Daycycle 132 [Mar 26 - Apr 1]

[computerized]

daycycle 132

[Mar 26 - Apr 1]

[OOC Plotting for this Daycycle can be found here.]

Early, Early Morning [0000 - 0600]

At 0400, Clint Barton and Parker will be arrested and charged with treason. All former roommates will be questioned for several hours before being sedated and returned to their room before 0600. Former roommates in question will not remember the arrests or their questioning when they wake, though they may feel the lingering active effects of the sedative for several hours into their day.

The memory of those arrested ever being at Alpha will be erased with varying degrees of success from all those they came into contact with.

Morning [0800 - 0900] — All Troubleshooters Report for Duty

No Specials have been selected for today's mission.

---

Afternoon [0900 - 1600] — Service Firm Positions

All Troubleshooters not assigned a mission should report to their Service Firm for their daily duties, unless specifically assigned a different shift.

At 1000, it will be discovered that certain foods distributed among the Citizens have been contaminated with an unknown opiate, most likely by the Mystic Secret Society. Unfortunately, this discovery takes place after breakfast has already been served and effects all clearance levels and citizens, including Specials. Only some may have ingested the contaminated food, but the side effects that have been observed so far include, but are not limited to:

Euphoria
The inability to falsify information.
Drastic and almost impossible mood swings, from pure elation to devastating depression or anger in a matter of seconds.
Elation only
Moodiness only
Psychedelic symptoms, such as seeing colors or moving pictures
A nearly uncontrollable urge to keep moving
Lethargy
Random thinking/Inability to focus
Spontaneous giggling

And others.

An investigation has been opened to look into possible suspects to be held responsible, but until then it is advised that Citizens make an effort to avoid contaminated food, although it isn't possible to tell the difference between tampered stock and untampered stock.

---

Evening [1600 - 2200] — Citizen Improvement
All Alpha citizens are encouraged to better themselves through Alpha’s wide variety of educational, entertainment and cultural opportunities offered each evening. Attending these sanctioned events are not mandatory, but is highly encouraged by The Computer. Citizens choosing not to take advantage of these opportunities, have a growing number of other options available to them in how to spend their hard earned credits and free time.

---

Alpha Curfew Restrictions
All Alpha citizens should be in their quarters within the Wagon Wheel by 2200, unless they’ve been given permission from a GREEN or higher clearance level citizen. Sleeping Aid gas is dispelled each night in the Wagon Wheel at 2200 to assist citizens in getting a productive sleeping period.

Confession Booths
There are hundreds of confession booths available around Alpha Complex if a citizen would like to communicate directly with the computer. Please use these confession booths to report mission statuses, report treason or terrorist acts, unregistered mutants, confess your trespasses against Alpha Complex, request propaganda or speak with Your Friend, The Computer, at any time.

Comments

[a_man_out_of_time]

When Tony steps towards him and leans his forehead against his shoulder, any kind of expression Steve's trying to hold melts away. For that first second, all he can do is close his eyes and breathe.

48 hours ago, if it had just been the two of them, maybe it would have been like this.

But Steve's re-lived the past enough times for one day. Right now, all he wants is to focus on the present and on the fact that he can feel Tony's forehead pressed against him, and that Tony feels comfortable enough to be there. In his mind, Steve is making himself a few promises he never wants to forget.

First, that they'll catch him — whoever it is that's controlling Tony.

Second, that no matter how difficult it will be, he'll try everything in his power to make sure Tony never feels alone when he needs him again.

And third, because it should be last, Steve promises that if he fails — if he hurts Tony one more time — if Tony doesn't end things, then he will. Ultimately, in Steve's mind, being in love isn't only about being together. It's about making sure that the person you love is happy and fulfilled. Despite his best intentions, all he seems to do is bring Tony pain. So if he can't find a way to fix it, then ... Tony deserves to be with someone better. Someone who can make him happy. That's all Steve wants for him, in the end.

After five seconds, Steve squeezes Tony's hand once more, this time as a small sign that he's about to let go. His fingers slip up to Tony's jawline, and Steve brushes his thumb against it, grateful that he still gets to do so. But Steve can tell that Tony just wants to feel safe and shielded, just for a little while, which is why his fingers gently guide Tony to turn a little, so that he can rest his cheek on his chest as Steve wraps Tony's body up in his arms, encompassing him entirely. It's snug but not tight. And as always, at this proximity, Steve is always so warm. A moment later, he presses his lips to Tony's forehead.

I'm here, he can't help thinking, or projecting into the way he moves. I'm so sorry I was late. I'm here now.

[im_ironman]

Maybe it shouldn't be so easy for him to just do this, but it's impossible to deny that he needs this. In a lot of ways he hates it, because Tony has never been dependent on physical reassurances or affection - his father had made damn sure of that - but apparently he has changed more than he has realized. Because, as moments tick by and he stays like this, it feels as if it's getting a little easier to breathe.

He already knows, though. He already knows that, just because Steve helps him feel this way, it won't make a difference next time (if there is a next time) because just doing this now is hard enough. The first time they had fought like this, it had left Tony gutted. Now, with as much as they have on the line, it still feels as if he's hollowed out, and he already knows that they won't survive a third time. He won't survive it, and letting him go will no longer be something he contemplates.

But here, now, he doesn't want to think about that. Although some part of him is still cautious and even doubtful about it, Tony wants to believe that there won't be a third time. He actually wants to believe that they'll be okay, that maybe they've had these bumps as a lesson more than anything else.

And...yeah, he feels like an idiot for thinking that, but maybe it's the bump to the head that Natasha gave him. Maybe it's the headache.

Maybe it's just the fact that Steve has come to mean more to him than he could have prepared for.

When he feels Steve's fingers along his jawline, and then the way he prompts him to settle against his chest, Tony is almost ready to tell him no, that it's okay. They don't have to do this, they can just leave, but then his arms are wrapped around him again and this time Tony doesn't fight that hold. He lets him hold him, and he allows himself the opportunity to stay pressed against his chest. At first he doesn't move, he just stays almost entirely too still, but after a moment he moves his hand to grasp onto the back of Steve's jumpsuit. As if to not move from here. As if to hold onto him as a sort of stability or grounding factor, because he needs it. Now, more than ever, he needs it even if he doesn't like it, and even if he would never even dream to verbally ask for it.

They can't stay like this, though. As comfortable as he may be, he knows they should get moving, at least so that he won't end up falling asleep on Steve while standing.

"So," he finally says, his voice still quiet, and now that the heat of his anger has lessened, it gives way to making it obvious how tired he really is. "Should we go home, then?"

That's his version of an olive branch. His white flag to say that he doesn't want to fight anymore.

[a_man_out_of_time]

Feeling that little tug onto his jumpsuit makes Steve's arms curl a little more snugly around Tony, and in the silent moments that follow, Steve knows that they're no longer standing inside the eye of the storm. The peacefulness that starts to settle isn't false, and a wall of water won't soon come crashing down upon them. Instead, Steve feels much more like they're standing in the wake of a hurricane — of a disaster that has come through but ultimately has passed, and they came out of it alive and together, still standing, above the wreck.

Tony says that first word and Steve tilts his head closer. Then he hears the full question and slowly, as he realizes that Tony's said it too — home — Steve's lips curl softly upwards as he nods. "Yeah," he says, just as quietly. "Let's go home." Tony seems so tired though. Steve can feel it in the way he leans against him and hear it in the sound of his voice. So after a second of contemplating it first, he asks softly, "How about I carry you?" One of his arms shifts a little higher up so his hand can rest against the back of Tony's head, his fingers brushing against his hair. "It'll be curfew soon."

Starting from ORANGE means no one will be in the hall after 2200, and it's rare that they ever run into anyone on GREEN. Not that privacy is something they'd really have, at least as long as the Computer's watching. But it's already no secret to the cameras that Tony comes to Steve's apartment nearly every night and leaves in the mornings, and this won't draw any more of her attention. Plus, carrying him up lets Steve hold Tony for a little longer. Even if he knows now that he'll get to hold Tony all night tonight, it doesn't feel long enough.

[im_ironman]

If he had any more energy, or if they wouldn't have just been at the brink of a break up right now, Tony would playfully accuse Steve of cheating in making him more relaxed as he holds him closer. But here, right now, he just wants to stay like this for as long as possible.

Despite that, though, he doesn't want to stay in his room. Even if he doesn't have a roommate, this isn't home, and ever since Steve called it that, his heart has been aching for it even if he had been trying to ignore it earlier.

At Steve's question, his lips quirk slightly. This is the closest that he has come to smiling since he had kissed Steve goodbye the morning that he shot Natasha, and he's about to answer but...damn, those fingers in his hair makes him almost melt. This is definitely cheating.

"As tempting as that is, I... Thanks, but it's okay. I can make it." His hand let's go of Steve's jumpsuit only so he can move his arm down to his waist. As if to say that, even if he won't let him carry him, he won't let him go and they can go home with an arm around each other if it's okay with him. He just doesn't peel himself away from Steve just yet.

[a_man_out_of_time]

It'd be a lie if Steve said he didn't know what he was doing. Ever since Tony taught him what making out meant, they started having trouble keeping their hands off each other (even if it's much more innocent than usual), and Steve's started to notice all the little ways that Tony reacts to the ways he touches him. He remembers what Tony likes, just like he remembers what relaxes him. But for Steve, It's hard not to remember when everything feels so new and all he can do is soak it in. Plus, he likes making Tony feel happy, or comfortable, or relaxed, so yeah, maybe he's cheating a little, but Steve's pretty sure it's a good thing.

"Well. If you change your mind ..." he says, in that same quiet voice he's been using for the past few minutes, "... I'll be here." A promise he should have made a long time ago, paired with a kiss at the top of Tony's head, and the feeling of Steve's fingers still gently brushing through Tony's hair.

Eventually, they do move from that spot in Tony's room and make their way to the door, up the elevators, and to that familiar GREEN hallway. Steve never lets go of Tony the entire time — whether it's because they end up holding hands or putting their arms around each other. And not long after, once they've washed up a little (because Steve still insists, no matter how tired Tony is), they finally find themselves curled up together in bed, with only the familiar sound of each other's breathing to accompany the quiet hum of the apartment.

It isn't until this moment that Steve remembers that he saw Bucky for the first time earlier that night. But before he says something, he thinks better of it. Tony's been through enough. That news can wait until the morning.

So instead, he pulls Tony a bit closer, as he breathes in the clean smell of the cotton shirts they've started wearing to bed together, and plants a gentle, chaste kiss onto the back of Tony's neck. He's missed him more than he could've imagined, even if Steve couldn't even admit it to himself until now. And god, it feels like he's been holding his breath for two days and two nights, because here, back home, with Tony, it feels like the weight that's been pressing down into his chest finally starts to ease up.

[im_ironman]

There's a moment where he almost caves and says yes, especially at the way that Steve kisses the top of his head, but ultimately he sticks with his response.

Although, really, the walk to the elevator feels eternal. There's a moment where he can feel that point of exhaustion where he's starting to feel borderline nauseous, but washing up is a good idea no matter how much he wants to sleep for the next three days. It makes him feel at least a little bit more human, and by the time he changes into the cotton shirts, he's finally feeling a little more comfortable in his own skin.

It won't last long, though, and he already knows that even now. In the morning, when he can think a little clearer, he won't be worrying about his fight with Steve. He won't be distracted by the bitterness and anger that kept nagging at him after leaving Medical Services. He'll be able to fully focus on what has been happening - he'll remember the pool of Natasha's blood he woke up in 48 hours ago, he'll remember the fact that he's losing his damn mind, and--

The feeling of Steve's lips against the back of his neck, and the way he pulls him closer, help to quiet down those thoughts and he presses himself closer against him. He knows this peace and quiet won't last long for him, and he knows he doesn't deserve it, but for now he's selfish and tired enough to want to get lost in how comfortable he's feeling by how Steve is holding him. It makes him take a slow deep breath as he takes in his scent, this feeling of being home, and he manages to fall asleep almost as soon as he finally closes his eyes.