Cape Crossed

Chapter Three

"I have yet to be called in, it's my day off, only laundry stands in our way," Hannah told him, a grin stretching from ear to ear.

"My love, I would gladly sit around and do laundry with you." Jake leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "How about I grab my laptop and a few bags of popcorn and we head over to your place to do some laundry and maybe marathon that show you definitely watched several episodes ahead already?"

A choked gasp sputtered from her mouth. "I would never," she insisted. Pink spread across her cheeks and ears. "Okay maybe I watched one, but it was on at the hospital and I couldn't avoid it. I was with a patient."

Jake rolled his eyes and stole the last sip of her coffee. "You're evil." He ducked her reaching hand and dropped their dishes in the dishwasher. "Go get your stuff, traitor."

Her arms wrapped around his waist and her head settled against the middle of his back. "Can you ever forgive me, dearest?"

"I am gravely hurt," he cried dramatically. It was easy to keep the smile out of his voice when she couldn't see him. "This will require the greatest sacrifice on your part. You must bring me a cookie."

"It shall be done. Now kiss me, dork." Hannah spun him to face her and dragged him down by his chin. Her grip was gentle but left no room for argument, not that he had one. "I'll be ready to go in ten. Can we stop for groceries on the way? I have nothing edible at home except very stale tortillas."

Jake's nose wrinkled. "Definitely. Hey, grab the magazines you keep leaving here too. I'm getting tired of seeing capes every time I look at your side of the bed."

"Oh come on, not this again," Hannah groaned, only slightly irritated.

"I just can't believe you read that trash." As if to prove his point, he poked the edge of a glossy page protruding from the top of his garbage can. It was only just possible to make out the silver insignia splashed across the two page spread now covered in egg shells. It was a good shot, albeit a little blurry. The hero wasn't well known for her photo shoots unlike some of her flashier cohorts. The article was a glamorous retelling of an armed robbery safely wrapped up by 'The Guardian of Merifield City' as they liked to call her.

That was normally her scene, crimes just big enough that local law enforcement might be at too big a risk dealing with, but not so big that someone would throw a parade for the heroics. Occasionally she'd make an appearance side by side by a big gun type of super.

"Mr. Erwin, just because it isn't an in depth study into the seedy underworld of Merifield does not mean it is trash," Hannah argued.

"It glorifies the capes and skips of the messes they leave behind when they;re out galavanting across the city. Especially the sunshine queen. The red ass and his sidekick aren't much better," he countered on his way to hunt down a shirt.

"Silver Shield is not Crimson Sword's sidekick, thank you very much," Hannah scoffed. She scooped the stack of magazines from the nightstand on her usual side of the bed. The blankets had been rescued from the bundle she'd strangled them into in her sleep and placed back on the bed neatly spread out.

"But you knew exactly who I was talking about when I said that. Therefore, sidekick." He tipped his imaginary hat.

"She just happened to be named after him, it's correlation, not causation. Besides, her powers are way more protective, so shield just fits right. Not a sidekick," she reiterated.

Their usual argument wound down like it always did on the way to her apartment. He brought up blind hero worship and cracked a joke, she rolled her eyes and they both laughed. By the time they were in her apartment it was like they'd never brought up the idea of capes at all. Laundry sloshed around the spinning barrel while they unpacked the bags of groceries. They'd settled onto the couch with fresh popcorn in hand when Hannah's beeper exploded into action.