MHA #2 | Wednesday Evening

[defenderofdesmoines]

No one had specifically asked Annie to try to stick to the island as much as she could lately, but she'd been doing her best. Partly because she wanted to, and partly because some things didn't need to be explicitly asked.

She had taken a quick trip to the tower earlier this week for some meetings she couldn't move, and seeing her teammates -- seeing one of her teammates, because let's be real, she really only had one teammate and then several assholes she also worked with -- gave her an idea.

An idea that she'd been working on via text message ever since, and was about to come to fruition here and now as she half-watched American Ninja Warrior and casually convincing herself that she could totally beat the dude on the screen's time (and she and Diego would absolutely destroy at the team version of this show, thanks for asking), and her phone gave a little buzz.

And when Annie looked at her screen, she couldn't suppress her smile at seeing that begrudging, all-lowercase answer. fine. "We're gonna have a visitor this weekend."

And now to convince her she didn't have to wear her breastplate.

[for the guy!]

Comments

[defenderofdesmoines]

"No, but maybe we know people who do?" Annie suggested, thinking about it. "We'd have to narrow it down as far as like...where in time we think he threw them."

So there was that. That was kind of a roadblock.

[knife_bender]

"...yeah." He didn't know how to narrow it down either. "And he threw us into this universe, so we have to hope he didn't do that to them."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"...yeah."

Or they were scattered across five other universes but wow, of all the things that Annie was not going to suggest (and possibly manifest by doing so.)

"I hope they're somewhere cool. Some time cool," she said softly. She did not know anything about time travel, but you know what she specialized in? Optimism. "Like the roaring twenties or the Renaissance or something."

[knife_bender]

"Well, at least most of them can adapt." Luther couldn't. Luther would have some sort of a nervous breakdown.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Well, and if Annie really considered it, Allison might not exactly have a great time in...like, any time period prior to the late sixties. And even then.

"They're all really smart," Annie said with an affirming nod. Yes, even Luther -- the man had lived on the moon, he could probably handle some time travel. "And capable. And, like, since it's time travel there's a chance we're gonna get to them and it'll have been, like, two minutes since you saw them last, for them."

God, time travel was confusing.

[knife_bender]

"I hope so," he said, tightening his arms around her. "I'd do anything to get them back."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I know you would," Annie murmured, pressing another kiss into his hair. "I think they know that, too. We're going to figure it out."

Maybe it would help if she got Five to explain what the fuck he was doing in that guest room? Like. Annie could do math. Annie could take notes. Annie could learn.

[knife_bender]

He nodded, even if he didn't necessarily believe that. Not about the figuring it out thing, he was fairly sure he wouldn't stop until they did something, but he didn't think his siblings would know he was looking for them. It wasn't exactly he had been the most caring sibling.

"Gotta learn some of that optimism thing from you."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"It's not that hard," Annie said gently, smiling a little. "You just think about what you want to have happen, and think about what it would take for that to be possible, and believe in those things. Optimism is about little pieces."

She leaned against him a little, trailing her fingertips along his arm affectionately. "Like how right now I believe that Five can do math. And you can be ready."

And she could help him however he needed until it moved beyond math and readiness.

[knife_bender]

"That makes sense," he said with a small smile. "Still won't be able to do the optimism thing as good as you, but you're kind of hard to beat."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I can just be optimistic for both of us. You just have to believe me, then," Annie supplied, leaning in to kiss him lightly.

[knife_bender]

"That'll be easy," he murmured. "I always believe you."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Then maybe my optimism'll rub off on you," Annie replied softly, reaching a hand up to brush her thumb along his jaw. "Especially if I can keep this schedule and I can be around all the time like this."

She would not be able to keep both this schedule and her job for all that much longer, no matter how much she bullied her boss about it. But it was a nice thought.

[knife_bender]

See, he automatically wanted to shoot that optimism down (there was no way she could keep this schedule), but he didn't. He was learning!

"It's probably good Maeve is getting a hotel room," he said lightly. "She'd be really grossed out by this."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Grossed out, or jealous?" Annie countered. Because now she just wanted to be gross on purpose in front of Maeve. Sounded like a challenge.

(Actually, though, she might be kind of jealous since Maeve's own relationship had been sort of commoditized. Yikes.)

"I'm gonna have to figure out stuff to do with her besides taking her to the bars," she added. "You can come, too. So we can gross her out."

Was that Annie's subtle, subtle way of trying to make sure he didn't brood the whole weekend? Maybe.

[knife_bender]

Oh so subtle, for sure.

"I'll think about it," he said. "But I'm fairly sure she hates me."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Nah," Annie replied, shaking her head confidently. "I actually think the opposite. But I get why you'd think that."

Given how she'd shouted at them both to get out of her apartment and refused to use his name and all.

[knife_bender]

"I'm fairly sure she threatened to break me in half," he said. "I guess that could have been a compliment..."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"She said she could," Annie replied, pressing a kiss to his ear. "And if I said something like that you'd say I was flirting."

Well, because she would be, but details.

[knife_bender]

"That's because you would be flirting," he said, laughing softly. "And I would like it."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Like when I said I could bench-press you." And she'd blushed so hard she'd been worried she might glow in the dark when he had correctly pointed out that she had been flirting. Aw, memories. "Maeve's just prickly. I feel like you might be good at relating to prickly people and seeing their forms of affection for what they are, though."

You know, maybe. He might have some practice with that.

[knife_bender]

"I wouldn't know anything about that," he lied. Badly.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Oh no, not you," Annie agreed, giving the arm around his shoulders a little squeeze. "Maybe it's more accurate to say that this might be why I'm good at seeing Maeve's intentions for what they are."

Annie was kind of getting a lot of practice at that, these days, between watching Diego with his siblings, and dealing with Five in general, and working with Maeve.

[knife_bender]

"You should be an expert by now," he murmured, leaning in for another kiss.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Maybe kind of," Annie murmured into the kiss, because yeah. Even if she didn't have to do a lot of interpreting when it came to how Diego acted with her, clearly.

But then, Annie was generally inclined to be just as transparently affectionate back, even if she hadn't known he especially needed it right now. She trailed her fingertips along his neck as she hummed into the kiss, just enjoying being close for the moment.