Couples Therapy

A Week Later.

Reed Richards held the door for his wife. He had opted for a blue pinstripe suit and fedora, though Moonstone had no doubt his Fantastic Four costume was on underneath. Sue Storm ahd dressed up a bit as well, in a sleeveless ankle-length pink dress and sunhat. Like his wife, Mister Fantastic glanced around his surroundings. He, too, noticed the StarkTech security fittings, the window with its view of Central Park, the glass pot where the tea began to brew.

Reed also noticed the diploma on the wall, as well as the lack of books, art, or other trimmings to draw the eye. The furniture was antique, all burnished wood, but recently restored, the smell of varnish still hung in the air below the tea-smells. He carried himself stiffly, and Dr. Stone introduced herself and indicated the two chairs set out across from her.

The blonde psychiatrist had her hair in a no-nonsense ponytail, and wore a no-nonsense black pantsuit, a small black ribbon in place of a tie, black heels to add a couple inches to her height. The effect was almost too masculine, but as Sue sat down she noticed that it also gave Dr. Stone a more imposing, professional demeanor. The kind that might impress her husband, at least a little.

"Dr. Richards, Susan, thank you both for coming," Dr. Stone said with a professional poker face. "I know this isn't easy for either of you, but I want to be clear: a relationship isn't easy. It requires constant work, from both of you. Our goal during these sessions is to address the issues that currently face your marriage—in a neutral, moderated setting that will, hopefully, help you work through your challenges together."

Sue smiled. Reed looked slightly constipated.

"How many sessions, exactly?" he said.

Sue ceased smiling.

"There is not a set number. It takes however long it takes," Dr. Stone said. "Like dating. You didn't calculate an optimal number of dates before you proposed to Sue, did you?"

Reed blinked, his mind suddenly sent off on the calculus of romance. Sue sighed a little.

"However, if you wish to get straight to the issue—why did you call Peter Parker's name during sex?" Dr. Stone said.

For a moment, Reed Richards lost control of his body. His jaw dropped like a cartoon character. Then he turned to Sue.

"You told her that?"

Sue stiffened. She didn't look her husband in the eye. "It...just came out. She was asking if there were any sexual problems in the marriage, and...well, we have had issues."

"I'm working on a solution to my...my lack of rigidity," Reed said, his voice wounded. "I can't believe you told a complete stranger about what goes on in our bedroom."

"What is said here, stays here," Moonstone broke in. She struggled to avoid using her powers on Reed Richards. The devices Doom had given her would cloak her alien artifact's presence from any sensors that Mister Fantastic had on his person, but if she used her abilities he couldn't guarantee that Richards wouldn't detect it. "How it came out isn't important. No one knows about it but us. No one is going to know about it but us. Did you want to tell us your version of events, Dr. Richards?"

Richards' body language was almost comically exaggerated compared to his wife. For all of his emotional reserve, once it was breached he had absolutely zero chill. Sue, for her part, seemed tense and oddly resigned to it.

"It's a physiological issue stemming from my powers," Reed Richards said. "Parts of me are...too elastic. Normally, blood is **** into the erectile tissues and the outgoing vessels constrict, which results in engorgement. The stiffness is a result of elastic limits of the tissues involved. In my case, there are no such limits. My penis is...like a blood balloon."

"Which isn't unpleasant, but for purposes of penetration is...suboptimal," Sue said.

Mr. Fantastic's eyes seemed to retreat into themselves at this assessment of his manhood.

"So, like many couples, you sought variety in your sexual lives," Dr. Stone said. "That's good. That's healthy. Adaptability and versatility are key to sexual fulfillment in any relationship. Yet I feel there is still an issue of communication that hasn't been addressed here."

Moonstone leaned forward. If the psychiatrist had any cleavage to expose in that outfit, Sue might have felt threatened. As it is, she was impressed with Dr. Stone's demeanor. Like a detective eager for a confession.

"Tell us, Dr. Richards, why you called out Peter Parker's name while you had sex with your wife?"

"I..." he seemed momentarily tongue-tied. The color had crept into his face until he was beet red, from grey temple to temple, drops of perspiration on his face. "The truth is..."

Mister Fantastic turned to his wife. There was something like agony on his face.

Then he told them.