fluxscape | OPEN

[ ooc: will match format (prose or brackets) ]

He stood in the corner, not easy to see since he was dressed all in black in the predominantly red and black bar. Club. Diego couldn’t stand the idea of kids being allowed to hang out in a bar. At least there were clubs that allowed under twenty-one so he mentally considered Pour Judgment one of them. As security, he’d make sure of that.

Anyone who looked underage would get hassled about what they were drinking if they had drinks in hand. Anyone of age who got too rowdy or the bartender indicated was past their limit, would find themselves tossed out by him.

Not the most congenial type but Diego might hold a conversation depending on how someone strikes it up. However, he won’t take his eyes off the club even if engaged in conversation.

"And I thought I was going to be the asshole here," Jess commented, coming up to his side at a point when he was distracted by glaring at someone he probably thought was underage. She waited until he turned his head to look at her before holding out a bottle of water with a neutral look on her face, lifting her chin briefly to signal for him to take it. "You should stay hydrated. It'll combat the frown wrinkles or something. Or so I hear."

She moved to lean against the wall beside him as she let her gaze sweep over the bar, noting all the people and the fact that things seemed to be going well at the moment. Reaching behind, she pulled a flask from her back pocket, switching her gaze to the dance floor while she twisted off to the top so she could take a drink.

"So, catch many underage drinkers so far?" She was going to think not since everyone was keeping a pretty close eye on that concern but maybe one or two had slipped through.

His head snapped to her voice, taking a step back after he did. Diego hadn’t expected her so close and was a little thrown by inhaling her scent. Yet he didn’t show the surprise on his face. Instead, he took the offered bottle of water regardless of her making fun of him for glaring at her patrons.

“Not yet,” he answered about catching anyone underage drinking. “You need a flask when you have a whole bar? —Club.” The correction was immediate, eyes returning to the floor. His words and demeanor weren’t warm and friendly unlike the bartender who nearly rivaled Luther in size.

He wondered how his siblings were doing. There hadn’t been any sign of anyone else arriving and Diego had performed a number of patrols. Eventually he might try the network but wasn’t in a rush to blow his cover just in case anyone from his world also popped through in the time jump.

Jessica couldn't help but get some small sense of pleasure over the fact that she had clearly caught him off guard which meant he wasn't used to people being able to sneak up on him. Then she rolled her eyes in his direction while taking a small sip again and quickly screwing the top back on. "Does it look like I can carry the whole bar in my back pocket?"

She made her point by sliding the flask into her back pocket again with a smirk. "Also, you might as well give up on trying to call it a club now."

It didn't seem to bother her if his words and demeanor weren't warm and friendly. It seemed she was more comfortable with him than most people but maybe that was because she wasn't really known for being warm or friendly either. Plus she figured she would cramp her bartenders' style if she hung around while they were working.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said suddenly, tearing her gaze from the bar to look at him again.

“Getting your staff to look at your ass is a way to get yourself in a lot of trouble,” he quipped as an answer to the question asked. Diego bantered fluidly. Hopefully, he wouldn’t get himself fired. Jessica seemed not fazed by his less than friendly disposition or his dry humor. He liked that. Not that she’d know.

Or maybe she got the idea since he held conversations with her, unlike most of the other staff. Gwen was a kid, Shadow was a constant reminder of Luther (maybe less annoying) and Sam… it was just weird that the guy brought a baby to work. That said, it should bother him that Jessica allowed it but Diego learned she was going to do what she wanted without two shits what anyone else thought.

“These kids have parents?” he asked without looking at her.

"Somehow I don't think that thought would cross most of their minds," Jess countered just as fluidly, smirking sideways at him before looking away with what sounded like a soft chuckle. It was kind of nice to know that he could banter like he did which proved to her again that there was more to him than what met the eye or what he showed on the surface.

She knew there were things they didn't agree on but it seemed he was learning quickly that she would do what she wanted. The idea of having Lou there still made her somewhat uneasy but that was why she had set up a little corner in her office upstairs. It felt like the safest spot to have the baby when she was sleeping and Sam needed to work, plus she was willing to be flexible with him.

"Hmm?" His question stirred her out of her thoughts before she shrugged, looking around. "Besides the baby? No, I don't think they have any here. I keep an eye out on the ones I live with and the ones who show up here but..."

She shrugged again, looking over at him. Even though he didn't like it, maybe he was starting to understand a little bit about why she allowed the teens to hang out for a bit? Maybe?

He looked around the establishment and wondered what she knew that he didn’t. Her ass was worth a look, a few of them. Diego was sure nobody had caught him looking yet he had spotted some catching a glimpse. Jessica might not be dolled up but filled out the jeans she wore nicely.

One of the underage patrons didn’t seem to see them in the corner and had been trying to take the unattended drink that was left from off the bar counter. Diego threw a knife that pinned the kids sleeve to the bar top. “Try that again and you’ll lose a finger!”

Jessica had just answered about where the parents were for the kids around and he couldn’t help but frown. “So is that how people end up here? They’re orphans?” Diego muttered to himself without thinking of Sam and his baby.

Considering most of her staff seemed to be in relationships or otherwise preoccupied, Jess just didn't think any of them would really look at her ass which suited her fine. That and the chance of ever getting her dolled up was pretty slim. She was comfortable in jeans and shirts unless there was a very special occasion that called for something else. But she didn't see that happening any time soon.

But maybe she didn't mind if Diego looked even though she should keep that line between employer and employee rather clear.

"Shit," She cursed suddenly then, jumping a bit when suddenly there was a knife appearing out of nowhere and flying across the room before she really had a chance of understanding what was happening. Then she was blinking a bit as she was sure that the kid had been startled too, probably enough to nearly shit himself.

"Okay, maybe next time you should give them some kind of warning before you start flinging knives around," Frowning a bit, she motioned for him to get his knife while she stayed where she was. Also, yes, she was giving the kid a look for even trying to steal a drink when it had been stated that such a thing wasn't allowed. It was a look that said he had one more chance before he would be tossed out. Which was probably preferable to having knives flung at him.

"I don't think they're orphans," Jess continued their conversation when Diego returned to her side. "At least I don't think they are. It's just that their parents aren't here right now. That's all."

If they ever had the conversation, Diego would scoff over her thinking just because there was a relationship that people suddenly went blind. Infidelity was more than a glance. Yet she wasn’t wrong about there being a number of couples to include those underage. He was almost jealous. Almost.

Losing a friend not long before arriving had put a damper on him thinking of making any attempt at… well, anything. Eudora was once more than a friend. Until she wised up, is how he saw it. She didn’t approve of his vigilante streak but he fit better in black than wearing blue.

“You’re welcome,” he responded back when she gave him shit about throwing the knife. The bartender looked in their direction as he pulled the blade off the bar and freed the kid who might’ve wet himself. Diego sauntered to the bar and got his knife back from Shadow who just stared at him. “Bet he won’t try that again.”

When he came back to the corner that he’d been using to surveil the bar, Jessica answered the question that Diego hadn’t meant to actually say out loud. He gave her a nod. Maybe they hadn’t been orphans before arriving. It was a sensitive subject but he kept a stiff upper lip.

“So you’re what, their den mother?” he questioned with genuine sensitivity. His voice was low while his eyes watched Jessica intently. She didn’t give off the nurturing that his ‘Mom’ was built with but it said something that Jessica opted to look after kids who weren’t hers.

It wasn't that Jess was naive enough to think that people suddenly went blind when there was a relationship but she was just the type to watch the line. Especially after working so many cases that involved a cheating partner or whatever. That had a tendency to turn someone away even though there was nothing wrong with an appreciative glance or thought. Plus she figured it was just respect for everyone involved not to push those boundaries.

Plus anything beyond casual sex was tricky in her book. Perhaps that was because everything that had happened with Luke still stung a bit. Or maybe it was because she still just wasn't ready for a relationship yet after everything that had happened with Kilgrave. That much was apparent to her after things hadn't worked out with Oscar.

She merely rolled her eyes when he responded to her giving him a bit of flack for throwing the knife. It had drawn a surprised look from a few people and she had even noticed the guy sitting in a booth nearby half rising to his feet until he realized everything was seemingly under control.

"No," It was a knee-jerk reply to the idea of being the den mother before she fell quiet and wondered if that was exactly what had happened. She hadn't meant for it to. "I just know what it's like to be without your parents or to have someone shitty step in. I'm sure they could do better than me but for right now? I'm here."

And with that admission, Diego softened both in his stance and expression. He didn’t jump in right away but gave a few seconds before commenting more genuine than she might’ve expected.

“Not everyone who gets dealt a shitty hand pays it forward. …They’re lucky to have you,” he uttered quietly which made it even more genuine on his end. Maybe she’d notice. Maybe not.

He returned to panning his gaze over the ~~bar~~ club. “So who all here is part of your troop?"

"I'm not sure they agree most days," Jess replied somewhat self-deprecatingly, clearly a bit uncomfortable with the idea of having someone rely on her. But she did notice the fact that he was being genuine at the moment, almost like the conversation struck a chord with him as much as it did with her.

Not that she really wanted to have the heavy talk about parents right now even though she wanted to ask him about his.

"Her," She lifted her chin, motioning towards Gwen. "She's one of them. Then there is Miles, Hawk, and Sam. I'm sure you'll see them around at some point."

“Yeah, well most kids never do.” Spoken from a very bitter adopted boy who had not always appreciated his caretakers. It was different now that they were gone. Well, for two of the three. Diego had an even lesser opinion of his adoptive father after learning how his sister was lied to and manipulated her entire life.

His eyes moved toward where she motioned. He arched a brow at Gwen, surprised there hadn’t been any talk of Jessica in the form of Miss Hannigan. She had to be wrong about them not agreeing most days. Only when Jessica got to Sam did Diego snap to look at her.

“The guy with the baby who works here?” he questioned with heavy confusion.

Jess hadn't always appreciated her family growing up, like most children who had no idea what their parents went through or what was going on around them. She most definitely hadn't appreciated Dorothy's style of parenting though it had been easy to convince the woman to leave her alone once her powers came about. But still, she had seen what Dorothy had done to Trish even when she wasn't physically hurting her anymore.

"Doesn't really matter in the long run, I guess," She didn't keep an eye on them to be appreciated. She just did it to make sure they were safe or as safe as she could keep them around here.

"What? No," She shook her head. "There's a girl named Sam, Samantha actually. I'm sure you'll see her around at some point."

He shook his head in objection. “The long run is exactly when it matters.” It was probably stupid to say given everyone had been thrown in together and nobody knew for how long, but Diego was compelled to say it. “Kids need someone looking out for them.” Which he previously conveyed given his disapproval over kids in a bar.

Now he understood Jessica much better. And it helped that she explained which Sam she meant. The understanding swept over his features. “I’m just happy that the one who works here isn’t who you meant because if that fucker was a kid—“ Diego snapped his head back, a furrowed brow formed. “Actually, it’d explain a lot.”

He was teasing. Mostly. Sam was a good guy. Goofy but good guy.

Jess could have defaulted to the statement that they deserved someone better but that would have been going too far. Instead, she merely nodded, her gaze sweeping over the bar once more, finding and tracking Gwen for a couple of seconds before the girl disappeared into the back again. "They have a few of us now too, right?"

Because he was keeping an eye on them too it seemed.

Then she chuckled softly at his teasing, using how close they were standing to each other to jab her elbow in against his side. "He seems capable enough of handling himself without me stepping in. But no, he isn't one of them. I think he's actually older than me."

“They do,” he said so simply that most would’ve just chalked it up to a very casual response only Diego hadn’t been one for simple responses since they met. Maybe Jessica would pick up what it meant to him that kids were looked after. Maybe one day the two would have a chat about being orphaned.

That day wasn’t today.

“I thought he looked up there in age but how old are you?” Diego couldn’t help ask after her jab, knowing it was rude to ask a woman her age. He wasn’t sure if she liked flirting and it probably wasn’t wise to do with her being his boss…or maybe it was the smartest decision he’d made since arriving in Haven.

Recalling his responses from before when they had met the first time, Jess knew that saying the kids had a few of them to look out for them meant something to Diego. This was partially why she included him despite the whole knife throwing incident which seemed to still be getting him some weird looks from her bartending crew. Or maybe it was the fact that she hadn't done much about it from what they could do.

"Isn't there some kind of law against asking a woman her age?" Jess asked, arching a brow at him. Not that she was really worried about that kind of thing. She was probably one of the odd ones that actually liked being older. Not that she really felt like an adult who had her life figured out but she definitely felt a little more...settled.

"Thirty-one," She answered in the following breath. "What about you? I'm guessing late twenties?"

He dramatically jerked his head back as if what Jessica said was a complete shock. “Only if you’re like, fifty years old.” Lie. He knew it. Diego was doing his idiot joking borderline flirting that he’d never acknowledge was actually flirting-flirting.

Had it worked? She gave him her age. Or maybe it was a test and not her actual age. Then again, what little he knew of Jessica Jones, she could care less what he thought and wouldn’t bother to lie about her age. “You guessed right. Latest twenties that one can get. Would’ve been thirty if the world didn’t end.”

So she had a little more than a year on him, maybe more if she was from a time before twenty-nineteen. Diego wasn’t sure how to figure age in a place like Haven where some people were from decades before or centuries after. The best he came up with was whatever people mentioned their age was.

"Where did you hear that?" At that moment, the look she gave him said he was an idiot but there wasn't much heat to it. They were playing around, dancing the line of flirting-not-flirting and just having fun in their own way.

But she wasn't going to lie to him about her age. She couldn't pass for younger in her mind and she could have tried to convince him that she was older but why? It didn't make much sense to her. At least she was right about his age which was nice to know for a couple of different reasons. Mostly that she was still good at getting a sense of people just by looking at them but also that he wasn't a lot younger than she was.

"So have you decided if you're going to tell me the end of world story yet?" She asked, softening her voice as she glanced around to see if anyone was standing close or not.

Jessica received a facial shrug in response to her first question as he still played the idiot card. A slightly crooked grin accompanied it, continuing with the light teasing.

And then they were on the topic of the world ending. Diego simmered but didn’t get morose the way he had when thinking of his father. Or mother. The former always seemed to show an angry side while the latter showed a wounded one. Yet talking about the end of the world…

“If you wanna hear it, I’ll tell it. We’re not exactly at pillow talk but after the last few weeks, this qualifies at least as a third time meeting.” Although it was more like the twentieth. Diego opted not to move from where they were standing, giving them ample room to keep an eye on the bar and anyone possibly approaching.

Jessica wondered if there was a quiet 'yet' added to the comment that they weren't at pillow talk or if it was just inside her head that she could hear it. She didn't ask though since it was a heavy topic despite the fact that he didn't seem to be so affected by it like he was during any mention of his parents.

"I'm just curious about your rather casual way of talking about it," She commented as she continued to watch him. "Most people would be kind of freaked out by that sort of thing. Unless it happens a lot more than I realize."

Which was probably the case too.

He brought a hand to his chest, feigning offense. “Did you just call me most people?” Diego questioned with playful indignation. He dropped his hand and his gaze while a smirk crept onto his face.

Yet Jessica wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t exactly a light topic. His eyes picked up and the smirk simmered off his face. “I don’t know another way to talk about it. We tried to stop it, failed. The answer had been right in front of us the whole time but we didn’t see it. Our sorry excuse for a father had set it in motion twenty years ago, died without telling us the truth about one of our sisters…”

Disdain and anger started to set in, the familiar way Diego often talked about the only dad he ever knew. “…I can’t change it. I thought that me showing up here, maybe we all escaped…” The story was all over the place. It was the first he’d given his last memory a lot of thought before waking up on the train. He’d been busy trying to get a lay of the land in Haven.

“You sure you wanna hear all this?” he questioned, strangely worried about boring her or worse. Jessica didn’t seem to do drama. Neither did he. But there was no denying his existence and family was all rather dramatic. “Might wanna sit down and get yourself a drink."

"There might have been an insinuation," Which they seemed to excel at and they both knew it as she continued to smirk at him even though they were heading into heavy territory.

It didn't surprise her to hear that his father had something to do with whatever it was that had happened, simply based on the reactions and the emotions she had seen on him whenever the mysterious man was brought up. She did frown though when he mentioned his sister and how the truth about her had been hidden.

"As I said before, I'll listen to whatever you want to tell me. If you don't want to talk about it, then we don't have to," She meant it too despite the fact that it had been brought up once or twice since they had met and while they were getting to know each other. Then she was reaching into her back pocket, producing the flask once more to show and remind him that she did have a drink if he wanted to continue.

“Rude,” he returned at her comment about there being an insinuation. Yet he wasn’t serious, the hints of a smirk tugging at his lips.

A part of him cautioned that he’d just put her off and Diego didn’t want their relationship to change. He’d never admit it but he actually liked that she didn’t put up with his shit.

There were a few things he liked about Jessica. And that said, he realized that it’d be good to see if she would stick around or change after learning the truth about him. Better to lose the friendship early if it was going to change in the end.

“So my father isn’t my biological dad. My siblings and I were all born at noon on October first in nineteen eighty-nine. It was some kind of anomaly where forty-two births all happened to women who hadn’t even started the day pregnant. Dad went out and used his wealth to adopt as many of us as he could, ending up with seven. Seven kids who had unique skills but we all looked like regular babies.

Powers came later. So did mom. He created Grace to protect and take care of us when one of my sisters scared off all the previous nannies. She’s—“ Diego stopped himself, closing his eyes for a moment to swallow down the pain. “She was the perfect mom. I wouldn’t have my name if it wasn’t for her. Our father gave us numbers in order of importance.

I’m number two. Number one is Luther. Think Boy Scout like Captain America but built more like the Hulk. Three is Allison. She’s called the Rumor because she has the power of suggestion. Four is Klaus. He sees dead people and not just because he’s OD’ed a bunch of times.

Five, I heard he’s actually been here before. Twice. In fact, he’s the reason I thought that I ended up here. He’s got the ability to teleport and time travel. Didn’t master it and he’s a fifty-eight year old stuck in the body of a twelve year old the last that I saw him before waking up in Haven. Never got a name from mom so we call him Five.

Six is Ben who we lost on a mission when we were sixteen. Father of the year took a page straight out of X-Men, calling us The Umbrella Academy. Vanya is number seven. Our father raised us to believe that she was ordinary and had no powers. She wrote a book about it a few years ago. But our father lied. She’s a fucking nuke, and the reason the world ended.

Our father was too fucking coward to work with her. He had Allison rumor her then gave Vanya some kind of pill on a daily basis to keep her mellow… So there you have it… Background with how the world ended."

OPEN

Diego Hargreeves | The Umbrella Academy | OTA

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