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"What the hell? I hate that bandy kneed a*****e!"

Billy spoke up, pointing to Hartley across the restaurant, "He's right there."

"Oh. You should probably go then Wallace." Teddy locked fingers with Billy, giving his hand a little squeeze. He was so cute when he was useful.

"You're still here! Thank God. The one downside of the Dakota is that they keep it so damn dark in here for the jazz atmosphere. I'm sorry I'm late."

Hartley waved at what he hoped was a hostess, who smiled.

"Hey, Thomas! Welcome back. And you've brought a friend this time! Your regular table's open. Follow me."

Hartley followed the hostess, who led the two of them to a small table off to the side. A single candle illuminated the table. Hartley pointed at the music stage, a mere five feet away.

"This is the best seat in the house when the band starts playing in about half an hour."

The hostess smiled and held out Wallace's seat for him.

Hartley flipped open his billfold, showing off a license for a "Thomas Peterson" with an age of 21. He flipped it back closed.

"Can we get two martinis, please?"

He signaled a waiter walking by, who nodded and took away Wallace's empty glass.

"It's been a lousy day. I'm sorry for being so late. The Maestro just couldn't be pleased today. Look, I..."

Hartley ran a hand through his hair.

"I am starting off on the wrong foot here. Again. As usual."

Wallace showed his fake ID. Wallace Wells, age 22. Maybe it was his real ID, and he'd just failed that many times.

He quickly slipped it back into his pocket.

"Eh, sometimes Professors are assholes and that's all there is to it. Don't take it to heart.If you want, I'll figure out a way to make his day a little worse tomorrow. And you're doing just fine. If your day was s**t, I'm here to listen. Seriously. You're already well aware that I like you. That's not going to stop because you want to let off a little steam."

"Oh don't tell me you believe Prince's bullshit. Nobody is once an anything. You can be whatever you want at anytime you want." Wallace rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his martini.

"Well, I got kicked out of quite a few schools for various scandals, and it came to the point where my parents felt I'd be better off at a school where I wouldn't be the center of attention, and where there would be a million other students to take the limelight off of me. Where better than a school full of heroes?

"I had to convince them that I had a super power, which I don't. I told Emma Frost and Bruce Wayne that I had the ability to make people feel love, especially towards me. Then I made out with Bruce. Somehow they bought that line of bullshit, and here I am, a civilian in a Cape's garb and without the skills to actually do anything with it.

"It's ridiculous. I room with a kid who can turn into a big dinosaur and his little magic fairydust boyfriend who go off down the hallway twipping away about becoming Avengers and saving the world. Meanwhile, I'm just twiddling around and pretending I fit in when I don't. But whatever, it's an education."

Wallace shrugged, "You? I mean, I've heard all about you on the radio, but, I'm sure there's more to you than that."

"Yeah, I've heard about them somewhere, but you know how things go through my head...in one ear and out the other," Wallace shrugged. It certainly couldn't be further from the truth but he liked to come off as more vacant than he actually was. Tentatively, he reached forward, his fingertips brushing against Hartley's.

Wallace didn't comment at first. He'd had a pretty gifted life by comparison, with a laid back father and a mother who was nothing but patient and understanding. In fact, his father had been a source of more drama than Wallace had, and everyone in the family worked together to deal with it. Wallace linked his fingers together casually with Hartley's rocking the heel of his palm back and forth on the table. "Well, it's their own foolishness to think that someone as awesome as you wouldn't break the mold and ******** up the works."