Fascinating Villains

{39} - Him

I am not much of a subway person. If there is a way to get somewhere without wandering underground tunnels crawling with homeless people and individuals with such dark intentions that the streets of Gotham City are too bright and pleasant for them to operate in, I will do it. I am not afraid of facing heartbreak, danger and the omnipresent annihilation of nature down there. Just reluctant. Besides, the machines themselves are not incredibly more reliable than the illogically timed network of buses on the surface. The subway trains are equally underfunded, uncoordinated and likely to malfunction.

Today, I am forced to take the subway. Colin suggested a walk in the Robinson Park as a simple, impromptu date without much preparation. I intended to get there on roller skates, however it began to rain exactly two minutes before my departure. We agreed to meet regardless, so the subway was the easiest recourse for me to travel to the park. I refused his offer to drive me, considering that he is coming from the hospital and it would be a pointless and lengthy detour.

As luck would have it, when I ascend the steps that lead to the subway station's exit, the weather is back to a rainless sky. It is littered with thick clouds, blocking the presumably gorgeous moon. At least, this was quicker than roller skating... But considerably less fun.

I find the blonde man easily, and we stroll together under the flickering lampposts that line the trails, hand-in-hand. We talk about nothing in particular, especially sharing work anecdotes against our best attempts to avoid these from coming up.

Balancing my emerging social life, my job, my roller skating and my new role as Esperanza has proven quite the challenge. I am heedfully glad that nothing is unravelling yet.

I am not listening to Colin's thoughts, I believe it is more respectful to pay attention to what he is actually telling me than to waste my focus on a whirlwind of inconsequential remarks. He has stopped talking for a minute or so, and I can sense his thoughts gaining structure. I leave them be in the background noise, though, preferring to watch our surroundings.

A young woman is jogging on a track perpendicular to ours, carrying a gun in plain sight, hanging from a belt and bumping against her tight bright pink leggings. I doubt I would see this on a normal evening around 7 PM if I were still living in my hometown.

Colin inhales abruptly and audibly.

"Wanna sit? There's a..." He points at the perforated metal bench only a few feet from us, and I nod to comply, letting go of his hand.

I scoot back on the ice cold seat to look at him better, he is fidgeting with his pants. The man chuckles anxiously.

"We might get mugged at any moment, so I should just co... Tell... I should just ask you, right aw... Now."

I smile at him, commenting, "I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous, Cole."

His head swerves rapidly to face me.

"Do you want us to be in a relationship? Would you like to be?" he shoves out, his light gray eyes  scanning mine wistfully.

Half-astonished, I stare at the thin volutes of vapor that have torn into the cold air from his lips.

Clinging at the bottom of my dark red wool scarf, I want to reconsider the list of valid pros and cons that I drafted a month ago to be ready for this possibility. Now that it is happening, though... My heart is doing somersaults in my torso. All I can think about is that there is a dog barking somewhere and I wish it would stop, I want to get out of here... With Colin.

I steadily answer him, "Yes, I want to. Do you?"

I lick my lips out of stress, although I am certain of his reply. Ouch, they're really dry.