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Sunday dinner with his family was a weekly event that Morgan didn’t necessarily dread, but he certainly didn’t look forward to it. It was an exhausting affair that usually involved his parents berating him for working on his own - instead of as his younger brother’s sidekick - or asking when he was going to bring home a girlfriend.
Today, however, they’d invited Barnaby.
Morgan’s best friend had attended dinner with him a few times before, but he’d always been the one to ask permission to bring him, not the other way around. This inconsistency, plus the fact that Barnaby was acting shady, had Morgan more on edge than usual.
It wasn’t until halfway through dinner that his parents struck.
“So Morgan,” his mother began casually, “Barnaby tells us you’ve been stalking the S Tier.”
The table fell silent.
Morgan glared at the man in question, who fidgeted uncomfortably. “I’m not stalking them,” he said, looking back at his parents. “Like, I’m their hero. It’s my job to know where they are.”
“Following them to the theater? The appliance store? Are you looking for a fight?”
Oh, he was going to have words with Barnaby later.
“I’m not looking for a fight, Mom, I’m just trying to protect the people of Capitol City. Besides, I haven’t seen them since I broke my arm; they’ve been lying low.”
Morgan’s parents sniffed.
“We’re just concerned with your safety,” Diego said, twirling her fork in her spaghetti.
“If you keep this up, you’re going to get killed,” Chad added. “Once you get your cast off you should come be my sidekick again. It’s safer.”
Making a face, Morgan said, “I’d rather not, thanks though.”
“Morgan,” his mom snapped, “your power is too weak to face the S Tier. Being a sidekick is the your safest option.”
He ground his teeth. “I’m not in the business to be safe, Mom, and out of all the other heroes that have consistently stood up to them, who else is still alive?”
“It’s just a matter of time before they kill you!”
“M-Mrs. Ster- Sterling-”
She held up her hand to silence Barnaby, whose teeth clicked shut.
“They haven’t yet.”
Her expression darkened.
“Mom. Dad,” Morgan said firmly, finally setting his fork down. “I’m a hero with, as you constantly remind me, a shitty power. I knew I would die on the job since I went solo, and I’m okay with that. I just want to go out on my own terms, and those terms are the S Tier.”
They all gaped at him, except Barnaby, who was looking at his plate. He glanced up at Morgan and away again. Morgan’s gut began to churn. “Barnaby…”
“There-there’s something y-you n-n-need to kn-know,” Barnaby started. All eyes turned to him.
“Please, don’t,” Morgan said. “You promised.”
“Morgan-”
“You. Promised.”
The friends stared at each other for a long minute before Barnaby finally sighed. “N-nevermind, it’s n-not- not relevant h-here.”
“No,” Morgan’s mother said firmly, “whatever it is, if it concerns Morgan we need to know.”
“I sh-shouldn’t have brou-brought it up,” Barnaby said.
“Just tell us!”
Morgan and Barnaby’s eyes met again. The bite under Morgan’s ear itched. He used concealer to cover it up - he didn’t want to have to explain that one to his parents - but Barnaby knew about it. It would be all the proof his parents would need.
“Mor-Morgan’s gay,” Barnaby finally said, turning back to the rest of the table. “S-sorry,” he mouthed to Morgan.
He was almost dizzy with relief. It wasn’t the way he would have chosen to come out to his family, but given what his friend had really planned on telling them, he would take it.
Mr. And Mrs. Sterling blinked in shock for a second before both turned on their son.
Before they could say anything, Diego smirked and looked to Chad. “You owe me fifty bucks.”
Chad groaned and reached for his wallet.
Morgan stared at them. “You had a bet?”
“You knew?” Mrs. Sterling said to her daughter.
Diego shrugged. “I suspected, hence the bet.” She smugly tucked the bills into her own wallet and patted her youngest brother on the shoulder in mock comfort. “Better luck next time, Chadwick.”
“Chad,” he corrected, stabbing at his dinner with a pout. “It hardly counts as a bet since I agreed with you.”
“And yet I was the first one to make the bet,” Diego sang.
Mrs. Sterling scowled but returned her attention to the son sitting across from her. “Gay?” she demanded.
Morgan shrugged and adjusted his sling. “Yup.”
“You’re already trans, what more do you want from us?”
“Really, mom,” Diego snorted. “You’ll accept your son but not if he likes men? That’s a bit hypocritical of you.” She narrowed her eyes at their parents. “Unless you don’t really accept him and just pretend to.”
“W-well of course we don’t just pretend, Diego, don’t be ridiculous! We just-”
“Fantastic, glad we got that settled. Now Morgan,” she said, propping her chin on one hand and looking at her brother with a gleam in her eye, “have your eye on anyone? A secret boyfriend, perhaps?”
Heat crept up his neck and he glanced at Barnaby, who avoided his eye. “N-no, not right now,” Morgan said.
Diego snickered. “Liar.”
———————
It didn’t take long for dinner to wind down; every time his parents tried to speak up Diego cut them off. Morgan knew what she was doing and was grateful for it, but he also knew she’d corner him later and demand answers.
He didn’t know what he was going to tell her.
The walk back home was mostly quiet and awkward. Very awkward. It wasn’t until they reached their block that Barnaby broke the silence.
“I’m-I’m sorry.”
“What the hell, man,” Morgan said. “Telling my parents? Do you know what they’d do to me if they knew the truth? Have you just been reporting to them the whole time?”
“N-no! No! O-of course no-not, I just-”
Morgan stopped and turned to look at his friend. “I thought I could trust you.”
Barnaby had the grace to look ashamed. One hand sought out Kotetsu’s head and tangled in the dog’s fur. “You-you can, I just… I c-c-can’t live l-like this any-anymore.”
Morgan blinked. “What?”
“I’m a-always af-afraid that w-w-when you go-go out, you’re g-g-going to v-vanish, or th-that I’ll f-find your-your b-body in a d-ditch. I c-can’t do it a-anymore!”
Morgan hadn’t thought of that before. He knew Barnaby didn’t like him seeking out Alex - valid concern - but he’d never stopped to think about how Barnaby handled it each time Morgan told him where he was. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“W-will you st-stop?”
After a brief hesitation, Morgan slowly shook his head.
Barnaby sighed. “Th-then… stop t-t-telling me when- when you g-g-go out. Y-you can tell m-me when y-you get back, b-b-but I can’t con-constantly p-prepare my-myself for your d-death only t-to be relieved, over an-and-and over again.”
“Okay.”
Barnaby looked away, jaw working, and nodded once.
They stood in silence until Kotetsu let out a long, low whine.
“R-right,” Barnaby said, offering Morgan a weak smile. “W-we-we should go.”
Morgan nodded and resumed walking with his friend. “I’m sorry,” he said again.
Barnaby didn’t reply. Morgan knew something had changed between them - something he didn’t think he’d be able to fix.