WHO: Diego Hargreeves & Jacob Frye WHAT: Diego asks Jacob to be the baby's godfather WHEN: February 19th WARNINGS: none. They're just idiots. STATUS: Complete
Say all you wanted about fancy ass technology, Diego would always prefer the straightforward plainess of throwing on some boxing gloves and throwing a few friendly punches at someone in the ring just for the hell of it. The Underground was the right place for that too, even though there had obviously been changes and upgrades throughout the years–wild to think that too, by the way, just how long it had been from the first time he’d walked down the stairs and sparred with Jacob for the first time, the Underground was still, at the core, a place where everyone was pretty equal. There were superpowers and aliens and gods and shit, but down here? It was a literal crapshoot to win Fight Club.
Between trainings and classes and the general hustle and bustle of running a business, the Underground tended to be busy. It was a good problem to have. Diego had never been one to be excessive or frivolous with money (he had been literally living in the boiler room of his old gym before the end of the world take one, after all) but with Graciela soon to be born, he wanted to ensure he was providing for his family. If Lila wanted to take a job, great, they’d make schedules that worked, but if she wanted to stay home and care for Graciela that was great too. Diego really just wanted to ensure they had choices. Plus, he liked working at the Underground, so it was no real strain to him.
“Gotta watch that left shoulder,” he reminded Jacob with a shark-like grin as he feigned a punch to his temple. “You keep dropping it. And you’re going to be real fucking pissed at yourself when I kick your ass because you did it again.”
Jacob smacked Diego’s hand away with his gloved fist and snorted a laugh. “Piss off! That’s all part of my strategy to get you to lower your guard,” he lied cheerfully. The Underground was practically a second home to him so he moved around the ring with the comfort of someone who sometimes walked around the place barefoot after hours. It didn’t hurt that Diego was family and they’d done this same dance a hundred times. It was good practice, but it was also just a way to touch base and feel grounded with someone he trusted.
“You should watch your footwork.” He gave Diego’s foot a light kick and dodged away, grinning. “You’re looking a little heavy on your heels today. A few too many eggs for breakfast? Do I need to run you around the block a few times?”
“I swear to God you are so full of shit, my footwork is fucking amazing,” Diego replied, huffing a laugh when he literally tried to kick Jacob’s ass when he darted away. This, easy banter, throwing around fists just for something to do with the only stakes being temporary bragging rights that the ‘winner’ would hold over the ‘loser’s’ head coupled with buying lunch, was one of his favorite things. Where fighting wasn’t about proving anything to anyone, it was just about hanging out with his best friend.
He lunged for Jacob and wrapped his arm around his neck so he could playfully tap the side of his head. “Who’s laughing now, huh? Who’s laughing now?” But Diego released Jacob quickly with a shove and another grin. He went over to the side of the ring and pulled a few drags from his water bottle. “What do you have after this? Got some time for me?” Not that that didn’t sound ominous or anything, whoops.
Jacob sagged loosely in Diego's grip, chuckling even as he was shoved away. He picked up a towel hanging over the ropes, wiped his sweaty neck with it, and then launched it at Diego's head. "Still laughing, you prat."
Of course, now he had no towel but he just lifted the edge of his shirt and wiped his forehead with that. Thankfully, that meant his concerned frown was covered as Diego asked for his time. Only a little of it still lingered as he dropped his shirt and reached for his own water bottle.
"I've always got time for you, mate." He took a drink, paused, and then thought fuck it, I'll just ask. "Is everything all right?"
In response to the towel Diego flicked his water bottle out with a snap of his wrist so that drops of water arced out and splashed Jacob. It wasn’t enough to curve–well–probably. By the time the idea actually occurred to him it was too late. Either way, Diego also wasn’t the most perceptive or intuitive (he made up for it in other ways, okay???) but even he knew how stupid he sounded. ‘Got some time for me’ what the actual fuck?
He glanced around because look, maybe Diego was getting better about being affectionate, showing emotions, blah blah blah bullshit blah blah, but that didn’t mean he needed other people to know it. He had a reputation to maintain after all, especially in the Underground. “Yeah, I’m good, come on,” Diego replied, before pushing down on the uppermost rope of the ring and using it to springboard himself up and over, onto the floor.
Hell yeah, he still had it.
Landing in a crouch, Diego stalked off to Jacob’s office, much less business oriented and neat than Evie’s and where they sort of naturally hung out shooting the shit. He plopped into a chair and started, without warning, because if Diego thought too much about things that meant something to him, he tended to fuck it all up. And even though this wasn’t meant to be a bad conversation, it was an important one. “You know the baby’s coming soon and I just,” ugh, heartburn, commence. “You’re my best friend. Literally my entire fucking family disappeared and reappeared and disappeared, but you, you stuck around. And that means–” Diego rubbed at his chest right where his pea-sized and blacked and thorned heart (he wouldn’t hear otherwise) was supposedly living and if he sounded a little choked up, well, he would fucking deny that shit until his very last day. “A lot. You’re my family.” .
Jacob wasn’t convinced, but he hopped down from the ring to follow Diego into his office without any argument. Diego didn’t ask for a lot. It made what he did ask for feel potentially more monumental every time. God forbid he ask for a day off. Jacob would trip over his own feet and make him take a week. He swiped at the back of his neck one last time with his towel as the door shut behind him and made his way over to sit against the edge of his desk.
That casual position only lasted about halfway through Diego’s speech, at which point Jacob stood, eyebrows furrowed together.
“Bloody hell,” he grimaced. It wasn’t like Diego was never sincere but this was above and beyond. Jacob felt dizzy. “Are you dying? You’re not allowed to die. We can take you right to the best healer in Vallo right this bleeding second. You’re my family too, obviously, for fuck’s sake.” He barely paused to breathe, dropping down into the chair next to Diego to lean closer. “Do you need a kidney? I hear that’s a thing I can give you.” He was aware he was rambling, but it was only fair. Diego was on a short list of people that Jacob would lie down on a train track to save. “I’ll give you both bloody kidneys, whatever it takes.”
Diego straight up…stared. He blinked once, twice, three times in rapid succession as what Jacob said actually registered with him. Honestly, Diego should have known better. Both he and Jacob were always honest with the other, but their ways of displaying affection were usually about punching each other in the shoulder, or egging each other on to do stupid shit, less about saying anything. It was just sort of a known quantity.
Which was, in hindsight, probably why Jacob thought Diego was dying.
“What the fuck?” he spluttered. “No, shut up, I would give you both kidneys and my spleen if you needed them! Idiot, I’m not dying, I’m in fucking amazing shape!” That last part was important to clarify, obviously. He ran a hand through his hair. It had started to grow out from the tight cut Diego had, little longer and maybe subconsciously he was styling it into what he remembered looking like in previous memories.
“I want you to be Graciela’s godfather.”
"Even people in amazing shape can die, you tw—wait, what?” Jacob had been halfway to very worked up and ready to throw Diego over a shoulder like the fireman he was – or at least attempt to, knowing the bell-end would give him a hassle if he tried – but then he caught up to all the words out of Diego’s mouth and had to settle back into the chair in stunned silence. It wasn’t like he didn’t know what godparents were. But he hadn’t exactly expected to ever be one either. It felt like a lot of responsibility.
“Oh,” he finally said, breathless for no bloody reason. “I…me? Are you sure? We all know Evie’s more responsible. And Vax already has experience raising a kid. Not that either of them will need it with you living forever, obviously but still.” His palms felt sweaty. But a weird feeling twisting in his gut at the thought of Diego saying you know what, you’re right, you’re a terrible choice. “I mean. I’m not saying no. I’m just saying are you sure?”
“Absolutely sure,” Diego said, immediately. He could argue about his physical stamina and overall health (both incredible and awe-inspiring so there wasn’t much argument to be had there anyway) obviously, but as to the choice for his soon to be born child’s godfather? There wasn’t even the beginning of a question or doubt in Diego’s mind.
“This isn’t like, precautions in case we go somewhere without our kid,” he promised Jacob. Diego had also been in Vallo enough to put down roots, to grow and change and find family–find himself, really. And he knew that the three of them–Lila, Diego, and their baby, were a package deal. ”And I’m banking on all of our people being there for her, that’s a given. But you,” he punched Jacob’s shoulder. “You’ve had my back from day one. And I know that if she needs something, you’re in her corner all day every day, just like you are with me, just like I am with you. You’d do it anyway. So you may as well make it official.”
Jacob took a deep breath and then huffed it out in a pleased way. "Right, yeah, I mean, yes. Obviously, I'll be there for her, and you two as well. God help anyone who tries to stop me really."
A few years ago, this entire situation would have felt impossible but Jacob was glad things had worked out the way they had. Family had always been a complex concept back when his father had been alive. Now it felt more complete and true to the word. Diego might as well have been a brother by blood for how strong the connection was.
Jacob flashed a bright grin and clapped a hand on Diego's shoulder. "Thanks for thinking of me. I can't wait to meet your daughter again."
Diego returned the grin. “There was only one choice,” he promised. It was wild to think that only a few months ago, Lila and their baby had just been some sort of distant dream for Diego–literally something he remembered but hadn’t lived through. Wild to think that in a few weeks, that baby would be here and they would be raising her. Diego would always question himself as a parent because he wanted to be a good one so badly. But knowing there was a built in support system for Graciela, for him and Lila, it helped soothe a lot of those fears and turn them into just straight up…excitement. He couldn’t wait to meet their daughter again as well. Soon.
“Come on,” he said, standing up and tugging Jacob up with him. “Let’s go do something stupid to make up for all of this responsibility, huh?”