25. Butch

CHAPTER 25

BUTCH

Gay for Lizard Dick: THIS FRIED CHICKEN IS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER PUT IN MY MOUTH!!! [Chicken leg emoji] [Mouth emoji]

The Mouthy One: What about… [eggplant emoji]?

The One with the Biggest D!ck: Disrespectfully disagree. [Cat emoji]

The Mafia Queen: [Eggplant emoji] [Cat emoji]

Deadbeat with a Capital D: Why stop at just one [eggplant emoji]? Now, if only those [2 eggplant emojis] would [sword crossing emoji]…

Thing One: Theo…

Deadbeat with a Capital D: Some might even say a tendril in the mouth is worth [2 eggplant emojis] in the [peach emoji]. Tell ‘em, Gabriel.

Thing Two: THEO!

Gay for Lizard Dick: OMG GUYS! I was kidding… like, I've enjoyed other things in my mouth before, obviously.[Eye roll emoji ]

Lizard Dick: [Lizard emoji]

Even with how infamous Xander's family was, I was probably the most famous supe here tonight, yet I'd never felt so invisible.

A dizzying number of conversations were taking place at once—outside of the constantly buzzing group chat—with some guests shouting from one end of the table to the other to join in as many as possible. Topics ranged from the upcoming Supremacy Games to which hero or villain gruesomely died recently to whatever the juiciest gossip was on SNZ. Even with discussions happening that were related to the wedding—like whether a dress woven with radioactive fibers would attract or repel the sun on the beach during our ceremony—it was never about us.

Never mind that this entire event is supposed to be about us.

A team from SNZ was arriving on a red-eye flight first thing tomorrow to document "America's fiancés" as we experienced the biggest day of our lives.

Which suddenly feels too big.

It wasn't that I was nervous about the press, since I'd been groomed from a young age to handle publicity like a pro. It was more that none of this felt real, and the last thing I wanted was to return to my old ways of smiling for the fans while dying inside.

The silver lining of this clan chaos was that I had no doubt someone in the wedding party—probably Theo, possibly Simon—would manage to steal the show before the cameras were even rolling. This didn't bother me in the least. Yes, feeling like an outsider looking in on my own life wasn't fantastic, but knowing anyone trolling for gossip would most likely leave boring old Captain Masculine alone was a relief.

Maybe Xan and I could just sneak away while SNZ focuses on other drama…

Accidentally-on-purpose just fly to another island to elope.

I internally scolded myself for such a traitorous thought. Wolfgang had purchased the resort—the entire island—to make wedding planning easier. Sure, Simon had been a little controlling with said planning, but that's how he was with everything, so this shouldn't feel any different.

But it does.

I sighed. In the end, I was a part of this family now, for better or worse, and I needed to remember I'd been welcomed into it, despite how many so-called villains I'd killed.

Just grin and bear it, Butch.

Just like old times.

Determined to put on a happy face, I turned to the gorgeous man sitting beside me, immediately feeling my stress melt away the instant he was all I could see in my field of vision.

It's like nothing else exists.

Xander always had that effect on me. Sometimes, I'd catch myself just staring at him, which only solidified my decision to never give in to the public outcry for Doctor Antihero to join me in fighting crime.

Never mind that he had absolutely no interest in defending a city that had demonized him, but just the thought of my Daddy by my side— in that green supersuit— had me forgetting I was supposed to be a hero. There was no way I would be able to concentrate in the heat of battle .

From the moment he walked through the door of the Tick Tock Diner, Xan had commanded my attention—taken charge of my existence—in a way I'd never known I needed, in a way I only needed from him.

No one else.

Before Xander, I had plenty of people dictating every aspect of my life, from my parents to Solomon Biggs to the press when they needed their money shot, and I resented every one of them.

When I officially joined the Suarez clan through our extremely public engagement, I understood I would now be expected to defer to his family. Compared to how my father had ruled, Wolfgang was a fairly benevolent clan leader, but he bent to Simon, who was the farthest thing from benevolent.

Meanwhile, Xander was so used to being the black sheep of the family, he only made waves when something truly mattered to him, and arguing over wedding details—outside of tonight's fried chicken situation—wasn't even a blip on his radar.

I should have spoken up when I had the chance.

Because Xan had asked if I had any requests for our big day, and all I'd said was that I wanted to be with him. This was still true, but I wished I'd thought a little harder about how things would go when left to his family to steamroll.

"A toast to the fried chicken!" Xander called out, grinning broadly as he raised his glass of obscenely expensive bourbon into the air.

"And another toast to the duck confit we'll be eating tomorrow!" Simon answered, raising his glass of equally expensive Merlot .

Case in point.

If it had been up to me, I would have had fried chicken on the menu every night, just to see Xan smile like he was doing in this moment, despite Simon's remarks.

I suppose he has thicker skin than me, growing up with The Rabble and all…

"Are you all right, dear?" My mother's voice cut through my endless sulking loop, and I turned to face her on my other side. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

I forcefully tamped down the thought that I would have done anything to have Smoldering Siren ask me how I was feeling even once when I was younger and plastered on another smile.

After all, she was just as much a victim as me.

"Not at all," I cheerily replied. "Just thinking over some logistics." As if I've been involved in any of them. "Where's Sylvano?"

I'd only just noticed that Sylvano Ricci—head of the United Super Nations and companion to my mother since Vortexio's death—wasn't by her side as usual.

She tittered and daintily wiped fried chicken grease from her mouth with a pressed linen napkin, in the wedding colors chosen by Simon, of course. "Oh, he bullied his way onto that overnight expedition into the jungle led by Doc. Apparently, there was a ‘monster' sighting earlier today and?—"

"WHAT?!" Balty shouted, successfully ending every conversation, including The Rabble Chat .

Maybe I should try shouting…

My mother turned her attention to my brother-in-law across the table. "Some locals were out gathering volcanic rock and swore they witnessed a large, green monster in the jungle." Her eyes narrowed appraisingly. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Baltasar?"

Old habits of interrogating villains die hard.

Balty would have been terrible at villainy, as he was already sweating under the proverbial hot lights. "Why would I know anything about it? There's only one giant lizard on this island, and he's purple, not green, so maybe those locals need to get their eyes checked." He crossed his arms and slumped in his chair before muttering, "Jesus, I can see where Butch gets his Blue Steel stare from…"

"Who said anything about lizards, B?" Zion murmured as he checked his inventus' forehead for a high temperature, like the dad he was. "And you were in the jungle earlier, remember? You told me you just needed to run some shit outta your system in there. So maybe what they saw was you."

"WHY WOULD I BE A LIZARD?!" Balty boomed, causing Xander to snort and catch Violentia's eye across the table before they both burst out laughing at their younger brother's expense.

Cheez-its.

On the other side of Vi, Luca dropped his head into his hands with a heavy sigh, and I had never related to another person more in my entire life.

Even if he is actually an ancient star cluster wearing a skinsuit.

On that note, where is Theo…?

"I'm not sure why you're getting so upset," Zion calmly replied, showcasing a level of patience that rivaled Xander dealing with me. "You are big when you're in your supe form… and maybe the light from the jungle canopy just made you look green or something. "

Balty froze like a deer in the headlights—which wasn't that unusual—as if he was just now realizing he'd been overreacting.

It took him long enough.

Although, I'm one to talk…

"Yeah…" he slowly replied. "It was probably that."

"It would be pretty cool if you were a lizard, Baltasar," Erich mumbled around a bite of his veggie burger. "Then, you and Zion would match."

Balty froze again as Luca turned to give Erich a look I couldn't see. Most people at the table had already returned to their previous conversations, and I was about to do the same when another offhand comment caught my attention.

"Literally everyone here has met their match. How fucking cute."

The source of sourness was Kai, who'd arrived late to dinner and done nothing since but move her fried chicken around her plate while downing one virgin pi?a colada after another. She was busy glaring at Rose Salah of all people, while Jacqueline Salah eyed her with way more interest than I expected the ex-clan leader to give a normie.

Heaven knows what's going on there.

To add to the strangeness, Kai hadn't sat next to Violentia. Instead, she'd chosen to claim the empty seat next to Gabe, who'd only arrived a few minutes before her, in the company of Isaiah and obviously stoned.

At least someone is behaving normally.

I wish I knew what was bothering Kai, though …

The normie and I had hit it off from the start, thanks to her sunny personality and how invested she'd been in her "bestie" and I getting together. She knew I wanted the whole package—marriage and kids—and had tirelessly worked on dropping hints like it was her job until Xan finally caught on.

Since asking for what I need is not my strong suit…

I'd been so touched when she offered to be our surrogate—after we'd deemed it safe for her normie body—but something had changed since then. She was no longer the ray of sunshine I'd first met and seemed more angry than happy most of the time. I assumed it had something to do with being pregnant, but since I wasn't an expert, I figured it was best to let Vi handle it.

Unfortunately, it appeared there was drama there as well, as Xander's sister was casting concerned glances her way, which Kai staunchly ignored.

"Are you… not hungry, Kai?" I hesitantly asked as my gaze dropped to her belly.

To my baby.

Deep breaths, Butch.

"The baby is fine," she barked, her tone holding so much vitriol, I gasped.

When my gaze snapped to her face, I was surprised to see hurt written all over her expression instead of what had become her signature anger.

The mask she wore to hide the pain.

Oh, sugar.

This is our fault, isn't it ?

"Ex-fucking-scuse you, Kai?" Xander growled, turning the full weight of his Suarez glare her way. "Why are you speaking to my fiancé that way?"

"Xan…" I warned, holding up my hand, instinctively realizing there was more going on here than I'd previously thought.

Because I've been so wrapped up in my own problems.

"No." He batted my hand away, his seething gaze still fixed on his bestie at the other end of the table. "I want to understand why she thinks it's okay to talk to you like that, after everything we've done for her."

Oh, no…

"All you've done for ME?!" Kai shrieked, effectively stopping all conversation for the second time that evening. "Be so fucking for real right now. Are you talking about how you got me knocked up, only to then treat me like a test tube? Or dragged me to this island like luggage when my doctor said it was too late in the pregnancy for me to fly? Or maybe what you're referring to is how you're apparently, at this very moment, knocking down the walls separating our apartments so you can just take over mine!"

Fudgesicles.

"Who told you that?" Xander scoffed, still not understanding that we were in the wrong here.

Kai pointed at Wolfy, who threw his gloved hands skyward in exasperation but otherwise, didn't join the fray.

Smart man.

"Or maybe…" Kai rose from her seat, causing every supe in attendance to gather their power, as if in preparation for an im pending attack. "Maybe the best thing you ever did for me was leave me in the dust when you met him." She pointed at me, shattering my heart before turning her glare back to Xander. "At least now I know what a fake friend you are."

Fuck.

Before I could jump in and apologize profusely on both our behalf, Kai spun on her heel and stormed into the kitchen, slamming the door so hard, the ground shook.

I don't remember her being that strong…

Maybe it's a side effect of the pregnancy.

Heavy silence fell, which Violentia broke almost immediately. "You fucking doofus," she growled at Xander before standing and throwing her napkin on top of her plate. "I hope you've got a good grovel ready, because if you don't, I'll gladly stomp it out of your bony ass."

"Is that right, Ultra Violent?" Xander drawled, casually pulling from my power to create a ball of fire in his palm. "And what makes you think you can take on one half of a bonded inventus pair when you can't even control your?—"

Whatever threat Xan was about to make was cut short as Kai screamed.

FUCK!

In a flash, he was racing for the kitchen door, knocking his own sister out of the way to be the first to save his bestie. I was right behind them, cursing myself for not only being blind to what Kai had been going through, but allowing her out of my sight long enough to get hurt.

Whoever is responsible will pay.

I could feel "Blade Runner Butch" taking over, but when we collectively burst into the kitchen, all we found was Theo, wearing nothing but a pair of hot pink booty shorts and casually munching on a piece of fried chicken.

With a dead body at his feet.