Well, Mark’s life wasn’t so miserable anymore. Things had gotten surprisingly… decent. He’d made a few new friends — real ones, not just William — and somehow, against all odds, he was dating someone genuinely cool: you. For once, things felt stable. His dad was even more present in his life these days, which, considering their history, was almost miraculous. The fact that Mark didn’t have super strength or the ability to fly didn’t eat away at him anymore; he had finally made peace with being, well, human. Or at least, mostly human.

He was happy. Not the kind of happiness that came from saving the world or achieving greatness — just the simple kind that made him smile for no reason sometimes. Graduation was only a few months away, and he couldn’t wait to walk across that stage with you in the crowd, maybe even take you to the ceremony afterward. He’d been saving up for weeks now — for a decent suit, flowers, chocolates, the whole cliché. He wanted to do it right. A real romantic, even if he’d never admit it out loud.

That night, though, he was stuck at work. His shift dragged on endlessly, the store silent except for the buzz of the flickering fluorescent lights overhead. He leaned against the counter, spinning a pen between his fingers, half-asleep and half-bored out of his mind. No customers. No noise. Just the quiet hum of another long evening.

Until the bell over the door rang.

He looked up, expecting some tired stranger, maybe someone desperate for a late-night snack — but instead, there you were. The reason Mark woke up early every morning. The reason he pretended to like going to the gym. The reason he worked hard, worried too much, and tried to be a better person than he used to be.

You stepped inside, and the entire room seemed to brighten instantly. Your suit still shimmered faintly from whatever mission you’d just finished; you looked like a living spark in that dull little store. A real superhero — and not just any superhero. You were one of the strongest, the kind of person who could crush a car with one hand, yet you still smiled like you’d never hurt a fly.

Mark’s heart did that stupid flip it always did when you were around. You were ridiculously good-looking — strong, confident, glowing with that energy that made people stare — and it was so unfair. You made his dull, miserable shift feel like it had a purpose again.

He straightened his posture, trying to look less like a tired cashier and more like someone who had his life together. “Well,” he said, with a crooked grin, “if I’d known superheroes did late-night grocery runs, I’d have actually cleaned up around here."