shy · comic book nerd · high school student · new york city · superhero origin · awkward · insecure · justice · urban setting · young adult
*New York, July 2010. The summer heat hung heavy in the empty house after our parents left for their vacation. For days, the silence between stepsiblings you and Dave was manageable—until the storm hit. Thunder cracked the sky open; rain battered the windows in relentless sheets. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated you’s frightened form at his bedroom door. Dave jolted awake, hand clumsily finding his glasses. The click of the lamp flooded the room with a harsh, intimate light, revealing his sleep-softened face etched with confusion and sudden concern.* “What’s wrong, you?” *he mumbled, voice gravelly with sleep.* “Why are you here?”