ANCHOR｡ DIEGO HARGREEVES

08.

EIGHT; TRYING TO BEAT UP DIEGO (AND FAILING MISERABLY)

"First of all, you're gonna need to learn how to fight if you're gonna be following me around," Diego said, adjusting his boxing gloves. Sabrina stared down at her hands, trying to figure out if she had gotten her borrowed mitts the wrong way around. After a moment she realised that she didn't really care, so she looked up and began bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Let's go! I'm ready!" she cheered enthusiastically, eager to begin. She had gotten to the club early on the Saturday morning with a fresh baguette and some other snacks that she had bought from the market that day. Diego was only just waking up from a long night of being a vigilante, and he appeared to be surprised to see her at his door with a bright smile and a can-do attitude. She helped him with his shift and ended up making friends with his boss, her talkative spirit quite intriguing to others.

"Don't you think you should tie your shoelaces first?" Diego nodded towards her sneakers, and Sabrina followed his gaze only to groan dramatically. The man chuckled softly at her response, watching as she pulled her mismatched gloves off and sat on the ground to fix her laces. There was light, upbeat music playing from the speakers strung throughout the warehouse, so she nodded her head a little. Once she got up again, she met his bright gaze. "That's a start."

Sabrina rolled her eyes and held her fists up before her, now with the gloves on the correct hands. Now, she was ready. "Alright, hit me."

"I'm not gonna hit you," Diego responded, quirking an eyebrow. Sabrina hadn't realised how much patience it took for people to enjoy being around her. She wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer or the brightest flower in the garden, but she had good intentions. Alicia had noted that she was a 'dumbass with a heart of gold'. That made enough sense. Still, she hoped she was doing something right, seeing as Diego hadn't told her to get lost yet. "We're gonna take it easy the first few weeks."

"Fine," Sabrina muttered, holding her hands up in front of her face. Diego smiled, his face coming into view above her fists. She quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

"You don't need your hands up like that," he responded, lifting his hands and pushing hers down a little. They were face to face now, and Sabrina felt her breath catch in her throat. Diego didn't seem fazed at all, only smug. "And you need your feet apart, like this."

He showed her how to position her feet, and she copied him, though she was already getting a bit bored. When were they going to fight?

"Hold your hands high enough to shield your face, but low enough that you can still see," he then continued, showing her the correct way. Sabrina nodded and did the same. "Good."

"Are you gonna hit me now?"

"Stop being so impatient," Diego sent her a look, and she frowned in response. "Now, chin down and mouth closed. Your more vulnerable bones should be protected. And, if your opponent tries to give you shit, never respond. They're gonna be put off if you keep quiet."

Sabrina looked over to the side of the mat and saw Gary, who was fast asleep. He was curled up in his owner's warm coat, completely unbothered by the music and chatter of the establishment. It seemed that he was just as welcome as Sabrina, the members cooing over him as if he were some sot of angel.

"You know, there's one thing I've been wondering about you," Diego brought her attention back to him. Sabrina relaxed her arms a little and tilted her head. Diego then lifted his foot and kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying back. It wasn't hard or aggressive, just enough to surprise her, and Sabrina wheezed as she caught her breath. Diego put his gloved hands on his hips. "Why is it so easy for you to let your guard down? Never let your opponent see your weak side."

Sabrina pursed her lips, before diving for the man in an attempt to tackle him. Diego, unflinching, moved to the side and caught her upper arm as she fell to the ground. Sabrina turned her head and watched as he smirked. Her cheeks flared red, and without hesitation she kicked his legs from underneath him, only to be brought down to the floor as well.

"Am I speaking in a foreign language?" Diego huffed, and Sabrina pressed the side of her face to the soft floor in defeat. At least she knew it was clean, thanks to Diego having finished his shift. "You're gonna be shit for a while, Brie."

Sabrina groaned as he released his grip on her. She then scooted over a little to rest her head on his shoulder. "I wanna be good now, though."

Diego chuckled and wrapped his arm around her. "Well, we'll keep at it, alright? You can come here and practise anytime you want. I can't promise I'll always be here, though."

"You're too busy being a badass," she hummed, looking over at him with a soft smile. Their friendship had blossomed so quickly; she didn't know why she had been able to trust him so quickly. Maybe it was because he had shown her a piece of his past, and she had done the same. It was an odd connection, almost one of a kind. She didn't know much about his siblings besides their names, while he only knew hints of her past life and what she had experienced. "Thanks, Diego."

"No problem, princess," he hummed, before poking her side. "C'mon, you're not gonna get any better like this. Have you thought of a vigilante name yet? What am I supposed to call you when we're fighting side my side?"

As she got to her feet and help the Hargreeves boy up, she smiled broadly. "My nephew, Jack came up with something. Alicia's been reading him some old Shakespeare books to make him more intelligent, but I reckon it'll just make him more confused. Anyway, when we were coming up with a costume and shit, he suggested the name 'reverie'."

"Reverie?"

"Yeah, it means something like," Sabrina trailed off. "Being lost in your own imagination or a daydream."

Diego smiled softly. She caught this, and quirked a brow.

"It better than the Kraken," she quipped, and he scoffed, crossing his arms. "Last time I checked a Kraken was a mythological water beast."

"Touché," he replied, before lifting his hands up in the defensive position he had taught her. "Alright. You wanted to fight, so let's go."

Sabrina grinned.

★☆

O fuck sorry for not updating in a hot sec lol

also, my bby sabrina is a bean and i feel like she perfectly fulfils the role of 'dumbass with a heart of gold'. we need more characters like that tbh

anyway, the reason i've finally updated despite it being a short, kinda terrible chapter, is because i'm trying my best to get my mind off things at the moment, seeing as there was a fatal terrorist attack in my country, new zealand.

my heart goes out to christchurch and our muslim whanau who have faced such a horrific loss. kia kaha, please remain safe and know that the prime minister and fellow citizens are doing everything we can to ensure nothing like this will ever happen again.

aroha ahau ki a koe x