[He half-expects her to shove him away, injury or no. Certainly he's braced for it when Peggy's hand finds his arm, and all the more so knowing she'd likely need a bit of support for the effort. Yet her dismay is perhaps tempered by her shock, and that single sucked in breath that no doubt hurts her to the very bone. He might have said something—a quiet admonishment to take it easy--but Peggy beats him to it, recovering her wit enough to offer up a rather terrible reply to such tenderly given affection.
He'd be rather put out by it, if he didn't already know what it meant.
Fortunately, Rip has already seen Peggy's vulnerabilities when it comes to such concerns. He knows she grows cross when she feels discomforted by her own affection, pulls away when those emotions threaten to escape their tidy little boxes. She claims the kiss not helpful, but Rip would argue otherwise: he feels better for it, right up to and including the way she practically pouts once all is said and done.]
When I attempted to be helpful, you refused to listen to me. [Ah, and there it is. The I told you so, reworded but still said all the same.] But for better or for worse, you're rather stuck at the moment—which means that hopefully, you'll be forced to let yourself recover some.
no subject
He'd be rather put out by it, if he didn't already know what it meant.
Fortunately, Rip has already seen Peggy's vulnerabilities when it comes to such concerns. He knows she grows cross when she feels discomforted by her own affection, pulls away when those emotions threaten to escape their tidy little boxes. She claims the kiss not helpful, but Rip would argue otherwise: he feels better for it, right up to and including the way she practically pouts once all is said and done.]
When I attempted to be helpful, you refused to listen to me. [Ah, and there it is. The I told you so, reworded but still said all the same.] But for better or for worse, you're rather stuck at the moment—which means that hopefully, you'll be forced to let yourself recover some.