Seek {Superhero AU} - Ending 1

17: Where You Came From

He finishes my left hand too, so now it's on to the few remaining pieces of exposed skin. He reaches up to my mask, and his fingers lift the edges of it just a hair's width off my face. He pauses there, waiting for my consent to remove it.

I'm sick to my stomach again. I grab his wrist and say, "Wait—don't."

He sighs. "Nico...if I wanted to reveal your identity to the police, or whatever it is that you're afraid of, I would have been able to do that already. And besides, you've probably already figured out who I am, right? After telling you about my mom working as an Underworld Ores custodian, I figured your stalking abilities probably uncovered my identity pretty quickly."

I'm losing control of my breathing again. If he forces me to take this off, he gets all the power over me that he could ever want. He could blackmail me, report me, torment me. Logically, I know he would never do that—Will Solace is a hero, through and through. But there's an irrational fear that pervades my senses and refuses to let me place enough trust in him to be so open with him.

I know he probably could already figure out my identity if he tried hard enough; he has my address, and that's a pretty easy way to figure out who someone is. I know I'm being stupid. But that doesn't help thaw the fear that freezes my body and soul.

Will's eyes are gentle and patient. His fingers release my mask, and he says, "It's alright that you don't want to show me. That's okay. But I don't want you to be afraid that I would ever use your identity against you, okay?"

"I'm sorry," I say, and my voice cracks. "You've done so much for me, and I can't even—" My voice breaks off. I try to take a deep breath to calm down, but it's shaky and afraid. "I should be able to give you something in return. I owe you honesty. I know that, and I'm sorry. I just..."

Will sends gentle waves of healing light into the exposed skin around my eyes and mouth, healing the searing burns and painful boils. "You don't owe me anything, Nico. I'm not doing this so I can get something in return. I'm doing this because your sister needs help and because you're a good person...and I like being around you."

It's soothing to be cared for like this. There are some spots where the acid managed to form droplets on my skin and run underneath my mask, so Will sends light behind my mask to heal anything left. It feels like running water over a burn—like aloe massaged into my skin after a long day in the sun.

"Our masks probably aren't safe to wear right now," he says. And to my surprise, he takes off his ski mask in one swift motion, revealing his face to me for the first time. I mean, I've seen his face at school, but he didn't know he was showing me his face then. He's doing this on purpose, showing me who he is.

He's gorgeous as always. His golden curls have been pressed a bit flat by the ski mask, so Will shakes his head like a dog, and the curls fix themselves somewhat. His bright blue eyes stare thoughtfully down at his ski mask.

"I could find you my Sunburst mask," he offers quietly, "and you could borrow some of my clothes. You should probably shower, too—just to make sure all those chemicals are definitely washed away."

"Alright," I agree.

He stands and opens the door in the corner of his room. As I had guessed, it was a closet. He leans over, and his black shirt rises a little, exposing the skin of his back. My breathing hitches and I quickly look away, face red.

Having pulled a golden mask from the bottom of his closet, he straightens again. I stand to take it from him. It feels weirdly intimate now that he's no longer wearing a mask—it feels so much more open. He smiles a little as he hands me his golden mask, and then he turns back to his closet to search for other clothes for me to borrow.