MHA # 2 | Thursday Evening

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie had actually enjoyed her half-a-week back at work. She'd done a little press (and like...things were going pretty well there, considering that she and Maeve were being lauded as heroes who had taken down a Nazi), she'd gone on an actual save last night, and today, she'd had a completely civil meeting about Citizen Starlight before she'd left to return to Fandom.

And because she thought she was funny -- and it was the first time she was coming home here, rather than visiting Diego -- she opened the door with a, "Honey, I'm home!"

The black cat on the couch gave her a bemused, slightly grumpy -- or was that just how cats looked? -- look.

And between how she was pretty sure Diego would never get a pet (especially without checking with her), the way the cat responded to his name, and -- let's be honest -- the expression on that cat's little kitty face...it didn't take long before she was sighing heavily. "I've heard this happens."

She pulled off her cape as she headed into the bedroom to change, texting Danny to let him know he could head over for wine at any time -- and, you know, while she was at it, probably best to let Rey know that their plans for a double-date this weekend looked like they'd changed.

And thus, she missed it when cat-Diego decided that her white cape was absolutely the spot to put his black, copiously-shedding self.

Naturally.

[expecting one but it can be open! Cat boyfriend modded with permission, of course. eta: contents of the Danny convo NFB, please!]

Comments

[hatesparadise]

"Of course he did," he replied with an amused little eyeroll.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Seemed pretty proud of himself," Annie added. "Are you guys doing okay, after the last few weeks?"

'Cause, like, Annie sure had had a month, but Danny's had also not sounded like any kind of a vacation.

[hatesparadise]

Danny opened his mouth and then closed it again at that. "I think I'll need a few glasses of wine to unpack all that," he admitted.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That good, huh?" Annie asked, dryly sympathetic as she settled into one of those cute patio chairs and passed over a glass.

[hatesparadise]

"Thank you," Danny said with great appreciation, taking his own seat. It was no beachside chair, but it was still nice. "You do a lot of decorating since you moved in?"

Because none of this screamed 'Diego'.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That one plant is a gift from his brother," Annie said (generously), indicating a spider plant. "But yeah, the rest of this is me. I was in New York the last couple days, but if someone wasn't a cat I'd considered hanging curtains this weekend."

[hatesparadise]

"Was he aware of these plans?" Because Danny could see it being out of self-defense.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Are you suggesting Diego turned into a cat on purpose?" Annie wanted to find that less likely than she did. Like, probably not? But it was possible.

[hatesparadise]

"It's a possibility," Danny replied. Because it was. Here it was.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Okay, well, if he did," Annie said, shooting look back inside at the sleeping cat, "I'm going to totally turn into a cat or something next time I want to get out of, like, a race around the island."

Because Annie always lost.

(Also she would totally turn into a dog, anyway. A big, fluffy, blonde dog.)

[hatesparadise]

Yeah, her and Steve would be dogs. And dog Steve would still be an overachiever.

"Just mess up your knee like me and always have an excuse to avoid the stairs."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"How'd you mess it up?" Annie asked curiously. "'Cause I would need, like, a bus, but it's doable."

Those stairs were that compelling.

[hatesparadise]

"College baseball injury that was made worse trying to keep up with Steve when I got to Hawaii." Because SEALs were insane. "Tore my ACL. Had to walk with a cane for months."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Yikes," Annie winced, eyes going wide. "I mean, keeping up with Steve seems like kind of a fool's errand, honestly. I train pretty hard and running with him still kicked my ass."

But Steve couldn't lift a car, so, you know. She still had that.

[hatesparadise]

"It was that or let him flagrantly ignore the rule of law." And Danny needed to yell at him. So much. "Also, that other Steve guy drives him nuts on the morning run, which makes up for a lot."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Yeah, we got lapped by Captain America when I went with him," Annie said, sounding disappointed in herself. (Because she was. She was. Still.) "It's hard not to take it personally! He's really cheerful about it."

[hatesparadise]

"You're the much prettier blond out of the two of you," Danny assured her. "I'd say smarter too, but I don't know him as well. I'll assume you are, though."

You know, kindly.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"But Danny, I wanna be fast," Annie replied in an exaggerated whine. "I'll take it, though."

Even if he was wrong. Captain America was, like, beautiful, objectively. And probably brilliant!

"Are you both all healed up from the -- everything?" she checked. "I only got back in the weight room this week." Steve, she had no doubt, had worked out with a concussion.

[hatesparadise]

How did that shoulder to hip ratio even work?

"Yeah, physically everything's good. Mostly. If he'd listen to the doctor ever." Which might have been easier if Danny had been nagging him like he normally did. "It's just... things are strained. At the moment."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Because of the --" Annie gestured vaguely with her wine glass. "The stuff with your brother?"

Like, seriously, Danny had been through the wringer lately. It would put a strain on anyone.

[hatesparadise]

"Partially," Danny said, making a face and leaning forward to rest his forearms on his knees. "You got extra alcohol for the squirrels or something?"

Because like hell did he want any of this on the radio.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie gave him a curious glance, but held up a finger to excuse herself momentarily before returning with a set of shot glasses and a bottle of rum.

"Are you okay?" she asked seriously, pouring out the shots and setting them out on the balcony rail.

[hatesparadise]

"So, we might have..." Spit it out, Daniel. "Gone a little further than normal friendship things in the light of some heightened emotions."

They did the do.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Gone a little -- " It took Annie a second before her eyes were widening and she was clasping a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God, Danny! That's great! Wait. Is it great?"

He was not acting like it was great?

[hatesparadise]

Danny's expression was one that implied he sure as hell didn't know. "It's not--I don't know what's happening with it," he finally settled on with a good number of broad hand gestures to get there.

Well, he finished that glass quickly to get through it too, didn't he?