in disgust and terror. “They died. I didn’t. And now, when I sleep, I relive it. Over and over again.”

Adara Chase