Page 70 of Not All Himbos Wear Capes
And what he’s researching checks out.
“Ah, here we are,” our guide hummed, pointing Xander down an aisle of file cabinets that looked exactly the same as the dozens of others. “You’ll find the most up-to-date treaties, including recent amendments created in the wake of jurisdictional immunities for refugees of…”
Already bored, I tuned out the overly technical conversation and allowed my gaze to wander around the otherwise unoccupied space.
The records room was depressing, with its only decoration being beige walls and an expansive cement ceiling broken up by flickering fluorescent lights and an emergency sprinkler system. A long oak table sliced the room in half, and I noticed a yellowed map taped to its surface, with each aisle clearly labeled with what it contained.
Gotcha.
Adopting an air of nonchalance, I absently traced a finger over the map, stealthily scanning it to find the exact subject I was looking for.
Interspecies marriage.
“I trust you can take it from here, Dr. Marin,” Sylvano grinned at Xander before turning to me. “Don’t be a stranger, Butch. It’s good to see you outside of Biggs’ overbearing shadow.” Xander snorted in approval of the dig as Sylvano left us to our research.
“Doctor?” I eyed him appraisingly, even as I sidled toward my destination.
Xander hummed, already thumbing through a cabinet. “Well, I do have multiple PhDs.” His gaze suddenly snapped to my face. “This won’t take long, sweetheart, if you want to go catch up with Sylvano, or get coffee… or something.”
“I’m good!” My voice was louder than I intended. “I’ll just… poke around in here.”
“Very well,” he gave me an odd look before turning his attention back to the files.
That was close!
Casually turning down the aisle I was aiming for, I quickly located the cabinet containing supe-specific trials. Yanking out a thick file that looked promising, I noted the title ‘Franco vs. Big City’ as I flipped it open. Scanning the legal brief, I was surprised to discover an extensively documented case where a villain-turned-hero petitioned to marry another hero, only to mysteriously die before a final verdict could be reached.
How have I never heard about this?
The sound of approaching footsteps had me racing to the far end of the aisle and scurrying around the corner. Once I was safely out of sight, I spread the court documents on a nearby table and used my phone to snap photos of each page, intending to take a closer look later.
After demonstrating my efficient multitasking abilities for Xander…
Neatly collecting the papers back into the folder, I turned down the aisle again, only to freeze mid-step. Xander was hurriedly rifling through the next cabinet over from where I'd found my file, his gaze laser-focused on his research.
Research that apparently had nothing to do with international water law…
CHAPTER32
BUTCH
My crushing disappointment quickly turned to confusion when I realized this aisle only contained domestic matters—like marriages, divorces, and paternity disagreements.
What the..?
“Fuck,” Xander softly swore, and the obvious disappointment on his face almost had me stomping over to give him a hug. Before I could blow my cover, he slid the cabinet closed and turned his head in the opposite direction to call for me. “All right, I think I got what I needed, sweetheart. Where are you hiding?”
“Oh, hi, Xan!” I strolled toward him, as if I’d been aimlessly wandering this entire time—leaving the folder behind me and trusting a USN employee to get it back where it belonged.
He subtly stepped away from the incriminating cabinet—a move I wouldn’t have noticed had I not been watching him like a hawk. The only reason I didn’t call him out was that, instead of guilt hidden beneath nonchalance, Xander just looked… sad.
“Are you okay?” I couldn’t help asking, hating to think of him being upset over anything, even if he was keeping secrets.
Talk about karma...
He pressed his lips together and slowly nodded, although he took a moment before he replied. “I will be. There’s just some red tape I need to deal with before I can get what I want...” His voice caught, but he quickly cleared his throat. “How about a drink before heading home?”
Without waiting for my answer, he spun on his heel and walked away, clearly intent on burying whatever he was going through. I followed, but paused at the cabinet he’d looked at and quietly slid it open.
