Page 4 of The Jorogumo

Being asexual when your powers depended on sex was not fun, and like many other supes in the Sanctuary, it was why I was here. All of us had some or the other reason for not having a human form. For Khush, it was a disability. For me and Alaric—the kelpie who lived in the Lake region of the Sanctuary—it was our self-imposed dietary restrictions. Everyone had a reason, and everyone had a home in the Sanctuary.

While I would love to fall in love with someone someday or find my fated mate, the thought of finding someone who would accept my boundaries was too daunting for me to try again.

I put the comic away as I realized I hadn't processed anything I'd read over the last fifteen minutes and decided I couldn't go on like this. I needed to talk to someone, and there was one person I could trust to give me straight answers without trying to spin it into something romantic.

Climbing out of my hammock, I walked over the webbed walkway to a shelf, slotting the comic in with the other issues before making my way to the front door.

Thankfully, I didn't run into anyone on my way out of the Forest area where I lived with Silas, Khush, their mates, Draven, Zamir—a shtriga—and Keoni, a centaur and the baby of this area.

The hallway outside was lined with doors leading into the different areas of the Sanctuary: Lake, Ocean, Mountains, Desert, Arctic (fondly called the Ice Age), Dining Room, Library, and at the very end was the one I was headed for, Darkness.

Darkness was home to just one supe, Shade. A supe of unknown origin, it was painful for him to be in the light, so he had his own area completely immersed in the dark.

I knocked on the door once before entering, and closed it quickly behind me.

"Shade?" I called out into the dark, waiting for my eyes to adjust.

While most supes could see well in the dark, even their eyes weren't made for the complete and utter darkness that ruled this place. Some species—like mine—had better eyesight than others, and I could make out the shadowy human-like shape of Shade as he came closer. That was all I could see of him, all any of us had ever seen of him.

"Haruto! Hi!" For someone who lived in the shadows, Shade was an upbeat guy, and most of us enjoyed his company. We made a point to visit him often, and make him feel included as often as we could. I knew Khush and the gang came over to have a meal with Shade often, and I knew he enjoyed it. Shade was a people person—unlike me—and I hated that he had to spend most of his time all alone.

"Hey, Shade. May I hang out with you for a bit?"

"Of course. You know I'm always up for company. Dustin told me about your trip to the human world. Did you have fun?"

Smiling, I settled into a comfortable position as Shade situated himself on a floating shadow, his legs crossed and elbows on his knees, his chin balanced on his linked hands.

I told him about the comic book store, and about Liam, and he listened with rapt attention, nodding at all the right places.

"Why can't I stop thinking about him?" I asked once I was done, the frustration clear in my voice.

Shade hummed thoughtfully, then tilted his head from side to side. "It sounds like you two really hit it off."

Oh hell. Please don't say it, I begged him mentally.

"Maybe..." he continued, and I sighed, bracing myself. "Maybe your mind is trying to make you realize you could be friends."

"Huh?" I asked as my mind stumbled over what I'd been expecting to hear and absorbed what he'd actually said.

"Yeah! You both like comic books, and Dustin likes him, so he must be a good guy. You could be friends with him. It's not like there's a rule saying you can only be friends with supes."

I stared at Shade, feeling so damned happy.

"Shade?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, buddy. Don't ever change."

Shade was quiet for a moment, then chuckled softly. "Uh, thanks. I guess."

I stayed for a while longer, and Shade told me about the books he'd read recently, and the ones he thought I might enjoy. He could see perfectly in the dark, which I was glad for. I couldn't imagine how bored he'd be if he didn't have his books.

By the time I went back to Forest, my mind was at ease, and I'd decided I'd try to strike up a friendship with Liam. I imagined it would be fun to talk about comic books with him.

Liam

Haruto returned two weeks after his first visit, this time with a different friend who left after a short conversation without entering the shop. I hadn't had a chance to install the buttons yet—it was harder to find the devices than I'd expected, and I'd finally placed an order two days ago—so I held the door open for him, and he shot me a smile as he wheeled inside.

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