Cool, I got two comment in the prologue! I'm used to wait for months before receiving a comment in my original writings; this is a nice change XP It gave me the push I needed to finish this chapter, thanks a lot to Devilbunny and BioWeapon358
Nice X3 While writing I got favs too! No need to say it helped me to finish it today, right?
Big thanks to shaman3 and the story The Old Film Strip. Thanks to that story I realized certain moments LL/B5 I didn't before when watching the episodes for first time. Somehow like an odd, powerful and secret weapon (A weapon that I'm not afraid of using).
At first I thought this chapter would be longer, then I thought it would be shorter… and once again started to think it would be longer, but I guess better not to force things and let them go as they please.
Beyond Logic
Chapter 1
Superman wasn't sure of what he was expecting to happen by standing there. It was already the third night in which he would stop in front of Brainy's lab when heading to his own bedroom.
What was he waiting for?
The first night he had stared at the door for a good pair of minutes before continuing on his way, the second night he had waited for half an hour before leaving; and now, on the third night of his unusual ritual, he had been standing at a few centimeters from the door for practically two whole hours.
"Hey!" A particular voice startled the red caped hero.
Stepping back several steps, as if a burglar who had been found before intruding in a house, Superman tried to remain calm to the presence of one of the most energetic of his new friends.
"Isn't it way past your curfew already? I thought you would be snoring by now." Lighting Lad joked as he approached.
Without realizing it, the Kryptonian gazed for a moment to the door before answering. "I-I had some troubles to sleep, so I thought of walking around for a while."
Turning to look at the door, Lighting Lad nodded in understanding. "Is our 12th level of intelligence genius still mad at you?"
"It's not like if I can blame him for it." The man of steel sighed.
"Have you tried apologizing to him?" Lighting Lad asked.
"I've hardly been able to talk with him lately." The Kryptonian gave another look to the door. "It's like if he were avoiding me."
"That's why you are waiting here?" Lighting Lad smirked with an I-know-what-you're-doing look.
Superman shrugged at the question, not even him knowing for sure why he was there. "I guess I thought it would be harder for him to avoid me here."
"Boy, you are making such a big deal out of nothing." Lighting Lad couldn't believe how dense the hero from the past could be. "Just enter there and talk with him for once and for all!"
"I doubt that intruding into his place would help me in any way" Superman noticed how Lighting Lad rolled his eyes back in disbelief. "It seems he won't be leaving his lab tonight either way."
"Another reason to 'intrude'." Lighting Lad said in a teasing tone.
"I prefer to go back to my room" Superman almost whispered before yawning and giving the good nights to leave.
You need to have been in a place to go back to it, Supes, thought Lighting lad.
Controlling his body to not give a last look to the door, Superman walked out of the area.
"Intruding? That may stop you, but not me." Lighting Lad whispered to himself as he saw the red cape leaving his visual field.
--
As the doors of his lab opened, Brainy turned to see who it was, only to find what seemed to be an annoyed Lighting Lad.
"Your Supes was here again." Lighting Lad took a spare chair from one of the walls as he shook his head in concern. "And once again, he didn't dare to 'intrude' in your place."
The Coluan remained quiet, continuing to work in one of his projects as his companion approached to sit behind him.
A few minutes of silence passed before Lighting Lad spoke again. "You know I can, and will, stay here with you all night if you don't go to get some rest."
"And you know I don't need to sleep this often." Brainy replied, still focused on his project.
"Yeah… but I doubt it's good to let you over push yourself." The Legion's leader stood and rested his hand on the young Coluan. "Specially now."
Trying to ignore the hand on his shoulder, Brainy spoke with certain annoyance in his voice. "If I wanted company I would have requested for it."
"Didn't you figure out, with your 12th level of intelligence," Lighting Lad smirked. "that it comes implicit with asking for advice to me?"
At the last statement of his friend, Brainy wondered why Lighting Lad had to be the only one he could talk about it with.
--
It had been only a few days after Alexis had been sent to prison when the Coluan started to understand what that strange feeling he was experimenting was.
He struggled against the idea, giving his best to forget his suspicions of what the feeling could be.
It was futile.
He was jealous, jealous of someone who had been able to spent time with Superman, a time in which Superman would be focused on only that person, Alexis.
No, that wasn't all. There was more. He also was mad, mad because if it wasn't for Alexis, Superman would have spent that time with him, only with him.
But… why?
Why was he jealous? Why was he mad? Why with Alexis?
It was illogical! He didn't even get mad with Alexis for destroying his lab. How could it be possible for him to be mad with her for simply being with Superman?
Love is illogical… where had he heard those words before?
'What? Love? Nonsense!' were the words repeating in the Coluan's mind.
Then, he remembered. Lighting Lad, he had been the one saying those words, 'Love is illogical'.
Love… was he in love? Could he even been able to love someone?
With his head filled with questions, Brainy rushed out of his lab, trying to calm down as he thought of what to do.
He needed to talk with someone, but who?
Saturn Girl? Phantom Girl? Triplicate Girl? Bouncing Boy? Timber Wolf? No! It would be too embarrassing to talk with any of them about that.
Who else was in the headquarters?
Superman… Yeah, as if talking with who seemed to be causing those new feelings to appear could be a good idea.
Without realizing it, he had walked to the bedroom's door of the Legion's leader.
Lighting Lad… Should he do it? They had already talked about the subject after all.
Only with remembering that day the Coluan would blush, darkening his cheeks with another shade of green.
He took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock the door before remembering it, Lighting Lad wouldn't be inside.
The leader of the Legion had left some days ago to assist other legionnaires in a mission where his powers would be of great help.
Brainy wanted to scream his frustrations out. He couldn't talk with anyone else; it needed to be Lighting Lad.
"Brainy?"
The owner of the name turned, thinking that his luck may change at the appearance of who he needed most in that moment.
Lighting Lad didn't know what it was, but he could tell by the expression of his young friend that he had been expecting for him.
"I thought no one would be around by when I returned." The Winathian opened his door to drop his luggage over his bed. "Why don't-"
As he turned, Lighting Lad saw a look on Brainy's face that he wasn't used to see on the youngest member of the Legion, a look of confusion, doubts and… fear?
"B5?" The Legion's leader didn't move, surprised for that unfamiliar look. "Is something wrong?"
Regaining composure and a serious look on his face, Brainiac 5 nodded. "I need to talk with you about something, Lighting Lad"
Lighting Lad took hold of two seats near a messy desk. "Sure, come on in"
Still unsure of how to touch the subject, Brainy took seat and waited for a while before starting.
"Do you remember when you told me you had a crush on me?" Brainy looked at his side, avoiding looking at his leader's face.
"Uh… Y-yeah" Lighting Lad felt an unusual bump on his heart as he remembered.
"I…" The Coluan doubted for a moment before taking what he wanted to say out of his throat. "I think I'm having a similar problem, that's why I needed to see you, I don't think I could talk about it with the others" He even doubted he would be talking with his leader about it if it wasn't for the past.
Brainy had a crush on someone? First, Lighting Lad thought it was a good thing for the young guy to discover that wonderful sensation, but for how he looked after saying it, he could guess the little guy didn't think in the same way.
"A crush, uh?" Lighting Lad smiled widely as he tried to imagine who it was. "Which one is it? Phantom Girl? Shrinking Violet?"
"…" Brainy took a moment to shake his head, and even more time to continue. "It's… it's not a girl."
"Hey, you know I'm open minded" The Winathian tried to give a warm smile to make his friend more confident. "Just spit it out."
The smile contorted as the Coluan explained the new feelings he had experienced, by when he explained the reason of it, the smile had been replaced by a shocked expression. Lighting Lad was glad his friend had avoided to look at him as he talked, it would only make everything worst.
'You fell in love with Supes?!' was all what Lighting Lad could say when Brainy finished.
--
Brainy wasn't sure yet if it had been a good idea to talk with the Winathian; in one hand was the support and help he had offered… in the other was the part of him trying to spend more time with him and even forcing him to get a daily sleep.
"…" Brainy turned to notice how Lighting Lad looked ready to fall asleep in the chair any moment soon. "I'll finish this last part and then I'll go to bed."
Lighting Lad nodded with a sleepy smile, making the Colaun think it may haven't been such a bad decision after all.