Super?

I'll Never Forget You

A/N: Apologies in advance for the fluff factor in this chapter. I figure this book can't all be depression and violence. (Don't worry. There's a fair share of that coming...) Again, thanks to anyone who's voted or even bothered to read my story! ^.^ I would love if it you'd comment and tell me what you think :)
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       He takes me down on the river, and we get there when nights falls and the stars are starting to blanket the sky. The cool turning-to-fall-breeze air whips through my hair as we drive through the sparkling city lights. A soul-infused acoustic cover is playing on the radio, and I can't help but feel like this moment is too perfect.
       He stops the car in the parking lot of the entrance to the infamous Birchwood City River Walk, a concrete trail leading down the edge of the river and next to streets full of quirky mom and pop boutiques. The trees are waving in the wind, creating a peaceful shushing sound. The lights of the city reflect on the inky river water. Cars swoosh by, and a siren echoes in the distance.
       "You've never been here? Are you serious?" Tate asks me incredulously, seeing my skeptical expression. His eyes gleam in the darkness and he swings open his door.       
       "Come on. Now we have to go," he laughs. He walks around to my door and pulls me out by my arm. I stand up slowly, taking in the city around me. It's sad to say- but I've never seen it like this before, with my new eyes. I've always had a love/hate relationship with this city, and I've never appreciated the beauty of it like this before.
        "How did you know?" I question Tate cautiously, breathing in the smell of the almost-autumn air. It smells like fire and damp green and hope.
       "Know what?" The black-suited villain lounges with one hand draped over the Camaro, looking out over the river with the bright lights playing on his pale skin.
       "This. This moment," I murmur, closing my eyes and listening to the sounds of the city that's both trapped me and saved me countless times over. I can tell he's smiling even though I can't see his face.
       "You like it? It's my favorite. I try and come down here at least once a week. Not during the day. There's something so... peaceful about the night. Like there are countless possibilities when most of the world is sleeping and you are still awake. I like the mystery of the darkness, too, I suppose." He looks up at the sky, where the stars are visible even with the city lights clouding the horizon. He looks almost childlike with wonder.
       "I didn't know sociopaths got so philosophical," I tell him dryly, but I too am admiring the stars, as much as it kills me to admit it. If I could capture this moment and stay like this, every detail- minus Tate of course- I don't think I would ever leave.
       "Well, even we like to treat ourselves to the beautiful parts of life once in a while," he says, turning to look at me. His face looks ghostly in the din of the night as he stands up and moves toward me.
       "Woah, there, tiger. I agreed to keep things civil for one night. Let's not try and break that fragile agreement just yet, okay? This isn't a date," I warn him as he steps up near me, putting a hand out to stop him from doing whatever the hell he thought he was going to do.
       He draws back, his eyes still shining.
       "I was going to put this behind your ear, little Miss Paranoid," he teases me, drawing out a small purple wildflower he'd somehow picked from a patch near the sidewalk without me knowing.
       "It probably has bugs on it or something," I recover, folding my arms over my chest. He just chuckles softly to himself.
       "I never took you for the type of girl to be afraid of bugs," he replies, a dark eyebrow raised.
       "Besides, when'd you get all Mr. Romantic anyway?" I ask bluntly, ignoring his comment. "Last time I'd seen you, you were far from a person who would go out of their way to make nice gestures. Or go out of their way to make other people happy in general."
       He looks at the ground.
       "Like I said, I'm kind of trying to make up for all of that. It took me a while... but I've finally realized..."
       "... How much of a villain you've been? Because, I mean, that's what you are. Unless you can't make up your mind. Because you can either be kind or you can be evil. Reggie doesn't hate me for no reason. I tried to save that kid, which you probably know because you most likely eavesdropped on my conversation with Bloodhound outside of the pub that night. I made the choice to step away, and I didn't really want to at first. I didn't even know I was stepping away until I realized how much I hated who I was becoming. And, my friend, that's what you're doing right now. Making amends for the person you used to be," I tell him. Tate looks back up at me and then over the water, his face troubled.
       "I just can't stand it if I'm losing the people I care about because I'm too stupid to see how much of a mistake I'm making," he says, his voice sounding pained as he buries his hands in his thick black hair and his eyes reflect the lights dancing on the river.
       "I didn't know you cared about anybody," I comment, watching him closely. Oh God... Please don't tell me...
       "Well, I care about one person. But I'm a little too afraid of losing her to let her know how much," he murmurs. Shit. Of course he just had to say that. What is he expecting me to say? To do? Did he think I came here because I wanted to be with him secretly deep down in my heart? He must be out of his goddamn mind.
       "Oh, really? What's her name?" I ask, my voice dripping with sarcasm. He turns to me, drawing in a deep, painful breath. Here it comes...
       "Alicia," he admits. Oh. Oh. What? Wait a minute... What even?
       "I thought you were like, in love with me!" I sputter. "You kissed me and then you asked me out to dinner and then you made this perfect moment- and you're in love with someone else? You must really be bipolar because a guy who is in love with a girl doesn't do all that stuff with someone else." Tate just looks immensely confused.
       "N-no! I was just trying to be nice! I knew that I could never move on with Alicia if I never apologized to you for what I had done in the past. And that kiss was seriously just a test. I needed to know if you still had feelings for me," he stutters. He's not so slick-and-suave now.
       "Well, I don't. So you're good there," I say, putting my hands up in the air and snorting in disbelief. "You seriously weren't trying to strike up a relationship with me tonight?" I ask again. He shakes his head, suddenly looking terrified.
       "I was just trying to be nice. A friend. I know that after Reggie dropped you, you had to be pretty miserable. So I wanted to give you a night that you wouldn't forget," he says, blushing under the cover of the darkness.
       "Do your friends tell you that you look beautiful?" I ask, still not over the fact that the whole time I thought he was flirting, he was just trying to friendly.
       "Ok. So maybe I sent some mixed signals. But I was just complimenting you, I swear. I mean, you're definitely very pretty, but I only want to be- and hope we can be- friends. I think- I think I'm in love with Alicia," he murmurs. Oh. Maybe he's not such a horrible guy after all, now that I know he wasn't being a creep the whole time. He was just trying to genuinely be nice, in the worst way possible.
       "You regret what happened in the past?" I ask him uncertainly. He nods eagerly. He's definitely changed a lot from when I first punched him after he tried to kiss me two days ago- and almost suspiciously so.
       "That wasn't who I really was- who I'm meant to be. I want to change, for the better. I swear. I'm so sorry," he tells me earnestly.
       "Then Alicia's a lucky lady." I wonder if I believe those words. If I wish him on anyone. Deep down inside, though, I know he's changed. However, when I look at him, all I can see is the villain with the black eyes who partook in destroying my life. "But if you want to change, you need to step away from your old life. For good. Believe me, I know how hard it can be to try to hold on. No more villain business," I instruct him sternly. He nods, his shoulders relaxing now that he knows I've forgiven him. It doesn't change what he did, but it helps to know that he's willing to change who he is. And for a girl, no less.
       "I didn't know sociopaths got so philosophical," he shoots back. I grin.
       "New development," I assure him. "Believe me, I'm still getting used to it. I'm not so keen on giving life advice and exchanging pleasantries with others. But I'm trying. Dave and Ollie- those are the guys that I'm staying with- are really cool. They're helping me out a lot," I say, staring out at the river from beside him. Tate smiles.
       "Well, good. You deserve friends like them. I know your life hasn't been all that easy, and that's partly my fault. I'm glad you found happiness," he replies, folding his hands behind his back and rolling his head back to glance at the stars again.
       "Listen to you, spouting cheesy stereotypical movie quotes. Maybe you have it in you to become a superhero yet, Tate." I thump an arm around his shoulders. He looks down at me and grins sheepishly. "And for what it's worth, it's not all your fault. I made my own choices. Also, I'm sorry for punching you. I kind of thought you were a creep," I tell him awkwardly. "Sorry."
       "Nah. Can't blame you there. And I sort of deserved those punches, what with me kissing you and all. Consider them payback on your behalf," he replies dismissively. I give him a long look. Wow. I never thought I'd live to see the day. Crow, the villain of villains, turning good-guy for this mysterious Alicia. She just really be something. And it reminds me that underneath all of these masks, all of these code names and powers, there really is just another ordinary person.
       Horrifically enough, it reminds me of this quote I heard once. Down these mean streets a man must go, who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. (And never will I forgive myself for referencing a quote to my everyday life. God. Pretty soon I'm going to be wearing tumblr quote shirts and black Nikes.)
       Sometimes we let the world change us for the worst, but we can always choose to be good if we try. It's just a matter of whether we are willing to try or not. In Tate's case, I'm glad that he is brave enough to try.
       "How about dinner, huh? Are you hungry? I had reservations for this new restaurant downtown. It overlooks the river. It's called Red Street, I think. But now I'm starting to think that's a bad idea. Too fancy for a pair of friends?" He glances at me sideways. I shrug.
       "Are our clothes too fancy for a hotdog cart?" I ask by way of reply, gesturing down to my dress and then up to his tie.
       "Never. It's Birchwood City. We could be dressed as Twinkies and nobody would so much as bat an eye," he jokes. "Hotdogs it is." He links elbows with me and we make our way down the river walk, admiring the city lights and the river.
       "How come I never knew about this?" I marvel. Tate shrugs, and then his lips twitch up into a sly smile.
       "When you're looking for the ugliness in everything, you can never truly find the beauty," he throws at me. I cringe and make fake gagging sounds.
       "That was a good one," I tell him. "But I bet I can do better. Just you wait." He laughs and we stride along in comfortable silence, just two friends and ex-villains out for an evening stroll in their nicest clothes, seeking a hotdog cart. Nothing weird about that.