Archive of Our Own ^beta

"♫ Together we can burn so bright, we'll chase the shadows from the world ♫." Nick's ears perked up at the reminder of his epiphany on McManus Bridge. Pop music had never been his favorite, but this song didn't sound like one of the omnipresent tracks that blared in every store. It sounded like hope. It sounded like encouragement. It sounded like it needed to join the odd collection that was his playlist.

"Hey Siri, what song is playing?" Nick shouted into his phone above the music.

"Hang on, let me listen..." Siri replied, infuriatingly calm. Nick watched the blue-green loading thingy swirl across the screen, never stopping. He'd always hated that thing. He grabbed a bag of Swinkles Salsagheti and headed for the checkout counter.

"♫ You control the universe, so shake it up tonight ♫," the speakers sang. Nick, more than willing to listen, shook his phone just as Siri caught on to the melody.

"This song is: Children of the Stars by The Orion Experience. Would you like me to search the web?"

"Seth! Seth! You have to listen to this song!"

"No I don't. I have homework to do, you know my grades are slipping behind."

"You've got to, that's what boyfriends do. You're gonna love this. Plus," Nick reached into his pocket, "I've got Swinkles Salsagheti!"

"Alright, you win," Seth said, snatching the bright yellow bag out of Nick's hand and tearing it open savagely. "What's this song of yours?"

"Get ready for this."

"I'm ready."

"Okay." Nick pushed the play button, shivering with excitement.

"♫ Children of the Stars, unite, don't you be afraid to share your light ♫," his phone sang. Nick realized he'd never verified that Siri pulled up the correct song. He beamed and looked at Seth for a reaction. "♫ Together we can burn so bright, that we'll chase the shadows from the world ♫."

Seth reached over and tapped pause. "Yes, yes, just like me," he frowned. "I bet they wrote this whole song because of me." He popped a Swinkles Salsagheti into his mouth and turned back to his homework.

"No, look," Nick pointed to the screen, "This album came out in 2013. Did you even know about your powers back then?"

Seth cringed. "Yes. That was when I almost burnt the apartment down, before I knew how to control it. Now can we please move on?"

"No." Nick pressed play once more.

"♫ They'll tell you it's all about money. They'll tell you it's all about fame. You spend all your life chasing diamonds and furs and you're left with a ball and a chain ♫…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I don't want to be famous. That's just what this whole Extraordinary thing has become. Why are you even sharing this with me?"

"♫ Now time is an infinite journey. And life is a trial by fire. You give up your wings for material things, baby how can we get any higher? ♫"

"You seriously sound like you're trying to teach me a lesson here. Thanks for the Swinkles, but can you just explain this with words?"

"C'mon, can't a guy just share a song he likes with his boyfriend?" It still made Nick giddy to refer to Seth as his boyfriend. "Why are you doing that page anyway? It says it is optional."

"No, what? Where does it say that?"

"Right here," Nick pointed to clear marking in the corner of the page.

"So it does. You amaze me, Nick. You and your ADHD brain."

"Can we listen to this song now?"

"Sure." Seth crumpled up the worksheet into a ball and threw it across the room, missing the recycle bin by an embarrassing margin. "I was tempted to burn that," he smiled.

"♫ But power, it flows through your fingers. And lightning caresses your hair ♫..." Nick imagination went to Miss Conduct, and how she appeared in a flash of light. Music can travel through wires. What would it feel like to travel through a wire with music? Nick made a mental note to ask Miss Conduct the next time they met.

"♫ This world will be ours 'cause we come from the stars so the doubters had better beware ♫..." Nick remembered the random conspiracy website he came across that mentioned the possibility of all life on Earth arriving on board asteroids. Maybe not all of it. Maybe just the Extraordinaries...

"♫ Everything you need, my child, is right within your sights ♫..." Nick normally didn't like it when people other than his dad said "my child," but this singer said it differently. "♫ You control the universe, so shake it up tonight ♫..." Goosebumps popped up on his whole body as the song launched back into the chorus.

"♫ Children of the Stars, unite, don't you be afraid to share your light, together we can burn so bright, that we'll chase the shadows from the world. And Children of the Stars, be brave, never let them doubt your heart, or how it's made, just let your love go SUPERNOVA!! ♫"