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It was a perfect last day. Bruno had packed up everything early, throughout the week, so he wouldn’t spend his night worrying about the flight tomorrow, the new school, starting all over all by himself…okay, maybe worrying about all that was inevitable. But for just a few hours, he didn’t have to. For just a few hours, it was like nothing had changed.
Nakia drove them to go get shawarma. Kamala took her costume off so they could all eat inside, and they joked and laughed and especially reminisced about that crazy Damage Control lady who definitely got fired.
“I bet her name was Karen,” Kamala had said with a grin, making Nakia snort and Bruno shoot soda out of his nose. Embarrassing, sure, but there was an ease in the normalness of it all.
That was it; none of them were normal, but they could have these moments. Bruno would always hold onto these moments. Everything had changed over the last few weeks, but this was going to be the biggest change of them all. He wasn’t sure if he could handle it, at least without getting his deepest darkest secret off his chest, first.
“Actually, Bruno, could you drop me off now?” Nakia asked when they got back into the car, and he claimed the driver’s seat that was so rightfully his. Her eyes glinted with a knowing look in the rearview mirror. “I promised my mom I’d be home before ten.”
As Kamala whined and looked back at her from her spot in the passenger seat, Bruno swallowed thickly. Was he that obvious? If Nakia knew, then did Kamala know? Did Nakia even know at all? Was she toying with him?
“Bruno?” she prompted again, and he cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly in his seat.
“Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, I can take you.” Each of them buckled in. He felt Kamala’s gaze on him, but she didn’t say anything as he peeled the car away from the curb.
Shit.
When he pulled up in front of Nakia’s house, they got out to say goodbye. She hugged Kamala first, telling her she’d see her soon. When she turned to Bruno, she embraced him tightly, whispering into his ear, “Don’t be afraid.” Dazed, he returned her hug until she pulled away first. “This isn’t goodbye,” she continued, looking between the both of them with a watery smile. “I’m proud of you, Bruno. Knock ‘em dead, okay?”
His heart twisted painfully in his chest, but he returned her smile. He had to be strong; he was the one leaving them both. “Yeah. I will.”
Nakia seemed satisfied with that. She smiled and backed up toward her porch, heading inside as she gave one last wave. Don’t be afraid. Knock ‘em dead. Did she mean Caltech? Or…
“Bruno? Earth to Bruno!” Kamala was shaking her hand in front of his face. He blinked, turning to meet her eyes, full of quiet worry. “Are you okay?” If he stared too long, he might get distracted again.
Clearing his throat, he looked away, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He’d repressed these feelings for a long time now, but everything was about to change. “I…” he wanted to say yes, but he didn’t think he was. “I dunno. Do you…have to go home, too?”
She smiled softly, squeezing his shoulder. “C’mon, let’s go.” Racing toward the driver’s seat, she hopped in, and Bruno shook his head.
“KK, you still don’t have your driver’s license.”
“And I’ve got it perfectly under control, BruCar.”
“That name is not sticking.”
She did have it under control, for the most part, besides hitting a trash can when she parked in front of the rundown apartment building he and his grandmother were staying in since the explosion. She didn’t seem very bothered by it, contentedly leaving the car with her bag and waiting for him to leave too.
Frowning, Bruno walked toward her. “I thought we were going to your place.”
“I have a better idea.” A glittering, floating staircase appeared, leading all the way up to the roof. He looked at it uncertainly for a moment, trying not to smile, but she caught him. “Don’t tell me you’re scared,” she teased, offering her hand. “I’m not gonna let you fall, dummy.” His heart leapt into his throat as he took it. The sparkling lights that so often held her up held him up, too, reflecting on each of their faces.
He felt safe with her, but he always had. Not even magical, DNA-altered powers could change that.
He supposed they helped, though.
Together, they settled on the edge of the roof, sitting so their legs dangled and their shoulders touched. Kamala had let go of his hand once both of them touched solid ground, which on one hand, he was disappointed about, but on the other, grateful. His palm was incredibly sweaty.
For a moment, they just sat there, taking in the quiet night. The night air held a light breeze, carrying with it the smell of gasoline, cigarette smoke, and stale hot dogs. Dogs barked, cars honked. On the horizon, tall buildings glimmered with the light of night owls and workaholics, probably fueled by late night coffee.
Bruno breathed in, then let it out slowly. “Never thought I would miss Jersey City.”
Kamala laughed, nudging his shoulder lightly. “It’s just a semester. Then you’ll be home for the summer and we will party all day, every day.”
“And by ‘party’, you mean watch The Princess Bride on repeat.”
“It is a classic! You know that! I bet you could help me quote the whole thing.”
Chuckling to himself, he glanced up, catching a glimpse of the full moon, basking the dark sky around it in a dazzling light. Despite himself, he couldn’t help but wonder about Kamran, who might have looked at the same moon. Fidgeting with his hands in his lap, he turned his gaze downward. “How do you think Kamran’s doing in Pakistan?”
Kamala sobered, thinking about it for a moment as she leaned back on her hands. “I think,” she said softly, “he’s going to figure things out.”
He watched her. She didn’t look upset or angry at how things played out. Right now, with the breeze gently blowing her hair and ruffling her shirt, she looked at peace, like maybe she really believed Kamran would be okay. Maybe she believed the same for Bruno.
“He’s really not so bad.” The words tumbled out before he could stop them. It was strange to think that way, after their strained beginning - at least on Bruno’s end - but Kamran was just a guy, just like he was. He was trying to figure himself out, just like he was. “And he finally stopped calling me Brian.”
“Aww! You guys got to have a little bonding moment! I wish I had been there!”
Bruno rolled his eyes, unable to stop himself from smiling. Another comfortable silence fell over them, but Nakia’s words echoed in his mind.
Don’t be afraid.
What did he have to lose, anyway? Just years of friendship, the relationship he had with the Khans, not to mention the unbearable embarrassment, he’d probably have to permanently move to California -
“Bruno, hey. You’re shivering.” Kamala placed her hand on his knee, trying to meet his eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?” She looked him up and down for a moment, scooting a bit closer. “Hey, I know Wilson was up your butt about accepting this, but you don’t have to go to Caltech if you don’t want to leave.”
His eyes were suddenly burning. Clenching his hands into fists, he stared down at the ground way below them. If there was one thing he didn’t want Kamala to see, it was his tears. “It’s not that,” he managed, inhaling shakily. “Look, Kamala, there’s…there’s something that I think you need to know. Before I leave.”
Oh, shit . Now there was really no turning back.
She blinked, tilting her head to try and meet his eyes. She nodded encouragingly, pulling her hand back. “You can tell me anything. Promise I won’t get mad unless you stole one of my posters.”
Bruno let out a breathy chuckle, forcing himself to look up at her. The moonlight accentuated her features; her clear eyes full of curiosity and concern, her lips turned upward into a gentle, albeit confused, smile. He’d grown up looking at this face, had the pleasure of getting to call her his best friend, and somewhere along the way, his heart had messed everything up.
Kamala was so bright that he could hardly look at her. She was like the sun, piercing through complete darkness whether you wanted it to or not. And yet, like a trance, he couldn’t actually look away. Every day, he fell harder. He loved her so much that it hurt.
“Okay.”
It came out as barely a whisper, and he tried to clear his throat. His heart pounded in his ears, muffling his own voice. He’d thought about this moment for a long time, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t go the way he planned. He breathed in shakily, then let it out, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he took in her brightness, her beauty, as if he would never see it again.
“Kamala, I think…I’m in love with you.” Before she could even react, he shook his head. “N-No, no, I am in love with you. And it sucks because I know you have this thing with Kamran and I’m just your nerdy best friend, I don’t have powers, I’m moving across the country, and everything’s probably gonna be weird now, but I couldn’t just…I had to tell you before I left, I’m so sorry.”
Bruno risked a glance at her. Her eyes were shining, and his breath caught in his throat. Had he made it so awkward that she was going to cry? His own eyes were burning. This was why he shouldn’t have said anything, but usually Nakia was right…
A small gasp escaped him against his will as a warm hand grabbed his own. Their fingers laced together. He looked up in total shock and confusion. They were holding hands. On purpose. “Kamala…?”
“Thank you for telling me,” she whispered, squeezing his hand tightly. He was suddenly very glad she didn’t have super strength. Slowly, she leaned forward, kissing him featherlight on the cheek. “It’ll be weird, yeah. But that’s not your fault, Bruno. Maybe weird’s good. I mean, I can make hardened light appear.”
“So…”
“I love you, too.”
He could hardly believe his ears. Feeling his eyes burn for a third time, he pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on her shoulder with an incredulous laugh. She hugged him back tightly. “We’ll have time to figure this out.”
“When you get back,” she agreed, and as they both pulled away, they stayed close enough that their noses were only inches apart. Bruno stared into her eyes, which somehow seemed even brighter until they slowly closed as she leaned forward. His heart stopped. Time stopped. He closed his eyes.
Their lips brushed for just a moment. It was a peck, full of inexperience, but it filled his body with electricity, and they both moved backward quickly. Had she felt it, too? That smile on her face told him the answer. He returned it.
“Was that your first kiss?” she asked with a fake gasp, and Bruno felt heat rush to his cheeks. He hoped it was too dark for her to notice.
“N-No!” Yes. “Well, c’mon, wasn’t it yours?!”
She feigned offense, shoving him lightly, but their hands stayed intertwined.
They were together, just the two of them, for the last time in a few months, but strangely enough, Bruno felt like he could take on the world now. Caltech would be easy.
It really was a perfect last day in Jersey City.