by Simon Archer
“I can take you to the pet store when you’ve recovered, you know. Could be fun.”
She smiled a secret little thing at that and nodded slowly. “Maybe some other time. You should get the supplies while I’m stuck here. Let me get a list going.”
After weeks of her being so uncertain in my company, it was strange to see this new confidence come to light. I wasn’t sure if this was because she was a ‘mother’ now or if some other hidden resolve had settled in during the attack.
Either way, it was a pleasant turn of events. She was just finishing off a list of things for me to buy while she was in the hospital when Triton arrived and knocked on the door with a gentle rap of his knuckles.
“Nick, do you have a moment?” he asked from the doorway.
“He does,” Kara said as she shoved the ‘fish care’ list at me and gestured toward the door. Then she smiled at me. “Go talk to him. I’m sure it’s important.”
“Okay.” Sure, she was being a bit bossy, but she’d also been through a lot over the last twenty-four hours. I smiled and bent down to kiss her forehead. She pretended to scoff, but then she snatched my collar again and gave a quick peck to my cheek.
“Be back later?” she asked with a smile.
“Of course,” I chuckled, “after I go to the pet store.”
“Of course,” she echoed, nodding back to me. She settled into her pillow and closed her eyes. “Shoo.”
At the door, Triton’s smile was tender. “Her recovery seems to be going well, according to the nurse.” He led me out of the room, and together, we walked toward the lobby. “She was very lucky. You were all very lucky. Fulgurite is extremely dangerous.”
“I... I know, sir. I’m sorry, I wouldn’t have done so, but she was after me again, and there were so many civilians—”
“I’m aware, my dear boy,” Triton interrupted. “Don’t worry. This isn’t a scolding.”
“Oh...”
“Rather, I came with a request. As I said before, I would like to train you and your friends as a group. I was going to wait until I better ascertained your own abilities before the introduction of combat, but it would seem that you find trouble with the same amount of ease as your father did.” I swallowed heavy at the reminder, but Triton’s gentle smile remained. “That’s a compliment, my boy. His career as one of the greatest began very early, and you have done much the same as of late.”
“I...” I was speechless. Getting such a compliment about anything concerning my father was a rare thing. “Thank you, sir.”
“I speak only the truth.” He nodded. “After the young Miss Johnson has healed, will you please bring each of them to our session? We have much work to do if you’re going to be recognized as an official heroic unit in training.”
“O-Of course!” Thrilled, I bounced on my feet no unlike Eric would have and grinned from ear to ear. “Thank you, sir. I really appreciate the honor—”
“Think nothing of it,” he said and smiled again. “Take the next few days to rest. You’ve done well.”
Chapter 25 - Kara
Nick wouldn’t leave me alone for more than an hour or so at a time. He managed to convince the staff to let him sleep in the chair beside my bed, despite the fact that I was no longer critical. It was probably because he’d managed to make himself look really pathetic, between the bruised eyes, the puppy-like pout of his lips, and the unkempt hair that said he’d hardly showered since the attack.
The nurses were very kind, bringing him lunches whenever he refused to go down to the cafeteria. I harassed him now and then with idle remarks to take better care of himself, but I also knew exactly why he acted as he did.
His mother Delilah had been a very sweet, soft-spoken woman. She was ordinary only in that she didn’t have any powers of her own... she was, in all the ways that mattered, an ideal woman. I admired her when I was young, and in fact, I wanted to be just like her.
She was an elementary teacher who regularly donated her time and money to charity. She studied science, loved wildlife, and was a terrible baker, but a fine lover of baked goods. She taught her children to love with their hearts but think critically about the world around them. Her hugs were warm and soft, and they smelled like the cookies she’d always carry to bribe the children she surrounded her life with.
After a bad day when Nick and I got into a stupid bout over nothing, as children were wont to do, Delilah had found me crying and pulled me into her arms with a sweet little laugh. She wiped my tears dry and said, “I know, sweetie. Boys can be stupid sometimes.”
I told her that I hated Nick and wanted nothing to do with him ever again, but she just chuckled a second time. I didn’t understand what was so funny, but she said, “He’ll come by tomorrow and attempt an apology. You’ll need to be patient. Just because someone is reckless doesn’t mean they aren’t worth your time.”
And true enough, he did.
When Nicholas Senior flew through the door after a long day of heroing, he would wrap Delilah up into his arms and kiss her like it was their first time. Her eyes would light up when she spoke of him.
I always envied Nick for having a mother like her until the day that she was taken away. Afterward, it was like a hole had been ripped into the world, and we’d all fallen down into a spiral that would take us years to resurface from. Nick went away with his father to that terrible island, and the world cowered in fear at Inferno’s rise to power. Ice Bringer used to come to Christmas dinner wearing a snowman costume, and now he fought against Inferno in bloody battles that destroyed entire cities and left millions adrift.
Nick had slumped over in the hospital chair, and his head had fallen into my lap. I gently brushed my fingers through his dark hair and thought about her. How the loss of her had ruined the world and changed it to something else entirely.
“I’m really sorry for scaring you like that,” I whispered.
It was one thing to believe that your life had little to no worth, and another to face its end. On that cliff, I thought I would be scared, and maybe a small portion of me was. Mostly, I was just angry. It had been crazed lunatics like Fulgurite that had ripped Delilah from this world and had hurt people like Nick in the first place. I didn’t want to become just another tragic mark in his life. He would have recovered, but it would have taken years.
Andie peeked her head through the door and smiled when she noticed Nick out cold in my lap. I smiled back, gesturing with my head.
“You doin’ better, strawberry?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged carefully. “I should be getting out soon. He won’t leave the hospital, so...”
“So you’ve convinced them to allow you an early leave?”
“Something like that.” I nodded.
Andie crossed the room and sat down opposite Nick. She sighed tiredly and then waved at him. “He’ll be alright. He’s just—”
“I know. I scared the hell out of him.” I nodded. “I’m... really sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Andie whispered. “Really. We’re just happy that you’re alive. The rest can wait.”
She and I locked eyes, and I hated how understanding they were. She knew more than she said. A lot of it went unspoken. She’d been so good with Nick, and she was good with me too. It was obvious why he loved her. To be honest... it was hard not to do the same. It wasn’t every day that you met an angel, and I had been fortunate to know two of them.
“Thank you,” I whispered. I wished I’d said that to Delilah before she... “For taking care of him.”
Andie shrugged like it was nothing, but it wasn’t nothing. It was everything.
“I mean it, Andie,” I insisted. “You’ve already done too much for both of us. I just wish... I don’t know. You’re... you’re a really good friend.”
“A good friend, huh?”
Andie crossed her legs and quirked her brow knowingly. Her lips curled into a saucy little grin. I blushed and glanced down at Nick’s sleeping form instead. I continued to brush my fingers
through his hair, ignoring the subtext for now.
She chuckled softly and settled back in her chair. “I love you too, strawberry.”
It was so easy for her. I wanted it to be easy for me too.
Instead, I just blushed a little harder.
“Uh huh.”
“Ha!” Andie stood up again, chipper as can be. “You know what, I’m feeling a smoothie. Let me know if Sleeping Beauty wakes up. I want to be there when he confesses his undying love again.”
I snorted. “Don’t be silly.”
“Can’t fool me,” she said, wagging a finger my way. “I know all.”
Chapter 26
Doctor Leslie was a hero who performed care at the Alexandria Memorial Hospital, using her powerful healing abilities to accelerate natural mending in her patients. When she received word about Kara’s injuries in response to Fulgurite’s second attack, she paid a special visit. Without Leslie’s help, Kara would have spent the next few months in a cast. With it, Kara was thrilled to discover she’d be removing it by the following Monday.
Kara excitedly babbled about the encounter all the way back to Valcav, and I was happy enough to hear her joy that I didn’t interrupt the constant flow of dialog.
“Her abilities are fascinating, Nick! She can manipulate life down to the cellular level. I mean, imagine! She’d have great potential in the field... heck, she could probably take down Fulgurite easier than most! Cellular manipulation? You could do basically anything to anyone, yeah? But she traded her combat boots for a scalpel and swore she’d never fight on the front lines. She dedicated her life to healing and science instead. That’s so inspiring. Not that Triton isn’t cool, and I like Amazoness too... but Leslie is awesome! She gave me her personal number. Apparently, we’re friends now. I’m friends... with Leslie, Nick!”
She noted my lovesick smile when she finally glanced back to me and then blushed something fierce.
Ducking her head, she muttered, “Sorry, I’m just really excited.”
“Stop that,” I admonished. “Let me steal one from Andie’s book and sternly remind you that you’re allowed to be happy.”
This only caused her blush to deepen, and she shoved by me for the door to her dorm room. Fishing out a key, she managed to unlock and open it one-handed after a minute’s struggle.
I wanted to help her, of course, because her injured arm was still in a sling and she wasn’t exactly at full health again, but her independence was too important. She glared at me for even thinking about it, but the expression morphed into astonishment when she peered through the door.
Eric and I had decorated the tank while she was still in the hospital, and it was now home to boisterous green plant life and a little bubble treasure chest. We’d arranged the substrate with rocks and moss to create realistic underwater terrain, including a cave for the fish to hide in if they felt insecure. The goldfish lingered there at first, wary at all the giant hands moving their home around. Now, they darted happily among the leaves and moss and swam up to the glass when Kara walked into the room.
“They look so... they’re so happy,” Kara said, a twinkle in her eye betraying no small amount of emotion. “Nick, this is...”
I shook my head. “There’s more.” I gestured toward the stand next to her bed. A smaller, cylindrical five-gallon tank sat there with the blue betta and a freshwater snail for company. It was largely barren compared to the other tank, but it did have some soft moss that added a bit of color in contrast to the black gravel.
“I did some research,” I said. “The plant life in there is soft and shouldn’t tear at his fins. He and the snail will get along. I... know how you are, and figured you’d think he was lonely, so I made sure he had a friend that he wouldn’t get too uppity about.”
“Nick...”
Kara looked on the verge of crying, and I chuckled. She chuckled back, but the tears were falling now.
“Kara, it’s just a tank. Well... two tanks. It’s gonna be alright.”
“I know. I’m being stupid. It’s just—”
“You’re not stupid,” I cut off. “Look here.” I crossed the room and opened a cabinet underneath the larger tank. “There’s feed and a filtration system. They ate earlier, so they should be good for a while. Both tanks have heaters too, and they’re connected to thermostats so they’ll turn on automatically.”
“God, Nick... this is...”
Kara snatched my arm and spun me around to greet her. Her blue eyes were wide, loving, and astonished.
I smiled and carefully hugged her close, wary of the injured arm.
“It’s just a few tanks,” I whispered into her red hair. “We wanted to get you something nice.”
“I don’t... I don’t know what to say. No one’s ever... no one’s...”
“Before you thank me, you better thank Eric too. In fact, thank Andie and Aylin as well, because everyone had a hand in this.”
“I... Nick, I...”
“You’re worth it, you know. And I love you.”
I shushed her and kissed the top of her head gently.
This time, saying the words came as easy as breathing.
Kara’s laugh was wet and emotional in response, but she managed, “I love you too.”
We held each other close for a long time. Long enough that time ceased to matter, and the world dimmed to just me and her. Her breath was warm against my neck and comforting on a level that was hard to describe.
These last few nights, I tried not to think about how easily I could have lost her... but dreams were what they were, and my mind could not forget the moment when I was convinced she was gone.
Life was a short and fickle thing, easily removed by so many factors throughout the day. A car accident, a fall, disease, a sudden villainess randomly showing up in the middle of a date... I couldn’t live my life in fear of them and knew not to linger. I took solace in the fact that she was a solid presence in my arms, warm and breathing and safe.
Eventually, however, Kara squirmed away from me and blushed crimson.
“Can you sit down, Nick?” She gestured toward the bed.
Confused, I did so. Kara fished through a shelf of her things and came back with a small battered journal that I instantly recognized as hers from so many years ago. It was a small black book covered in various colorful doodles from metallic pens. An addition from her teenage years, no doubt. I lifted a brow when she handed it to me.
“Open it,” she said.
It wasn’t every day that one had permission to open the book that held their friend’s deepest, darkest secrets. Years ago, when I was a petulant boy who didn’t know any better, I’d stolen this journal and threatened to read all its contents. I didn’t, of course, but Kara was devastated by the threat, and betrayed that I even considered it. When I realized how hurt she was, I gave it back without a word and never discussed it again.
It was strange to be holding it now.
“Jesus, Nick,” she scoffed. “It won’t bite you.”
“This is your journal,” I said, blinking up at her. “You’d kill me for touching this. I mean, without your permission.”
“When you were six, sure. Now, we’re adults, and I want you to open it.”
Like I was defusing a bomb, I carefully opened the journal to the first page, teeth clenched in nervousness. But it wasn’t a bomb, nor was it even text. The page contained a small set of five-petalled flowers with little yellow centers. They splashed along the paper where they were taped carefully and pressed for so many years. I was surprised at how well the color maintained. It was only slightly faded.
“You found them out in the woods, remember?” Kara smiled at my dumb expression. I wasn’t sure what to think. “They’re called brunnea,” she continued. “Like cheaper forget-me-nots.”
“You kept them?”
“I taped them.” She nodded and smiled again. “For years, every time I opened this book, I thought of you.” She sat down next to me on the bed and gestured at them. At
the book as a whole. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but most of the time a girl only writes in these things when they’ve got something upsetting to vent. Or at least, that’s how it works for me. But the flowers, they... they always gave me something to smile about, especially when the world seemed to be crumbling all around me. It was my... my reason, I guess. To keep going, you know?”
“Kara, you didn’t—”
“Let me finish.” She shook her head. “I was upset, yeah, but you were so warm to me... and then your friends became my friends. Your world became my world. Instead of writing in this book for answers, I started talking to Andie and Aylin... I started debating stupid comic book theories with Eric, and I started... I started looking forward to seeing you again. Every single day, watching you grow into the man you are.” She stared at the floor, whispering, “Falling... falling in love again.”
“I love you too, Kara.”
“No, I mean, I really, really—”
“Kara.” I set the journal down on the bedside table next to the betta’s aquarium and twisted to face her fully. When she glanced away, unable to meet my eyes, I gently snatched her chin. “I’m not just saying it. I mean it.”
“Nick, I...”
I shook my head, unwilling to let her put up walls again. “Can I kiss you?”
When she nodded, I did so. I kissed her cheek, and when she smiled in surprise, I asked, “Can I kiss you again?”
She pulled me closer with her good hand on my collar. Our lips connected in a bright splash of red hair, blue eyes, and hands on her hips. My breath was her breath, my wants, her wants. She ended up in my lap, and I felt need crawl down my spine. It settled in my gut like a living thing. I needed to sate it, and I needed her, all of her.
With a desperate edge to my voice, I asked, “Can I touch you?”
“If you don’t, we’ll have a serious problem,” Kara hissed. She was crimson again, flushed with need and something else entirely. My hands slid down her hips, groping her delicious curvy bottom. I kissed her neck and then nibbled on the shell of her ear.
