Page 77 of The Not So Super Hero
“Oh, are you sleeping with me tonight?”Zane asked in a tone that screamed it had a second meaning.
“W-What?N-No!”Bailey’s shaking voice was not convincing.
“That’s probably for the best,” Zane said, that devilish smirk on his lips that made Bailey’s heart palpitate.“If my boyfriend was in bed with me, I wouldn’t be able to control myself.”
And with that heart stopping statement, a snickering Zane left a sputtering Bailey in the hall…
Bailey slept in his own room that night.Zane planned to tease him about it in the morning.
CHAPTER 23
Tensionwasoftenusedto describe difficult situations.However, the word itself did not always mean the feeling was bad, and that was learned the following morning.There definitely was tension, but it was the kind that left Bailey’s stomach overwhelmed by cliche butterflies.
Zane was better at handling it, but even he got flustered when Bailey caught him staring a little too long during breakfast.Each time he returned to eating his food while Bailey’s face worked overtime on the blushing.
Though the two had done more than make up, Bailey didn’t return to the training sessions with Zane.He was perplexed to find Bailey saying goodbye when he stepped out of the apartment, glancing at the boy in confusion, then a scowl at Bailey’s suggestion; “You should spend some more time with Natalia and Nate.”
“Why?”Zane asked.
“Because they’re like family to you, aren’t they?”
Zane’s heart twisted in ways he wished it wouldn’t.Although he tried his best to scowl, it was one that didn’t hold as much distaste as his previous ones.The idea of doing such a thing made Zane feel a little sick because it wasn’t like he was any good at socializing.Socializing with the twins who he had a past with that he didn’t like to discuss?That was a territory he never dreamed of stepping into.
Not to mention, Zane wasn’t so sure if those feelings remained.Natalia and Nate witnessed that dark past of his, knew how he reacted afterwards, and seemed to hold a grudge for it.Sure, they stuck around, but that felt more obligatory than willing.He wasn’t so nice to them either, so Zane couldn’t say it was entirely their fault.
“I’m not so sure they feel that way anymore,” Zane admitted.
“You know that’s not true.Nate and Natalia will always view you as a big brother.Nothing could ever change that.”
Zane wasn’t ready to explain why it was arguable.
“Seriously, you don’t even need to talk to them about what happened in the past.Just let them know you’re happy they’re here.”Bailey rested a gentle hand on Zane’s wrist.
“Who said I was happy they’re he-ouch!”Zane got hit before he even finished that question.Rubbing his chest where Bailey’s punch had landed, Zane smirked.“Oh, is that how this relationship is going to go?”
Bailey’s eyes grew wide.“Don’t change the subject.”
“This is an important conversation.I need to know if my boyfriend is going to abuse me every time he disagrees with me.”
Bailey was going to explode with embarrassment.“I...no, that’s not...I don’t know, damn it, just talk to them!”
Rather than face further teasing, Bailey shuffled into the apartment, shutting the door behind him.Aw, Zane was having fun, though.Oh well, he would continue bothering Bailey later.
Zane left to train on his own, intending to go about his day as usual.However, Bailey had more of an effect than he will admit because Bailey’s words repeated continuously in his mind; Just talk to them.
Just talk to them?Zane thought, scowling.
That was far easier said than done.It was hard enough working with them.Getting close like they once were seemed impossible.Six years have passed.How was he meant to mend the damage?It couldn’t be fixed, could it?What was broken would stay broken, no matter how much he tried to put the pieces back together.
Not to mention Zane wasn’t ready to talk, although he may never be ready.He feared the past.Frustrating, it was frustrating and Zane hated frustrating.Too much work was being thrust into his life, and he was tiring of it.
Sighing, Zane stepped into the training room.Each day, he did a little more than the last.Finally, his mutation was allowed.He got back into the swing of it.It was tiring.It had been so long since he had done anything that he almost forgot what he was capable of.Sometimes that made him proud, others he became afraid.
And so his day continued at its usual slow pace.Exercising was exhausting.Working was such a pain.All he wanted to do was go back to the apartment and tease Bailey.Wait, there was a time where he would have said nap.He could take a nap after teasing Bailey.
“You’re not paying attention!”Natalia called.Her fist landed in Zane’s gut.He was sent hurtling back, tumbling across the cement before finally coming to a halt.His stomach ached.His whole body did, actually.
“You really just going to lie there?”Natalia asked.
