#phenomenal

Even then, Phenomaman regarded you. Which was strange, in its own way.

However, this all changed when a shocking breakup overturned the hero, tearing him at the pieces.

Whispers had filled the office at SDN, hushed coworkers gossiping beneath their breaths upon the topic of Phenomaman and Blonde Blazer. They then proceeded on to talk about the scandalous crash out that the super alien was going through, disrupting traffic and hindering people's lives in an uncharacteristic way.

Phenomaman was supposed to be a good role model, they would say.

That was when you saw him again, that fated day.

As janitor, you were ordered to clean up the mess that was made in the parking lot. Apparently, someone had ruined Flambae's car, glass shards all over the place and the vehicle practically unusable. It made you wonder who would be brave enough to face Flambae's wrath, who could really just burn anyone if he wanted to.

Cleaning up the glass on the ground and scooping it into a bucket, you suddenly heard a rustle from behind you.

You whirled around, wide-eyed to find yourself staring at Phenomaman, who had appeared from behind a nearby tree. There, in his broken glory, stood the hero, dark circles prominent beneath his brown eyes, hair tousled messily, and a gaunt but still handsome face.

"Why, if it isn't you," he said, with a gentle, raspy voice.

It was the first time he ever conversated with you, as you him. Shocked by this realization, you froze for a moment. Perhaps the breakup did a number of damage on him.

And when you thought about it, even though it really should not be your business, you couldn't help but feel bad for the guy.

"Were you the one who damaged this car?" you asked him, nudging your head at the sight beside you.

"What? Oh... Oh, yes. It appears you are here to clean it up. I apologize."

You shrugged. "Just here to do my job. If anything... you may wanna apologize to Flambae. He's throwing a tantrum right now."

"Ah, the one seared off eyebrows," he said. "How... frightening"

He sure was honest with things. Perhaps it was the alien inside of him.

"What is your name?" he asked suddenly.

You blinked at him in surprise. Not many people here cared to know your name. How strange it was indeed. Chest constricted by such a little thing, you wondered why you were so moved by his gestures. They really weren't much. But somehow, he always looked at you as something more... not some background character to fill the noise.

"[Name]," you told him. For some reason, you wanted to return this favor... if you could even call it one. "Hey, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'd be willing to hear you out."

"[Name]!" Arms wrapped around your body, the body heat of his worn suit against your skin. The slight musk of his scent, being pressed against his sturdy chest, and the fact that you were currently being hugged by one of the most powerful heroes left you dazed. Your chest pounded heavily at the close proximity, but the grateful smile on his lips drowned almost everything away. "What a kind fellow you are. Good."

That was, until he was squeezing you a little too hard, nearly breaking your bones.

You wheezed out, doubling over in pain.

"Oh my, you are a weak little thing."

You blinked at him, teary eyed. He was indeed too honest.

With that, the two of you formed a connection.

He became a source of motivation for you to come into work. As the two of you hung out in the backroom closet, you continued to truly learn who Phenomaman was, behind the exterior of his hero self.

But you preferred it actually, unveiling his layers towards the core of his being. You wanted to know more about him, know his thoughts and feelings, his fears and weaknesses, his wants and wishes.

He was more than just a hero.

His head laid down on your lap, and your fingers were woven along the strands of his soft, brown hair. He stayed there so comfortably, and you wished it would last forever.

"... It just feels hard to get back out there. Being in the same industry as Blond Blazer is quite difficult. Alas, some days I wake up, I could hardly get out of bed," he muttered, staring at the ceiling sleepily.

"You know, you'll find someone who'll love you the way you are." It was cheesy and you would usually never say such a thing, but when it came to Phenomaman, there were a lot of boundaries you were willing to cross. His own honest self began to unravel your truths as well, breaking the walls that used to tower around you so.

He stared at you for a moment, brown, warm irises glowing beneath the iridescent lightbulb of the closet. "Do you think so?"

Perhaps he was always known to be a beacon of hope. But then who should give the hope to him?

You wanted nothing more than to relieve him of his pain. So, you nodded.

He suddenly sat up, sitting across from you. Hands out and smushing your cheeks together, he grinned, a sight you could never pull away from. He was... beautiful. And though you knew he would hate a compliment from anyone, it would always be true.

"Would you like to know my name?"

You blinked in confusion. "Your name?"

He nodded. "It's Katon-Ur."

"Katon-Ur," you repeated back at him, the name rolling smoothly from your lips. What a fitting name for him.

But you were thrilled he told you his name.