"These paint fumes are giving me a headache," Kim mumbled as she worked on her bedroom wall.
Tony smiled.
"That's what you get for not having the windows open all the way."
"Fine. You are the painting master and I should have waited for to come over before starting this project. Happy?" She sighed. "Can you grab me a couple aspirin?"
"Sure. Where do you keep them?"
"I think there's a bottle in my desk drawer. Which means it's now in the guest room against the far wall."
"Don't most people keep their meds in the medicine cabinet?"
She glared at him.
"Right," he laughed, raising his arms in submission. "You're not most people." He set down his brush. "I'll be right back."
He and Kim had started hanging out almost a year ago, neither of them having anywhere else to turn. Their worlds had been taken from them – Michelle dead and Jack taken hostage by the Chinese – and they had formed a close bond out of a need for something to hold on to. When she had called him that morning, begging for help with her painting, he had gladly come by.
Moving into her guest room – where he had spent many a night – he headed straight for the desk pushed up against the far wall. He opened the top drawer and crouched down so that he could see into it clearly. Pushing papers aside, he reached around until he found the aspirin bottle, and pulled it out. Just as he went to close the drawer, something in the back caught his eye. There was a slip of paper hanging over the back edge, the bottom half of it disappearing behind the drawer. Frowning, Tony reached his arm all the way in and pulled it out, not wanting Kim to lose any important paperwork.
He knew that he shouldn't be nosing around, that he should just set the paper in the drawer and bring her the aspirin she had asked for. But the title on the top of the page drew his eyes, and his curiosity got the better of him. He unfolded the page completely, his frown growing as he read what was on it:
My Flaws
Whiny
Selfish
Lazy
Needy
Bitchy
Demanding
Tease
Naïve
Argumentative
Irresponsible
Clutching the paper in his hand, Tony got up and walked back to the bedroom.
"Kim?"
She turned from her wall and looked down at him from her spot on top of the ladder. Seeing the look on his face, her smile faded.
"Tony? Are you okay?"
"What's this?" he asked quietly, holding up the piece of paper.
"I don't know."
She climbed down from the ladder and set her brush down, wiping her hands on her jeans. Then she walked across the room to where he was standing and took the piece of paper out of his hands. As she opened it and read what was inside, her face visibly paled and her hands began to shake.
"Kim?"
"It's nothing."
"Don't tell me that. What is it?"
She shook her head and folded the paper back up, setting it on the bed.
"It's something from therapy."
"Therapy. You mean Barry."
She shrugged.
"He told me to make a list of all my flaws."
"For what?"
"I don't know."
"Well what did he have you do with it?"
She refused to face him as she answered, focusing her attention on closing one of the paint cans.
"Every now and then he would have me bring it out," she said quietly. "Even after we started seeing each other. He said it was to remind me that I'm not the center of the universe. He used to always tell me that I had forgotten one."
"And what one was that?"
"Unlovable," she whispered.
Tony was almost bowled over by the surge of rage that burst through him. He couldn't believe that someone could be that heartless and cruel. As Kim had opened up to him little by little, he had come to see that Barry was nothing more than tyrant, taking joy in finding new ways to break her down. Swallowing back the curses that threatened to spill out, he marched over to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
"Tony? What the hell are you doing?"
He didn't say anything as he led her into the kitchen. Then he let go of her and began rifling through the drawers until he found what he was looking for. Grabbing the list, he pulled out a match from the box and lit it.
"Tony –"
Catching her gaze and holding it, he set fire to the list. His eyes never left hers as it burned, the words fading and finally disappearing as the paper was consumed. When the flames neared his fingers, he dropped what remained into the sink, the fire finishing it's work. Then he tipped her chin up gently, making sure that she was still focused on him.
"You are NOT unlovable," he bit out, his emotion choking him. "Don't you ever think that."
She gave him a wry smile.
"Come on, Tony. My last boyfriend was my shrink and he was an asshole. That doesn't exactly speak well of my chances –"
She was cut off by the sudden pressure of his lips on hers. Her eyes widened as her brain struggled to accept that Tony was actually kissing her, but her body had no problem with it. Her arms wrapped around his neck immediately and her body pushed itself closer to him. He kissed her slowly and deeply, trying to erase every memory of what Barry had put her through.
When they pulled back, Kim was smiling, even though she tried not to. But as she looked up, she saw that Tony was smiling too, and she gave up trying to hide how happy she was.
"Come on," he said gently, pushing her back towards the stairs.
"What?"
"We have to go put the paint away."
"Are we done for the day?"
"I'm taking you out to dinner. And then I plan on showing you just how damn lovable you are."
She stopped him then, placing her hands on his chest so that he couldn't go forward anymore. Reaching up, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you, Tony."
He leaned down to kiss her again.
"Anything for you, Kim."