[Her mind was already working on a brilliant retort when he agreed to stay at her place. Just like that. She let the subject go, first surprised at how easily he agreed and then surprised to find she actually cared a great deal about it - about him, and his safety. Obviously that meant time for a change of subject.]

Okay, there's a gargantuan, monumental difference between that and this. You're talking about lying to everyone you care about about what you do. Which isn't even that terrible aside from the whole lying about who you are as a general thing? Except that you completely take their choice away from them. They can't choose whether or not they want the life or to help or whatever. You make the choice for them, you take away their power to choose and say it's for their own good. Just like villains do.

[A beat.] I really don't think I've ever criticized anyone for having secret powers. Like, I don't know where you keep your costume? And I didn't learn about that whole phase-through-walls thing until way later and I didn't freak out about that. Everyone has exit strategies and secret weapons and aces up their sleeves. And, okay, I probably have more than most but that's part of why you like me, right?

[She flashed him an intentionally flirtatious smile, tilting her head as she looked up at him. Then she offered a remark meant to be offhand, but one she realized the truth of as soon as it left her lips:]

You help me by being here and trusting me, even when I don't always give you reason to.