4289/Heart to Heart with the Art

Heart to Heart with the Art
Date of Scene:	16 April 2018
Location:	Vancouver
Synopsis:	What kind of a teenager doesn't know angst?
Cast of Characters:	Darkhawk, Supergirl

---

Darkhawk has posed:
It was a typical spring day in Metro Vancouver, which meant rain, and plenty of it. British Columbians were pretty good at dealing with it. They had umbrellas, and if they didn't, then they'd brave the rain anyway. Christopher Powell had found himself down in Richmond when the rain started to get bad.

He pulled his car over, easily parallel parking thanks to the auto park function. He so loved that function; though he could hear his dad's voice that he was never going to get his full licence if he didn't start to practice things like that.

He had an 'N', which meant he could drive on his own. He just couldn't drink alcohol, he was too young anyway, he had to display the 'N' on the back of the car, and he was limited to one passenger, unless he had a supervisor who was at least 25 and had a full licence.

So, he looked for things to do in the area on his phone, found a link about the Richmond Art Gallery, and he headed there. Once parked, he ran into the building, trying not to get too wet on the way. But it was no use. His hair was utterly ruined. At least it wouldn't seep into Starling Royals AFC jacket, which was white with red accents.

There seemed to be some kind of Barbershop exhibit going on. He paid the entry fee, which was actually by donation, and he wandered in. Alas, his sneakers were soaking wet and making a notable squeaking noise, which echoed in the gallery.

Supergirl has posed:
To try and get on the good side of her art teacher, Kara had agreed to write a paper on the Richmond Art Gallery. She had been doing her research online but then she just got bored with that. There was only so much someone could find out online. It was much better to go to the location. This is where being able to fly comes in handy. Unfortutely, she had not taken the time to see what special exhibits there might be or she may have saved her trip for another day. But no, then she would've been late on the extra credit paper. Thus, here she was, admiring the Barbershop exhibit.

She was casually dressed. Jeans, a tan cableknit sweater, boots on her feet. Her hair was hidden under the brown wig and her dark framed glasses were on her face. She had a small sketchpad in her hand, allowing for her to make notes or actually draw something should she be inspired. Thus far, Barbershop had not inspired her.

Hearing the sound of squeaky shoes, she glanced up. Seeing Chris, she froze like a deer in headlights.

Darkhawk has posed:
As Darkhawk, he had all kinds of extra perception. He could see, hear, sense things, but the rest of the time, he had no special ways of picking someone out. So, he didn't notice Kara, even with the wig and the glasses. He knew her. But his eyesight wasn't as good as hers. His hearing wasn't as good. He couldn't pick up her scent. He was just a teenage boy. He was curious about the Norman Rockwell painting entitled Shuffleton's Barbershop. It was more than 75 years old, and people said it was good, so naturally, it had to be more than just some drawing on a canvas, right? He made his way to one of the direction boards, trying to get his bearings, and figure out where he had to go. Of course, to get there, he'd have to go past Kara, naturally.

Supergirl has posed:
Naturally.

She could go out and fight supervillains. She could keep planes from crashing into the ground. She could fly in outer space and span the globe in minutes. Seeing Chris, she just was frozen there and trying to figure out what to do. Her first instinct? Run like hell. Her second? Same as the first. It was only on the third instinct she remembered Kal's words. Go talk to him.

Taking a deep breath, she turned just as he was getting close enough to speak without screaming through the room. "Hi, Chris."

Darkhawk has posed:
That voice. The lilt. It filled him with both exhalation and dread in equal measure. Turning his head at the sound, he already knew who it was, but seeing her confirmed it. "Kara..." he said, not really sure what else to say. His body language was throwing out mixed signals. Blood rushed to his cheeks, giving them a rosy glow. His eyes looked her up and down, appreciatively. But he also clenched his fists. His pulse quickened. He was definitely anxious, but excited. He smiled at her. It wasn't a forced one, but it wasn't the most natural of smiles either. "Oh, hey Kara, you look well." She did, she really did.

Supergirl has posed:
Plus, he didn't run like hell either. Minus, he looked like he might bolt at any second. Sure, he was happy to see her. But there was so much trepidation too. The heartbeat was all wrong.

Kara sighed softly, tucking her hands into the front pockets of her jeans as she gave him an almost apologetic smile. "So are you. I..." She swallowed then took a deep breath. "I've missed you. Are you doing well?" she asks. After all, he's likely moved on with his life after all these months. She couldn't assume he was sitting around pining over her. She really hoped he wasn't. He deserved to be happy.

Darkhawk has posed:
"Thanks, I've been hitting the gym a bit," not nearly enough. But he had gone to the gym. He saw the shiny weights. He saw the machines. He even used a couple of them. But he barely broke a sweat. It was one of the many things he had tried to do as a way to move on, to get her out of his mind, but it hadn't worked any better than the other. She might have hoped he wasn't pining over her, but she'd be wrong. Kara left quite a wake. She was out of this world, literally. No one could compare to her, and well, the way things had ended, it had been hard, really hard. Then, he realised he hadn't actually said anything other than that. There was just this silence hanging over. And she said she missed him. "You missed me? Did you say you missed me?" He asked, confusion the first time, and was that hope in the second instance?

Supergirl has posed:
"Well, yeah," Kara says with a smile and an awkward shrug of the shoulders. "I kinda disappeared on you. Just would see you in the halls at school in passing. But we were friends." She glances off to the side then back to him as she forces herself to look him in the eye. "I am sorry for that. You deserved better. I just got caught up in things and I don't know if I was manipulated or not because the other guy was an empath so he could read my feelings. Maybe it wasn't intentional. Maybe it was. It let him know what to say and everything. Then I broke up with him and ended up spending time with a friend but it feels off. I think he and I were better as friends and not more."

She drops her gaze then peeks back up at him. "I understand if you can't forgive me but I miss you being my friend. More than friend. I'd like us to try and get that friendship back at least. If not, I know it's on me and my fault and I won't blame you."

Darkhawk has posed:
"You did," he breathlessly whispered in agreement, but of course, that damn hearing of hers would probably pick it up, but it was one of those things you do, not really thinking about it. He nods, everything she had said was true. When she looks him in the eye, he does the same, and he can't help but smile. Her eyes were so blue, like the colour of pool water in the summer. "It's uh, yeah, it's all right. Wait, manipulated? Empath?" His life was so different from other high school boys. He had an ex-girlfriend who might have cheated on him because an empathy manipulated her. Did other guys have girls use this excuse when they wanted the nice guy back?" He listened to what she had to say, and her desire. He didn't say anything to that. He was floored. He was a deer caught in headlights. He didn't know how to take that, what to say. But he wasn't running away. So there was that, right?

Supergirl has posed:
Well, he got the part about missing her. She's not so sure he got the rest. He's looking right at her. He seems to be paying attention. But no other words have come out of his mouth other than acknowledging she'd missed him.

"So, yeah. I want to try to be friends again. Cause I miss talking to you and hanging out. And I miss having a partner in biology who is as nerdy as me when it comes to science stuff," she adds in a teasing tone. She still has her hands in her pockets, her body language showing her discomfort with the entire debacle.

Darkhawk has posed:
He's a human, and he's a teenage boy. Sometimes it takes a moment for his mind to process things like what she just said. He swallows hard a few times, looking her, his eyes, there's this weird nervous twitch to them, as if he's not sure what to focus on. "Forgive you... miss you... more than friend..." Yeah, his mind was having a hell of a time processing that. Biology, they were good in biology, but he always preferred chemistry. "Kara, are you saying you want to be my girlfriend again?"

Supergirl has posed:
Her gaze is dropped to the tips of her boots. Not the red ones she wears in her other persona. Just simple black ones with a series of buckles across the front and top. They come up to just above her ankle, hidden by the legs of the jeans. "I do. But I can't yet. I have to ...well... settle things with someone else before I can take that sort of step. If you would even want to," she adds hastily, looking up at him again. She looks at his eyes again, sadness showing on her face that she's in this position and is asking something of him that is just stupid to ask of someone she treated like dog doodoo. "But I would like to be friends. Once that is settled, if ...then yeah. Maybe. Y'know, if you were interested in trying again."

Darkhawk has posed:
Wow, just wow. She says she wants to be his girlfriend, but she can't. She's dating someone. Kara must really be confused, hate him, or just awkward. It was like a splash of cold water hit his face. He was so confused. He said it aloud, because he couldn't believe it. "You miss me, want to date me, but can't, because you have a boyfriend, so you want to be friends, but if later, you don't have a boyfriend, you might want to date me again? D... do I have that right?"

Supergirl has posed:
"It sounds really bad when you say it that way," Kara points out as she reaches up a hand to run through her brown hair in frustration. "Okay. I am seeing someone. I am going to talk to him. Cause I think he and I shouldn't see each other. I think he and I should be friends. But I have to talk to him first. So..."

She nibbles her bottom lip a moment as she shrugs helplessly. "I have to break things off with him first. I hope the friendship can be salvaged but I just don't know. But when he and I are not together, I wanted to see you again but I can see where this is just mean and stupid and maybe I should just move to Metropolis and then you don't have to even see me again."

Darkhawk has posed:
Chris looked up at the ceiling, he leaned his head back down, and brought his right thumb and forefinger to his eyes, rubbing them. He looked like he was going to say something nasty, like he was frustrated, and angry, like he was going tell her to go away, never to come back, and all manner of nasty things. But when he removed those fingers from his eyes, and looked at her, looked through her glasses to her beautiful blue eyes, all he saw was the girl he had once been so very close with.

"Kara, Kara... Kara. You." He paused. This was so hard. He closed his eyes for a moment. When the fluttered open again, he saw her again, and noted how when her hand had run through her brown hair, she had shifted the wig a little bit. Some blonde was peeking through. He reached out, it was not an abrupt movement, nor was it an aggressive one. He brushed against her hair, her wig, and her scalp. He partially caressed her cheek. But that was incidental. He was actually fixing her wig.

Reaching back, he explained, "your roots were showing," with a smile, hoping she'd understand his meaning there. "You hurt me, before, and I should ask you to move to Metropolis, to never see me again. That'd be the smart thing. But when I have ever done the smart thing. I... I don't know what's going on. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment. I still haven't gotten the hang of this... night job, either. But I know that I was happy when you and I, well, I liked it, I liked it a lot. If we can get that back... yeah, I'd like that. I miss you."

Supergirl has posed:
As he had fixed the wig, Kara waited patiently. She realized what he was doing so she didn't back away or get upset. He was helping keep her secret. Even after everything. He was a good guy and a good friend. She just hoped they would be able to get that back. Then he continued to speak and she watched him closely. Made sure she was listening to every single word so she didn't miss anything. She was sure he was going to suggest she go but no, instead he admitted he missed her too.

Without thinking, she reached out and immediately hugged him. "Oh! Kal was right! He said I should just talk to you and I talked to you and it's perfect!" Well not perfect. She still has to deal with the other situation first before she can come back to being friends. To start. She lets him go and steps back, smiling. "Thank you, Chris!"

Darkhawk has posed:
She hugged him. Oh how he loved to hug her. He missed that. The way her body felt, the heartbeat, the perfume, whatever it was, he loved it all. He cared for her. And she hugged him. She had a boyfriend, but she hugged him, and thanked him. It was a strange situation to be in. He was a bit speechless. He hugged her back. And then she let him go, stepping back, but she smiled and thanked him. "um... yeah..." and then he cracked a joke, saying in a phony English accent, "miss miss, may I have another," parodying Oliver Twist.

Supergirl has posed:
That earned a happy laugh from her. Things were not as bad as she'd feared so perhaps that was why it hit her as funnier than it might actually be. It didn't matter. Things were going to work out. She just knew it. She hugged Chris again, giving an extra squeeze. Without superstrength. She knew just how much pressure she could exert at any time. It had been a learning process her first few years on Earth but it was under control now. Thank goodness.

Darkhawk has posed:
Chris was perplexed. He really didn't know how to process all this. There was no telling what the future would hold. But he knew he missed Kara. He liked Kara. She had hurt him. But she might have been manipulated by an empath. Was that like having a dog eat her homework, or being abducted by alie... wait, she was an alien. He began speaking, not even realising it, "life has become so strange. But I know it was way better with her in it. She has a boyfriend, but wants to date me, me, what makes me so special? I'm just me. But she's the smartest, bravest, and hottest girl I've ever met. Oh god, did I say that out loud?" Yeah, her hugs had that affect on him. He looked like he was going to swallow his tongue.

Supergirl has posed:
There is a giggle from Kara as she reaches up a hand to pat his cheek playfully. "Yes, that was your outloud voice. And I don't know that I'm all those things but it's sweet you think I am. I just know that I miss you. You were the nicest person and you fell for me as me. Not as...her." She doesn't have to say the name but it lets him know what she's thinking. He liked Kara. Before he even knew she was Supergirl. That wasn't the case with others. It was like someone rich having someone dating them. Were they dating the person or the money? So was someone dating Kara or Supergirl? Chris was genuine. He liked Kara. When he found out she was Supergirl, it was just a bonus to the person he alerady liked. That was wonderful for her. It's why he stuck out from the crowd, human or not.

Darkhawk has posed:
"Yeah, sorry about that." He looked at her, "Just... god, just, please, don't, if you, if we, just, you know, not again. I don't know my heart could take it a second time." He looked to her a pained expression. "But, if you want this, I uh, do too..." moving closer to her, he whispered in her ear. It seemed somehow easier to do it that way, except he was so close to her, the perfume, the heat from her body, "I don't want to afterschool special this, but I'd like to be your boyfriend again, if you'll have me."

Supergirl has posed:
Closing her eyes, she sighed softly and leaned her head against his shoulder. Her voice was soft when she spoke. "Once I get everything straight, you will be." Then she gives him a kiss on the cheek. She's not going to give more than that right now. Not when she is technically with someone else until she gets that situation straight. Which she needs to do ASAP. That's when she feels the buzz in her pocket. She steps back and pulls out her phone, checking the text. Her cousin asking her to meet him later for something. She quickly sends back a confirmation that she'll be there then looks at Chris. "Sorry. Cousin wants me to meet him later."

Darkhawk has posed:
"I will be... really?" It was hard to fathom. Things had changed, and yet, some things felt the same. It was hard. He wanted so badly to forget the time they were apart, as if it never happened, and she seemed to want the same. Of course, real life had to interfere. "It's okay. Besides, I have to start my night job soon enough." He liked to go out on patrol, though with the car down here, he'd have to drive back up, and that would take the better part of an hour at this time. It would have been so much easier to fly as Darkhawk, but he had an identity to maintain. Though, there was one wrinkle in her plan. When she moved to kiss him on the cheek, he turned his head at the last minute. With her reflexes, some part of her, even if she wouldn't consciously admit it, wanted that to happen. "Go, save the day, have fun." Yeah, when she started this, she thought he was going to tell her to leave. And so he did. But the tone, oh the tone, was so very different than she had expected.