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It still felt a little strange, going by the LarryBoy moniker. Yes, it was who he was, who he’d always been, how Bumblyburg saw him when the helmet went on. And yet…and yet he wasn’t the orphaned teen he’d been when BatBob came to the manor to respond to the burglary that fateful night. A night that changed both their lives forever. Bob was a mentor, a father figure, a brother, and a best friend.
But Larry was 15.
Back then.
That was 10 years ago.
He was older now. Well, that’s just how time works, he supposed. But back then, he had Bob, he had Alfred, he had his faith, and helping the city…that was enough for him. He felt fulfilled. Happy. Like he had everything he needed to live a perfect life…until one morning at a coffee shop.
Larry always visited the same one, he’d gone to school with the head barista, Esther. It was always nice to see her, make small talk, get the run of the town from the average citizen. Normally he was the only one he ever saw her chatting with - she was perpetually shy, a trait she’d never seemed to have grown out of even in adulthood. But today…today Esther was talking. To someone. Someone…else.
“...so we meet in the library every other Tuesday, and you’re more than welcome to join us.”
The book club. Larry knew about it. He’d been invited, too, but was always too busy with, you know, being a sidekick to the town’s beloved hero. But who was she inviting?
It was like time stopped.
She was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen.
Now, Larry had crushes before…a blonde named Vicki held his attention for years before her assertion that they’re better off as friends. He remembered that feeling well. This felt…the same. And yet so different.
“I’d really like that.” This mystery girl of his dreams smiled at Esther. “Like I was saying, I don’t really know anyone in town, it’ll be really nice to have a group of friends.”
“New in town?” Larry found himself asking without filtering it through his brain first. His voice was squeakier than he had wanted it to be in that moment, but it was too late. The words were out there now.
As both women turned to face him, the redhead made his heart hammer even more. Her sweet smile, her kind eyes…
Esther, on the other hand, knew Larry far too well. She saw right through him. A knowing eyebrow cocked, she smirked “You know Petunia, if you really want to know Bumblyburg, Larry’s the perfect tour guide. His grandparents basically built the town.”
Larry immediately felt bashful - Esther wasn’t wrong, he was, in a lot of ways, the town’s nepo baby. Still, he never wanted to meet new people leading with that. Especially not this pretty girl…Petunia. Her name was Petunia.
“Pssh…I don’t know about that…” Larry muttered bashfully, cheeks flushed. “I mean, I have lived here all my life and know my way around. That’s all.”
Petunia gave a soft laugh “Well, that’s a lot more than me. Fresh out of college, got a job offer right away with Bumblyburg News. I’d be a fool not to take it, obviously. So I moved here without ever having visited. I’m a tourist in what is to be my own city.”
“Did any of your family come with you?”
At this point, Esther had left the two of them alone, as she was expected to wait on other customers.
With a sip of her chai latte, Petunia shook her head. “My parents are pretty settled in Dinkletown. Besides, it was time to branch out, start a life of my own.”
“All alone?” Larry repeated, his voice quiet, tender, vulnerable “I know what that’s like.”
Petunia’s eyes softened, her head gently tilting ever so slightly as she let out a small “Oh?”
“Y-yeah.” He shook his head, a nervous bite of his bottom lip. “Um, it’s, well, not a long story, but not exactly a happy one.”
He expected a frown. A grimace. A hurried excuse to end the conversation. That’s not what she gave him. No, the girl in front of him (the breathtakingly beautiful girl in front of him…) gave him a warm smile as she offered “I have time if you want to share.”
Which was how he found himself cozied up in a booth at the cafe. He didn’t even order anything. But that was okay. There was something about her presence…something alluring, warm and assuring. “The short version is the my parents died when I was very young, and I was an only child. I was all alone for most of my life.” Well, technically there was Alfred, but he didn’t want to scare his new potential friend off with talks of butlers too early. “Then I met Bob. He changed my life. He’s like an older brother to me.”
Petunia nodded in understanding. “Sometimes the family we find can be stronger than the family we’re born into. Like how Jonathan became one in spirit with David, loving him as himself, giving him his tunic and even his sword.”
“Even though they were on opposite sides of the war.” Larry nodded. “Yeah, exactly like that. Bob is my David, in a lot of ways.”
“In the traditional biblical reading?” Petunia asked, her lip curling up on one side “Or perhaps the more modern interpretation?”
“Traditional!” Larry was quick to correct. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that sort of thing. It’s just…not me and Bob.”
She laughed at this, which made him feel lighter. “You’re right. There’s nothing wrong with that. But there’s also nothing wrong with a strong platonic friendship between two men.”
Men. She was calling him a man.
Not Larry- Boy .
Not the kid of the founding family.
An adult.
He was, wasn’t he?
No one had ever referred to him as one before. No one else saw him that way.
But she did.
It took him a minute to blink back into the conversation, but he did eventually respond with “Besides, Bob has a special thing with a certain lady friend…”
“And you?” Petunia asked, hoping it came across casual and not at all desperate.
Luckily for her Larry was basically brand new to the world of dating and flirting and romance, so it did come across casually. “Me? Oh, no, nothing, not ever, I mean, there was this one girl, but we’re just friends now, she didn’t…”
“Oh,” Petunia gasped, interrupting him. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude…”
“No, no no, it’s fine.” Larry tried to brush off. “Just…ya know…”
Petunia bit her lip awkwardly before murmuring “It seems like it’s a pretty fresh wound.”
Larry didn’t know how to answer that. Vicki had been his only point of reference his whole life when it came to feelings of that nature. How long was too long to be hurt? He certainly thought he’d moved on, after all, he and Vicki really were just friends now, and they were both happier this way. “It’s…”
“...complicated?” Petunia filled in on her own. “Believe me, I know the feeling. I’d been dating Ryan since freshman year of college, then midway through our grad year…he was really wanting to stay in Dinkletown forever. He had no itch to see what else was out there. He never wanted to leave. And I did. So…I did.”
“Oh.” Larry’s brow furrowed. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I loved Ryan, but we wanted different things, felt called in two very different directions…I think it was God’s way of telling us we weren’t meant to be. That He has bigger plans for both of us.” She explained.
Larry gave a small smile “And that brought you here, right? Starting a new adventure?”
“Adventure…” she repeated, savoring the way it felt on her tongue. “...I like that. That’s a fun way to look at it.”
“Fun is my middle name!” He grinned. “Not really, Lawrence Fun Cuke would look a little silly on a birth certificate.”
“Lawrence?” She repeated, observing. “That’s an old fashioned name.”
Larry can’t help but chuckle “I had old fashioned folks. But I only ever get called that when I’m in trouble. I really only answer to Larry.”
“Do you still get in trouble now?” Petunia teased with a giggle.
“I’ve been known to show up to a meeting or two late…” He admitted sheepishly. “I’m working on it.”
Petunia smiled at this admission. “Hey, at least you’re both aware and honest about it. Besides, working on our flaws is really all we can do, right?”
“At the proper time we will reap what we harvest if we don’t give up.” Larry nodded in solidarity.
Petunia took another sip of her drink before she asked “Where do you go to church, Larry? I’ve been looking for a new one to join since moving last week.”
“Oh!” His eyes lit up brightly. “On the intersection of Lake Drive and Pigeon Way, service is every Sunday at 11, but come early because there’s donuts.”
“I do love a good sour cream cream glazed.” She grinned. “And the vanilla with sprinkles.”
“The rainbow sprinkles!” Larry beamed. “An excellent choice. I’m more partial to chocolate myself.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Petunia smiled.
Larry blinked, confused. “Why’s that?”
“Oh!” The question seemed to come as a surprise to her, because it did, in fact, come as a surprise. “Just, you know, in case I see you there on Sunday. I’ll owe you one for inviting me.”
Larry responded with an “Oh!” of his own. “Okay, great! Thanks.”
This had been on a Thursday. As Sunday drew nearer, his mind kept floating back to that moment…to that conversation…to her. Was she flirting? If she was, would he have wanted that? If she was, did he ruin it? If she wasn’t, was he blowing any chance he might have in the future by overthinking now?
“Master Larry?” The call of Alfred’s voice shook him out of his spiraling internal monologue. “You’re starting to burn a hole in the carpet with all that pacing.”
“Pacing?” He looked up, and realized he had been pacing the living room non stop. “Oops. Sorry.”
Alfred approached with a steaming glass of hot cocoa in a purple ceramic mug. “Something’s plaguing your mind, it seems.”
Larry grimaced at the wording. Plaguing? Not how he really associated his thoughts about Petunia. “You ever meet someone and just….you know they’re going to be significant to you later?”
“A villain perhaps?” Alfred raised an eyebrow.
Larry shook his head, as he sipped his hot chocolate. “Opposite. I…I can’t explain it. I only saw her the one time, but…”
At this, everything clicked in place for the butler. Alfred tilted his head, a knowing smile on his face as he teasingly echoed “ Her ?”
Larry sighed, dramatically slumping onto the couch “How did you know?”
“Call it an educated guess.” Alfred responded dryly, before moving to sit next to his charge. “You’ve been alone your whole life, Master Larry. Both Bob and I dearly value your friendship but…there’s a deeper kind of connection that we all seek. It’s natural to want a…different kind…of partner.”
“Like Bob and the Mayor?” Larry asked meekly.
Alfred nodded. “Precisely. Do you know where I met my wife?”
Larry shook his head. “Bumblyburg hospital, way before I was born. Lovey’s been around as long as I can remember.”
“I think it’s time you learned the truth.” Alfred smiled. “My Lovey and I did meet at the hospital…she was the attending nurse at your birth.”
At this, Larry’s jaw dropped. “What?!?”
“There was an instant spark of connection, but my duty was to your parents. To taking care of you. I thought such things…frivolous.” Alfred admitted.
“So what happened?!?” Larry asked, clearly extremely emotionally invested. “How did you end up together?!?”
With a soft smile, Alfred recounted “Your father saw everything. You weren’t a month old when he told me to take a week off. See, he was also a very busy man, one of the hardest working business men in Bumblyburg. But when he met your mother, he felt as though God was telling him to make time and room for a connection with her.”
“Like you and Lovey.” Larry noted quietly.
“Mhmm.” Alfred nodded. “Like Mayor Blueberry and a certain caped crusader. And, perhaps, like you and this girl you’ve met. I know first hand, it can feel selfish at first, pursuing this sort of connection. But if it’s real, if it’s what meant to be…the love you can share will be very powerful.”
“More powerful than a helmet with super suction ears?” Larry asked.
With a knowing smile, Alfred answered “I suppose only time can tell.”