I take a deep breath in as I hear the door to my workplace click shut behind me. The air is cold and the sun has nearly finished setting in the sky, but it’s not dark nor quiet.

The streets are alive with joy and festivities. People are hand in hand with loved ones, some are dancing with friends, some are doing what I’m doing now and simply watching everything around them with a content smile.

I usually prefer to take a taxi home, looking forward to a warm meal when I arrive, but something tells me that nothing will be getting cold if I decided to take a detour.

I set off down the street. My pace is calm, my eyes still taking in what’s around me.

Five years ago the villain of this great city was finally put to rest by the valiant hero.

His death sparked a wave of joy and relief throughout the city, the rabid dog who had caused such discord being put down for good.

Every year since, this date has brought about a need to celebrate, the city yet again exploding with joy and relief for the fact that they were safer.

I keep walking and I pass a large crowd of people. I spare a glance even though I know what they’re all standing around.

The giant statue of the hero is surrounded by countless civilians, some sobbing with gratitude and some simply looking up with awe.

I smile with pride before turning my attention back to the path in front of me.

A couple more minutes of walking and I reach my destination.

Very few know about its existence, and even fewer have ever bothered to seek it out, but tucked away in a small corner of the city lies a gravestone dedicated to the villain himself.

No one knows where it came from and most people who know of its existence don’t even bother trying to guess. Why would they? If someone wants to mourn such a monster they could go right ahead and do so. It wasn’t like it would bring him back.

I stare for a moment at the lone figure sitting in front of it before I make my way over and take a seat as well.

Henry and I sit in silence for a bit, ruminating on the last five years. They’ve been quiet all things considered. The hero stuck around for the first few months after the villain’s death, helping with bank robberies and the like but by the end of the first year no one had seen him in quite a bit of time. Most people seem to agree that he just realized he wasn’t exactly needed anymore. He would always be remembered as a hero but his strength and determination was just a bit over the top for most run of the mill crimes.

Some think he left the city to find bigger fish to fry. Perhaps a different city or maybe even a different planet, depending on who you ask. Some think that perhaps the villain had some associates who sought revenge for his death but most simply think that he just decided to retire and give civilian life a shot.

I glance over at Henry. His eyes are fixated on the gravestone.

Only he and I know the truth.

Only he and I know what really happened.

“Do you ever miss him?” Henry asks the question without taking his eyes away from the stone slab.

“The villain?”

“Yeah,” he says. He makes eye contact with me. “Do you ever miss him?”

“No,” I say, almost surprised at how easy it is for me to admit. “No, I don’t.”

“Really?” I can tell by his tone that he believes me but something is keeping him from wanting to.

“Do you?”

He looks away from me, sighs, and says, “I mean… kind of.”

Before I have the chance to say anything, he barrels on.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t miss the things he did. He committed terrible acts, his actions led to many people’s deaths and I don’t want anyone else to be hurt but…”

He pauses, a faraway look in his eyes.

“I guess I just miss the excitement of it all.”

I scoff in mock offense. “Is doing laundry and taxes with me not exciting enough?”

“Alex,” he says, soft but serious.

I drop the sarcasm and sit up straighter.

He keeps staring into my eyes, searching for something, some indication that I might agree with him. “You don’t miss the action at all?”

I think to myself for a moment, trying to decide what to say.

“I mean…” I sigh, crossing my arms before continuing. “Do I miss the adrenaline a bit? Yeah, but that’s why I took up skydiving. I just need that rush for a bit and then I’m ok.”

He drops eye contact at my answer, seeming disappointed, though I know it’s not aimed in my direction.

“Henry,” I say. “Talk to me. What’re you thinking about?”

He laughs, a small puff of air, before he collapses backwards into the grass, facing the sky. “I just feel so restless Alex. I mean for years I threw myself into danger at the first sign of it, saving lives every day, fuck, Alex, there’s a twenty foot statue of me just down the road, and what have I been doing for the past four and a half years?”

“You’ve been living.”

His eyes shoot to meet mine, disbelief evident in them as though he hadn’t even considered that as a valid answer.

Before he has the chance to respond, a thought passes through my head. “Y’know, I’ve heard that crime has been running rampant in that city we visited last year.”

His eyes grow wide. “But… but I thought you didn’t want to leave the city.”

I shake my head. “I never said I didn’t want to leave the city. I said I didn’t want to leave you.”

Henry sits up, his mouth starting to tug up at the corners. “Are you sure?”

I just smile at him and nod. “Whenever you’re ready to go home, we can start looking for new apartments. I’ve been wanting to find a new job anyway.”

Henry just stares at me for a moment and then suddenly I’m on my back in the grass and he’s peppering my face with kisses.

“Henry!” I protest, trying not to shriek. “That tickles!”

He doesn’t respond to that. Instead he pauses, makes eye contact, and says “I love you” before continuing to press his lips all over my face.

I laugh a bit but manage to grab his face and hold it above mine. I lean up to press a kiss to his lips and murmur “I love you too”.

He grins at me and then goes back to what he was doing before, a bit slower now.

The thought crosses my mind, as Henry puts one of his hands to my chest, that even though I’ve been dead for the past five years, I’ve never felt more alive.