Surprise spacemom!

[princess_sparklefists]

By now, most people in New York are used to superheroes flying through the city. One of the Avengers hovering outside of someone's bedroom window at an apartment building in Brooklyn, just barely after sunrise... is a little less common, probably.

Carol knocks on Anya's window again, a little louder, and looks down at the pair of hipsters who are watching her from across the street. She waves.

"My friend's asleep," she explains. "Or possibly not home." Pause. "I promise this isn't an Avenger problem, despite the costume. Everything's fine... civilians..."

Even if this is the second apartment she's visited this morning, because it turns out Anya's moved since Carol went to space. She freaked out the elderly British man who now lives in that apartment, and had to call Jess for her actual address. This day is already going so well for Carol.

She knocks again, harder. Come on, spiderbaby. Up and at 'em.

Comments

[princess_sparklefists]

"They have things like pancakes," she says with a shrug. "It's not the same. And definitely no syrup, so what's the point?"

She smiles, watching Anya wave at the neighbors. It's good to know she's got people around here - even if they're just casual acquaintances, it's something.

"You like it here? I tried visiting your old apartment first, before I called Jess... The new tenant was not amused."

[notbackingdown]

Anya laughs, her nose wrinkling a little. "Wow, that was dumb. Yeah, I moved out of there a while ago. Not long after I got back to New York, actually. Rocky transferred to Harvard, and I didn't feel like finding another roommate."

It was kind of... heavy, though. Leaving that apartment for good. She and her dad had searched so hard for the perfect apartment, spent so much time deciding what they'd do with it when they finally moved in. It was the last place she'd seen her Papá alive, too.

But that was the past, and in the present? She has pancakes and coffee with her favorite Avenger to enjoy.

"So... what'd you do out there, anyway? Flirt with any cute aliens?"

[princess_sparklefists]

"Hah! No. I did play matchmaker for this cute alien girl. Sort of. Anyway, she's a queen now, so I think it turned out okay..." She shrugs a little, grinning. "Anyway, I'm kind of dating someone on Earth now. Or I was. It's been a year, so I should probably... talk to him about that..."

She forgot about that. And now she is kind of dreading it. Saying you're okay with your sort-of girlfriend going to space for a year is one thing, but when she's actually gone and you haven't talked in a year...

She wouldn't blame him if he didn't wait around for her.

[notbackingdown]

"Aw, cute alien queen? That's awes--"

Wait. Anya stops in her tracks, gaping at Carol.

"You have an Earth boyfriend? Since when? Who? Oh my..." she segues into Spanish at this point, possibly just voicing her shock and possibly scolding Carol for not telling her. Does it really matter which, at this point?

"See, you're not allowed to lose your memory anymore because given that I'm not an Avenger? I miss out on like every important life development."

Tell her about her step-dad, Mama Carol.

[princess_sparklefists]

Carol stops when Anya does, and just stands there with her head tilted slightly, waiting for her to run out of indignation and actually let her talk. She's more amused than anything else. You know she can actually understand you when you lapse into Spanish, right, spiderbaby?

"It's Rhodey. War Machine. I don't know if you've met him, but I promise I'll introduce you if he still wants to date me after a year in space."

[notbackingdown]

No, Carol, you have neglected to mention to your child that you speak her native tongue and can actually understand 99% of what she says in said native tongue. (The other 1% is weird localized slang, but that's a whole other thing. And also usually completely inappropriate.)

"You better call him after breakfast, Mom, seriously. Go to space for a freaking year? Why aren't you taking him to breakfast?" Not that Anya minds, of course, it's nice to be more important than the boyfriend. But still!

[princess_sparklefists]

Mom. She called her mom. That's enough that Carol pauses, staring at her like she needs to make sure he heard that right. She shakes it off momentarily, and smiles a little.

"Well, for one thing, I don't know where he is right now... I'll call him. Later. I care more about his sleep than I do yours."

That last part is a joke. Mostly.