Stenbrough Nights

|Shot 104| • Superhero •

• • • •

BILL

"With great power, comes great responsibility". What a line, right? But I don't think Stan Lee meant that an ordinary seventeen-year-old should dress up like a superhero and beat up guys almost twice his size.

And yet, I'd do it again and again to keep Stanley Uris safe. I feel silly wearing the mask, but I do it to make him smile. And because if he knew who I really was, knew what I was doing, it would ruin everything.

Used to be the only "superpower" I had was the ability to tell a halfway decent story. Now I dress up like I'm Batman (more like Dick Grayson) and beat up anyone that even looks at Stanley wrong. After what happened to my little brother, George, I took up martial arts classes every day to protect myself and the people I care about, including my bird boy. I just wanna keep him safe. I've been hopelessly in love with him for as long as I can remember, but I know he doesn't feel the same way. Even if he did, his father would never allow it anyway, he'd probably kill us both.

I've known Stan since the first grade, when nobody wanted to play with the Jewish boy with the golden curls that loved the birds that sang in the morning breeze. Except me. I loved his dimpled smile and the way the sun made his caramel eyes twinkle, the way his lips formed when he'd whistle at the birds. I knew then and there that this boy would have a hold on me forever. But I could never tell him so.

So instead, I put on a mask, I make sure his dad and others can't hurt him, and I swallow the rest. I know, healthy, right? But it is what it is. If the mask is what it takes to see him smile, then so be it, because man, is he cute, with those dimples, those light brown eyes-

"Bill? Are you even listening to me?"

Shit! He caught me staring off again like an idiot.

Stan makes this annoyed teacher face at me whenever I'm not paying attention but even without his perfect face distracting me, I hated math. Just looking at the worksheet made my mind drift.

"Oh yeah, sorry" I said sheepishly, trying not to blush but being too conspicuous.

"Come on, Bill. Just one more page and we can be done with the calculus stuff" Stan encouraged me, more patiently.

"Ughhh" I groaned, flopping my head into my hand as I tapped my pencil rapidly with the other. "Easy for you to say, how are you so good with numbers, Stanny?"

"Because they're easy" he answered with a playful smirk.

"You- oh, come on, Stan. Help me? Please?"

"Fine, since you used your manners"

"I always have good manners"

He gave a breathy laugh before leaning close to get a better glimpse at my paper. That's all it was, to read my work. But his curly hair ever so slightly brushing my lips and his vanilla musk flooding my nose made me blush.

"Oh, this one is easy, Bill" he said confidently. "Here, let me show you. I'll do the first one"

He began to explain in his own sophisticated way how to solve for x and divide fractions, the equations and answers rolling off of his tongue so smoothly. I liked watching his slender fingers at work, nails so neatly trimmed and clean, smooth to the touch from proper care.