𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘺, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨

𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣

"I MEAN, I DON'T REMEMBER, BUT MY MOM SAID WHEN I WAS BORN, I ALMOST BLINDED THE DOCTOR." ANNIE SPOKE, HER AND HUGHIE SAT IN A BAR. "So, I had powers from the start. Why?" Annie continued obliviously, Hughie clearing his throat as he held his beer. "No, I'm just, uh, curious." He shrugged, Annie doing the same as she drank. "Do you mind if we just... not talk about the hero stuff tonight?" She asked lightly, Hughie nodding. "Yeah, yeah. Bad day at work?" He asked, Annie nodding.

"Yeah. It's an understatement. You know, there's this beach in the Bahamas where the sand is pink, like, cotton-candy pink." She informed, Hughie smiling. "What's it called?" He asked, Annie wincing playfully. "Pink Sands." The two laughed, "It's not the most creative name, but... let's just go." Hughie's smile fell lightly, looking to Annie. "Yeah. No, I can, uh... learn how to play the steel drum." He joked, Annie smiling. "And you can get cornrows." The two laughed.

"How about tonight?" Annie proposed, Hughie nodding. "Book that ticket." He spoke, Annie looking to the table. "Are we talking about this?" He asked, Annie shrugging lightly. "I don't know... I just know that-" Hughie looked aside, his face falling once he saw Robin staring at him from the doorway. "for me, New York has been such and endless shit show. Except for you." Annie looked to the man, smiling once he looked back. "Somehow, in the middle of it all... you found me." She spoke gently, Hughie smiling back at her gently. Holding her head, Hughie kissed Annie, the woman not pulling away.

He smiled as they pulled away, Robin disappearing. The two giggled together, starting to make out- "Hughie." The two pulled away, Hughie looking to see Billy and Samuel stood at their table. "I thought that was you. What'd I say, eh?" Billy nudged Samuel, the boy smiling. "Hey, Hughie." He spoke, Annie seeing Hughie's face fall lightly. "Oh, sorry." She looked to Billy, "We didn't mean to interrupt." Hughie sighed, Annie chuckling.

"Oh, no. Hi, I'm Annie." She held a hand out, Billy shaking it. "Billy. This is Sammy." He nodded, Samuel waving gently. "Old friends of Hughie's." He spoke, Annie smiling before looking back at Hughie. "Wow, you have a lot of friends showing up here." He nodded mindlessly. "Yeah. Seems like it." He glanced between Billy and Samuel, the former gasping. "You're that new girl in The Seven, ain't you?" He asked in 'recognition', Samuel making his eyes wide as Annie turned back with a sigh. "Guilty." She hummed, Samuel nodding.

"It is so cool to meet you." He smiled, the woman doing the same as Billy spoke up. "And I must say how marvellous it is that so many more women are in positions of power. You know what I mean?" Annie nodded silently, Hughie awkwardly sat alongside. "You know, if I'm perfectly honest," He sat down, urging Samuel to do the same. "Translucent's always been my favourite." Billy remarked, Annie tilting her head as Samuel looked to Hughie. "What's he up to?" Billy asked, Hughie making eye contact with Samuel.

"I think he's on a mission." Annie shrugged politely, Samuel shaking his head quickly at Hughie. "Huh, yeah, I think I read that, actually. He's been gone a long time, though, hasn't he?" Billy looked towards Hughie. "I do hope he's alright." Hughie's jaw clenched, Annie sighing. "You know what? I'm gonna go get us all a pitcher." She smiled, stopping herself. "How old are you?" Samuel winced jokingly. "Underage." He surrendered, Annie smiling. "Lemonade?" She asked, Samuel nodding gradually. "Thank you, Annie." He smiled, Annie doing the same before looking to Billy. "I guess you like what? Guiness?"

She asked, Billy grinning. "I like what you like." The two laughed together, Annie leaving. "Well, well, well-" "Butcher-" "She's quite tasty up close and personal." Billy interrupted, Hughie huffing. "I get what you see in her." He continued, Hughie shaking his head. "That wasn't what-" "I thought we had an understanding." Samuel glanced between the two, checking if Annie was far away. "We do. We do. It's not what-" "It looks like? 'Cause from where we're sitting, it looks like you've got your tongue halfway down the opposition's throat."