Stay

The new Legion of Super-Heroes Headquarters had been redesigned and built while the Legion was off in space fighting time-traveling evil, so it felt like Superman’s first day in the future again where he couldn’t find anything once they returned. At least not without asking the numerous Legionnaires for directions every five minutes or so.

The only problem with that is that this time was that the other Legionnaires were just as familiar with this building as he was. The only person probably not completely lost in the Legion’s new home was Brainy, who had somehow managed to design it between their numerous epic battles, weapon building, constant repairs and fighting his own inner demons.

But Brainy was leaving.

Superman sighed and leaned against a wall as he tried to figure out what it was he wanted to say if he ever found where Brainy’s room or new lab was supposed to be.

No – it would only be Brainy’s temporary room and the lab would be going to… someone else because Brainy was leaving.

It was so obvious that it shouldn’t be said, but someone had to: the Legion needed Brainy. The Legion practically lived off Brainy’s day-to-day efforts. The very roof over their heads was only possible because of him. It could very well fall apart without him there.

Again Superman sighed. He knew that wasn’t the only reason he wanted Brainy to stay. He knew it but he didn’t know the exact reason why either.

“You have that ‘just found yourself lost in Oz’ look,” commented the voice of the very person Superman was looking for.

Looking up, Superman couldn’t help but note all the changes in his friend. Without all the metal plating Brainy almost seemed smaller, as if shedding his metal skin made him lose something more. Like the ability to grow larger, fight with blasters and canons that spread from his arms, being his own toolbox and stretching out his fingers and neck as he pleased.

It seemed strange to list all the things he lost in the fulfillment of his dream to be human. Admittedly a green human, but a human nonetheless.

The loss of his mechanical abilities, of being able to fight, to defend himself… the loss of the battle for his own mind against his ancestor cost him the trust of many in the Legion and belief in himself.

If the bags under Brainy’s eyes were any indication, he had been losing sleep the last couple of nights as well.

Looking at the shorter boy’s eyes made Superman realize that Brainy was looking at him; waiting for a response to his earlier statement.

Superman fumbled for words, “You’ve watched “The Wizard of Oz”?”

The smile that crept up Brainy’s lips was so small, with the formally magenta eyes falling to gaze at the ground, that it made Superman’s heart sink further then it had been at the thought of his friend leaving the Legion, his home.

“I found it interesting that the villain was green.”

Instantly Superman knew that bringing up Frankenstein’s monster would be a bad idea, yet the not-knowing-what-to-say part of his mind made the nervous part of him want to say whatever stupid thing that popped to mind.

He was lucky he was invulnerable even to himself or biting his own tongue like that would have really hurt.

Brainy’s eyes didn’t quite meet Superman’s when he spoke again.

“Was there something you were looking for?”

“You,” the nervous part of Superman fought through.

Curious, Brainy looked up further.

“I need you,” the stupid part chimed in.

Instantly both boys’ faces heated up and the silence became deafening for several impossibly long seconds.

“I-I mean the Legion needs you!” Superman tried to save himself, though the blush refused to fade. “You can’t leave!”

His face returning to a normal shade of green, Brainy’s eyes fell back to the ground.

“The Legion can get along just fine without me.”

“That’s not true,” Superman protested, his determination making him forget his blush and nerves from before. “And even if it was, which it isn’t, you’re friends all want you to stay.”

“I betrayed them–”

“Brainiac did it all; you weren’t responsible for any of it,” Superman took hold of Brainy’s shoulders, trying to make him meet his eyes.

Brainy continued to look away and spoke softly, “You wouldn’t say that if you remembered…”

“Remembered what?” Superman asked in confusion.

“….Forget it,” Brainy tried to move out of Superman’s hold but he was held on to.

“Brainy,” Superman tried to plea, “You can’t leave.”

“I need to get away… I can’t… I can’t stay,” Brainy insisted, still refusing to meet Superman’s eyes.

“Brainy,” Superman called again, “even if you ignore all my other arguments, can you ignore the fact that all of this, of being human, is new to you?”

“Humans aren’t green….”

“I’m being serious Brainy. You’re already not sleeping well; you’re probably still using that chair instead of a proper bed. What if you get sick? You’ve never been exposed to bacteria and viruses before; a cold could kill you.”

“They eliminated the common cold ages ago.”

“Brainy.” Silence. “Brainy, please, even if you get vaccinated or something and can’t get sick, do you know how to take care of a human body properly? About foods you should eat or food allergies? Do you know to avoid alcohol or anything about hygiene? Or,” Superman swallowed, “h-hormones and s-sex?”

The Coluan didn’t answer but the blush had returned.

Superman pushed on.

“And what about emotions? You’ve never experienced human emotions before, Brainy, would you be able to handle them on your own?”

“Just let me go,” Brainy’s voice cracked.

“No,” Superman wrapped his arms all the way around the Coluan, feeling the smaller body stiffen under his hold, one of his hands finding its way into Brainy’s hair. “I’m not letting go until you promise to stay.”

The silence lasted nearly five seconds before Brainy’s forehead fell to rest on the famous crest that he had often looked up to before meeting the person behind it and growing to care for him.

Superman wasn’t sure but he thought he felt something wet against his chest and began to worry that his friend had started to cry.

Brainy’s frame shook in a barely noticeable way, not even revealed in the hesitance of his voice.

“What do I have to stay for?”

With that question Superman realized the strongest reason why he wanted Brainy to stay and gently tightened his hold around him.

“Me. Stay for me, with me…”

Slowly Brainy’s arms came up to return the embrace and Superman, hoping that was the answer he wanted, couldn’t let go.