Tattletale gets Laid (Worm Romantic Comedy)

[Hampsterpig]

Lisa multi-tasked way her across to the kitchen, with a hair dryer in one

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I think you missed a word here.

 

[wertsir]

I have enjoyed this so far, and I'm interested to see where you go with it.

 

[Axle]

Matthew watched the sun rise, which was surprisingly more entertaining with the knowledge that he was on another planet. For the first time since he'd moved to Brockton Bay, he felt an escape. Not that he had anything to escape from, but the sounds of cars and construction workers seemed like explosions compared to wind breezing in a meadow.

"Y'know, you're probably the first person lay back on this hill."

Matthew looked up. A blonde haired teenager stared down at him on the grass. Her arms were crossed, and she had a smirk to herself that came off as both arrogant and prestigious.

She added, "Between people coming here for construction work and Bitch scouting the planet for resources, you're actually the first person to lay here and watch the view."

"I'm trying to start a trend." Matthew answered. "This never caught on in Bet. Maybe I can start a movement here."

She arched an eyebrow, "a sunrise watching movement?"

"Yup, not to be confused with the procrastination movement."

"Well, I see you've got the energy for it."

"So much that it cannot be contained," his voice came out dull. "And what about you? I thought teenagers are supposed to spend Saturdays... Shopping."

"You do know you're a teenager too, right?"

"I'm twenty five," he stated.

She squinted her eyes at him, "you're nineteen."

"Tattletale!" Matthew sat up, "I had a feeling it was you."

She smacked her forehead, "I can't believe I just fell for that."

"Glad you made it. Stylishly late I see."

"Yeah, I was busy..." She pointed to her ankle. It was bandaged for what was clearly a sprained ankle. "Being vigilantes isn't is fun as the movies make it. There's always a robbery during the worst possible times."

Matthew stared at her injury. "Hmmm..."

She continued, "Sorry I couldn't make it on time, it was outside my control. But to be honest, I'm surprised you actually waited out here for so long." She checked the time, "It's four hours after we said we'd meet. Did you really just lay here all day?"

Matthew shook his head, "Hmhuuu..."

"I'm Lisa by the way," she extended her hand for him to shake. "Also, my leg will be fine. Quit staring at it."

Matthew lifted his stare from her foot to her gaze. "Nice to meet you Lisa. And rest assured, your secret identity is safe with me."

"I know. Even if my powers didn't tell me you could keep a secret, none of our guards are the type to sell our identities for a quick buck."

"People pay for secret identities?"

"More than you could imagine."

Matthew looked up and rubbed his chin, "hmmm..."

She scrunched her mouth, "Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"You're thinking too loud."

"Oh, right, my bad. I'll start narrating my thoughts." Matthew pointed to the portal a few miles away from them, "So what was the surprise you had for me on Earth Gimel?"

Lisa began walking ahead of him with her hands held behind her back, "I'll tell you on our way there. I want you meet a friend of mine. "

Matthew looked back down at her ankle again. "Lisa, you're limping. A lot."

Lisa looked back at him. She knew what he had on his mind, and Matthew knew that she knew what he was thinking as well.

XXX

"Y'know," Matthew stated while walking, "I thought villains were supposed to be heavy."

Lisa arched an eyebrow from atop of his back, "Wait, did you just call me fat?"

"No. I'm saying you're too light. Remind me to sneak bacon into your coffee from now on."

Lisa knocked her knuckle onto the top of his head. "Don't tell me how to live my life."

"You need protein." She hit him again while slightly kicking her feet. "Okay, fine, I'm kidding."

Lisa sighed, she wasn't sure how thankful she should've been for him. She was becoming more appreciative towards his small acts of kindness, but she still couldn't get passed the fact that he didn't carry any true value towards her.

Or maybe I'm just judgmental? Lisa couldn't take actions by face value anymore. And how could she? Her own parents had betrayed her once. It was far too easy for her to see the underlying reasons behind people's actions and behaviors. As a super villain, that was a valuable asset. As a person, she couldn't trust people anymore.

Matthew had made her more skeptical about herself. It was like she was inflating his flaws to make more sense out of him. Tunnel vision, Lisa remembered.

Matthew was a non-powered human, yet she was still cynical towards him. He never showed any signs of deceitfulness towards her, yet she still saw him as a hypocrite. Without her powers he seemed ridiculously pleasant, which only made her feel shallow in comparison.

Lisa casually asked, "so how'd the date go?"

"Hmmmm," his tone was abnormally low. He hummed three times to avoid the question.

"Wow, was it that bad?"

"Hmmhuuu," he refused to speak.

"Okay, now I really want to hear it."

He shook his head, "hmmmhmmm."

"Matt, don't make me read your mind."

"Well, I have practiced shrouding my mind with unbearable puns, so go ahead and try."

Lisa smirked, "You know I can't actually read minds, right?"

"Well that's a relief"

"Give me a hint."

"Nooo," he answered singingly with a smile on his face.

Lisa pouted, now I really want to use my powers...

Matthew asked, "can you tell me where we're going?"

"Tell me about the date first."

"Girl, I will drop you."

Lisa scrunched her mouth, but decided to drop the subject. "We're going to visit my friend Rachel. She moved to Earth Gimel recently, and I asked a favor from her."

"Rachel… Why does that name seem familiar."

"Most people know her as 'Bitch.'"

"Well, that's rude." Matthew scolded her, "you shouldn't call people names behind their backs, Lisa."

"No," Lisa shook her head, "that's the name she actually goes by. Her super villain name is Bitch."

"Oh, that Bitch!" he exclaimed. Matthew paused for a long moment, Lisa bursted out laughing. "Well, now I feel incredibly sexist..."

Lisa couldn't stop laughing, "Feel free to call her Rachel."

"Okay," Matthew said, "so why are we going to go meet….Rachel."

"Because," Lisa couldn't stop grinning, "I think I owe you a gift for tolerating my teammates this week."

"A gift?"

She nodded, "you know how you've always wanted a puppy?"

XXX

A/N: Sorry I skipped the Red Hand battle. It felt too out of place for a Romcom. I'll be sure to write a one-shot on what happened. Any suggestions on what I should name Matthew's future pup?

 

[Hampsterpig]

Currently watching British politics with bated breath, so this was a good distraction.

Just referencing her wounds after the fight worked, especially since we never really learned most of their powers.

EDIT: For the name, something that references drugs or alcohol subtly.

 

[Axle]

Currently watching British politics with bated breath, so this was a good distraction.

Just referencing her wounds after the fight worked, especially since we never really learned most of their powers.

EDIT: For the name, something that references drugs or alcohol subtly.

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Thanks for the comment, feedback is always appreciated! I might take you up on the drug name, there are plenty of interesting names that could probably fit that criteria. And regardless of whichever side you're on in the Brexit, I wish you the best of luck for whatever happens next!

 

[wertsir]

Thanks for the comment, feedback is always appreciated! I might take you up on the drug name, there are plenty of interesting names that could probably fit that criteria. And regardless of whichever side you're on in the Brexit, I wish you the best of luck for whatever happens next!

Click to shrink...

It would be best if the name could be shortened to something more innocuous sounding, so that to most people it would sound innocent. and thus get on Lisa's nerves.

For instance: Hero, short for Heroin. Amp, short for Amphetamines. Mary, short for Marijuana. etcetera.

 

[Axle]

A/N: I rewrote chapter 21. I cut down some fluff and took out Rook's introduction scene because it felt out of place here (Rook is in a one-shot I've written, so he isn't completely gone). I also added an Undersiders scene there that feels slightly more relevant to the story.

XXX

The time differences between Gimel and Bet had initially worried Rachel. She wasn't sure how a transition would've affected herself and her family. To her pleasant surprise, everyone had quickly adapted to the new world's sunsets and sunrises. Maybe it was instinct?

She couldn't deny that her crew had been doing exceedingly well. She'd never had so many dogs before, and her people were what made maintaining them all possible. Rachel was collecting dozens of strays from Brockton Bay. Her family had even begun to raise pups that were orphaned from the other side.

Rachel looked off to the field, she was compartmentalizing. People were feeding the dogs some raw meat that they now had plenty of. Later, they would cook for her. She was still trying to learn how to show appreciation towards the people around her. Apparently, people needed more special care than the average dog did. People need to be more like dogs, she thought to herself.

She turned around to the front field of her base. Lisa approached the hill riding on the back of a stranger. Rachel arched an eyebrow.

They approached her. Lisa dropped on the ground with a grin. "Matthew, Rachel. Rachel, Matthew."

"Hello," Matthew extended his hand for her to shake. Rachel didn't take it.

She scanned her eyes across Matthew. Rachel asked Lisa, "He your fuck friend?" Matthew pulled his hand back.

"God no!" Lisa tugged at her hair, "why does everyone keep thinking that?"

Rachel was put off by Lisa's aggressive reaction, but she knew her well enough not to become hostile from it. "It's no big deal," Rachel said. "I'll fuck Biter when I feel like it. I haven't felt like it, but I probably will."

Lisa squinted her eyes, "way too much information."

"Also," Matthew included himself. "You might want to be careful with a guy named Biter."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Rachel glared at him.

Her glare was matched by a blank stare. It was oddly disarming. Matthew answered, "a guy named Biter probably bites while fucking."

Rachel cocked her head back. She looked towards her base with an added pique interest in her eyes.

"Matthew," Lisa yelled, "What have you done?" She smacked his arm.

"She deserves to know," he yelled back.

Lisa covered her face, "Too... Much... Information..."

Rachel returned her stare to Matthew,. "so you're gonna adopt a dog?"

"Apparently, yeah. I've always wanted a dog, I just needed that push to adopt one." He pointed to Lisa.

Rachel nodded. In a casual tone she added, "if you end up hurting any of my dogs, I'll fucking kill you."

Matthew nodded back, fully aware the statement was more of a fact than a threat.

Rachel lead them through her base. It wasn't as glamorous as the other bases in Brockton Bay, but she wouldn't have wanted it that way. They had makeshift supplies to put a roof over their heads. The base was more the field itself than the building.

They reached one of the ends of her field where there was a wide picketed area for the younger dogs. They had just woken up for the day and it was almost time to feed them.

Each puppy was less than three months old. Most of them didn't have mothers, and Lisa had helped provide formula products for them to feed on. She wanted to show appreciation to Lisa for that, but wasn't sure how to. Allowing her friend to adopt one was the best way she could show some gratitude.

And to learn to let go. She needed to learn to let go, too.

"Puppies," Matthew stated in a small tone. "This is a pen... Its full of puppies."

The two girls nodded. "Take your pick," Lisa said.

"Can I go in?" Matthew asked.

"Why?" Rachel asked in a skeptical tone.

"I want to lay on the ground, and let the puppies climb on me."

"That's not how you fucking play with them," she growled.

Matthew squinted at her. "Are you seriously telling me, that since the day you had this pen full of puppies, you've never laid on the ground just to let them climb on you."

Rachel fell silent.

Lisa let out a laughter, "I can't believe I never thought about that before."

"Fine," Rachel said. "Just make it quick."

Matthew stepped into the pen, and slowly dropped himself to the ground. He rolled onto his back as the dogs huddled around him to chew on his clothes. "Lisa, I can die right now, and I wouldn't even be upset."

XXX

"Scoot," Lisa told him. Matthew shimmied his way to the side and allowed Lisa to lay back next to him.

Rachel stared down at the both of them. She was squinting, almost like she couldn't understand their relationship. "Feel free join us," Lisa invited.

"I gotta feed them soon. I'll be back later." She turned around and headed back to her building.

Lisa looked up. It was still morning on Gimel, and it would be nighttime by the time she and Matthew returned to Brockton Bay. A part of her wanted to rush Matthew so she could return to her work, but seeing Matthew so relaxed next to her made it seem morally wrong to disturb that peace.

For awhile, they didn't say anything, which was new to her. As an extrovert silence typically made her feel uncomfortable, but nothing nudged at her to force words that weren't necessary.

The puppies occasionally nawed at their clothes or kissed their hands and feet. To them, they were obstacles for them to play with. Lisa smiled as she oddly tried to play with the puppies, Matthew laid back quietly knowing that the dogs were fully satisfied with his motionlessness.

Lisa began to pet a calmer puppy that had rested itself onto her stomach. Matthew rubbed the ears of a beagle that had climbed onto his chest. "This one's my favorite," Matthew said. "And it has nice eyes."

"You know it's blind."

"Really?" He waved his hand in front of the dog's face, he didn't respond. "This changes nothing."

Lisa smiled, glad that he found one that he liked. "This is nice," Lisa said. "Between fighting villains and running from the PRT, it's nice of find a place where there are no enemies to watch out for."

"Sounds stressful," Matthew commented.

"Someone's gotta do it."

"Is it worth it? I'm sure you have your reasons, but do you still think its worth it?"

"Yeah," Lisa said. "It has to be."

Matthew and Lisa focused a bit more attention to their dogs at hand. Lisa's puppy was a golden Lavender, with fur covered in dirt from playing in Rachel's pen. Matthew's Beagle was surprisingly clean, like it had been given extra attention due to its blindness.

"Y'know," Matthew said, "I almost joined the PRT."

"Really?"

"Sanders had a friend that could get me into the training program. He gave me the choice between working for them or working for Coil."

"What made you decide?"

"Money."

"Oh."

Matthew looked over at her, "I was kidding. You couldn't tell I was joking this time?"

She scrunched her nose, "stop assuming I'm always reading minds." She put on a pretentious tone, "Sometimes, I respect people's privacy."

He chuckled, "yeah, I'm sure you do." He continued, "anyways. The reason I chose Coil was because he said I'd get a favor from him. Coil always bought respect with more than just money. Sanders said that if I ever needed something from him, he'd deliver it."

"You wanted a favor."

Matthew shook his head, "I wanted to want something. I had hoped that if I worked for him long enough, I'd have found something worth asking for."

"You never found something you wanted, did you?"

He shook his head, "Nope. Right now though, this puppy will do."

"Glad I could deliver."

Matthew looked over to her and squinted his eyes, "You're that girl, aren't you? The girl he had tied up when he was defeated."

"Yup," Lisa answered.

They both remembered the day that Calvert had died. Lisa was tied up at his side, ready to become his next pet. Matthew was watching from a distance, ready to shoot on command.

They both fell into silence. An apology from him would've been meaningless, and a justification for his actions would've sounded toxic. Although he wasn't obligated to apologize for anything, Matthew still felt he needed to say something to her.

"I wish I'd known you sooner," Matthew said. "Something would've been different, I don't know what, but I wish I'd known you sooner."

It wasn't a lie, and it wasn't said to gain any approval or forgiveness from her. He'd said it strictly because he wanted Lisa to know the truth. "I believe you," Lisa said, indirectly accepting his apology.

 

[Dead-Not]

This story is awesome. Commencing carpet liking.

 

[Axle]

Alec swayed his body back, "okay, now I'm offended."

Sabah shrugged. She pointed at Aisha, "I'm just saying, I don't think you're as smooth as you pretend to be."

He crossed his arms. Aisha sat on the couch a short distance away from them. He lowered his voice so that only Sabah could hear him, "first off, that would be a disaster waiting to happen. And second of all," he pointed to Lily leaving the door, she was speaking to the phone in her hand. "I'm pretty sure I'm more experienced on the subject than you are."

Sabah pointed to Aisha again, harder, like she was pressing onto something. "Then prove it!" She whispered loudly.

Alec lowered his head in a disappointing manner. He stood up from the table and approached Aisha. She casually was casually playing video games on the coach when Alec moved himself closer to her.

Without saying a word, he ran his fingers atop of her forehead and slid it down across her cheek. He looked at her, and by the time his hand reached Aisha's chin, her jaw had dropped. Without breaking eye contact, with him only inches away from her face, Alec pulled back his hand, and walked away.

"And that," Alec said to Sabah, "is called 'the check.'"

Sabah slammed her head onto the table. Aisha was too shocked to respond.

"See, when the girl flinches, you can't go for it. But when a girl doesn't flinch, you should go for the kiss." Lily re-entered the room. Alec continued, "guys or girls can use the trick, and it works in most situations. Watch."

Alec walked up to Lily, and landed his hand onto her front hairs. Before he could even sooth his fingers down her cheek, Lily cocked her head back and slapped Alec across the face. "What the hell?" Lily yelled.

"Christ," Alec shouted. "You weren't supposed to hit me."

"You just tried kissing me knowing I have a girlfriend!"

"I wasn't actually going to do it." Alec rubbed his cheek, "you know, I'm beginning to think Lisa's date could actually end up with her slapping him."

XXX

"I've still gotta figure out what to name you," Matthew sat his puppy on his shoulder. It was a month old, and was very likely going to retain its size.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Lisa stated.

Matthew passed the pup to Rachel. "Don't make me regret this," Rachel tried to sound intimidating, but the way she hugged the beagle didn't make it seem so.

"You won't. I'll get my apartment ready with pet supplies by tomorrow. I"ll stop by to pick him up right after."

"Ready to go?" Lisa asked.

"Yup," he said. Lisa casually jumped onto his back.

"So… you're like her dog?" Rachel asked.

"Metaphorically speaking, yes," Matthew answered.

For Rachel, that was enough of an answer for her to finally understand their relationship. She nodded her head in approval.

Lisa lowered her head, "minion, go!" Matthew waved goodbye before carrying her off. They walked their way out of Rachel's territory towards the portal.

XXX

"Well," Matthew said, "looks like it just finished raining."

It was three in the morning at Brockton Bay. Neither of them had expected to spend so much time in Gimel. The street lamps were dimly lit, the ground beneathe Matthew's feet were muddy, he made sure not to lose his footing as he walked.

"You sound disappointed," Lisa said.

"I like the rain. It's always nice to walk through."

"You're easily entertained, you know that Matt?"

Matthew passed the construction site onto the broadwalk. The roads were pleasantly quiet, the night had waned enough for even late-night residents to begin heading home. It was calm, or as calm as it could get in Brockton Bay.

"When you go a long time without having anything, you're forced to like the little things that can entertain you." Matthew spoke calmly, in a matter-the-fact tone. He almost smiled, remembering what the silent moments were like when he was entrapped in the hole. "Rain drops that fell low enough for me to hear. Spiders that crawled across the darkness. Weeds sprouting from the cracks on the wall. All these things that seemed so alive in a dark place, I learned to get excited by them."

"And getting out from that must have been overwhelming." She couldn't relate to his past experience. But the more he opened up to her, the more she felt she had placed him into a category he didn't deserve.

"I remember a story from school once. About a person who lived in a cave their whole life. He got out, and couldn't understand the world around them."

"Plato's cave allegory," Lisa answered for him. "One man in a cave was freed from his shackles, and left the cave to realize how amazing the world was. Because before that, he thought the entire reality of the world was shadows on the cave wall. But after leaving, he was enlightened by the lights, colors, and creatures around him."

"That's the one," Matthew confirmed. "Guess I was in a cave for awhile."

"But," Lisa continued. "Upon returning to the cave, he tried to explain the world to his other two friends who had also been shackled their whole lives. After trying to explain what the world had to offer, none of them understood it, they brushed him off as crazy..." Lisa paused. It suddenly dawned on her that she was reading Matthew like conformity was equivalent to mental health. That having an obscure outlook at life equated to a wrongness in mental health.

"And they stayed trapped in the cave, happy with seeing shadows on the wall." Matthew finished the story for her. "I like shadow puppets, so I guess that makes me crazy."

She felt guilty again. Why did she try so hard to change someone who was never wrong to begin with? She should've known better. Her own desire to exercise her persuasion abilities almost drastically changed someone for the worst. "You're not crazy," Lisa said in a low voice, "one of us might be, but it's not you."

"Wait, I'm pretty sure crazy people can't admit they're crazy."

She smirked, "maybe."

"Then it's settled," Matthew announced, "I'm crazy for liking the rain, and you're crazy for putting on a super villain costume."

"Absurdism at it's finest," Lisa added.

Lisa had nearly fallen asleep by the time he'd reached her base. According to Matthew, she'd slept for a solid half hour when they were in Rachel's dog pen. Fighting the Red Hands and not getting any rest afterwards had taken a toll on her.

She yawned as she slipped off Matthew's back.

"Thanks," they both said at the same time. They couldn't help but laugh. Lisa was glad he was courteous to her for the entire day, Matthew was glad she'd invited him to Gimel.

"I'm glad we met up today, I haven't had a nice day like this in a long time," Matthew said.

"Me neither," Lisa admitted. "We should do this again sometime."

Matthew nodded in agreement. Before Lisa could head inside, he walked closer to her, and placed the tips of his finger atop of her forehead.

 

[AramilOniasha]

Snip

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Is this supposed to be threadmarked?

 

[Axle]

Is this supposed to be threadmarked?

Click to shrink...

Forgot to thread it, it's linked now.

 

[Hampsterpig]

and placed the tips of his finger atop of her forehead.

Click to shrink...

Uchiha Clan kisses?
EDIT: Author liked it, I was right!

 

[Axle]

Friday Night

Lisa took a long stare into the mirror. She had just finished lying to Brian. For a half hour she'd comforted him, telling him bullshit like an artist stroking a brush for the sake of making money.

She wondered if Taylor would've done the same thing her shoes. The probable answer was yes, considering that Taylor always valued results over methods.

Which made Lisa bring up another question: What did I value? What values do I have compared to Taylor?

Taking a deep breathe, she said "here we go":

Trust Issues​

"What the fuck?" Lisa yelled, to no one in particular. Furious at her own powers, she remembered that it was impossible to argue with something that couldn't talk back. Scowling, she checked for its reasoning.

Metabolized by Familial Betrayal​

That much was obvious to her, but the answer still offended her. It was like she preferred lying to herself than seeing the reality of her own situation. Unfortunately for her, her powers were more blunt than anyone else could possibly put it.

She sneered at herself, and gave off a low laugh in disappointment. "Of course."

Turning on her powers one last time, she saw two words:

Pathological Liar.​

Pathological was the key word there. She knew she was a liar, but pathological implied that she had trouble with being honest. That wasn't even funny, she knew that something deep inside of her needed to change.

XXX

Present

Essentially, they were strangers treating each other like strangers. Where as Lisa wouldn't easily tell anyone her truths, Matthew could easily tell anyone his truths.

He leaned closer to her. Wait, what is he doing? He placed his hand over her forehead. Wait, what the fuck is he doing?:

Attraction towards you​

Fuck. I swear he was platonic a few hours ago. Since when?

Puppy pen​

Fucking puppies. WHAT IS HE DOING NOW!?

Looking for a signal for reciprocated attraction​

Fuuuuuuck... What do I do, WHAT DO I DO?

Time slowed, a part of her didn't want to make a decision but his gesture was literally meant to leave the decision to her. Unwilling to determine approval of him... She flinched her head back.

Mathew smoothly pulled his hand away. He smiled at her, "I'll see you Monday."

Unfazed.​

Her mouth glued tight. She shook her head firmly and murmured, "mmmhhmmm." She was glad the darkness could hide her flushed face. Matthew casually turned away and headed home. Lisa swung her body around and marched her legs stiffly in the opposite direction.

She held her breathe as she walked, wondering if she should've slapped him before he left. Reaching her bedside, she tried suffocating herself into her pillow. What the fuck? One moment he saw me as a friend, and the next he's...

She lifted her head up, "what the hell!?"

Her stomach churned, the confusion he'd put onto her made her eerily uncomfortable. She was certain she had understood him before, but people are just too damn random. Unable to come up with a simple conclusion for him, she muttered to herself, "boys are so stupid..."

XXX

Sunday

Matthew's new dog bit into his bagel as he laid on his sofa and rubbed at its ear. "Can I call you bagel? Mostly because that's the only thing you've eaten all day." The dog ignored him, intent on gnawing at the bagel like it was a chew toy. "Well, I sure as hell won't call you blindy. That's cliché as hell."

Matthew picked him up and snugged him underneath his t-shit. The beagle didn't mind the tight spot, it felt like more like an extended hug than a robbery of its walking privileges.

"So I met this girl," Matthew spoke down to his dog. He patted him on the head as he looked down from the balcony beneath them. Neither of them bothered to look at any particular direction. Both of them chose to pay closer attention to the noises instead of the actions of the people around them.

"I like her a lot. She's smart, funny, witty. Hell, whenever she says something clever, she has this cute smile to her face. I gotta say, dat smirk," he snapped his fingers. "Adorable."

He'd known her for a week now, her work came with occasional sparks of enthusiasm that were always intoxicating. Her world was a complex game of chess which only she understood, and to see her understand everything was like seeing a mathematician constantly saying 'eureka' whenever a new solution was found. "But what I like the most about her, is that she's always willing to bring light into darkness. I know she's in a hard place right now, but that smile, its always the most honest thing I ever see."

Sometimes he also noticed a sadness to her. She'd stop typing away at the computer and take a moment to frown over something. It didn't involve work, it was like a bad memory had passed her by and she had to physically shake her head to push those thoughts away. "I wanted to offer her an escape. Nothing serious, just a friend to be there for her. I don't think that she knows that people aren't supposed be robots all day."

He just wanted to be there for her, allow her to use him as an escape from whatever stresses she had. But thinking back at the day before, he now wondered if he was causing her stress instead alleviating it. Between living as a villain, losing Skitter, and whatever other issues that came with triggering, Matthew realized it might've been better to put some distance between himself and her, lest she think he's another broken person she's obligated to protect.

He sighed, remembering how adept he was with cutting away relationships. "It's better off like this." Because letting go of people was easier than liking people, "relationships are overrated."

XXX

A/N: I started this fanfic as a one-shot, but after some encouragement I was glad to expand on it a bit further. Thinking back, I wish I'd made the chapters longer (I'll probably do this in the sequel). Matthew was meant to be oblivious because I figured Lisa could detect attraction from a mile away, and thus might want to repel people like that. I also wanted to flip over the "love at first sight" trope, because Lisa never actually showed attraction to anyone in canon.

This is my last chapter for this fic. I will write a sequel, I just feel the title has been exhausted of its humor, so the sequel will be titled something else.

 

[Thalton]

But... but...

 

[Thief of Words]

And now I'm crying. Was rooting for them. :<

 

[Hampsterpig]

Very interesting end to the fic. I can't wait to see what you do with the sequel, seems like you are building toward some really heavy stuff.

 

[Straw_Man@Large]

Its over?*sadness*

 

[Dead Pann]

Also," Matthew included himself. "You might want to be careful with a guy named Biter."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Rachel glared at him.

Click to shrink...

That's how you know she loves him!

Her glare was matched by a blank stare. It was oddly disarming. Matthew answered, "a guy named Biter probably bites while fucking."

Rachel cocked her head back. She looked towards her base with an added pique interest in her eyes

Click to shrink...

Wha- Oooooooh. Ear nibbles and hicks (light bite marks on neck), right? Guess she's seen dogs do it often enough without realizing it works with people, too.

I suppose she's in the mood, now!

Each puppy was less than three months old. Most of them didn't have mothers, and Lisa had helped provide formula products for them to feed on. She wanted to show appreciation to Lisa for that, but wasn't sure how to. Allowing her friend to adopt one was the best way she could show some gratitude.

And to learn to let go. She needed to learn to let go, too

Click to shrink...

This warms my heart and makes me want a chapter like the one where Alec and Aisha went to Olive Garden. Only with Rachel wanting to make sure that Matthew keeps his promise while Biter tags along to make sure she doesn't kill the guy or anyone else.

Without saying a word, he ran his fingers atop of her forehead and slid it down across her cheek. He looked at her, and by the time his hand reached Aisha's chin, her jaw had dropped. Without breaking eye contact, with him only inches away from her face, Alec pulled back his hand, and walked away.

"And that," Alec said to Sabah, "is called 'the check.'"

Sabah slammed her head onto the table. Aisha was too shocked to respond.

"See, when the girl flinches, you can't go for it. But when a girl doesn't flinch, you should go for the kiss." Lily re-entered the room. Alec continued, "guys or girls can use the trick, and it works in most situations. Watch."

Click to shrink...

Oh my god he's right!

A horrible person for teasing Aisha, but totally right!

Uchiha Clan kisses?

Click to shrink...

Bwuh?!

He leaned closer to her. Wait, what is he doing? He placed his hand over her forehead. Wait, what the fuck is he doing?:

Attraction towards you​

Fuck. I swear he was platonic a few hours ago. Since when?

Puppy pen​

Fucking puppies. WHAT IS HE DOING NOW!?

Looking for a signal for reciprocated attraction​

Fuuuuuuck... What do I do, WHAT DO I DO?

Time slowed, a part of her didn't want to make a decision but his gesture was literally meant to leave the decision to her. Unwilling to determine approval of him... She flinched her head back.

Click to shrink...

Not sure if Alec told Matthew about 'the check' or if Matthew already knew about it.

Matthew picked him up and snugged him underneath his t-shit. The beagle didn't mind the tight spot, it felt like more like an extended hug than a robbery of its walking privileges.

Click to shrink...

This is one those things that Rachel would freak out about.

Now post your GU story to keep everyone busy!

 

[wertsir]

Matthew picked him up and snugged him underneath his t-shit. The beagle didn't mind the tight spot, it felt like more like an extended hug than a robbery of its walking privileges.

Click to shrink...

Lol.

 

[Axle]

Tattletale leaned back on the chair. She was already growing sick of their banter. Grue did the rest of the talking. "Those businesses aren't our businesses," Grue explained, "stick to that part of the city, and we won't have any more problems."

The Red Hand members sat across from them. Rook sat at the head of the table, official 'brains' of the team. He wore a chessboard patterned attire with a scepter that had a sphere at it's end. It was an expensive artifact, from one of his more prouder heists.

Rook had raven colored hair and only a domino mask for a secret identity, similar to Tattletale. Rook said, "one more condition though. What is her power?"

Tattletale's mouth twitched, "I know everything."

"You try and say that to intimidate us, make us speculate what you really know. You'll even give us small pieces of information about ourselves to back up that fact, but I know it's a lie." Rook spoke with a sly smile, glad to pester Tattletale on the subject. "It seems to me like you only have innate intuition, something that's hardly a power at all. Maybe you don't have a power, maybe you're just a good observer?"

Tattletale waved him off, "you got me, I'm just wicked smart."

"I didn't say you were smart," Rook placed an elbow on the table, "a smart teenager such as yourself wouldn't be a villain if she were smart."

Before Tattletale could banter back, his teammate stopped him. Cozen placed a hand on his shoulder, "we have what we're here for," Cozen said, squeezing his shoulder more than necessary. "Let's go, we have to settle back at our base now."

"The abandoned gas station downtown," Tattletale chuckled, "lemme guess, it was Rook's idea?"

Rook shrugged with a smile, "what can I say, I'd rather keep things simple." Rook tapped his knuckle on the table as he got up, "the last thing we'd want is to get hung up on maintenance."

Rook tapped at the ridge of the steel door on his way out. When Rook, Cozen, and the rest of the Red Hand left the room, Regent turned to Tattletale and said, "you should totally fuck him."

"Fuck you," she yelled back.

"I have leftovers jays if you need'em."

Tattletale rubbed at the templates of her head. This job keeps getting harder.

XXX

Lisa went to the building cafe out of costume, wearing her casual attire to check if Matthew was there. She walked slower and slower as she got closer, when she reached the cafe, she pierced her head through the door opening.

Matthew was there, drinking tea like nothing in his life had changed.

Lisa took a step back, and decided not to disturb him. A thought floated by, wait, am I afraid to talk to him?

She stopped in her place, and waited outside. She looked into the doorway again:

Indifferent from the weekend

Won't dwell on me​

Good. Lisa thought, he's not taking it personally. She walked in the cafe and approached his table. "Hey Matthew."

Matthew took another sip of his tea and looked up at Lisa, "hey Lisa."

"I couldn't make it to lunch on time. I had a villain meeting today."

Matthew nodded.

Lisa added, "I'm wasn't trying to avoid you."

Matthew nodded again.

"About last Saturday," Lisa paused mid sentance, not sure why she felt the need to make an excuse for herself.

Matthew finished the statement for her, "don't worry about. Do you have to eat?"

Lisa checked him over with her powers:

Giving me the chance to move on from it​

Lisa relaxed again, relieved that Matthew would never add unneeded pressure on her. "Sure," she said taking a seat.

XXX

"You're from South Africa?"

"Depends what you mean by 'from'," Matthew anwered. His tea was cooling. It had become somewhat of a habit for him to forget about his drinks whenever he was talking to Lisa. "I guess that's my heritage, but I was raised in Chicago."

Chicago; where Taylor had gone. Lisa wondered how well she'd adjust to a new environment, she was never the most sociable person, but would Wards translate that as cold harshness? Lisa didn't want to refer to Taylor as a pet project, she had grown on her. She didn't want the impact she'd had on Taylor's life be negative. It was too much guilt to add on her plate. The best she could do was hope Taylor could grow on her own, and pretend Taylor didn't matter to her.

Lisa told herself to write her a letter later.

Lisa asked, "have you ever thought of going back?"

"I don't see a reason why."

"You're whole family lives there, they miss you."

"I had eight siblings, I'm pretty sure they forgot which one I am."

"Dude, you're the middle finger of the family, how could they forget?"

Matthew blinked at her, "what?"

Lisa sighed, believing she might've offended him. "Nevermind. My point is, you can't just cut off people who obviously miss you. Your family helped you when you needed sanctity from that Tinker trauma, they want you a part of their lives. Even just calling them matters a lot to them."

Matthew leaned back on his chair, Lisa read his gesture:

Indifference​

But Matthew confirmed it anyway, "you know how they say, 'family are the strangers we didn't choose to live with?' That's what they are to me, strangers. People I grew up with by circumstance."

Lisa scrunched her mouth. Matthew still had the 'detachment' philosophy, which she still felt an urge to pull out from him. She wasn't treating Matthew as a guinea pig anymore, but she still didn't like how he created this shield around himself like a ghost.

Lisa said, "Alright, let me level with you. Are you really detached to them, or avoiding them?"

"Detached," Matthew said with a wave of the hand. "I'll see them when I see them, but I don't go the extra mile for it."

Lisa hummed to herself, stop being you!

Matthew asked, "what about your family?"

"Hmm?"

"I know they don't know you're a villain, and I know you don't see them. Do you not have any? Or do you cut them off like I do?"

Lisa paused. Not the same, you just don't want to get close to people, I'm actively trying to avoid them.

Lisa could describe Matthew's life like a leaning tree, tilting whichever way was appropriate. Lisa could describe herself as a solid rock, doing everything in her power to make sure nothing fazed her.

"I uh…" she didn't have an answer.

Matthew waited. He let the silence decide whether or not she'd open up. Lisa answered, "don't have any."

Matthew nodded, "sorry to hear that."

Lisa's face turned red, there I go again, lying! The one guy who would never judge me, and I lied straight to his face!

Matthew sensed the discomfort in Lisa, and said, "when was the last time you went shopping?"

"What?"

"The city has been broken, but the shopping center is opening up today. Want to visit after work?"

There it was again, Matthew trying to make things easier on her. A slight distraction, while eliminating any doubts before they could metabolize.

"Sure," Lisa said with a fake smile, "I'd like that."

XXX

Matthew stared down at the tulips blossoming in front of their base. He'd walked passed those roots everyday, but today, the tulips blossomed for the first time.

Why did it seem like they were breathing? Like they were holding in their breaths all year, and finally let out a single breathe full of color.

And why did they smell so fresh? How could fresh have a smell? It was like the smell of something new, even though the roots had been there all year. So how could something that had been there for so long have the smell of something new?

Matthew thought about something he'd read about reincarnation. Do plants reincarnate?

"How the hell do you find interest in everything?" Lisa stared at Matthew while his head was gazing down at the tulips next to her feet.

Matthew blinked at her, and shook his head. "Sorry, that was rude."

Lisa placed her cell phone back in her pocket. Note to self, don't answer a phone call when Matthew is around, or else he'll figuratively fall into deep space.

"No, no," Lisa sighed, "I wish I could turn off my phone when I'm off work, but I can't risk being offline for too long."

"Kay."

"Being a crime lord means I always have to stay in contact."

"Okay."

"Like, if I could take a break, I would."

"Alright."

Lisa glanced over him, "you know, most people would get mad when friends answer the phone while hanging out."

"Are you… Apologizing for something I'm not mad about?"

Lisa tapped him on the forehead head, "be mad dammit."

"Is that an order, or a favor?"

"Yes."

"No."

"You're fired."

Matthew flung his hands in the air, "hooray for freedom! My shackles from villainy have been liberated!" Matthew walked towards the mall without her.

"Hold up, freak, you're not leaving me that easily!"

 

[Axle]

I had intended for this last chapter to be the beginning of the sequel, but I'm really not liking the ideas for the sequel I have right now. So, I'm going to end the story on a 'friendship' tone, and not go with the timeskip story I had revolving these two. Their futures are up for grabs, I'm not sure if Matthew made it passed golden morning but I can at least say they stayed friends throughout the timeskip.

 

[Doru]

If someone posts a story based on your idea, please give a link.
If you suddenly desire to create the sequel, please give a link.

I literally just found this story and wish to see it continued because this story was so nice and peaceful, and it felt kind of like a character study, while giving characterization to random Coil mercenary #357 and making me very invested in this random guy that probably would have died at the end of Canon without anyone knowing his story.

 

[spudman]

Ah, I remember this story...

and then I remembered that Tattletale doesn't actually get laid.

False advertising.

 

[LostDeviljho]

*reads through because I was linked it*
*gets to last chapter*
Aw damn, I was starting to ship it too.

 

[Segev]

If you do continue to a sequel, I'll definitely read it, but despite it being "incomplete," this has a decent feeling of ending on their HAVING a good relationship, even if it's not yet gone anywhere "serious."