“Again, I was only teasing him. I look at people like that all the time when I’m on stage.”
“If you say so.”
“I do,” Aiden said with a firm nod before changing the subject. “Now, tell me about this new dom you’re working with online. How is he?”
“He’s working out well so far. I get a good vibe from him.”
“And he’s cool with your restrictions?”
“Yeah. He keeps his face hidden too so I have no idea what he looks like. But he has really nice hands.”
“You think you’d ever want those hands to touch you?”
“Nope. Virtual is all I want or need.”
“Virtual domming. Brilliant. If I had time, I’d consider doing it myself.”
“You mean you can’t squeeze it in between choreographing routines, dancing on stage, being a superhero, and brushing that absolute massive mass of hair?”
Aiden grabbed his long braid and playfully whacked his friend with it. “Respect the hours of work that goes into the care and feeding of my glorious mane.”
Frost laughed, then told him more about his virtual Dom. They were taking things slow and Frost seemed pleased with him so far. That was enough for Aiden to be happy for his friend. The other hero struggled with their submission and had recently started the process to get back to where they felt comfortable in their role as a sub.
The Hot Pockets gone, the two of them curled up on opposite ends of the couch to talk, moving easily from topic to topic, until their conversation started to slow. His eyes heavy with sleep, Aiden rolled his head on the back of the couch to look at Frost, noting they were nearly asleep too.
“You sleeping on the couch tonight or outside?” he asked quietly.
Frost often stayed over. They liked to sleep outside, and being on the grounds of the Saliette’s gated property let them do so without worrying about their safety.
Frost was quiet for a moment, their gaze turned up to the high ceiling. “I think I need to be outside tonight.”
“I figured.”
They both got up and took the dirty dishes into the kitchen, putting them in the dishwasher.
Frost opened the closet off the kitchen and grabbed the pillow and blanket Aiden kept for them there. “I’ll see you in the morning,” they said before heading out to the back patio.
Aiden went upstairs to his bedroom. He took a quick shower, then got into bed, sliding naked between the sheets. Laying there in the quiet darkness, his thoughts turned to Zielinski. He found himself wondering once more, was the former soldier simply shy or was he uptight? After their patrol tonight, Aiden was almost positive the man belonged in the uptight camp. It was disappointing. And a reason for him not to get too close.
When he realized he was lying in bed thinking of Mike Zielinski, Aiden immediately slammed the door shut on those thoughts. He was curious about their hero recruit, but he wasn’t think about him while he was naked under the covers curious. Turning over, Aiden bunched up the pillow beneath his head and closed his eyes ready for sleep. As he drifted off, a vision of Zielinski and his big, muscular arms in his tight shirt sleeves rose behind his eyelids. Thankfully, he was off to dreamland before he had a chance to be annoyed about it.
∞ ∞ ∞
After Stardust and Frost made their exit, Mike said goodbye and went out to the parking lot as well. He opened the truck door and got in but he sat there for a moment with one foot still on the pavement and the key loose in his hand. There, in the near empty parking lot, he thought for a minute. Thought of the people he’d helped save twice now.
They needed help, help that was more immediate and less invasive than a large armed force coming in to their area. And thanks to the glasses Caleb had produced for him, he was now confident in his ability to use his power during conflicts with minimal risk of collateral damage. He wanted to help and he was able to do so. So, what was he waiting for?
His decision made, he got out of the truck, closed the door, and went back inside the firehouse. He waved at Caleb on his way to knocking on Strong’s open office door.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked when the director looked up from his computer screen.
“Of course. Come in.”
Mike stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He stood at parade rest in front of the lieutenant’s desk. “Sir. I wanted to tell you that I have made my decision. I’m honored that you asked me to join the Arch City Guardians and I would like to accept your invitation.”
A satisfied smile took over Strong’s face. He rose from his seat. Leaning across his desk, he held a hand out for Mike to shake.
“Welcome to the team.”
“Thank you.” Mike relaxed from his stance and accepted the handshake, a firm clasp to seal the deal on a venture he was excited to undertake.
He was now officially a superhero.
