So You're Dating A Superhero…

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The Seventh Rule

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If he tells you to run, RUN!

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Trust me on this.

Your boyfriend will have been through many situations and will have developed at least some ability to read a situation from a tactical viewpoint. If he tells you to run, it usually means that combat is imminent and if you remain nearby, it is quite likely that you will be injured or killed despite his best efforts to protect you.

Asking "Why?" or "What do you mean, run?" is most certainly not a good move.

You may hate to admit it, but sometimes the best thing that you can do is to get out of the way and let those able to do so handle the situation.

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The Eighth Rule

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Work out alibis with him ahead of time.

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This rule will save you from a great deal of trouble and possible embarrasment. If you know he is rescuing an airliner and reply that he is taking gliding lessons, you had better tell him what you said before he says something about going deep sea diving.

The differences between what you and he claim as a cover story can easily clue people in that there is something that you are trying to keep secret, although they will normally assume that you are cheating on him or vice versa.

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The Ninth Rule

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Don't be demanding when he returns from a mission.

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When he returns from a mission, chances are that he will have convinced himself that he has failed. Even if everyone else is in awe at how he managed to rescue a hundred people from a towering inferno, if even one person dies, he will feel as if he has proven himself unworthy of being a hero.

After a mission is generally when he is at his most vulnerable and needs reassurance and comfort. You need to let him know that you still love him as if the mission went wrong, he will be seeking any source of comfort that he can find.

If you try to make a demand of him at this point, you may as well simply walk out of the door and out of his life.

For many Superheroes, their loved ones are their anchors, the ones who remind them that everyone is important. A Superhero can fly round the world in an instant, lift thousands of tons with one hand, hear a penny drop on the other side of the continent.

He will need you.

It is your care and attention that will stop him from falling apart. You are his safety net, his voice of conscience, his mirror that shows him that he is not a failure like he thinks he is.

In a very real sense, you are the one responsible for keeping his heart and soul safe.

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-\S/-

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So there you have the nine primary rules to keep in mind as you date your Superhero. They served me well and I hope that they serve you the same way as well.

I wish you the best of good fortune and may your happiness be as great as mine.

Raven Kent

Happily Married to Superman.

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Author's Afternote: I'd meant this to be a one-shot, but it kind of grew enough that it wouldn't fit into the Side Stories very well. As such, I've posted it as a small story in its own right.

I hope you enjoyed reading Mystique's advice.