I Am Tired Of Being A Hero-Chapter 173: The park

The fun was only beginning.

With a flick of his wrist, the dart launched a tiny white blur slicing through the air. It landed with a satisfying thud, landing exactly on the bullseyes.

Arlen let out a low whistle, a smile crinkling the corner of his eyes.

"Your turn and no ability. I know you cheated the first time." Ravi laughed as he drank the beer in the mug.

"Your eyes are just too sharp, love." Arlen chuckled. He never knew that one day, his little technique of using the wind to direct the dart would be noticed so quickly on his first throw.

Ravi just laughed.

Arlen picked up the dart and threw it again, it wobbled slightly before embedding itself in the outer right.

Arlen chuckled, a hint of self-deprecation tingling his voice, "Clearly, I haven’t been practicing my Robin Hood skills lately."

"Maybe not Robin Hood." Ravi retrieved his dart and accurately landed another dart, "But you have a certain Han solo charm to your throw." He laughed and Arlen chuckled.

"Han solo?"

"Don’t blame me. Ash is in charge of T.V."

His eyes widened when Arlen leaned closer and kissed him on the tip of his nose.

Ravi raised an eyebrow, "I am not taking it easy on you, no matter how much you kiss me."

"10-6. You won. What do you want?" Arlen asked while laughing.

Ravi thought for a moment and then shook his head, "No, I would save it. I am saving it." A request was not something you spent so easily.

"Now I feel like a sword is hanging over my head."

"Relax, It is not like I would tell you to dance ballet naked in the middle of the street, perhaps..."

"Ravi?"

Ravi laughed, "Don’t worry, your naked self is for my eyes alone." He said while he scanned over rlen’s head to toe, the brightness of his blue eyes fringed with dark lashes and the lines of his jawline and body. Those thighs.

"Ravi?"

Ravi blinked and then blushed instantly, for the first time noticing that the pub was indeed packed with people, "I think I need a little air." He finished the beer, downing it like it was a mug of water, and looked at Arlen.

"I have one last place. We could walk there."

"You went all out, didn’t you?"

"Of course." Arlen’s shoulders were raised high. It was his first date with Ravi, he wanted everything to be perfect.

Ravi looked at him, "I have had the best night in a very long time tonight. Thanks, Min Sol."

"What does that mean?" Arlen asked curiously. This was the third time Ravi was calling him this name. He had sneakily browsed it and yet the result was not online.

Ravi chuckled, "It means Arlen."

"I don’t believe you."

"Ouch."

"I will find out." Arlen thought for a second and his eyes widened with excitement, "Let’s play another game of darts, first to reach ten would get a free request."

"Nope. No, thanks. My hand hurts."

"Liar."

Ravi chuckled. He could not recall when he laughed so much in one single night. He did not know how this day could ever get better. They had slowly moved back to Davenport.

The dinner had been in Alstria, the game pub had been in a small border district, and now they had crossed the borderline back to Davenport.

There was a small festival going on and the amusement park was the venue used.

"I didn’t know there was an amusement park here. Never heard about it." Ravi said as they entered the gate after paying 15 dollars for the two of them.

"That is because the one at Alstria is bigger and cheaper too. This one is more expensive and lacks quite a lot. Maybe. I don’t know." Arlen admitted as Ravi peered at him, "I would right back. Let me get tickets for the Ferris wheel."

"Do we still need to buy extra tickets?" Ravi said, maybe he should just come with Asher next time, or should he write a list and collect the money from Malik once he is back from wherever he had run off to.

Arlen just laughed and ran off to where he was getting the ticket.

Ravi did not particularly like noisy places like this but he had to say that no matter what it was, being with Arlen made it more fun.

They played various games and Arlen was all too glad to show off whenever he won anyone.

By the time they reached the ice cream stand, sweat was sliding from his forehead to his brow bones and then to the ends of his eyes.

It was something that made the hearts of the people looking at him thump loudly and Ravi instantly passed him a handkerchief.

"Thank you," Arlen said as he took the handkerchief and wiped down his sweat.

"We would take two medium sizes. Which flavor do you want, Ravi?"

"Just choose." He was not particular about sweets, not the way Arlen was anyway. He scanned the QR code to pay for the two ice creams and followed Arlen who gave him one of the cups.

The ice cream was a nice cream color, sprinkled with an assortment of crumbs, looking exquisite and delicious.

"Ravi, would you rather be perpetually surrounded by an upbeat jingle every time you have a good idea or have the overwhelming urge to knit sweaters for everyone you meet?"

Ravi paused his eating of the ice cream and looked up at him, "Why would I want knit sweaters for everyone I met? I am a police officer, I meet like 15 people, I won’t have any rest."

Arlen laughed, "Imagine the jiggle every time."

"Sometimes at home, when Sage and Lana are over, I live the jiggle 24/7/."

Arlen chuckled, "Poor Ravi."

"Poor me indeed. Why do you keep looking at your watch?"

"I don’t miss the Ferris Wheel. Legend has it that the couple who kicked when the Ferris Wheel reached the highest point can stay together for the rest of their lives." He said, his voice wistful.

"We don’t need a Ferris Wheel for that. Arlen, you have me for the rest of my life. I am yours."

****

Around 40 miles away from the lovers who could not keep their eyes off each other, a lone male stepped off the bus. He had a black blindfold around his eyes, and he wore a violet polo shirt and jeans, his hair was tied in a low ponytail, and his ethereal features attracted attention from the strangers.

"I fucking hate the bus," Malik whispered as he held his head. He was not a child anymore and had built less of a fence and more of a fortress around his mind, but he couldn’t stop it all.

Hatred, rage, frustration, sadness, love, and all sorts of emotions danced at the edge making him sigh. He could not stop all the emotions that crept through the creases and it gave him a massive headache.

The moment he saw the Welcome to Davenport, a small smile appeared on his face. Two months. He was meant to stay here for two months.

Today was two months and two days. Malik had no intention to leave. Harlem was quiet, and peaceful. To think that one day, he would associate his childhood home with those words, that home, which was his darkest hell, where he experienced pain and hate like never again. It was an irony, to say the least, an irony indeed.

His phone rang and he picked it up.

"Boss. Where are you?" Onyx asked.

"No need. I used the bus. You should not use your powers for a while. Two weeks. Sentry has recorded your unique trace. If you chose your abilities, he would find you."

Onyx cursed, "Yes, Boss. Doesn’t he have any other organization to chase?" His second sentence was a rhetorical question that did not particularly need a reply, "Any other order, boss?"

"No. Lay low."

Malik put the phone back in his pocket, Among all his underlings, it was only Sage and Lana who knew exactly why the Number 5 ranked hero in Avalon, Sentry continued to chase him down. And it was only him that knew why he allowed it and never fought back.

Defeating Anouk was something he could always do but Anouk was very special to him. He wanted to know just how crazy he would be if he could not find him for a year. Four months remaining.

In the wake of complete and utter desire, just how would Anouk’s morality play? Those high-sounding words that he had spewed so righteously, would he take them back? A very soft smile appeared on Malik’s face, would that steel pillar completely surrender? Would he...beg?

He lowered his head to chuckle when a car pulled up next to him. It was a beautiful car, not flashy but still good enough to attract gazes.

The windows lowered, revealing the driver’s face. He was handsome, not Anouk’s handsome or even Arlen’s handsome, he was just like a doughnut with a chocolate spread. Nothing worth running to the store for.

The man smiled, "Hello, there. Are you heading into town? I am also coming from a medical convention in Alstria. I can drop you off."

Lies. It was amazing how much people lied.

"Sure."