synopsis: momo’s first community event

“You think we got this?” you asked, sparing a glance around the backyard.

“How hard can it be to charm the shit out of these sweet small-town type folk? We so got this,” Momo pulled you closer, pressing another kiss to your temple before raising her glass. “Everyone!”

Right in front of your eyes, Momo transformed. From the publicly shy, soft-spoken woman you’ve known all your life, to a confident agent that you’ve never had the chance to see in action. Her eyes shone like the twinkling fairy lights strung around the backyard as she grinned.

synopsis: momo goes to a museum

Clean black desk, empty save for a laptop and notepad. A singular picture frame hung above the plush leather chair.

Oh, it was him. You supposed you got lucky this time. You smiled as a quick greeting before jumping right into it, “I noticed a recon mission in my file, I was wondering what that’s about?”

The man behind the desk rolled his eyes. “Hello to you too, Hippolyta.”

synopsis: momo embarks on a mission unlike any other

Although reading through was still as painful as ever, she willed herself to push through. After all, she had an important call to make once she was done.

An idea had sprung up in her mind when she had been forearm deep in dish water. A name. A lingering memory. An old friend. Hence, the call.

Scrolling through page after page of the details in the document, she found her leg impatiently bouncing next to her. The more she thought about it, the more she assured herself. Surely, they had missed her just as equally?

“Babe,” Momo’s voice was soft as she came down the stairs and into the kitchen, “there seem to have been some changes to my schedule.”

“Hmm?” you forced yourself to turn away from her and got busy with fixing a fresh pot of coffee.

She didn’t need to see the smile threatening to spread across your face, or the fact that you had been up until two last night coordinating new flight details after a hastily sent email by HQ.

“Yeah, so the new warehouse opening doesn’t actually need me there after all. My flight’s been postponed.” After a few more taps to her phone screen, she set it aside to lean against the kitchen counter.

You finally smiled as you came closer, handing her a mug of freshly made coffee.

“Well, that’s good news! That means you can accompany me today.”

It was only then that her gaze landed on the heaps of baked goods neatly packed on the counters.

Her eyes widened. “That’s today?”

“Yep,” you smirked, before downing your coffee in one go.

She groaned. “Do I have to?”

And just like that, internationally feared assassin Hirai Momo had turned into a whining child.

You smothered a laugh as you gestured for her to hurry up with breakfast. “The poster said the events start at nine, but we need to get there earlier so I can set up.”

By the time you had changed out of your pyjamas, made your bed, and rushed downstairs with sunscreen in hand, you found Momo still at the counter where you had left her.

She sat there picking at her singular slice of toast as if having to attend a community sports day was the biggest trial of her life. 

“Hey,” you nudged her shoulder from behind. “It’s eight thirty, come on.”

She heaved a deep sigh, clearly not prepared to face the entirety of the neighbourhood and have to interact with them for hours.

You rubbed her shoulder gently as you continued, “Besides, wouldn’t you rather spend more time with me than at some warehouse in a random city?”

The tension left her shoulders at that, and she turned her head to place a quick kiss upon your knuckles. “You’re right, I’ll go get changed.”

You hummed to yourself as you went over your checklist one last time, making sure you had all the items needed to set up your stall. When the event had first been announced, you had immediately volunteered to take responsibility for the snacks, knowing in advance that Momo wouldn’t have been there on that Friday. As luck would have it, however, her canceled flight from last night meant you’d just have to handle both the stall, and participate in whatever shenanigans Momo came up with on the sports field.

The subject of your thoughts rounded the corner just as you ticked off the last item, leaving you to stare at her unashamedly. Momo was dressed in black cargo pants, with a matching black sweatshirt. Under the sweatshirt, you could make out hints of her favourite exercise crop top, just in case it got too hot. To top off the all-black ensemble, she was also sporting a black wristband on her left hand. 

As your eyes looked her over from head to toe, you slowly began. “You do know this is a community event, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe a little colour wouldn’t go amiss?”

You were met with a glare as she flipped you off over her shoulder and went to lace up her shoes. While neither of you sported very flashy wardrobes and preferred a more minimalistic style, you hadn’t expected her to come out dressing like that.

Although you supposed, as you looked at your own black and white tracksuit and navy baseball cap, you probably weren’t much better.

“Help me out with these, will you?” you said as you handed over containers filled with cupcakes and croissants. 

You giggled as you looked at her in the process, her outfit catching your eye once again. “You look like –” an assassin, you had almost blurted out. Shaking your head, you grabbed a few containers of your own and locked the door behind you.

As you headed down to the local high school where the sports events were being held, Momo peered into the boxes stacked in her arms. 

“Why are they all chocolate croissants?”

“Because of you!” You gestured as much as you could without dropping everything you were holding. “You’ve been obsessed with them ever since you got back from Bordeaux!”

She hummed in agreement. “They really are the best thing I’ve ever had, but I love piano chocolate more now that you make them.”

You smiled at the sentiment but couldn’t resist correcting her. “Pain au chocolat.”

“That’s what I said!”

It had been an hour since the events had begun, and Momo was nowhere to be seen.

To be fair to her, she had helped set up your stall, and had hung around for a bit before ‘deciding to take a walk around’. Since then, you’d been too busy to keep an eye out for her. Your baked goods were in high demand; with most people having skipped breakfast in their excitement, your stall was naturally the first place they beelined towards for their morning quota of sugar. 

You smiled absentmindedly as you watched children run around with spoons in their mouths, and hop in jute sacks. Their events had begun first, and the games for adults were only just being announced. Just then, you spotted someone walking around like they were cosplaying the  Grim Reaper. Ah, so there Momo was.

She neared the stall while you were in the midst of assembling an order for Mrs Kapoor, stopped briefly to pull her sweatshirt off, and tied it around your waist in a single swift motion. Before you could manage to get a word out of her, (or get a look at her toned arms), she had already pressed a quick kiss to the top of your head and disappeared into the crowd. 

“Is she joining the games?” Mrs Kapoor asked with a smile as you handed over her bag of croissants. You could only stare back in response.

There’s no way.

There was no way that Momo would willingly join in silly community games with the other adults in this town. The same Momo who had groaned and sighed her way out of the house this morning. And yet, you watched with growing disbelief as she positioned herself into a row with a handful of other parents, surrounded by a gaggle of screaming kids. The first game was nothing out of the ordinary, just a simple race around the track with Momo being leagues ahead of all the middle-aged parents whose only exercise was keeping up with the energies of their children. 

The track ended just a few meters away from where your stall was set up, allowing Momo to conveniently jog up to you, not even so much as having broken a sweat.

“Hey!”

“Don’t ‘hey’ me! What are you doing?”

She looked confused. “A run? We were just warming up for the–”

“We? I didn’t think you’d take part in these, Momo.”

She scratched her head. “Oh. Well, yeah as I said, I was just taking a walk around, but then I think some kid from the other day recognised me?”

“Can I get three of the chocolate croissants, please? I’ve heard they’re delicious.”

The two of you froze as your neighbour Mr Jones’ voice interrupted Momo’s explanation. 

Curse that old man and his timing.

You turned your back to Momo and hurriedly shoved three croissants into a paper bag. You had been right to make extra last evening, as you knew they’d be popular. Although what the old man was risking with this much sugar, you didn’t want to think about.

By the time you turned back around, Momo had moved closer and was twisting open the cap of a water bottle. You could tell from her face that she had forgotten where her story had been interrupted.

“So…kid from the other day?”

“Right.” She snapped her fingers. “From the basketball court. He came up to me and asked if I was going to be in any of the games. And obviously, I said no.”

She paused to take a sip from her bottle.

“But then! He said his dad was a faster runner than I was, so of course I had to show the little punk how wrong he was.” She smirked, tossing her hair behind her for effect.

She looked at you with gleaming eyes, probably expecting some congratulations for her race. Instead, you could only laugh at her. 

“You’re telling me you entered into a race because a ten-year-old said you couldn’t win?”

“Well, I, I…” she started indignantly but then sputtered off when she realised she had no real defense.

Still chuckling, you moved to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Are you going to enter any other games? Any more kids you need to prove wrong?”

“Don’t tease,” she pouted. “I couldn’t tell you right away because the race was about to begin.” In the distance, another game between the adults had already started; some pairing off of sorts was occurring between the couples taking part.

The two of you watched it unfold as Momo finished off the rest of her water. Two elementary schoolers ran up to the stall, and you readied yourself with paper bags, assuming they’d want some cupcakes. 

Surprisingly, they completely ignored the sweets and tugged at Momo’s hands. “Come on! My mommy doesn’t have a partner!” 

Momo’s eyes widened, and so did yours. It seemed like her athletic feats had spread amongst all the children, and now everyone wanted her to take part in the events. It seemed like a strange sort of deja vu as you watched her be dragged away once again, the empty bottle still in her hand.

You resigned yourself to her absence as you finally pulled out your folding chair and took a seat behind your fast-depleting table of snacks. You had to admit, having a first-row view of whatever Momo was doing out there was pretty entertaining. You watched as she finished whatever the partner game was about and tried to leave the track only to get surrounded by children pushing her back in. After a couple of attempts at pushing through, she caught your eye and mouthed ‘help!’.  

You could only shake your head and smile, busying yourself with setting out more containers and stacking all the empty ones. You didn’t really need to do all this organising, but you felt fidgety without Momo there to hold your hand.

Knowing she was oceans away and at work was one thing, and you had learned how to live with the distance, but having her right in front of you yet far away was a new experience. You shook yourself out of such codependent thoughts and decided to take a quick walk yourself if only to see what everyone else was up to.

To keep the kids from getting too distracted, a combination event had been organised. Adults were standing with baskets, trying to catch the balls the children threw at them. You circled around to where Momo was, dodging more balls than she was catching. 

“This looks fun,” you said nonchalantly.

“Y/N! Hi, this game… is so much… fun.” You could make out the sarcasm even as she said the sentence through punctuated breaths. 

A whistle signaled the end, and everyone on Momo’s team crowded around her to count the number of balls in the basket. Despite how terrible she was at catching, she was somehow better than all the other adults, and the kids rewarded her with loud cheers. 

Gently disentangling herself from the crowd after a short break was announced, she hurried up to you and grabbed your arm. “Let’s go home!”

“What, now?”

“Yes,” she shook the arm she was gripping onto. “Come on!”

“Momo, I said I would hold this stall until lunch. That’s still an hour and a half away, we can't just leave.”

She deflated. “I just don’t know how to say no to the kids,” she whispered.

“Take a break with me,” you walked her back to your stall and opted to settle onto the floor in lieu of the singular folding chair that had been provided. You broke off half a cupcake and held it out to her as she sank down next to you with a tired groan. 

“Does this beat being on a plane or…?”

She chewed thoughtfully, “The silence on a plane is definitely better, but you’re here with me so,” she bumped your shoulder with hers, reaching for a croissant next.

You rolled your eyes. “I’m sure this is better than having to deal with new employees at that warehouse.”

She fixed you with a pointed look. “Yeah.”

You leaned in to steal a bite of her croissant, playfully shoving her as you stated, “These are for the players by the way, so don’t finish them off.”

“Technically, I am a player too. That means I can eat as many as I want.”

Eventually having had her fill, she brushed the crumbs off her pants before standing up and stretching her arms. You leaned back on your arms if only to stare at her more comfortably. “Are you headed back to the field?”

She nodded, pointing towards nothing in particular. “Tug of war is about to start, and where would the team be without my strength?”

Well. You couldn’t really argue with that, so you bid her adieu with a chirpy ‘good luck!’.

The sugar in her system seemed to have helped, as she jogged back to where teams were beginning to form. As soon as she was near enough to be spotted, the surrounding children started clapping and hollering once again, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind about who the winner of this event would be.

Stationed at the very end of the rope, Momo easily led her team to victory in tug of war, followed by dragging around her unsuspecting partner during the three-legged race. Dodgeball saw the opposing team moving muscles they had not moved in years, as they jumped and dived in an attempt to avoid her fiery attacks. As you enjoyed your view from the sidelines, one of the parents came up to you. 

“That wife of yours, she’s really into this, huh?”

You smiled in sympathy. From his flushed and sweaty face, he had probably had the misfortune of being in the team against her.  

“She can get pretty competitive I guess,” you shrugged. “Here, have a cupcake, you look like you could use the sugar.”

He scoffed, before grabbing the cupcake as though it had personally offended him.

The games soon came to a halt. It was time for families to grab some lunch (with a side of socialising). You looked at your empty containers stacked neatly along the side of the table, with the exception of the last pain au chocolat you had been saving for Momo. The break had come perfectly in time.

“Behold, the reigning champion!” you called out loudly as Momo waved goodbye to her young fans and approached you.

She swatted at your arm to shut you up before leaning in closer.

“Hi.”

You smiled at her nuzzling into your shoulder. “Hello to you too. I saved you the last ‘piano chocolate’.”

She lifted her head from where it had been resting before narrowing her eyes at you. “It sounds different when you say it like that.”

“Anyways, you don’t happen to have a hair-tie, do you? It’s starting to get really hot,” you were rolling the sleeve of your tracksuit back before she had even finished her sentence, showing her the two hair-ties you always carried on your wrist.

“A lifesaver,” she muttered, grabbing one and shaking her hair back.

Her eyes roamed the milling crowd as she tied her hair. “Oh no, Mr and Mrs Yu.”

“Hmm?”

“They’re coming this way, we need to hide.”

Momo’s sentiments of going unnoticed by them were warranted. A couple with three children, Mr and Mrs Yu had never failed to mention the joys of parenthood in every single conversation you had with them. And you just knew that after Momo’s interactions with the children today, they would have something to say about it.

You watched Momo as she, in turn, watched the approaching couple with growing panic, before hastily looking around her for somewhere to hide. She grabbed one of the empty containers and attempted to…lift it up to her head to…block out her vision?

Just what was she trying to do?

You could only gape at her as the Yus were temporarily slowed down by their youngest child tripping on the ground.

“Momo!”

“What, are they here yet?” she whispered, frantically gesturing at you to pick up a container too. For all her evasive maneuvers and disguises as Agent 64, she was being incredibly dense at this instant. 

You tugged her around the table, ignoring her whispered shouts of ‘they’ll see us!’, and struck up a quick conversation with a surprised Mrs Kapoor, who had been sitting to the side with a sandwich.

“Hi Mrs Kapoor, hope you enjoyed the croissants.” You plastered on an all-too-big smile, side-eyeing Momo and hoping she’d get the memo.

Thankfully, she caught on after a split-second. “Yes, I hope you liked them. They’re my favourite recipe that Y/N makes.”

Mrs Kapoor smiled politely and put her sandwich away. “The sweetness of the chocolate was just perfect! I might order some for when my daughter comes home from university. The spring break is about to begin you see,” she said by way of an explanation. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Mr and Mrs Yu retreating; now that their childless targets were busy, they had no one to preach to.

“That’s great! I’ll surely keep that in mind, and feel free to call me whenever you want them.”

“I might even get some for myself before she comes,” Mrs Kapoor laughed.

“Of course, I’m pretty sure I’ll always have ingredients on hand because,” you nudged Momo, “as she mentioned, they’re her favourite.”

With that, you graciously said goodbye, and the two of you headed to the main street to get yourselves some lunch.

It seemed that you two weren’t the only ones who had decided to eat at the town’s lone burger joint. As soon as you walked through, a bunch of pre-teens in the middle of their lunch turned their heads to where you were standing, and beckoned Momo over.

Your incredulous, ‘They know you by name?’, was heard by no one as the kids spoke over each other to talk to Momo. You sighed and took it upon yourself to order for Momo too, seeing as she was currently busy.

She looked a bit awkward trying to make conversation with twelve-year-old girls, but you had to appreciate the effort she was making. You walked over with the tray holding your burgers and she immediately made space for you on the tiny bench she was occupying. 

“No pickles, babe,” you handed over hers before digging into yours. Momo hummed appreciatively as she unwrapped her packaging.

The two of you had barely managed to take a few bites before one of the girls gushed, “Where did you buy your clothes from, they look so cool!” 

“Oh, um,” Momo looked surprised at having been asked this mid-bite, “I don’t exactly remember. They’re not from one specific place, I think the pants are from Prague?” She looked at you for confirmation as the girls ooh-ed at her response.

“The all-black is so cool, you look like a spy taking down bad guys!”

You froze halfway through wiping your mouth with a napkin as Momo almost choked at that declaration. Her wide eyes met yours, out of instinct surely, why else would she want to share the surprise of this remark?

Recovering just as quickly, she turned away and swallowed hard before flashing a small smile towards the girl vibrating in her seat out of excitement. “Spies are cool, indeed.” 

Once the burgers had been demolished, the burger joint eventually emptied out as everyone made their way back to the high school track. Having no more baked goods to give out, you were technically free to spend the rest of the day as you wanted, but there was one last event to be held. 

The heat of the morning had been replaced by a steady breeze, and you untied the sweatshirt that had been around your waist this whole time, draping it over Momo’s shoulders. As you walked hand in hand with Momo, you observed the new changes to the track. Over the course of the lunch hours, the space had been transformed into an obstacle course. Not as elaborate as ones you’d seen before, obviously, but still pretty remarkable for a town of this scale. 

“Woah, I wonder if this is a team game,” Momo seemed as in awe of the course as you were.

The two of you split ways as she went to inquire about when the obstacle course was starting, while you quickly ran back to your stall to fetch the croissant you had been saving this whole time.

Wrapping it securely in a tissue, you briskly walked to where Momo was standing, alone for the first time the whole day. It seemed that the course had two parallel lines running together, and although it wasn’t a team event, two individuals would be able to do the course simultaneously. 

“Dessert for your thoughts?” you held out the wrapped pastry.

She shook herself, seemingly clearing her head before taking the croissant from you with a kiss to your palm. Whatever she seemed like she was about to say was interrupted by a whistle, announcing the beginning of the course. 

You waited at the sidelines as she devoured the croissant on her way to where the crowds had begun to gather again, hoping to cheer her on properly this time. However, as she neared the starting line, no one else seemed to step forward. There was a slight unease through the crowd, as though they were afraid of being asked to race against her. You watched her come to this realisation too, as her eyes darted around the parents standing together in a huddle. 

In a second, your mind was made. Never mind the fact that you hadn’t properly warmed up for any athletic activity, you wouldn’t let Momo do the obstacle course alone. You separated from the sidelines and jogged over to the second line of the course; Momo, seeing you approach, immediately positioned herself on the first. You grinned at each other as the rules were quickly explained. 

Just before the whistle signaling the start of the countdown was blown, you shook hands as Momo turned to you with a shine in her eyes. At that moment, you suddenly understood what she had been thinking about just a few minutes before—she had wanted you to take part in the course too but had not known how to spring it upon you. 

Well, you thought, tightening your cap over your head, it was all too well that the rest of the adults were too scared to go against her. It afforded you the opportunity to participate in an activity right alongside Momo, bridging the space that had circumstantially persisted all throughout the morning.

taglist: @someone-who-likes-broccoli @happilychaengs