25 years after Houston was destroyed in a brutal supervillain attack, Jay Martin is accepted into the Texan Hero Network. Tasked with this sacred duty, he takes on the alter ego of Quickwit and vows to always protect Neo Houston.
Unfortunately, desp...
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Being a brave, valiant, hero doesn't mean your anxiety goes away, after all.
After sneaking Gannet into his room last night, the villain had helped patch the hero up. With the soft touch of those polish-tipped fingers, of course, things had turned steamy...that was the good part. The bad part was what came after when Jay fell asleep.
Hearing Echo and Frame demand compound Z must've shaken him up, because his dreams were plagued by a nightmare about the duo becoming class-S. It had been bad enough to see the smoldering remains of Neo Houston, but what truly made the nightmare terrifying was when Jay had found Gannet among the rubble.
It was a ludicrous notion, really. The villain is so strong, what situation could he realistically find himself in where he'd be brought so low? But dream logic follows no rules, so seeing the bloodied and bruised form of the dark-haired villain was still enough to startle Jay into consciousness.
So now here he is, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding.
He sighs, turning to look to his left. Gannet is sleeping soundly, looking a little silly with his mouth wide open.
Jay decides to indulge a little and rest his head on the villain's chest, hoping the strong and steady heartbeat will assure the hero. It's fine, right? After all, Gannet was nearly glued to Jay last time. However, his brow furrows as he notices something strange—there is not one, but two heartbeats emanating from Gannet's chest.
Intrigued, Jay sorts through all the possibilities as he listens. Is Gannet a mutant? An alien? A congenital birth defect was possible, but highly unlikely...
"...you're up early."
Jay jumps a little at the sound of Gannet's sleep-rough voice. The action inspires a giggle in the villain, who swiftly reverses their positions.
The blond's heart speeds up as Gannet grins, dark bangs falling like a curtain as he leans over his captive. "Were you listening by my heart?"
"Uh—yeah..."
"Cute," Gannet smirks, "did you notice my arrhythmia?"
"Was that what it was?"
Gannet nods. "Yeah. It's not serious, don't worry."
It's not the first time the villain has lied to Jay, but somehow it stings this time. It makes him wonder, does Gannet ever intend on telling him the truth? What exactly is the villain's goal here? To have his fun with his latest obsession, all the while keeping Jay in the dark?
The thought hurts, so Jay's grateful for the distraction when Gannet pulls the hero's mask up to free his mouth. The blonde sighs, weaving his fingers into silky soft, lavender-scented hair. The villain responds favorably, deepening the kiss with a low groan. The sound seems to zing down Jay's spine, sending heat to his face.
