Creation Of Cremations - Mumscarian Superhero AU

Chapter 3 - Ren

Grian was looking forward to tonight.  The blonde man waded through the endless supply of art resources, trying to find the right ones to take with him to the art club. Grian felt excited, more than he had in a while. His heart was pounding, he’d forgotten he had one. His stomach was full of butterflies. His mind was buzzing, a bucket of thoughts threatening to overflow out of his ears. Every perfect resource he uncovered filled him with anticipation at what was to come next. He could barely contain his excitement, it was bubbling over, making him shake and feel like he was going to jump out of his skin. 

Well, it wasn’t the art causing this sudden reaction. It was Scar. The late hours that Grian spent thinking about Scar were much more than he was willing to admit.  Something had sparked between Grian and Scar. It was exciting and nerve wracking all at once. The thought of Scar made his heart race and his stomach flutter. But being around Scar felt like being around a fire. Something that had the potential to spiral out of control, consuming everything in its path. Grian was nervous about what might happen if he allowed himself to get too emotionally involved with Scar. He didn't want to waste time on something that could end up leaving him just as hurt and depressed as he was before.

And if Grian was one thing, he certainly wasn’t a risk taker. 

That was CuteGuy. CuteGuy would jump off buildings. CuteGuy would speak his feelings. CuteGuy was everything Grian wanted and still wasn’t perfect, and you must consider that Grian is CuteGuy. Grian wanted to jump off buildings and be spontaneous just like CuteGuy. He wanted to confess his feelings to Scar just like CuteGuy. But Grian was the opposite of CuteGuy. Grian was cautious, risk-averse, and overly analytical and calculating. If CuteGuy was a livewire, Grian was a computer. CuteGuy wanted to live life to the fullest and felt no regrets. Grian liked to take things slowly and carefully, never jumping into anything unless he knew exactly how it would go. Perhaps that is why the superhero way of life was so intoxicating. It allowed Grian to try to be brave. He had never been a risk taker. Or at least, not until now.

Grian never left the house unless it was completely necessary. Being an avian in a walking world was too dangerous. So, Grian pulled on his wing bindings. As tight as they were, they kept him safe. However, he was unsure if wearing them so long and so regularly would be safe. It causes cramps and numbness to wear the bindings for too long. He felt pins and needles creep back into his feathers, his muscles were cramping from being unable to stretch and move naturally. His chest felt tight, as if he couldn't take a full breath, doubled with his very unsafe chest bindings. Unfortunately, this was life for Grian. The discomfort must be felt to avoid the feeling of danger.

Pushing down these thoughts, Grian once again set off. He could deal with the pain and numbness later. Right now, he had somewhere to be. Someone was waiting for him. Grian set off, determined to ignore the unpleasant feelings he was experiencing and focus solely on his destination. He was on a mission, and he wasn't going to let his body get in the way of his goal. As he walked, a slight ache in his wings grew into a sharp pain, but he pushed through it. 

The moment he entered the craft club, he realised something was missing. Or someone. Grian searched but he couldn’t see Scar anywhere. Feeling a little disheartened, Grian pulled out a chair and sat. Hopefully Scar would show up soon, but he had built up the day in his head, practising his potential conversations. Begrudgingly, Grian would have to wait and see how things unfolded. Potential conversation starters flew in his head, his anxiety swirling his stomach.

“Uh, hey dude!”

Grian jumped out of his skin, looking beside him. A tall man with long dark hair was standing there, wearing a red checked shirt under an open black button up. The man was holding a large portfolio bag under his arm. Round sunglasses shielded his eyes away. The man had snuck up on him and given him quite a shock. Grian was usually a painfully aware person, but the man’s sudden appearance had startled him. Grian took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down and regain his composure. His mouth suddenly felt dry, and he could barely form his words.