Nighthawk: A Superhero Story (closed for Siobhancan99)

[Halcyon638]

In the rearview mirror, Monica could see Zoe’s eyes widen. “Oh my god! That is so great, you two. We totally have another thing to celebrate!”

“Aww, you don’t…you don’t have to make a big deal out of it,” Gabi said, squeezing Monica’s hand.

“Good for you,” April said earnestly. “You two are going to have the cutest babies.”

“Oh my god,” Gabi said, covering her face and blushing.

“There’s some sexual intrigue,” April responded to the dating question, “but, you know, that’s the marching band lifestyle. Things are good. My dorm might be haunted.” April was attending Providence College.

“I don’t have much to say on that front,” Zoe said, flipping on the turn signal. “I’ve actually been chatting a little bit with Noah Weathers. He’s been so nice.” Noah was a legitimately good, well-liked guy who had stayed in Cottersville to work for a year. “School, is, uh…it’s…an adjustment.” There was a hint of melancholy to her tone.

The four women caught up a bit more before arriving at the restaurant where they were greeted by Kayla and Kylee. Monica didn’t know Kylee, a tall, slightly gangly girl with reddish-brown hair, all that well, but she and Gabi got a hug from her anyway.

Kayla was last in line for a hug. She had shoulder-length, sandy brown hair and striking blue eyes that were difficult to read. “So. Who made the first move?” she wrapped Monica up in a hug, and smiled a slightly crooked smile before putting her arms around Gabi. “My brain says Mon but my gut says it was Gabs over here.”

“Aww, you found out before us?” April said. “No fair.”

“So tell us about the superhero! And the serial killer!” Kylee said.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica nodded. Zoe had been a popular kid... but it was a really small school. A somewhat big fish in a tiny pond. There were probably more students at her school than residents of the county. It had to be a bit of an adjustment. She squeezed the small girl's shoulder "well you know Zoe, you're cute and you're cool. you'll find some people that you like there. And maybe Noah will join you. You know I mean sometimes we head off into the world and find love was waiting for us back at home." She looked over at Gabi as she said that and smiled.

"Are you doing the drumline April?" She winked at the asian girl "and your dorm is haunted? like for real? is that a campus rumor or is something going on?" The possibility magic was real seemed absurd, but then so did super strong alien college girls fighting crime in the scraps of their mother's high tech armor. So... there was that.

When Kayla arrived, Monica was relieved to see she brought a girl. That might take the edge off of the awkwardness with Gabi if she was dating someone. her reaction seemed to be in line with that, teasing the pair a bit. "gabi basically seduced me over a long semester then got me to think kissing her was my idea. sort of. There was dungeons and dragons involved. It was all very strange but fun" she laughed and wrapped an arm around Gabi.

"The Superhero is all very mysterious. Only comes out at night that sort of thing. The serial killer well. He uh... our friend was involved in that. All very sordid. He was an author and he even wrote about it sort of like it was fiction."

 

[Halcyon638]

Zoe smiled. “Thanks, Mon. I mess your pep talks. Way better than Franklin’s,” she added, referring to Clarissa Franklin, their former swim coach.

“ ‘The thing is, you girls, you gotta remember to believe in one another. I’m serious,’ ” Kayla said, approximating their coach’s Long Island accent.

“Yep, still doing the drum thing,” April said in response to Monica’s question. “Nah, I don’t really believe in ghosts. There was legitimately like this cold spot one time, though. I felt it.”

Gabi blushed as Monica talked about her while they settled down into a booth. “You’re such a liar,” she said, playfully punching her girlfriend’s arm.

“I believe it,” Kayla responded. Looking at Gabi, she said casually, “I wish I could pull off the whole shy, innocent thing. Whatever I’m doing now ain’t working.”

“That’s not true,” Zoe said. “Who was that guy in the pic the other night? He was pretty cute.”

“Dude spent an hour talking about Pink Floyd. Had to fuck him just to get him to shut up,” Kayla noted, her tone making it hard to know to what extent she was joking.

When Monica started talking about her alter-ego and the serial killer, everyone’s attention was fixed on her. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” Zoe said, referring to her posting on social media about Hadley. “I was going to call but, I, um…I didn’t know if you were…overwhelmed with everything.” Zoe along with most of their hometown friends had posted words of support.

The girls took turns describing what it was like living in their respective college communities—Monica now vaguely recalled that Kylee had been in one of her classes senior year and was now attending a state college an hour away. Zoe seemed reluctant to talk about Chicago and discussed it only in broad strokes.

“So, how’s the gap year going?” Zoe asked Kayla. “Sometimes I totally wish I’d taken one.”

“It’s been totally amazing—definitely not sticking sharp objects into myself out of sheer boredom,” Kayla said. “Nah, it’s fine. There’s like, zero stress. Was kinda hoping at least one of you had gotten hooked on Adderall and flunked out of school by now so we could fuck around for the rest of the year.”

It took a while for their food to arrive, even though there seemed to be just one other person at a table, a strikingly handsome, blond-haired, 30-something guy eating alone. “So, tell me everybody here has seen Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Zoe said. “Mon?”

 

[siobhancan99]

"Gonna be real honest April that sounds more like shitty mid 20th century construction to me. Sorry" Monica winked at the girl. She playfully rubbed her arm when Gabi slugged her "I am not! That's 100 percent how it happened. you jezebel. Seducing poor straight me into your Sapphic coven." She stuck her tongue out but didn't joke too much out of respect for Kayla's feelings... even if Kayla had ghosted her after Tom died. She sighed. Fuck she still missed him. That ache wasn't going away, even to the extent Gabi was filling the hole in her heart. She went quiet for a minute, letting the others talk while she leaned back. WHen Kayla threw a little shade though about the innocent thing she spoke up "Well Gabi's been like that since we were kids. And you have other assets Kayla. Speaking of working those assets.. how did you find MR. Pink Floyd? Were you on OK Cupid or OK Boomer?" She laughed "That band is literally older than my father. What's the encore date? Is he taking you to the planetarium for the laser show? do you have to sneak the pot in in your bra?" She ribbed the girl good naturedly "I like some Pink Floyd but... i mean... its been 50 years."

When talk came around to movies Monica shook her head "I've been uh. working out at night. At first to just clear my head you know? I go running a lot. Then it was to keep off the alcohol weight. Gabi can attest I eat like a pig too." She had ordered a pretty healthy portion at the diner too "And since we aren't swimming any more... ive been you know. Hitting the gym and shit" She noshed a fry "i really want to see it though. I love Michelle Yeoh. I like her Hong Kong work best but she was great in crazy rich asians. What did you think of it Zoe? worth the hype?"

 

[Halcyon638]

April laughed. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that. Damn you science majors for taking all the fun out of things!”

“That’s us alright,” Gabi responded with a grin.

Kayla smiled. “I don’t find them, they find me. Somehow. He also spent half the time explaining why he only listened to vinyl and not Spotify. It’s his whole thing.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t my dad?” Kylee asked, drawing a few laughs.

“Michelle Yeoh is iconic,” Zoe proclaimed, taking a bite of her French toast. “Yeah, totally worth the hype. We have to watch it this break. Anyone who hasn’t seen it. Did you see Swiss Army Man? Loved that, too. Same guys directed it.”

As the evening went on, the girls continued to catch up and reminisce as another group of young people, though they looked to be in high school, entered the restaurant.

“So, we’re all headed to my house, right?” April asked.

“Uggh. I would but I’m supposed to fit in as much family togetherness time as possible and not stay out too late,” Gabi said.

“Me, too,” Kylee lamented.

“I can swing you two home and then meet up with everybody else after,” Kayla offered.

“Oh,” Gabi said. “Thanks. Um, querida, why don’t you come with us?”

“Or you can catch a ride over with us,” Zoe said to Monica.

“Unless you can’t bear to be parted,” Kayla added, giving it a mock-dramatic intonation as she looked over at Monica, lips curled up slightly in amusement.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica laughed, though part of her was sort of uneasy with leaving Kayla and Gabi alone. Not from the Gabi side of things, but Kayla seemed... aggressive. "You know, my dad hasn't lived on his own ever till this year in like 47 years of being alive so... I'm gonna go home too and just you know, make sure he's doing alright. Kayla can drop me off. Zoe why don't you come over tomorrow for lunch or something? My dad has work during the day and Gabi and her mom are doing something." At least she assumed, since it had been Gabi's plan to tell her mother over lunch. "we can watch a movie and have a beer or something. Dad won't mind us drinking at the house."

 

[Halcyon638]

“Aww, seriously?” Zoe said when Monica told them she’d be going home. She brightened at the prospect of lunch the next day, though. “Sure, that’d be awesome. And we’re all hitting Pryce’s party on Friday, right?” Everyone replied in the affirmative, even Gabi.

“Looks like you and April are going to be stuck with this townie,” Kayla said to Zoe. After the check arrived and the friends said their goodnights, Kayla swirled her keys on her fingers and strode toward her SUV.

“Alright, ladies, all aboard the party bus.” Gabi and Kylee piled into the backseat as the brown-haired girl started up the car and a Chris Stapleton song began to play. “So, I think it makes the most sense to swing you home first, Gabs. Don’t want to piss your mom off seeing as how she’s my boss and everything.”

Gabi laughed. “Yes, I guess that’s true. How is working for her?”

“She’s cool.”

“Cool?” Gabi laughed. “My mom is not cool. Mon, back me up on that,” she said with a smile.

“She’s a good boss,” Kayla insisted in a light tone. “Or maybe I’m just that awesome an employee. It’s possible.”

“I guess,” Gabi said.

“So, any of you nerds working for a living, or just hitting the books?” Kayla asked. Gabi mentioned her job and Kylee discussed her work-study in her campus library.

When Gabi was dropped off, she glanced back at her house and then at Monica, as if struggling to resist the urge to kiss her girlfriend. “Call me, carino,” she said, blowing a kiss and then walking up the driveway.

Kylee’s house wasn’t far away, and was, in fact, two roads up from the road on which Tom had lived. Soon, Kayla and Monica were in the car alone. “Is it true that Ian’s living in Prospect City now? Do you ever see him?”

As they drove down the rode, a pickup truck behind them crossed the double yellow line to pass them going about 30 over the speed limit. “Fuck! Nice going, assholes. Fucking town.”

“So…you and Gabi, huh?” Kayla said. “I’m guessing it’s pretty serious if she’s going to tell her mom about it. She texted me. So this isn’t like a ‘let’s experiment with girls’, first year of college thing, is it? I mean, no judgment if it is. You know you can be real with me.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica shook her head "No. I couldn't do that to Gabi you know? Like. she couldn't be my experiment. She's been my best friend for 12 years. Like. She's always been there you know? when we were the weird kids with immigrant parents. The kids nobody else would play with."

She stared out the window, knowing this probably wasn't really what Kayla wanted to hear. "Like, I had to be pretty sure. I had to like, really feel like I wanted it for real before we did anything. I mean, obviously like... in the bedroom I'm still figuring it out. I know I'm not her first so. Like. you know, you wanna be good." She shrugged and ran her hand through her hair "But she's patient and I'm patient and we're figuring it out. and its nice you know? like. I wasn't... expecting to like... I wasn't really looking for it. After Tom you know." She considered "I don't think I could have seriously dated someone right now that wasn't her. Like, there's parts that are still really raw and scary. I know that's my bullshit and my trauma speaking but you know like. It takes someone really invested I think to look past all that."

 

[Halcyon638]

Kayla turned off the music as Monica spoke. After, she went quiet for a while, the only sound being the low drone of the tires on the road. “That’s, uh…that’s good,” she said, her normally confident tone quavering the slightest bit. “I’m glad you’re serious about it, ‘cause she is, uh…she’s been serious about you for..for a while.”

The brunette turned the music volume up a bit again. “She talked to me about…how she felt about you,” Kayla said. “It’s good that you, like, feel the same way.”

For a moment, Monica thought she heard a sniffle, but then Kayla cranked up the volume as another song started. “Shit—remember when we would all pile into Zoe’s piece of shit Pathfinder after meets and just blast this song?”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica shrugged. She didn't want to give Kayla false hope but she felt like she should say somethign reassuring. "Well lets see how Sara takes it. Honestly there's like a 10 percent chance Gabi will be going to state next semester and I'll be persona non-grata around here."

WHen the next song started she let the conversation go "yeah. and then go to some field to meet Tom and his friends" she sighed, looking out over the familiar landscape of home with all its difficult associations. "and Ian too. Though I guess I can see Ian whenever I want."

 

[Halcyon638]

When Monica talked about the possibility of Sara’s reaction, Kayla said, “You really think Sara’s going to freak out? I know she’s religious and everything but she doesn’t seem like a garbage person.” She slowed the car as they went around a sharp turn. “If she gives you two shit about it, I’ll go on strike. Fuck that.”

Kayla sighed. “Listen. I’m sorry I was a shit friend. I was…I think I was so wrapped up in myself and wanting senior year to be perfect, that any thing that got in the way of the plan…And then things got complicated with…” She trailed off just as they were reaching the start of Monica’s street. “It’s a crappy excuse, I know. I should have been there.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica nods "yeah. Well. I mean. She'd mean well. it'd be... Gabi needs to sort out school and gosh prospect city is so dangerous. Not... i need to break them up." She ran her fingers through her hair "that would not, on any surface level, enter her mind you know? It'd be about something else. In her head too she'd tell herself Gabi can meet a nice boy and have a kid and all that if she just goes off to state, but she'd never you know... demand we stop seeing each other. She'd just make it impossible." She knew, on some level, that if Gabi got sent off that Kayla would probably swoop in. Go to state after her gap year or something. She couldn't really trust the girl not to. She clearly was head over heels for Gabi. She should have come with them to college. Hell they might even be a thing by now...

"yeah you should have." She didn't have the urge or strength to fight right now. "I couldn't get out of bed. I needed help." She sighed and looked up at the roof of the car "but I can now, and things are ok thanks for asking." she stared out the window a minute. "shit happens to us all, Kayla. We all get through it. Sometimes things do not work out the way we envisioned, but we still get something we need you know? So... you had a vision for how things were gonna go. It didn't work out. That doesn't mean something just as good isn't right there... waiting to be discovered. Not at a pink floyd laser show though. Just sayin."

 

[Halcyon638]

Kayla listened quietly as she drove to Monica’s driveway. She smiled at the laser show remark. “Thanks for the tip.” She unlocked the doors. It was only about 10:00, and the living room lights were still on. “Hey. If…anything happens with Sara and you need to talk…” The blue-eyed girl bit her lip. “I know I’m not going to be your first choice or anything, but if you need something…”

With her father needing to work the next day, Monica didn’t get to spend too much time with him, but he stayed up long enough to watch a bit of TV with her. It was around midnight when Gabi made a video call. “Heyyy,” she said, face lighting up when she saw Monica. “Needed to see your face.”

Gabi adjusted the light on her nightstand to make it a bit dimmer. “Thanks for going with me. Not that, like, I thought she was going to attack me or anything, but…I don’t know. Just, like, some awkward vibes and you know I’m not great at handling that. Was everything okay or…?”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica hmmmed "look she's ... carrying a bit of a torch for you. So that's probably what you were picking up on." She shifted a little "anyway, I figured you could use the wingman, and my dad was happy to see me so.." she shrugged and curled up under a big blanket with some old movie on the tv. "how are things over there?"

 

[Halcyon638]

“Seriously?” Gabi said. “She was the one who was all like, ‘hey, I want you to know, this doesn’t mean anything.’ I swear.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll give her a call tomorrow. I don’t want things to be awkward at the party, and if she’s going to make it that way, I’ll tell her to not show.”

“Things are good. I played some Overwatch with Aaron and Matt,” she said, referring to her eldest and second-oldest brother, “and helped Ana make a necklace. She was a little cranky, though,” she said with a smile.

“Missing you,” she said. “This guy just doesn’t cut it,” the dark-eyed girl said, squeezing a stuffed dog in the crook of her arm. “Plus, you looked so good tonight. And right now...”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica smiled, liking the praise, even if she was all slouchy at the moment. She curled up under the blanket "yeah well. What Kayla thinks doesn't really matter. Once your mom knows well. Kayla can't do anything to fuck this up." She yawned "and you always look good, Corazon." she watched Gabi through the screen "wish you were here to curl up with. Take the edge off the chill in the air you know?"

 

[Halcyon638]

“Nope. I’m yours, carino.” Gabi said. “Aww, my adorable sleepyhead.” Smiling impishly, she said, “mmm, maybe I can warm things up for you.” She began pulling down the neckline of her black sleepshirt, exposing one of her round, full breasts, angling the phone to give Monica the best view. “Or is this too much of a tease?”

 

[siobhancan99]

Smiling monica burrowed into the cushions more. "right now im more thinking about your pretty lips baby." She grinned "but look at you, wicked temptress, showing me your boobs while imn nestled innocently in the house of my father. I'd say my mother warned me about girls like you, but we all know she left before she could impart wise life lessons"

 

[Halcyon638]

The dark-haired girl returned the grin. Gabi shifted and reclined on her red pillows a bit more. “Hmm…and what are you thinking about these lips?” She puckered up teasingly as she idly stroked her brown nipple.

 

[siobhancan99]

Rollling more onto her back, Monica looked up at her girlfriend on the screen "mostly about how soft they are. How they feel when you kiss me. How much i wish you were here to kiss me right now." She shifted to get comfortable, looking at her beautiful girl on the tiny screen "Thinking about how much warmer i'd be if i had you in my arms, and felt your skin against my skin. all tangled up, kissing over and over and over. Thinking about how they'd look when you gasped or moaned."

 

[Halcyon638]

“Mmm,” Gabi said, lifting her sleepshirt over her head, uncovering both of her breasts. As Monica described what she was thinking, the brown-eyed girl used her free hand to massage her other nipple, slowly, lazily. “That sounds so good, baby. I love kissing you. Every inch of you.” Sighing languidly, she said, “Starting with those lovely lips of yours. I could kiss them all night. Make my way down your neck…your shoulders…taking my time…”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica's one and only foray into this sort of thing had ended hilariously badly with Tom's room mate coming home at an inopportune timel. She surpressed a laugh at the thought, but made herself focus. This could either be a nice way to be close to Gabi for their ongoing relationship, or depending on sara could be the way they had to go forward while Gabi was at State. she slipped her hand down under the blanket, sliding into her shorts. She just teased her fingers along her skin a little bit, trying to work herself up "yeah? that sounds pretty nice. YOu have such soft pretty lips baby. they always make me feel so good."

 

[Halcyon638]

Gabi’s free hand also slipped down from her breast and disappeared from the frame. “I wish I was next to you right now. Curled up behind you. Kissing the back of your neck. Touching your hair.” Her gaze took on a new intensity as she looked into Monica’s eyes on the phone’s display. “Kissing my way down your back. Feeling my breath. Does that sound good, baby? Me curled up behind you? Holding you? Touching you?” She bit her lip momentarily. “How would I be touching you, querida?”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica slipped her hand down, brushing along her mons, teasing with the pads of her fingers. she sighed and looked at her girl, watching her. "You'd be all pressed against my back, holding me. You're short so you'd be kissing my back, curves pressed into me. your arm over me. your fingers would be just so lightly exploring. tracing my chest, along my arm, under my breasts, my tummy. I'd be so warm and feel so loved but also you know, that tingle. that soft stroking from your fingers making me wriggle, making me so keenly aware of how warm you are, your breasts soft against my back, your breath warm and soft along my skin..."

 

[Halcyon638]

Gabi’s dark eyelashes fluttered almost imperceptibly as she reacted to her lover’s words, voice, and her own touch. “I want that so bad right now,” Gabi said. “Holding my sexy girlfriend. Just feeling perfectly content and loved. Touching you nice and soft and slow.” Sighing, she said, “God, you have the most beautiful eyes. Just the way you look at me…"