Pleasant Mishaps
Carter Hall x Reader
Plot: The leader of the JSA meets a civilian under the most ordinary circumstances.
Genre: PG-13
A/N: Congrats to @tom-whore-dleston🥰 on 1K! Thanks for also re-igniting my writing cells because I’ve been experiencing a major block. I’m not kidding when I say I almost wrote this in one shot. Using the prompt - “using the washing machines next to each other at the laundromat” This is a new character so feedback is always appreciated!
“Come on…” Carter grits, pressing the wash button in frustration to no avail.
“For god’s sake!” He banged his foot against the poor contraption. What perfect timing on a sweltering hot day.
Looks like he’ll have to find another laundromat.
He trudged along the path filled with takeout restaurants, almost crying in relief when he saw a small laundromat neatly tucked away at the corner.
Carter bursts into the air-conditioned laundromat. The sudden jingling of the bell shocking the sole customer in the shop who flinched slightly.
The cool air bought Carter back to his senses as he gave an apologetic smile to the woman who had just loaded a pile of laundry into the machine. It was time for him to get to work too.
“This machine works the best.” The woman pipes up. Getting Carter’s attention, she explains.
“They may look the same, but don’t let it fool you. I’m a regular here.” She suddenly comes to a halt before turning away quickly with a hint of blush on her cheeks.
Muttering his thanks, Carter places his belongings beside hers and starts to remove the dirty laundry from the bags. His eyes almost pops out as the first thing that greets him is Al’s blue domino mask with traces of blood.
He’s going to kill Al when he gets back.
***
Carter wakes up with a jolt to find that he’s still in front of the machine that was working hard to clean the dirt from the clothes.
“Excuse me…”
Carter blinks his eyes to adjust to the rays that were shining into the glass windows of the laundromat. The same woman stands above his figure, holding two cups of coffee.
She gives an airy laugh seeing Carter’s dazed figure scrambling to make himself presentable. This time, he can’t help but to feel embarrassed.
“Sorry,” she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, handing a cup to him. “I thought you could use a bit of caffeine. Laundry work isn’t easy.”
He chuckles, accepting the cup gratefully. Carter moves aside, allowing her to sit.
With an exchange of names, the two start to talk, time slowly forgotten. She tells him that she’s an English teacher at a public school. She loves to read on her off days at cute little cafes. She’s a sucker for Japanese food. But what struck a chord with him the most was -
“The feeling of flying.” She takes a sip of her coffee, eyes sparkling at the memory itself. I only did paragliding once on a trip to Thailand but I felt like I could take on the world.”
Carter’s voice is momentarily stuck in his throat. As much as he’s growing to like the elegant woman in front of him, he can’t afford to take the risk. It wasn’t just about him this time. So, he tells her that he’s contracted for private work.
A beep can be heard, breaking the conversation. Carter masks the regret behind his face. For the first time, he felt that he could hold a proper conversation without being fawned over. He’ll probably never see her again the moment she steps out of this laundromat, but he just can’t.
She stands up, as if to buy some time. Placing her fresh clothes into a new bag, she slowly slings it over her shoulder. Facing Carter, she gives a wave to which he reluctantly returns. And she finally leaves him alone to his devices.
As Carter returns to his coffee cup, he downs the last of the brown liquid, about to throw it into the bin when he sees a scribble on the white surface, followed by several numbers.
Call me!
P.S. hope you don’t have as much trouble catching bad guys.
Yeah, Carter was down bad.
***
A week flies by and Carter’s usual laundromat was up and running. But he finds himself standing in front of the same laundromat where he met the enigmatic woman.
Taking a deep breath, he pushes the door, allowing the gust of cold air to hit him in the face. He scans the laundromat, but there was no familiar face amongst the residents who were busy with their own pile of laundry.
He sees that the spot that he shared with her empty and makes a beeline for it. Two cups sit beside him.
Carter waits, and he tries to distract his mind with the second batch of laundry without any superhero gear in it this time. The cup of coffee is still hot, there’s still a chance.
Five minutes are left on the dryer and he’s starting to loose hope. He feels a little foolish even.
Just what was he thinking?
Shoving the clothes into his bag with a little more force than usual, he stands up with a huff and almost collides face first into her.
She doesn’t seem fazed as she sips the cup of coffee that he had bought earlier.
“Hope I’m not too late.” She grins, a slight stain on the top of her lip from the sip of coffee.
He reaches out, using his thumb to wipe it off. The tables have turned, and she quickly looks at her shoes, as if there was something interesting.
“You? Never.” As he throws the last of his clothes in, Carter notices that she is empty handed this time.
“I know a pretty sweet Japanese place down the road. How about dinner?”
She playfully pauses for a moment, as if contemplating the offer. Her facade breaks immediately, returning Carter a radiant smile.
“I would love that.”
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