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Escaping Akropolis to live a Suburbanite life is a huge jump. Much easier with the love of your life with you. Some superheroics on the side didn’t help either. Let him balance out the crazy with the boring domestic side of his life easier.
Scott Free never expected to have any of this, and honestly, now that he had it he really, really, didn’t want to lose it. Especially now that everything just felt so… normal.
Football Sunday’s have become his self proclaimed ‘Guys Night’ where Booster and Beetle came over to the Free residence. Cheap snacks, sometimes cheap booze, and a lot of confusion on Miracle’s part normally followed. He still couldn’t quite grasp Football, no matter how much he had asked Barda to explain it to him.
He just knew that Booster and Beetle really liked football.
This Sunday, as Scott had just learned, was the Chicago Bears versus The Gotham Knights.
Thus leading to the ruckus currently filling his living room.
“That’s bullshit!!”
Beetle’s voice finally got louder than the broken cackles of Booster. The man standing up and putting his hands in his hair. While Miracle sat next to them on the couch, looking between the screen and the scene to try and patch what just happened together.
Booster wiped the corner of his eye, snorting, “Oh that is too good,” the words were sharp between his laughter. The golden hero reached to snag his beer from the coffee table in front of them.
“That ref doesn’t know what he is doing!”
Beetle threw his hands up, sitting back down with a sharp huff. Crossing his arms, vaguely gesturing to the TV as he did.
Scott had come to learn that Beetle was… definitely a Bears fan. He only ever got revved up like this when the Bears were playing, had a jersey and everything he wore on those days. Would come in talking about how it was finally their season, and it always resulted in this-
Beetle dragged a hand down his face, groaning as he stared at the scores. Desperately trying to ignore the mockery Booster kept chirping in an attempt to ruffle his feathers more.
“The score isn’t that bad,” Scott eventually piped up, breaking the awkward silence he had sat in for the scene. Glancing at the TV.
38-34, Bears losing,
“That’s what makes it so bad!” Beetle groaned, slumping against the cushions, “Because this one,” he flailed a hand dramatically toward Booster. Who was currently lounging back with a shiteating grin, “This one,” Beetle shook a fist this time, lowering his voice, playing his anger up for the bit.
“Not my fault the Bears are S-H-I-T,” the blonde chirped, grinning wide. Immediately sending Ted into a groan as he reached for one of the throw pillows nearby to hurl at Booster.
Scott didn’t get how they both got so worked up over this. Actually, he didn’t think they had ever gotten this bad before.
Sure, the occasional outburst over a bad play. Never to the point where Ted was sat watching through his fingers half dragged down his face, and Booster just cackled and slapped his shoulder beside him.
“Why does it-“
Miracle couldn’t even finish his question before Ted replied with all the dramatic flair he would expect,
“Booster likes the Knights, a tragedy!” he flopped back with his arms thrown over his eyes. Perfectly timed with a commercial break. Sending Booster into another immediate giggling fit.
“I am biased,”
Michael ushered to himself, smug. Gaining another limp pillow whack from a groaning Ted at his side,
“He is insufferable is what he is.”
Scott nodded along, glancing towards the kitchen like Barda would appear and save him from the squabble he was about to mediate. Almost begging her too. Normally once she walked in Booster and Beetle immediately piped down.
It seems the cards weren’t in his favor tonight.
“If you hadta pick, Scotty,” Scott felt his nose crinkle at the nickname, as Booster leant over Ted to ask his question, “The, multiple superbowl winning, amazing, undefeated Knights,” Michael ushered to himself, “Or the Bears, who suck.”
“They won the Superbowl, two-!” Ted jammed himself between Booster and Miracle, “Two years ago!” The brunette triumphantly held up two fingers in Scott’s face.
“And they haven’t won since,” Booster shoved Beetle away, sticking his tongue out. Causing a series of play swats to be exchanged between the two,
“They both seem like they are doing good,” Scott immediately started, holding up his hands to placate the two men, “Like… record wise ‘nd this game is going well?”
“Dude,” Booster started, sitting back and crossing his arms, “You can’t be serious,” Beetle finished, taking a similar stance.
“I am! I already said this game makes no sense to me.”
“We’ve been watching the whole season! Who’s your favorite team?”
And with that. Attention was lost on the Bears and Knights debate. As brown and blue eyes locked onto Scott, demanding an answer.
“I dunno,” Scott grumbled, rolling his eyes, “Whatever one Barda likes? She likes this game more than me.”
More unimpressed looks.
“The uh-“ Scott stammered for a moment, trying to recall the teams they have watched. Or Barda’s favorite team. Whatever popped into his head first. The way Booster and Ted were just staring at him wasn’t making it any easier. Even when Beetle took the distraction to lean forward and snag a piece one of the snacks off the plate Booster had claimed.
“Uh…. the..”
Scott glanced around the room quickly, finally landing on some old poster from a show he did a while ago. Star City,
“The Stags.”
Silence.
He watched as Booster and Beetle looked at one another through the corners of their eyes. Michael scowled when he noticed Beetle had stolen his food briefly. Before loud, unabashed laughter immediately filled the living room.
Beetle flopped back and put a hand over his face, basically wheezing, slapping the couch with his other hand. Booster soon followed, hunching over the edge of the couch and holding his middle like it was about the split. Leaving Miracle sitting awkwardly, watching the curious head of his wife poked around the corner to make sure nothing had gotten destroyed to cause the noise.
“The Stags?!” Ted howled, kicking his feet up into the air. Flailing along like a sock puppet, foot connecting with the back of Booster’s head. Which lead to more uproarious laughter.
“They haven’t been good like-”
“In forever! Hell, they’re even shit in the fucking future man!”
Booster jabbed a finger to Scott. Beetle keeled over again, wiping tears from his eyes.
“‘Nd I thought Ted liking the Bears was embarrassing.”
Immediate silence. Beetle fell quiet as soon as the words left Booster’s mouth, frowning.
Scott knew what was coming. These “Guy’s Nights” almost always devolved into exactly this. Booster and Beetle bickering, play fighting, whatever. While Scott sat there like an awkward third wheel like these weren’t held in his house.
So he hardly even reacted when Beetle lunged from his spot on the couch, Booster tumbling into Miracle with an ‘omf’ followed by a playful flailing of limbs. Scott just huffed, propping his hand on his chin and watching the game, begging for Barda to come back and join them so these two finally stopped.