ANCHOR｡ DIEGO HARGREEVES

17.

"Brie, hold on," Diego called after her, and Sabrina paused, turning around. She watched the sharpshooter jogging her way. She raised an eyebrow, trying to appear unimpressed, though she was actually incredibly hopeful. Once they were a metre apart, he sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I just...I want to protect you."

"You're a superhero, dude," she scoffed a little. "I'm sorry I can be a bit rash, but I just want to be happy, you know?"

Diego paused, before stepping forward and pulling her into an embrace. "I want you to be happy too, baby."

There it was again. Sabrina felt her insides turn to mush and her cheeks flush a little. She leaned her head against Diego's chest and shut her eyes. She was thankful this hadn't turned into something that split them apart. She knew he hated his father, but in reality, she had no other intelligent choice. Now that he understood this, it took a weight off her shoulders. She recognised his issue with the situation as well, which meant they had met each other in the middle. 

"So does this mean we're friends again?" she asked, her voice muffled against the fabric of his shift. His chest vibrated as he chuckled. 

"Course it does," he didn't hesitate, and Sabrina released a breath she didn't realise she had been holding. Resting his chin on her head, he held her a little tighter. "I'm sorry that you felt you couldn't come to me when you needed help. I'm always gonna be there for you."

Sabrina pulled away and looked up to meet his deep brown eyes. She nodded. "I'm always gonna be there for you too. That means when you get into shit, I'm gonna be right by your side."

Diego quirked an eyebrow, and Sabrina grinned. "In the car, out of danger. Maybe I can be your getaway driver!"

Diego smirked a little and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll think about it."

★☆

A FEW DAYS LATER;

"I met your brother the other day," Sabrina brought the subject up out of nowhere as she sat on the floor of the boxing club. Diego was slamming his hands against a punching bag, sweat dripping down his face and arms. Upon hearing the words that escaped the woman's mouth, he stumbled a little and caught the bag as it swung in his direction. Sabrina looked up from her book and met the man's eyes, before smiling a little. "Klaus."

There was a flicker of relief in Diego's eyes at the mention of his name, most likely the reassurance that he was still alive. "Is he doing alright?"

"He's great," Sabrina fondly looked back on the memory of meeting him. After they parted, it felt as if they'd developed a real bond. She wanted to be his best friend, she couldn't lie. "He's really funny, too."

Diego picked up the towel beside him and wiped his face, before walking over and sitting opposite Sabrina, who had her legs crossed. He leaned in a little and quirked an eyebrow as she put her piece of literature down. "Was he high?"

Sabrina paused, then she nodded. Diego pursed his lips and his eyes flickered downwards, dismay clear in his expression. She reached over and placed her hand on his, rubbing comforting circles on his skin. "He didn't seem completely out of it though. It was probably just a little weed. He's staying with my sister's friend, Alfie. He's safe, Diego."

Diego looked back up at her, watching her smile a little. She wore sweatpants and an old hoodie, with her hair pulled back in an awful fishtail braid. She also had flip flops adorning her feet, which heavily contrasted to the cool weather outside. She didn't seem to care, though, she never did. He continued to stare at her, before he held out his other hand. "You hungry?"

"Starving," she let him pull her to her feet, his hands falling to her waist. She inhaled as she felt pressure on her feet, then proceeding to pull a face of disgust. "Dude, you smell really bad."

Instead of coiling back in offence, Diego scoffed and pulled her into a hug to piss her off. Sabrina groaned and tried to wiggle her way free, but the sharpshooter wasn't letting go. She glanced up and her eyes widened a little as she realised how close their faces were. Diego seemed to notice this too, and he smiled slightly.

Sabrina hesitated, before clearing her throat. "How about pizza?"

Diego took a step back and reached for his water bottle, pursing his lips in thought. It was as if the previous moment hadn't happened. It wasn't the first time, and to be perfectly honest, Sabrina hoped it wasn't the last. "We had pizza yesterday."

"Fine," Sabrina took his hand in hers and began to swing their arms back and forth. "How about Poke?"

Humming as they wandered towards the boiler room, Diego nodded. "Sounds good. I'll grab a change of clothes and hit the showers real quick. When I get back we can get the food."

"Okie dokie," Sabrina chirped, entering Diego's room to take a seat. Gary was spending the day with Jack and Alicia, which meant she had the day to do whatever she wanted. She had a shift later in the day, but that was the least of her concerns. "Or...I could go and get the food by myself?"

"Hah," Diego didn't even turn to look at her as he shuffled through his closet. He then hesitated and knew what Sabrina's reaction would be. He paused, his eyes trailing towards her. "Go ahead. I'll eat whatever you bring, there's money in my wallet."

Sabrina practically jumped five feet in the air. "Really? Thanks, Diego!"

Diego couldn't help but grin at her enthusiasm. 

It hadn't really crossed his mind how important her independence had been to her. Until the age of twelve she'd been abused and taken advantage of, yet she tried to look on the bright side of things. 

That was the difference between the two. He was super cynical, and she was super cheerful. They had both been through hell and back, but the strength inside them was enough to show that victims don't always have to remain victims.

Victims, in fact, were often the real heroes.

★☆

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