Work Text:
When Edith was younger, she fantasized about the idea of having a superhero come to sweep her off her feet. She wasn’t exactly a huge fan of superhero comics–there was just too many when she was little, and there wasn’t a whole lot of female superheroes to look up to back then. But the part that almost always caught her attention was when the hero came in to save the girl.
The chubby little elementary schooler would watch or read in awe as some handsome, well dressed, and often quite muscular hero would come to save the girl from certain doom and hold her in his arms like she was his bride-to-be (and in some cases hat would be the case). Superman would fly with a career-successful Lois Lane and take her into the sky while letting her experience joys that only an ordinary human could dream about. Spiderman might swing through New York City while the gorgeous Mary Jane would cling to him with a huge smile. Often these women would never know that their seemingly cowardly, bland co-workers or awkward, yet kind hearted friends would be the men of their dreams. Every moment and very gesture–from that bridal style hold, to the gentle, reassuring face touching, to the big kisses–made Edith swoon in delightful longing.
She was once at that age where most girls dreamed of becoming a princess and finding a brave, handsome, kind hearted prince or hero. She was once at that age of blissful ignorance where she had an image that her future was going to promise such a thing and more to her as an adult. She was once at the age where it seemed anything could be possible in the future without the harsh reality to reshape and narrow it until you couldn’t know where to go or how to get out of the place you found yourself stuck in.
***
Edith was known as the awkward, weird, shy girl in elementary school. She never knew how to approach the other kids and when she did most of them would brush her off and tell her that they weren’t interested or that they already had enough kids on the team.
Even at a young age it was hard to find a place to fit in. Where she lived it was rare for girls to get into sports, she was too clumsy for ballet, and the idea of entering those beauty pageants for little girls that all mothers tried to get them into terrified her (and looking back as an adult, she didn’t know if avoiding such an uncomfortable, artificial looking event where girls were expected to always be pretty and look too grown up was a warning sign of some sort).
She might of been accused of being ‘old fashioned’ but she did like to bake and help make food–a lot of her fondest memories involved cooking with her mother or her aunt. In fact when she looked back, she recalled hoping to do something involving food for a living, but originally it was a little more ambitious back then, like having her own restaurant or bakery, or working at some five star location. So it wasn’t always about hoping for someone to sweep her off her feet. Though that wasn’t enough to easily secure a place of belonging at school.
It was on the playground, upon overhearing a few boys complaining about Lois Lane being ‘too stupid to tell that Clark Kent is Superman’ that she not only tried to defend Lois, but accidentally revealed her secret desire in one sentence:
“I’d like to be her because she’s a hard worker and she gets to have Superman to come save her when she’s in trouble!”
When they figured it out, the teasing began.
At the time, it was laughs of disbelief. Questions of “Why would Superman ever want to save a weird, chubby, freckle face like you?” Why would she want to be the damsel in distress? “Superman only likes pretty girls!” they’d taunt her.
They were little things that, to some kids, wouldn’t be a big deal. But to a plump little child like Edith, it was a huge source of regret and a blow to her confidence.
She’d look at those superheroes again and refuse to believe it at first–one would come for her, wouldn’t he? Sweep her off her feet if she were in trouble? But the moment she started comparing herself to the women they saved, she began to see it. Those women were beautiful, confident, and skinny. They were flawless (no freckles or slouching) and perfect in every way. She... wasn’t.
Her family was poor enough that most of her wardrobe was second hand clothing and leaving the state to fly to a huge city or go across the world was an impossible dream. It was another thing some kids teased her about and it wore her down. There was no superhero to come to help change her life for the better.
She couldn’t keep up. She could smile and try to join in, but she just didn’t fit in where she wanted to fit in. If there was someone else who understood what she went through–if there was a boy who was told he couldn’t be a superhero for the same reasons she was told that no hero would come for her–they were elsewhere at another school.
She remained the awkward, weird, shy girl well into middle school and high school. All around her everyone was able to live out the fantasy depicted in films where they studied and always got good grades, managed to become famous for one reason or another, or secured their high school sweetheart who’d take them to prom. Others wasted their time and either opted to forego their grades and a potential for a good future though making fools of themselves in class or spent time in the hidden nooks and crannies doing Lord-knows-what.
Most of the girls grew out of their awkwardness and developed into stunning, confident, beautiful women, but she never did. She was still on the plump side, she always hid her face behind a curtain of hair to try to hide more than just freckles, and she still had mostly second hand clothes.
She never constantly got good grades. She never could find a high school sweetheart. She only went to prom once in a dress that wasn’t even her dream prom dress and there was no boy to slow dance with. She had a few solos in the school choir, but she felt more secure when her voice blended with the other choir students and they never got to go to any recitals at an amusement park. She had a few friends by this point, but popularity was only a dream you could barely touch if you weren’t all around perfect. She had no desire to squander away her time like the others, nor did she have enough rebellion in her to do so.
Some days she wanted to scream up into the sky. She wanted to just sink into the earth as she wondered where her life was going when everyone else seemed to know where theirs’ was. Still, no superhero showed up to help her–none of her classmates were secretly a superhero and none of the likely candidates seemed to show any romantic interest in her.
At least the Culinary Arts classes kept her sane. She was one of the best students her teacher ever had (according to the woman herself). You either got it, you didn’t, or you could do better in such a class and at least she was able to have fun–she could be creative and make something others liked. It was always how she could be able to make friends or win someone’s attention, even for just a few seconds.
She felt security in making food. It was fun, it kept her occupied, and it could make others happy.
****
High school came and went. Many would stay close to home, others would go off to a university to become the best of society, or some would pay for the consequences of ignoring their education and be forced to do minimum wage jobs or hard labor if they were lucky. Some made a mistake and ended up being mothers way too soon or else married too fast.
She did none of that–having to be an outsider forced to look in made her realize that some men with a handsome face and winning personality were just wearing a facade. She wasn’t good enough to get married right out of high school, but not good enough to get into a university like some lucky girls either. That only left a four year college and getting a four year degree, and even then she had to take a side job in order to pay for her classes.
She did work at a restaurant for awhile, but it was so stressful. Always in a rush and for what? For people who may or may not tip her? For people who didn’t understand how lucky they were?
Then when her aunt died–her aunt who helped her pay for college, who always had good instincts, and fully believed in her–it was such a huge thing to deal in an already hard life.
By that point she had almost forgotten what it meant to dream and have childhood fantasies. She was destined to forever blend in and no one was there to sweep her off her feet. Any superhero who’d pass by wouldn’t even see her–she was just an extra or a background character for five seconds and never to be seen again. Even then, she forgot about what it meant to see a superhero and to believe that good would always win in the end, despite the odds.
Years passed and she eventually had enough and wanted something new that could give her more of a purpose. She recalled the lunch ladies from her elementary school days. How was it that they were always so nice and looked well, even though they had to be busy making and providing food for so many kids? It gave her inspiration–maybe she could try her hand at such a job and see where it would lead her to. Maybe she might be able to find time to make friends in such a place.
She had to work hard to get her certifications, and all she had to do was ace the interview and then she could quit her job and start anew. The fact that she was the only person to be interviewed and that she got the job so easily should have been a warning as to what kind of place she was going to be working at.
*****
It wasn’t like what Edith expected.
She was pretty much on her own, but payment for food and ingredients was so tight that it required serious planning and creativity. Unfortunately some of the food was preserved in questionable substances that she was honestly shocked that the leftovers would emit some sort of radioactive coloring–it was like something out of a comic book and she wouldn’t dare eat it if you paid her a thousand dollars. It gave her more reason to keep the rubber gloves on to the point that sometimes she’d forget to take them off for hours.
Also the leftovers smelled bad and she had to make quick work of getting rid of it. Unfortunately her schedule required her to stay put in the cafeteria while the teachers and most of the staff were able to escape into the calming serenity of the teacher’s lounge so she barely had a chance to get so much as a conversation when she wasn’t busy. However the more she saw of them the more she realized she didn’t actually like them that much–many of them were rude and they didn’t seem that invested in making learning fun. They had a sort of apathy towards their job as if they were only in it to make money, but some seemed to get a kick out of making the kids suffer on purpose and that made her uncomfortable.
The children were another story.
Yes, the children were very loud and chaotic in the cafeteria, but they seemed far happier in there compared to anywhere else in the school. They were easier to talk to once they got past her oddities and she did her best to try to give them a greeting or a friendly smile when they needed it the most.
Honestly, she preferred the kids over the staff. Kids were more honest and easier to get along with compared to the adults. She gradually recalled her times of being a kid and how the need to see the world as a huge endless ball of potential and pathways was so important. She knew what it was like to feel neglected and need someone to talk to–she wanted to be there when a child seemed upset. If they needed to speak, she listened and sometimes that was what they needed in order to start making things better. She had vowed to herself that so long as she was here, she would ensure that the kids would feel safe and happy in her corner of this otherwise dull school.
The word of her reputation would quietly spread amongst the students–the lunch lady was actually one of the few adults (besides the science teacher and janitor) who seemed to care about the kids, even if she seemed strange, awkward, and often hid half her face behind her hair. She didn’t think anyone would actually care what she looked like, so she didn’t do much with her appearance.
Among the kids who knew her reputation were none other than the notorious George Beard and Harold Hutchins–everyone knew who they were. She heard many a story and complaint about them and she could see their mischievousness in their eyes, but honestly they just seemed like a couple of kids who were more restless than most and were just acting out without enough outlets or guidance. She didn’t say it out loud, but she did like them and she was able to stay on their good side.
Though one very unwanted lunch themed around leftovers later, they retaliated by filling one of her fridges up with pink bubbles (she figured it had to be them after hearing quite a few rumors). It scared her at first, but when she was able to get over it, it wasn’t so bad and the idea was pretty whimsical. She didn’t dare voice her suspicions to anyone or admit that she liked the prank, but of course the principal threw a fit over the incident like he always did towards similar incidents.
Some teachers mocked her behind her back saying she was too soft, but she didn’t care.
By this point she had enough money to rent an apartment and drive a used, but still good car. But there was only enough to pay rent and utilities, buy food and other necessities, and a little left over for whatever she wanted. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. She also found out about a community caroling group in town that got together during the holidays and she was finally able to find a group of people her age that she could hang out with outside her job.
But something was still missing that she wished could happen.
****
Then there was Edith’s biggest problem–she had a crush on the school’s principal.
Yes–of all the people she’d develop a crush on, it was none other than the infamous, no-nonsense, easily angered Principal Benjamin Krupp.
She was very intimidated by him at first–never smiling until he acted so smug about how he ran the school. She’d learn of the infamous anger and shouting very soon during her first week alone. She didn’t always agree with the way he ran the school–he was expecting a level of perfection that was impossible and the idea of not allowing fun was just asking for trouble.
He also wasn’t the kind of man she would have dreamed of fancying dating when she was younger–overweight, bags under the eyes and stress-lines, and clearly bald under a ratty mess of a toupee that barely hid that fact to the point that one would wonder if it was even necessary if it couldn’t do its job. Overall he wasn’t the textbook definition of handsome.
Except... she felt sympathy for him.
Running a school meant being under a lot of stress and loads of work as well as many a disruptive child, no matter how much power that would have given you, and often it was too clear on his face. She couldn’t figure out if the reason behind his behavior was because of his job or if there was something more under all that anger and a need for control.
She supposed she started her crush the moment she had the rarest of moments at the school that few got to witness–the moment he let his walls down for a second and could be happy. She was heading to his office and his door was open just a crack. She was going to open it and that’s when she saw it–he was laughing happily over something he was reading.
It was not the happiness over punishing a child or enforcing a school rule–it was a true moment of happiness where there was no maliciousness in his smile. Where his laughter was honest and he was able to find something genuinely funny.
That genuine happiness–that rare moment of good humor–it seemed to suit him. It made him brighten up and he was far more attractive when he was allowed to be himself, be pleasant, and not have to constantly keep those walls up. It made her heart race and the moment she felt the heat in her face, she instantly knew it–she had a crush on the disagreeable, foul tempered principal.
But she never acted on it. Oh they had their awkward small talks and what not, but nothing further happened between them beyond her making something edible for him on a few rare occasions.
*****
Eventually she’d find George and Harold’s comics.
Edith had to admit that their comics were good, but the ones that would become important (in hindsight, the most important) were the Captain Underpants comic books.
It seemed like such a silly concept on the surface, but it made her think back to the superheroes of old and she couldn’t help but read them when off-duty. They made her feel like a child again, and even though the material should have been below what most women her age read it was in some ways more entertaining than the usual Hallmark movie dramas and the juvenile humor did make her chuckle. It was a hint of the potential the two creators would have in their future.
Even the main character himself was entertaining–he was nothing like those too perfect to be real superheroes. He wasn’t handsome, he was as bright as a dead light bulb, and yes he was basically a man flying around in nothing but a cape in his underwear, but he was so endearing that she couldn’t help but like him. He was so full of life with an adorable smile that could brighten one’s day, and he felt genuine.
Eventually she noticed that the superhero didn’t have a love interest. Perhaps it was because his young creators didn’t have romance on their minds (nor would they at such an age). In a way it was a strange relief–perhaps because there wasn’t yet another Lois Lane that she’d have to compare herself to. Here was a hero who didn’t look like he’d have any girls coming right after him and in a way it made him relatable. She got what she saw and there was no pressure towards obtaining a dream that could never be. For what felt like the first time after so many long years, she was able to enjoy superheroes again. She could feel like a kid who believed in the impossible again–in fact, maybe this was the kind of hero she would have needed back then.
***
Time passed and nothing changed or improved for Edith’s personal life. Despite the need to stay professional, she’d always think of her boss as ‘Benjamin’ instead of ‘Mr. Krupp’ nowadays. No matter what daydreams were in her head, nothing would come true and he’d never see her as more than just his employee.
Then came that fateful week.
The day she would finally meet him felt like a normal and the instant it happened, it seemed like the usual–Benjamin was going to go to his office with George and Harold in tow for yet another lecture. But this time around he looked like a wreck–his clothing was crooked and his toupee was barely hanging on the top of his head. She was hopeful that he actually ate the casserole she worked so hard over–maybe he liked it, maybe not–
She wasn’t expecting the flirting. Or the burst of energy and light in his eyes that he never had before. He just seemed a lot happier than normal today and she couldn’t figure out why.
“But if your casserole was as stunning as your one blue eye–”
It was a shock–he was flirting with her?!
“Oh!” She tucked her curtain of hair back and shyly looked back with a small smile. “I didn’t think you noticed.” She had no clue what she was doing–maybe he didn’t know both her eyes were blue?
He stared at her with his mouth opened in quiet, breathless awe as if seeing a sunrise for the first time.
“Oh my... two blue eyes!” He exclaimed with a giggle that made her heart race. She couldn’t help but giggle back until both of them were laughing and she felt the happiest that she had in awhile, even if he hadn’t a chance to eat the casserole.
He had to be lead away by the boys and he ran off with a fist in the air like a superhero. (It was a huge clue that she missed the first time.) She couldn’t believe it! He actually– “Oh, flirt alert!” She grinned like the lovesick fool she was.
(She had no clue what she had just done at the time–she had no idea whose heart she had stolen without meaning to.)
Later that day she tucked her hair behind her ears as she looked at her face in the mirror. She looked back at the eyes Benjamin had noticed about her this whole time and how they reminded her of the ocean or the sky. She began to notice the other parts of herself–her freckles, the way she still looked younger than her actual age, how the pink got into her cheeks–maybe it was because she was still excited over the recent encounter, but for once in the longest time, she truly felt like she was beautiful.
****
When the incident with the giant toilet happened, it was a huge chaotic moment. No one really knew what was going on as a man with a heavy German accent and a name so ridiculous that she wasn’t sure if she misheard it was making threats and trying to rob the children of their ability to laugh. She wondered if she was living out one of George and Harold’s comics.
The other adults were useless and hid away or had no clue what was going on. She was trying her hardest to bring the kids back inside, away from the porcelain death machine while never knowing what was real or what was a hoax.
Amidst the chaos she heard it–a voice. It was over-the-top, heroic, full of confidence and light, and it sounded like something out of a cartoon. She looked up and gasped as a faintly familiar figure appeared–in fact it was the very last thing she expected to see as everyone’s beacon of hope.
Captain Underpants was flying in the sky.
Captain Underpants was alive and real.
A childhood fantasy had come to life, to the delighted cries of joy from the school kids. Her own childhood dreams of heroes that she once desperately clung to had become real before her eyes. George and Harold’s creation was somehow given flesh, blood, bone, and a soul. He was flying in the sky in all his ‘in nothing but a cape and underwear’ glory. He spoke in that over-the-top superhero kind of voice with an energy and warmth behind it that she had always heard in her head.
She was staring mainly out of shock. Also because it was literally a man in just a cape (that looked oddly familiar but she couldn’t place how) and underwear. For an overweight man in his underwear, he was surprisingly good on the eyes–
Edith had to snap herself awake and get the kids inside, but she felt a heat in her face.
Later back at home she could calm down and think back about what she saw–she just lived through one of George and Harold’s stories. She had been staring at their made-up hero–who somehow became real, like Pinocchio or the Velveteen Rabbit–like he was eye candy. While she wasn’t able to meet him in person, there was already something oddly adorable about him and his carefree, energetic nature.
She held her face in her hands and couldn’t stop blushing–she was fawning over the first real life superhero that she’d seen and of all the superheroes, it had to be Captain Underpants.
He had been too far away at the time, so she couldn’t see his face properly, but there was something oddly familiar about him. What was it? She swore there was something about his voice, but what was it?
She wondered once more if she dreamt the whole thing up. But the next morning she’d hear the kids excitedly talk about the superhero and wonder how he came to life. She’d later read the newspaper and realize that her reality was changing forever. Yet she couldn’t help but smile as she realized it–a superhero did come at last after all these years.
****
Edith was too overwhelmed with delight to realize that the invitation to the date might not have been made by Benjamin. Neither of them even inquired about the fact that they both were given the exact same invitation. At the time she was too happy to care or ask about it.
That entire night she felt like one of those girls in high school with a boyfriend or those women in stories who managed to go on a nice date. She didn’t care if it wasn’t spectacular like most dates were supposedly supposed to be–just finally being with Benjamin, finally having a proper conversation that wasn’t full of small talk or awkward things to say, finally able to get over her shyness and those walls, finally having the time of her life after what felt like a long time–it was enough for her.
But then all of a sudden a bunch of literal talking toilets broke into the restaurant and started eating anyone that they came upon. Her shock turned to disgust as well as a bit of frustration because of course this was what her life was turning into now. Her date was slightly more horrified and tried to call for a waiter when he snapped his fingers–
SNAP!
Something then unexpected happened, even more so than the talking toilets–Benjamin began to tear off his clothes.
They were in the middle of some kind of invasion and he was taking off his clothes. She was shocked until she was starting to see the picture that was forming before her–without his clothes, without his fake hair, and upon grabbing the tablecloth with an oh-so-familiar print, Benjamin transformed into Captain Underpants before her eyes.
She certainly had a lot to be gleeful of in that particular moment (especially because she got to see much of Benjamin a lot sooner than she’d dare imagine), but the reality hit her in the face at the same time–both Benjamin Krupp and Captain Underpants were one and the same. If she needed any final proof, then it was to hear Benjamin’s voice change his normal speaking voice to the now familiar over-the-top superhero voice.
****
Edith never dared ask Benjamin when she assured him that the date was spectacular the next day. According to comic book logic, she shouldn’t know the superhero’s secret identity and he wasn’t acting any differently about the reveal or asking her weird questions. He seemed happier, but was bummed out that the date was seemingly cut short for reasons he struggled to remember.
It didn’t take long for her to connect the dots since the boys were never far behind when Captain Underpants showed up to fight the increase of monsters and bad guys since that fateful week.
George and Harold were forced to explain the truth to her when she encountered them in private, and she promised she wouldn’t say a word to their principal. She didn’t dare ask Benjamin before and now she certainly couldn’t considering the messy circumstances. Which made complete sense given the history between the three, but even still it was crazy that it lead to an actual hypnotism that was still in effect for some reason.
It should of been ridiculous and yet she was ok with it–when was life ever straightforward? Especially after dealing with talking toilets?
Edith needed to see Captain Underpants again. She needed to know what she was about to get herself into–she needed to come face to face and talk to him. It took a lot of convincing the boys (and a promise to never tell a soul for the next time they pulled a prank in the cafeteria), but they were able to bring the hero to her in secrecy after another fight that involved a substitute teacher was was secretly a bunch of tarantulas (she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the full story about that one).
Edith didn’t have to wait long in the cafeteria kitchen when Captain Underpants burst through the door. “Ah is there still more nefarious–?” He began with a huge smile that dropped in surprise when he saw her. He stood before her in all his underwear and cape wearing glory, and despite a few scrapes and scratches he truly looked like he was pulled from out of the comic books. He physically looked like Benjamin, but the way he held himself as if he could tackle any issue with full confidence and the bright light in his eyes belonged to someone else was familiar to Edith for another reason.
He clearly remembered her and was once more staring at her with that same awe as she tried to figure out what to say. It was supposed to still be Benjamin before her, but–
“Uh... hi, random citizen?” He nervously gulped and waved.
“It was you that day, wasn’t it?” She finally asked. “You said ‘But if your casserole was as striking as your one blue eye.’”
“Yes?” His nervousness grew before he stammered. “No I mean that was just your school principal! That was absolutely not me in disguise!”
A thousand questions ran through her head, but– “I can’t believe the famous Captain Underpants flirted with me of all people!” She smiled as she decided to play it safe as she decided to rely on everything she knew about the character for this. “If I’d known, I would have given you a huge thank you for all the good you’ve done saving people and protecting us all. I don’t think I’d be able to do even a quarter of the things you’ve gone through for us.”
“Oh!” The man lit up and saluted to her. “Well you’re welcome! I very much appreciate that and helping others like you means everything to me!” He then frowned. “Uh, you won’t tell anyone about me being disguised as a principal, will you? I don’t want to endanger you if you know–”
“Oh, no one pays attention to anyone like me, so you have nothing to worry about.” She shrugged.
“But you aren’t just anyone!” He protested. “You’re the school’s lunch lady! Or so my sidekicks have told me! You make sure the children are well fed and can survive the day without going hungry! And you’re–” He stopped with a blush. “Well... I’ve paid attention to you... Not in a weird way of course, that would be quite rude!” He quickly added. “I respect your right to privacy!”
Her heart melted a little in that moment. Carefully she walked up towards him and he nervously held his breath. He nearly lost it when she reached out to touch his face to prove to herself that she wasn’t dreaming this.
“You’re real,” She breathed. “There’s a real superhero before me.”
George and Harold’s creation was given life. Nearly everything he believed about himself was thanks to all those comics which he thought were his memories and his life events chronicled by two boys. He was both real and not quite all at once. But his feelings for her–from the moment he must have first seen her–she realized those were genuine. Much of Benjamin’s personality was missing from the hero, but the hypnotism was unable to undo his feelings towards her. In fact, they must have been passed to Captain Underpants, which made her realize just how much Benjamin had cared about her.
“Well seeing how often you appear around the school, I think it’d be best to finally introduce myself to you,” Edith smiled a she drew her hands back. “My name is Edith. It’s a pleasure to properly meet you, Captain.”
He was stunned at her smile once more before he smiled back. “Well it’s a pleasure to properly meet you too, Miss Edith! And must I say that is quite a lovely name! It’s just as striking as your two blue eyes!”
With that she knew she absolutely adored this other side of Benjamin.
****
It’s not easy dating a man who doesn’t know he’s a superhero. Or dating a superhero that doesn’t know he’s an actual principal. It came with its expected struggles, especially with the hero. It required a lot of patience and understanding and she had quiet moments of frustration at times, but she’d come to realize very fast that the hero would never abandon her. He had the best of Benjamin within him and though he was often brought out to fight a new bad guy of the week, he enjoyed being with her when he’d get the chance.
She remembered the first time he offered to fly her off into the sky–she had been on an evening date with Benjamin when some street performer snapped their fingers, but she kept him close by and told him there wasn’t anyone to fight after he stripped down and changed behind an alleyway (and stole another curtain off someone’s window).
“Oh, well that explains the peace and quiet!” Captain Underpants happily observed before noticing the evening sky. “It sure is beautiful!”
“It is,” Edith agreed with a smile. The changing lights from the nearby water fountain shifted in their rainbow glory, faint music could be heard, and the sky was made of dark blue, pink, and a fading yellow. “The city is beautiful around this time.”
“Would you like to see?!” Captain Underpants eagerly asked with a grin. When Edith looked at him in confusion, he explained. “I mean would you like to see from above?!”
“Above... wait, you mean–?” It hit her. “A... are you sure?” She asked as an old shyness came back. “You want to carry me up into the air? Me of all people?”
“Well of course! I can’t think of anyone else I’d want to take up into the sky tonight!” He confirmed with a slight blush in his cheeks. He then shook his head and–without warning–scooped her up into his arms. She yelped as he declared “And away we go!” before shooting up into the air.
She cried out in alarm and tightened her hold round his arms. She closed her eyes and shook with fear.
“Hey it’s alright, I promise I won’t let go.” His voice became gentle–for one split second he sounded more like Benjamin–as he came to a stop. She dared to open her eyes–
Below her was Piqua in all its glory. She could see people staring up in amazement at them as the street lights twinkled and glowed. She looked around to see the world expand and extend in a way that she could never have seen on the ground. She could see her superhero watching her take it all in with baited breath.
“Is... is it alright?” He nervously asked while holding her in his arms as if she were as fragile as glass. “Do you want to go down, or–?”
Captain Underpants never had a love interest in the comics. Yet by some crazy cosmic miracle fate decided to give him one–someone who knew that both the hero and the civilian were one and the same when he himself did not. Someone who could love him despite–or maybe because of–his unusual uniqueness. Fate decided that this bizarre superhero would cross paths with her over any other woman he possibly could of been given. He was not your typical superhero, but she had never been a typical person her whole life.
She touched his cheek and he was real–she wasn’t asleep and she wasn’t another face in the crowd.
“I love it!” She giggled. “Show me more!”
He gave her a huge grin and he let out a delighted laugh as he flew her across the sky at a pace that would let her take in everything that she could see.
Her superhero had been patiently waiting for her this whole time, even before he truly became one. He had been waiting for her almost very single day at the school, and he had been waiting for her even when he was first just drawings and words on paper as made by two boys. And of all people he could have chosen, it was her that he adored and chose to literally sweep her off her feet to take her into the skies of a more exciting life. Her superhero had come for her and she loved every inch of his soul–whether he was his civilian self or his superhero self–with all of her heart.