Issue 1 Downtime

Ryan had the car that the Club had hired drop them off at the gates, not exactly wanting to let something employed by the Hellfire Club into the grounds. There was no real logic to it, granted... it was just a feeling he had.

Plus, it gave them a chance for a little walk. The night wasn't over until he got her to her door, after all.

"Thank you," he said, offering her his hand as they stepped away from the departing car. "I'm not sure what I expected, but you made that party worth going to."

Veronica takes his hand with a smile. "I should be zee one sanking you. I did not sink parties like zat would ever be fun. But mon dieu, zat was truly wonderful. I suppose eet is true what zey say; eet is all about zee company."

Ryan smiled, squeezing her hand as he looked over at her. "I've had to think that a lot lately. Generally when I'm with you," he admitted.

"It's made life a bit brighter, I have to admit."

She squeezes his hand back. "I am glad I am not zee only one zat feels zis way. Eet is nice to be able to open up completely wis no worries, non?"

He considered that as they walked. "Does anyone ever completely open up?" he mused.

She thinks for a few moments. "A good question. What do you sink zee answer is?" She counters, tilting her head curiously.

He stopped, turning to consider her. "I think that some doors open from the outside," he said. "Even if they aren't locked."

She stops as well, nodding in agreement. "I sink you are correct in zat conclusion. Doors we did not sink existed, even."

He smiled, resting his hand comfortably, loosely resting behind her back. "So I think I promised some more explanations when we weren't surrounded by high-class crooks?"

She smiles up at him. "Zat you did. And I was not about to forget eet, eiser."

He smirked. "I wouldn't expect you to." He glanced to the side, indicating his left. "Behind my ear. That's where the secret is."

She smirks and leans up to the side, looking. Her hand reaches his cheek to turn his head gently for her to better see. "So some sort off device, non?"

"Psychic shielding. Pretty low power, but enough. I thought 'you know, I think we're owed a night where we don't have to worry about her power kicking up, so I'll make a big deal about security risks and get one of those for the night," he said with that 'innocent' smile.

She smiled, impressed. "Where did you get such a sing? I would imagine zee school does not just hand zese out so willingly."

He gave her a playful smile. "Some doors stay locked until business hours come around," he said. He reached up, brushing his thumb over her cheek as he cupped it in his hand. "And some things are best when you can remove any possible problems that'll come up."

She smiles back, her cheeks turning a bit red. "I can agree to zat," She replies softly, enjoying the fact she didn't have to worry about touch for the moment. "I know I say zis often, but I can not sank you enough for everysing you have done for me."

"I haven't done that much," he said, probably over-modestly, even as he slid his hand farther around her waist. "If I hadn't wanted ride through France one weekend, I'd just be any other boy to you right now."

Veronica shakes her head, brushing her hand across his cheek before booping his nose. "Ryan, honestly, you are much more zen just any oser boy. You listen. You understand. Eet takes more zan a boy to do eversing you do. Protecting people, teaching osers to protect and control sings...even if you had not come to France, if I would haf known off you, you will still be more zen just some oser boy."

"And what if I don't want to be all of those other things tonight?" he said, smiling faintly as he met her eyes. "What if tonight I don't want to be a superhero, I don't want to be a teacher, I don't want to be a savior... what if I just want to be a man tonight?"

"Zen be a man. Personally, I would prefer you to be Ryan. Yourself. As always, zat is all I haf ever wished off you. Of anyone, for zat matter. Too many put on masks zat conceal who zey truly are. We never know zem completely. Only who zey try to be."

He shook his head. "Not that simple. But... close enough for now, I think." Because really, anymore, he didn't know what were masks and what was him. He just knew what he wanted, and what he had to be to accomplish any of those things at any given time. But right now... there was only one thing he wanted. And he didn't want it in a dorm hallway, or hidden away where anything might be misconstrued...

And so slowly, with plenty of opportunity for her to stop him, he leaned in to kiss her.

Veronica had no plans of stopping him, but she was pretty nervous about it. She had wanted nothing more than this moment to happen, and now that it was, she really had no idea what to do. Her first random kiss with Winn was...well, exactly that. Random. This, however, she hoped would be truly special. With that in mind, she relaxed, pushing her nerves away and leaned in to kiss him back.

And special was exactly what Ryan intended it to be. Normally everything felt so... tentative with them. Don't touch too long, or her power might sneak past her defenses. Don't let that happen, or she'll lose whatever moment you've managed to have. Hence accepting an invitation he technically hadn't needed, and pleading international security to requisition a SHIELD psi-inhibitor he was pretty sure wouldn't have been needed either. He was used to jumping through hoops to kiss a girl, but not quite these ones. For tonight, though, they were free. He held her close as he kissed her, slowly deeper, giving her all the chance she needed to accustom herself to whatever she needed.

To her, the kiss was everything she imagined it to be. If anything, it was better. Words couldn't describe the happiness she felt at that moment. Even if it was a device that was making it possible, she still felt happy to be able to have the chance of that moment; especially with the man she was falling for. With her feelings leading her, she pressed deeper into the kiss.

His wings curled around her, blocking them from the chilly England autumn air. And for just that moment, he didn't feel like a superhero, or a secret agent, or... anything. There was her, and there was him, and nothing else mattered. He kissed her until he didn't have any breath left, and then more. He was breathless by the time he let his lips part a bit from hers, a sly smile on them even as he displayed a distinct disinterest in letting go of her.

As they parted, Veronica couldn't help but smile as well. She had no words at that moment. The smile on her face was sincerely genuine, and showed nothing but happiness. She opened her mouth to speak, but had no idea what to say, so she simply leaned in close to him, hugging him tightly with her head rested on his shoulder.

His hand slipped over her hair (not through, he wasn't about to disrespect her well-done hair and invoke the wrath of the hairstyling godesses), and his wings tightened around her as he held her there. His head rested against hers easily, relaxed. "I don't know who I am without the masks anymore," he admitted quietly. "I don't know where I start and the roles end. But when you're around, I know that I'm myself again. Completely."

She sighed happily as she relaxed in his arms, surrounded by his protective embrace. "Honestly, Ryan, eet is not myself zat is causing zis. It comes from wisin you. You could haf chose to wear a mask around me, but you did not. You made zat choice, and you allowed yourself to make zat step."

"Of course I did," he said, smiling, showing no inclination of letting go. "But you can't open up to everyone. Or sometimes it just doesn't work. It takes someone who understands, and someone who cares. You can find one or the other easily. Finding both together is harder than it sounds."

She didn't show any signs of wanting to move from his arms, simply hugging him and enjoying the moment. "I would not say I understand completely. I am nosing close to a superhero. I could not imagine zee heavy feeling off zat. Not zat watching over osers would be a burden...just...heavy."

He was quiet for a moment. "It's like standing over everyone, looking down at them laughing, playing, living. You're right there with them, but you're not one of them. No matter how much you want it, you can't really be, because if people don't see you there, apart from everyone, they won't know that they don't have to be afraid."

"If I may point somesing out," She said softly, hugging him tighter before looking up at him. "How is eet you can know zee beauty off what you protect if you do not experience eet yourself? What we actually feel is so much more eye-opening zen what we see."

"I remember some things," he admitted. "I remember what family is like. I remember what it's like to not worry. But... you're right, I know. It's just the way that it is."

"But eet does not have to be zat way. Eet is because you choose eet to be."

"Maybe that's what I'm trying to fix right now," he said, smiling gently.

She smiles back. "Good. If eet truly makes you happy, zen zat is what matters. Living as a spectator all off your life is not a life," Veronica said softly. And it was true. For her, at least.

"Then maybe I should stop just looking," he said with a smile. And then, of course, he kissed her again.

Of course, she kissed back, melting in his arms. She really couldn't have been happier in that moment, and that much was pretty clear.

He looked her in the eyes, his forehead resting against hers. "I'd give my wings to be able to make time stand still. Just for a while, just for this moment, just to not let this night end a little longer."

"I would not go zat far saying zat, Ryan. We have seen what happens when fate is tempted in such a way, non?" She teases, but it was pretty clear that what he said meant quite a bit to her. She knew that him saying that was pretty serious.