Chris Eriksen had been kneeling alongside the coffee table, coloring in a new drawing and humming the Hawt Dawg Man theme song to himself when a series of frantic bangs came from the front door. His stomach jumped at the noise. He dropped the crayon. Dad, you better not have come home drunk again. The boy sighed and collected himself, preparing for the worst as he stood and plodded toward the door. His dad was three months sober. Three months, and you're already screwing up? Great. Can't wait. But the man usually said something if he was at the door. Not this time. A dog was barking. Chris peered through the peephole as more bangs came. It wasn't his dad. It was...
"Daniel?!"
"Chris, are you there? Please open up!"
The boy excitedly twisted the locks and tore open the door to greet his long lost friend.
"Daniel, oh my god!" he squealed, launching forward to embrace him.
"Chris!" Daniel laughed happily and hugged him back. "God, I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too! I missed you too..." Chris held on for dear life and felt his little limbs lock up around his friend. For whatever reason, he'd stopped smiling. He found himself suddenly shaking, crying, holding on ever tighter as a painful lump emerged in his throat. Why am I feeling like this? It doesn't make any sense. Daniel froze too in the quiet as they hugged. After some time, his friend finally spoke.
"Uh, Chris? Are you all right?" The blond boy let go. "Oh my god, you're crying!"
"Yeah, I just...was so scared I'd never get to see you again," Chris said with a sniffle, rubbing his eyes. "I didn't think you'd ever come back."
"Aw, don't be upset! I'm here," he said, pulling the boy into another hug. "I'm sorry I left you. I really didn't want to."
"I know...but Daniel, where have you been all this time?"
The boy sighed as they let go. "It's a long, very long, epic story," his friend chuckled. The dog brushed against Chris's leg and sniffed him up and down happily as he knelt to pet her. "This is my dog Lucky, by the way."
"Hey, Lucky! Aw, she's so cute!" Chris giggled. "Definitely a worthy addition to Team Spirit! Sorry, I guess I'm still a little emotional." He rubbed his eyes again, still confused over why he'd been crying. His chest was starting to hurt.
"It's okay," Daniel reassured him. "I'm not leaving you again, all right? Promise."
"I know," Chris nodded, smiling through the tears. "Well hey, you guys should come inside. I want to hear about your awesome adventures!"
The two boys entered, closing the door behind them. It was then that Chris noticed Daniel didn't seem to be wearing any shoes to take off. That's weird, he thought. His socks were a bit muddy and grass-stained. He hated telling his friend to remove them, but after everything, his dad seemed more demanding about keeping the house clean. Something about 'a clean environment leads to a sober mind', or something he'd learned in group therapy. Chris didn't get it, but he felt it was important anyway.
"Uh, Daniel? Would you mind taking your socks off? I'll give you a pair of mine. Just...Dad's been kind of a neat freak these days."
"Oh! Uh, yeah," Daniel obliged, slipping them off.
"How come you're not wearing shoes?" Chris asked.
"I, um...left in a hurry."
His friend looked a little shaken, as if something bad had happened. Much as he wanted to ask about it, he was used to his dad going off about the smallest things. Probably better not to. As the dog ran around from room to room, curiously sniffing around, Chris went for the fridge to grab them some snacks. He couldn't shake the thought that there would always be several packs of beer stacked inside upon opening the door. It was still weird to see his dad's kale salads in place of it, along with grilled chicken, fresh fruit and vegetables, some herbs. Healthy stuff. Man, Dad's really taking this sobriety thing seriously. He felt bad when he noticed there were actually very few things Daniel might like. He checked the freezer. Pizza rolls, score! Chris grabbed a plate from the cupboard and began arranging them in rows, then placed them in the microwave. His friend looked around with a surprised expression.
"Wow, it's a lot cleaner in here than I remember!"
"Yeah," Chris laughed as he set the timer. "Dad's really...changed, I guess."
"That's good. I remember he was a little..."
"Drunk," the boy sighed. "Yeah."
"I'm so sorry, Chris." His friend looked sympathetic. I don't want to get into it. "He didn't ever try to hurt-"
"So, tell me about your adventures!" the boy cut him off.
"Oh! Right...you first?"
"Well," Chris sighed, "I got back from my grandparents' a couple nights ago. Dad was still checked into a place where they, uh...help people...like him. My grandpa stayed with me until he got back yesterday, so we cleaned the house. They'd wanted me to go to school up there in Springwater, but. I'd miss Beaver Creek too much."
"Man, I'd hate it if you lived that far. I made some new friends in school, but they're definitely not as cool as you."
"Thanks!" Chris blushed. The microwave beeped, and he opened the door to let their snacks cool off for a bit.
"So how was it? Living with your grandparents, I mean."
"Oh, it was fine," the boy answered. "Their place is kinda boring, but it's big because they got money. They paid for Dad's clinic, and bought me whatever I wanted. It was pretty cool. Just a little lonely, I guess." He set out their pizza rolls on the table. Lucky came scampering over to beg for food.
"Is it okay if she has some too?" Daniel smiled.
"Oh yeah, sure!"
"Be careful Lucky, it's hot!" the boy said, grabbing a roll off the plate. "Now sit down. Sit, girl! Good! Now roll over? Yes!" he cheered. "Good doggie!" He proceeded to pet her belly for a reward as Chris joined them on the floor to watch. Seeing his friend so happy made him happy, too. He was excited to get to their Spirit Squad play, but something about this was a little better. He had to envy Daniel a bit. His dad had always told him that one day, he'd let him get a dog or cat as a pet, but Chris had held off asking for the longest time. Not necessarily because he feared broaching the topic, but because he was afraid that if he got an animal of any kind, his dad might mistreat it during his binge drinking. But that's all over now, right? He certainly hoped so.
"It's your turn, Super Wolf!" Chris grinned. "Now that you've returned from your dangerous quest to the Outer Rim territories, Captain Spirit would like to know everything you have learned!"
"Okay! Hmm...well...as you know, Super Wolf and Silver Runner made their daring escape on an underground train to hide from Noctarious's evil bounty hunters!" the boy exclaimed. "After that, they worked on a secret moon base, growing healing plants to get enough credits to pay for a starship out of there!" Daniel used his powers to fly three pizza rolls in the air to illustrate. Two of them orbited one, which dove up and down. "But just when things were getting good for them? BAM!" he shouted, using the main roll to knock one of the two out of orbit. "The evil owner Chupacabra attacked, and Silver Runner was out for the count! But Super Wolf rescued him, and Silver Runner took the blame." He separated the two pizza rolls from the one. "They came up with a plan to leave the base, and tried stealing credits from the evil Chupacabra! Then..." he trailed off sadly, "Super Wolf did something bad. Really bad. And...and..." One of the pizza rolls suddenly exploded mid-air, ejecting cheese and sauce all over the clean linoleum floor, cabinets, and part of Chris's face. The blond boy jumped in shock as Lucky darted over and began eagerly licking him.
"Stop, stop!" Chris laughed, backing away from the dog. "Oh man, that was so awesome! What happened next?" But Daniel's expression had fallen serious. "Hey...are you all right?"
"Not really...can I ask you something, Chris?" The dog had left him to continue eating the exploded pizza remains off the floor.
"You can tell Captain Spirit anything."
"Were you ever...mad at me? I mean, when you found out you couldn't move things with your mind and stuff. I saw your face when I saved you from that cop car. You looked so upset. And you could've been seriously hurt!"
"Daniel, no, it's fine. You saved my life. Twice. How could I be mad at you for that?"
"I don't know...I just don't want to lie to you anymore! Sean made me do that to hide my powers all the time, and I hated it. You asked me why I wasn't wearing shoes. It's because I didn't have time to grab them. I sort of had a fight with my grandma, and...I kinda broke their door," he breathed. "Someone was calling from outside the country. I thought it might be Sean, but she wouldn't let me answer the phone. I just miss him, Chris! I miss my brother," Daniel whimpered. His friend scooted over to sit beside him and rested a comforting arm over his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," the boy said, leaning his head on him. "Look...you don't have to tell me the rest. I know you've been through a lot. I think we both have. But now that the Spirit Squad is officially reunited, and Captain Spirit and Super Wolf are back together? I think we got this. Oh yeah!" Chris nodded, flashing a sly hero's smile. Daniel laughed. I hope I can make him happy for the rest of my life, the boy thought.
For the first time in a long time, Captain Spirit felt content. Safe. Warm inside. And yet somehow, it was giving him serious butterflies, which scared him a little. Dark thoughts began to enter his mind. Thoughts that reminded him of Mantroid, and all that the supreme, evil being had taken away from him. He could hear the thing's voice again, ever present, always taunting him in some way. You are weak. Pathetic. You think you have real superpowers? That your beloved Super Wolf will protect you? HA! He will leave you again in time, just as he did before. Perhaps I will take him, too. Then you will be all alone. Then, you will be mine! You can never defeat me, Captain Spirit. I am EVERYWHERE!
"Thanks Chris," Daniel said, immediately silencing the voice. "I'm so glad you're back, because you're like a second brother to me. You're the only other friend I have who knows about my powers. I guess I just need someone I can trust right now."
"Super Wolf's secret will always be safe with Captain Spirit!" the boy assured him. "Just...maybe we shouldn't blow up pizza rolls in the kitchen again." The two boys giggled together.
"I promise I'll only do it in the tree house next time!" Daniel grinned.
Suddenly, the lock on the front door turned. Charles walked in. Chris panicked and immediately let go of his friend, bolting for the paper towels to begin cleaning up the splattered mess they'd neglected. His father was carrying a hefty bag of groceries as his keys fell to the floor with a clink. Daniel scrambled to secure Lucky so she wouldn't bother him, but missed her by an inch. The dog ran over and leapt at the man's leg, causing him to drop the bag.
"Ah Jesus Christ, what the hell?" Several boxes of pasta and cereal piled up at his feet as the dog barked excitedly. "Chris, what is this?!"
"S-Sorry Mr. Eriksen!" Daniel stammered, rushing over to help with the groceries.
"Oh shit, Daniel! Hey, it's good to see you again, buddy."
"You too!"
"Claire mentioned you were back when I called her this morning. I see you got yourself a friendly critter here," he smiled.
"Yeah! This is my dog, Lucky. I got her for Christmas! Isn't she the cutest?"
"That she is," the man agreed, petting her softly.
"I didn't mean to bother you guys, but Claire said...I mean, uh-"
"Oh, it's fine," Charles chuckled. "I'm sure Chris could use some company around here. We just got back from a little vacation with his grandparents. He was bored out of his mind up there. Weren't you, son?"
"Uh..." Chris said. "Y-Yeah. There wasn't a whole lot to do in Springwater."
"Still, it was good for us both to get away for a bit. Hey Chris, why don't you uh, show Daniel out to my truck? I just got a couple more bags of things. And only take out what's in the trunk, okay? I'll take care of the...other stuff in the front seat."
"Sure Dad, no problem."
"That's my boy!"
Chris lent Daniel his pair of fuzzy Power Bear slippers before leading him out the door and down the few steps over to the pickup truck near the garage. He had a bad feeling about what might be sitting in the passenger seat, but he followed his father's instructions anyway to avoid any arguments. Daniel, however, was always the more curious and mischievous of them both. Chris was already expecting what would happen as soon as they made it to the trunk. Please don't do what I know you're about to, he thought to himself. But sure enough, Super Wolf was already peering through the window on the driver's side.
"Psst, hey Chris, come here!"
"Daniel," the shy boy sighed, "he said only the bags in the back."
"But don't you want to know what's inside?"
"I already know what it is. You don't have to tell me."
"It looks like...flowers! And a present, and a card!"
"What?" Chris said, surprised. He hopped onto the back platform of the truck and crouched down at the back window, covering the sides of his face to see better through the glass. His sighting confirmed what Daniel said. A bouquet of a dozen roses lay out on the seat, along with a card and a box with a giant blue bow on it. He strained his eyes to make out the name, but it was partially hidden beneath the box. Oh no...does this mean Dad's got a new girlfriend? Why wouldn't he tell me? "Figures," the boy muttered, backing away from the window.
"I mean...this is good, right? At least it's not beer, or-"
"No," Chris cut him off, snatching a heavy bag of cans as he jumped out the back of the truck. "It's much worse."
"I'm sorry, Chris..."
"It's whatever. Just grab those two bags that are left? Then we'll put everything away. I might need your help with something after."
"Ooh, secret mission?"
"The Spirit Squad is on the case to stop the evil Fire Queen!" Chris smirked.
Once back in the house, the two boys helped Charles put away the groceries in their appropriate places in the fridge and cupboards. While they worked, the young Captain Spirit did his best to formulate a solid plan of action. It would be one that required the utmost skill, daring, and determination to execute successfully. All hands would have to be on deck. Sky Pirate would be their eyes in the clouds to warn them of advanced enemy maneuvers. The Forest Warrior would patrol the perimeter from below, with Mar-T Rex to back him up. Super Wolf would use his cunning powers to retrieve the Fire Queen's secret plans from behind enemy lines. And deep in the thick brush of the jungle, Power Bear was hiding to lay the final justice smackdown!
"All right, listen up, Team Spirit!" Captain Spirit said firmly as his team entered the conference room, battle-ready snare drums playing in the background. All of his subjects stood at attention before him on the floor, eyeing each other nervously while he addressed them. "As you all know, this will be a particularly dangerous mission, and the stakes are personal! The Fire Queen has taken up residence on my home planet of Earth. I need every man, bear, T-Rex, and wolf to do his part to save our beloved galaxy before it's too late. Is our battleship ready to patrol the skies, Sky Pirate?"
"Yes sir!" the bear reported in from the Flying Fortress. "But it's still cloudy up here. Visibility at fourty percent."
"Aye, it's always cloudy in orbit, but use that to your advantage to stay hidden."
"Sir, yes sir!"
"How are we looking for ground duty with Mar-T Rex, brave Forest Warrior?"
"We can stand guard at the fence awaiting Super Wolf's arrival once he gets back with the Fire Queen's battle plans, sir! But it's up to him to make it past the fence."
"Understood, Warrior! My trusted and loyal friend Super Wolf, you play the most important part in this most dangerous mission! Are you fully prepared to retrieve the cell phone...I mean, battle plans," Chris laughed, "from behind enemy lines, even if you should face certain death?"
"A hundred percent prepared, Captain Spirit!" Daniel exclaimed, crossing his arms in their signature X salute across his chest.
"Good! We're all counting on you to infiltrate the enemy base and secure the precious cargo. With it, we can learn of the Fire Queen's plans and prevent her from destroying the galaxy as we know it! Power Bear, are you ready to lay the final justice smackdown to advancing enemy troops in case they follow our brave Super Wolf into the jungle?"
"No one defeats justice!" the bear said triumphantly. "No one-no one-no one defeat-eat-eats justice!"
"His button sticks 'cause I spilled pancake syrup on him once, but I just say he's a little glitchy from all the battles he's been through," Chris chuckled. "Anyway...you sure you can do this?"
"Oh yeah," Daniel nodded. "Easy peasy!"
"As for me, Captain Spirit is going in himself with the daring and courageous Super Wolf! Stay on your guard and protect us, everyone. Godspeed and good luck! Captain Spirit out."
"Godspeed, Captain!"
Chris set all his toys back on the shelf in a line with the utmost care and stood back with an arm around Daniel as they saluted Team Spirit together. For the young blond, it was an important ritual of faith he'd engage in every time he was about to do something that scared him. In those moments, he felt truly powerful and able to stand up to anything. Now, he felt it even more so, because Daniel was there beside him. I don't know why, but with him, I feel like I could conquer the world. It's so awesome to be best friends with a REAL superhero. He just hoped their plan to collect evidence from his dad's phone would go off without a hitch.
The two boys crept cautiously through Chris's bedroom door and around the corner, where they could keep a close eye on Charles making dinner. His back was turned to them as he shuffled around the kitchen for all the necessary ingredients, so they assumed it would be easy enough. But first, they had to determine the whereabouts of his iPhone. Chris would then distract the man, and once the device housing the 'secret battle plans' was found, it was up to Daniel to use his powers to float it over, where they'd read through the messages in the safety of Chris's bedroom and write them all down.
"Man, I hope this works," Daniel whispered.
"It will. I thought you were a hundred percent ready!"
"I know, it just sounded cool to say. But what if he catches us, Chris?"
"He won't. Trust me, I know him." The boy kept his eyes peeled for any sign of the black rectangle before emerging from his spot. He scanned over the countertops, the table, the chairs, anywhere his father typically left it. Nothing yet. "Crap. I don't see it, so wish me luck! Captain Spirit is going in."
"Wait, I thought I was the one going behind enemy lines?"
"Whatever dude, that's just the story, we're doing it together! You can't distract him and grab it at the same time. If I'm right next to him, he'll never notice."
"Okay, but what about Lucky?"
"Oh no," Chris facepalmed. He'd completely forgotten about the dog. Even though she seemed peacefully asleep on his bed now, the scents of dinner cooking might very well be enough to alert her, which threw a sizable wrench in their plan. If she bounded over at the wrong moment, Team Spirit was definitely doomed to fail. The boy wracked his brain for a moment. "Okay, uh...just close the door behind you." Daniel obliged.
"All right...you ready?"
"Captain Spirit was born ready!" the boy smiled. He makes me feel so alive and confident. I hope we can go to school together. Man, that would be awesome. I bet no one would pick on me or tear up my drawings anymore, or make fun of my dad. Not with Daniel to protect me. There's nothing we can't do together. As Chris took his first steps toward the kitchen, he contemplated what he could say to his dad. Offering help seemed to be the best option, though he didn't know much about these new healthy recipes he was making. They'd usually just made TV dinners or simple things like eggs and pasta. I wonder if his new girlfriend is teaching him this stuff?
"Hey Chris!" his dad called, turning and noticing him as Daniel backed around the far corner. "Oh, there you are. You mind helping me out by starting some pasta?"
"Uh, sure!" the boy said. His dad was chopping fresh vegetables and had a pack of shrimp open. Chris reached for a box and poured the pasta in a large pot, then filled it with water to the appropriate level. All the while, his eyes darted around the counter for the phone. Still nothing. Come on, I know he's not that smart! Where could it be?
"So what's Daniel up to?"
"He's just in my room on the PlayBox."
"Ah. Well it's good to see you two back together again, after all this time. I know you really missed him."
"Yeah. I'm really glad he's back too." Chris set the pot on the stove and set the heater for boiling. His dad gave him a pat on the back. While it seemed like a nice gesture, something about it gave him flashbacks to a time when the man had beaten him in a drunken stupor and left bruises on him. He cringed and shifted away.
"Oh Jesus," his dad muttered, rubbing his face. "Listen, Chris...I know this doesn't mean much coming from your old man, and every time I apologized to you, maybe I wasn't...as serious as I should have been. But I know how much I hurt you. Trust me, I was trying to forget. I'm just so-"
"It's fine, Dad. Really."
"Come on," the man sighed, somewhat annoyed. "It's not fine. I want to apologize to you, because you deserved so much better from me as a father. And I swear to you, I'm trying my best now. So just...try to understand that, okay buddy? I never want to hurt you ever again."
"I know. Thanks."
"Well, I better get back to my veggies. This shit's all new to me too, but 'a healthy body leads to a healthy mind', or so they've been telling me in group," he laughed. "Such bullshit. I've barely cooked a day in my life. Blanch vegetables? What the hell is that?"
As his dad turned his back, Chris noticed something large sticking out the back pocket of his jeans. Wallet? No. Too big. Oh my god, that's it! He looked back nervously in Daniel's direction, but the boy was already on it. The phone began slowly rising upward out of the pocket. Oh no, not yet! Think fast Chris, come on!
"Uh, Dad!" the boy rushed forward, embracing his father as the device launched out of his jeans and darted across the room into Daniel's waiting hands. He held it up to show him the mission was a successful one. Phew, that was close.
"Whoa, hey there!" the man laughed, hugging his son back. "What's this about?"
"I don't know," the boy blushed. His heart was still pounding from the situation. "I guess I just missed you when I was at Grandma and Grandpa's. And I love you Dad, no matter what. You're still the coolest ever."
"Thanks, buddy. That means a lot to me," the man said, rubbing his back. "I love you too."
"Hey Chris, come check this out! I just beat the eighth level!" Daniel called.
"Why don't you go spend time with your friend?" Charles smiled.
"Uh, you sure?"
"Yeah, don't worry, I got this," his dad assured him. "Hopefully I don't burn the place down, or we might have to call Stephen and the fire brigade over," he laughed.
"Okay Dad," Chris smirked. "Talk later." The boy eagerly rushed back to his room and opened the door to see Daniel on the bed with Lucky yawning beside him.
"Did you get it?"
"Duh!" Daniel said. "Needs a passcode though. And close the door, dummy!" He hopped over and shut it, twisting the lock on the knob just in case.
"It's the numbers for HAWT DAWG," Chris said, snatching the phone from his friend's hand and punching it in as he paced around the carpet. "Yes, we're in! Okay...you got a piece of paper? There's some on my desk with the crayons."
"All ready, Captain!"
"And why did you grab the phone before I said anything?"
"Oh come on, he wouldn't have even noticed. I got it, didn't I?"
"Yeah, just don't be stupid about it next time!"
Daniel shot him an angry look.
"I'm not stupid! Are we gonna fight, or are you gonna read it?"
"Yeah...sorry. Actually, why don't you read it, and I'll copy it down? I just...don't know if I can handle reading it myself."
"Ooh, is Captain Spirit scared?" his friend mocked. He sounded like Mantroid.
"Shut up Daniel," Chris replied.
"Yeah...guess I deserved that one. Okay." The boy handed him the phone. As Chris sat down at his desk, Daniel began to read aloud through Charles's contacts. "Let's see. You got numbers for rehab, work, Stephen. Who's Kristen Wyatt?"
"That's my grandmother."
"Oh. Adam Morrison, John Blazkowicz-"
"Those are guys, just look at the texts!"
"Okay! Don't get all pissy. Hmm...Linda Reilley. 'It was nice to see you in group today. I just want you to know I really resonated with those feelings of failure you brought up, especially in being a parent myself. I know I need to be there for my remaining daughter, as I lost custody of my youngest. It's absolutely shattering, but I envy you, because you still have the chance to make things right with your son. If you don't do it for any other reason, please continue your treatment for the sake of him, while he's still young enough to love you unconditionally.' I don't see anything lovey from her."
"Good. What's the next one?"
"Jessica Munther. 'Hallå, fellow Viking! I'd speak some Swedish, although I don't think you would understand, not that I know much. My grandparents were from Gothenburg. Still, how about that group therapy, right LOL? Too many rules here. It's not our fault the world sucks. Anyway, hope it's going better for you than it is for me. PS: I snuck in some vodka if you ever need it, just FYI' and she put a winky face. 'You're pretty handsome! Hope I see you again.' He didn't answer her, don't worry."
"Well who did he answer?"
"The top of the list is Audra Kieling."
Chris's heart stopped. "That might be her! Found a note from her in his closet once."
"She says 'hey'. 'Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,' all a few weeks apart. Another month apart. 'Hey can we talk please? Hey, hey, hello, Charles I know you're there, have you been okay, what's going on? I know this sounds crazy, but I can't stop thinking about you. I still love you.' Then he answers her."
"Anything about him making stuff up to her? I think they fought in the letter."
"'Hey Audra. Sorry I haven't answered, but I've been in rehab for alcoholism. Had to sort myself out, permanently. We aren't supposed to have our phones, but the night clerk is an understanding guy. I understand if this reveal means you never want to speak to me again, but I feel you deserve to know why I treated you so badly in the first place. In the meantime, there's a lot of things I have to do different, so I hope you understand we probably shouldn't talk until my discharge, even if you still want to. But please know that I do miss you and think of you often, and when we do meet again, hopefully I'll be a changed man and we can start things where we left off. But first, I owe you (and a lot of people) a huge apology. You're the first on my list. Maybe I can make it up to you with a date so we can talk?' And she says 'how about Bertolucci's?' with a smiley face. He said that'd be perfect. Looks like they're going out for dinner next Sunday...sorry, Chris." Daniel looked grim.
"Man, I knew it!" the boy snapped, banging his fist on the table. He looked over what he'd managed to copy down in blue crayon on the blank page. His chest was starting to hurt again, even as Daniel stepped over the mess of toys to comfort him in the corner. The Fire Queen was starting to look like just as bad an enemy as Mantroid. Maybe even just us undefeatable. Lucky came over to join them, sensing the boy's pain. "I don't get why he'd want to see someone else," Chris cried. "Doesn't he love me? Isn't he sorry for hurting me? Fucking Mantroid wrecks everything!" The crayon on the page was starting to smear from his tears.
"Whoa! I thought superheroes don't swear."
"Well we're not superheroes, Daniel! Except for you. Your powers are real, and I'm just...Chris..."
"You're not just Chris. You're my friend!" Daniel hugged him tight. "And I thought about you every day after I had to leave. Every single day! I hung your cape up in my tent in California. I drew a huge picture of you in the Arizona desert. You think stupid Mantroid is everywhere? You're everywhere, Chris! You're my superhero. Just because I can do these things doesn't make me better than you. So don't ever talk about yourself like that! Because I'll always want to be Super Wolf and Captain Spirit with you. Always!"
Something inside the young boy immediately lit on fire upon hearing those words from Daniel. I mean that much to him? It was hard to fathom that his friend didn't even consider the fact he had genuine superpowers half the time. That still, after everything, he just wanted to be Captain Spirit and Super Wolf, powers or not. He was much happier and more proud to simply be Chris's friend. He would trade it all for me, the boy realized.
Maybe that's what brotherhood truly meant. Sacrifice. Being each other's heroes. The butterflies came fluttering in his gut again as he focused on the feeling of his friend's warm body pressed against his. He was curious how many nights Sean had comforted Daniel in this way. But for Chris, it was beginning to feel like something else. Like some kind of strange desire he couldn't openly express. He didn't just want love. He needed it, and lots of it—the kind of love that could only come from Daniel. Is this what it means to truly fall, and have someone catch you before you hit the ground? Feels like I'm floating above the snow again.
That feeling, he would cherish forever.