Baltimore | Tuesday Night

[knife_bender]

Since everyone's powers had been restored (not that Diego lost his), it seemed that a trip to Baltimore was called for to make sure everything was in working order. It also had the added benefit of seeing Annie in her Starlight outfit which was something Diego was never going to complain about. They didn't even have to stick to the shadows since the city seemed to have collectively agreed that this whole week was Halloween and they were actually some of the more normal looking people around.

"There's an awful lot of drunk people around for a Tuesday night." It was the Halloween spirit, Diego!

[For the aforementioned shiny superhero]

Comments

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I just don't want to get my boots puked on by some drunk rando," Starlight told him, which was at least partly true if not the entire reason. She was still holding his hand, after all.

"Quiet night, 'side from the drunk people. We should've brought a police scanner or something."

Not that she minded the quiet, especially.

[knife_bender]

Oh man if they walked a couple blocks that would have time to wave at Danny just before he was kidnapped.

"We'll have to bring one next time," he said. "I don't mind this though. The company is good at least."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Yeah, it was a totally quiet night as long as they stayed clear of those damn docks.

"Way better than patrolling alone. I mean, I don't miss being on a team, but...a duo is nice," Starlight confirmed, glancing over at him (and maybe smiling a little at 'next time.') "I'm gonna be nosy, so feel free to tell me to get lost, but what was your old superhero name, anyway?"

[knife_bender]

"It was The Kraken on all the merchandise and in the articles about us," Diego said. "Dad called me Number Two. Still does, actually. Or he would if I spoke to him."

He might have sounded a tad bitter about that.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That's pretty sweet," Starlight said, a touch admiringly. "The Kraken, anyway. Like you're something to be unleashed."

And, you know, when one was holding someone's hand and they seemed bitter about something, one was inclined to squeeze said hand. "I take it you're not Number Two like...hey, it's my right-hand man, Number Two."

[knife_bender]

"It was more like a 'I ranked my children by usefulness and you're Number Two' sort of thing." He stopped where he was but didn't let go of Starlight's hand. "Do you think my dad has a chance at making the bad parent hall of fame?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

Starlight was honestly kind of speechless for a moment, trying to wrap her head around the idea of ranking children.

"I think he has a lock on it," she said quietly, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry, Diego. Your dad puts all other bad parents to shame, I swear."

Like he was competing for gold in the Bad Parent Olympics or something, seriously.

[knife_bender]

Oh and we have only scratched the surface!

"Yeah, well, I turned out okay." Just in need of a little bit of therapy. "Haven't managed to scare you off yet."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"It'll take more than some dad issues," Starlight told him softly, giving his hand another little squeeze. And maybe she was a little grateful it was dark, since she could feel herself blushing. "I'm surprised I haven't scared you off, honestly."

What with beating the shit out of him, and all. Kind of unintentionally broke her cardinal rule regarding guys, there.

[knife_bender]

"I don't know what the opposite of scaring off is, but whatever it is that's what I have regarding you." Affection? Attraction? Some word like that was probably appropriate.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Even though I had you pinned to a wall like two weeks ago, and I could probably bench-press you, and all that?" she checked, glancing over. "That doesn't bother you?"

It usually bothered guys. The Sean Jakowski incident had not really been all that long ago.

[knife_bender]

"I mean, you can pin me to the wall again and we'll see what happens?" he said lightly.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Okay, now she really was blushing, but that at least got a laugh out of her.

Not because she wasn't considering it, exactly.

"Hmm, I don't know. That sounds like a trap," she decided, equally lightly.

[knife_bender]

"Well it's been established that you could probably bench-press me," Diego said. "I'm pretty sure you could get out of any trap I set for you."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That doesn't mean it's smart to ignore that it's a trap," Starlight decided, raising a brow at him. "Also, don't sell yourself short, I bet you're great at setting traps."

See also: how she was kind of thinking about how fun it would be to pin him now that she wasn't trying to arrest him or whatever, in spite of protests to the contrary.

[knife_bender]

"This might come as a shock," Diego started. "But I'm more of a 'burst in, knives flying' kind of guy rather than a 'trap setting' guy."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Never would have guessed."

And that was when Starlight made her move. She slipped her hand out of Diego's, pressing the other into his chest to drive him back into the nearest wall.

Much, much, much more gently than she had a couple weeks ago, but still with...you know, super-strength. It wasn't like he hadn't literally asked for it.

"I'm actually pretty good at it, sometimes," she added, smiling once she had him where she wanted.

[knife_bender]

Diego let out a little noise when his back hit the wall, but judging by the smile on his face it wasn't out of protest. "Clearly you are."

He moved to cover the hand on his chest with his own. "And look at that, I haven't been scared off."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Yeah." She was still kind of adjusting to the novelty of that. "Do you know how many times I've had to pretend a bowling ball is heavy just so I don't hurt some guy's feelings?"

It was mostly a rhetorical question, since she was pretty occupied with stepping just a touch closer - not quite pressed against him, but very much in his space - and using her free hand to carefully push his mask up. "Better. I like your mask, but this is better."

[knife_bender]

"You've been hanging around some insecure guys," Diego said, letting her push up his mask without protest. "Thank you."

It wasn't often he was complimented on his looks. Probably because he didn't listen to radio and couldn't hear Tahani thirsting over him.

"If I kiss you right now are you going to punch me in the face?" Hey, consent was important!

[defenderofdesmoines]

Asking her something like that made Starlight wish she was the one pressed against the wall, since her knees were a little embarrassingly weak in response.

"I'm not going to punch you," she replied softly, stepping just that little bit closer and drawing her fingertip down along his jaw. And if the verbal confirmation hadn't been enough, she was helpfully tilting her head and leaning into him.

[knife_bender]

Diego smiled softly, happy they were both on the same page here. He closed the distance between the two of them, leaning in to give her a fairly chaste kiss.

Because someone here was a hidden romantic, even if he was pinned against a wall.

[defenderofdesmoines]

She smiled into the kiss, cupping his face gently with her hand. Her other hand rested where she'd left it on his chest, though she wasn't even really pinning him anymore. (She suspected he also wasn't interested in going anywhere at the moment, anyway.)

If someone came down this alley to commit a crime right now, so help her, they were going to be blinded. This was the reward for being an ultra-vigilant superhero ninety-nine percent of the time.

[knife_bender]

Blinded and stabbed, most likely. Baltimore criminals can go bother Danny and Steve who likely weren't kissing right now.

Though they probably should be.

Diego pulled away after a few moments, but stayed close. "Just for the record you can pin me any time you want if it leads to you kissing me."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Starlight - who was really feeling more Annie at the moment, but whatever, she still had the cape on - let out a little laugh. "Is it a prerequisite for kissing you?" she wondered, crooking a little smile at him and not moving away just yet, herself.