"Warren, give me your hands."

Our bodies were already sidled up to one another, our legs flush. I felt the heat of his figure through his jeans and tried to ignore the intensity of it. Warren was losing his grip over his powers, and he needed to get control of them soon, or else the entire school bus was going up in flames.

Forty-five thousand feet in the air, I'd say our chances of surviving a burning, falling school bus was slim-to-none.

I held Warren locked in my gaze. For my powers to work, for my willpower to overcome his, it was vital that our eyes never left one another's. I held my hands out to him. He shook his head.

"No, I'll hurt you," He muttered, and I could see the intense concentration happening behind a pained expression. His dark hair fell in his face, and his mouth creased in distress at the corners. His dark eyes were glazed, and I knew that if I didn't bring him down soon, it was all over. I brushed the hair out of his face, and saw his pupils dilate and his gaze begin to focus.

"Give me your hands," I demanded, and he did. They were hot to the touch, almost unbearably so, but I gritted my teeth and grabbed them tight. I maintained eye contact with the pyrokinetic sharing my seat.

"Listen to me," I coached him, using every ounce of my remaining energy to influence Warren's willpower. "Calm down. It's over now."

I felt his hands cool by a fraction of a degree. I had to make my resolve greater than his panic, to somehow lend him the strength to overcome the powers that were threatening to spiral out of control.

"It's okay, now. Everything's gonna be fine. Cool down a little."

His skin burned less now, for sure. I continued to encourage him, and as time wore on his skin grew slowly but surely cooler under my touch.

"You're fine, okay? You've got it under control." I urged him, and he nodded once. His brown eyes were hyper-focused on my own, and they were wide with shock and distress. The calm and collected Warren Peace I'd known gave way to an individual who was much like a lost child, afraid, and in need of comfort. I'd never seen this side of him before.

Finally, his body returned to normal, and our stare was broken. I collapsed back into the seat with a gasp- the energy depletion hit me harder than I thought it would. Warren's shoulders were hunched up near his ears as he sat forward in the seat, with his forearms resting on his knees. He was breathing heavily, too.

I sat straight up, and let my head fall back against the seat. My chest rose and fell rapidly, and I struggled to regulate my breathing. I finally did after a few seconds. I sat still, fatigue washing over me like a wave, and felt my eyes close. I was so, so tired.

Warren leaned back likewise, head falling back onto the leather seat. His breaths were irregular, too, but he was slowly returning to normal. I cracked my eyes open and looked around us. No one seemed to have taken notice of our personal dilemma. It was as if it had happened in our own little world, that no one else could see.

Except the bus driver. I saw Ron cast a final glance into the back seat at us, and he stealthily stowed a portable fire extinguisher back under the driver's seat. He was smarter than most people gave him credit for.

I closed my eyes again as both Warren and I returned to normal. I could still feel his body heat dissipate through his jeans and penetrate my own form, but it was nothing like it had been. I had felt it decline firsthand. I listened to his even, steady breathing. He'd be fine, now.

I let out a contented hum, knowing the danger was passed, and pulled one of his hands into my lap. I enveloped it with both of my own as if to assure myself that Warren was indeed in control of his fire powers.

"You know," I mumbled out tiredly, "For a guy with fire powers, you're normally pretty chill."

Warren grunted something, and I felt his hand shift in mine.

"I didn't use to be," He said quietly, so softly I almost didn't hear. His voice was husky as if he hadn't used it in a long time.

"What changed?" I asked.

"Me, I guess," He explained, more to himself than to me. We were quiet. A heaviness had descended on my body like a cloud, and exhaustion covered me like a weighty blanket. The rumble of the bus rocked me in my seat, putting me asleep like a baby. I was almost asleep when Warren's voice pulled me back from the brink of rest for the second time that day.

"Nora, what's your power?"

I was quiet. I'd known we would talk about this someday. In the back of my mind, I knew that he had seen my eyes change when I used my powers to bring him under control. He had felt me use my powers over him. Part of me called out, from the back of my consciousness, to make up an excuse; tell him not to ask anymore; lie to him; make something up. Part of me wanted to tell him the truth. Mostly, after the day I'd had, I just wanted to sleep.

"Being your sidekick," I settled- it was the only coherent thought I could render. I hoped the simple response was enough to explain to Warren all the things I wanted to tell him, but couldn't, wouldn't. I didn't want to push him away, but I valued my anonymity and newfound identity more than anything else, and he had to respect that.

On my lap, the hand I had been cradling wiggled and turned until Warren's was linked with mine. His fingers curled around my own, enveloping them, and my hand seemed small in comparison. His answer was plain and sweet. I liked that about him.

"Okay," He said, and I fell asleep.

…..

My stop came sooner than I hoped. During the ride I'd drifted in between sleep and consciousness, all the while gladly aware that I was holding Warren Peace's hand… and that he was holding mine.

I stepped off the bus and onto the sidewalk. Warren followed suit. I turned and thanked Ron, giving him a knowing nod that I hoped said, "Thanks for looking out for us." He nodded back and tipped his hat before the bus pulled away. He knew what I meant.

The evening was just barely growing dark, and a shiver went through me. Ironic, considering I'd spent the entire bus ride basking in Warren's heat. But now that we stood apart on the pavement I was much colder than I should have been.

"Thanks for taking me home," I mumbled out. Was that the right thing to say? Should I go with, "Thanks for almost starting a fight for me"? Or "Thanks for listening to me, and not burning the bus down"? I was unsurprisingly ill-versed in these matters.

"No problem," Warren responded, looking ahead and observing the structure I called home. It was a simple little thing- two stories, four bedrooms, a small porch lining the front of the house. The trees in the yard and surrounding woods were starting to turn color, and the gold tips of the leaves made the brick house seem warm. I wanted to invite him in, but I realized with sudden clarity that he must never meet my family, or vice versa. My secret identity was sure to be found out then.

A small form darted across the lawn towards us. My cat let out a sharp meow as she strode up, looking up with alert eyes first at Warren, then me. I crouched down with a smile to greet her.

"You're a cat person," Warren said, surprised. I smiled when my cat turned clockwise as I petted her, and I heard low purring. She regarded Warren coolly.

As if on cue, barking erupted from inside the house- the figure of a large dog appeared in the living room window, leaning his great front paws on the windowsill. I heard shouting- my mom, probably- the dog glanced back into the room, and obediently removed his paws from the windowsill. He continued to look through the pane and bark periodically.

"I'm an animal person," I responded, standing. It was a true statement in more ways than one. The cat jogged to the doorstep, sitting on the porch, and looking over her shoulder at me. She spent the days inside, and at night she paced at the doorway, meowing until she was let out, waiting to hunt in the woods. Mostly, she did what she wanted.

"Thanks again," I told him, turning towards home. Warren grabbed my wrist.

"Nora, uh-m," He started, and I turned to him. He jerkily let go of me and buried his hands deep in his pockets, embarrassed. "Thank you, for… you know…"

He seemed to be half blushing. The look on his face was contemplative, and he struggled for the right words. I smiled at him when he couldn't find them.

"Any time," I told him, and blushed a little, too. "I, um, I'll see you Monday."

"Yeah," He nodded, and waved weakly as he retreated down the sidewalk. He didn't live very far from my home at the edge of the neighborhood, so I knew he'd get to his house okay. I walked tiredly up to the front door, calling the cat, and we both stepped inside.

… (Warren POV)…..

The kitchen was hazy with bright streaks of sunlight. I slumped over a cup of dark, black tea and breathed in the fumes. My mom was humming to herself as she made her own morning cup of tea, and took the first, contented sip as she leaned against the counter.

"So, are we going to talk about what happened on Friday?" she said.

My mind was blank. I was tired from working the previous night, and I hadn't gotten a shower in before bed so I still smelled like Chinese food. I tried to maintain my cool as I began to understand what she meant.

"Principle Powers called," My mom went on, body relaxed and comfortable against the kitchen counter. "She said you almost got into it, you and another boy."

Though her voice was far from accusatory, I could hear the analytical brain of a lawyer turning gears. It was Sunday- Powers wouldn't have called on a Sunday, so that meant my mom had gotten the call at least a day or two before this conversation. Which meant that she'd had lots of time to think about it. Which meant I had to be very careful of what I said.

I decided not to say anything. I was taking the fifth, as it were.

I looked down into the black cup of tea, as if the answer was there. My mom didn't push it. She puttered around the kitchen, clearing clean dishes from the dishwasher, and wiping the counters down idly, waiting for me to form a coherent thought.

"It's been a long time since you got into any trouble," She finally spoke up, as if she meant to say that I must have had a very good reason for my actions. She was giving me the benefit of the doubt, as she had done my whole life, even when I hadn't deserved it.

"I don't know, mom," I breathed out tiredly. "I was walking, and then I saw him, and I just… started heating up. I couldn't help myself."

I was half ashamed to tell her that. I hadn't had problems with my powers like that since my dad got put away. She comprehended my meaning immediately, and looked at me from the corner of her eye before turning to the dirty dishes in the sink. The dishwasher came open with a groan, and the sound of running water filled the kitchen.

"Why'd he make you so upset?" She asked over the clanking of ceramic plates. I rubbed my tired eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Nora," I said, trying to maintain neutrality in my voice but failing. Her name came out of my mouth with simultaneous exasperation and admiration.

"He's got this thing against Nora," I continued, not bothering to give her an explanation of why. I myself didn't quite know what they had against one another, but whatever the reason, I knew whose side I was on. "He pulled a stunt in gym, and it almost got her really hurt."

My mom smiled where she thought I couldn't see. I couldn't find humor in any of this.

"And that made you mad?" She asked, glancing sideways at me. "Mad enough to start a fight?"

I hesitated. "Not at first," I admitted, struggling to find the words to explain what I was really feeling. "I was just scared, I guess. For her."

Mom nodded, comprehension on her face. She asked me no more questions, and I offered no more information, but still… She was quiet, too quiet, as if she knew something I didn't. I turned back to my tea in mild irritation.

If she knows something I don't, I wish she'd enlighten me… I thought, but I didn't ask why she continued to load the dishwasher with a meaningful smile on her face.

Part of me already knew why.

…. (3rd Person POV)…

Later that Sunday, Will Stronghold lounged on his back in the Peace's garage. The creeper* he was laying on was stretched fully out, as it should be to roll a mechanic under a parked car, but the teen lay comfortably sipping soda. Warren leaned over the hood of an old muscle car, his father's, and sounds of metal on metal echoed in the garage.

"… She just pushed me out of the way, Will," Warren continued, standing up straight, throwing his hands up in the air from sheer vexation.

"Look, look!" He pulled his shirt up to reveal bruising on his abdomen and chest. Will leaned up in surprise.

"Nora did that?" Will asked in surprise. The bruises were new, but they were dark and deep.

It looks like something I could have done, Will thought to himself in amazement. Warren pulled his shirt back down, leaving grease spattered on the material.

"Yeah," Warren said, rubbing the spot unconsciously, "Spex told me a couple of ribs got cracked during the process."

Will whistled lowly.

Warren dug through a drawer full of wrenches, talking over the clatter.

"She literally pushed me out of the way of a falling building," Warren grumbled, shaking his head tiredly. He turned around with a wrench in hand. "I don't know whether to be impressed or frustrated."

"Both?" Will suggested, and his best friend cracked a smile. He leaned back into the engine of the car with a scoff.

Will laid back down on the stretcher. He'd come to Warren's house today to hang out with his best friend, sure, but he'd intended to break the heavy news Layla had put on him the previous weekend. It had weighed on Will's conscience all week that Nora didn't want her family to know of her affiliation with Warren. He could think of only one plausible reason that she would want their Save the Citizen partnership kept secret, and it was because of Warren's reputation. Now, Will struggled even more after hearing the admiration in his best friend's voice- should he say something, or not?

"It's just that… she didn't even think about it," Warren's voice pulled Will back into the conversation. "She's crazy, is what she is," Warren mumbled to himself, a smile pulling at his lips. He lifted the air intake cover and placed it with a grunt on the workbench. He stood with his back to Will, still and silent and lost in thought. Will waited for him to speak.

"You know," Warren started quietly, "She's one of the only people who doesn't treat me like a- "

He stopped short of the v-word, but Will knew what he meant. And it was apparent that Warren regarded Nora as an ally and a friend. He valued her as more than a sidekick, Will thought, but knew better than to bring it up. To everyone else, the pair seemed to complement one another, and their partnership was mutually benevolent- to everyone but Will, that is, who had more information than the common bystander.

"I know," Will said, as Warren turned back to the car. Neither boy looked at one another. Will squashed the conflict rising inside of him- How can I ever tell Warren now? he thought- and swallowed his words. He would stay silent for a while longer.

…..

*"Creeper" is the name of a rolling bench you might find in a mechanic's garage. It adjusts so that it's a rolling stool you can sit on upright, or you can fold it flat to roll under a car and work on the undercarriage. I am by no means a mechanic, and this is the only way I've ever hear these typed of seats called. If you call them something else, message me and tell me. I'm curious! LOL

Happy Ten-Chapter Anniversary! That was a fun chapter to write. I really wanted to give Mrs. Peace more of a face than the movie did. Plus, I felt the need to illustrate the relationship Warren has with his mother, because I feel it's often overlooked. Also, I felt like changing POV, just because I can haha! Hope you guys like it. Don't be worried if I don't post again for a while, because I'm going on vacation. Leave me a review and let me know what you think!