(Sorry - I think I hit up against a maximum post length?)
CJ felt goosebumps rise on his arm as a new minefield presented itself. If Coach had an inkling that CJ was here, even if it came from someone as flaky as Dax, he might not dismiss it offhand, might put out feelers, because CJ had always been very close with him. Plane crash deaths were pretty definitive, but at the same time, CJ’s body had never been found, even though quite a few from the wreck had. The possibility that CJ could still be alive, no matter how improbable, was still very real, and that was a problem. Giving Dax a little half smile, he pondered for a moment what he would say, when Matt, who to this point had watched the exchange silently, chimed in. “Uh, Clark?” he said, drawing the attention of both CJ and Dax. It briefly occurred to CJ that, even though his friends routinely called him that when he was in college, nobody but his wife had referred to him as Clark for years. It seemed extremely odd to be called that by someone he barely knew, though he tried not to let that show in his expression. “I thought you had a falling out with your football coach from Metropolis University.”
CJ mutely looked at Matt, whose eyebrows were raised in anticipation, his expression completely sincere, then said a little prayer of thanks for his quick thinking. With those simple words, he had his out. Turning back toward Dax, CJ cleared his throat, then shook his head. “Yeah, Coach threw me out of the locker room after that last practice, said he never wanted to see me again. Man, I thought he was going to have a heart attack right there, as red as he got. I wouldn’t want you to ruin his day by mentioning my name in there.”
Dax cringed. “Jeez, what did you do? Oh, never mind, I don’t want to know. Well, hey, it was good seeing you again,” he said, then squinted at CJ. “Did you know you have a double out there? I swear I saw a guy who looked just like you a while back, though I’ll be darned if I can remember where.”
“I’ve heard that, yeah,” CJ said with a half smile, his voice not as strong as he would’ve liked. With a nod and a thumbs up, Dax turned around and left, and CJ let out a long breath.
After watching him walk away, CJ blinked a couple times, turned toward Matt, and smiled. He was not aware of ever having been rescued before. Ever since he could remember, he had been physically tough, and though he had run-ins with glowing rocks that had required assistance, he wouldn’t deem that help a rescue in the traditional sense. And his wife had no doubt saved him from embarrassment on more than one occasion, but this was something different, something bigger. This had literally saved his life. “If I said I loved you in a completely platonic, man-crush kind of way, would it be weird?”
Matt laughed once. “Yeah, a bit,” he said. “And if you did it within earshot of your sister, you’d probably have to fight her off.”
“I’m talking bro love. And anyway, it’s a little late for that,” CJ said. At Matt’s confused look, CJ waived his hand. “I’ll tell you that one later.” He let out a sigh, slipped his sunglasses back on, and felt all the tension drain out of his body. “That was a rescue that even Superman would be proud of.”
Matt beamed. “Glad to be of service.” He was quiet for a moment, then looked around once before speaking again in a lowered voice. “I don’t know how close you were with your coach, but if I had to guess, I’d say that he probably wouldn’t have believed that guy when he said he saw a ghost at the concession stand.”
CJ shrugged. “Probably not, but you never know. And it plants that seed of doubt, which is all it takes to make everything come crashing down. So, thanks.”
Matt blushed lightly and looked away, then a sly smile spread over his face. “You realize, of course, that you owe me now.”
CJ smiled and draped his arm over Matt’s shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe we’re even now, what with …the other night, and all my sage advice to you and you’re lovely date.”
Matt laughed lightly, but he didn’t shrink away from CJ. That night atop the skyscraper, Matt had been somewhat tentative, maybe a little reticent, mostly hanging back and observing, though never shy, and never filled with that slightly wide-eyed awe that always made CJ feel self-conscious. As the weeks had gone by and Laura had welcomed him into all aspects of her life, Matt had come out of shell, and CJ could see his humor, his intelligence, and all the other personality quirks that drew Laura to him. He actually reminded him a bit of himself, and CJ decided that he liked having someone after his own heart to hang around with.
“Hey, you gave that up out of the kindness of your heart, as I recall,” Matt said, giving as good as he got. “Anyway, it’s kinda nice having a little leverage over the guy with the biggest trust fund in town.” There was a gleam in his eye and a teasing quality in his voice that CJ could appreciate. Matt knew he was dealing with the most powerful guy in town in more ways than one, but he wasn’t intimidated. Yes, CJ had a man crush, and it was fun. He would have to give Laura a hug and thank her for coming to Gotham State, for finding someone worthy to bring into the family…for being herself. Life was good, even if he was cheering for Gotham State today. And the future, well, it was still a fascinating place, and getting more so every day.
