Work Text:
“You don’t have to stick around, Julian.” Joe tried to make it sound casual, like it wasn’t a big deal. Like he would be fine if Julian left, went home. “It’s getting late. Your family’s probably wondering where you are.”
Julian didn’t so much as roll his wheelchair back an inch. He just stayed at the workbench, absorbed in whatever the hell he was making now. “No, they’re definitely not wondering. I called them ten minutes ago, remember?”
Joe chuckled, just a little, then sat in his own seat at the workbench. “I guess you did.”
“So stop worrying, and hand me that screwdriver.” Julian pointed to the one he meant, and Joe handed it over. “Seriously, stop worrying. Mara and the kids can go without me for one night.”
“And what, I can’t?”
“I dunno, can you?”
Sighing, Joe grabbed their coffee cups and went for refills. He didn’t have an answer to that. Which was the case for most aspects of his life.
“I’m fine,” he finally said, pouring coffee. “Who wouldn’t be? I get to drive around a badass, high tech car and fight crime.”
“Yep.” Julian kept working on whatever the hell he was working on. “And then you sit around this big old hideout by yourself the rest of the time.”
“Mhm.” Joe sat back down and slid Julian’s coffee over. “I gotta admit, it is nice having some company in my big old hideout.”
Julian gave him an I told you so look. Joe chuckled and drank his coffee.
It did get lonely here sometimes, but it wouldn’t be tonight. Joe still had no idea what the hell Julian was working on, except that it was probably something cool for the car. Regardless, it was pretty great to just hang out with a friend.