chapter 49: tired

Bose POV:

I sat on the couch, finally able to breathe after Miles came by an hour ago to pick up Blaise's sisters. The apartment was eerily quiet now, and I didn't mind it. I loved hanging out with them, but after hours of nonstop energy, I was ready to relax. I glanced at the clock—just past 11pm—and let out a long sigh, sinking deeper into the couch.

The door clicked open, and I turned to see Chapa walk in. She looked tired, but there was a slight smirk on her face. "Hey," I called out, leaning back. "Miles picked them up about an hour ago. You should've seen the way they were still hyped up. Glad I didn't have to deal with bedtime."

Chapa let out a relieved breath. "Thank god," she said, kicking off her shoes. "How are you still functioning?"

"Barely," I grinned.

She walked over to me and plopped down on the couch, resting her head on my shoulder. "So, how was your night?" I asked, looking down at her. I could feel her relax a little more against me.

She groaned softly. "I was with Mika... and Andrew." She sounded tired just from saying his name.

I chuckled. "Oh boy. And how did that go?"

She looked up at me, "To be honest, it wasn't as bad as I expected. By the way, did you know Andrew is half-Spanish. Cause Mika and I just found out."

I nodded. "Yeah, although he doesn't really talk about it."

She shook her head, smiling slightly. "He does have something Spanish about him, though."

I laughed. "I used to tell him that he kinda looks like Prince Naveen from The Princess and the Frog, doesn't he?"

Her eyes widened a bit, and then she chuckled, sitting up. "Wait, you think so?"

I grinned. "Yeah, I mean, come on. He's got that whole charming, slightly cocky prince vibe. Don't tell Mika I said that."

Chapa snorted. "Yeah, I see it now." She leaned back into me, her tone shifting as she added,

I grinned down at her. "Alright, so if Andrew's Prince Naveen, which prince do I look like?"

Chapa didn't even hesitate, the words spilling out with a sly grin. "The Beast from Beauty and the Beast."

I blinked, sitting up straighter. "The Beast?!"

She laughed, clearly enjoying my reaction. "Yeah, what? It's not an insult, you know."

"Uh, kinda feels like one," I shot back, crossing my arms in mock offense. "The guy's literally a giant furry monster."

Chapa rolled her eyes, still giggling. She shifted so she was sitting up, facing me properly. "No, no! I mean the human version of the Beast," she explained, her voice softening. "You know, the prince he turns into? If he had brown hair, instead of auburn, you'd totally look like him."

I raised an eyebrow, my faux offense melting away as I tried to picture it. "The human Beast?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yeah, with the whole muscled, tall, long hair thing you've got going on. Just, you're nicer than him."

I couldn't help but laugh at that, the image slowly forming in my mind. "Alright, I'll take that. The human Beast. Better than a furry one, I guess."

She smiled, then leaned in closer, her fingers gently brushing a lock of my hair. "You do have pretty nice hair, just like the human beast."

I smirked, leaning in slightly too. "You think so? Maybe I should dye it auburn. Really complete the look."

She tilted her head, pretending to think about it for a second before laughing. "No, no, please no, I like you just the way you are now. No auburn hair needed."

"Well, good," I said, giving her a playful nudge. "Because I'm pretty attached to my hair."

She laughed again, her hand lightly resting on my chest. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to change you."

We shared a look then, both of us still smiling, but there was something softer behind her eyes. She leaned her head back against my shoulder, and I let out a contented sigh. "Well, at least we've got some alone time now." I said.

She looked up at me, her lips tugging into a playful smile, and before I could react, she started to lean in. But just as we were about to kiss, a loud noise erupted from outside—men yelling, followed by the sound of something crashing.

Chapa immediately pulled back, her body tensing up. "What the hell was that?"

I furrowed my brow, sitting up straighter. "I don't know..."

Without another word, she bolted up from the couch, her instincts kicking in. "I'll check it out," she said, already heading for the door.

I stayed behind, knowing Chapa could handle herself. As she reached the hallway, I could hear her muttering to herself before she disappeared down the stairs.

I knew what was coming next. Within seconds, Chapa transformed into Volt, her sleek outfit and electric powers taking over as she darted through the shadows towards the source of the commotion.

When she reached the street, she saw a group of men arguing near the entrance of the park. They were loud, aggressive, and clearly looking for trouble. Without hesitation, she zapped over to the nearest streetlamp, her body shimmering with static as she perched like a predator waiting for the right moment.

"Hey!" she called down, her voice echoing through the night.

The men stopped, startled, and looked up. One of them, obviously not too bright, stepped forward. "Who the hell are you?"

Chapa grinned, the electricity crackling around her fingertips. "Someone you really don't want to mess with."

The guy laughed nervously, but before he could respond, Chapa raised her hand and sent a small jolt of electricity toward the ground in front of him. It was just enough to scare them, and as soon as the spark hit the pavement, the men scattered, running in every direction.

She didn't even need to do much—just the sight of her was enough to send them packing. With a satisfied smirk, she came back inside, leaving the street empty and quiet again.

When she returned to the apartment, I was still sitting on the couch, now curious about what had just happened. She transformed back into herself and walked back over to me, looking a little more at ease.

Chapa sat back down on the couch next to me, brushing her hand through her hair, and let out a deep breath. "Idiots," she muttered with a grin, her fingers still sparking slightly with leftover electricity.

"All taken care of?" I asked, smirking.

"Yeah," she nodded, a playful glint in her eye. "Just a couple of idiots who didn't know any better."

I leaned in closer, pretending to inspect the small sparks dancing between her fingers. "You know, that's kinda cool. Like, you've got literal lightning at your fingertips. What can I even compete with?"

She nudged me with her elbow, her lips curving into a smirk. "Please. You've got telekineses. You're like Eleven from Stranger Things."

I raised an eyebrow. "Human beast, remember?"

She giggled, then shifted in her seat, her body brushing against mine. "Right, right. How could I forget?"

We sat there for a moment, and she rested her head on my shoulder again, this time her hand drifting lazily across my chest. I could feel her relaxing more, the tension from earlier fading as we sank into the couch together.

"I swear," she murmured, "between the chaos with Blaise's sisters, Andrew and those guys outside, I didn't think I'd get a moment to breathe."

I chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her a little closer. "You always handle it like a pro, though."

She glanced up at me, her eyes playful. "Oh, so I'm a pro now, huh?"

"Always have been," I teased. "You take care of business and still manage to look cute while doing it."

Her cheeks flushed a little, though she tried to hide it with a roll of her eyes. "Oh, shut up."

I grinned, my fingers lightly tracing patterns on her arm. "No, I'm serious. You've got that whole badass thing going, and then you turn around and change into a softy for me two seconds later."

She let out a soft laugh, then shifted so she was more facing me. Her hand reached up and tugged lightly at the collar of my shirt. "Okay, okay, I'll take the compliment. But don't think I'm letting you off the hook so easy."

I gave her a mock serious look. "Oh? And what exactly do I need to be on the hook for?"

She smirked, tilting her head slightly. "For being too flirty with me."

I laughed, but before I could respond, she leaned in, planting a quick kiss on my cheek. The touch of her lips was soft but lingered just enough to make my heart race a little. When she pulled back, I caught her eye, and there was a spark between us—not the electric kind she controlled, but something else entirely.

She grinned at me, her fingers now absentmindedly playing with the fabric of my shirt. "See? You're blushing."

"I am not!" I protested, though I could feel my face getting a little warmer.

"Sure you're not," she teased, giving me another gentle nudge.

I leaned back, laughing, and reached out to grab her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Alright, fine. You got me. Maybe you're the flirty one here."

Miles POV:

I had just finished putting Blaise's sisters to bed, quietly closing the door behind me. It was around 11pm, and I was beyond exhausted. Blaise had given me their house key, and since her dad had a night shift, it was just me and the girls until Blaise got back from her concert. She'd said she'd be home by 1am, which meant I had two more hours to kill, and honestly, I didn't know how I'd stay awake that long.

I dropped onto the couch, sinking into the cushions with a heavy sigh. I pulled out my phone to scroll for a bit, but my eyes were already starting to droop. Before I knew it, I was drifting off...

—

Suddenly, I jolted awake to the sound of someone whispering, "Boo!" right near my ear. I practically jumped out of my skin, my heart racing as I flailed for a second, disoriented. My eyes shot open to see Blaise standing in front of me, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Oh my god," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "You scared the hell outta me."

Blaise just laughed, clearly proud of herself. "Sorry, couldn't resist. You looked way too peaceful."

I blinked a few times, still trying to get my bearings. "I, uh... I didn't mean to fall asleep."

She waved it off, dropping her bag on the floor and sitting beside me. "It's fine, really. You've been stuck here all night, I get it."

I sat up a little straighter, finally fully awake. "How was the concert?" I asked, hoping to change the subject from me passing out like that.

Blaise's eyes lit up instantly. "It was amazing! Billie was incredible, seriously. She did all my favorite songs, and the energy in the crowd was insane."

I smiled, watching her excitement. "Sounds like you had a blast."

"I did." She grinned, still buzzing from the experience. "I wish you could've come. You would've loved it."

I shrugged. "Maybe next time. Someone had to keep your sisters from tearing the house down."

Blaise laughed, clearly relieved everything had gone smoothly. "How was that, by the way? I hope they weren't too much trouble."

I shook my head, leaning back on the couch. "Nah, they were fine. A little hyper at first, but nothing I couldn't handle. And eventually Bose told me I could leave since they were all over him."

She smiled, her eyes softening. "Thanks anyways."

I waved it off. "It's all good. You deserved to have a fun night, and I didn't mind helping out."

Blaise tilted her head, looking at me for a moment like she was studying my face. "You're really sweet, you know that?"

I felt my face heat up a little under her gaze. "Well, I try," I said with a small smile, trying to play it off.

She laughed at that, her eyes gleaming with amusement. We fell into a comfortable silence for a moment before I glanced at her, feeling the weight of the other thing on my mind. "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

Blaise tilted her head slightly. "What's up?"

I took a deep breath, preparing for her reaction. "I, uh, kind of promised my mom I'd go to Aunt Didi's birthday party."

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, and...?"

"And I said I'd bring Maddie with me," I finished quickly.

The look of surprise on her face was immediate. "Maddie? As in you promised your mom to bring your ex Maddie? Are you serious? I thought you didn't want to?"

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "You're right."

Blaise blinked a few times, clearly trying to process. "Why on earth would you agree to that then?"

"I don't know!" I threw my hands up. "My mom just kept begging, and she's been on me for months about Maddie. And she couldn't tell my aunt, that I'm... well, not seeing Maddie anymore."

Blaise sat up straighter, still giving me that shocked expression. "So, what are you going to do now? You haven't talked to her in forever, right?"

I leaned back, groaning softly. "That's the thing—I have no idea what I'm going to do. I thought maybe, like you said... I'd just... fake it. With you."

"Wait, what? You want me to pretend to be your ex-girlfriend? Are you out of your mind?"

"But you said it yourself, you said you could help out?" I asked confused.

"Yeah as in talking to your mom, or something, i don't know. But not what you're saying." she said as if it was obvious.

I chuckled nervously. "Look, it's not as crazy as it sounds! It's just for one night. My family never has seen Maddie anyway, and they've only heard about her from my mom."

She shook her head, still trying to wrap her mind around it. "You seriously think I can pull off being someone else, someone who used to date you?"

"I know it's a huge ask," I admitted, "but it would get my mom off my back. And you'd be doing me a massive favor."

Blaise leaned back again, laughing softly. "This is so ridiculous, Miles."

"I know," I said, cracking a smile. "But think of it like a challenge. You can show off your acting skills."

She looked at me for a moment, clearly weighing her options. Finally, she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Fine, I'll do it. But only because you helped me out, and this sounds like it could be hilarious."

I let out a relieved breath. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this helps."

"But," she added with a smirk, "if this goes south, you owe me. Big time."

I chuckled. "Deal. I promise I'll make it up to you."

Blaise laughed, shaking her head. "I can't believe I'm actually agreeing to this."

"Me neither," I admitted, feeling a lot lighter than I had all day.

We spent the rest of the night laughing about how ridiculous the whole situation was, and for a moment, I almost forgot the absurdity of what I'd asked her to do. Almost.

Before I knew it, the clock struck 1:47am, and Blaise stretched out, stifling a yawn. "Guess I should get to bed too," she said, standing up.

I nodded, getting to my feet as well. "Yeah, I should probably head out."

"Thanks again, Miles," she said as she walked me to the door.

"No problem," I replied, giving her a small smile before stepping out into the night. "Get some sleep, alright?"

"You too," she called after me with a grin. And with that, I headed home, feeling strangely content despite the long night.

—

After teleporting to the Man's Nest, all I wanted was to sit down, maybe even crash for a while. The babysitting gig had drained me, and all I could think about was how nice it would feel to finally get some rest. But, of course, as soon as I stepped inside, the alarm went off.

I groaned. "Of course. Just my luck."

Without thinking twice, I turned into Awol and teleported straight to the location the alarm had flagged. When I reappeared, I blinked, confused to see Blaise's house. Why here?

Inside, I could hear the sounds of a struggle—furniture getting knocked over, and what sounded like Blaise's voice yelling. I rushed in and teleported upstairs. That's when I saw Blaise knocking out a man dressed in all black. He hit the floor hard, clearly out cold.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Blaise's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and irritated. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at me, not knowing it was me—Miles—under the mask. She didn't know I was Awol, and she'd never been a fan of superheroes. She always made that clear.

"Someone triggered an alarm here," I explained, trying to keep my voice steady. My eyes darted to the unconscious guy on the floor. Something about him seemed... familiar.

Behind me, Jennie suddenly popped into view, wide-eyed and excited. "I called Danger Force!" she practically shouted. She looked like she was meeting her idol. "Awol! You're actually here!"

Blaise rolled her eyes and turned to Jennie. "What are you even doing up this late?"

Jennie, oblivious to Blaise's frustration, shrugged and said, "Just watching edits of Bose."

I couldn't help but cringe. Jennie's obsession with Bose was intense, but hearing it now—especially with the chaos going on—it made me want to laugh.

"Go to bed," Blaise said through gritted teeth.

Jennie darted off, and Blaise turned back to me, arms crossed and annoyed. "Okay, you can leave now. I've got this under control."

I wasn't about to leave without answers. "That's not your job. Tell me what happened. Why do you keep getting into these situations?"

She looked away, clearly irritated by the question. "I don't know who all those men are. They just show up."

Not convinced, I stepped forward and grabbed the guy by his collar. When I got a good look at his face, recognition hit me. "No way."

I tightened my grip on the guy and glanced back at Blaise, my tone growing more serious. "What was he doing here?"

She was standing with her arms crossed, glaring at me like I was the enemy.

"What was he doing here, Blaise?" I demanded, my voice sharp but controlled. I was trying to piece everything together, and nothing made sense.

"I don't know!" she snapped, rubbing her temple in frustration. "Why does it matter? Just get him out of here."

"It matters because he's a known supervillain," I said, stepping closer. "You can't tell me this is just some random break-in. Why did he come here? Was he associated with the other guys who attacked you? You have to know something."

Her eyes narrowed, and she turned away from me like she couldn't stand to look at me. "I told you, I don't know," she muttered, clearly avoiding the question.

"Blaise." I said her name more softly this time, trying to get through to her. "Look, if there's something going on, I need to know. This guy isn't just some criminal—he's dangerous. Why was he here?"

She huffed, clearly on edge, her hand still rubbing at her temple like she was trying to keep herself from exploding. But the longer I waited, the more her silence felt like it was hiding something. I didn't want to believe it, but I had to know.

"Did you know him before tonight?" I asked, the question hanging in the air like a weight.

Blaise's shoulders tensed. She didn't respond immediately, but the look on her face said everything.

I took a step closer, my voice quieter but firmer. "Blaise... just tell me. What's really going on? Why does he know where you live?"

She let out an exasperated sigh, turning to face me, her eyes blazing. "Fine! You want to know? We used to date, okay?!" The words hit like a punch, her voice filled with a mix of frustration and something else I couldn't quite place.

I froze, the words sinking in slowly. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, we were in a relationship. Happy now? Is that what you wanted to hear?" Her voice cracked slightly, and she ran a hand through her hair, clearly irritated.

I blinked, trying to process what she was saying. "You—dated him? When?"

"A while ago, alright?" she said, her voice strained. "Before he became... whatever he is now. I didn't know he was a supervillain when we were together. Since he pretended to be a hero."

I stared at her, my mind spinning. "Is that why you hate superheroes?" The question slipped out before I could stop myself.

She glared at me, her eyes full of anger and something deeper—something more vulnerable. "Yes, alright? Part of it. But it's not just him." She turned away again, clearly done with the conversation. "Now can you get him out of my house?"

I stood there for a moment, still trying to make sense of everything she'd just told me. Blaise, in a relationship with a secret supervillain that made everyone - including me - believe he was a superhero. He used to go by the name StormStrike. It explained so much—why she was always so guarded, why she had that bitter edge whenever anything involving heroes came up. But at the same time, it raised a thousand more questions.

Finally, I nodded, "Fine. But this isn't over," I said, my voice low.

She didn't respond, just folded her arms tightly over her chest, glaring at me like I was the one who had caused all this.

Blaise walked past me, not even giving me a chance to say another word. I stood there for a second, feeling like I'd been hit with a ton of bricks.

I grabbed the unconscious guy by his collar and teleported straight to the police station, handing him over without much explanation. My mind was still reeling from what Blaise had said.

"They used to date?" I muttered under my breath as I walked back out.

I couldn't stop thinking about it. The whole situation made no sense. I never would've pegged Blaise for someone who'd get involved with a guy like that, let alone a supervillain. And to think she'd been keeping this secret all along...

I teleported back to the Man's Nest, my mind still in a whirlwind. As I materialized in my room, I kicked off my shoes and fell onto the bed, the events of the night playing over in my head like some weird movie I couldn't turn off. The way she'd said it—angry, defensive—it made me realize how little I actually knew about what was going on with her.

I stared at the ceiling, the weight of exhaustion starting to hit me, but I couldn't shake the thoughts. She hates superheroes because of him? Or maybe it was something more than that. And how did she even manage to take out all of his men and himself? Last thing I knew is that StormStrike had superpowers. Whatever it was, I couldn't figure it out tonight.

Rolling over, I buried my face in the pillow and tried to let it all go. Finally, my body gave in, and sleep pulled me under, but even then, her words stayed with me, a confusing puzzle I wasn't sure how to solve yet.