Vic flexed his fingers and plucked the lastboy off the sidewalk. The kid’s legs continued to pump, but themoment his feet left the ground, he reached up to grasp at Vic’swrists. “Don’t drop me, mister,” he pleaded, eyes wide and shinywith the stars above. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it, I swear. I’msorry, I’m sorry, just don’t drop me, please.”
Without making any promises, Vic turned inmid-flight and headed home.
* * * *
Matt stood behind Officer Jones, who heldopen the passenger door of Matt’s car and shone a flashlight intothe dark depths. “Stereo’s gone,” she confirmed, pushing off hercap to run a hand through her long blonde hair. She smoothed backher bangs and tugged the cap back into place. “They trashed itpretty good. Anything else you notice missing?”
The visor above the passenger seat hung fromone wobbly screw. “My CDs,” Matt told her as he peered into thecar, careful not to disturb anything. “I had about twenty up there.Um…my Oakley’s, maybe. I might have taken them inside but I don’tthink so…”
When he shifted his weight from one foot tothe other, glass crunched beneath the sneakers he’d thrown onupstairs. The thought of cleaning up this mess, at this hour,exhausted him. Then there was the insurance company to call, and aglass shop, and a body shop, too, if he wanted those dents in thehood hammered out. Fuck. Where the hell was Vic, anyway?Matt felt lost and violated, vulnerable. More than anything else,he wanted his lover’s silent strength near him, if only to shorehim up. He wanted this mess fixed, and Vic’s arms around him, hislover’s gruff voice assuring him it would be all right.
As if wished into being, Vic spoke up insideMatt’s mind. ::Are the cops there?::
“Vic.” Matt turned, grinning, but his smilefaded when he didn’t see his lover approach. Kendra threw a glanceover her shoulder at him, then let her gaze roam the street for amoment until she realized Vic wasn’t there. She turned back to thecrime scene.
Silently, Matt asked his lover, ::Whereare you? Did you catch the assholes who did this?:: He hatedthe helpless whine in his own voice. ::Jesus, Vic. Mycar!::
::I got them,:: Vic said. ::Is itjust you and Kendra out there?::
::Yeah.:: Vindication rushed throughMatt, so heady he had to place a hand on the side of the car tosteady himself. ::Did they say why they did this? Did theysay—::
Vic interrupted him. ::It’s just youtwo?::
::Yes,:: Matt said. He glanced aroundto make sure but saw no one else on the street. The red and bluelights from Officer Jones’s patrol car pulsed silently, throwingodd shadows in the darkness, but there were no curious onlookerswatching, no one standing about gaping—not at this hour. ::It’sjust us. Why? Where are you?::
With a whoosh!, something dropped fromthe sky to land heavily on the nearby sidewalk. Matt’s mouthdropped open into a perfect O of surprise when the dust cleared andVic stood there, the concrete buckling beneath his feet, threeterrified boys clinging to him as if afraid to let go. “Oh, myGod,” Matt sighed. “Did you just fly?”
Matt exchanged a look with Officer Jones, whogaped as Vic released his grip on the teens and shook them free. Asone, they sank to the ground, terrified after their ordeal—eyeswide, faces dazed, legs too wobbly to support their weight. OfficerJones had no trouble cuffing them. As she secured their wriststogether, Vic wrested Matt’s stereo from one boy’s arms and held itout like a peace offering. “Don’t know what good it is now,” hemuttered, turning the cracked casing over in his hands.
Matt reached for the stereo, too stunned tospeak. Had Vic been—was he really… flying? Every part ofMatt began to shake at the thought of how dangerous it’d been forhis lover to just, just, just fly off after the criminals.What if they’d had guns? Or what if he ran into something? Abuilding, or a street lamp, or hell, a fucking airplane?
Picking up on those thoughts, Vic chuckled.“That’s a little extreme…”
Matt tossed the stereo aside and took Vicinto a fierce embrace, as if his meager strength alone could keephis lover on the ground. “Don’t do that!” he chastised.“God, Vic! You could’ve been hurt, or killed, or—”
“I wasn’t.” Vic turned Matt’s face up to his,eyes searching Matt’s. “I’m right here.”
It was hard to believe this man before him,so solid, so built, so sound, had defied gravity not momentsbefore. A very tiny hint of jealousy sparked in Matt—flying.The ultimate super power. Who wouldn’t want that?
He hated himself for even thinking it, andstrangled the envy before it could take root and sour. “It’s toodangerous,” he said with a pout. “It’s just a car stereo, Vic. It’snot worth losing you over.”
“You didn’t…” Vic sighed. It was an oldargument between them—Vic couldn’t help but use the powers, andMatt constantly harped on the danger they put him in. Holding Mattclose, Vic murmured into his hair, “Matty, you keep me safe. Thesepowers come from you, from your love. You know that.”
True. It was late, almost dawn, and Matt felttoo tired to argue. He held Vic tight, unwilling to let go.Flying, his mind whispered. He wondered what it felt like tosoar among the clouds, weightless, free. To feel the wind rushthrough his hair, to see the stars shine up close, to watch thecity sleeping far below him. That jealous bud began to blossom inhis chest again. If the powers came from him, why couldn’the enjoy them?
He shook that thought away and burrowedcloser to Vic. His lover’s chest felt so firm beneath Matt’s cheek,so warm. The clean, faint scent of soap lingered, mingling withVic’s own musky aroma, making Matt feel safe. The ability to flywould lessen overnight—the transient powers flared brightest aftermaking love, but faded until they eventually disappeared entirely.By morning, Vic might be able to hover a bit, if he tried. Bytomorrow afternoon, the power would be gone.
A gentle hand smoothed down Matt’s errantcurls. He looked up at his lover and saw himself reflected
