Chapter Text
Joy was completely absorbed in her phone, her fingers moving nervously as she texted with a noticeably frustrated expression on her face. Sheesh. She mentioned wanting to hang out with her — let's just say, her greatest — friend and oh-so cherished sibling, but she's captivated by her tiny gadget. How rude. They're right here as well, girl.
"Hey, guys, uh, I'm gonna have to ditch you all for now. Have some business to attend to. Here. In Powder Point. Specifically." She shoves her phone into her jeans' pocket. Her whole demeanor at this moment felt like an eye twitch if it were a person.
"And... What is such business? When are you coming back?" Moe asked. Surely she wouldn't just ditch them for something trivial.
"Just meeting someone; it's private. And, uh, probably tonight. A few hours. Just. Stay around and be safe, and I'll message you when I'm back."
Moe shrugs. "Alright, then. More time for us here then, Roy." He glanced quickly at Roy, who nodded but appeared tired, barely able to focus it appears.
"Enjoy the Ferris wheel, you two. Especially you, Roy." She shot her brother a light smile. A smile that held genuine concern for him behind it. How cute! She cares about her li'l brother.
Moe suspiciously nods. Roy kind of just shrugs and turns around to face the rest of the line, which was still decently long.
Just as Moe was about to do the same, Joy grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him aside, speaking in a hushed tone to make sure Roy didn't overhear it. "Please stay with Roy and make sure he's safe."
"Yeah, yeah—Wait, isn't that your duty as his older sister? Why me? And can't he take care of himself?" He rebuked, only to met with a strike on the back of his head.
"Ow—! What was that for!?" Moe yelped. He certainly was not expecting that.
"Keep it down, idiot." Joy sneered.
Moe rubs the back of his head. Feisty. They should've named her that instead of Joy.
"But, yes, it is, and he means the world to me, but I..." She sighs. "This is a private matter. I know he's capable of taking care of himself, but I just want to make sure he's okay here and in good hands. Can you do that for me, just this once? Please? I'll find a way to repay you." So heartfelt; who knew she could be so mellow like this?
He strokes his chin. "Hmm. An interesting offer. Alright, I agree." He couldn't help but smirk. "As long as there's a payment, heheh." He concluded.
She rolls her eyes, clearly not enthusiastic about having to make that promise. "Thanks. Oh, and if anything happens to him, I'll make your life a living hell." She emphasizes her threat with a serious tone, leaning in and pushing her finger against his chest. She's... actually kind of strong...?
Moe raises his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. You got it. He'll be fine! Roy won't fall into any booby traps under my supervision." She did not intimidate him in the least, but he made the decision to comply with her just to make things a bit more interesting.
Joy lightly punches Moe on the back as she walks away. What a strong-willed girl she was. He was almost certain she had feelings for him. Absolutely. There was no doubt about it. No siree. Hey, how is Roy doing? Did he get kidnapped yet? Probably not.
Moe redirects his attention towards the man in question, who was gazing up at the Ferris wheel as it slowly spins with an expression that could either be described as amazement or fear—it's difficult to say for certain. He appears to have been oblivious to the entire interaction with Joy. "... So, despite not riding any rides all along, are you enjoying yourself, buddy?" He walked over to Roy so he could be at his side.
It was true that Roy hadn't been on any of the rides. He told Joy — and Moe by proxy — that he had a pretty bad reaction to roller coasters. Poor guy.
He sort of just waited it out on a nearby bench while Moe and Joy went on all the rides. Even on Sky Ninja, which finally reopened, he definitely wouldn't want to ride that one. What a scaredy cat! He thought it was kind of cute.
Wait, if his sister knew that, why did she even invite him? Ah, right, Roy insisted since he wanted to spend time with his sister. How wholesome. At least he didn't seem to mind being left behind, and he smiled at the fact that his sister was having fun. That was, until she became super invested in whatever was on her phone. He was still wondering what that was, actually.
Roy is taken aback as he glances at Moe. "Huh? Oh, um, y-yeah, I-I think so."
"Are you ready for the Ferris wheel? I mean, it's a nice option for something more soothing for you to ride, but are you still certain you want to go on this one in particular?" He had to make sure he'd be fine. After all, if he didn't, then he'd be breaking a very recent promise.
"Yes, I do want to! I-It's just that..." He looked down, not knowing where to stare at.
"Hmm?" Moe fixed his gaze directly on Roy's face, even though Roy did not meet his eyes in return.
"I'm just... Uh... A bit a-afraid of heights, heh." Roy confessed, now with a fixed gaze on the ground. It was like he always had an overcast cloud looming over him. An Eeyore type.
Moe shrugs. "Eh, no problem. Just don't look straight down. That's what I do." He pauses and taps a finger on his lips, thinking of a reference that's accessible to a regular person. He then holds up that same finger. "Just imagine yourself as Spider-Man, you know?" Everyone knows who Spider-Man is, right?
"Being Spider-Man sounds nauseating." Which could be true depending on what you're doing.
"I mean, yes, but theoretically, if you were bitten by a radioactive spider that granted you superhuman abilities, I'm pretty sure one of the abilities would be no longer experiencing any motion sickness. However, if we were to apply this concept to real life, but instead of a radioactive spider, it's the metaphorical idea of gradual improvement over time, I would find it to be quite inspiring. Now that I think about it, what I just said isn't too different from Peter Parker's character development in gen—" Roy cuts him off.
"I think I get it." Aside from the rather rude interruption — he isn't too different from his sister in that sense — Moe could see a smirk creep up on Roy's face. That's a good sign, hopefully.
"Well, are you sure you wanna do this? I mean, we could do literally anything else." Moe offers, just in case.
"Yeah, I... I need to be strong. Or eventually learn to be." Roy finally looks up at Moe with an uncharacteristically content smile. Very unexpected, but thank goodness.
"Ah, there we go; that's the spirit! But, uh, let me know if you're not feeling well or something." Moe gives a smile of warmth back at him.
The truth was, Moe had no clue what he'd even do in that situation. He sure as hell will try, though. He plans on using the information he had gathered from similar situations in the comics he had read. After all, how different could it be from real life? It must have had some basis. Regardless, his mind is set on not letting his very real love interest — that being Joy, of course — down.
Moe glances up at the Ferris wheel standing before him, with the light gray backdrop of the blanket of clouds in the sky. It's a large one, clearly designed to serve as a prominent landmark for the city.
They were at Powder Point on this particular humid day, where the sounds of roller coasters vibrating and people screaming filled their ears. Ah, the cries of the not-so-damned; what a great atmosphere. Perfect for a date, as the many couples here seem to believe. Moe couldn't blame them.
Joy had invited them here. He had no idea why. Well, technically, she had invited her brother, and Moe had simply inserted himself into the conversation since he happened to be in the vicinity. He enjoyed teasing her, but what surprised him was that she had actually allowed him to come. Maybe she succumbed to her true feelings for him, finally? Certainly. There is no doubt about that.
"Yeah, sure," she had said. "We're leaving tomorrow morning. If you're serious, stop by the pizzeria." He wasn't even sure if he was serious, but to their surprise, he did show up. It was likely to show his dedication to his little bit. He even bought his own ticket beforehand. Moe took a seat in the back while Roy sat in the front, and Joy assumed the driver's seat. It was perhaps the most awkward hour-long car ride he had ever experienced, aside from Moe's shitty Batman impersonation over the punk rock songs blaring from the radio, which only annoyed Joy. That, however, was amusing.
Regardless, at least he was finally venturing beyond Tastyville, his hometown. It was good to have some time off for vacation, and there was no better place than somewhere he's only been to a handful of times.
After a minute or two, it appears that the line to the Ferris wheel made significant progress. The young couple standing in front of them loaded the next available cart. Moe had recognized them from around Tastyville and in his very shop, but he didn't know their names from the top of his head, so he didn't comment on it. Roy, on the other hand, appeared to be already well acquainted with them. The brunette girl beamed brightly and started waggling her fingers at Roy as their cart began to lift up. He awkwardly waved back at her, wearing the most sheepish grin that Moe had ever seen. Cute.
It was now their turn to board. Firstly, another couple, dressed rather punkishly, hopped out of the cart while locked arm in arm. They immediately and excitedly waved at Roy with their free hands as they walked away, and he nervously waved back. Geez. Roy was much more popular than Moe could've ever imagined for a guy like him.
They both proceeded to step up onto the cart, taking seats across from each other. Roy's lack of enthusiasm was evident as he held his hands on his stomach and anxiously bounced his leg. He was already appearing to be on the verge of throwing up. Moe decided to strike a conversion, hopefully to soothe him.
"So, Roy, it's been a while. How have you been? How is work?" This was the best he could come up with. In hindsight, they didn't have much in common besides being similar in age, with Roy being slightly older. So, Moe went with the usual conversation starters.
"I-I'm alright. Just the usual. Uncle is doing his thing, and I'm... Well, doing everything else. How about you?" Roy responds contently, like he's doing a tiny bit better.
Moe responded thoughtfully with a hum. It was indeed the usual, and it's odd how he — and everyone, really — just accepts that it is. What a world to live in!
"Oh, I'm doing quite well. And, uh, my work too." The truth was, Moe had been facing some difficulties in sales recently. However, it wasn't to the extent that he couldn't make a decent living. So, there was no need to burden the conversation with additional unnecessary worries, he thought.
"That's good." Roy lightly nods with a faint smile. He appeared to be doing better already, for now.
They then sat in silence as their cart ascended higher and higher. Moe chose to lean against the wall of the cart to rest his head, with his eyes glancing towards the side. The view was rather pleasant despite the dreary weather, enabling them to observe the other roller coasters and practically all of Powder Point in the distance. The town extended to the base of a mountain, where a few small homes could be seen as tiny specks. He would have mentioned the view to Roy, but, you know, he didn't want to rub it in his face.
Speaking of, Moe's eyes now shift over to Roy — just to check on him, of course — who was seated and gazing slightly downward into space, it appears. He began to examine the man as if he were some kind of shiny rock.
Something about Roy's demeanor was strange, but it intrigues him. Noting his backward cap and sweater, he dressed very boyish, for sure, but he also looked so frail. He was always slouched over and fidgeting with his hands, which complemented his usual gloomy and anxious aura quite well. Moe could only ponder what his story was. Of course, he had somewhat of an idea since they had been acquaintances for probably over a decade now, but what was going on in his head? Was it all just work struggles? Moe felt determined to understand.
Moe snaps out of his daze when he notices that Roy is now staring out the side of the Ferris wheel, pale and wide-eyed.
Out of habit, Moe pushes his glasses up on his face with his index finger. Unprepared, he awkwardly asks, "Oh, uh, are you okay?" His tone lacks a shred of empathy. Instantly, Moe regrets not reacting more frantically. Now he just looks like some sort of asshole who didn't care. Fantastic.
Roy didn't seem to notice, quickly shifting over towards the center of his seat and propping up his legs. His breathing is panicky, and his eyes are fixated directly on the ground, with his complexion still very pale. Having limited knowledge on how to handle such a situation, Moe cautiously rises and sits on the seat next to Roy. Was this the correct procedure? He thought it was.
Roy was still completely out of his mind at the moment and could not even notice Moe's presence. He repeatedly mumbled things under his breath, along the lines of "I'm going to die." Weary and worn, Moe gently grasps Roy's hand, which was resting on the seat. After a few adjustments for a more comfortable position, their fingers soon become interlocked. This appeared to have had some sort of effect, as Roy's breathing started to slow. It's working...!
"Ahem... There, there. Uh, just take as much time as you need to relax." Moe said, reassuring him.
Moe stared down at their hands for a moment, realizing the resemblance in both size and detail. From the discernible tendons to the slenderness of their fingers, it was a peculiar sight. Although uncertain of its significance, perhaps this was what forged a connection between them, bridging the gap between a comic shop merchant who concealed their supervillain alter ego and an overworked pizza delivery boy. Boy, what a cheesy thought that is. He now begins to stroke his fingers gently between Roy's, making an attempt to provide more comfort.
There was a harsh breeze from up here, causing Roy to start shivering a bit. Just as Moe started pondering a solution for that, it felt like their cart finally started to descend, thankfully. At least that wasn't all for nothing as it seems that the two of them are closer now — at least via the hold of their hands.