Thread: Human Connection [Avengers -- Sprouts & Virginia]

Her shoulders tensed a little bit when his hand touched her back, but Theresa forced herself to relax an instant later with the hope that he hadn't noticed. If he did she could use it with this persona and set the groundwork that would lead to him not considering leaving her with someone else. Not that he had any friends he could call up, though she knew who in the apartment thought well of him and was pretty sure that at least one of them would agree to do him that favor. It was easily excused as an act of someone who was stressed out and in pain if that didn't end up needing to happen, but she still wished she hadn't done it. It was a personal thing, and personal things shouldn't be happening during work time until the day that just being herself was ever the best option for interaction with someone who wasn't also a member of SHIELD or that she was supposed to hurt. And that... haha. This? Yeah. That? She gestured with a hand in the general direction of the scar across her collarbone and then hesitated, expression conflicted. It's fine. He'd brought it up, she might as well utilize this. It was a long time ago. She didn't have to outright say it to admit to what had happened. The old ones on her back were the ones actually from that, but it was a lot easier than trying to come up with an excuse or saying she'd gotten in a knife fight in Beijing while chasing a potential terrorist who had intelligence secrets. The best lies to try and maintain were at least a little bit based in truth. She would hopefully never have to talk to Bruce again so she could have gotten as outlandish as she wanted, but there was no promise something wouldn't come up and she'd need to keep her story straight. The scar over her eyebrow, at least, was from being an adventurous kid. Theresa was fond of that one in a weird sort of way. She had to cover it up with makeup for work sometimes, but it was a nice little quirk that had been part of her weird road to personal acceptance. She pulled her arm through the sleeve and then did up the buttons until her scar had disappeared under fabric like she was self conscious about it now that it had been brought up. Thanks. She let herself settle back onto the couch once that was done and let out a tiny sigh. She considered closing her eyes and letting that be a way to kind of dismiss him if he would respond to that but figured she should probably actually give him a name for to the face. Oh! I've been so distracted that I-- well injured, but pain was a pretty good reason not to be on top of one's manners she supposed, I'm Theresa. I'm in your home wearing your clothes and I probably bled on your couch, it would be rude not to introduce myself. And, she was trying to imply with the chatter, talking distracted from the pain. Hopefully she could get some new information from this, at least. Mannerisms to record, information she could pull out of his apartment and how he acted in it, just something that would help her feel like there might be something she could gain from this besides the fact she hadn't had to put the needle in her skin herself. Things would heal more neatly this way, but that wasn't an even tradeoff for the fact that she was looking at the potential for sixth months worth of mission down the drain. If the man she'd lost to came back he was going to pay for everything, she'd make sure of it. Maybe it was time to send a different message to everyone out there.