Solace Ch.23

— Darius Johnson (Two Years Later) —

“I still can’t believe you were just a kid.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t know.” I frowned, taking a sip of the coffee Titan’s wife, Vanessa, gave me.

“How was I supposed to know with that voice modifier you have?” Titan frowned. “Plus, you were pretty tall for a fourteen-year-old. You pulled off the adult look nicely.”

“Well, now you know.” I shrugged.

Even after working together for two years, this was the first time I showed Titan my face. In the time frame leading up to now, I realized he was an alright guy, if a bit ruthless, and I could trust him with my true identity.

“I always had the feeling you were a little shit.” Isotope grinned my way, and I sent him a half-hearted glare.

“You’re braver than most men, Isotope; I can respect that,” I said before taking another sip of the delicious coffee. “However, perhaps you shouldn’t test your luck.”

“It was just a joke, Boss.” Isotope held his hands up in surrender, but the grin was still on his face.

“Of course it was.” I smiled back and placed the empty cup on the table. “Well, I’m gonna get lost. Tell your wife I said thanks for the coffee.” I waved at the two men.

“Yeah yeah.” Titan waved me off, and I fixed my tie before flying out the open window.

As I soared through the air and looked over the city, my mind reflected on the two years that had passed.

With Titan as the city’s crime lord, the amount of crime has not only decreased, but the crime that is committed rarely, if ever, affects the innocent.

Sure drugs are still being pushed out, gangsters are still dying from gunfights, and rival gangs have been moving in to cause problems, but it is considerably better than what it once was.

The rival gangs know not to overstep too far, lest they get a visit from me, the hero Solace who has no problem putting his fist through the chest of killers.

The simple truth of the matter is the gangs fear and respect me, and that goes for Titan as well.

Even though I’ve grown to trust Titan enough to show my face to him, I understand that it can be a bit taxing and cluttered working under me.

That is what’s going on after all.

Titan is the leader of the biggest gang in the city, but he works for me, and by extension my family.

When I showed him my face, I told him who my father is, and let’s just say, any animosity he once had for me died that day and was replaced with fear.

He couldn’t beat me alone, and he’s smart enough to understand that even if he could, he couldn’t beat my father.

Some would say that him knowing my identity would put my family in danger, that being my mother and little brother, but I’ve met Titan’s family over a dozen times.

His wife is a kind woman and his daughter is a sweet girl, more than that she looks up to me, her favorite hero.

The point is, he wouldn’t move against me because he’s seen me kill before.

As much as I wouldn’t wish to, if Titan ever made a move against my family, I’d cut his down, and he knows that.

I grimaced as I came to a stop high in the sky. I crossed my arms over my chest as I shook those thoughts out of my head.

It would never come to that, I’m sure of that.

*RING*

I raised a brow and fished my phone out of my pants pocket.

Caller ID: Eve

An involuntary smile came to my lips as I accepted the call.

“Yo, what’s up, Eve?”

“[Good morning, Darius!]”

My smile grew. I wonder what has her so happy?

“What made you so bubbly this early?”

There was a short silence on the other end of the line before I heard her clear her throat.

“[Nothing, anyways Beth is heading to the

movies with Mark tonight, did he tell you?]”

I put my free hand into my pocket as I thought back to the night before.

For the last two years William, Eve, and I have been pushing Mark and Bethany together but respectfully Mark had been too much of a wuss to actually do anything of meaning to enter a relationship with her.

Eventually another dude came along and started dating Bethany, a guy named Brandon.

The guy is an asshole and that relationship only lasted a few months, so Beth was on the market again.

It took Mark over a year to finally muster the courage to ask her out, and he did it last night.

When I woke up this morning, I was greeted with seventy three unread text messages, all from Mark who was absolutely ecstatic about the chance to finally get into a relationship with the girl he’s had a crush on for two years.

“He texted me last night about it, but I didn’t read his messages until this morning.” I chuckled and heard Eve giggle over the phone.

“[That sounds like you. Making Mark wait before you respond.]” Eve teased.

“In my defense, he made me wait two years to see this day come, he can wait a night for my reaction.” I rolled my eyes, my smile never letting up.

“[That’s fair…Are you on your way to school yet?]” The red haired girl questioned, changing the subject.

“Nah, I’m gonna head home for a bit and

chill, maybe skip the first period.”

“[You really should stop skipping. If you keep going you won’t pass the class.]” Eve chastised me.

“We both know I will.”

“[Good grades don’t matter if you fail out strictly from attendance, come on time, please.]”

I let out a groan. I really didn’t want to go to the first period…but she was right. I was wracking up my absences, and I only had a few before I reached attendance failure, which would cause me to either do credit recovery in the summer, or stay back a year.

And I wasn’t staying back, I’d rather drop out.

“Alright, you win.”

“[Great! See you in a little, Darius.]”

“Yeah, see you soon.”

With those words I ended the call, pocketed my phone, and blasted off toward my house. I needed to change out of these clothes and put on something more appropriate for class.

Within half a minute I touched down in my driveway and walked into our house.

“Darius, you were out early.” My mother greeted me from her place on the couch with a smile.

“Always am, Mom.” I walked past her, sparring a quick glance at my three year old brother, Omar, before making my way up to my room.

I quickly threw off the suit I was wearing and put on some casual clothes, jeans, a white hoodie, and white Nike Air Forces.

The simplest of simple fits for school, but one I’d wear with maximum pride and comfort.

Before I stepped out of the door to the garage, I thought about how hyperactive Mark would be the moment he saw me and let out a sigh.

I entered the garage, pulled my key off the wall and hopped onto my motorcycle.

A white and black Honda CBR 1000RR. The motorcycle was a “gift” from Titan when I told him I was tired of getting rides to school from my parents and my mom forbade me from flying to school.

I started the motorcycle, put on my helmet (not that I needed it, it just looked cool) and made my way out of the garage.

— Mark Grayson —

Mark tapped his desk with unhidden giddiness. He had arrived at school thirty minutes early, and now class was just about to start. He was here so early because he couldn’t wait to talk to Darius about everything that had happened just the night before.

And what a night it was!

He had been so nervous, Beth, William, and he had gone to some broadway show, and while Mark didn’t find it as interesting as the other two did, he enjoyed seeing Beth enjoy herself.

When the show ended, William had given Mark a thumbs up, got into his car and dipped, leaving just Mark and Bethany behind.

The blonde haired girl offered Mark a ride home in the car her father had bought her and Mark was quick to accept.

As they drove, Mark reflected on the two years they had spent as friends and his mind wandered to dark places.

Specifically her Ex-Boyfriend.

When Mark thought of her potentially getting with another guy, it broke his heart and tore him apart, so much so to the point where he just blurted it out, not even realizing what he had done until it was too late.

“Someone’s lost in their thoughts.”

Mark snapped out of his head and looked up at the red haired woman who was smiling down at him teasingly.

“Oh, hey Eve.” Mark breathed out, unable to keep a smile off of his face.

“Hey there, lover boy.” William greeted from behind Eve and quickly made his way over to throw his arm over Mark’s shoulder. “Someone had a good night, gonna tell us the deets~?”

“Yeah Mark, I think we’d all love to hear

about your big night.” Eve smirked as she took her seat beside him. William went to the Mark's other side and took his seat there.

His best friends looked at him expectantly, and just as he was about to begin-

“Alright, settle down class.” The gray haired teacher said as she walked into the classroom.

“Look how time flies when you’re submersed in sweet love.” William hugged himself with a reminscient smile. “Speaking of love, there’s this guy I met the other night, he’s got a really nice ass and-“

“Mr. Clockwell, do you have something to share with the class this early?”

William blinked at suddenly being called out and rolled his eyes once he was over the initial shock.

“I wish.” Will breathed out.

The old teacher, Mrs. Lemmings stared at William for several seconds before letting it go.

“Right, attendance then.” The old woman walked over to her desk and started calling names in alphabetical order, going down the list until she halted at ‘J’

“Mr Johnson?”

Mark looked around the class and let out a sigh. Darius was skipping again. He shouldn’t be suprrised, it’s Darius after all, but so much had happened last night Mark had hoped Darius would pop in so he could hear about everything as soon as possible. It wasn’t unlike Darius to grow curious about the lives of others after all.

“No Johnson.” Mrs. Lemmings frowned deeply and went to cross off his attendance, but just as she did, the door to the room opened and in walked the same guy Mark had wanted to see the

most.

“Yo.” Darius waved to the teacher and looked at the class who were all staring at him in awkward silence.

“Mr. Johnson, you’re late.” Mrs. Lemmings reprimanded Darius with a scolding look but the dark skinned boy merely shrugged his shoulders.

“Type shit.”

The gray-haired woman narrowed her eyes at Darius, but it was clear he couldn’t care less. He started making his way over to their group and took his seat beside Eve.

“Watch your language from now on, Mr. Johnson.” Their first period teacher said and Darius didn’t respond in any way, physically or vocally, instead he pulled out his phone and began to scroll away.

The old woman let out a sigh and turned to the class.

“Let us begin.”

— Samantha Eve Wilkins (Several Hours Later) —

“You two look good together.” Eve smiled at her blonde-haired friend. Beth smiled back, her arm wrapped around Mark’s as their group sat and ate at their lunch table.

“Thanks, Eve! I think so too…” Beth trailed off as she looked up at Mark who noticed her gaze and began blushing.

“A real lady killer we got here.” Darius leaned forward with a lazy smile which made Mark glare at him.

“Oh come on, give Prince Charming here a break.” William added with a teasing smirk.

“Will you guys ever stop?” Mark practically whispered, his cheeks burning red.

“When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east my friend.” Darius grinned as he placed his head in his hand and closed his eyes.

With Darius no longer attentive to the world around him, Eve couldn’t help but stare at him. They had known each other for years now, and it was no secret to their friend group that she had feelings for him for just as long.

Those feelings blossomed because of the kind of person Darius was, the boy she strived to be like, a hero she looked up to.

Yet as she looks at him now, the feelings she had for him in the past had been amplified tenfold, not just because of his personality, but because of the way he lives, carries himself, and also his looks.

Tall, handsome, and strong, stronger than anyone else, both physically and mentally. Her heartbeat grew faster and faster the longer she stared at him, and the more her green eyes drank in the sight of his face, the more she wanted to touch it, to place her hand on his cheek and call him hers.

“You’re a bad friend.” Mark said after a while of soaking in his own embarrassment.

“Yet I’m your best friend, says more about you than it does about me.” Darius responded with a small smile.

“Oh eat a di-”

“Why don’t you two get a room already?” Eve asked, crossing her arms under her bust.

“Last I checked, Will is the only one here that swings that way.” Mark side-eyed his childhood friend who shrugged at his words.

“You guys should try it, no one can love a man like a man.” Will wagged his eyebrows and looked at Darius with enough seriousness that it made her heart pause.

“Hard pass.” Darius said with his eyes still closed.

“Hey, don't knock it until you try it, I think you’d be surprised.” Will placed his hand on Darius’ back, and the dark skinned boy shrugged his hand off.

“Well then, while you guys figure out the wonders of homosexuality, I’m gonna go to the bathroom.” Eve forced a fake smile and stood up.

“Ooh, I’ll come too!” Bethany followed after Eve as they made their way to the bathroom.

Upon entering, Eve stopped in front of the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. As she did, she inspected everything from her neck up. Her soft, delicate face, her red hair, green eyes, and supple lips.

Years ago she was treated no differently than the other school girls and she wanted nothing more than to live an average life, yet whenever they entered high school, everything changed.

Guys approached her to ask her out, and girls flocked around her to admire her beauty. In the past she would have turned away from them all, shied away at the chance of living anything more or less than the average experience, yet now, she thrived in being looked at and accepted by others.

Yet even with nearly the entire school population thinking of her as the most beautiful girl in school, the one person she truly wanted to think of her that way had yet to make a move.

“Are you okay, Eve?” Beth asked as she stopped at the sink beside her.

“Yeah…I’m fine, why do you ask?”

“I don’t know, maybe the mother of all frowns on your face.” Beth placed her hands on her hips, making Eve let out a sigh. “You know you can tell me.”

“…I know.”

“Then…”

Eve stayed quiet. It was a big day for Beth, she had just gotten into a relationship with Mark, and they were going to watch a movie later tonight. The last thing Eve wanted to do was ruin her best friend’s day with her own drama.

Beth took a step toward Eve, making the redhead take an instinctive step backwards. Bethany tilted her head in confusion before a sly smile began to work onto her face.

“Oh to be young and in love.”

“Stop!” Eve immediately waved her hands in front of her face as her cheeks grew a dark shade of red.

“Stop what?” Beth smirked and placed a hand on Eve’s shoulder. “You know he totally has a thing for you, right?”

“…” Eve opened her mouth but closed it after a moment, and silence took hold of the bathroom for several seconds.

“…How do you know?” Eve whispered out.

“Call it women’s intuition.”

Eve narrowed her eyes as Beth who rolled her eyes back at Eve.

“I guess that isn’t enough for you, huh?”

“Of course it’s not!”

“Then how about this?” Beth took a step and Eve faced her friend with great expectations. “Do you remember when that one guy asked you out last week—what was his name again?”

“Michael.”

“Doesn’t matter actually.” Beth shook her head. “The important thing is Darius didn’t wait around that day. You should have seen how angry he was.”

Eve’s eyes widened as her heartbeat sped up.

“He was…angry?”

“He was.” Beth smiled slyly at Eve. “And more than that, I’ve seen Darius angry before, and I’m sure you have too, usually he doesn’t keep it to himself, he’s a rather…spiteful man, yet last week he just balled up his fists and walked away, why do you think that is?”

Eve looked at the floor as she considered her blonde friend’s words.

As she did, Beth took another step toward and she stopped when she was close enough to whisper in her ear.

“It’s because he was jealous, the quiet anger of a guy who’s losing what he doesn’t even have.”

As Beth pulled away, there was a confident smirk tugging at her lips.

“He’s yours for the taking, all you have to do is reach out.”

“…And how can I do that?” Eve asked, at this point her fate was in Beth’s hands, and she clung to her every word like a baby clings to their mother’s teat.

“Same way we planned, you both are gonna join us tonight.”

Eve’s eyes widened as she recalled the previous night. After Beth and Mark had gotten together, the two girls spent all night talking on the phone, and Beth had offered a double date with Bethany and Mark along with Eve and Darius, but Eve had thought it as nothing more than a joke, even if she liked the idea.

“You were serious?”

“Totes serious, are you in?”

Eve looked at Beth for a few seconds before she looked back at herself through the mirror.

All her life she had been yearning for the life she had now, did she really want to risk messing up her friendship with Darius for a chance at being with him?”

— Darius Johnson —

“Again, I don’t swing that way.”

“Can’t say I didn’t try.” Will shook his head in disappointment.

“I appreciate the effort.” I said with a roll of my eyes.

“Oh hey, you girls are back!” Mark stood up as Eve and Beth approached.

I narrowed my eyes on them. They were gone for a while, longer than they usually spend in the bathroom, but I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised. Girls will be girls, and it’s no secret that girls rarely go into the bathroom together to actually use it.

Girl talk and all that jazz.

I shrugged my shoulders and placed my head on the table as they took their seats once more.

“Did you two have fun?” Mark asked, overly curious about the affairs of women. I knew from experience that would lead him nowhere, the girls never talked about the secrets of their girl talks.

“Oh yeah, plenty!” Beth answered for both of them. “Actually, I even came up with an idea for tonight!”

“An idea?” Mark tilted his head and I picked my head up from the table to see Beth had the biggest smirk on her face. As I looked at Eve, I could see that she was shrinking in on herself.

Oh God.

“Yeah, so you know how we have a movie date tonight?”

My time has come.

“Yeah, that's all I’ve been thinking about.” Mark laughed nervously.

“Me too! So what do you think of a double date?”

“…”

The table went silent as all eyes fell on Beth, before shifting to Eve whose face was as red as a tomato, and then to me.

“So you want to take Darius and Eve along?” William broke the silence of the table, and earned a nod from Bethany.

The table grew silent again as everyone looked back at me. It was no secret that Eve had a thing for me, but it wasn’t as obvious that the feeling was mutual. I tried my best to keep myself in check, because I felt as if it would be wrong.

Yet here I am, with a choice before me, say yes and go, or say no and give her up.

A quick gaze into her green orbs, begging for an answer told me my choice.

I let out a breath and shrugged my shoulders.

“I’m down if you are, Eve.”

Eve’s eyes widened as she stared at me in surprise for a few seconds. Eventually she nodded silently, giving me her answer.

A double date with Marky boy, Beth, and Eve…

Fuck it, we ball.

— Chapter End —

Beta readers: @Dragonboy1