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Trying to enjoy a quiet night in your backyard, you tilt your head up to stargaze while a small meteor shower speckles across the sky sporadically. You're just a smidge too close to the city to have a better view of the event, but thankfully your street lights are dim enough and the cloud cover above your house is minimal!
Your thighs spread across the cool ceramic tiles that run along the edge of your family's pool, your feet dipped in the water as you recline slightly. Arms behind you, palms flat against the ground to support your upper body as you let out a soft, content sigh.
Kicking your legs lazily in the water, the soft blue underglow shining beneath the waters surface cast you in a beatific light. Shifting your weight, you pull a hand forward to pick up your drink as you keep your eyes to the sky, scanning the sky for any more meteors you might be able to catch as glimpse of.
It was a serene and tranquil night.
Was...
Your peace is interrupted when out of the corner of your eye you see a figure glad in blue and yellow drop out of the sky...Normally this wouldn't be an issue, you'd already figured out that Mark Grayson—your neighbor for the last 9 years— is Invincible. He's not the only superhero that comes and goes from the Grayson home either, you figured it out pretty early on that his father Nolan was Omni-Man. I mean come on, they aren't exactly subtle with the power usage...
You'd developed this don't ask policy when it came to Mark's identity, you two are close friends but it didn't seem right for you to broach a topic he wasn't comfortable talking to you about. Maybe he'd tell you in the future, maybe not, it didn't change the fact that you already knew. You kept the secret close to your chest, you weren't even sure if William knew. And truthfully, it wasn'tyour business. It didn't involve you.
But now it did.
A thing called plausible deniability exists...If you weren't told Mark is a superhero and nobody can confirm that you have first hand knowledge that he's Invincible, you can deny it till you're blue in the face, even if you know damn well it to be the truth.
But now that he just flew into your backyard, covered in some pink mucky putty or clay, and ripped off his mask while complaining it got in his hair...Well, there goes that defense...
He doesn't seem to realize that he's about 20 ft over the property line and in your backyard instead of his. You're guessing the black fence that runs around the back of your property lines might've been used as a marker for his landing, but he was a little off today...Worst part is? He doesn't even notice yet.
"Jesus, come on man! Get off!" His mask still in his hands, he tries to throw it to the ground but it's stuck to his hand. That pink putty apparently pretty resilient and clingy as he waves his arm, trying in vain to throw his mask.
"Uh..."
You stare slack jawed at the man before you. Yeah, you already knew Mark was Invincible but there was some separation still. Mark Grayson and Invincible weren't the same person in your mind...But now that mental barrier between the two are completely broken.
The guy who you've seen save countless people in face of monsters, villains and natural disasters alike is the boy next door...The one you've gotten into playful fights about comic books about with, the one that you would go trick or treating with when you were younger, the guy you saw just last week spit milk out of his nose because he was laughing too hard at a stupid meme.
It really was Mark.
You see Mark visibly flinch when he hears the confused noise you make, his pupils wide as he hesitantly turns his head in your direction. Mark's always had impeccable comedic timing — or it could've been the universe using him as entertainment—but as if on cue, the mask he was trying to throw suddenly slips from his hands and lands on your parent's manicured lawn, the pink guck splattered on the truf...Hopefully that washes out with the rain...
The two of you just share a baffled look. He's got no idea how to cover his tracks and you've got no idea on what to say next.
You go to open your mouth but Mark beats you to it, his hands clasping together dramatically before he puts a hand on his hip and holds his other out to you, trying to impose a friendly, albeit phony atmosphere.
"Hi! Uhm...Random citizen! I-if you recognize my face it's because it's-one of my powers! Yes! To hide my identity! Yep, yep. So if I look like someone, anyone, you might know it's just to-to put you at ease! Fear not! I-I shall be out of your very very nice home promptly!"
Deepening his voice, Mark goes to pick up his mask from the grass but it's now stuck to the ground.
"oh fuck"
The low swear under his breath in his natural tone, Mark grips the mask with both hands before ripping up turf. A disgruntled squawk leaves you as you, your brows furrowed as you see him tear up a patch of the grass.
"Mark! Don't fuck up the lawn!"
Pulling your legs from the water, your bare feet plap against the tile as you run until your reach the edge, only stopping right before you get to the grass.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean-I mean-Mark? I told you I'm-"
"Markus Sebastian Grayson drop the bullshit!"
Flinching at the use of his full name, he wearily rubs the back of his head as he looks at you. A blush darkening his cheeks as he realizes just how caught he is.
"Uhm...I...I can explain?"
Crossing your arms over your chest, you look at him with a raised eyebrow as you tap your foot impenitently. Walking over, Mark stops infront of you but he doesn't dare meet your gaze. Doesn't want to have to have a hard conversation after the night he just had.
"Listen, I can...uh...It's like this-"
You lift your hand up to stop him, shaking your head as you hear him fumble through the start of a long, drawn out story you really don't need to hear.
"Dude, I've known like...the whole time."
"No, I just...My dad and I-Wait, wait, what now?"
Tilting his head to the side, he looks dumbfounded by the pure confidence in your voice.
"What do you..."
"Mark, come on dude."
"No really! How-what gave it away!? Really, I think I deserve to know!"
"The craters in your backyard about 4 months ago was a pretty good clue."
His lips tightening and his pupils dilating, Mark was suddenly reminded that just because something is out of eyesight, doesn't mean it's out of earshot.
"Fuck."
"Yeah, it was almost a self report dude. Kinda obvious if you think about it."
Kicking some dirt and guck off his boot, he rubs the back of his neck while he tilts his head back. An exasperated sigh and another string of mumbled swears later and he's looking back at you with pleading eyes.
"Do you know about Dad?"
"You mean 'Omni-Man?' Yeah, duh...He just flies out of your house in casual clothes all the time! I once saw him leave in his robe and slippers, kind of uncanny feeling that one."
Mark chuckles and nods, shrugging his shoulders as he remembers all the time he's seen Nolan do something in that vain.
"Yeah, that...that's fair." He watches you carefully, it's not the end of the world that you know. He trusts you, you've been friends for years, and it's not like you wouldn't have possibly found out some how anyway...But he still doesn't like it.
"So...have you told anybody? Because it's kind of serious and it's important that you don't! Wait, fuck-do your parents know?!"
You shake your head, uncrossing your arms as you place a hand on your hip and look him over. His arms and shoulders covered in that pink crap that you're growing more and more curious about and you don't miss the pitiful expression on his face.
Best way to describe him? A kicked puppy.
"Nah, I think you're clear with them. Neither have said anything about it and I doubt they're nosy like that. My dad won't even join the neighborhood watch facebook group, says it 'breeds drama'"
"Oh my Mom says the same thing. Apparently Sharon like...7 houses down is in a flame war with the new lady across the street from her, over get this, mailbox flags."
"Dude, no way."
"Hand to Seance Dog Issue #9"
"Issue #9!? Damn, alright Grayson. I see you, I see you."
You share a laugh about the asinine reasons people get in heated debates in the HOA, the ease in which the two of you fall back into your typical banter comforts both of you. No drastic dynamic changes present so far. You move back to the poolside, slipping your legs back into the water, similar to how you were sitting before all this started. Mark sits only about 5 feet from you, his legs crossed with his hands in his lap as he chats with you.
"So then, Bart, ya know the guy in the tanish house that's not actually tan? Yeah he-"
Mark's story is cut off by the sound of your father opening backdoor, tossing out a bag of trash from the kitchen into the bin up against the back patio deck.
In what some would call a moment of brilliance and others would call stupidity, Mark throws himself into the pool, pressing his back against the tile closest to where you both were sitting.
The splash gets your fathers attention and he turns his head in your direction, his confusion plain on his face as he sees you still sitting poolside.
"Ugh sorry Dad! Didn't mean to startle you! I thought I saw a beetle by my leg!"
"Oh, well alright then...Remember don't stay out too late, there's supposed to be a chill tonight kiddo so don't forget to dry off well before you go in."
"Will do! I'll be in soon! I'll roll the bin out before I go in so don't worry about it!"
"Ok, Kiddo. See you in the morning."
"Night!"
You wave bye as your father heads in, internally worrying that you might have a drowned Mark in your pool. Once your Dad gets back inside, you scramble to reach down into the pool and grab his arm. Feeling your panicked smacks, he breaches the waters surface before shaking his head, water droplets forming on the tips of his hair as he laughs nervously.
"Really?! You had to go in the pool?! You could have just like...flown upward!"
Between his laughter, Mark manages out a pathetic explanation.
"I'm sorry! I panicked! It was the first thing that came to mind!"
You kick your leg to splash water at him but he returns it tenfold. You scoff at the audacity and glare playfully before you kick another wave at him.
"Don't start something you can't finish~"
He teases as he stands up in the pool, the water in this part of it only going up to about his shoulders.
"You have never scared me Mark Grayson. And you're not gonna start now."
You don't know what would've transpired next, would he have pulled you in? Would you have tackled him into the water like you did when you were kids? Would you have turned in for the night without any other kind of interaction? You can't say.
"Mark"
Nolan's voice calling out from above has the you two turning your attention towards the air.
"Oh shit...Hey, I gotta go" Mark's rushed tone catches you off guard and as he lifts out of the pool, Nolan lands in your yard, fairly close to where Mark initially touched down.
"Hi Mr.Grayson..." Lifting your hand in a shaky manner, Nolan looks over at you briefly before he turns his attention back to Mark.
"Dad, look I-"
"Mark, we'll talk inside."
"Oh-ok...Yeah..."
Nolan looks back to you and gives a quick curt nod before he turns his back to you, flying over the fence that separates your yards. Once his fathers back is turned, Mark quickly holds up his phone to you and points, mouthing the words
'TEXT ME'
before he follows his Dad.
You nod, waving him off, watching him disappear behind the fence. Your eyes trailing upward above the Grayson household, you see a beautiful full moon and a sky full of stars. Your mind unfocused as you stare off in the distance for a few moments. You're snapped back into reality when you hear your phone chime with your text tone.
Looking down you see Mark's contact photo pop up, the message beside it reading
'All good, talk tomorrow, K?"
You smile to yourself, trying to think of a way to respond. It has to be something tactful and delicate...right? Fuck no! You're like best friends! You simply react to his text with a thumbs up before you send this man a stupid photo you meant to send him earlier in the day but just didn't get a chance to.
You relax your shoulders slightly as you lay back, your legs still dipped in the water as you watch the sky. Content on going in after you see one last shooting star.
A second later your phone dings again, turning your head to the side and looking at your messages. You see Mark responded to you with a selfie he took earlier in the day, one with him in costume chilling ontop of the Sydney Opera House with a seagull about to dive bomb him in the background.
"Huh...Guess that counts..."
Deciding to turn in for the night, you roll the trash bin out to the street and head inside. Going up to your room, you fling yourself onto your bed as you replay what happened earlier in your head. Turning to the side to face your bedroom window, you look out towards the Grayson house and smile to yourself when you see the faint light in Mark's bedroom click off.
"Night, Invincible..."