10 Things A Hero Never Does With His Nemesis - #3: Dating [Truth or Dare: Go on a Date]

[hammertime_tm]

Truth: Have you ever wished you could be with someone else while in a monogamous relationship? or Dare: Go on a date.It's early evening when Captain Hammer arrives at Main Street, in the centre of Midtown. A hero is always punctual, after all. Especially when taking their nemesis for dinner

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[billy_horrible]

Billy, on the other hand, has been waiting since about quarter past six. He meant to be here at half past, because that's a reasonably early time... but he ended up here earlier than his early time and he's sitting, fidgeting, on a bench. He has his iphone out, and is fiddling with it

[billy_horrible]

"I sort of didn't look at them," he admits. "Uh, when I realised... what they were."

He smiles sheepishly. "I thought it was a stupid idea."

Plus. You slep with women. A lot. "And... you really didn't give any, uh, evidence of... well. Your... womanising is fairly public knowledge."

He looks down again. Quesedillas. No reason. Just for the sake of choosing something. "Show how much I knew," he mumbles under his breath.

[hammertime_tm]

"What I can't work out is whether they knew... or just hoped a lot." It's hard to be sure. He's tried researching it on the internet and gotten genuinely alarmed by some of the things he's found.

And then he grins. "Well, I'm a complicated man. Psychologically layered, you know."

[billy_horrible]

"...I really... uh. Don't know. But I'm guessing there were... uh. Plenty of... signs."

Like the constant throttling, and the obsessive devotion and so on.

He laughs. "Layered. Like an onion? Or like a pie?"

No, not pie. "...pizza. You're a pizza. Lots of toppings, sliced in lots of different ways, with bits on top some people don't like. And underneath... the pizza base, that people usually forget about, but... like. Need."

He's a bit startled by the analogy. Covers this up by ordering... beer. And then muttering something about 'stuffed crusts'.

Damnit, now he wants pizza. Oh well.

[hammertime_tm]

Captain Hammer blinks. "I'm... going to take that as a compliment." He thinks it probably was. And he'd much rather see it as one.

He raises his eyebrows at the beer order, grinning a little. "I see you're getting more into this alcohol-thing," he remarks. "Nice to know I'm having such an effect on you."

[billy_horrible]

Billy shrugs, unable to actually compliment him... that openly in public. For some reason.

"...you mean that you drove me to drink?"

His tone is sensible. He is not.

[hammertime_tm]

"'Drove' is a misnomer. I merely... encouraged you a little."

OK, a lot.

He sits back, remarkably at ease, one arm resting on the top of his chair.

[billy_horrible]

"I think 'dragged kicking and screaming' is more accurate."

Still. He dtinks the beer when it arrives and tries not to make a face.

[hammertime_tm]

"...Well, true. And yet, here you are."

He takes a long drink of his own beer and then sets the glass down, fingertips trailing idly through the condensation on the outside.

[billy_horrible]

Billy does his best not to watch. Not to look at... bare fingers. Not to remember the last time he saw them... naked.

He swallows, hard, and takes a very, very long slug of beer. It's getting so much easier.

"Here I am," he says, in a squeaky voice. Coughs, trying to clear it.

"Just be careful you don't have people saying you're a... bad influence," he adds, softly. Smiling at their little secret.

Which is when the waitress comes over and Billy is back to blurting out his order and pretending he wasn't just making eyes at another man over the table.

[hammertime_tm]

Captain Hammer notices where Billy is looking and grins. Oh, but he's far too good at what he does. Not saying a word, he trails a little spiral on the side of the glass, and might even have started drawing things, had the waitress not appeared.

She's cute. He hardly notices. He's far too focussed on Billy.

When they've both ordered and are alone again, he leans back once more, smoothly picking up the conversation as if there hadn't been a pause.

"A bad influence? Surely I could never be anything of the kind."

[billy_horrible]

"Alcohol is bad," Billy replies, seamlessly. He's shuffling a lot in his seat. He's back to stammering and avoiding eye-contact.

But for whole new reasons. Around him they are new, anyway.

One knee jumps up and down restlessly, and his tongue peeks out to lick his lips, over and over. He's remembering... all sorts.

It's making this hard.

Damnit. Sensible meal. Sensible Billy. He can do this.

"I was such a nice... boy before I met you."

[hammertime_tm]

"You were? I've... heard differently."

Another easy smile, and he lifts his glass for a mouthful of beer. Turns out he can make that look nigh-on pornographic too.

[billy_horrible]

Another swallow. It's - no pun intended - getting harder.

"You must be careful who you listen to."

Billy is holding his beer tightly. Obviously not as tightly as Captain Hammer could, but his knuckles are white. And the beer is almost gone.

[hammertime_tm]

"I'm always careful. But I'm sure you can... put me right, if it's ever needed."

Oh, this is too much fun.

[billy_horrible]

"I... I don't claim to be... the best role model. But... I will do my best."

He puffs his chest proudly. Tries to look respectable.

Deflates, with a self-deprecating grin.