( O.H ) VALOROUS, johnny storm

i. HOW ABOUT ROOMIES?

TENNESSEE BLUE had his laptop, work clothes, three pairs of pants and shirts each, a week of underwear and socks, a dark, Spandex-tight suit, and his chargers in his sack, with his phone in his hand when he went to bother Lucy.

By bother, he means to ask to permanently live with.

"No," she said immediately, before beginning to close the door on his face.

Tennessee quickly puts one hand between the door and one on the frame. He layers a charming smile on. "Please, Luce?"

She huffs, before rolling her eyes and slipping out the door. "No, Esse. You're insane for even thinking I'd say yes."

"Why?" he whines, and yes, he whined.

She leans against the frame, crossing her arms. "You have an apartment."

"Which I hate." He scrunches his nose up for emphasis. "The guy above me, the hot blind one, is constantly like, falling up there. And he comes in at like five in the morning."

Lucy sighs. "Perhaps he's falling because he's blind?"

"Oh, no. No, he is not, I've watched the way he moves," he replies, eyes wide. "I was lying, I think he just has a bunch of rough sex."

"Ew, gross, Esse!" Lucy recoils. "Anyway! All of that doesn't matter, you still can't live with me!"

Tennessee huffs. "Why not? I'd be a great roommate."

Lucy looks at him, dryly. "You really wouldn't."

"Yes, I would!" Tennessee protests.

"In fourth grade, you came over to my house, and my parents called your mom to get you removed," Lucy says, "because you literally threw the fridge across the kitchen in a fit of rage."

"One; I was a growing boy, and you stole my Laffy Taffy," Tennessee starts, "and, two; your parents are rich! They easily paid that off."

Lucy threw her hands in the air. "You weren't allowed back until junior year! And you weren't a growing boy, you were a - "

Tennessee shushes her, which gets him a warning eyebrow raise. He winces, before moving on. "I bring money with me."

Lucy huffs. "Like I need money. And anyway, you're job is unstable."

"My job is perfectly stable, fuck you very much," Tennessee hisses, because has a soft spot for Maria's Diner, and not even Lucy Lane will get away with trash talking about it in front of him.

Lucy's eyes soften. "Look, I know your mom worked there, and Maria is really nice for letting you work on an all-woman staff, but Esse, it isn't really stable, still."

Tennessee stiffens, even though she's telling the truth. No matter how good it's waffles are, Maria's Diner is in Hell's Kitchen in a hidden nook, and doesn't have that good of business.

He still loves it, though.

"Whatever," he dismisses. "Look, I just... I can't stand it there, Lucy. It's not - I know it's closer to Maria's, but it kills me there, the place is so - bare, and... and ever since... ever since Mom, I'm - "

Lucy sighs. "I know. I've been there. It's... It's bad, I get it. Look, I know you wouldn't be that bad, and that it'd probably even be safer for me to have you here with all the supervillains floating around these days, but I need to know that - that - "

Tennessee arches his eyebrow.

"That you won't turn up on my doorstep half-dead!" Lucy blurts. "What you do - "

"I don't do it, anymore, Luce," he cuts in, quietly. "Not after Mom."

Lucy steps closer and thumps her head against his shoulder. "I know that, Esse. But you're good. You won't ever admit it, but you're good, more good than whatever superheroes are floating around these days, you're so good, and I know it's killing you not to save lives like some knock-off Frozone."

He laughs lightly, and he feels Lucy smile. "I just don't want to lose my best friend," she whispers.

"You won't," Tennessee says, firmly, pulling away and encasing her shoulders in his hands. "You won't, I swear to god, Luce. You won't." He pauses. "And that goes heavily, I was Catholic for the first nineteen years of my life."

Lucy looks up. "Was?"

He sighs. "Sometimes I slip into prayer, old habits die hard."

She rolls her eyes. "Idiot, you're still Catholic. Because you're full of Catholic guilt. And you're way too overbearing, and kind of creepily protective. That's why letting you live with me is a bad idea."

Tennessee brightens up. "Is that a yes, Lucy Lane?"

"You're going to have to talk to my dad, you know," she says, a grin on her features. "He still pays like half the bills."

"I don't mind, he loves me, let's go in."

"Tennessee, that is the opposite of what my father thinks of you. And," she motions to the general direction of Hell's Kitchen, "your stuff. I wanna get this over quickly. You still with that cool tenant that lets you go, easily?"

"Yeah," Tennessee nods, grinning. "That's why I am already homeless! Well, not anymore. My stuff's here, already. In this." He points at the duffel by his feet.

Lucy pauses. She squints. "After we go shopping to get you more of your considerable low wardrobe, we're going to have a chat about ending your tenancy before knowing if you have a new house to live in. Plus, stop wearing that sweatshirt all the time, no wonder I never knew you had no shirts."

"Hey, I have plenty shirts, that duffel is roomy," he lies. "And for some reason, I'm always cold, I need to wear this sweatshirt."

"That sweatshirt is a furnace, what's it made out of? I hugged you, and you were burning," she huffs.

"Good material," he shrugs. Then he softens, just for a second, and in a way only two people on earth have ever seen him doing. "And, Luce... This is crazy. Even though, I was ninety-nine point nine percent sure you were going to allow me to live here, it's still crazy. You spoil me. I'm going to classes, still, and I'll continue to. And I won't go Frozone again."

Lucy grins. "You better not, Tennessee Blue."

"And anyways," he starts, picking up his duffel bag. "Which villain would bother this adorable, little neighbourhood?"

Tennessee really hated himself when an explosion occurred not a half a block away instantly after he said it.

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( aksnsk i finally published this :') hope you like this first chapter! )