Slow and Speedy Win the Fight

83. Costume

Haresa

Nothing could've prepared me for this moment.

Rudra sat next to me with his hands together in pleas despite holding a bubble tea. It didn't really look like he was begging, really it looked like he was trying to beg for a sip of the drink or for me to try it.

We sat at the park and our bags were heavy from the numerous textbooks we had to take home for tomorrow's classes. Rudra tried to drag Sheldon to our hangout but he passed over it saying he needed to get some things done for the mission. I asked if he needed me to tag along but he said my presence would "hinder" him.

Rudra sat on the left side of the park bench while I sat on the right. I was trying to suck whatever leftover boba sat at the bottom of my cup through my straw.

"Rudra..." I said slowly, still gathering my thoughts. "I may have known Sheldon since we were kids..."

His face perked up and his eyes got wider.

"But I don't have the answers you're looking for."

"You have to know what his favourite food is though!"

"He literally eats anything. He's been eating even more since he got on T too," I explained. "Why can't you just ask him?"

"Because he has no phone and is impossible to get a hold of!" Rudra exclaimed. "I noticed you two have been walking to and from school together too."

"Yes, well..." I nearly panicked. "It's because of the mission."

"I just really want this date to be special," Rudra took a sip from his drink. "I want to make things official."

My eyebrows raised on their own and I tilted my head to one side. "You're that serious, huh?"

"I just also wanted to possibly introduce him to my family," Rudra said.

That was when I nearly fall over the bench. "You're coming out?"

He hesitated. "Well—"

"Rudra, I support you no matter what but you've been terrified of coming out to your family. You don't know how they'll take it." I set my cup beside me and grabbed his hands. "Are you sure you want to go through this?"

"Haresa, you don't have to worry. I'm a big boy." He attempted to move his hands to move his drink closer to his face but couldn't because of my hands. "Could I...?"

I let go and he went back to sipping on his drink.

"You know how my coming out went," I bit my bottom lip. "I just don't want it to happen to you."

"Dude, you offered to give me sanctuary if anything goes wrong so I'm taking that offer and camping out with you and your dad for as long as you'll have me," Rudra said. "But seriously, I have a different question I need to ask."

"Go ahead."

Rudra's eyes searched the ground as he took a sip from his drink.

"Do you need me to use my super hearing? You can whisper it if you need," I said.

Whatever his question was, it must've been important. Before he could even utter a word, my phone went off.

"Lyra, what is it?"

I gave Rudra an apologetic look and he waved his hand to signify it was okay. I walked away to a quieter area of the park so that people wouldn't eavesdrop.

"We've just processed your team up with Sheldon," Lyra's voice crackled through the phone's speaker.

"You're calling me about that?" I asked. "I thought you weren't going to micromanage my stuff."

"It's not that. It's a good promotional opportunity in all honestly," she said.

"We don't have sponsors, so we can't get a camera crew or anything." I didn't like where this conversation was going.

"You are now with Blanc Enterprises," she said, voice clipped. "Your hero branding should reflect on that."

"Branding?" I stuttered.

"Yes, Blanc Enterprises will have to custom make a costume for you and you will have to fill out a form of your measurements. I expect the email by tonight."

"Do I get a say in my costume?"

"Absolutely not."

The phone went silent and I stared at the home screen page just processing what Lyra said.

I don't have a lot of hope for my new costume.