Quote:
The city is looking for heroes! Not super heroes, but the everyday heroes that live in Destiny City. City Council has asked for nominations for these heroes that deserve a little extra recognition for making the city a better place. Posters have been hung in a few prominent locations around the city, searching for “The People’s Heroes”. The posters are quite clear: anyone can be nominated for any reason whatsoever, they don't need to have performed a heroic deed by any stretch of the imagination--all they need to be is a hero to the person nominating them. The nominations aren’t competitive by any standards; participants are asked to fill out a small form either online or in person. Nominations are collected and are televised nightly on a local news channel for the duration of the event; the notes of recognition are also delivered to the nominees when applicable. Do you fill out a nomination, or are you the recipient of one? Are you watching the news for anyone familiar that you might know?
There was absolutely no question, no doubt, no hesitation: Jeremy was Myles' hero. He had been since he was a little boy, and he was to this day. Sometimes they fought. Sometimes they didn't see eye to eye. Sometimes Jeremy got mad and hurt Myles' feelings.
...But he never did so maliciously, and at the end of the day, Myles couldn't really blame him.
Jeremy had been shouldering his problems since he was a kid, back when Jeremy was taking on the world, fighting his hardest to make it on his own--only, he wasn't doing it for himself.
He was doing it for Myles.
Myles was pretty sure he had been a factor of every major decision Jeremy had ever made. In the beginning, it had been Jeremy butting heads with their father. But even then, part of his motivation stemmed from getting Myles somewhere better, somewhere happier. The house hadn't been the same since their mother had passed, and Jeremy had never really forgiven their father.
He didn't want Myles to be around him any more than he needed to be.
But then, in his absence, things had gotten worse. Jeremy blamed himself and Myles had always felt horrible for that. But, he'd come back. With his own place. With a job.
Jeremy had been a better father than his own had been, and Myles had never really known how to put it into words. Jeremy had given so much for him. He worked a thankless job, in a thankless city, for thankless people. Jeremy always said he liked it, but Myles couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if things had been different. If he could have had any job in the world, would he have chosen one that was so dangerous?
There was the heroism that came with saving people, but there were plenty of other jobs he could have flocked towards.
...But Destiny City was desperate for officers, and Jeremy met all of their criteria.
He was young, and enthusiastic, and desperate. He was perfectly disposable. Only, he was stubborn, and he'd lasted longer than most. Jeremy wasn't very good at giving up, and Myles had always admired that about him.
But if he hadn't needed a job, if he hadn't needed a position that would have given him the training to protect himself, to protect Myles?
...For all of his creativity, Myles couldn't imagine him doing anything differently.
But, if Destiny City was looking for heroes, Jeremy was the best. Myles wouldn't have traded him for anything, even with all of the flaws.
He was angry, he was stubborn, he was messy, he was rude.
...He called Myles to make sure his brother never had to worry about where he was, always let him know if he was running late so Myles couldn't worry that he'd been hurt on the job. He always had the house stocked full of Myles' crappy food preferences. He always double check the doors and windows were locked before bed. He gave Myles the good room in the apartment. He brought him little presents all the time, no matter how juvenile he thought they were--like the star charm he brought home for him just today. He still carried Myles to the bedroom from the couch some nights and tucked him in. Jeremy knew how to press Myles for the truth when Myles wanted to lie, and even if he could be gruff, Myles knew it was done with love.
Jeremy had sealed off so many parts of himself to be strong--all the time, for everyone else, and Myles could barely remember the last time he thought his brother was vulnerable.
Jeremy was strong for everyone else. Mostly for him, but for anyone who needed it.
And he was a softie. Myles had found the cards he kept, the thank-you letters, the pictures kids had drawn him.
Jeremy loved Myles. He loved his job. He loved the city.
But, Myles loved him, and he had always thought of his older brother as a hero.
...And he respected him enough not to send in his gushy praise to the news. Instead, he just left the letter, folded neatly, on Jeremy's bedside table. Jeremy could read it when he was alone, where he didn't have to worry about getting caught showing emotions.
