He nodded slowly, considering this. "Noted. Thank you for getting this. I can pay you back." *** She sat down beside him. "That would be too embarrassing."
She waved it off, leaning against the wall. "Nah, don't worry about it." * * * "So embarrassing that you'd die?"
She waved it off. "Yeah. Don't worry about it, Snakey." * * * He leaned his head back, closing his eyes tiredly. "That's unfortunate."
"Hm," he murmured. "Alright then." *** She looked over at him, observing him thoughtfully. She didn't say anything, letting him rest a bit.
After eating in slightly awkward silence for a few minutes, Gwen eventually stood up, setting her food down. "We should probably go," she said, checking her watch. "The Agency gets cross if we're late." * * * He turned to look at her after a moment, his warm brown eyes like fertile soil in the spring. "Been doing any vigilante work lately?" he asked quietly.
He looked up, his head tilting slightly. "Oh. Alright then." *** She blinked, pausing for a moment. "Er.. Not really. Not since last time."
She nodded, pulling her mask down and glancing at him over her shoulder. "Do you want to drive, or...?" * * * "Do you make a habit of doing that?" he asked, leaning back as the intercom pinged. "I haven't really seen you around too much."
He hesitated, his brows furrowing. "I.. don't have a car." *** "I don't do it often," she admitted, frowning slightly. "Just occasionally. What about you?"
She paused and he wouldn’t be able to see her face under the mask, but she tilted her head. “No problem,” she said brightly, her tone warm. “I’ll drive. Unless you’d like us to walk...?” *** “That... I’ll be honest, that was the first time I’ve done anything like that in five years.”
"We could walk if you'd like to," he offered politely, slipping on his hoodie. *** She raised her eyebrows slightly. "Wow, that's awhile. Are you planning on doing it again?"
She nodded slowly, opening the door. "Let's do that. We can get warmed up that way." * * * "No," he said immediately. "I avoid it if at all possible."
He nodded, following her out and locking the door behind them. "What's the mission again?" *** She nodded slowly, leaning back. "That's fair."
"It's a base interruption," she said, maintaining a brisk pace. "Apparently, a meeting of various villainous officials is occurring tonight. We're trying to take people out to make sure they never arrive." * * * "What about you?"
He was keeping up, watching her with interest. "Sounds.. exciting?" *** "I don't do it often," she admitted. "I honestly wish I were normal, but I do it anyways."
"It's certainly something. With your paralyzation abilities and my venom, we should be able to make quick work of it. HQ wants the villains alive." * * * "You could leave this life behind, you know."
He nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a plan. Just.. I'm not a professional." *** "I know," she said quietly, looking around her. "I also don't know. It's confusing."
“Aren’t you?” she asked, turning to look at him. *** “Well, I obviously am not forcing you to make a decision. Just remember what you want.”
She pursed her lips, her expression hidden. "Would you like to be?" * * * The train chimed as they slid into the station, and Ben stood up. "Do you have everything?"
