Capes

[hsavinien]

Title: Capes--Press Conference
Author: H. Savinien
Rating: PGish--queerness
A.N.: Dedicated to little_loki, to make up for the fact that her gift-fic is still unfinished.

“…here, joining us live from outside Tower Block One, where a crowd of reporters and religious agitators have gathered following the dissemination of some rather startling information about two of the nation’s young superheroes. Catherine?”

 

“Hello, Angela. Yes, I’m standing in front of a speaker’s podium that has been hastily erected on the front steps of the famous Tower Block One, home of the crime-fighting supergroup known as the Guard. Last night, the nation’s press heard from an anonymous source that the young hero duo, Merlin and Green Knight, are...perhaps, more than simply good friends. The two men agreed to a press conference this morning to confront the allegations and…wait, here they are! James Walker and Ben Garcia, only in their eighth month of service to the Guard; they joined on the sponsorship of Walker’s cousin Anita Madison—Haven—a long-time member. Garcia hails from Oregon and Walker from Montana...” Catherine Jenson trailed off as the camera turned to focus on the platform.

 

James Walker, brown hair, grey eyes and the lanky, gawky body of a young man still growing into his limbs took a solid stance in front of the sea of reporters, ignoring the shouts and chanting from the protestors milling behind the press. Ben Garcia, the dark hair of his Hispanic heritage flopping into his eyes and solid muscle knotted with tension, stepped forward beside him, folding his arms. “If you could all quiet down a bit, let’s see if we can get through this,” James said into the microphone, pitching his voice loud enough to cut through the din. “Ask your questions one at a time, all right?” He gestured toward the reporter for City 4. “You first, please, ma’am.” The corner of his mouth quirked. “And you might as well start with the big one.”

 

“Er…” The reporter looked briefly taken aback, but soldiered on, “You do know why we’re here, boys. Are you two young men…er…partne-- er, lovers?”

 

To the surprise of the crowd, Walker’s ears turned noticeably pink. “Ben and I are—um—boyfriends, yes.”

 

“Why did you hide your relationship from the public?” asked a heavily-lipsticked blond woman loudly.

 

Garcia snorted audibly, leaning over to the mic. “We never hid anything. We didn’t go around posting bulletins, that’s all.”

 

Walker coughed. “It’s just not really anybody’s business, that’s all. I know that some people don’t…like queerness and I do get tired of being told I’m going to hell.”

“Being a public figure, a role-model, has that changed your mind in any way about your orientation?” a heavyset man asked.

 

“Ah, how so?” Walker’s brow crinkled in a quizzical frown.

 

“I mean, you’re looked up to—they’re making action figures of you two, for crying out loud. That doesn’t present a problem to you with your gayness?”

 

“Why would it? It’s still who I am. It’s who I was long before Ben and I met, long before I joined the Guard…heck, since before I developed my powers.” He held up his right hand, manifesting the green sword that earned him his name, then banishing it again. “And…er, one minor point of correction. I’m bi, not gay.”

 

Garcia grinned sharply from beside him, for the first time, “I’m the full-bloody-queer-fag-gayboy. Jamie likes the idea of boobs too.”

 

A cameraman up front developed a nasty coughing fit that didn’t quite manage to cover up a burst of laughter, flashing a thumbs-up to the smirking man.

 

“Speaking of hell, Mr. Walker,” a grey-goateed man from 23 asked laconically, “I know you’re publicly Christian, Catholic, I believe. Has that been a problem for you?”

 

James lifted his chin. “No, sir,” he said quietly. “Other people have a problem with it, but I don’t see that God has any problem with me loving the person I was put on earth to love.”

 

“The Bible—” somebody near the back of the crowd shouted.

 

“The Bible doesn’t say anything about a relationship between two men and I know quite a few theologians and scholars of Greek and Aramaic who’ll back me up on that,” he said firmly. “I know that my Church has some problems with me, but I have some problems with it as well. A believer examines his faith and can find the earthly manifestations of it flawed without losing his faith in the process.”

 

“How would you respond to allegations that you were using your powers to influence children toward homosexuality?” a redhead called out.

 

“That would be a difficult thing for them to prove, as mine are the manifestation of my sword and armor and Ben’s a windraiser.”

 

The quieter boy nudged his boyfriend out of the way and took the mic again. “Right, anybody got any intelligent questions?”

 

“Hi! I’m with People! I was wondering, like, which one of you is dom, because neither of you are really femme and…”

 

Garcia glowered. “I said ‘intelligent,’” he pointed out. “To answer your nosiness…lady, I role-play for a fucking living. Why would I want to do it in bed?”

 

James grinned, taking the mic back. “Er, right. Anything else?”

 

“Do you find that your crime-fighting affects your sex-life?”

 

“Anything that does not involve what we do together in private, which is really none of your business, thanks?”

 

“Will the Right’s response to this news affect your performance in any way? Catherine Jenson, Channel 7.”

 

Walker’s face fell a little. “Not toward them. I’m not going to stop helping people just because they dislike me. It makes it harder, certainly.” Garcia’s hand slid over his back and he straightened. “No, it makes things harder, but it won’t affect either of us, I think.”

 

“What has the response been from your teammates and the other heroes with whom you work?”

 

“It’s been mixed. You know, people with superpowers have always experienced fear and rejection. We’re different, and people are uncomfortable with difference, especially when it’s more powerful than they are. I’ve experienced some really surprising hatred even within the superhero community, but most of the team is really okay with things and those who aren’t are pretty good about keeping it professional. They’ve gotten used to us.”

 

“You say they’ve gotten used to you?” A small, dark-haired woman asked sharply. “This relationship has been going on for some time, then?”

 

“Six months now.”

 

“How supportive are your families in this?”

 

“Oh, they’re all right with it,” James said happily. “They always knew that I wanted to help people. My powers were no real surprise because there’s some in the blood and I’d always shown a predilection toward the hardest path in life, after all.” His raised eyebrow indicated that he hadn’t dodged around the question as much as it might appear.

 

“My mom and dad care more that I found someone than that he’s a guy.” Ben said. “Extended family’s not so happy about it, but it’s not like they can change it and my mom sticks up for me enough that they’ve stopped trying to hassle me.”

 

Judicator appeared beside Merlin and Green Knight to hold up a hand. “That’s all the questions we have time for now, ladies and gentlemen. Goodbye.” He nodded the young men toward the door and the faintest echo of his voice chided as he followed them indoors, “What have I told you about language, Benjamin? No—”

 

“No f-words in front of the press, yeah I know. C’mon, give me a break…”

Comments

[niravive.livejournal.com]

That's so darned cute. ^__^ I just wanna huggle them. I mean, I couldn't have answered press questions (I freeze up in front of a classroom). So cute!!

[hsavinien.livejournal.com]

Speech and Debate in high school is a wonderful thing... Thanks! I'm quite fond of the boys m'self.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_profiterole_/]

Yay, another writer for gay superheroes! ^__^

I completely love the tone of this. I'm glad to see you intend to write more about these boys. :-)

[hsavinien.livejournal.com]

^_^ Thanks. I'll have to see about putting up the character illustrations I commissioned from a friend.