Table of contents;

1. the Cafe

2. Closure

3. Lazy Sunday

The Cafe

Word count: 891

The chatter of the people seated at the cafe coupled with the distant rush of waves created a cacophonous humm in Gray's ears. Being a regular, he already knew all the waitstaff by name, exchanging a series of "G'day, Mates." with a few "Bloody hell, what happened to your nose, Charlie?"'s thrown in here and there before making a beeline for his favorite table.

Kayla, who was working tonight's evening shift, winked, her small, brown hand deftly removing the "reserved" foldable sign that had been placed on the table. Gray shot her a graceful smile before taking his seat. It sure did pay to be regarded as charming.

"The usual, Calloway?" The waitress sidled up to him, a black apron tied tightly around her waist, taking his order with an exchange of smiles before darting back into the building.

He smiled, the dim buzz of electricity coming from the fairy lights strung around the outer-pavillion lighting the area with a low-key, romantic touch. Perfect for a date.

Gray's mind wandered to his company for the night. Everything about the little red sneaker'roo intrigued him, from the cunning glint in her storm-gray eyes to the confidence oozing from her sly cadence.

Gray was no stranger to the aspects of dating, having had his way with women for years. A couple charming words prepared with a cocky, one-sided grin and a flash of dimples had always done the trick.

Carmen, however? He could tell she was different and despite having spoken with her for less than a few minutes, he asked her out, because Gray was nothing if not forward.

"Hey, I never got your name!" He remembered calling out as she strutted away from him, an effortless swagger to the curve of her hips.

"It's Carmen," She had trilled, not sparing a glance back and leaving Gray more than a bit bewildered as he watched the red of her figure disappear into the night. Usually, he was the one leaving his dates on edge as such, but... Maybe that was what intrigued him about Carmen in the first place, the fact that she was something new-a surprise- a tease.

Time ticked on, edging closer to 8:00. Kayla brought him his order--A flat white with just enough foam—and he pulled out a book that had been occupying his free time as of late.

8:03, She was late, and doubt began to sink its claws into Gray's confidence that this night would go well. He took a sip of his coffee, the rich warmth of the substance trickling down his throat and calming his instinctively.

8:15. Awkwardness began to cloud his mind, and Gray began to contemplate the possibility that Carmen wasn't going to show. He'd been stood up before, so it wasn't the absence itself that was bothering him. Gray was a big boy after all.

However There was something about Carmen, something that made him feel connected to her for an inexplicable reason. The answer as to why was just out of reach, much like a gust of wind that swirled around him in the thick of the night yet disappeared when he tried to reach out and grab a hold of it.

Before he could ponder over why he cared so much that she'd show, he noticed a glimmer of red in the corner of his vision.

It wasn't like she was the only one on the street sporting the color, yet only on Carmen did red look like it had been invented with her specifically in mind.

At the sight of her, the worry left Gray's face and his lips pulled into his signature one-sided grin as he rose to make his presence known. Carmen's eyes locked with his and mirrored his smile, but some other emotion brewed within the gray hues of her eyes. Her lips curled downwards reluctantly, and for a moment doubt began to sow within him yet again.

Their channel of vision was interrupted by a bus that passed between them, seeming to drag on forever, and the possibility of never seeing her again crossed Gray's mind.

His worries were quickly put to rest though, when his eyes found hers again, another smile finding her lips as she made her way across the crosswalk that divided them.

Gray took the opportunity to take her in. The young Latina sported a very casual look in comparison to her earlier attire, her penchance for the color rouge appearing in the form of a red puffer jacket. Aside from that, she had on a pair of skinny jeans that clung to the sway of her generous hips and a V-neck T-Shirt that revealed just a peek of cleavage.

"You're late." He mused with a grin, dimples flashing along their corners.

Carmen pointed a thumb behind her, gesturing to nothing in particular. "Had to get back from my tour in one piece, remember?"

"I've got a feeling you've had quite the adventure." Gray chuckled, taking a seat. "Care to let me in on the details?"

"Forward." Carmen noted, her lips tugging upwards. The young Argentine's shadowy grey gaze softened when it landed on him. "I like that."

Gray shot her another heart-wrenching smile before turning and waving the waitress over. "Hey, Kayla! We'd like to order...."

....

Closure:

Word count: 746

Years had passed since Isabella Wolfe decided to no longer don her once signature red coat & fedora ensemble, renouncing not only her title as the infamous La Femme Rouge, but also her self-given moniker

Technically, Isabella was going by her real name now, and even though it was her given name, it was hard to stop thinking herself as Carmen.

But Carmen was an international criminal on the run. She was a wanted super thief constantly tangoing with danger, a modern-day red-robin hood that was as infamous as the sunday morning papers whose headlines she used to grace.

And that was the opposite of what she wanted to be.

But Isabella, however? She was a normal girl. And that was exactly why she had foresaken the name Carmen to be her.

Isabella taught world history at her mother's orphanage. She liked to sit by the window during rainstorms and bake empanadas with the children. She went to bed by 11 and she rose far later than the sun did.

For a while she had liked it that way. Wasn't that what she'd been angry about in the first place? Having her chance at a normal life stolen from her?

Yet still, something always felt...missing, and soon Carmen came to realize that she had never gotten a proper conclusion to the fiasco that was her old life.

She lacked closure.

Five years ago on that fateful night, Carmen had nearly killed Gray. Gray, the Clyde to her Bonnie, the yin to her yang. Gray, for whom her feelings always seemed to dance between this limbo of friend and lover.

She still remembered when they had kissed, back when she had been under the influence of VILE's reprogramming. Had he only liked the VILE her?

The thought was one of the things that held her back from answering his wish.

"Please come back." He had pleaded, his strong arms encasing her as she struggled against his hold.

Her memories had been returned to her, and it was all thanks to him. Gray had no one back home in Sydney, Carmen knew that. So for him to defy VILE?

....He had given up everything for her.

And still, still Carmen let her knees give out, stopping herself from running back to him to see if he was still alive. She had thought she had killed him. She thought he was dead.

But then Chief told her he was alive and well and completely okay, that he had chosen to refrain from passing on contact information. Carmen had kept silent. She hadn't even tried, simply accepting the fact that Gray was gone, that her trauma from her time being evil might never be resolved because the only person she trusted with this part of herself had decided to disappear.

Just as she had. Back at the cafe. Irony was a cruel mistress.

But she couldn't live like that anymore, couldn't force herself to ignore her demons.

So After weeks of searching, she had finally pinned him down. And now here Isabella was, standing before apartment number 107, having just knocked tentatively, gnawing her lips raw as doubts began to creep their way into her mind.

Maybe this was a mistake maybe I should just-

And then the door had opened.

Older-Gray's shoulders were broader. His skin was a flattering tan, and his jaw was cut a little sharper, and a dust of a stubble touched the lower portion of his face. An intricate coil of a tattoo on his forearm peeked through the hem of his sleeve as his muscle flexed.

He was different now, a handsome different, sure, but a different that scared her. What if he had moved on? What if he didn't want her around anymore?

But then she let her stormy pools meet his hazel gaze, and buried beneath all the shock and surprise were the same gentle irises of brown that worked oh-so well with his cocky smirk.

An awe-filled silence stretched between them, Gray's lips hanging open in shock. Carmen wanted to say something clever, to go back to the good parts of the good old days, something that would make him laugh and remember that he used to love her and invite her in for a drink.

She wanted to do all of that, yet the young Argentine's tongue drilled between her lips, and suddenly she couldn't make sense of how to form a word anymore.

When her voice was finally returned to her, all she could manage was this:

"Hi."

...

Lazy Sunday

Word count: 467

The bedroom window was cracked slightly open, the warm spring breeze and bright morning sun waking Carmen up from a peaceful slumber.

The former thief rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the brightness surrounding her. As she did so, Gray snaked an arm around her waist and slowly pulled her closer to him, her back flush against his bare chest.

"Morning, Mr.Calloway," Carmen whispered, still giddy at the fact that they were now married and was unable to stop a smile from touching her lips.

"Mm, morning, Mrs.Calloway." Gray buried his face in the crook of his wife's neck, leaving a sweet kiss just below her ear.

"Still never going to get tired of you saying that," Carmen smiled, turning around and adjusting herself so that she was facing Gray.

A small chuckle broke from the Aussie's lips, his fingers caressing the curve of her waist. His curly brown locks fell lazily over his forehead and his cheeks were a bit rosy. Only Gray could look this perfect in the morning.

"So, what should we do today?" The lady in red asked, her husband taking her rough, calloused hands into his own and lacing his fingers together with them.

"Nothing." Gray murmured as Carmen used her free hand to entwine one of his curls around her finger tip.

"Nothing? You don't want to do anything?"

"Unless kissing you and cuddling with you is an option, I don't want to do anything today."

A smile crept onto the former thief's face as she bit her lip to suppress it. No matter how many times Gray said things like that to her, the butterflies fluttering within her stomach never seemed to go away.

"That sounds like some good plans to me," She murmured back, tucking a stray curl behind her husband's ear.

Gray leaned over, planting a tender kiss on Carmen's lips, her heart skipping in her chest. She deepened the kiss, parting her makeup-bare lips and allowing his tongue access.

The aussie's hands found their way to her hair, his fingers getting tangled within her wild auburn waves. Carmen's hands reached up, cupping his face and tracing the length of his jaw.

Gray briefly pulled his lips away from hers, peppering kisses down Carmen's jaw and neck, stopping at the sweet spot right below her ear. The lady in red unintentionally allowed a quiet moan to escape her throat, feeling her eyelids sink to a close at the feel of him against her. Gray paused, and she could feel him smile into her skin. He knew he'd won this time.

Before Carmen knew it, she was stripping off her pajamas, which, if we're being honest, was really just one of Gray's shirts. Her bare body fell upon his, and they began to make most of their lazy Sunday...