Superheroes Suck

Chapter 37: Those Stupid Green Eyes

Spitfire didn't return until late into the morning hours and my mother never returned at all. I don't know if Maddox was awake or if Spitfire had to wake him up to relieve him, but he was gone by the time I woke up. Sometime during our talk, I had fallen asleep curled up on the couch across from the TV.

Snuggled into the back of it, Murphy did his best to pick me up without jostling me too much. The movement was enough to stir me, however, and my eyes opened to his bright green eyes looking down at me sleepily. I instantly felt bad that I had gotten to rest while he was out searching the town to help my mother and I. I looked back up at him in concern but he simply shook his head, as if he read my mind.

Maybe he did, I swear Penn used to be able to.

We both fell asleep as soon as we got home. I lay soundly on my bed while Murphy was on the couch despite my protests. Murphy decided the danger I faced was great enough that I wasn't to leave his sight, he didn't even let me pee in private. He stood in the bathroom while I tried to go, though his back to me wasn't very comforting.

I woke up later that morning before him so I decided to let him sleep a little longer. I crept over to where he slept and replaced the pink blanket he had pulled over himself, though it was a little too small for him he was too tired to do anything but grab the first blanket in the linen closet. He looked so peaceful in his sleep so I watched him for a few moments as the stray hairs blanketing his forehead caused his nose to scrunch up. I pushed the stray strands aside before moving towards the door carefully.

Once I was a little ways away from the room, I called downstairs to have food brought up to him. I asked for Geoffrey to deliver it but requested they wait an hour or so because he was still asleep. I knew Murphy would be mad at me for leaving without him, but I wanted to go outside to the gardens for a little fresh air. The was a nice little garden around back that Murphy had showed me one day that I absolutely adored.

One staff member rushed past me, a tablecloth strewn across her arms as she dashed towards Murphy's parent's wing. It seemed preparations for the ball had begun and that could only mean Murphy's mother had returned. I knew his father wouldn't return until the day of the ball himself, leaving all of the preparation to his wife and their army of assistants while he was working out a deal in Gotham about some new apartment complex.

The sounds of footsteps growing closer behind me sent me flat against the wall, only to find the other butler Bennett barrelling down the hall balancing a plate of sandwiches and pitcher of coffee. I assumed he hadn't noticed me until he shouted back, "Your dress fitting is after school!"

Ugh, the stupid dress for the stupid party.

I grabbed an apple and filled my mug up with whatever expensive brand the kitchen had brewed before heading outside. The garden was hidden away, a present to Murphy's mother and a place for her to escape to during parties or when she needed a little "creative time." Murphy had brought me there to show me somewhere I'd be able to hide if necessary because it was invisible from the air and easy enough to disappear to along the way. We had even spent an afternoon there just enjoying the seclusion, he was sprawled on the ground huddled over a sketchbook while I read a book.

I enjoyed the coffee in the privacy of the garden, content to enjoy what little time I had before school. My day seemed rather serene, not too out of the ordinary. There was still the mystery event later at six that Harry had yet to give me any details on, but I had doubts I'd have anything to do.

With the last few sips of my coffee, I returned to the house and asked one of the workers to grab Murphy and I thermoses of coffee to go. Geoffrey most likely already brought Murphy a cup of coffee with his breakfast but it usually takes at least two cups to make us functioning humans in the morning. I was certainly going to need it to get through school and the stupid dress fitting. Murphy had promised to let me pick the dress out myself but I guess that didn't mean I could escape having to stand around in my underwear while a stranger came a little too close for comfort.