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]

"But it's okay if I don't," Annie said carefully, trying out that concept aloud even as she was reaching to help herself to some of that pizza. "Like, it's not the end of the world, and I'm still a good hero even if I didn't get it. Plus I wouldn't have to move if they choose someone else, so that would be a benefit."

[knife_bender]

"I mean, I can't say I would hate if you stayed here with me," he said. "And we make a pretty good superhero team of two."

It was everyone else he had trouble working with.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, even if I get it," Annie decided, not lingering on that hopeful thought for too long, "we're still going patrolling together when I come back to visit. Even if I can't be Starlight for it."

Because it was almost certainly in her contract.

[knife_bender]

"Bold of you to assume we'll have time for that when you come to visit," Diego teased.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Bold of you to assume that that's not part of it," Annie countered with a smile. "I've seen the face you make when I hit someone."

Patrolling as foreplay, duh.

[knife_bender]

He smiled. "Well it is pretty hot."

As if she didn't get the same way when he used his powers.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"And it's not like I don't like seeing you work," Annie said, because while she could not see her own face, she knew she did, indeed, get exactly the same way. "So...like, maybe some patrol date nights when I visit. And I'll definitely come back for, like, the next time giant bears show up or whatever."

Because remember what had happened after the giant bear, Diego? Remember?

[knife_bender]

He did remember what happened after the giant bear. He remembered it very fondly.

"You definitely have to come back for that weird stuff," he said. "It'd be unfair if you missed out."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"And it's not like I'll get to fight stuff like that with The Seven," Annie pointed out. "It'll be, like, drug smugglers and diamond thieves and whatever. Though Homelander has mutants in his movies sometimes, but I think that's just, like, an effort to give Homelander someone on his level to fight."

[knife_bender]

"You saying you're gonna miss fighting things like candy canes?" he asked.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Remember how they moved like little sharks?" Annie asked nostalgically. "I mean, I'm not gonna miss it, exactly, but it's less depressing than what I usually fight. I'm not going to be disappointed in an attacking candy cane; it's just their nature."

[knife_bender]

Diego laughed. "You're cute. Ridiculous, but cute."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, I am, but also it's true," Annie assured him. "I'd rather fight real bad guys, 'cause they're out there doing real bad-guy damage with their crimes, but candy canes don't argue about getting arrested or call you names or whatever."

[knife_bender]

"This is true," he said. "But now I'm disappointed I didn't actually try to arrest those candy canes."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Have you made any arrests here?" Annie wondered. "I don't even have the authority to arrest candy canes."

[knife_bender]

"Well Klaus got arrested," Diego said. "But I didn't make the arrest. That's the only one I've heard of."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie considered that information for a moment. "Do you have handcuffs?" she asked, totally and completely innocently.

She was just curious. Really.

[knife_bender]

"I mean, I had handcuffs even before I was a cop." They were useful! For vigilante stuff! And other stuff!

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie gave him an appraising look, even though she was also starting to blush a little. "Well, that's good to know," she said slowly. "For, like, if we ever need to take someone in while patrolling, or something."

Or something.

[knife_bender]

"Or something," Diego repeated with a slow smile. "Yeah, I think that is a very good idea."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I bet you could get out of handcuffs if you really wanted to, though." Annie was blushing a little harder, but like, she figured that could be forgiven. "I mean, if someone put some on you for some reason."

For some reason. Also, considering how hot she found his lockpicking skills, like, this was still kind of a win-win scenario for her, anyway.

[knife_bender]

"Oh I definitely could." He was absolutely living for this blushing right now. "You know, if they ended up on me for some reason."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"And I could probably break any cuffs anyone put on me," Annie added lightly, still blushing. You know, in case he was curious. "If I really wanted to."

[knife_bender]

"That is also true," he said. "And if you broke a pair I'm sure there's tons of them around at work."

...

"If you ever ended up in them for some reason."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"For some reason," Annie echoed, and now her ears were blushing. "I mean, I don't know that for sure. I've never been handcuffed."

Like, shock of shocks, she had never been arrested, but also any other applications of handcuffs -- like so many things they did together -- would be brand-new to Annie, too. But she was curious, anyway.