That drew a laugh from Summer; a bit strangled, but a laugh nonetheless. Rather than put her hair back up, she flopped down on the couch and yanked it all over the top of her head to tumble to the floor. Even that small stretch made sinews crackle in her shoulders, and she groaned a bit. “I’m trying to remember to ask,” she commented into the cushions. “How’m I doing?”
“Just fine,” Tony assured her, sitting on the arm of the couch, and then sliding forward so he was kneeling over the backs of her legs. He settled his hands on her shoulders, and began to work them. He waited until she was comfortable before wheedling, “Soooo…what’d you get me?” in as comically innocent a tone as he could manage.
Just the warmth and nearness of him was relaxing. Tony could be arrogant, introverted, and confusingly hard to understand sometimes, but sometimes he was exactly what Summer needed. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out, trying not to squeak under his hands. She sniggered into the cushions when he started coaxing, though. “Something I know you’ll like,” she said, unhelpfully. “You are a hard man to buy for.”
Tony pouted at her back, but only for a moment. After all, it wouldn’t really do him much good when she wasn’t looking at him. “Not even a hint?” he asked, hands moving farther down her back. Of course, this was completely ignoring the fact that he hadn’t actually gone Christmas shopping for anyone, so he had no room to talk.
“Mmm, a hint.” She chuckled, eyes sliding half-closed. “I can hear you pouting, love. Okay. It’s a small thing that becomes a big thing, and if you are very sweet to me I will let you have it tonight.” She thought of his delight when he had been given wings before, and the things she had said to the demon she’d coerced, and of all the pain of the last weeks, and hoped very much that her gift would help, even if it wouldn’t last. “And now you should give me a hint.”
“How can you hear pouting?” he asked, irrelevant though that was. He pondered over the hint for a moment, thumbs pressing against her spine, though he leaned away somewhat when she got to her question, clearing his throat awkwardly. “I haven’t exactly gone Christmas shopping,” he admitted, as he slid his hands down to the small of her back and began working back up.
“I don’t mind if we go shopping or whatever after the holiday … ” Summer murmured, “You’ve been a bit busy lately, I know, with all the … ” She flourished a hand vaguely. “Mmm, just there, please,” as he hit a particular spot. Her whole body felt relaxed, drifting under Tony’s hands. “I’ll take anything you want to give,” she sighed, starting to roll over.