MHA # 2 | Tuesday Afternoon

[knife_bender]

For all of his outward confidence, there was a little part of Diego that was nervous for Annie today. He knew she had everything to be part of a big superhero team, but her universe had some weird ideas of what a superhero should be. So, yes, he might have been doing some anxious pacing around the apartment waiting for her to get back.

At least with this audition over he could stop feeling guilty when he ate something that wasn't kale around her.

[For the girl!]

Comments

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie was a bit subdued as she let herself in. She was still dressed in full Starlight regalia, though she'd thrown a hoodie over her uniform and draped her cape over her arm for the trip home. "Hey."

She was pretty sure that had gone okay? There had been a couple -- bumps. (She had told that woman to turn around, so that wasn't her fault, but Annie wasn't sure if Vought would see it that way.)

[knife_bender]

"Hey!" Did Diego look relieved for some reason? Yes. There was this weird irrational fear that she'd get the job right away and Vought would take her away and he'd never see her again. It was stupid, but irrational stuff was supposed to be stupid.

"How did it go?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

Well, his relief was cute, and it cheered Annie up a little. Weird how the nerves hadn't just gone away after all that.

"I think it went okay?" she offered with a little, hesitant smile. "I broke their camera and knocked the camerawoman over, though."

She'd warned her.

[knife_bender]

Diego couldn't help but laugh a little at that. "Well, that's impressive, right?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Maybe. Maybe it was impressive. But I said I was sorry," Annie told him with a wince. As though there had been any question that Annie would apologize. "And then I said it again during the lie detector part, so I think they have to know I meant it. And she wasn't hurt, at least!"

She'd paid attention to the 'close your eyes' part, fortunately.

[knife_bender]

"They made you use a lie detector?" he asked.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie nodded. "I did a powers demonstration and they took all my stats -- I had to do that twice, 'cause they had to get a second camera -- I took a drug test, there was a lie detector thing, and then they interviewed me."

The interview had honestly been kind of the shortest part.

[knife_bender]

"That sounds pretty intense." Said the guy who had wires attached to his head while he slept as a kid so his dad could study him. "How are you feeling?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie's answer to that was to walk over and lean her forehead tiredly into Diego's shoulder.

"Tired. Like I ran a marathon."

It had been a really long week. And now she still had to wait to see if she'd won.

[knife_bender]

Diego put his arms around Annie. "Want to order terrible food and not work out today?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I love you, and you have perfect ideas." Maybe no workout tomorrow, either. "Is there beer?"

But she was also going to wrap her arms up around him, too, before she went to locate sweatpants or beer or candy or a nap.

[knife_bender]

"Of course there is," he said, not making a move to actually get her one right now since there was hugging happening. "I love you too. I'm really proud of you."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie nestled her head a little more firmly against his shoulder. "Just for trying?" she asked, knowing it was true but kind of still needing to hear it. "Even if I probably didn't get it 'cause I broke their camera."

She had not, notably, called her mom yet.

[knife_bender]

"Yes, and for working your ass off all week," he said. "And I think breaking the camera can only earn you points."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Maybe with you," Annie acknowledged. "I hope it did with them. But maybe they're pissed."

Probably not.

"I bet no one else broke a camera." Though, like, to be fair, no one else had electricity-based powers, as far as Annie was aware.

[knife_bender]

"So you'll be memorable at least," he said, pulling away slightly. "Come on, I'll order a pizza and you can get changed. I know you can't breathe in that thing."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"You're the best. And you're right, I can't," Annie told him with a little sigh, peeling her hoodie off and turning around. "Zipper help? Maybe if I make the team, they'll fit me with some kind of, like, special super fabric."

Clearly Homelander's suit was made of something special. A-Train's, too.

[knife_bender]

"That actually would be pretty cool," he admitted as he slid down the zipper of her dress. With his free hand he brushed some of her hair aside so he press a kiss against the back of her neck.

[defenderofdesmoines]

The sigh Annie let out was only partly due to her renewed lung capacity, and more to do with that neck kiss. She shifted, tilting her head to look back over her shoulder and give Diego a real kiss.

Like, she might have been the one auditioning, but she knew the last week or so hadn't been easy on him, either.

[knife_bender]

The real kiss was necessary, yes. It had been a long week for the both of them and this was the first time in days where he felt like he could totally relax.

Even if the waiting part was also going to cause some anxiety, but that hadn't hit him yet.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie turned so she wasn't craning her neck and could deepen the kiss a little, reaching her hands up to Diego's face.

"I couldn't have done it without you," she murmured, bumping her nose against his. "Like, whether I get it or not, you've been so great."

Like, he deserved some kind of Most Supportive Boyfriend trophy.

[knife_bender]

Diego smiled. "Well I expect the same from you if I ever try out for a big superhero team."

Which would never happen.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Scale of one to ten, how likely do you think that is?" Annie asked, smoothing her hands down over his shoulders with a small smile.

She was going with like...maybe a two?

[knife_bender]

"Oh it's like a zero," he said. "I don't know if you know this, but I'm not great at teamwork."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"You're pretty great when it's just one teammate," Annie replied, going onto her toes to give him another, lighter kiss before pulling away so she could go locate sweatpants. "I owe you, seriously."

Especially if she actually got this job and things got harder.