I Fell For My Nemesis

Keith's training started early in the morning so he got off even earlier than Joss did while it was going on. That gave them the opportunity to go to that escape room on a Friday night since Christian and Avery were able to get his parents to watch their kids. 

There were four other people making up their group. Joss and Keith had originally been invited because they wanted to hit a room that needed eight people and they only had six available. 

Jorge and Maribel Cruz were somewhat recently married and his cousin Angelo and his girlfriend Vanessa LaFontaine were there as well. Apparently, she worked at the same bakery as Avery and the rest were her relatives. 

Keith wasn't sure how well Joss would be able to blend in with a bunch of people she didn't know but she managed to hold her own when Christian introduced them. "Guys, these are my friends Jocelyn and Keith."

A jolt when through him. His friends? He knew that Christian was aware of Joss's secret identity but had he managed to figure out his as well?

"Your friends? I didn't know you had any," Angelo said in surprise before Avery elbowed him in the side. 

"Shut up, Angelo." 

"Shutting up. Nice to meet you both!" 

"You too," Joss said while Keith could only nod. His head was still reeling. 

He wasn't able to participate in the escape room as much as he had hoped because he was debating whether or not to say anything to Christian. He pretty much did whatever Joss told him to since this was right up her alley. 

They all managed to make it out with twelve minutes to spare and he went to the bathroom, leaving Joss chatting with Avery and Vanessa out in the lobby. He was joined by Christian not long after and didn't have to say anything because the other man did first as they were washing their hands. It was a good thing they were the only ones in the restroom.

"I wondered what happened to you," Christian said mildly. "Nice to know you're doing well, Delta. Though I never would have seen you and Frostine being a thing."

Well, he wasn't stupid. Keith had looked him up and found out he was a lawyer. It wasn't surprising that he figured it out given the context clues. His wife had certainly caught on fast enough based on her reaction the first time they met. 

"Neither did I. She acted very different as a hero than she did as her regular self. I see retirement is suiting you." 

Christian smiled serenely. "It is. I've never been happier. You? I thought you said you still had a few good years left in you?  It hasn't been quite that long."

"It happened earlier than I expected because Joss needed me," Keith admitted. "But I don't mind in the slightest. Taking care of her was more important than random strangers I'd never see again."

"Spoken like a man in love. Good for you. It's nice to know two of the old crowd are doing well. I'm not in contact with any of the others. It was quite a surprise when Jocelyn reached out to me since I thought that chapter of my life was done forever." 

"Red Dynamo has a girlfriend last I heard. Supposedly, she works nights and that's why she hasn't figured him out." 

"Red Dynamo, huh? I wouldn't have seen that coming either. Shows what I know," Christian said with a laugh. "What about MultiMan? Have you seen him at all recently?"

"Not since I ran into him and found out about Frostine being hurt. That's how I figured out she was Joss. They had the exact same injury and it was too much of a coincidence. I'm really glad he told me though. Things never would have progressed if he hadn't."

"It is nice having such things out in the open. Secrets are a burden to everyone involved." 

He would know, wouldn't he? Keith was dying to know how he ended up happily married with two kids to his former nemesis but it wasn't his business. Joss has already told him what little she knew of the situation and if he brought it up Christian would know she had been talking about him. That would make her uncomfortable so he kept his curiosity to himself.

"No kidding. I'm glad things worked out for both of us." 

Keith was surprised to find that he meant it too. He wasn't jealous of Mercury anymore. He was glad his old colleague was doing well and no longer felt like it was a competition. 

He smiled. "Yeah. Me too."

They headed out of the bathroom and he saw Joss smiling and laughing in the middle of her conversation. It made him happy to see. He wasn't upset about her interacting with other people in a positive way like he would have been before. He knew his place in her heart was unshakable. It would be good for her to have other people she had fun with too, especially since he was about to get so busy and he knew she went crazy when she didn't have things to do. 

His schedule became crazy before he knew it. He was working 10:30 PM to 6 AM every day but Tuesdays and Wednesdays as soon as his training finished and that really limited the time he was available to see his girlfriend. 

They were able to hang out before he went to work on weekends once he woke up around 2 PM and from the time she got off work until he had to leave on weekdays but only when she wasn't in her classes. He hated the days he couldn't see her and missed her terribly. Texting or calling wasn't at all the same. 

Keith desperately missed the way things used to be but more than that he wished there wasn't so much commuting involved to see each other. He was getting paid a lot more per hour than he had been at the restaurant. He was fairly certain the two of them could afford a one-bedroom apartment together at this point even if it wasn't anything fancy. 

He didn't care about that. He just wanted to be able to come home to her at the end of a long graveyard shift. 

He brought it up on a Tuesday night when she was practicing some of her newly acquired cooking skills in his kitchen and prayed it would go well. "Hey, Joss…remember how you said I'm supposed to tell you things that I want?"

"Yeah," she said without looking up from what she was doing. 

"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to try looking for an apartment together. You would have a real kitchen to work with and we wouldn't have to take the subway so much just to see each other. Is that something you would be okay with or am I overstepping?"

Joss stopped dicing vegetables and looked at him wide-eyed. "You really want to live with me?"

"I can't live without you," he said dramatically before growing more serious. "But yes. I want to be able to come home to you at the end of the day. Would that be too much to ask?"

Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head. "Not at all. I would love that. People are always desperate for housing in Manhattan so it shouldn't be hard to get out of my contract. What about you?"

"My lease is up at the end of next month. If we're going to do this we should get on it right away."

Joss stepped away from her vegetables to hug him tightly. "That sounds great." 

Keith was relieved. He had gotten that off his chest and she seemed happy about it if her reaction was anything to go by. They were on the same page here. He was so glad she was onboard. It would have been soul-crushing if she hadn't been. 

She was his whole world. Honestly, he would marry her in a heartbeat if she would have him. Even though the very thought flooded him with panic. If it was her it would be okay. 

As the one person in this world who fully accepted him and loved him for who he was he believed in her. Especially since she was the type who believed in working things out rather than moving onto the next best thing. 

If there was anybody in this world he could trust his heart to it was Joss. He had never wanted marriage or a family considering how messed up his was but he knew it would be possible with her. 

Seeing Bailey and Daniel West-Slater's pictures all over social media after he added Christian and Avery (and meeting them once in person) had gotten the wheels in his head turning. What would a potential child of his and Joss's look like? Would they have her gray eyes and dark brown hair or his lighter brown and blue? Some combination of both? Or would they look like random relatives neither of them were in contact with? 

Keith knew Joss was great with kids considering her line of work. It could be nice for her to interact with kids who weren't traumatized for once. 

He wasn't sure if she would even want a family after what she went through but it was nice to dream. Maybe he could bring it up after they had been together longer. He needed to take things one step at a time so he didn't rush her but that was alright.. As long as he was with him the whole time that was what mattered.