Disclaimer: I don't own it and I wish you people would stop thinking I did.
A/N: Okay, first off, this story is dedicated to Tiger5913, a friend and writer of outstanding talent, who challenged me to write a fanfiction regarding Virgil and Daisy's relationship. No action involved here, just some nice little fluff. Hope you all enjoy.
Oh, one more thing...I'm not a big fan of writing in the first person, but I thought I'd give it a shot in this story. Just FYI.
Twenty Questions"You can not be serious," she said in response to my answer, her laughter ringing throughout our school's outdoor study area. I fix my trademark smile to my face as I gaze at her, watching her body shake with the laughter and wondering at what point during our two-way interrogation that I suddenly forgot how to breathe. She always does that to me, and I don't even think she realizes it, of course, I don't realize it either until my lungs seize up. I only wish I could find a better means of reminding myself.
"So you're saying you actually turned Ritchie's hair green?" A second fit of giggles escaped her and seeing the tears form in her eyes from the laughter I brought her caused my stomach to flip in a not-so-uncomfortable way.
"Yeah..." my voice squeaked under the strain of forcing the words past my constricted throat. "He never told me not to touch his chemistry set...I always thought it'd be fun to mix some stuff together. Who knew? The whole thing blew up no sooner than he entered the room. I swear the chemistry set had it in for him."
"And you didn't end up with green hair?"
"Nah..." I waved my hand in response. "But it did blow my eyebrows clean off."
For a moment I think she's the one who forgot how to breath now as her laughter redoubled. As she dropped her face to the table, her whole body shook in unsuppressed laughter. "You okay Daisy?" I ask, unable to keep the laughter out of my own voice. It was so much I thought the story itself was funny as much as it was from her reaction.
"I so wish I had pictures of that." Her reply came, broken by the gasps of air she used to fill her lungs. She turned her eyes to me, chocolate orbs swimming with mirth as she giggled again, no doubt imagining me without eyebrows.
"Well, actually, Ritchie and I do have pictures of that...more to keep us from blackmailing each other than anything else."
"You know," she began, clutching her side as she grinned some more. "We were supposed to be studying."
"Hey, a little fun never hurt the study habits did they?" I asked her again as she chuckled. I love listening to the sound of her laugh; it reminded me of almost some kind of music, but not quite. It was really quite difficult to explain...all I knew was, I could have waited for eternity and never hear another thing that sounded quite like it. "So, its my question, right?"
She cocked her eyebrow at me in a way that made me realize she wanted to get back to studying. But I wasn't in the mood to study; talking was a much better way to spend my time. "Well, I mean you did ask the most embarrassing thing, right. That means its my question."
I watched as her shoulders rose and the puff of air escape her lips in a sigh of defeat. It was rather obvious since we began this game she didn't want to go back to studying either, I just had to make her realize that. "So, if you could be one hero, who would you be?"
"Virgil?" Daisy said, rolling her eyes at me as if she thought the question was either really stupid or really personal. "You and your comic books. Can't you ask a different question?"
"Why should I?" The same telltale smile crossing my lips as I looked challengingly at her. "I answered your question. So, who would you be?"
She bit her lip and fidgeted a bit, as if she wasn't sure how to answer until she blurted out, "Shebang." For a second I thought she was making a joke or referring that God Awful William Hung song until I realized she was talking about Dakota's own Pretty in Pink heroine.
Crooking an eyebrow at her I tried to make sense of it, of course she didn't know Shebang as well as I did, and it was quite obvious Shebang could run at the mouth quite a bit. Not that she couldn't back it up; it was just a bit more than annoying was all.
"Really? You'd want to be Shebang?" I tried to keep the shock out of my voice, but I don't think was all that successful.
"Well...it was your question." She fired back, her strong-willed defiance coming out in all his beautiful color. When I just cocked my head a bit, waiting for her to continue she finally began to explain the answer.
"Don't laugh, okay? But...well, you look at Shebang and realize all the things she can do, and she can't be much older than us," Daisy said, her own convictions coming out. "I just thought it'd be really cool...not to mention she gets to hang around with Static and I mean...how cool would that be?"
"Yeah, I guess it'd be alright." Completely blow off the answer she gave me. It was my own self-defense to deflect Static away from me, but when she asked her next question to me, it really got me thinking.
"Oh, you're such a drama-king Virgil," she chided, feigning disappointment but unable to hide the beginning of the smile that pulled at the corner of her lips. "Fine, same question to you. If you could be any hero, who would you be?"
Now it was my turn to bite my lip as I considered the answer. The obvious choice of course was to say Static...but I have to be honest, it didn't even enter my mind. So I shrugged my shoulders as I responded, "My pops."
This obviously wasn't the response she was expecting so I felt inclined to elaborate. "My dad does more for this community than I could ever hope to do as boring old Virgil Hawkins. Not to mention having to raise me and my sister without my mom around, and keeping us both off the streets...couldn't have been easy."
Daisy just stared at me, shocked at my statement. "What, you don't think my pops is a good call?"
"No, it's not that its just...I sort of imagined you would have said Static. I mean, as much as you go on about him I just assumed you idolized him, that's all."
I let a chuckle roll off my lips at the obvious irony of the situation, but despite Daisy's confused expression from my laugh, I kept the private joke to myself. "Well...there's no doubt Static is cool. But it's just...being that young, fighting to save the city...I couldn't imagine having that kind of responsibility."
That was punch line to own private joke...because though I may have been Static when needed, everything I told Daisy at that moment was the honest truth. Sometimes I'd stay awake all night, could almost feel the pressure of the city's dependency on me crushing me in sleep and I'd wake up and wonder how I could carry on...how I could expect to do what needed to be done. Then I'd look at my pops, my role model and realize I did it because its who I am. He taught me that.
"You know...I never really thought about it like that," Daisy said, falling into a thoughtful silence as she rested her head on her hands. "I guess we all kind of take Static for granted. Sort of just expect when there's trouble he's there. I'm impressed Virgil."
I couldn't stop the smile crossing my face if I was staring down Ebon and the whole Meta-Breed. "Well, you know. If you were Shebang, then I think I could see myself being Static. It'd give me a good excuse to hang around you even more."
I watched her tilt her head slightly to the side, watched that perfect smile of hers form so...well...perfectly, and watched her stand slightly to lean forward and press her lips to my cheek. If it wasn't a mildly cool day I swear I'd have burst into flames.
"For what its worth Virgil," Daisy said through that flawless grin. "You can be my hero."
-End