Anything

"Thank you, Superman," Brainy's voice was soft at first, increasing in volume when he turned to the older boy. "If you hadn't been there when –"

"Don't worry about it," Superman smiled at him. "Besides, I have a way you can make it up to me."

Superman couldn't help but smile more as Brainy's face practically lit up at the prospect.

"You do? Anything!"

At that third word – that promise spoken with such earnest – the request to find out why his powers didn't work under a red sun died on Superman's lips. In fact, it left his mind entirely. 'Anything' seemed to rattle in his brain, burning itself deep as he looked at Brainy, looked at his eyes. He had never seen magenta eyes before Brainy, and he doubted he ever would again. Two shades, and a white pupil; almost hypnotic in the way they looked at him, in a way they never looked at anyone else.

What would he give to always have those eyes looking at him? What would he do to have that rare smile light up Brainy's smile more often than not? To be able to touch those lips –

"Superman," Brainy's voice, something also unique only to this green boy, brought him back to reality.

He honestly didn't realize he liked green so much until he met Brainy either, trying not to blush as Brainy looked at him with concern.

"Are you alright? You stopped walking."

Burning heat spread to Superman's cheeks now, feeling much like when he accidentally heat blasted himself when looking into the mirror when that power first started to make itself known. He tried to clear his throat, but his voice cracked as he made sure the others had walked far enough so not to overhear.

"Come over here a sec." With slight hesitation, Superman gently took Brainy's arm and led him to the nearest door.

"Superman–"

"Just a second, Brainy."

"But Superman–"

Not listening, Superman opened the door and stepped inside, taking Brainy with him, closing the door behind them without looking around.

"– We're in a closet."

On either side of them were shelves of maintenance supplies, a bare wall straight across from them.

"So we are."

"Does your way of my making it up to you deal with a closet somehow?" Brainy asked, not seeming to care that Superman was still holding onto his arm.

Again Superman's cheeks heated up. "Er, no, just somewhere… private."

"We could go to my lab, or –"

Superman didn't wait for him to finish; he had to do this before he lost his nerve. He took hold of Brainy's shoulders and moved him so they were facing each other, inadvertently pressing the smaller boy's back against the wall. There was something about Brainy's eyes just then. A mixture of rare confusion, curiosity, and something Superman couldn't quite pinpoint. It almost made him abort his mission – but it also pushed him forward.

Their lips met clumsily at first. Superman had never tried to kiss someone with his eyes closed before, succeeding in proper contact the second time around. His heart pounding, he experimentally moved his lips against Brainy's. A pleasant chill went down Superman's spine when Brainy began to move his lips against his in return. For more of the same he pressed against him, one of his hands leaving the shoulder to tangle his fingers within the golden strands of Brainy's hair.

It had to be possible to get drunk off of euphoria. Superman was getting dizzy but he didn't want to break their connection.

But Brainy did, holding onto Superman's arms to keep him from pulling too far away as he panted, "Breath through your nose."

Before Superman could properly process this command he was pulled in by Brainy for another kiss, moaning when he felt the Coluan's tongue run across his lips. The remaining hand on Brainy's shoulder drifted down, resting on his waist a moment before wrapping his arm around him, pulling him from the wall and holding him to his chest; their hearts hammering together.

They remained like that for a while, exploring the other's mouth before Brainy pulled back again.

"I don't believe the closet is the best place for this."

Superman swallowed, hand drifting from Brainy's hair so his thumb could caress his cheek. "This isn't about you paying me back…"

"If it was we'd be done now," Brainy placed his hand over Superman's that was resting on his cheek. "And we're far from done; don't you agree?"

"Definitely," Superman smiled, leaning in to kiss him again.

It was a good half hour before they managed to leave the closet.